Firework Part I

As Albert Einstein said,

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen all at once.”

This quote is so accurate and also going to be my excuse for as to why I haven’t updated my blog in way too long!  The reason why?

 

I discovered self worth.

 

It’s amazing really.  I finally feel like I’ve weathered the storm and come out unscathed on the other side.  There have been so many trials and tribulations and I don’t know if they were put there by whatever cosmic force exists as teachers, skin thickeners, or as tests.  Maybe the answer is all of the above.  Because although the pain I had felt was the most substantial pain I had ever experienced, it has given way to a new sense of calm and strength that I didn’t know I possessed.  I know who I am now, and the joy that comes with my daily life is also the most substantial joy I’ve felt thus far in my life.  I feel like there are these infinitely tiny fireworks inside of me, firing up through my circulatory system and fueling this new appreciation and desire.  To give you an idea, check out the new Katy Perry music video for Firework:

 

 

I don’t know how many people actually check in to see if I continue writing or how many people care.  But I want to share what I’ve learned from the harsh despair and long winter of depression now that I’ve come out on the other side:

 

1. You can say you are ready to move on, or that you want to move on, but you may not be ready.  When bad things happen in our lives, no matter how trivial they may seem to other people their magnitude is personally heavy.  Even small fights can feel like enormous losses, and you owe it to yourself to mourn whatever loss you are feeling.  You may get caught up in negativity and every little bad thing is just another slight to you, making it easy to engage in a downward spiral.  Don’t try to rush through your pain.  Of course it hurts, and if it’s something that has you this down, it probably will hurt and for some time.  Despite this pain, try to remember it’s better to feel this way now and not bottle the emotion away to deal with a month from now.  It will make it hurt worse in the long run, and I can tell you in my experience that once you get through this period and emerge from the darkness, the good things in life pile up the way the bad ones used to, and the bad ones don’t matter as much.  Don’t rush yourself.  Know that one day, you will be ready to move on, and move on you will.

 

2. You may feel like the people around you don’t understand what happened to you in the past or what you are currently experiencing.  You may even feel like others push you away or try to belittle you in some way, may it be to your face or behind your back, which becomes yet another thing on the shit list of things that are happening to you.  In my experience when people reacted badly, it ended up being a catalyst in me becoming too open about my situation because I so desperately wanted someone to understand.  Even the adults handled things poorly.  Whatever sparked the turmoil you are experiencing now, try to take a deep breath and really consider the people you trust you in your life.  If you can’t find someone, seek a school or work counselor, and if those people are unhelpful, google and see if there is a hotline related to whatever malady you are working through (here is a link with all kinds of numbers you can call: http://www.allaboutcounseling.com/crisis_hotlines.htm ).  Even if you haven’t met them yet, there are people who love you and want to help.

In terms of those who react to your problems by lashing out…these confrontations can sometimes feel more painful than whatever sparked these problems in the first place.  Losing friends, mentors, teachers, and even family members is no small spat.  It’s natural to feel hurt and angry.  But remember: people react with unease to things that are unfamiliar or new to them in several situations, especially if you are opening their brains and imaginations to something unpleasant, hurtful, or scary.  There were several people who let me down that I was angry at for quite literally years, and sometimes I still feel upset about it from time to time.  I ease the reminder flashes by reminding myself that people don’t always know what to do, even those we depend on.  I try to think of it in terms of capacity–those people were my friends, yes, but at that current time, due to whatever was going on in their lives, they didn’t have the capacity to comprehend the situation as I hoped they would, and they therefore did not have the capacity to stand by me.  I can tell you from where I am in my life now that I have gained the capacity to help and to understand in situations like this, and that there are other survivors and kind people in general out there who want to help and do have the ability to process what you are going through, no matter how big or small.

 

3. Even if you find someone who can help, you may still feel alone.  I found that in several situations, there were many girls who opened up to me about similar experiences that occurred in their lives.  We feel so wrapped up in our own happenings that it can be easy to feel you are the only person experiencing these issues, but in truth there are several other people all over the world going through similar, if not worse.  If your problem is especially serious, calling one of the hotlines and speaking to a volunteer counselor is a good stepping stone to finding a support group to help you start to heal, or at the very least begin the journey to being ready to move on.

I’d also like to add that the few people who did stand by me have become my closest friends in the world and have added enormous enrichment to my life.  You know who you are.

 

 

4. Environment.  The environment you place yourself in is a huge factor.  Because I was dealing with issues that occurred at school and I chose to tough it out, I was in what was for me a very toxic environment for three years.  If you can, try to shift your environment.  This applies not only to where you live and how you live, but who you live with.  Surround yourself with a support system of people who love you.  At the very least, align yourself with others who make you feel positive.  It’s incredible how little energy shifts can affect you when you are dealing with depression.  Make sure the room you sleep in is filled with things that make you happy.  The more little happy things add up, the better the chance that some negativity will be replaced by that positivity somewhere.

These are the tricks I wish I had known during my time in the dark side.  Proceed to Firework Part II to see what life is like back in the land of the living…

Warrior in Training

If I say warrior, what is the first image to pop into your head?  Warfare?  Movies?  Xena?

First of all, what is a warrior exactly?  According to Random House Dictionary, a warrior is someone engaged in or experienced in warfare or a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness, as in politics or athletics.

There are several different images and interpretations that come to mind, and several topics that we could discuss.  But the warrior I’m talking about becoming isn’t necessarily historical in terms of fighting for a nation or being at the forefront of battle.  The warrior I am in training to become (in this post at least) is a Warrior Dash Warrior!

If you’re keeping up with my blog you know that I signed up for my first race in August.  This race is called the Warrior Dash!  Upon accessing the website (on my blogroll) this is what you see:

Do you dare sign up for the Warrior Dash?

All of the races vary in lengths and obstacles, but mine is in the mountains, 3.27 miles in length, and includes obstacles like shimmying through the mud under barbed wire, climbing over bales of straw, traveling over nets and walls, and jumping over fire, among others.  I’m currently in decent shape, but I definitely can’t run 3 miles, let alone 1 mile at that elevation!  I will begin training in July, meaning I have about 50 days to train!  I’ll keep you up to date and let you know how it’s going, how many miles I’m running, and what I’m doing to train.  I’m considering doing everything from climbing walls to trapeze classes to build up my strength!  After the race I’ll post pictures of me in my sweaty, muddy, fuzzy helmeted warrior glory!

If you have any questions, comments, or training suggestions, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message at ask.miss.green@gmail.com.

GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!! Miss Green

Tea Party

I went to the Celestial Seasonings Factory today in Boulder, Colorado with a couple of friends and had a wonderful time.  It was the first trip up for my friends, and the second for me.  I love the drive to Boulder because the closer you get, the more you see mountains and green and sky.  It’s very peaceful and worth the time spent in the car.  After getting off the highway and driving for five or ten minutes, you take a right, a left, the third left, and then you see Sleepytime Drive, where the factory awaits you.

Taking a moment to meditate by the tea loving Giant Panda.

When you enter the building, there is an amazing lounge area with a whole dress made out of tea bags and even tea bag shoes!  You can buy the food products the Celestial company makes, and you can also test out every single flavor of tea they make at no charge.  You get a small, white, ceramic mug to test them all out.  It would be easy to spend the day there, but I’d recommend you don’t try their many variations of the Sleepytime Tea, unless you have a designated driver!  If you sign up for the tour, which is also free, you get a tiny sample of tea bags to take home with you as your souvenir.

You wait in a line under many painted inspirational quotes, and can admire one of the original sewing machines to create the muslin bags the creators of Celestial Seasonings used to collect herbs back in the sixties.  Once inside you learn about the history of tea and the company.  There are two different popular myths about the history of this traditional beverage, but I will share with you the more positive version of the story as the other sounds like the beginnings of a horror film.  Here is the simple Chinese legend as described via wikipedia:

“Shennong, the legendary Emperor of China and inventor of agriculture and Chinese medicine was drinking a bowl of just boiled water some time around 2737 BC when a few leaves were blown from a nearby tree into his water, changing the color. The emperor took a sip of the brew and was pleasantly surprised by its flavor and restorative properties.”

It has since become a cultural staple of several different countries.  It is thought to have several benefits that range from boosting metabolism to anti-cancer properties.  I think Celestial Seasonings is very special because it strives to support sustainable and kind farming practices–they still are in touch with the very first man from Egypt to help them in their search for flowers, herbs, and spices, whom they met back in 1969.  They also keep their bags white by bleaching them with CO2, leaving out harsh chemicals that would otherwise be harmful to us.  They also make mostly tag and string free tea bags, which saves over 3 million pounds of paper a year!  How is that for eco-friendly and sustainable?

Are any of you tea people?  How does tea make you feel and which are your favorites?  As always, leave a comment here or send me an email at ask.miss.green@gmail.com!  Also…don’t leave your minty teas next to the cornflakes unless your favorite brand is mint flavored!

With Joy, Miss Green

Food Gone Raw

Recently I’ve heard a lot about the Raw Food Phenomenon.  I saw a remarkable youtube video (Diabetics Cured Within 30 Days) where, like the link says, there are people who REVERSE their Diabetes by switching to a RAW, VEGAN DIET.  What is this exactly?  It means no animal products (meat or dairy), no processed food, no high fructose corn syrup, etc.  It also means that should the food be cooked at all, it will be cooked under 104 – 115° F.  Raw Foodies believe that digestive enzymes are destroyed in the food when cooked above these temperatures.  In this youtube video, we see a preview of a longer documentary where selected individuals battle their Diabetes through this diet.  The results are incredibly MOVING–not only do they OVERCOME their physical troubles, but they regain MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL CLARITY.

I was so moved by this video that I continued to research online and read people’s different trials of this diet.  I even purchased the book The Raw Food Lifestyle – The Philosophy and Nutrition behind Raw and Live Foods by Ruthann Russo, PhD.  Check out the link to the book on my blogroll.  Here is the opening paragraph:

Raw food is more than just a diet, it’s a lifestyle.  Raw food is also a REVOLUTIONARY PHILOSOPHY.  A revolution is a FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE in the way of thinking about something. The raw food movement changes the way we look at food; therefore, it is a revolution.  Philosophy is an INTERPRETATION of the WAY THINGS FIT TOGETHER.  The raw food movement looks at the way food, living, our TREATMENT OF THE EARTH, our treatment of EACH OTHER, and our quest for physical, spiritual, and mental health all fit together.  Therefore, it is also a philosophy.  The purpose of this book is to introduce you to the revolutionary philosophy of raw and living foods by pulling together all of the components, including diet, into one place.  The book provides you with information to make a conscious decision about whether you will incorporate any of the raw and living food philosophy into your own philosophy of living.

I am going to read this book and I am going to go raw for 30 days!  When I have finished the book I will post at least once a week (not including other posts about different subjects) to let you know what I’m eating, how I’m feeling, and any changes in body and mind that I experience.  I’ve heard about several benefits including clearer skin, clarity of mind, and weight loss.

What do you think about the raw food diet?  Is it something you would ever try?  Per usual, feel free to post a response on this message or send me your thoughts, comments, and questions at ask.miss.green@gmail.com!

With Great Love, Miss Green

Hello World!

So.  You may be asking yourself why you’ve decided to click on this blog.  Maybe you’re cynical and think it’s hilarious that one person thinks she can inspire change in others to the point of yes, actually saving the world.  Maybe you’re curious to see if this is another blog about vegetarianism or global warming.  Or maybe, just maybe you want to save the world, too!  While it may not be possible for us to stop war or undesirable things from happening to us altogether, it is possible for us to band together through love, respect, and some activities you never thought you would find yourself doing.  Nothing too inappropriate of course!

This blog, should you decide to follow it, will take you on a journey.  Together we will explore many different things.  Through reviews, studies, classes, summaries of religions or traditions different than our own, or simply taking a moment to indulge in, well, the moment, we can harvest a greater appreciation for the things around us.  I know this may be starting to sound a little corny or celestial.  If these things are not your cup of tea, bear with me!  I will be trying something new every week and I will tell you how it goes (if you have any suggestions you can always shoot me a line at ask.miss.green@gmail.com).  I’m most looking forward to trying the Warrior Dash in August (http://www.warriordash.com/)!

I also want to emphasize that just because I may have a certain belief, that does not mean I expect you to adopt my philosophies.  The primary function of this blog is to expand horizons and open minds.  There will be some information in the coming posts that may shock you, but who doesn’t need a kick in the pants every now and then?

I truly believe that together we can make a difference in this world, and should you take the information here and apply it to your lives, I think you may be surprised at the happiness that will overtake you.

With Great Love, Miss Green

P.S. As always, feel free to send me an email with any thoughts or questions at ask.miss.green@gmail.com!