Riled up in Rio
Category: Blog, General
Movies are designed to be enjoyable, easy-going, and entertaining . Most of the time they are--with the smell of popcorn filling the lobby air, the whisper of excited voices filling the theater, and the comfort of over-sized chairs supporting your viewing experience.
Personally, I like to stroll into a theater 10 minutes after the scheduled movie time to avoid unnecessary previews. I also like to attend after the movie has been out for a few weeks, which makes the entire experience less crowded. Yet, on Monday, I surpassed all of my usual movie-going tendencies in order to see the new animated feature, Rio. My "little sister" and I stopped at a local deli before arriving early to our show. And, with school out for an Easter travel day, the place was packed! Squealing kids and babbling parents filled the entire stadium seating section above the walkway. And this was all BEFORE the movie previews even began!! As we approached the seats, everything was taken.
I scoped the scene for even one or two empty spaces. Lo and behold, the front row--the one with teh railing footrest--had two empty seats separated only by a mother and daughter. My quick eye noticed this, so I approached the middle-aged mother.
"Are you saving either of these seats?" I kindly asked.
"No," she replied.
"Would you be willing to move one seat to the right or left so we could sit together?" To my surprise, she became angry and cursed at my request. Begrudgingly, she moved over. Instead of matching her anger with mine, I took a deep breath and asked another question.
"Have you seen how crowded the theater is right now?"
"No." She actually responded.
"It's very full. There are only a few seats left at all, and none of them are together."
I guided my young friend to take her seat while I used the restroom before the film began. As I walked down the red, gold, and purple hallway, I had to calm down. I couldn't believe someone could be so rude, at a kid's movie of all places! This afternoon was a treat and I didn't want it to be ruined by a crabby mom. I knew I chose to sit next to them for the next two hours, so I took a few deep breaths to gain a fresh perspective on the situation.
When I returned to my seat, the same lady reached over and apologized for snapping at me. I thanked her with a sincere apology and enjoyed the next two hours flying above the Rio with two Blue Macaws.
So, what does this mean for me? This enounter reminded me of what I teach my students everyday about communication. When a positive energy meets a negative energy, which ever is stronger prevails 100% of the time. By holding myself in love and integrity, I was able to honor everyone in the conversation with my words and actions.
What does this mean for you? Take time today to notice how you respond to people that challenge you or push your buttons. They are often our greatest teachers about ourselves, giving us so many great opportunities to personally grow and love.
Posted: April 23, 2011
Posted By: Kym
Life on the Flying Trapeze
Category: Blog, General
Imagine that life is like a series of trapeze swings with no safety net below. We’re either swinging on one trapeze bar, with a confident grip, or for a few moments in time, we’re hurtling in space before grabbing on to another one.
Most of the time, we spend life hanging on for dear life to the trapeze bar of the moment. We are comfortable with the steady rate of the swing and have the feeling of being in control of life. It feels like we even know most of the answers to life’s questions that are going to be thrown our way.
There are other times where we’re hanging on to the trapeze bar of the moment, terrified of where we are, but even more scared of letting go.
Whether enjoying our current trapeze bar or not, there are transition points in life when we can see another trapeze bar swinging our direction. It’s empty and it has our name written all over it. This bar is our next step on the path towards personal growth or the realization of our dreams.
Sometimes we hope, other times we pray, that we don’t have to grab the new trapeze bar. But we know in our heart of hearts, that in order to take this leap of faith, we have to release our grip on the present, well-known bar, and move into the unknown.
Just before releasing our grip, a myriad of emotions—including some fear—can take over. It doesn’t matter how many times we’ve done this before. We can tell ourselves it’s just a simple process of releasing and grabbing again. Sometimes, out of the dark places in the mind, we fear that we’ll miss the next bar and tumble into the bottomless chasm between bars. Once we let go, there are no guarantees, no nets, and no insurance policies.
Once we muster up the courage to let go, we are in transition.
We are in the instant of eternity that can last a microsecond or a thousand lifetimes. We’re in that sacred space where the past is gone and the future is not quite here. And it’s the only place where real change can occur.
This sense of flying can be looking upon as scary, confusing, disorienting space that needs to be passed as quickly and as unconsciously as possible.
However, this can be an exciting time, full of adrenaline, where you are intensely focused. With confidence, clarity, and awareness, we can enjoy the richness of the transition. We can honor these special times, even savor them. And even with the wide range of emotions that can accompany these transitions, they can be the most alive, passionate, and expansive moments of our lives.
In fact, the transformation of fear may have nothing to do with making our fear disappear entirely. But rather, it’s the ability to give ourselves permission to “hang out” in the transitions between trapeze bars. By transforming our natural tendency to grab at the new bar quickly, we allow ourselves to dwell in the place where change really happens. It can be terrifying, and as mentioned before, it can be enlightening.
In those transitions where we hurtle through the void, we may just learn to fly.
So, what transitions are you going through as we enter 2011? How are you feeling in the process--scared, accepting, or exhilirated?
See if you can find some enjoyment in your transitions today.
Posted: January 11, 2011
Posted By: Kym
Pride, Passion, Power
Category: Blog, General
While in Redondo Beach for the Christmas holiday, my family and I headed into downtown Los Angeles to watch the Kings play their So Cal rivals, the Anaheim Ducks. The enthusiastic crowd only added to the enormity of the Staples Center itself.
It's been a year since watching my home team play live and I was impressed with their change in uniform design and logo. Included in their transformation was a new slogan--Pride, Passion, Power.
These words perfectly describe intense players skating up and down the ice, using their power to dominate whoever dares enter their territory. The Kings use overmasking passion to create defeat, thus enhancing the sataisfaction of each performance. And, when the players succeed, fans tag along with heartfelt pride.
However, the words Pride, Passion, and Power are not solely reserved for those on the LA Kings team. In fact, they are attributes that we all possess. We can daily express these characteristics in the following ways:
- Pride: We are all unique and have the choice to celebrate our value and self-worth continually. We are capable of creating the life of our dreams, learning from our experiences, and moving forward with our head held high.
- Passion: While our society often encourages us to live from a logical, brain-centered perspective, passion is an intense sensation driven by the heart. Passion invokes enthusiasm, joy, and love. It's the intense, driving emotions that offer meaning and purpose to each action we take and to each relationship we form.
- Power: This is our ability to have strength and courage as we move through all of our life experiences. With our power, we can influence others. Yet, with that capability comes great responsibility to consider what is in the greatest and higest good for all.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What am I proud of in my life right now? What aspect of myself am I proud of?
- What am I passionate about in my life right now? How can I add passion to my activities and relationships today?
- How do I acknowledge my own power? How do I use that power to better my life and the lives of others
Even if you're not a hockey fan or LA Kings aficionado, I encourage you to adopt their motto for 2011! Uncover your Pride. Encourage your Passion. And embrace your Power in the year to come.
Many blessings to you all,
Kym
Posted: December 29, 2010
Posted By: Kym
'Tis the Season
Category: Blog, General
With the Thanksgiving holiday festivities coming to a close, a whole month of Christmas ones await. Thankfully, my mom and sister we up visiting over the long weekend and we could combine some of the best events of both holidays in just a few short days.
Friday was a day of rest, mainly from the turkey cooking and mass pumpkin-pie eating on Thanksgiving Thursday. So, we decided to put off our Christmas tree cutting adventure to Saturday.
However, when the rainy morning of the weekend arrived, our spirits were dampened by the weather. Should we still go up into the mountains, knowing a snow storm was under way? Could we bear the wet cold for a few hours while we hunted down the perfect living room centerpiece?
Despite our hesitation, and reservations, we decided to go.
Yes, there were complications with the sawzaw. And, we need to pick up a back-up pruning saw at the hardware store just in case the power one failed. Finally, after an hour of preparation and with enough food, water, and warm clothing to last us a winter, we made our way up to Butte Meadows for our Christmas tree hunt.
The peacefully falling snow immediately faded out any concerns we initially had about the trip. Even the snowballs aimed at my head as I exited the truck seemed playful enough in this winter wonderland.
I would like to say that the actual discovering, cutting, and loading of the tree itself had some unexpected element of surprise. Yet, thankfully, it was just an hour of laughter and teamwork to get our tree back down into our home in Chico.
But, reflecting on the snow day made me think of the many times we actually go through the festive season dreading the events to come. Many times we get frustrated with crowds, annoyed at the same family or co-workers, and stressed with the extra demands on our schedule.
So, as you start this often busy month of December—celebrating your holiday of choice—take a moment to consider how much fun, joy, and companionship you can create for yourself and others. By simply changing your perspective, and opening up to the unexpected blessings that may arrive, you just might have a bit more JOY as you move gracefully through the month.
Happy Holidays!
Posted: December 8, 2010
Posted By: Kym
