Roonaya and the Holy Grail

While making dinner, I'd often hear my 13 year old son say things like, "Mom, you gotta' check this out!" and "Mom, will you watch me?"  He'd be playing a video game called World of Warcraft (rated T for teen), which is not exactly my cup of tea nor part of my parenting or life philosophy due to the 'warcraft' nature of the game, but something I've allowed him to play as part of my conscious effort to acknowledge his maturation.

I'm ashamed to say that I would often feign watching and interest in his game just to appease him, as I really had no interest in wasting my time watching him play a video game, nor did I wish to watch his character slay another character.  Yuk!  Seriously, I'm 43 and have more important things to do with my time, like cook dinner, do the laundry, work, you know, adult stuff.

Well, I'm proud to say, boy was I wrong!  Here's what happened...

I decided to sit down with my son one day and watch him play for a few minutes, more from a realization that I couldn't pretend to watch anymore as he's certainly noticed my lackluster interest and I thought that if I continued to do that I'd really hurt his feelings.  So, I tore myself away from my 'adult stuff' and sat down on the couch and watched him play.

Oh, my, was I not prepared for what happened.  He was so elated that I stopped what I was doing and sat and watched him play, that his whole presence seemed to beam and become vibrant with joy.  He giddily told me all about the game and his character and the battles that he's won and how he could interact with his friends IRL (in real life) right there on the screen.  It really was amazing to watch.  This technology stuff really is something!  ;)

Well, after seeing the joy that my measly 15 minutes of focused attention brought him, I decided to make the big leap.  Not only was I willing to watch him play, but I was now committing to join him!  Yes, you read that correctly.  I was now hearing myself say the words his little ears were begging to hear, "Yes, I'll play with you."  I almost couldn't believe that I was saying what I heard myself saying, but it was true and I had said it, so I couldn't back out now.

Within minutes he had me opening an account with World of Warcraft and selecting which type of character I wanted to be (I'm not making this up!).  I could select my character's attributes - hair color, face paint design, weapon style, and on and on.  My character's name is Roonaya and I'm a night elf.  HE BEAMED THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS!  It was truly glorious to see.

The next step was for me to start playing, which allowed him to direct me with strategy suggestions and 'secret' tips FOR THE NEXT 3 HOURS!  I'm totally serious.  I lost track of time, and completely dismissed dinner.  (We ordered Dominos!)  And we played World of Warcraft until 10:30 pm!  I am not lying!

My rational mind thinks the whole thing is ridiculous.  Me, playing a video game for 3 hours, slaying other characters and creatures.  What am I thinking, right?!

But, seeing the joy in his eyes and feeling this new connection between us makes it make sense.  Who cares about what type of game it is.  Who cares that I stayed up 'til two in the morning doing everything that I was 'suppose to do' that night.

What matters is that, when he walks in the door after school, he can't wait to talk to me.  His first question is always, "How far did you get in the game today?"  (I haven't, yet, played when he's not home, but the day may come as I become more of a W.O.W. 'junkie'.)  And, while there are other more 'important' things for he and I to talk about, our game connection has at least brought him to the proverbial 'table'.  He's now more willing to talk with me about other topics, probably because I'm now showing him that his interests are important to me, too.

Connecting with your teenager is really all that matters.  How you make that happen is up to you.  And since, as most parents of teenagers know, feeling close to your teenager is close to finding the Holy Grail, it's definitely worth the effort.

See you in the game,
Roonaya

Is Life Really Short?

I'll get to why I titled this entry, that way, in a minute...

I got an email, today, with a great message:

"This is your LIFE.  Do what you love.  And do it often.  If you don't like something, change it.  If you don't like your job, quit.  If you don't have enough time, stop watching tv.  If you are looking for the love of your life, stop.  They will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love.  Stop over analyzing.  All emotions are beautiful.  When you eat, appreciate every last bite.  Life is simple.  Open your mind, arms and heart to new things.  And people.  We are united in our differences.  Ask the next person you see what their passion is and share your inspiring dream with them.  Travel often:  getting lost will help you find yourself.  Some opportunities only come once, seize them.  Life is about the people you meet and the things you create with them, so go out and start creating.  Life is short.  Live your dream and wear your passion."

Needless to say, I thought that was amazing!  I'm not sure why.  I've heard all of those ideas before.  For some reason, it just entered my brain differently this time.  More powerfully, I guess.  This time it feels as if every single one of those statements is a tangible nugget of wisdom that I can see and touch and relate to. 

I'm also finding myself dwelling in absolute joy, these days, due to a reconnection to these ideas.  And, I think that's really key.  It seems as though "doing what you love" brings joy and more things to be joyful about. 

So, back to the "Is life really short" title of this blog.  I completely understand why that statement is made.  It's a reminder to seize the day.  Got it.  But, why on Earth would anyone want to say, over and over, "Life is short"?  I would think, just like every other thought, if you said it enough times you'd get... A SHORT LIFE.

Plus, is it really all that short?  The average life span is 28,105 days long.  That's a lot of days.

I like carpe diem much better.

So, what are you gonna' do tonight?  Watch tv or start creating your life's magic act?

xoxox

The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind. ~ Wayne Dyer

Thought this title was a good jumping off point...

Is it true?  Do your thoughts become your reality, your life?  Science has proven that EVERYTHING in life is made of energy.  Your body, a desk, electricity, your thoughts are all made of energy.  And these things are all vibrating at different vibrations, and, therefore, have different densities.  So, you can touch a car, but you can't touch your thoughts.  And, yet, they're both made of the same thing - ENERGY.

So, to take it one step further, the thoughts you think are vibrating energy patterns and when you think a thought over and over and over again, it becomes more and more 'solidified' until it eventually becomes something that you can touch.  Sounds simple enough.

I think this is one of the most exciting ideas spreading around the planet!  People are talking about the movies The Secret and What the Bleep... .  Research is continuing and more and more discoveries are being made in this field of study, which is called Quantum Physics.

What does this mean for you?  Simply put, if your thoughts become things, choose the good ones, as Mike Dooley says.  And, of course, that also includes what you choose to talk about as well.

Let's take a life example to illustrate these points.  You're making breakfast and the carton of milk slips from your hand, lands on the floor, and you watch in shock as milk sprays from the carton and coats just about every inch of the kitchen.  In your mind, at that moment, you could think to yourself, "Perfect!  Now I'm gonna' be late for work!!  How am I going to clean all of this up by myself?  This is gonna' take me FOREVER!  This kind of thing ALWAYS happens to me.  Why am I so CURSED?"

I'm sure moments like this have happened to ALL of us.  And, if thoughts become things, this spilled milk type of experience would happen fairly often to the person who thinks these types of thoughts.

Let's take that same example and, instead of those thoughts, illustrate an alternative response to the spilled milk.  What if the milk splattered all over the kitchen and you thought to yourself, "Wow!  That was unexpected.  I certainly wasn't planning on wiping down the cupboards and cleaning the floor this morning.  I bet, if I hurry, I'll still make it to work on time.  I sure am glad I have all of the supplies I need to take care of this.  I bet if I asked someone to help me, they'd be happy to lend a hand.  I'm so grateful to have plenty of milk and a kitchen to make my breakfast in.  I'll be done with this in no time."

It may seem odd, at first, to change your thinking and think thoughts that are more positive and lighthearted in nature.  It definitely takes practice.  The great thing about making the effort to pay attention to your thoughts and words, is knowing that it is having an impact on your life.  We all want to be happy.  And, if you want to be happy, you'll need to start BEING happy.

Start now.  Try it.  We'll talk more, soon. :)

In the Beginning (or Walk This Way)

I thought it would be appropriate to start off by sharing a bit about where I've been, so ...

I've been an explorer for about ten years, now.  By explorer, I mean I've been searching for answers to the age old questions - Why are we here?  What's my purpose?  Is there a God or universal life force?  What role do I play in shaping and creating my life?

I'm 43 years old and can honestly say that I absolutely LOVE MY LIFE.

It wasn't always that way...

I would first like to say that, compared to many people, I've lived a blessed life.  I was married and have received much love in my life, I have a young teenager, for whom I am grateful for every single day, and I have enjoyed many creature comforts - plenty to eat, many beautiful roofs over my head, travel, toys, etc.

There have also been times of great emotional struggle.  There were years when I felt as though my life had no meaning and times when I thought the monotony of each day would certainly suck the life right out of me.  Getting divorced after almost 15 years of marriage brought me to my knees.  I've even counted pennies until the next payday.

Fast forward to today and, honestly, not much has changed.  I still have challenges, heartbreak, and financial struggles.  The difference is, today's 'challenges' are barely a blip on my radar.  I now see challenges as just an opportunity to have learned something new.  No more, no less.  Heartbreak has been replaced with an understanding that things and people come in and out of our lives and is something we have absolutely no control over.  Financial struggles are now opportunities to grow and learn and share my brilliance with the world.

Are you ready to share your brilliance with the world?  Then take my hand and join me on the journey...