Sunday, August 26, 2012

Transformations


The ability to transform ourselves is an amazing ability. As human beings we can become whatever we desire. But as a human transforming ourselves is different for all of us. There are people who look inside transforming spiritually. For others it's as simple as cutting their hair and putting on different clothing that makes them feel amazing. Some people cover themselves with body art, using their own body as a canvas to express themselves to the outer world. There are also people who physically change their body believing that a boob job or other forms of plastic surgery will transform them. And then there are some over the top people who change their entire personality, even taking the time to rewrite their past (FYI: don't trust anyone who does that kind of transformation they are just lying).


My sister and I at 8 years old.
 
 Whether you go to extremes or use something simple we have all transformed ourselves at some point in our lives.  Most people transform because they want a change in their lives. I know for me a great hair cut makes me feel strong and beautiful. When I was a kid I was a quiet shy tomboy. It wasn't until I was finished with college that I realized a tomboy was not the look I wanted for stage, so I slowly started to change little things about me. I did a photo shoot where they did an amazing job on my make-up so I put the photo on my mirror and copied the make-up. It took a couple weeks to get it right but now I knew how to put on make-up and do it right.  The hair is a different thing. I am still not great with hair but hair styles change all the time I now embrace that thought and let my hair change with the times. The same with clothing, I am not a fashion forward person, but I am lucky enough to have wonderful people in my life who are and I let them help me find clothes for on stage and off. The tomboy element still comes in as I don't like to wear dresses, but I have had a friendly intervention and have become a better clothing shopper.
 
The photo I used when copying my make-up
 

I am who I am and that I never want to transform, but making changes to become a better me or even the best me I will embrace everyday.  Try it yourself you don't need to make big changes. Think of all the little things you can do to transform your life and the world around you. It is these little steps that will make the world a better place and eventually lead you to your goals.
 
Who I am today.
 

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Top ten not so obvious things I am thankful for

Here are the top ten not so obvious things I am truly thankful for:

1) How our brains work. Whether it is a normal, average or slightly off kilter. The brain makes us who we are and it is just as amazing as we are and for that I am thankful.

2) The ability to make our dreams come true.

3) Passion, my passion for life, love and magic are all a gift I am thankful for.

4) The magic in my life, the real magic in my life.

5) I am thankful for the wonderful ability that plants have to take carbon monoxide and turn it in to oxygen. An amazing feat of nature, and plants look beautiful doing it.

6) I am thankful for my resilience. No matter what adversity I face I know I will bounce back. I always do.

7) I am thankful for patience. All be it strained, frayed and stretched to its breaking point.

8) I am so very thankful for genetics and feel extremely blessed with the genes I have been given.

9) The ability to read. Books have the power to take me to wonderful new mysterious places other books have taught me so much, all because I can read.

10) My home, and all the things it contains from my travels to just the things I love and bring me comfort. My house to truly my home.

What are you thankful for?

Thursday, August 9, 2012

What you can't un-see.

I was talking to my friend Kristen the other day about the fact that you can't un-see some things in life. Once you see it with your own eyes you never forget. As a kid I never understood what people who were really sick meant when they would say I don't want to be remembered this way. Now that I am older I truly understand. But it's not just that... It's porn pop-up that use to come up on computers. Whether you wanted to see it or not it is now embedded in your brain. That auto accident you passed with the covered body. The ASPCA extended commercial with the abused animals. These images that we can no longer un-see generally became the first image we think of when we remember that person, place, or thing.

For me these images have a very strong emotional attachment which is part of the reason they are images I will never un-see. I was passing an accident several years ago on my way home. I saw a car on the wrong side of the road with a motorcycle stuck in the front end there was a body that was on the roadside and police everywhere. That image is stuck in my mind forever because the guy on the motorcycle happened to be a friend of mine. Whenever people mention him the first thought is of that accident then it is followed by happier memories. But the first memory is now an image that I can never un-see.

With technology we can take photos or videos and immediately upload the images to the world wide web where everyone can see them. Because of this, I select what I want to see and what I don't ever want to see. For example the video of the Rodney King beating is all over the Internet. The little bit I saw on the news was more than enough to become forever embedded in my brain, I don't need to see anymore of that man or any person being beaten. Then there are TV show like Animal Cops, Kardashians, Animal Hoarders, plus crime drama re-enactments, that I just don't want to see. I'm not saying I want to ignore it, I just don't want to see it. So when people send me links to videos I don't watch all of them because I don't want to see something I might never be able to un-see. Remember that the next time a person sends you a video of something bad happening to a friend. Do you really want to watch a video of something you will never be able to un-see? I don't.