Vanilla jello and Shakira

So, I was thinking about the amount of diversity there is today. I'm pretty sure that will help world peace, and coexistence, and tolerance. I'm pretty happy about that. I mean, don't get me wrong, I see the Wal-mart, bed bath and beyond Barnes and noble shopping plaza's popping up everywhere, thinking that conformity is finally coming. Resistance is futile, give in to the man, all anyone cares about is the bottom line. But, I guess with the facebooks, you can get a real flavor, yogis, crunchy, consumers, gamers, malls rate, family folks, hunters, non profiters, tattoos, rappers dressing goth, ever increasing number of competing religions , that might just mean it might be almost impossible for any one of them to dominate the rest. I was really afraid in high school when I discovered conformity, that we were all going to turn into vanilla jello. I even wrote a poem about it. It won that year's college poem writing contest. I don't even have a copy of it. :( oh well. I know it started "Die, or be". Morbid, I know. So, is the next new flavor be a big mix of all the other flavors. Also, sort of related, I was surfing the next, listening to samples of Shakir's She wolf album, and thought MAN she's gotten skinny. What's happening to her? Is she conforming? I love Shakira, but where did she go? She has no hips left to lie about anything. I'm just a little worried about her. I hope she hasn't fell for that I have to be a size -2 or something. Don't conform girl!

Tori Amos

So, I've been away for a while. Major life changes since I last wrote. Still in the long long process of picking myself back up and brushing myself off, and I keep falling, but that's ok. It's all part of the process.
On that note, (pun intended - keep reading, you'll see), I have to say that lately I've been obsessed with Tori Amos again. I love music, it moves me, it changes my mood, it brings me great great happiness. I have like 9000 songs in my itunes (which I don't recommend - bogs down too much), and if you ever ask me who's my fave - it's Tori. What I think is really cool is her music has so many layers, and so applicable over my life, that depending on what's going on in my life, I get different meanings to her songs. So, right now I'm listening to Boys For Pele as I think I'm still struggling with being co-dependent, particularly on the moods of the men in my life, particularly because I can't seem to do everything right, or hurt their feelings, or dis-appoint them. And Honestly, I'm tired of being dependant on anyone. Actually it's not just men, it's all close friends or family. I want to stand alone, like the cheese. So, redirecting myself here, I need to work on myself, hence the blog, and not be worried if anyone is disappointed in me for any reason, usually based on me not giving them enough attention. Next right thing.
Love and hugs,
Joyel

My Twelve Commandments

Feeling on the upswing… Holidays (and complimenting stress) are almost over… time for a new year. I used to hate New years…the night being so anti-climatic, but now I look forward to re-vamping my to do list, getting cleaner, focus on improvement. Looking at the things that have been bothering me lately and seeing how I’m part of that.


My Twelve Commandments
Find it – Your true self
Light the fire
Be Joyel
Be nice
Be kind and loving, no matter what.
Let it go
Do it now
Enjoy the process
Have fun
Love
Balance
Just Be: You only have RIGHT NOW… your kids need you.. your laundry can wait

Purpose

So, I've been exploring (one of my favorite things to do)
What is my true purpose in life?
Here are some answers that ring true - so far..

To explore
To find God
To be a mom
To help
To teach
To learn
To experience
To contribute to society
To explore the universe
To grow

Food and the Serenity prayer...

I was emailing a friend who had requested "any ideas" when it comes to food. I was thinking of the serenity prayer (oh so common to "anonymous" programs.. ) but soooo wise...

Accepting:
So, what I think we have to accept.... is that we will always be practicing.. maybe practicing different things, but there will never be a top of the mountain, I reached my goal, I'm done... because you still have to eat after that.. .and there's always a big fuzzy grey line as to what is good and what is bad and how much and ads on tv and photos where you think your xyz looks bad... and dressing rooms.. and buffets and cookies..... and it will never go away...
I think that when we accept... when we realize, every skinny "perfect" woman in the world feels the same way about her body.. has the same food issues... it's like.. oh...ok.... this is how it is..I'll always be practicing....I can't change that... I'll never be 100% content w/ my body 100% of the time...

Changing:
mindful eating, choices of what I do when I know that my cravings are just a way to balance my parasympathetic nervous system out, what I buy and keep in my house, if I workout or not..

Wisdom:
this is what I know for sure: I KNOW I feel way better, mood, energy, etc. if I work out and eat well. I KNOW that I get a headache and grumpy when I eat sugar. I KNOW that I have so much more energy after running. I KNOW that my body feels so good after yoga. I KNOW I like whole foods better than junk food. I KNOW that if I just did some alternate nostril breathing that I calm down.

Peace

Ok, hands...let's go.

Ok, here we go...a blog.. i'm so excited, I can hardly type.

Inspired by http://www.happiness-project.com/ and http://www.rabbirami.blogspot.com/ blogs... I've decided to write my own account of this journey we call life..

A long time ago.. I took one of those weekend long self help junkie seminars and the best and only thing I really remember from it is this....

your world is exactly whatever you make believe it is all about...

what's cool about that, is YOU can change it, hence the name of my blog - "wonderful world of make believe". It's probably one of my favorite sayings.. and also reminds me of Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory... is it raining..is it snowing... strange but fun!...
sorry, I digress...

So, my basis for my exploration of life, happiness, the pursuit of happiness IS within the realm of my own minds making..i.e.usually when I get stuck... in a bad mood, etc., I know I need a paradigm shift.

What's made me happy today??
I started this blog.
I decided today that I really want to write a book. It's on my LIFE's TO DO list... or things to do before I die list.. so, i figured I'm 33, I better start checking some things off already already..
The only problem is, there's like 10000 things I'd like to write one - where to start? I guess I'll have to do some brainstorming.