just moments…After watching Oscar Nominated, “Green Book”…

It’s nearly 10pm. I’m sitting at my desk, in front of my computer, with headphones plugged into my ears, all orifices trickling, lower lip quivering. Truly. Beautiful. Acting AND Writing. Thank you

Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen, remarkably, are those for whom I lay the immediate blame for my tears. And, I swear, as I write this, I am LISTENING AGAIN to the final scene, when Ali’s character, piano virtuoso, Dr. Don Shirley, demonstrates his magnificent virtuosity in front of an unsuspecting juke joint crowd in Birmingham, Alabama. Five minutes later, Viggo’s character, Tony “Lip”, as they walk out to the car, whips out his pistol and fires several shots straight into the air, sending the robbers ducked down on the other side of a nearby car, scattering.

Yes, it’s a powerful message of friendship, brotherhood, love, acceptance and, well…love. Yeah, Why Not! It’s truly a story about loving one another better! Love one another better, I could say that this is indeed the message of the movie..of the writers, of Tony Lip, of his son who was inspired by his father’s own life journey as a result of his eight week journey with this black musician…

If you haven’t seen it yet, and you’re aware that it’s up for a number of nominations for the Academy Awards and you’re wondering what the big deal is…see this movie.

“Green Book”

But, the real reason I started writing this post…wanna know? It’s because I’m personally torn…I see this AMAZING story told about our past…our past as Americans, our past as humans, our past as a largely racially biased species…I see this movie, and for me, I see actors who have honed their craft for years, through struggles and hardship. I see writers who have also honed their own skills and their craft through all kinds of punishment, meager earnings and rejection. The life of an artist…rejection and growing a thick skin in order to attain the heights of achievement.

I see this and, being honest, the reason for the leaking of tears becomes less clear. Of course it is the story. But, it’s also my own regrets hastening those painful tears, painting them heavier than the lessons of the movie, stinging just a bit more than those caused by a simple lesson might.

Honesty bites. I hate exposing my weakness, my failures! But, maybe pushing them brutally into the glaring light of day will initiate some ferocious courage in me, like that of the good Dr. Shirley of the story, facing the racism of the South head-on, with undaunted courage. Maybe, just…!

Doubt curls its surly lip at me and I cower, but….maybe just…

Tears, stinging honest raging tears, grinding teeth, head shaking, lips pucker forward, obstinate posers.

If one is a writer, one simply writes. Isn’t that the truth? Isn’t that Aaron Sorkin? Isn’t that Nick Vallelonga? If you’re going to write, you just Do It.

I’m writing now, right? So, Write! Write! Right?

Lessons. Who the hell wanted a lesson?? I wanted to watch another of the Oscar Nominated Movies. I did. And now…I got…. A LESSON.

And actually, I have somehow twisted it into two lessons for the price of one.

Lucky me.

Write, dummy.

and ... See this movie.

Wake Up and Be APPRECIATIVE :)…I’ll Explain

Good Morning beautiful!
You! Yes…YOU! You are the ONLY one I’m talking to here…You matter so much! You COUNT in a HUGE way! There is no one else LIKE YOU…I’m not even kidding here. Ok? Got it? You’re important…to me..to the World. Yup. You matter.

Let that soak in for a few moments. Yes indeed…it DOES feel good. It should feel good. It’s amazing and true.

Ok…now that you’re getting used to that thought…here’s why I say Be Appreciative…Appreciation does not look back at what was once here and now, is not….Appreciation is filled with looking forward…well, being PRESENT…If you are appreciating something, you are present in the moment and THAT is a powerful, loving, awesome place to be.

Wake up present in that very moment…and allow appreciation to FILL you … watch!! The things that you appreciate right in that moment will appreciate for you…right before your very eyes.

Appreciation is a the most powerful, present moment expression of thankfulness. This is because it’s so very present and now-based.

Try it now! Yes….just look at something you Love and are Thankful for…and look at it with deep appreciation…see how it grows more valuable (appreciates right back for you!)..you see how it does that?

So, that’s it! Wake up in the morning and let your FIRST thought be one of APPRECIATION…look around and Appreciate the things that matter to you…the people that matter to you…the aspects of your life that matter to you….spend a few moments every morning sharing your appreciation for the things in your life that matter. …

Your life will become filled with so much value and so much appreciation, your sense of abundance will seem like it could overwhelm you with joy, and love and meaning. Don’t worry 🙂 It Won’t. You can’t put out any such thing as too much appreciation. Never. Can’t happen. Promise.

Your appreciation for the World and everything in it that matters to you will raise you up…YOU will raise you up.

Just you watch! Being raised up by Anyone is a powerful thing…but raising yourself up…that’s the nut. Just You Watch, sugar. Are you smiling now?

You will be. 🙂

Love and Laughter
Heidi
http://www.feelgoodfirst.net (Coming SOON!)

Feel Good and Then….

I hope you’re not b-b-bored by my repeating the same thing over and over. 

Feel Good FIRST…

Feel Good AND THEN…

make it a habit…whatever you’re doing…get into the habit of doing something that makes you Laugh, Smile, Giggle, Just Plain Feel Good BEFORE you DO ANYTHING that it is you are setting out for yourself to do…

Starting a phone list? Not excited about it? Do something that makes you FEEL GOOD…F I R S T and then start making the calls. 

Gotta call your in-laws to ask them for some money to help you buy your starter home? Not excited about it? That won’t help! hehe If you sound as though you don’t have any confidence in your ability to make their daughter/son happy they are going to not only give you any money, they are also going to begin plotting against your marital happiness. 

Do something that makes you feel GOOD before you call them….and call them right after you are feeling really good. 

Yes! Do NOT use that Feeling Good to go to the casino and gamble what money you DO have so that you don’t have to ask them! 

But, I digress. 

Feel Good FIRST .  Make it a habit.  It works in your office, too. 

Want some help spreading this message around your office? I’m here for you! 🙂 

Choosing Quality of Life over Habitually Angry Frustrated Responses

I know you know this feeling….

Pulling your hair out….posting remarks online like “On HOLD with Customer Service!!! GRRRRRrrrr!!!” Right?
Familiar…hahaha I know..ALL TOO FAMILIAR!!!

I have been there too! In fact, I have been there for the last hour with Hootsuite!

Poor Twitter monitor and the poor customer service staff taking distressed emails from frustrated customers like myself whom would MUCH rather talk to someone and frequently have their issues resolved in NO TIME FLAT, than sit in front of your screens refreshing your inbox over and over, waiting for a reply!

Am I right?

Well, I don’t know how much we lose…how much time or years or minutes or whatever we lose by getting stressed and angry during those times…but those times aren’t going to diminish unless, for some unknown reason companies that operate online begin to realize that they are losing customers because handling their customer issues over email sometimes TAKES TOO LONG…and that the lost variable between the cost of providing telephone contact customer service and taking email complaints and resolving issues for customers via Twitter or email will grow too broad. I don’t know if it really will, but I can say, I sure HOPE it does…Email customer service SUCKS.

Am I right?

hahahaha ANYWAY, my point here is not to berate companies for functioning however they function but for the rest of us, learning to deal with it in a way that DOES NOT SHORTEN OUR LIFE or reduce our QUALITY OF LIFE.

HOW we RESPOND to any given stimuli is OUR CHOICE EVERY TIME!
So…we’ve GOT to learn to make BETTER CHOICES.

Have you ever been on the other end of the line, on an actual phone call with a customer service assistant who actually LAUGHS? I have! And the result…STUNNING!!!!

I even called in to her bosses to encourage all of her colleagues to learn from her example.

I was complaining and complaining…I was IRATE…and she laughed. She didn’t laugh LOUD or rudely…she chuckled lightly under her breath as she spoke. She did it in such a way that I didn’t feel laughed at, NOT AT ALL…in fact, I could hear in her way of laughing that she was, in effect, saying “Life is too short to get Caught up in Anger.” She was chuckling for her own health…she was lightening up the mood of the call.

AND SHE DID SO IN AN INSTANT…

as a laughter yoga teacher for nearly ten years now, I know…LAUGHTER ALWAYS HELPS in MANY SITUATIONS!! and BOY, did she teach me all over again!!!

I suddenly found myself LAUGHING and THANKING HER!!!!

And THAT, is what, after this irate hour with HOOTSUITE, is precisely what I NEED TO DO.

I don’t think I can RECLAIM that time cut from my life by not laughing DURING that exchange, but I do KNOW that I can definitely contribute to quality of life for the REST OF TODAY by

and I”m doing it as I say it…

Putting my finger on my nose.
Nodding slowly, big nods…finger on tip of my nose…
now I’m slowly smiling…
and NOW…I”M CHUCKLING….and GUESS WHAT..it’s turning into PILES of SILLY LAUGHTER!!!

WHY? I DON”T KNOW…That’s just how Laughter rolls, baby!!!

so, just remember that…it’s up to you…

do you prefer getting really really angry and staying that way [Reduced Quality of Life]
or
do you prefer CATCHING YOURSELF getting really really angry and at WHATEVER POINT, interrupting your habit and Cracking Yourself the Hell Up!!!??

I know what i’m going to teach myself to do now!!!!

I LOVE you and I hold you in LOVING LAUGHTER!!!!!

Heidi