Archive for the ‘Media’ Category

>  It’s the norm these days that bad news builds up periodically and puts us over the edge. Actually, it happens almost daily with national and global news reports of all that is wrong in the world. 
   One solution is to tune out all that negative chatter and place our attention elsewhere. But what do we do when it happens in our personal lives? 
   It’s inevitable that the simple fact of living in a high-tech, fast-paced, globally-connected world is going to periodically take it’s toll. We all get stressed out. For me, it became very personal this past week so I’d like to share my solution with you in the hope it will be of value.
   It’s called “segment intending.” Actually, it’s not originally my solution.  I borrowed it from Esther Hicks’ work with the energies called “Abraham”…non-physical beings who have communicated some amazing information through her. 
   Now before I lose you with that last sentence…hang in here a little longer and then tell me this is not a great plan!
      Segment intending is setting forth, in your own mind and in your own words, what it is you intend to happen in the immediately next occurring segment of your life. 
   Here’s how it works.  
   You get into your car and are driving to a meeting. Before you start the engine, you say to yourself, out loud, “As I enter this next segment of my life experience I intend to encounter no traffic delays, have a pleasant ride listening to music I enjoy, and arrive in plenty of time to relax before my meeting.”  Then you start the engine and have the experience you just set forth.
   Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it. Well, IT WORKS! 
   Now the key is 1) you have to know what you want in the next segment, 2) you have to believe it is possible, and 3) you have to expect/allow it to manifest in the way you thought and spoke about it.
   What’s all this got to do with personal and global “bad”news. 
   Well, first of all, there’s no bad news. There’s only our limited perception of what the “big picture” is and why things happen they way they do. But secondly, when you manage your life deliberately, one segment at a time, everything really is manageable. And what’s more, putting your intention and your attention on what it is you really want gives momentum to your desired outcome.
   I have said since I was 5 years old…”thoughts are things.” Have the thoughts you want and get the experiences you want.
   Now to the personal part. 
   The past two weeks my husband has been out of state getting his pilot’s license. Everything imaginable has happened to our house in that time period…not the least of which was getting struck by lightening and destroying our sun room. 
   At another time in my life, without the guidance and wisdom of “Abraham” I probably would have caved. But instead, I handled each occurrence head on…setting forth my intention around how to deal with it and the desired outcome…and calmly spoke with my husband each night keeping him posted while supporting him in his goal. 
   And you know, there’s a residual benefit to it all as well. 
   When you are so focused on tending carefully and deliberately to your own life, segment by segment, you don’t have to worry about the world’s problems and all the catastrophic predictions we’re fed every day. They simply don’t exist because your total energies are directed in a positive, self-supporting way.    
   So, try it. One segment at a time. You may not believe in non-physical beings called “Abraham” but you can believe in your own lowered stress levels and renewed sense of empowerment. 
   The proof is in the doing
   Actually, it’s in the segment intending.

>    The collapse of the bridge in Minneapolis is a tragedy. Of that there can be no doubt. But it’s been 3 days now that every development of this event and it’s aftermath remains the lead news story.  It’s not that I am a callous person. I certainly have compassion and offer prayer for those killed and injured, as well as for those who loved them.   
    My frustration stems from the fact that 1) the media imposes priorities into our lives, welcome or not, that actually interfere with our individual life paths and 2) where are the equally remarkable stories that have occurred in the past 72 hours that uplift the human spirit and inspire us to greater achievement?
    I recall how, after 9/11, I felt added and overwhelming stress building in myself and others…not just from the actual event, but from the never-ending replay of the visual image of the event as it occurred.
    We humans are “wired” in such a way as to be biologically and physiologically able to chemically and mechanically respond to conditions of stress. Simply put, it’s commonly referred to as the “fight or flight” response. A chemical reaction to threat or stress triggers extraordinary internal occurrences that help us manage what is supposed to be a finite event.  While cortisol and other potential toxins are released into our blood stream and muscles during such times, these toxins are short-lived and manageable in their negative impact.
    However, when the event is artificially sustained over an indefinite period of time, the body has no way of distinguishing the authentic occurrence from the artificial repetition. As a result, the chemical reactions continue to occur and the toxins continue to be released long after they serve any beneficial purpose and, in fact, cause irreversible damage.
    This is one of the real dangers inherent in our misuse of the technological advances we have made in the past 30 years.  We are literally killing ourselves by watching the news…because all the news feeds us is frustration, terror, and fear.
    So to my next point.  What if we had at least equal time in news  reporting for stories of valor and creativity and invention and problem solving that fostered hopefulness and optimism?  Our bodies are also wired to respond chemically to positive experiences as well…emitting seratonin and endorphins that support health rather than foster dis-ease. Wouldn’t that be a better use of our knowledge and technology? And think of the residual benefits.
    Healthier, happier, less stressed, less frightened people will likely need a lot less healthcare (really, we should call it sickcare). And all these healthier, happier people are probably going to be less aggressive, hence, a lot more peace. And a more peaceful world would be one that could focus more on those things that uplift and advance the planet and it’s inhabitants rather than worrying about their inevitable destruction.
    It’s seems to me the latter approach is a lot more “bang for the buck”…and I am only hypothesizing equal time for positive news. Imagine if that’s all we got!
    As for those who say my scenario and it’s proposed residual effects are grandiose, or even foolish, let me remind you that when a butterfly flaps it’s wings in New York, air current patterns are inevitably effected in Japan. That’s how it works. We’re all connected and what we think, say, do, read and look at, matters.
    I could close now and go check the headline on CNN.
    But I think I’ll go see if I can be of help to someone, instead.

>  Oprah is back in the news again regarding the James Frey book, “A Million Little Pieces” that was represented to be non-fiction but turned out to be a mix of a little reality and a fair amount of Mr. Frey’s imagination. Originally, Oprah was a supporter of the book (she placed it on her prized book club list)but later came to excoriate Mr. Frey on national television for his lack of integrity.
   There’s enough lack of integrity to go around here…so let’s follow the trail and see what we can learn.
   First, Frey. There can be little question that the author, in his attempt to write a book that would titillate, abandoned some if not all of his principles to gain recognition and financial gain.  
   Second, Oprah was quick to provide us with yet another quick-fix, self-help guru without doing her homework as to whether he was who he purported to be or, in fact, had done what he said he had done. 
   Third, Frey’s publisher is the reason Oprah and Frey are back in the news. She seems to be working the speaker’s circuit condemning Oprah for taking her client, Frey, to task. To paraphrase her recent statements, she apparently believes that when someone admits to having been a drug addict and alcoholic, one should expect a certain amount of fiction in what is represented to be truth.
   Finally, there’s us. Yes, there’s us. As difficult as this one is to face, we jumped on that bandwagon and bought the whole presentation, book, hook, line and sinker. 
   I know not everyone reading this watched the original show, or bought Frey’s book, or may even know any of this story. I was one of those people who came to the story after the fact. But too many of us did buy in. It’s what we do when we seek the quick-fix and want someone else to do the work and show us the way. We just want to show up and reap the benefit.
   It doesn’t work that way.
   Frey and Oprah and the publisher were each in a hurry to get where they wanted to go and, in their haste, found themselves quite lost. They may or may not have learned a thing or two from their experiences.  Regardless, I suggest we do.
   There are no quick-fixes. We are all responsible for what we say and do personally as well as what we support. Not stepping up and owning our mistakes doesn’t enhance our stature, it only diminishes it. 
   The dangers inherent in Frey’s lies and Oprah’s haste speak for themselves. 
   What’s more insidious and in need of special attention is the publisher’s ongoing perspective… for which she is being paid. Her position is that your past can be an acceptable excuse for knowingly and willfully conceiving bad behavior in your present. According to her, if you were once weak willed, we should expect that you will always be so…and worse yet, if you are…that’s okay too. We expect it.  
   My take is somewhat different. I believe that we’re all here to grow through our weaknesses. With sincere effort, intention, determination and connection to Source, that goal is attainable no matter how challenging the weakness. 
   I also believe that each moment is born anew with an infinite number of new possibilities. And most importantly, I believe in seeing and mirroring the highest good a person is capable of not excusing, or justifying, the worst.
   I don’t know where James Frey stands on all of this at this moment. Or Oprah, for that matter. 
   The publisher is still creating a world where personal responsibility is put aside for personal gain.
   That’s not the world I live in.  

>  Physician and writer, Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “The best of a book is not the thought which it contains, but the thought which it suggests; just as the charm of music dwells not in the tones but in the echoes of our hearts.”   As good as any lead into a discussion of the seven “Harry Potter” books written by J.K.Rowling.
   Filled with the the classic struggles between good and evil found throughout literature, the series clearly took the world by storm. Since 1995, “Harry Potter” has been a household name commanding unprecedented revenues in print and film royalties. J.K. Rowling, it’s author, went from financial struggle to financial independence in meteoric fashion. 
   It’s actually Rowling’s story that I wish had all the attention, rather than Harry’s. Her story is one of education, adversity, perseverance, creativity, responsibility and, ultimately, belief in oneself as the sure road to triumph.
   In her real life story, there are no magic cloaks, wands or potions. There is only the day in and day out effort of a woman who, in spite of a failed marriage and desperate financial hardship, refused to deny her gift or give up on her passion. 
   J.K. Rowling’s life is filled with themes and messages that act as beacons for those of us searching for a way to move beyond our immediate circumstances. They stand as testimony to the indomitability of the human spirit when propelled by creativity.
   Yes, I know Harry’s story is exciting. I have a 14-year-old daughter who has read all seven books and can regurgitate plot and character detail at warp speed and with mind-boggling detail.  And while I love that she reads so much (and so regularly) it’s Oliver Wendell Holmes’ quote that causes me to stop and reflect.
   While she knows the Latin(?) names for Hermione’s spells and who was really good and who was only faking at being good but was really from the dark side…I’ve not noticed once, throughout all seven books, “not the thought which it contains but the thought which it suggests.” And I think Holmes would support my pause and reflection.  
   “Harry Potter” is really all about magic, fantasy, escape, and violence. Yes, I know we could take both the high road and the time to unearth more worthy themes. But why bother?  The life of it’s author is pure inspiration on it’s face…no time or excavation necessary. 
   In a world filled with so much violence, materialism, and impatience, we should pay more attention to the messages we bring to the children as we and they shape their minds and values for what lay ahead. You and I know there are no magic formulas that, once spoken, get us what we want. There are only intention, attention, and deeds that, when combined, work a kind of magic called co-creation.
   J.K.Rowling is a woman who loved reading and writing so much she went on to teach them in both England and France. A woman who continued to pursue her passion after divorce, writing in restaurants so she and her child could keep warm. A woman who never stopped believing in her creativity or herself. A woman who’s unyielding belief catapulted her to international acclaim and financial reward beyond imagination…hers or ours. 
   Hers is the story that warrants attention and repetition. 
   Oh, and by the way, it’s true.

>  Several stories have caught my attention in recent days and I think I see a common thread between them and a solution to all of them as well.
   The streets of New York are caving in. Nearly one-half of the prisoners in Florida’s county jails awaiting trial are mentally ill. President Maliki of Iraq says the U.S. troops can now go home anytime they want. And, our government is running a contest (yes, it really is!) offering $1,000,000 to the person or company that can figure out how to lighten the backpack load that our soldiers carry in Iraq. Apparently, they need to carry 20-40 pounds of batteries on a 4-day mission to support high-tech equipment, such as night vision goggles and GPS systems.
   I think if we solve the last one first we can begin to solve the other three. 
   When I read about the contest I told my husband, “I know how to win a million dollars. Bring the troops home. That should lighten the load.” Right away, Maliki gets what he wants.
   And now to the other two problems. Deteriorating infrastructure in our cities and the mentally ill.
   It’s long been human nature to try and “fix” someone else rather than “grow ourselves.”  Who of us hasn’t told our spouse or children or relatives or friends “What is wrong with you is…” or “What you need to change is…” while at the same time, failing to look at the ways in which we ourselves need to evolve to more enlightened thinking or behavior?
    Broaden that approach a bit and you get how one political or religious group deals with the others. Each is quick to point out the shortcomings or failings of the other while turning a blind eye to it’s own.
   And, ultimately, this is what nations do when they go halfway across the globe trying to impose their political and societal views on other nations, while ignoring the more immediate challenges at home.
    We’re still fighting a war on terror, incurring financial indebtedness that defies logic, to impose our will and prevent events that may never occur, even as we do nothing about those challenges that face us daily in our own backyard, posing both real and immediate danger.
   The danger of rotting infrastructures (not just in New York City but most major cities) is significant death and injury, disruption to the economy, added burden to municipal emergency and support services, and huge indebtedness to repair (if the funds would exist at all). 
   The danger of continuing to ignore the problem of having closed mental hospitals in the 1980’s and made no alternative provisions or plan for their inhabitants is increasing financial and resource strain on our justice and penal systems, an ever-growing recidivism rate for the mentally ill, and most importantly, the harm to ourselves and our society for ignoring the suffering and need of fellow citizens.
   I know the world has serious problems. I know terrorists are real. And I know one day in 2001 they made their presence tragically known on our land. 
   But the other challenges that we face, we face daily. These other challenges are getting worse. These other challenges are ours to repair, Now.
   We have supported many governments and political positions over the history of our nation that turned out to be not who or what we should have supported. In that regard, we need to understand our own contribution to the international political situation we now find ourselves in. And by the way, the heavens did not collapse and the sky turn black when we left Vietnam.
   So, let’s lighten our soldier’s load and bring them home. Then let’s take all those monies and energy and resources and re-direct them to repairing what is in our own backyard.
   Maliki will be happy. The Mayors will be grateful. The mentally ill will get treatment. And the world can take care of itself. One backyard at a time.
   Mr. President, you can mail the $1M to:
   
      Carole McKay
      P.O. Box 2233
      Cherry Hill, N.J.

>   Have you ever noticed that most of the news is comprised of either the continuation or updating of major world problems or less global stories that fit into a few standard molds?It doesn’t seem to me all that attention and repitition has changed much. 
   Wasn’t it Einstein who said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over again in the same way and expecting a different result?”   
   What if instead of spending so much energy and space writing about the problems of the world, we spent the energy and space writing about the possible solutions? Think about it. 
   Problems aren’t much different that roses. If your roses became sick and you spend your time discussing the sickness and worrying about it  instead of figuring out what to do about it, the roses are likely going to die. What we give our attention to is what, in essence, we nourish, perpetuate and grow. Or not.
   Giving so much time, energy and attention to the problems of the world simply makes them our focus. Focus on the problem and you’re guaranteed to get more of the problem. Focus on the solution and you’re guaranteed to find one. 
   Our pattern is that the media reports it, we take it in, think about it, talk about it…and by so doing..keep it all going. What if we expended little or no energy on the problems and the majority of our energy on creating solutions?  
   It’s really no different in our personal relationships. Oftentimes someone we love or care about struggles with a behavior or an issue in their lives that they clearly want to change. If we, in our effort to assist them, act as a sounding board for their unhappiness or commiserate with them over their plight, we simply nourish the problem.  Wayne Dyer has said, “You can never get sick enough to make anybody else well. You can never get sad enough to make anyone else happy.”  That’s really it, isn’t it? 
   If support and assistance are what you want to offer someone then focus on the solution to their dilemma, not the dilemma. By so doing, you are mirroring for them that which they want for themselves. And if they do not really want a solution, then that’s their decision. In the meantime, you’ve provided an opportunity for them to see their highest good.
   Yesterday I was challenged with a daunting work assignment within a very short period of time. My initial reaction was to focus on how in the world I would accomplish it in time.  My husband happened to be with me at the time I got the assignment and simply said, “You’ll get it done. I am here to support you in it.”  He didn’t mean that he was going to do the work for me. He simply meant that he saw my dilemma and he was focused on the end result I wanted for myself. 
   I can tell you it made all the difference. It got me off the negativity of concern and onto the positivity of creativity. That’s not to say that we always need someone else to allow us to see solutions. There are more times than not that we are able to get to such thinking on our own. However, the more energy directed toward the solution, the more likely and speedily it will occur. 
   Now, back to the world’s problems.
   We cannot get scared enough or angry enough to stop the terrorists. We cannot get hungry enough to stop the starvation. We cannot get bigoted enough to stop the ethnic warfare.
   What we can do is take our attention, time and energy off of the problems and place them on the solutions. That simple step paves the way for the co-creation of new patterns where new outcomes can be manifested.
   Let’s take our attention off of Einstein’s definition of insanity and place it where we can really do some good.

>In India, there are an estimated 40 million widows. Ostracized and shunned by both family and friends simply because they no longer have a husband, thousands of them actually trek to the city of Vrindavan as tradition holds that dying there will free them from the karma of returning to such a fate again. They live on the streets, prohibited from re-marriage, heads shaved, wearing no jewelery or any color other than white.
   Some widows of India have begun to reject this condemnation, a creation of someone else’s reality, and by their own thoughts, words and actions, create a new reality in which they can live based upon their intrinsic value as human beings.  
   They are starting small, as with all such movements, by breaking free of the external definitions and limitations placed upon them. They are setting up shelters, growing their hair, wearing jewelry and colors, and daring to laugh and dance.
   The women of India are a wonderful example of how we co-create new realities and bring to us that which we really want. Whether it’s a reality we ourselves have created or one crated by another individual or group, the first step in changing what you’re experiencing is changing how you think about it. The second step is replacing what you have been experiencing with the new thought of what you want to experience. The third step is giving voice and action to your new creation.
   As you embark upon the creation of a new reality, it’s important to remember two key elements: First, that you must focus on what you are creating with all of your attention. Jesus said, Seek and ye shall find.”  He didn’t say “Dabble and ye shall find.”  When you seek, there is a concentration upon that which you seek that has pinpoint determination. To seek is to eliminate from your quest all that does not support your quest.  
   Secondly, know that your emotions are the energy that fuel your seeking. Seek with joy. Heaven and hell are states of being that we create within our own minds and manifest within our own lives. Whether in the thought stage or the action stage, go in pursuit of your creation with a song in your heart and a bounce in your step. Feeling otherwise just means you are not being true to what it is you really want…or who you really are.
   There are so many examples. Moses and the Israelites leaving Egypt, Rosa Parks and African Americans refusing to sit in the back of the bus, Lech Walesa and the Polish people standing for democracy. These and countless others have been way-showers lighting the way for how to create, and co-create, new realities.
   If you want to help the women of Vrindavan this day, it isn’t necessary to contribute money or join the Peace Corps. Instead take some time to create through your own thoughts, words and actions a world where ALL life forms are honored simply because of their inherent value and where joy is the prevailing emotion. 
   In my reality, this approach works.

      Former Vice-President Al Gore is going to spend this weekend hosting a globally televised Live Earth concert to try and heighten our awareness of the catastrophic dangers of global warming.
      His son, Al Gore III, has spent the past week receiving national media attention that should raise our awareness of the catastrophic dangers of the widespread use of prescription drugs.
      Recently, I was speaking with a neighbor in her mid-30’s with two young children.  My neighbor is quite social and has many friends in her age group, all with young children. During our conversation about the challenges and pressures of trying to raise children today, she casually mentioned that “90% of my friends are on anti-depressants.”
      This epidemic of prescription drug use and mis-use, as I see it, is not restricted to the young, although Gore’s arrest for marijuana use and illegal possession of prescription drugs is playing in the press and on the Internet that way.      
      The disregard with which prescription drugs are manufactured and sold, the abandon with which they are written, and the ease with which they are consumed are all national problems that transcend the generational divide. The elderly are over-medicated, the boomers are over-medicated, the X-ers are over-medicated, and it seems our school age children are as well.
      There are probably many ways to approach solving this problem. Most require a lot of time, a lot of money and a lot of political organization and power.  The fastest, least expensive and most empowering way, however, is for every one of us to take charge of our lives, our lifestyles, and our life choices.
      It’s not about locking up the pharmaceutical executives or locking up the medicine cabinet. Actions such as these just allow each of us to abdicate our part and our power.    
      Nancy Reagan was half right. “Just Say No” has to start with accepting personal responsibility and rejecting the quick fix of prescription drugs. It also means saying no to our doctors when they reach for the prescription pad.  It means not watching every third commercial on TV touting the latest cure-all for whatever ails us.  It means refusing to continue to live in ways that stress us out despite the fact that we know we’re doing it. It means adjusting our lifestyles to a more realistic pace. It means adjusting our diets to support wellness rather than expediency.      
      Be kind to yourself. Start small.
      Next time you have something as simple as a headache, reach for a yoga mat instead of an Excedrin.  If that’s too mystical and “out there” for you then just stop what you’re doing, get a pen and paper,  re-evaluate your day and identify where the headache came from. Most illness really does originate with dis-ease.  A lack of ease in your life born of choices that do not support a state of continued wellness and continued growth.
      Whichever route you choose, a yoga mat, pencil and paper, or just deep breathing…you’ll begin to change your pattern. This will be a new beginning and a good thing.
      More importantly, the children are watching.

>;Ron Goldman, LLC has purchased the rights to the book (and all related rights) that O.J. Simpson wrote about how he would have done it if he had, in fact, killed the Goldman’s son Ron and Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. As most will recall, a criminal jury acquitted Simpson of the murders but he was later found guilty of wrongful death by a civil jury before whom he was compelled to testify, an act he was able to avoid during the criminal trial under the Constitutional protection against self-incrimination.
   Fred Goldman, Ron’s father, teaches us an important lesson about the outcome of where we place our focused attention. 
   Fred Goldman and his wife suffered an incomparable loss, as no one would deny. Many people never recover from devastating loss and turn their sorrow and their pain against either themselves or others. Some, however, become single-minded of purpose and set a positive goal at which to direct their energies and from which they never waiver.   
   When all the reporters and paparazzi faded into the background, Fred Goldman remained steadfast in that the jury award the Goldman family was awarded would be collected, sooner or later. And while over the past decade or so there were many setbacks toward that end, his perseverance and single-mindedness of purpose has resulted in his sole ownership of what is likely the autobiography, and public admission, of the man who killed his son. The proceeds from the sale of that book and the making of that movie should go a long way towards satisfying the languishing civil award.
   I have a more positive, personal experience in what a focused intention can do.  
   At age 33, I decided to go to law school. Since I had been out of college for several years , I was deeply concerned that I might not be able to handle the workload or muster the academic resources to prevail though that infamous, grueling, first year. 
   So, I made a decision. I would not do or participate in or allow anything that took my mind off of my goal. 
   As an evening student, I spent the next year in classes by night and studying by day.  I literally did not eat in a restaurant, see a movie, go out with friends, or involve myself in any of my friends or family’s “dramas.” I spent the year learning and studying. 
   The result was that I not only survived the first year, I excelled academically.  My accomplishment was simply and clearly the result of my focused intention to succeed and my focused attention on what it was going to take to accomplish that goal. 
   The overriding message is that when we proceed with a focused dedication toward a clearly defined end it becomes easy, seemingly effortless, to make choices that support that end while avoiding
opportunities that would seek to obstruct it.
   Try it. Start small. Think of something you really want then put all your attention on it and see what you get. 
   In 1987 I got a law degree.
   Today, Fred Goldman got justice.

>I’m not inclined to be among the Paris Hilton media watchers, so I’m admittedly weak on the details of this saga. I do, however, know the big picture and I think it can be instructive for each of us, Paris Hilton included. 
      It all hinges on uncovering the higher truth, which is, that sometimes knowing Who You Really Are requires experiencing who you really are not.
      I think certain assumptions are fair. Paris comes from a wealthy, educated family and was blessed with the ability and opportunity to use her life and her talents in almost any way she could imagine. She appears to have made some less than wise choices thus far, and the latest one has been the most humbling. 
      I hope.  
      You see, when we get too far from our own center, from that place that holds our highest potential for growth, it can get very painful.  And while finding out Who You Really Are need not be painful, for some of us the pain can be a gift used wisely. 
      Even if you don’t know what you want, or aren’t even sure of who you are, having an experience that goes beyond the limits of what you do want to experience can be the fastest was to get those answers. Knowing where those boundaries are can help turn you in a more productive direction for getting to where or who you want to be. 
      Bringing meaning to negative experiences and applying that meaning in a way that positively impacts your life means that in the end, there are really no bad experiences. Just experiences. It’s where the saying comes from, “It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you handle it.”
      I believe in synchronicity. So, this week I’ve had the opportunity to live the words I am typing.
      Two days ago I had a really stressful day, physically and emotionally. My husband came home from work and, seeing my fatigue, suggested we go out to dinner and asked me where I wanted to go. Grateful for his suggestion, I thought that in return I would name a nearby bar/restaurant were I knew he could get what he would like…a roast beef sandwich and a beer.  Now, I’m a non-alcoholic drinking, vegetarian so my choices were going to be slim to none…but still.  
      When we arrived at the restaurant we walked in through the bar entrance.    
    It’s probably been 25 years since I was in a place like that and for good reason. Everything about the environment makes me uncomfortable. Sensing this, I ignored my feelings and pressed on. We were seated, ate dinner, and left. The whole experienced went on to be painful for two reasons.

      1.   I forgot to honor Who I Really Am and it negatively effected everything from the time we arrived until long after we left.

      2.   Once there, I didn’t handle it all very well.

      The good news is that I can look back at it and apply the meaning I found to positively affect my future. For sure, I’ll have another chance. Life works that way until you get it right.
    Next time I’m asked where I want to go, I’ll make sure it’s some place I really want to go. And next time I find myself in a situation that is uncomfortable, I will do what it takes to alleviate my discomfort rather than inflict it on another.
      The good news is that my husband and I have survived worse and always gone on to prosper.
      I wish the same for Paris.