The Special Sparrow

Aug 6th, 2011

I’m certain that birds are all over my spiritual totem.  I love birds and watch them everywhere I go.  I can often tell what kind of bird it is by the way it sits on a wire, the way it flies, or how it looks in the distance.  I’m no birder, but I care and that’s why I know things about them.

That said, it’s surprising to me that I’ve lived this long without noticing that hot birds keep their beaks open.  How could I miss that!  It helps them cool off – kind of like panting.  Again, no expert, but that’s the conventional wisdom I’ve tapped into  since Kansas is in an record breaking heat wave and wildlife and other creatures across the country are struggling to cool off.   Cattle in the feed lots, poultry and swine in the industrial farms….but that’s a story for another post….and an opportunity for prayers. 

Even though it’s hot hot hot, I sit on my deck sweating and tuning into the wildlife in my small section of land – a few hundred square feet.  I’m thrilled that the special sparrow shows up now and then to let me know that he/she is still around and OK.  

Nature is perfect and imperfect all in the same moment.  Again, I’ve never seen this….a bird with a gnarled foot – shriveled and only useful to keep the bird from falling to the right when landing.  Useless when gripping the bowl I provide for water on the deck railing.  He just drank and got his fill, handicap and all.  A fantastically lovely site for me to witness.  In fact, observing this scene I acknowledge that we’re all wounded – not always visible and apparent to the naked eye.  The blessed wounds that provide us with opportunities to rise and shine, adapt, and inspire.

I am inspired.  That sparrow probably wasn’t chosen in mating, probably lives marginally, but that sparrow still sings and plays and prospers to the delight of ….. me.

Unleash the Magic Around Time

Jun 6th, 2011

Last Wednesday we launched the 8-week program Unleash the Magic (live in Lawrence) and the first topic was Time.  So this week I was thinking about time and how I use it. I woke up Saturday morning feeling overwhelmed by the many things I had to do and the lack of interest and energy I had for starting on my mental list. Ugh was my total body feeling. My arms even hung limp at my sides like that of a teenager who has been asked to clean the kitty litter.

Turning to my journal for inspiration, I got excited and started sweeping my deck, then clipping the spent roses from my knockout bush (100 or so), cleaning the gutters, putting in two window air conditioners, brushing my shedding dog, clipping his toe nails, taking us on a walk, cleaning under the kitchen sink (oh man it was needing it), mopping the kitchen floor, and that’s just for starters.  I went like that for two days like a house afire.

As I cleaned and moved through my list, I thought about why my energy and enthusiasm was working so well for me….after it had felt so heavy and unappealing when I woke up Saturday morning.

Now this is what I want to share……In the midst of my struggle, I went to my journal for clarity and inspiration—for help. When I took the first step to take action, I was rewarded by a feeling of relief that I actually could trust myself to take care of business, to do what I said I was going to do, to manage the affairs of my life. I felt better and better about myself as the weekend progressed.

What I also noticed is that I said only positive things to myself about myself and about my tasks. I looked just at what I was working on instead of wringing my hands  over all that I had to do. It was magical really and not something I always do – that’s why I paid so much attention to what was working and why.  I wanted to repeat my success and share it with you. Positive self talk, taking action (baby steps when that’s all you can do), and writing in your journal – that’s a combo that will help to unleash the magic that’s already in you….and in me. 

What do you do for inspiration when you’re feeling overwhelmed and stuck?  Share at the comment link below.

If you live in Lawrence, KS and this program sounds of interest to you, it’s not too late to join the series.  This coming Wednesday we start session 2 with discussion, journaling, EFT, and energy healing around MONEY.  Don’t you love to talk about money!  Here a link for more information.

Use Active Journaling Techniques to Unleash the Magic in Your Life!

May 4th, 2011

LIVE IN LAWRENCE, KANSAS!

UNLEASH THE MAGIC IN YOUR LIFE

June 1 – July 20, 2011
8 Consecutive Wednesdays

7:00 – 8:30 pm
Unity Church of Lawrence (sanctuary)
900 Madeline, Lawrence

A Transformational Workshop

Are you ready to discard old stories about who you are, what you do, and what you believe in?  Find out how you can replace old, worn out ideas, beliefs, and habits through magical, mini transformations. 

Unleash the Magic is an interactive workshop led by Cheryl Miller, Wellness Strategist, Life Coach & Mayor of CherylMillerVille (a thriving, online community of 6,000 subscribers).

Using Cheryl’s unique “LIFE in your LAP” Active Journaling Process, you will be guided through a series of self-reflective, inner exercises to help you Unleash the Magic in these 8 areas of your life:

1. Money

2. Time

3. Spirit

4. Food

5. Fitness

6. Space (car, home, office)

7. Personal Growth

8. Self-Care

Learn how to design your own magical life and experience opportunities for removing blocks through music, dreams, belief exploration, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), energy healing, guided meditation and visualization, Haiku, and more!

PLUS! Special guests will lend their magical gifts to our journey every week

· Carla Mumma, EFT practitioner

· Vi Hamilton, Energy Healer

To learn more about this unique program and to register, visit: www.CherylMillerVille.com/magic

We hope you’ll join us!

-Cheryl

Celebrating Earth Day

Apr 22nd, 2011

In Lawrence, KS the earth is enjoying a gentle rain.  And I’m enjoying relaxing into the day with a slower pace than usual–expanding into the delight of a day off.

What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day today? 

For a peek into how you can have sustainable Earth-friendly habits, check out an interview Christine Metz from the Lawrence Journal World did with me last night.  Find out why these red coffee mugs are in this picture. 

Let’s Talk About Activism

Apr 18th, 2011

Have you noticed that more people are taking a stand on things that are important to them?  It’s a global phenomenon. 

Most of us support some kind of cause and the organizations that champion our cause whether it’s the Humane Society, Save the Earth, Cancer Society, Mother’s Against Drunk Driving, GRACE Factory Farm Project, NAACP, Not For Sale and the list goes on and on.

Join me this Tuesday, April 19 at 7pm Central Time to talk about activism. 

**What spurs you on to support a cause–big or small? 
**Where does your passion come from? 
**What if anything gets in the way of supporting your cause while maintaining good mental and physical health, compassion for all slides of the issue, and while seeing the future as a positive place? 

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE FREE TELE-SERIES

This series occurs twice a month – the first and third Tuesdays at 7pm CT.

Visit this link for more information and to sign up (if you haven’t already):
http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

You will receive an email confirmation with the phone number to call. I will also give you a link to an inspirational video with David Batstone.

Note:  If you’re not sure you’ve signed up yet, go ahead and sign up again. You’ll get only one subscription if you use the same email, so don’t worry. 

Please join me and feel free to forward this email to your friends and colleagues.  Everyone is welcome.

Skating Through Life

Apr 14th, 2011

I had one of those days today when things came together – nothing spectacular – but things came together. 

After a quick walk with Toby on the levee before the storm hit, I got a memory flash of roller skating when I was a kid.  I was OK on skates but because I didn’t have enough skill to quickly change direction to get out of the way of an imminent crash, I was a bit vigilant – watching what others were doing (and what I was doing).

From this observant posture, I was amazed at how smoothly everyone skated round and round in the rink without disastrous consequences.  Rarely did skaters bump into each other, rarely did they have to work hard to stay out of each other’s way.  They merged, ebbed and flowed, and basically managed to be have a lot of fun without any downside. 

Skating through a day is one of life’s little pleasures—thankfully I noticed today.

How is your body doing?

Apr 4th, 2011

In our fast-pace lives, it’s easy to ignore and abuse our bodies.  Not always on a conscious level, we hope they will continue to carry us through our busy lives without getting sick or injured.

But the inevitable “body events” happen and we have an opportunity to tune in and learn what our bodies have to teach us.

Since I decided to pay more attention to my body, it’s doing better, it’s happier and so am I.

Join me this Tuesday, April 5 (my birthday) at 7pm Central Time to talk about our bodies and how they’re doing.  This call will have an open architecture.  Here are the kinds of things we’ll talk about:

• How do you feel about your body?
• What kind of shape is your body in?
• How well do you know your body?
• Do you prefer to live in your head or in your body?

After we get this “heady” stuff out on the table, we’ll do some body awareness exercises to help us experience our own body wisdom. 

Special Invitation to body workers:   If you’re a body worker, please join us and add your wisdom to the group discussion. 

If you haven’t yet signed up for this series, visit this link to subscribe:  http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/  You’ll get an email confirmation with the phone number to call.  If you’re not sure whether you’ve signed up for the series, go ahead and do it again.   As long as you use the same email, you’ll get only one email reminder. 

This series occurs twice a month – the first and third Tuesdays at 7pm CT.

Healthy Snacking at Home, at Work, and on the Road (teleclass notes)

Mar 1st, 2011

As part of the Let’s Talk About Healthy, Happy Living tele-converation series, we had a great call tonight on healthy snacking at home, at work, and on the road.  Lively discussion and some paradigm shifts.  That’s what happens when people are given a chance to chat and share without an expert droning on (of course we like that sometimes too)  As a wellness expert I have to say that

Here are a few highlights from the call:

• Some people really need to snack – to keep up with their metabolism because they do better with several mini meals a day, to help them manage their blood sugar level, and/or to keep them from getting starved and eating a huge meal.
• Some people really don’t need to snack – they don’t mind getting hungry and waiting for a good, wholesome meal.
• People are all different and need different things (no matter what anybody tells you, we’re all different and one size does not fit all)
• Healthy snacks that can be considered mini meals usually contain a carbohydrate (fruit, grain, veggie) a protein (dairy, meat, fish, legumes, nuts, seeds), fat (from protein and dairy) and fiber (from being a whole food)
• Healthy snacks can be a piece of fruit, dried fruit and nuts/seeds, hummus and veggies, a plain ol’ carrot, left overs, a cup of soup…..at the end I’ve pasted a snippet from WebMD—20 healthy snacks.
• If you stay up late, you’ll probably want a “4th meal” because our metabolism (fire in the belly) heats up around 10:30 at night (plus or minus).  To avoid late night eating,  don’t stay up late if you don’t have to…or at least choose a healthy snack.  Get up early to help encourage you to go to bed earlier.
• Your snacks can make or break a healthy diet.  Many processed snacks are very high in fat, chemicals, calories, or low quality ingredients.  Choose healthy, whole food snacks.
• Healthy snacking can help people lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.  Conventional processed snacks can contribute to weight gain, stress, low blood sugar, cravings, and expensive groceries.

The next call in the series….

We also talked about how to set up healthy snack environments and a handful of other topics like what were your favorite childhood snacks.  If you missed this call from the Let’s Talk About healthy, Happy Living tele-conversation series, don’t miss the next call.  It’s going to be about staying focused and sticking with your health and life goals—Tuesday, March 1, 7pm CT. Remember this series occurs the first and third Tuesdays of each month.   If you haven’t signed up for the series yet, visit this link for more info and to sign up:  http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

20 Choices 100 Calorie Snacks

To get you started on the road to healthy, calorie-controlled snacking, WebMD offers some suggestions for 100-calorie munchies:

1. Half an apple with 2 teaspoons of peanut butter
2. An orange and a few dry-roasted nuts
3. 10 cashew nuts
4. 10 almonds
5. 2 ounces of lean roast beef
6. Half a small avocado
7. 3 ounces cooked whole-grain noodles with 1 fresh tomato and 1/2 ounce hard cheese
8. 1 seven-grain Belgian waffle
9. 4 mini rice cakes with 2 tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese
10. 3 ounces low-fat cottage cheese and 3 whole-wheat crackers
11. Small amount ranch dressing with mixed raw veggies
12. 6 Wheat Thins crackers with two teaspoons of peanut butter (or any nut butter)
13. 1 small baked potato with 1/2 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream
14. 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce with 1 slice of whole-wheat toast, cut into 4 strips for dunking
15. 1/2 cup frozen orange juice, eaten as sorbet
16. 2 large graham cracker squares with 1 teaspoon peanut butter
17. 3 handfuls of unbuttered popcorn, seasoned with herbs
18. 4-6 ounces of yogurt
19. A 5-ounce tossed salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and small amount of dressing
20. Half a "finger" of string cheese with 4 whole-wheat crackers

Put Coins in Your “Pleasure Bank”

Feb 28th, 2011

Recently I had surgery on my foot.  On the way home from having the bandages changed, I found a penny on the ground.  I thought of something positive I wanted to have happen as I picked it up. 

Now here’s the fun part.  Picking up that penny made me think about how grateful I am for the pleasurable things in my life.  Next, I visualized a "pleasure bank" that gets fat every time I drop a coin or two into it when I acknowledge a pleasurable event–the hot cup of coffee I was drinking, the sunny day, just two more weeks before the stitches come out! 

Noticing the small, daily pleasures and mentally dropping a coin in your pleasure bank feels great – it makes pleasure feel more real. Try it!

Speaking of pleasure….when it comes to snacking, you can have pleasure and good health.  As humans we move towards pleasure and away from pain.
When it comes to your snacks, you can move toward pleasure…

Did you know that the quality of your snacks can dramatically affect…

• Your weight
• Your blood sugar levels
• Your energy
• Your emotional state
• And your stress level

Cross my heart–it does. And what do you think of those 100 Calorie packs?  Come hang out with me and find out if these snacks are for you (or not!)

Join us for the upcoming Let’s Talk About Healthy Snacks – free tele-conversation Tuesday, March 1, 7 CT.

Find out how to make your own snack packs – ones that help you release weight, level out blood sugar levels, increase your vitality, calm your emotions and help you manage stress. And of course healthy snacks will help you build a healthy, strong body (really, not just advertisement-speak).

We’ll get down and dirty talking about snacks – our favorites, our sinful pleasures, and then we’ll switch gears and share popcorn-brainstorm-style about healthy snack ideas and recipes.

Come to the call if…

• You’re a nutritionist or health educator (to share your wisdom)
• You’re overweight and want to lose rather than gain weight
• You’re an athlete and want to be able to perform better in your sport
• You like to cook and share recipes (especially healthy, tasty ones)
• You have a chronic health condition and need improved nutrition
• You’re a parent and want to provide better snacks for your kids
• You live a busy, fast-paced life and grab food on the go
• You like to eat!

Visit this link for more information and to sign up:
http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

If you’re not sure you’ve signed up yet for the series, go ahead and sign up again. You’ll get only one subscription if you use the same email, so don’t worry. 

Please join me and feel free to forward this email to your friends and colleagues.  Everyone is welcome.

Ha cha cha – Get Your Healthy Snacks Here!

Feb 23rd, 2011

Join us for the upcoming Let’s Talk About Healthy Snacks – free tele-conversation Tuesday, March 1, 7 CT.

Did you know that the quality of your snacks can dramatically affect….

• Your weight
• Your blood sugar levels
• Your energy
• Your emotional state
• And your stress level?

Cross my heart. And what do you think of those 100 Calorie packs?  Come to the call and find out if these snacks are for you (or not!)

Find out how to make your own snack packs – ones that help you lose weight, level out blood sugar levels, increase your energy, calm your emotions and help you manage stress. And of course healthy snacks will help you build a healthy, strong body (really, not just advertisement-speak).

We’ll get down and dirty talking about snacks – our favorites, our sinful pleasures, and then we’ll switch gears and share popcorn-brainstorm-style about healthy snack ideas and recipes.

Come to the call if….

• You’re a nutritionist or health educator (to share your wisdom)
• You’re overweight and want to lose rather than gain weight
• You’re an athlete and want to be able to perform better in your sport
• You like to cook and share recipes (especially healthy, tasty ones)
• You have a chronic health condition and need improved nutrition
• You’re a parent and want to provide better snacks for your kids
• You live a busy, fast-paced life and grab food on the go
• You like to eat!

Visit this link for more information and to sign up:  http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/ If you’re not sure you’ve signed up yet for the series, go ahead and sign up again.  You’ll only get one subscription if you use the same email.