Career Exploration with Young Adults at Covenant House

Yesterday was truly a remarkable, uplifting sort of day visiting the young adults at the Covenant House.  I went in not really knowing what to expect, not really knowing how I can be of any impact to these young adults...

but perspective changes as the wheels of life are turned & interesting things begin to unfold...

Many of these youths are a lot like you & I. They have dreams, goals & aspirations. They live in a society built where sometimes it is more difficult to reach that latter of success so many envision.  Wanting so much more from their lives & striving to get there. 

The purpose of the workshop was for the Volunteers to share their own personal experiences with life, career, family & offer some level of guidance to these young adults in sharing with them the things we learned & picked up along the way. Helping them to prepare for the next chapter of their lives.

This is where my anxiety kicked in.. (internally)..

heart racing..
adrenaline pumping...

OMGGG I am expected to speak in front of a large group of people & I have no clueeee what I am to share.

But then something happened..

They spoke..

There words were spoken...

And that is when it dawned on me, that I am no different than any one of these people in the room.  Not any of the young adults or the volunteers. 

Universally we are all the same....

That didn't stop my heart from racing at the idea of speaking in front of these group of people.  And it certainly didn't stop the sweat from wanting to pierce out from my skin...

Bigger Picture...

When it came time for me to Share my own experiences, the words just like a fountain oozed from my mouth. And they LISTENED...

They observed..
They were intrigued...
And they found me to be relatable...

They naturally gravitated towards me, like sheep to a Sheperd

In some capacity we all share some level of hardships, some more severe than others. But at the end of it all many of our experiences help to mold us into the people we CHOOSE to become.  Many of these young adults carried with them a sense of hope and optimisim that their futures would be bright.  But then there were also the few that behind their sad eyes, existed fear of the unknown & true fear of what they do already know, which is LIFE for them is hard.  And unfortunately for many of them, life is harder than most. 

Every story different..
Stories to be told...
and many stories left unsaid...

Meeting with these youths brought back into my realm of existence how easily it is for ALL to become lost...

feeling forgotten...

And my being able to become an outlet for them with self expression, relateability & positivity is truly a remarkable thing!!!

Remarkable!

Euphoric!!

I stepped into the Covenant House afraid of the unknown, but I left the Covenant House sure of who I was, and what I am meant to be for those who like many others, just need A light to Shine their way!!!

Blessings to you ALL <3 nbsp="nbsp">

SUFFERING....

I find it hard to get over the mourning of all those lives lost in the Connecticut elementary school massacre. I sit at home & I cry, I wash the dishes & I cry, I talk to my family & friends about it & I cry, it is truly a devastating blow into ones spirit..




I find myself reading & reading trying to occupy my thoughts elsewhere... any chance I get to distract my mind from all of this worlds cruelty and sheer madness , but even then I begin to cry...



I have not weeped in such a way in a very long time. Possibly since the loss of my own mother.



Tears shed as this is written...



You know one would have every right to become angry with a situation as this with the slaughter of all those beautiful children, teachers, faculty & staff... Those innocent children being the larger of #'s among the dead... thinking to myself...what kind of monster is capable of committing such a heinous Act of EVILnessss...



I definitely would & could understand ANGER!!!



exploding from within..

Volcano erupting..

Lava oozing everywhere..

Catastrophic indeed!!!



But this is not something to be angry about, it is to be mourned & grieved and almost nearly inconsolable!!



Anger is only an excuse to further justify behaving as tyrannical BEASTS...



But believe you, me...

Anger, I definitely could understand..

Be upset.. Be angry .. But do not marinate in it !!!



what I am trying to say, is that anger does not suit well for something as tragic as this extreme loss that has caused the entire world to suffer. And I think SUFFER is the best word to describe this entire life event.



No words would ever ease the suffering that this tragedy has bestowed upon us all..



I even found myself in a daze like numbing outwardly expression. Going along with my task at hand but all the while thinking of all those beautiful children...

none.. ZERO... 20!!! beautiful little lives won't be home this christmas or any christmas after that!!!



In the car ride this morning with my father, he was happily discussing with me about Christmas and gifts.. And I just stared blankly shrugging my shoulders here and there.. He even paused and mimicked my expressions.. Which then prompted me to vocalize why I was so doom & gloom.. I said, I can't stop thinking about all those children. Which then resulted in not what I wanted to hear kind of response.. But it was not at all mean, or insensitive, it was actually said quite sadly, "what could you really do ?"



And that is the ultimate blowww... (Not from my dad, but from those very words)...



What could you really do ??



The cards have been dealt, and there is absolutely No turning back.



What has been done, has been done, and there is no undoing!!!



Tragic!!



Ticking clocks we have on time, but there is no button to unwind, what should never have existed to begin with.



Suffering, it exist in the tiny crevices of all of humanity.



Some anticipate its journey into the realm of existence, others fall plague to its arrival, but then there are those who plot it's Demise into full existence, to wreak havoc on those it deems misfortunate to have walked this earth.



There's nothing to be said, except HOW could we all make a change when most of us are not willing to make one ???



I was reading an article in YOGA JOURNAL, written in remembrance of Georg Feuerstein (1947-2012). Feuerstein was a Scholar & true practitioner of Yoga. He wrote more than 50 books, articles and book reviews. His lifelong passion was to make authentic yoga WISDOM known to contemporary practitioners.



So as I am reading along in the article written in Yoga Journal, something that they wrote that he said while living struck a cord, & is completely relevant to this current situation with the awful slayings that just took place last week in Connecticut.



Frauerstein's lifelong passion was to make "authentic yogic wisdom known to contemporary practitioners."



What does that mean???



And Why do we practice ???



He is quoted as saying,

"We are suffering our asses off!"



Philosophy: "We simply practice to end suffering, for ourselves and for others."



And I connected those dots.. At least for myself..because I love practicing yoga.. And there are many benefits my body, mind & spirit receive when I practice yoga and when I further educate myself on the practice of yoga.



One of the most important poses in yoga is Shavasana ~ Corpse Pose, and this is typically done at the end of a sequence of Asanas (yoga poses) , and when a person is in corpse pose this is when "healing" begins to take place in ones body. In Shavasana, the body may be in the anabolic state of metabolism during which organ and muscle repair and development is occurring.



Which leads me to what this article brought to my attention...



INTENTION...



Now, I may not be able to do anything to make something as tragic as this shooting rampage to erase from all of this worlds existence...



Butttt... HOW could I nourish my OWN spirit, another entity whom resides well in me ?



INTENTION...



in my next yoga sequence INTENTIONS will be my focus.. INTENTIONS in assisting to help HEAL my spirit with the SUFFERing of this most devastating loss...



Now it may not be much, but i am always trying to look at the whole, i SEE, that when I am able to heal, I am given the opportunity to make myself available & useful to others, and in this attempt at healing, i try my best to help in any way possible.



This may not be the solution



THINK COSMIC...



Nothing will be able to erase these horrible crimes that have taken place...

BUT...

taking the time out to give yourself a healthy way to try to help urself cope, deal and hopefully HEAL from all of this is a good way to start!!!



Blessings to you all <3>
Another uncounted uncut chant !!





Sent from my iPhone

Uncut chant !!

Some people would believe that constant displays of fiery emotional trials, with love, are like  purification rituals.... the more your relationship withstands turmoil, the more “real” your connection is. Hardcore.. Sounds like it.. 

Riiiighhhhhttttt !!!

bogus 0.o

To me it  sounds more  like utter blasphemy...

 Optical illusions playing in the mind...

Uncharted territories...

 But I would definitely say that you "should" (should being used loosely here, because lessons being learned certainly do not apply for ALL, unfortunately lol) but you "SHOULD"  learn a lot about yourself during those "trying" times.. 

And it is in these moments that perspective comes into play and TRUTH stares you in the face. 

So my advice, Pay Attention!!!

Pay Attention to what your soul weeps & longs for.. 

Because what it wants may not be what it is receiving and what it may be receiving may not be what it NEEDS.... and hence there comes the trouble.. 

LOVE is just that LOVE...

Nothing more and nothing less...

LOVE is ALWAYS GOOD!!! 

<3 div="div" nbsp="nbsp">

Blessings to you all !!! 

Truth

I was going to say something mean.. Or maybe slightly insensitive.. Because at first glance I only thought of myself.. And then something happened.. I thought about the whole.. And with that came PEACE.. Peace with the Acceptance of differences...  with us ALL!!! 

One day I said, "What should I become?" So I became Brilliant!!!!

Uncut Chant ~ Empowerment

Self empowerment is empowering yourself to do the very things YOU fight yourself against doing. The things that would EMPOWER you to be so much more than you already are in this world. It is so easy to quit and give yourself a thousand and one excuses as to why you "can't" take the next step FORWARD into empowerment. Only YOU stand in your way. Take the first step into reevaluating yourself and your life and all the self imposing restrictions you feed to yourself daily, and truly wipe the slate clean!!!!! Build off of the very foundation you knock yourself down from and now ADD purpose and direction. Devise your plan and EXECUTE accordingly. It is that simple! There is nothing in this world that is more self fulfilling than just DOING!!! DO DO DO!!

For that is indeed the only way to play this game called life. You either Do or you Don't and when you don't all you do is block your true self from reaching your maximum potential. 

Never lose sight of your own potential to achieve the very things that your inner self desires. You only cheat yourself in the end. Do not be the house that stands alone & never gets filled.  The only way for you to escape is to truly soar & that always starts from within. 

Self EMPOWERMENT is EMPOWERING yourself to do the very things YOU fight yourself against doing!!!

STOP the violence!! 

What changes would you make TODAY that will EMPOWER you tomorrow  & BEGIN your journey to feeling Self  EMPOWERED???

We are only but a shadow away from our own existence with truly experiencing Happiness!!!

When we see the shadow.. we see the dark...

and in that moment we see nothing..

we know nothing...

Except for SHADOWS...

But when you see passed the shadows that block you from experiencing LIGHT, the window of truth opens up and swallows you whole...

Oh! the Joy to be submerged in LIGHT!!

Purity of the Soul...

For the bearer of Light has found its home..

Happiness is only the fruit, and YOU are its bearer!!!

Let this marinate into your soul...

Blessings to you ALL <3>