Looking at Responsiblity

I guess Scott Noelle keeps nailing it on the head for me. Here's another Daily Groove that I affirms where I am.

Two Kinds of Responsibility

The word "responsibility" can be confusing because its meaning changes depending on the"active worldview" of the person using it.

The old worldview is one of scarcity and competition, where one seeks empowerment through controlling people and conditions, and by being "right." In that worldview, responsibility means obligation, duty, and/or blame.

The new worldview is one of abundance and creativity, where empowerment comes from within and is expressed through partnership. In that worldview, responsibility is the *ability to respond* creatively, and it's an acknowledgment that each individual creates his or her own experience of life.

Today, pay close attention to how you feel when you're trying to be a "responsible" parent. If taking responsibility makes you feel heavy, burdened, guilty, ashamed, or resentful, then it's time to upgrade your worldview!

All my adult life I've struggle with "being responsible". I think I need to "be responsible" and when I don't do what I think is responsible, I feel guilty. It creates a downward cycle--sometimes to depression--for me. It's caused me untold amounts of pain. I'm realizing more and more deeply every day that the only thing I need be responsible to is my own inner self and Creative Source. Every reminder is a cause for celebration and gratitude. So here's to Scott Noelle and all the guidance I receive. Amen

Aiming for Bigness

Again, today, Scott Noelle's Daily Groove e-mail was particularly inspiring--enough that I'm posting it.

Small Body, Big Spirit

Mother Nature doesn't aim for mediocre. She imbues every child with HUGE creative potential.

Children are born *knowing* they're supposed to be BIG -- innately powerful, free, and continuously expanding to new horizons.

Today, no matter how physically small your child may be, notice and appreciate his or her BIGness in spirit. That spirit is easy to see when your child is expressing pure Love and Joy. But it's no less present when s/he's "misbehaving." In those trying times, remember...

Our children are always doing the best they can to stay connected to their BIGness -- in a world that expects them to be small.

In getting the links for the above, I ran into Scott's article Transforming Anger. I get it. Today I get it. I've read it before but today it sank in deeper and I did it. I remembered that my anger is here to uplift me--and everything else for that matter--and used the energy to say "I'm not going to let that little condition get in the way of my joy".

I've been working on an Astrology Chart for a friend. Something I haven't done for quite a while and I checked how the transits are influencing my chart. Wow! Two pretty major planetary events have been occurring this year. One is the Saturn-Uranus opposition and the other Jupiter-Neptune conjunction. These both happen often enough that you've experienced one in your lifetime--unless you're a lot younger than I. But having two at a time is quite rare.

Everyone is influenced by these transits but where in your life and to what degree depends on where and what they trigger in your chart. Both have triggered major planetary configurations in my chart--and two of the three midlife crisis transits. That's right--I'm 41! I've haven't been thinking in terms of astrology for quite some time and--well--I didn't remember. And these wonderful life-changing transits have been happening and delightfully I was able to appreciate the immensity and importance of the changes occurring in my life without consulting astrology.

While I'm busy playing with an astrology chart or two and blogging, Jasmine is preparing for a Royal Banquet. She wrote invitations and picked out an outfit and took pictures of them for me to post.

This weekend was fabulous--I went to Phoenix with friends and Jasmine and Grandma planted a new garden full of alfalfa and clover for the chickens. And Grandma helped her sew a doll dress. Of course I got to spend the next day putting away and dealing with all my veggies.

Chicken Garden

New doll dress

She also discovered ironing with a passion, begging to iron anything in sight.

And learning happens........One of Jasmine's favorite things to do is to take out a stack of field guides (e.g. butterflies, insects, flowers, birds) and peruse them.

Posting Frenzy

I started the day by gathering an abundance of limes off a neighbor's tree and tidying and working on my new sprouting project.

Jasmine started her day eating yellow watermelon while putting together puzzles with her mom. Recently Jasmine has been into jigsaw puzzles. This puzzle phase reminds me of other "educational" phases of reading, writing, and 'rithmetic. A giant leap in ability without "practice makes perfect" phase. Could it be we are confusing children's development with that of adults and even then not allowing for cyclical nature of adult development?

And speaking of the three R's, I prefer the Waldorf three R's: rhythm, reverence, and ritual.

I spent a good chunk of time today finishing a number of half-finished posts I started in September and posting them (Any redundancy in this sentence?). Jasmine watched Ballet Favorites and Mary Poppins and went on adventures around the yard. I gave her my old camera a few weeks ago and she was out and about taking pictures. She's back to playing with the chickens now that the weather is so nice.

And in the inbox today, something so great I just had to share it (from Scott Noelle's THE DAILY GROOVE)

Is Joy Knocking On Your Door?

She knocked on the huge palace door. The peephole cover slid open, revealing the grim face of the palace guard. "Who goes there?"

"I am Joy," she answered with a smile, "I'm here to visit the Queen."

The guard shut the peephole abruptly. A few minutes later, it slid open again and the guard said, "The Queen is upset because her children are misbehaving.You may not enter until conditions improve."

"But I bring good tidings, and if she would let me in, the children would surely abandon their mischief."

"Sorry," the guard grumbled, "I must do Her Majesty's bidding." Then he locked the door and left.

But Joy did not leave . . . She just kept knocking.

Today, if you feel upset for any reason, ask yourself this: "Am I using these conditions as an excuse to disallow my natural state of well-being?" Decide that when JOY knocks on *your* door, you'll let it in... no matter what the conditions!

If you like this, visit Scott Noelle at his website. There's some great articles and you can sign up for free daily e-mails like the one above.

This evening we rode our bikes to the library to return and pick up books. We both had cookbooks in; Jazz got Cookbook for Girls and I, Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods by Renee Loux Underkoffler.

And then an impromptu bike ride to the park to watch a baseball game. Jazzie's been wanting to watch one ever since T-ball season. Jasmine enjoyed the game and playing with friends and I got to read my new book.

Came home and perused recipes together and read from Nina Jaffe's The Uninvited Guest and Other Jewish Holiday Tales.