TAO Te CHING: Listen

May 20th, 2010

WELCOME to my blog: The Beauty of Being Human

A girl in love with beauty and the human spirit, this is my chronicle of inspirations, connections and faux pas – it takes all to be a real human being living a full and conscious life. Cheers to experiencing more joy and loving ourselves as we are!

Beauty: Wisdom from the TAO te CHING

I love gleaning the wisdom of the ancient masters! and my well-worn pocket edition Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell is always handy for such a wisdom seeking moment as this morning. I take in a slow breath and randomly open my little book:

Chapter 15

The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.

Their wisdom was unfathomable.

There is no way to describe it;

all we can describe is there appearance.

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They were careful

as someone crossing an iced-over stream.

Alert as a warrior in enemy territory.

Courteous as a guest.

Fluid as melting ice.

Shapable as a block of wood.

Receptive as a valley.

Clear as a glass of water.

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Do you have the patience to wait

til your mud settles and the water is clear?

Can you remain unmoving

til the right action arises by itself?

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The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment.

Not seeking, not expecting,

she is in the present, and can welcome all things.

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After a VERY TOUGH DAY yesterday, what struck me today from this chapter was the “waiting til your mud settles and the water is clear… remain unmoving til the right action arises by itself.” How many times have I found myself distressed because what I wanted to happen, my expectation, was not being fulfilled? How many times have I felt myself stressed, trying to force my agenda, just to have it go nowhere? MANY TIMES of course — I’m human after all :).

I know that it FEELS MUCH BETTER, inside and outside myself, when I am patient and allow life to occur at it’s own pace, through it’s own creative unfolding. When I am doing that, this is how it works for me:

I keep my target in mind (what I want to accomplish), then focus only on my breath and heart’s rhythm. Letting go of my agenda and wound-up self, “what’s next” usually comes with ease, leading me clearly and effortlessly toward my target. The end result from this spirit-lead process is usually much more than my own self could have imagined.

The more I practice Letting Go and Letting God, as the 12-steppers would call it, the easier it gets. So that, even on my worst days, I can find my way through to a graceful , peaceful end.

We can all be Masters if we just listen in to ourselves: FLUID, RECEPTIVE, ALERT, COURTEOUS, CLEAR and CAREFUL (Focused is how I like to think of Careful).

Buddha, The TAO, God, Spirit, Source, The Universe, Allah, Mother Nature — When we can be patient, LISTEN and be present, they never steer us wrong, never.

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Bright Color in Action

April 29th, 2010

The Beauty of Being Human

A girl in love with beauty and the human spirit, this is my chronicle of inspirations, connections and faux pas – it takes all to be a real human being living a full and conscious life. Cheers to experiencing more joy and loving ourselves as we are!

Beauty:  It’s time to push your color quotient.

Not everyone can live with bright colored walls surrounding them, but if you can, it’s a dramatic way to shift your space and psyche.

Before/After

If you’re more drawn to the earth tones for wall color, then bring in the yellows, greens, reds, oranges, blues, purples or pinks as accents. A larger accent statement would be to reupholster a couch or chair in your favorite bold color and repeat in small ways around the room. A simpler approach would be to add or change smaller items like a throw rug, pillows, lampshades, and/or artwork. Note: when working with small items it’s important to repeat your color in places throughout the room and vary the pattern choices for interest and impact.

Before/After

Tip: Sometimes painting the ceiling the same color as the walls opens up the space and makes the room feel bigger and more cohesive (see living room images above). However, with brighter paint colors it can be too much color, and a break to white or off-white ceilings eases the eye (see bedroom images above). To test this option get two large swatches of the color you’re contemplating and place them like an L with one on the ceiling and the other on the wall. What do you think — too much or just right?

Get to work! One way or another it’s time to start adding color into your space and your life.

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Connect

April 24th, 2010

poem by Piper Lauri Salogga

I want to shout to the rafters.

I want to be heard!

I want to sing from my heart.

I want to be heard.

I want to say nothing at all

and, be heard.

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Are you listening to me?

Do you see me?

Are you with me…

really?

Ask yourself.

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Isn’t that what we all want?

What we long for,

live for…

to feel heard,

to feel seen,

to feel truly a part

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of something?

Without it,

there is no one,

nothing…

not really.

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So why is it so hard

to listen?

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Peace and Productivity

March 17th, 2010

The Beauty and Blunder of Being Human

A girl in love with beauty and the human spirit, this is my chronicle of inspirations, connections, flaws and faux pas – it takes all to be a real human being living a full and conscious life. Cheers to accepting ALL these parts of ourselves, and experiencing more joy from doing so!

Beauty: Peace and Productivity… writer’s un-block

I’ve been stymied for the last several days… no words, much emotion, many questions about many things. It has been difficult not to judge myself and become impatient – wait for it to pass and see what wisdom I can learn while I’m “in the deep.”

Well a couple nights ago I needed to send a presentation description to the Washington State Holistic Chamber of Commerce on how to feng shui your office. The old description just didn’t fit anymore – “OfficeShui, How to be productive in your workspace.” It felt too corporate and tight. So low and behold, asking for inspiration, out came…

Peace and Productivity

How to transform your workspace with personal feng shui

Natural Balance Home & Office, Photo by Jaqui Ossenfort

Class Description:

Your office can be a beautiful, nurturing experience, where you feel alive, at peace and inspired to get things done. Imagine stepping into a striking, natural and meaningful oasis everyday… this oasis is your office. FULL of GRATITUDE and VIGOR, how might this heart-opening experience change your day? Change your interactions with others? INCREASE the SUCCESS of YOUR BUSINESS? Better your life?

Peace and Productivity is a visual presentation demonstrating your powerful connection to feng shui and how to apply it in your professional space: functional flow, personal style, natural elements, and personal empowerment with objects of meaning.

This presentation will MOTIVATE YOU to TAKE ACTION, make conscious, attainable changes to your workspace and affirm the POSITIVE TRANSFORMATIONS you desire for yourself and your clients. Peace and Productivity can change your life.

OTHER GREAT OFFICE EXAMPLES:

BraytonHughes Design Studio; SF, CA

Feldman Architecture; SF, CA

Photos above from www.houzz.com

Question: How much time do you spend in your office? Do you think it would support you to make it a place of inspiration?

Inspired Spaces Event

March 3rd, 2010

Inspired Spaces a SAM SHOP EVENT

You are Invited! Thursday, March 11, 6-9 p.m.

SAM SHOP teams up with the lively minds behind Seattle’s Sit+Sip to help you take your home decor from winter doldrums to the fresh energy of spring. Taking inspiration from the eclectic, artistic and colorful products available at SAM SHOP, and working from real photographs of your home, Piper Lauri Salogga of Natural Balance Home and Office and Sara Eizen of Nest will show you quick, easy ways to perk up and personalize your space for very little cash.

Bring photos of your home, or email your photo now to pr@seattleartmuseum.org to be considered as examples and inspiration in the presentation. Photos submitted before March 8 will be entered to win great prizes.

Wine and door prizes from the Seattle Art Museum and SAM SHOP will be up for grabs during the event.
Click here for more information. >>
Date: 3/11/2010
Time: 6-8 pm
Location: SAM SHOP
1300 1st Ave

My amazing daughter Amelia and money

December 22nd, 2009

The Beauty and Blunder of Being Human

A girl in love with beauty and the human spirit, this is my chronicle of inspirations, connections, flaws and faux pas – it takes all to be a real human being living a full and conscious life.  Cheers to accepting ALL these parts of ourselves, and experiencing more joy from doing so!

Beauty: My amazing daughter Amelia and money

Yesterday we had our first big “ah ha” lesson about the value of money.  This is a huge topic, a topic that spans lifetimes.

So it’s a week before Christmas and Amelia had her heart set on buying a soft, mechanical, purring dog with it’s own bed and comb.  She wanted it so badly that she said she would pay for it with her own money.  Amelia is 5 -1/2 so her piggy bank is not loaded.  I told her we would go home and count the money from her “spend” section of her Edward Jones piggy bank (Thank you Allen!!  This bank is a lifesaver in this particular money-christening moment)!

Once home and counting, Amelia made it to 3 dollars and 82 cents.  The cost of the dog was 30 dollars plus tax.  Now it’s time to break the news.  “Honey you need 30 more dollars to have enough to pay for the dog,” I said.  “I can take the money from the rest of my bank, I don’t need it.  I can use it on the dog!” Amelia replied.  “No. No, honey,” I said.  “You need that money in those other areas.  Your savings for when you really need something and you don’t have the money.  Your investment section is to help you buy a really cool grown-up bike or a car some day.  And your donation money is to give to someone in need, to open your heart and share with others in a way that is meaningful to you.”  Ok, lots of big talk for a five year old, but if she got just 10% of it, I made a good start!

So she asked me to pay for it saying she would pay me back — $30 is a lot for a 5 year old to pay back (4 months of setting the table at $0.25 a pop every night).  “Too big of a loan” I told her.  “$2 or $3  I would be willing to loan you, but you need to build up your credit history so I will feel more comfortable with a big loan like $30.”  “What’s credit history?” she asked, concurrently sobbing because she knew she was not going to get the dog.   I tried to explain it in 5 year-old terms ending with “You have to work your way up to $30.”  She sobbed more.  “That won’t due Mama.” I heard.  “No.  That won’t due.  I need something warm and cuddly to comfort me.  I need that dog!  I have to have it now.”  Very sad face.

OH Shit, I thought.  This is where retail therapy begins and I so don’t want her to get caught in that nightmare – I know the vicious cycle first hand, and it sucks!  Just stay away form the stores Amelia.  Stay away!!!

So I rubbed her back as she cried and cried, very disappointed.  I told her she could snuggle with the soft cuddly stuffies she had.  No that won’t due, I was told.  “I need something new Mama.”  My head was spinning.  Don’t panic I told myself.  This is not about your past, this is about Amelia.  Ask questions.  Don’t make assumptions.  Ask questions! So I asked, “Why is it so important that you have something new tonight, Amelia?”   The answer: “Tomorrow is a big day.  I’m going to have to get up in front of a lot of people and say my lines for the play and I’m really scared.  I need something really special to make me feel better.”  More crying.  Big, big crying.  Oh… now I get it. I said to myself.  Big moment.  Now I know where this is coming from.  Oh, Thank God!! I’m so relieved. I continued to rub her back and sympathize with her feelings.  “Yep, getting on stage and performing in your first big school play is a big deal.  And it is scary.  Awh, sweet girl.  I’m sorry you feel so scared.  But I know you’re going to do a great job.”  Soon the crying quieted down.  There was a big sigh.  I sighed too.

Then she told me she had to wear all black on stage – Oh! That’s new news.  Not much black in this little girls closet, I realized.  NEXT! We were off to figuring out what she was going to wear…  No more talk about the mechanical soft purring dog.  No more talk about money.  It was all about the black clothes now - a nice needed distraction.

We made it through my daughter’s first major impulse to use a retail band-aid, and this is truly a beautiful thing!!

Note: Amelia made sure she set the table that night and asked for her allowance right after she completed her task.  Maybe the 10% she got was more about “work equals more money in the bank!” rather than “don’t shop when you have an emotional hole to fill.”  No matter the lesson she learned, she’s on the road to becoming a fiscal participant in our capitalistic human society.   If she’s lucky, and we can keep parenting right, maybe a conscious fiscal participant too.  ☺

More time for good habits

December 21st, 2009

The Beauty and Blunder of Being Human

A girl in love with beauty and the human spirit, this is my chronicle of inspirations, connections, flaws and faux pas – it takes all to be a real human being living a full and conscious life.  Cheers to accepting ALL these parts of ourselves, and experiencing more joy from doing so!

Beauty: More time to form good habits.

There is not as much client work right now before the holidays… and I’m very grateful for it.  I’m getting the chance to form some intentional and personally positive habits, like writing this blog! and taking some quiet time for myself.

After my husband and daughter were out the door exploring their own days, the morning began with an appreciation for the beautiful trees outside my bedroom window – they give me strength and inspiration every day I remember to SEE them.  Something so simple like stopping to appreciate nature almost always starts my day on a positive note.

Then I was onto 20 minutes of reading about collaboration and sufficiency from The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist (I am completely stoked about this book.  I can feel it changing my relationship with money and my life, one page at a time — sometimes I have to re-read a page or two to make sure I’ve got it, this book is not for whimps).

Next, a 10 minute meditation on the section I had read – the prophecy of the world of the Eagle (the great mind) and the Condor (the great spirit) coming together to nurture and teach each other, creating a more fulfilling life for all – begins on page 167.  We Americans tend to live only in the world of the Eagle — we are great thinkers but often lost when it comes to connection with spirit.  Whereas the Achuar tribe and other indigenous people primarily live in the world of the Condor — they are spiritually rich but missing the “know-how” of planning and functioning in larger society.  The prophecy states that there will be a time when both sides NEED to come together to support each other in order to fulfill the whole of humanity.

This has me thinking about who I would like to collaborate with, what I need to learn and who I would like to learn from… and how to get up the guts to ask them.  How about you?  What’s on your plate to learn about?  Who do you think would make a good mentor or teacher for you?  And, can you find the gumption to make the ask?  (As Brian Johnson says in Philosopher’s Notes can you “live in the stretch zone”?)

I’ll make you a deal, I’ll ask if you will

The Beauty and Blunder of Being Human

December 17th, 2009

The Beauty and Blunder of Being Human

A girl in love with beauty and the human spirit, this is my chronicle of inspirations, connections, flaws and faux pas – it takes all to be a real human being living a full and conscious life.  Cheers to accepting ALL these parts of ourselves, and experiencing more joy from doing so!

Log One:

Beauty: The Beginning.

One of my human flaws is coming up with big new ideas, beginning them with zest and ending them only half way through.  Any one else ever experienced this?  So I’m hoping this new beginning is more than a weeklong… I hope it builds on itself.  AND, I hope that my love for writing, transparency and sharing find a clear voice, a few ears to listen, and perhaps even a conversation.

I’m a bit nervous.  I’ve written blogs before but I’m starting this one with more on the table, for myself — I really do want this to turn into something more than another beginning… and I’m a bit afraid to say that – to really put myself out there.  So wish me luck!  May I hold myself to the task and enjoy the process.

Here it goes, my commitment is (drum roll please ): For at lease the next month, I will write or post something of my wonderful and humble human experience to The Beauty and Blunder of Being Human!

Yahoo – I did it.  I made the commitment!!!

Now let’s see what comes next :).

The value of beauty — a tricky thing

November 30th, 2009

Beauty, style, “looking good” – as human beings many of us are in a tug of war with them and the money it costs to have beauty in our lives.

In my 11 years as an interior designer I have noticed that many, if not most of us, are drawn to things we find beautiful, whether it’s a cool pair of shoes, an incredible hotel or home, or the sunset falling behind the trees. On one hand we feel satiated, excited and deeply fed by our connection with these lovely things. But on the other hand, many of us feel the need to denounce beauty as something frivolous, surface, unnecessary, and a waste of money and time, perhaps out of a belief that we can’t afford or don’t deserve it.

Our spirit and our ego act like the cartoon version of the angel and the devil,  one on each shoulder fighting it out — creating chaos in our mind. “Can I have it, this beautiful thing? Do I need it, or is it indulgent? Oh, I can go without it. But I want it!” Back and forth, and on and on. Have you ever had this conversation with yourself before?

So which reigns true? Is beauty a human need or a frivolous desire? My answer: beauty can be both.

What type of life would we lead if we were not to open our hearts and smile at the blooming of a flower, the turning of a leaf from green to crimson orange and gold, or get excited about a lovely piece of clothing that makes us feel like a million bucks or a luscious new paint color on our walls? Beauty and style connect with our hearts, stimulate creativity, bring us joy!! What, exactly, we find beautiful is an individual choice, but we all know it when we see if for ourselves.

AND this being said, if our closet if full of beautiful clothes and we are lucky to see stunning sunsets from our home every day, if then we still feel the constant need for more… perhaps it is not the open-hearted, creative connection with beauty we are seeking. Likely we are using beautiful things to fill a void inside us like a band-aid on the “not good enough” thinking that plagues us inside. Does this mean that if you’re blessed to have enough wanting more is bad? No. It means take a look inside yourself and see where the desire for something beautiful is coming from.

Does your connection with this beautiful thing open your heart and bring you joy, or is it covering up a gashing hole of low self-esteem? How you feel when you imagine paying for it will clue you into it’s hook on you– light and full of warmth or anxious or “deserving.” If it’s the later, a walk in the woods, connecting with the beauty of nature, might be a better fix.

Holiday Home Accessories Swap

November 9th, 2009

What is it? Why go?

Swapping is a form of bartering — the oldest form of currency. And in a DOWN ECONOMY, swapping is a great way to let go of what no longer fits or lights you up and TRADE it for items you DO love, items you’ll use and make a contribution to you and your home.

So unclog your closets and holiday decor boxes and start making a pile of home items you just don’t use or love anymore and bring them to the Holiday Home Accessories Swap. Think pillows, throws, candleholders, frames, art, coffee table books, ornaments, wreaths, etc. See our list of Acceptable and Non-Acceptable items to make sure yours will fit the bill

The SIT+SIP Holiday Home Accessories Swap will be held on Saturday, November 21 from 10 to Noon at the Phinney Neighborhood Center in Seattle.

The cost? 3 items or more to swap and a $10 entrance fee… after that EVERYTHING is Swapped for FREE!!

This is a great way to keep your wallet in your purse while you shop for holiday gifts for others. And, I don’t know about you, but whenever I’m shopping for others, I always seem to find a couple things for myself too :).

If this sounds like a good event for you, RSVP Now. Only 50 spots are left — get yours before they’re gone.

For more details about how the Holiday Home Accessories Swap works, go to our FAQs