Prayers to Chile

Earthquakes, tsunamis, all kinds of natural disasters are occurring. My prayers to all those affected, including you and I as we are all universally related.

Letting Go

When I let go of everything holding me back, I realize that my only real fear is that I am powerful beyond measure, not that I am inadequate, as Marianne Williamson would say. Letting go of my judgments, and my fears, and my past, and my future. I am focused in on the present, and what makes me eternally happy at this given moment. Ahhhh *sigh* it feels great. Thank you to bodywork, and my amazing sister, and to God, for always being present in our lives, at every moment, patient with us and knowing the real truth: we are all free. I love you, whoever is reading this right now, I love you. =)

Careers

What is a career? A career, in many people's minds, is a passion, and something you choose around the age of 25, find a way to make money off of it, and then live it out until you retire 40 years later. If there is a person who is born into this world and knows exactly what they want to do, good for them! As for me, my career, at this moment in life, is to learn and live and do and enjoy every tiny segment and piece of life I can get my hands on. Money, well, there are plenty of ways to make money in this abundant country! They may not be glamorous, but what does glamour mean anyway? It only exists in our minds. So, I will move forward, with a passion for adventure, for fun, for laughter, for playing! And guess what? It's possible at any age!

Perfection

Perfect. What does it mean? Sometimes, we may confuse it with getting whatever we want, but that wouldn't be the law of the world, would it? Accepting life as it is- that's perfection. Knowing the harder, emotional times will pass- that's perfection. No matter how life unfolds itself, it is always perfect. The present is perfect. It is a gift! A perfect gift =)

Washing away the judgements

Judgements are attachments. When we attach ourselves to the way we feel someone or something should be, we are only attaching ourselves to a past idea or notion of what we believe is right or wrong. There is no right or wrong. There just is. When you believe we know what is right for another person, check yourself. Respect all paths as all paths lead to God, the higher consciousness, the great spirit. I encourage interdependence as I believe there are naturally different types people in the world. I allow difference, I seek uniqueness, I believe in diversity. You were born on a very unique day, when the universe was in a special alignment, when the energy was at a certain shift, unlike any other human being in this world. Accept that creative flow, that distinctive characteristic, that unparalleled quality; it is all yours. Take it and go with it. Embrace the sole path that only you are on, that only you can fulfill. And respect other people as they are on their own journey as well. Breaking free from my attachment of you and judgements of the past and future, allowing room for the present. Celebrate yourself and celebrate others!

WE ARE ALL ARTISTS.

Being happy being yourself

Be happy being yourself. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks of you, or what they may expect of you. Follow your own journey. Stay true to your path. Live your truth. Life is a road; a journey. We listen and learn along the way. Don't be so hard on yourself. Breathe. Accept. Flow. We are always making mistakes. Mistakes are great- a great way to keep moving forward with what you know now. I see the beauty in you now, not 10 minutes ago, and not 10 minutes from now. I see you now, as you are, with beauty and light and presence.

Traveling is my education =)

More than often, people have been asking me lately, "What do you do when you travel?" Sometimes, I answer superficially, stating that I hike in the mountains, swim in the oceans, surf the waves, learn the native language, experience the cuisines, and meet people from different countries around the globe as well as the people of that culture. Sure, I do all these things. It's a typical day in the life of a traveler. But the main reason I travel is to educate myself. What better education than to immerse yourself into a different way of living, completely unbeknownst to you? The difference between a tourist and a traveler is the very essence of cultural immersion. Did you spend the night in a hotel? Or did you spend the night in a family's home with home-cooked meals? Did you rent a surfboard and take lessons from a paid instructor, or did you meet a local and have him/her teach you in the native language the significance of the wave? To enter into a different culture is to enter yourself. You are uncomfortable, scared, sad, excited, emotional, and open or close-minded. To enter into a different culture is to face yourself, to face your fears, to embrace those prejudices and judgements you had about those people and ultimately, realize one thing: humanity is egalitarian. A great friend just sent me a quote: "There is something so liberating about not attaching yourself through nationality and through geography, but attaching yourself through your humanity." -Eve Ensler. Because life is an educational experience, a filtration of what works and doesn't work for you, we become more open-minded or closed off to different things. My experience now is to be open towards humanity, to realize the oneness, the essence, the core, of all humanity. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Celebrate this human experience, and realize the essence of each other, find the good in each other. We are beautiful beings.

Happy Chinese New Year!

It is 2010 in the Chinese New Year- The Year of the Tiger- ME! As I am so excited about this, I thought I'd write a little bit about the "Fire Tiger" born in 1986.

THE FIRE TIGER 1926 AND 1986

Eccentric and dramatic, Fire Tigers are aglow with passion and verve. They are outgoing, expressive and look on the bright side of things. They have the Tiger’s natural ability to lead others and are able to excite others simply with their own gift of enthusiasm. They can be funny and have great senses of humor. Tigers are powerful speakers and have the ability to command and persuade crowds through speech. Their own seemingly endless supply of energy can make them appear a bit dramatic, and it may make them more sensitive to cautious or down-to-earth approaches in others.

Education and The Significance of Life

The reason why I am writing this is because I've been noticing that a lot of people, including myself, think about education solely as a gateway for employment. Yes, employment can be and normally is a result of a four-year educational degree. However, I also see and believe that education can be found in every aspect of life. From the moment we are born into this world, we are learning, as bright-eyed babies to "terrible toddlers," we're always taking it all in. We are taught social patterns, customs, religious traditions, and cultural norms from the people around us, every day, every moment. We are constantly being educated. Everyone is a teacher, even you. What you do in your day-to-day activities not only teaches others but reinforces social standards and lifestyle. So guess what? When you are feeling stressed, other people may take on that same energy from you. When you are feeling happy, others will feel happy too.
In our education, let's all take the step to realize that even though we may graduate with a degree some day, which is an amazing achievement by the way, our education doesn't stop there! Life is all about learning. We make mistakes constantly, and learn from them, and move on. Don't let your education become a point where learning isn't permitted or valuable anymore. There is always something to learn in this journey called life.
So smile! When you do, others will learn from you and smile back. Think positively; you will create space for a positive environment around you. And once again, thank you for listening and allowing the space for me to share my own thoughts with you! We are learning in this life together, from one another, always! :-)

Change is the only constant.

My views on life, on the world, on people, on myself, change everyday. I am not who I was 5 years ago let alone 5 minutes ago and I am not who I will be 5 minutes from now. I think it is important to realize this because we are constantly judging other people, and ourselves, for our past and our future. I don't think life works like that. The only responsibility we have to ourselves and to the good of mankind is to live life to the fullest. LIVE. Yes, stay true to your morals. Meditate, if need be. Life is always going to bring good and bad. No matter what we do, suffering is always going to be there, as the Buddha states. But that doesn't mean we need to be resistant to that suffering, or that "bad" that is coming our way. Allow the flow, accept the path. We are a part of this earth. Our bodies are made from elements of this earth, and this earth only allows flow. Have you ever stopped to enjoy the wisdom and serenity of an old tree? Try it. There's one right outside your door. Just look at it for a little while. You may feel silly at first, but the more you allow it's wisdom to soak into you, the more connected you will feel to this world, to the natural world. That tree has probably been around for longer than you can count. It endures every season: the bitter cold Winter, the blossoming Spring, the arid Summer, and the letting go of Autumn. The tree, just like us, undergoes pain and pleasure, but does the tree ever complain? Resist? It just allows. Accepts. We can learn something from our natural friends. Sending you all love and light; thanks for listening :-)

Turning to the arts...

Today, I woke up in the morning and told myself, "I'm going to buy a ukulele and learn how to play it!" As I read the book titled, "Planet Walker," and became inspired by his learning to play the banjo along his pilgrimage during 22 years of walking and 17 years of silence, I decided, it's time for me to quit saying I want to do something, and just DO IT! So after my 2 hour hike with Pepper in the Berkeley hills, I stopped at the Treat Music Store and bought myself a Hawaiian Ukulele, of course, MADE IN CHINA. Taking my own advice that I've been giving for so many years and just DOING IT, I have come to one realization: I suck at playing the ukulele. BUT, I will get better. I will climb over mountains of hardship, hurdles of doubt, and clouds of fear, until I learn how to play at least 3 songs, with no mistakes, on the ukulele. After that, I'm hoping my fingers become callused enough and my wrists used to the uncomfortable position that the tiny little ukulele causes to continue on my journey of ukulele playing. Who knows? Maybe you'll see me one day as the next Israel Kamakawiwo'ole!!! Or maybe not...but I know one thing, I gave it a shot.

Cheeri-o!

Well well well, my first blog of the 21st century. My first blog in the history of Jen's blogging! Where do I begin? I decided to create this blog as a way for you to follow me throughout my journey.

I guess you can say...I feel a bit different than most 23-year-olds at this very time in the Bay Area. Many of my friends are finishing school, having their first child, buying their first car, applying for corporate jobs, and integrating into the American lifestyle deemed ever so prosperous and noble! But me? I've spent the last 5 months of my life with nothing but a small backpack, sleeping bag, notebook, and a few bucks on the road, never really knowing where I will end up next. I suppose you can say, I put a little faith in faith, knowing the unknown is about to happen, and yes, of course, a little scared, but always reassured that life is meant to be lived!

So here we go! An adventure into Jennifer's life has begun! Welcome! And please, hop on board whenever you feel called to do so; I'd be more than happy to accommodate you, and so would our lovely Mother Earth.