Girls Like Us (April 15th column)

Hello again. How have you been? Is time just speeding by for you, too? All the more reason to build our repertoire of Awareness skills, don’t you think?

Awareness is about being interested in change. To be aware is to respond to a different way of doing things. It can be the precursor to educating ourselves about making well informed decisions in our lives that can really change the course of our lives. Sound heavy? I like to think that education can be exciting; learning something new, even at our age! And…awareness is fifty percent of putting a new plan together for change. We can’t do anything if we are not aware of what it is.

It can be daunting when we think about beginning new patterns like say, for instance, “how can I create change, when I can’t find a moment to even think about what I want to change”! I read this quote once and although it was seemingly simple, the meaning it carried was HUGE! It talked about being able to create a calm space in time while carrying on with whatever we are in the midst of in our daily lives. That’s a tall order, but I urge you to embrace the message behind it. By keeping a peaceful mind, we can create the awareness we need to move toward our goal of living our best lives. What’s the alternative?

Here are a few more ideas meant to guide you…as your personal “talis-woman”. Try one or two on for size and see how you feel.

Remember that list I mentioned a while back? You know...that little piece of paper where we have scribbled down the inner most wishes of our hearts? Dig it out and see what has come to pass. Are you able to check something off? You know…once we make up our minds to alter something, the answer seems to show up! Creating the clearing for the change to occur, now that is the challenge.

Let’s take April out in style! Let’s be women with imagination and Spirit! They say that whatever we can imagine can be possible. What do you say? I invite you to take yourself out into the world and explore something that encourages your muse to come out of hiding and join you for some real fun! Spring is such a lovely time to deepen your level of awareness, which by the way, is a form of sprouting, now isn’t it? We’ve been sowing the seeds of change all month, now let’s get out there and feed those little pods by enriching our lives, one day at a time. Oprah calls these little mind-awakening experiences “AHA moments”. Do you know what AHA stands for? I’ll tell ya…Awesomely Heightened Awareness! I bet Oprah didn’t even know that.

I will close today with just this one though…Change is scary…but the lack of it is frightening. Pick one thing you want to change and make a new list of how you are going to get there. And, remember…not a bit list…just a couple things that really jazz you and then, dig out your dancing shoes and get to work.

Deborah Viapiana-Ricci is a freelance columnist living in Maynard with her husband, Wil. She can be found learning a new step just in time for Prom!
Feel free to share your comments. Deborah@teresinas.com