Liz Esquirol

TBIF

TBIF – here’s something to snack on this Thank Buddha It’s Friday.

“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.” e.e. cummings

It does take courage doesn’t it? Courage to get up each day and face whatever the world throws your way…courage to be honest and true with oneself…courage to become the person you truly are. Sometimes we feel unsure – and in that case, I think it takes courage to find out. I want that courage.

Be yourself. Feel good in your skin. Know that who you are is good and strong and wise. – bb

(Now, get out of here and have some fun.)

Buddha Balboa

You’ve Got Soul

“You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” CS Lewis

I saw this written on my horoscope one day (yes, fun to read whether you “believe” or not) and I loved the quote. It’s all in the wording, isn’t it?

We tend to consider ourselves as having a soul, a conscience, an intangible self. We talk about this soul as if it’s something we have inside ourselves. But if we look at living, being alive, in its purest form, we are merely living in a vessel we call our bodies. A mass of blood and skin and veins and organs, that we inhabit. That which makes up the true self (our spiritual core, if you will) is that unseen personality which defines who we ultimately are.

We aren’t our bodies…our bodies don’t define the kind of people we are, the kind of emotions we feel, the kind of greatness we can achieve. It is our spirits, our souls, that speak of who we are. It’s the twinkle in someone’s eye that comes through the body from somewhere far greater.

The best evidence, in my opinion, that we aren’t our bodies is when we pass away. A dear friend of mine died not too long ago and at his wake all I could think to myself was this wasn’t him. This was his human form – his body which had ceased functioning on a biological level, but it wasn’t HIM. It wasn’t who he was – it was his shell. His soul was still present although I could not touch it. We are always present, even in death.

Although it’s important to keep our bodies healthy – so we can enjoy our lives – we need to always remember it is our souls that need attention and care. We need to remind ourselves that we are more than our physical appearance – way more. That what we truly ARE is not bound by biology and genetics.

You are a soul.

Uncategorized

Before there was Nike…

Long before Nike’s famous swoosh and slogan, Just Do It, appeared on the scene, there was Brian Jones.

Brian is a dancer, singer, choreographer, graphic designer, traveler, and all around great guy. He’s a dear friend. I met Brian in college while working on a musical. He was then, and still is, a consummate professional and a bit of a perfectionist. Brian believes in hard work, practice and focus.

“Don’t talk about it, just do it.” This was Brian’s credo. He didn’t appear to have the time or patience for fear-based lagging – he’s of the just get-on with it ilk.

Although it caused me to have several moments of panic, his philosophy was direct and results-producing. Ceasing discussion and rumination is a way for us to get out of our heads…to just give it a shot. If we wait for the moment we feel we are truly ready, we may be waiting forever. Talking is passive – doing is active.

It’s easy to chat around and around an idea, a wish, a concept, but it’s another thing to apply it and make it “real.” Trying and failing is a part of the process. Trying and succeeding is the icing on the cake.

I can always imagine Brian, with a furrowed brow and semi-smile, saying these words, as he struts off leaving me to get on with it. It’s a hilarious and loving image I carry with me – one that I pull up in my memory every time fear plants a wall in my path.

Nike may have brought their bravado to the masses, but Brian was there first…not talking, but doing. – BB

Two Cents Tuesday

Room for Improvement

It’s Two Cents Tuesday…

According to most magazine covers, they have all the answers. At least that’s what I discovered at the local newsstand.

I like to plant myself in front of the racks and scan the colorful glossy’s. From Cosmopolitan to Self, InStyle to Real Simple, we are bombarded by headlines declaring that we don’t measure up.

Thin Thighs in 5 Minutes

10 Ways to Update Your Wardrobe

How to Please Your Man from Morning to Night

Give Gifts That They’ll Remember

I can’t help but be drawn in. Who wouldn’t want thinner thighs in just 5 minutes? Wow, can it be that simple? Have I been exercising 5 days a week the past year for naught?

It appears these periodicals have the answers to life’s biggest problems. Perhaps they should tackle the substantial topics, the truly important questions – Is there Life after Death? What is True Love? Is Elvis Still Alive?

Instead, we’re told that we’re borderline inadequate. Whatever state we’re in – financially, personally or professionally – just isn’t good enough. After all, isn’t there always room for improvement?

Yes – could we all learn to use our time more wisely – of course. Couldn’t we all try to be a bit more patient in times of stress – I believe so. Shouldn’t our closets be a little less cluttered? I suppose. But why can’t our lives, no matter what state they currently reside in, be plain old good enough? Like toast and jam, aren’t our lives complete in their simplicity? Or do they need to be overloaded with an unending parade of condiments, muddling up their flavor?

My thighs may not be perfect but 5 minutes a day will never make them Heidi Klum’s thighs. Don’t lead me down the primrose path of perfection only to abandon me in a maze of thorns. It’s hard enough to maintain my mini vial of self-esteem without some glistening, airbrushed magazine beauty telling me that I need a bigger cup.

As I’ve discussed before, the self-help section of any bookstore is injury enough, causing many of us to wonder how we ever get through the day. There’s a book for every human suffering. Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, we have found that in freeing ourselves from the demands of physical survival that we have burdened ourselves with idle minds malady. We now have enough time on our hands to fret about the fact that our lipstick doesn’t have enough staying power. That our financial portfolios are lacking. Or that our behinds are just a little too large.

When are any of us good enough? When do we declare that our laundry detergent just doesn’t need to be new and improved?

Today’s the day.

How about one last article for the proverbial road entitled “Kicking the Perfect Habit: 7 Ways to Let Yourself Go.” I feel better already.