Spreading Sunshine
Inspiration to brighten your day
 |
Home | |
|
Books & Courses | |
|
Articles | |
|
Newsletter | |
|
Meet Laurie | |
|---|
| NAVIGATE: |
|
|---|
|
Spreading Sunshine A free, monthly e-newsletter to brighten your day and make you smile! Issue 4, April 19, 2007 Join Us! Welcome! By receiving this newsletter, you are part of a group of people making their dreams come true. If you like what you read, please forward this message to your friends and family, and invite them to join us too! Click here to subscribe to Spreading Sunshine now! For more inspiration, check out www.lauriesmith.com. Here Comes The Sun © 2007 Laurie Smith It had been a rainy day, the kind of rain where the water comes down sideways and all you want to do is cuddle up inside and stay warm. We lit a fire and spent most of the day hanging out together as a family, I curled up in a big chair with my laptop, my husband and son played together on the floor close by, the cat strategically positioned herself near anyone willing to scratch her ears. Finally, late in the day, we put on our raincoats and ventured out in the weather to visit friends in San Francisco. As we drove toward the city, we couldn’t help but notice the bright skies. “I can’t believe it’s clear here!” I marveled. Suddenly, a sunbeam broke through the clouds, parting the dark storm clouds, its light flickering off the bay. “There has to be a rainbow somewhere,” my husband mused. As if on cue, the most extraordinary rainbow appeared, the colors shining so bright it seemed as if we could reach out and touch it. The brighter the sun grew, the more brilliant the rainbow became, hanging in the air in front of the city skyline like a vision in a 3-D movie; it felt as if we could reach out and touch it. “Look at the colors,” our two-year old son chatted away in the backseat. As we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge, we couldn’t just see part of the rainbow, we had front row seats as this glorious rainbow stretched a full 180 degrees, half a circle over the water, growing brighter and brighter. As we finally paid the bridge toll and drove away, we were different people. The weather had shifted, and so had our perspectives. The day was no longer dismal; it was miraculous. Calm After The Storm © 2007 Laurie Smith I had a near epiphany-like experience recently. I took a nap. Before this miraculous event, I couldn’t get motivated to straighten the house, pick up the toys or do all the things on my to-do list. “Small” stuff seemed big. I was coming out of a time when I had been cramming every waking minute with writing projects, travel and getting things done. Those who know me well know how I often go in these productive peaks and then need to crash and restore myself. Restoring is the part of this rhythm I often forget. The most amazing thing was, after I woke up from that nap, how terrific I felt. I was a different person—peaceful, calm, relaxed and happy. Upon waking, I was suddenly ready to dive into some of the less glamorous tasks that had been neglected during my productive peak—cleaning the fridge, scrubbing the stove burners, doing the wash… One of the greatest lessons I have learned (and am still learning) from being on the local novice crew team here in Marin is the power of rest. There are two motions in the rowing stroke. One is pulling the oar through the water to move the boat. The other involves pulling the oar out of the water, and moving back up the slide to the “catch”— the point where the oar goes back into the water once more. The slower, more relaxed we can be as we go up the slide, the more energy we have when we get to the water to drive forward. If we remember to go slow when the oar is out of the water, and fast when it’s in the water, that’s when magic happens. We maintain balance and the boat flies fast. Exhilaration begins and races are won. During the last practice, one of my teammates called out, “Let the boat do the work while you recover!” I couldn’t help but think what good advice that is for life as well as for rowing. There is this wonderful current to life, I believe, that takes over when we take a breath and enjoy the ride. So, the sunshine I want to spread in this issue is this: If you’re stuck in any place in your life--rest. Rest deeply, my friend. Rest can take many forms—a nap, much needed vacation, or even giving your mind a day-long sabbatical from “it”—whatever “it” is for you today. As SARK, one of my favorite authors writes: “A good nap can be hard to find. Sneak away, and set yourself up for the perfect nap. A small snack, your favorite pillow, and a certain kind of quiet. Perhaps something to read, and if you can manage it, a shaft of sunlight. All at once, you sail away into a nap, where tangled nerves are untied, and where time stops. Guilt and expectations are not welcome in napland. You can always find a reason not to take a nap, find more reason s to let naps take you!” Sometimes that’s all we need to do to have the sun break through the storm clouds of our life, and have life look a whole lot brighter. |
|
Good News! Here comes my favorite section of the newsletter—good news from throughout the world. Just click on the headlines to link to the original news stories. Enjoy! On April 17th, an asteroid that was remarkably only discovered a few days ago was flew by Earth about 2.5 million kilometers away (thankfully, too far to have a risk of collision). Due to the asteroid’s size (300 meters wide) and brightness (13th to 14th magnitude), it was easy to spot using just a backyard telescope. To see the greatest miracles, we often need to go beyond our current view of the world. Here’s an oldie, but goodie. Back in 2003, scientists asked study volunteers how they felt during the day in three positive emotions: vigor, well-being and calm. They were then asked about three negative emotions: depression, anxiety and hostility. They then got a squirt in the nose of a rhinovirus -- the germ that causes colds. Those that experienced positive emotions had stronger resistance to becoming infected and experiencing cold symptoms. So, here’s to your vigor, well-being, calm, and good health! New studies were recently released for promising new AIDS drugs. One study showed that two new drugs may knock HIV to undetectable levels in 60 percent of those who took it; while levels were brought to what is deemed a manageable level in 80 percent of patients. A different set of twin studies carried out on a different experimental drug showed at least 45 percent of those who took it suppressed HIV to undetectable levels, and 60 percent brought it to manageable levels. "This is really a remarkable development in the field,'' said University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researcher Dr. John Mellors. How awesome that AIDS and other diseases are becoming closer to being curable. A man in eastern Malaysia saved about 100 people from being swallowed by a sinkhole recently. A number of indigenous tribes in Sarawak state on Borneo island live in ''longhouses,'' where an entire community lives under a single structure. Renjis Empati said he felt the earth move while walking to an open-air toilet in the dark. He immediately ran back to the village where he alerted others the others living in a traditional indigenous longhouse. ''If not for him, most of us would be dead by now,'' villager Lada Rentap said. Amidst events like the recent shootings at Virginia Tech, let’s say a word of thanks for all the tragedies constantly being circumvented and lives being saved, thanks to ordinary, courageous people. A new study just released shows that immigrants—illegal and legal—do not affect the U.S. crime rate, dispelling a common myth often supported by media coverage of crimes committed by foreign-born. In fact, it was just the opposite. The research showed that the incarceration rate of American-born men 18 to 39 years old in 2000 was five times higher than the incarceration rate of their immigrant counterparts. Now, that’s an invitation to give that which is different a chance. Puget Sound endangered killer whales have been spotted with a new baby calf. This is good news because following the recent death of three adults and two calves, the Puget Sound-based orca population had dropped to 85. The whales have been feeding on salmon along the California coast, because of limited food supplies along the Washington coast. Researchers said the baby was born between late October and early 2007 to one of two female orcas. A new beginning is often just around the corner! For those of us still holding onto an dream or two, here’s inspiration to keep reaching for the stars—no matter how long it takes. Mae Laborde started her acting career at age 93 and now, four years later, is still going strong. She was "Wheel of Fortune's" Vanna White (40 years in the future). She's also been a cheerleader on ESPN, appeared in a Lexus commercial, and had a recurring role on Spike Feresten's "Talkshow.” Click the above headline to check out her photo. One glimpse at her smile will get you thinking, “Why not?” . Yummy Quotes “By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go.” -Lao Tzu “Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, or even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other single factor.” -Paul Hawken “Take a rest; a field that has rested gives beautiful crop.” -Ovid And, as usual, the greatest wisdom of all comes from my current favorite children’s author: “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” -Dr. Seuss Happy Spring! Thank you for giving me an opportunity to share my soul. Have a wonderful day filled with sunshine, naps and happy times. I love to hear from readers. Please email me at www.lauriesmith@comcast.net with your feedback and comments. For more inspiration, check out the new articles on my website www.lauriesmith.com and blog www.soulwisdom.blogspot.com. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my soul! Wishing you miracles, Laurie Smith Visit me at : http://www.lauriesmith.com Subscription Information If you like what you read, please forward this newsletter to a friend! To receive this monthly newsletter, SUBSCRIBE HERE: Click here to subscribe to Spreading Sunshine now! I am extremely committed to privacy and simplifying life. You received this newsletter only because you have subscribed or someone close to you thought you might enjoy it. If you would like to be removed from our subscription list, let me know by clicking here: Click here to unsubscribe to Spreading Sunshine! Have a happy day! All information in this email is copyrighted © 2007 Laurie Smith. All rights reserved. |
|