 One of our gifts, as human beings, is our imagination. As children, we were encouraged to use our imagination – through our drawings, creating scenarios with our toys, building things with whatever we found in nature, even reading stories or acting them out. We were able to access that creative part of us as well as the parts that dream and pretend and make believe. Life was magical, had endless possibilities and was a lot more fun. Then, we grew up: routines, responsibilities and busy schedules. Do you remember the last time you engaged your imagination? Can you recall the last time you looked up at the sky and saw figures in the clouds? When was the last time you allowed yourself to dream? Take this moment to indulge and use your imagination. Look at the photos below. What do you see in them? What characters, shapes or stories come through for you? The slides are numbered - pick one and share who or what you see in the comment section below. Then, think about other ways you can use your imagination in your daily life. It's a beautiful gift that should be enjoyed. - Adrienne :)
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When I heard the news of Robin's passing, I was stunned, incredulous and kept hoping it was some kind of bad joke he was playing on all of us. He's one of those people who you think will be around forever. You hear of people passing all the time, but this one seemed to hit the world pretty hard. Why is that? Simply, this planet was a better place with Robin in it - but that doesn't mean it was a better place for him. Tons of stories are coming out of how wonderful he was to everyone around him, to charities, to helping out random people. To those of us who only knew him on screen, he brought us laughter, he got us to reflect, he showed us how to Carpe Diem. Robin shared his heart, his gifts, his talent with the world. How have we been handling it? Not very well. From all of the different posts and articles I've read, a lot of focus is on the blame game. He killed himself because of: the Parkinson's, some drug they put him on made him suicidal, financial issues, his addictions, his depression… 'Didn't his family or friends know something was wrong? They should have done something.' My all time "favorites" - 'doesn't he know how selfish that is?' - 'only a weak person would do that.' This is a man who gave and gave and gave. What are we giving back to him? to his family? to his loved ones? Our opinions? Because we know better than anyone else? None of us were in Robin's shoes, none of us can know or judge him. It's not our place. We seem to have this need to pry and know the reason of why he did it so we can justify (or non-justify) what happened and get on with our lives and try to fill that void. I think we're looking at it the wrong way. Robin Williams was a shining light, a beacon in this often dark world. He gifted us laughter - something a lot of people rarely do anymore - laugh. Laughter brings us joy. We need more of that in the world. He gifted us compassion. He gifted us zaniness, that it's ok to be a little off the wall. He gifted us a realistic look at life's ups and downs - he spoke openly about his addictions. The 'downs' are a part of being human - why do we try to sweep that under the rug? He was personable, he cared. We may not have his gift of lightening speed comedy, but we can all be compassionate, we can all care, we can all bring laughter and joy to those around us, we can all be realistic and zany. We can all shine our light out into the world. Yes, we all have our struggles, our inner demons, but that shouldn't stop us - it didn't stop him for a very long time. When was the last time you smiled at a stranger? When was the last time you said something positive and genuine to someone? When was the last time you helped someone out without expecting anything in return? When was the last time you turned off your t.v. or put down your phone and actually connected with those around you? When was the last time you were really present for someone? My favorite piece about Robin was written by Norm McDonald via twitter: It was my first stand-up appearance on Letterman and I had to follow the funniest man in the world. I was a punk kid from rural Ontario and I was in my dressing room, terrified. I was on the phone to a friend back home when the funniest man in the world ambled by. There was no one else on the floor. In shock, I told my friend who just walked by. Only the funniest man in the world. I guess he heard me say his name, cause in an instant he was at my side. He was a jewish tailor, taking my measurements. He went down on his knees, asked which way I dressed. I told my friend on the phone that the funniest man in the world was on his knees before me, measuring my inseam. My friend didn't believe me so I said, "Could you talk to my friend, sir. The funniest man in the world took the phone and for ten minutes took my friend's chinese food order. I laughed and laughed and it was like I was in a dream because no one else was there. No one. The place was out of Moo Shoo Pork, and there was nothing he could do about it. He angrily hung up on my friend and I was about to thank him when he said I hadn't even tried the jacket on. Then the funniest man on earth dressed me, a complete stranger, and I remember he ended with a windsor knot. He spoke mostly yiddish, but when he finished he was happy with his job and turned me to a mirror to present myself to me. No one witnessed any of this. No one. The funniest man alive was in my dressing room a good half-hour and was far funnier than the set I had to do soon. When he left my dressing room, I felt alone. As alone as I ever remember feeling. Until today. Unacceptable. #RIPRobinWilliams— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) August 12, 2014 Robin's light is no longer here and we all feel something. It is now time for us to step up and shine our own light into the world in our own way. It is time for us to stop focussing on the 'why he did it,' 'how could he do it,' and the 'I'm so sad he's not here anymore' - it is time to take over where he left off. It is time to bring more joy into our lives and the lives of others around us. It is time to be more personable and care. It's time for us to fill that void the best way we can. To me, that's the ultimate tribute you can give anyone. - Adrienne :)  Thank you Robin. According to the ads all over the internet, it's Shark Week. There is a definite fascination with these ancient creatures, but if we only focus on the entertainment factor and not the reality, they will become extinct. Some may say, 'well that's a good thing.' I assure you, it is not. I remember watching Jaws on t.v. before we went to the ocean. It was pretty terrifying. Thanks to that movie, the media and the vilification of sharks – they have a really bad rap. Yes, they have sharp teeth and a lot of them. Yes, some encounters can be fatal, especially with certain species. No, they are not out to get us. Yes, there are attacks (which are more like taste tests to see what you are), but the number of fatalities that stem from them is so small in comparison to the MILLIONS of people who spend time in the ocean - the shark's habitat, its home.  I've been very fortunate to have had various encounters with sharks. My first, that I know of, occurred in the Galapagos Islands. I was just learning how to snorkel and was taking photos with my underwater camera when our guide called me over. I swam to him and he pointed down saying, "Mira, un tiburon" (Look, a shark). I saw it, turned and attempted to swim away in a complete panic, but the guide grabbed the back of my swimsuit and pulled me back and told me to take a photo. I did, but my hands were shaking the whole time. It was a white tip reef shark. Fast forward 15 years and I'm learning to scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef. We were 100 feet underwater, sitting on the ocean floor and the dive instructor kept pointing out the shark swimming around. They truly are graceful. To be honest, I was more interested in the garden eels (which up until I wrote this blog, I thought were sea worms). I'd seen them at aquariums, but this was in real life and I found them fascinating. The shark was off doing its own thing. A few days later we did a night dive. The lights off the boat allowed us to see what was swimming close by and there were a couple of sharks. It took every ounce of courage I had to make myself go into the dark, black water. I got hit in the face multiple times during that dive as I was stuck like glue on my instructor's fins. He had the strongest underwater light and I was sticking with him no matter what. I survived the night dive - nothing attacked or ate me. Just after we got back on the boat, we saw a fish jump out of the water and literally run across the surface of the water - right behind it, a shark was closing the gap. My last encounter was in Fiji. I went scuba diving with my new split fins - they slightly resemble a seal's flipper -which gives you more control and power in the water. Compared to the other fins I'd used, I didn't have to exert much energy with these. I wasn't the only one who thought they were cool. The sharks kept coming up and bumping the fins. It did concern me and I kept thinking - 'if you're going to take a bite, make sure it's the whole area below my foot.' I didn't have to worry, they were just curious as I was the only one in the group who had on those fins. It's pretty awesome to be in their world and interact with them. I remember the thrill of touching one of the sharks as it swam by. Thankfully, my encounters dismantled that belief that all sharks are like Jaws  Sharks are majestic, they are amazing predators and they've been around for over 400 million years (way longer than the dinosaurs), but they have a lot more to fear from us than we do from them. An average of 5 people per year die from shark attacks, whereas we humans kill more than 100 million sharks a year. We've decimated over 90% of the shark population leaving them endangered and nearly extinct. The sharks are there for a reason - they keep the rest of the food chain in line which is pertinent to the health of the oceans. If you haven't seen Sharkwater, I highly encourage you to watch it. It is absolutely eye opening and will give you a proper perspective on sharks. If you're going to watch anything for Shark Week, this should be it. - Adrienne :) 
Why is it o.k. for men, but not for women? This question can cover a whole range of topics. Why is o.k. for men to degrade women or force them to dress a certain way? Why is it that men can dictate whether a woman gets educated or not? Men have no problem showing their breasts on a basketball court or on a jogging trail, yet a woman breastfeeding in public is still not accepted or tolerated. Women still do not earn as much as men. Don't get me started on the fashion industry. Things have improved for women over the years - you know voting rights, driving and stuff (though not in every country) yet there is still that divide. So, what do we do about it? It starts with us women. It starts with knowing our intrinsic self-worth. It starts with us choosing to no longer believe that we must be a certain weight, have a certain breast size or bear children to be worthy. Society has perpetuated the idea that women are not as worthy as men and women have bought into it. Most women hold conscious and subconscious beliefs that we aren't as worthy in some way or another and the experience is backed up by what we see in ads and in the world around us. It's time to shift that perspective. Release those belief codes and choose to experience our worth. Gender, race, creed or handicap do not matter. We are ALL worthy. I am no better than you and you are no better than me. From now on, I choose to experience my self-worth. I am more than my body and mind. I come from LOVE/Source and that alone proves my worth. If you choose to experience intolerance and not being worthy - that is your choice. But, should you choose to shift that, it starts with you. Once you shift, your light will encourage others. I applaud those who are calling our attention to the issue by putting out things like the cartoon above or this awesome video below. I have a deep respect for those who stand in their power like Malala, the teen who stands for girls to be educated. Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever your gender - just be you and remember your intrinsic worth. |
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October 2024
AuthorHello! I'm Adrienne Almamour, an empathic intuitive conduit. I assist people by detecting and clearing their subconscious emotional energy blockages. This blog is a commentary and reflection of life from an intuitive standpoint which also incorporates ways that allow us to be from our heart. |
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