Spring really has captured my attention this year!  Everything seems to have an extra sparkling look to it.  The trees are filling in with bright green leaves and the air just feels so fresh.  Other signs of spring include the annual bunches of daffodils at Trader Joe’s for $1.29 and of course the professional baseball players are back on the field aiming to be the next World Series champs.  I was a huge Los Angeles Dodgers fan when I was growing up.  I saw a few historical happenings in person such as when Maury Wills stole his 100^th base in 1962 and when Sandy Koufax came in during a World Series game with the count 3 balls, 2 strikes and 2 out.  Yes, he threw a strike to “retire the side”.

My enthusiasm as a Dodger fan admittedly dwindled over the years.  Living in Orange County has made the drive to “Chavez Ravine”, as it was called back then, a bit of a stretch especially with Angel Stadium in my backyard– although I haven’t been there much either.  Mostly, it was just a case of other interests.  Until now.  Magic Johnson’s involvement with the Los Angeles Dodgers changed my tune quick, fast and in a hurry.  I am thrilled for the team and thrilled for the fans…I am thrilled for Magic Johnson.  I am just plain thrilled.

Why am I thrilled?  Twenty years ago I remember the morning I heard Magic’s announcement that he tested HIV positive.  I was speaking at the Pomona Unity Church that morning.  My topic was a theme of Alan Cohen’s quote about  “the piece of the picture we currently see is part of something bigger and will be revealed to us.”  I spoke very confidently in my belief that the bigger picture for Magic Johnson would be revealed.  Has it ever!

In 2008 I had the privilege of meeting Magic Johnson when he welcomed the first 70 victims of Hurricane Katrina to the Dream Center in  Los Angeles.  A good friend called to tell me he would be there and suggested that I go with StarHeart books for the children.  Thanks, Tina for the nudge.  I went and that is how I got this picture, his autograph in a StarHeart book and his endorsement that “kids really need this message now.”  Thank you, Mr. Johnson for being so approachable that day.

I believe everything is part of the big picture—everything!  I am grateful to Magic Johnson for his belief in a VERY BIG Picture—the resurgence of the Los Angeles Dodgers.  You can bet I am going to be cheering the Dodger Blue this year.  How fun!  How “Magical!”

With blessings of Light and Love,

Cheryl

Quotes

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” ~ Roald Dahl

“It’s what you choose to believe that makes you the person you are.” ~ Karen Marie Moning

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” ~ Christian D. Larson

Inspiration

In a new women’s circle meeting at my home, each participant was asked to bring something that inspired them to share with the group.  The treasured contributions stimulated such heartfelt responses.  The first to share offered a reading about how elephants take care of one of their own who is hurting in some way.  Elephants create a circle around the challenged one offering protection and comfort.  When she finished reading, she told us “you are my circle of elephants…I am hurting due to the loss of my daughter two days ago.”  Talk about a circle of love and support.  It was right there.  Yes, humans can do that too…and we did!

Another sharing offered a news article she found hidden in the newspaper rather than on the front page.  It told of how the people in Iran were reaching out to the people in Israel with the help of social media.  It was so heartwarming to hear of the earnest intentions to “love their neighbor”.  Two days later, I received this video link describing the leader’s “We love you” campaign… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYjuUoEivbE

A third person shared of reading a newspaper article about volunteers who have been very involved in an annual outreach program.  One of the names was rather unusual and matched that of a long, lost relative.  Now she is on a mission to see if it is a cousin she has been out of contact with for many years.

See what happens when we share what inspires us?

• Robin Schmidt is a flight attendant with a great big heart!  In addition to serving her passengers, she invites them to write a note of thanks, draw pictures and tell jokes in journals she provides.  Then she sends them to specific service members she has adopted through www.adoptahero.us.  What a great mission she has begun and such a super way for passengers to make positive use of their flight time.  Anyone can send inspiration to our troops.  Start a program with your church, coworkers, friends, family.  Visit www.alwayssupportourheroes.com

• Addie Hastermann was just shy of her tenth birthday when she succumbed to an aggressive form of children’s leukemia diagnosed six days earlier.  She had already begun campaigning for her birthday presents—collecting $2.11 toward her goal of $200 to provide supplies for dogs and cats at the Capital Humane Society in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Now in just a few short weeks, people touched by Addie’s love and generosity have made financial contributions totaling more than $4000 and have dropped off supplies that will require four or five truckloads to deliver from Syracuse, NE where Addie lived with her family.

An uncle in Phoenix was so touched by her spirit that he created a website in her                   honor.  Appropriately called, Live Like Addie, he offers a glimpse of her activities                 including photos and other memorabilia.  Visit www.livelikeaddie.com Thank                       you, Addie for being such a bright StarHeart sharing your light and love!

Holy Basil…the name alone sounds so reverent!  In Ayurvedic medicine, holy basil is an herb that promotes health and longevity.  It has antibacterial, antidepressant, antioxidant, antiviral and immune-modulating properties. Thai holy basil – is revered highly among culinary masters; both for its pungency and for its pedigree. Tulsi tea is another form of holy basil.  It also can be taken in capsules. 

The holy basil plant has attracted recent attention due to clinical studies supporting its effect on decreasing stress. Holy basil has been used for thousands of years in India and Asia to treat illness such as depression, high blood pressure, heart disease and bi-polar disorder. Recent research has confirmed its benefits, as well as illuminating several ways holy basil is able to combat the stressors of modern life, and counteract the cortisol production that signals the start of stress related issues.

In a previous StarHeart Express, I referred to an online video entitled Small Change.  It showed the power of how a dollar in change could make such a big difference in the lives of many people.  I love the message—small changes can make a big difference.

I had a great reminder of that message recently—a reminder for which repeatedly express appreciation.    It began when my outgoing email stopped working.  Nothing to be concerned about I thought.  It will come back shortly.  Later in the day, still no outgoing email.  I could receive emails and be on the internet. I just couldn’t send outgoing messages.  It took me a couple of days to narrow down the problem which didn’t help me much since I don’t consider myself much of a troubleshooting techie.

I contacted the administrator on my email service because it’s connected to a domain rather than Yahoo or other online email sources.  He said to change the outgoing “port” number to 587.  I found my way through that procedure and made the change.  The outgoing email still didn’t work.  Two other tech people said the same thing and repeatedly I kept doing the same thing to no avail.

Five days later, I was very frustrated.  In the interim, I was using my Outlook email to receive messages and then switching to my Yahoo email to send out responses.  Very tiring.  Something had to give and it did…my conditioned pattern of changing the port number from 25 to 587.  In a quiet moment, I heard the inner voice tell me to try it again.  This time I carefully did so and saw another “next” button which had not seen in prior attempts.  I clicked on it and the next response was a “finish” button which I clicked.  Outgoing email flew out of the Outbox!  One little change that made a BIG difference!

That’s the way it is in personal growth.  We don’t have to make big, major changes.  Rather, it’s the little shifts here and there that add up.  Every time I think of “587” I smile at the reminder to check those patterns which may not be serving me.  A little adjustment can cause a big shift.  I am sure many of our well-known speakers and teachers are saying something similar to my “587” reminder.  This is the one that speaks to me.  What speaks to you?  What in your life is your reminder that can help break old patterns?  Take a look at “what you’ve always done.”  See what can be done differently.  It really does make a big difference.  Indeed.

Igniting the imagination in children of all ages is a major StarHeart message.  Imagination is the source of inventions, improvements and inspired living.  Imagination is our nation of images and it is so important to cultivate it no matter our age or purpose in life.  Every day I strive to ignite my imagination, to exercise those brilliant brain cells that are capable of anything I put my attention to.  We truly have that power.

I love to look around and see how others are igniting imagination—especially with children.  This morning there was a short article in the L.A. Times that touched my heart.  The was “A Taste for Pi”.  If you remember in math classes, Pi represents the relationship between a circle’s diameter and circumference.  Pi is an infinite number, Pi is 3.14.  How appropriate for Millikan Middle School in Sherman Oaks, CA to create an event held on March 14^th to honor one of math’s most famous numbers.

The celebration included a pie-eating contest, pizza pies for lunch and students got to throw pies at the principal as a fundraising activity.  An 8^th grader won a contest reciting pi’s next 1,103 digits.  First prize was $314.15 for his weeks of memorizing the numbers.

Getting a teenager excited about math takes imagination.  I remember when I was a classroom teacher.  According to the story, kids that were not good at math had fun with the number during the event.  What a creative way to make a big deal out of a math lesson that often find students wondering what’s the big deal?  I love it…how about you?  Does this idea inspire you to expand your imagination?  I sure hope so!

Well, last weekend most of us moved our clocks ahead an hour and next week we are celebrating Mother Nature’s imagination with the onset of spring.  That means new growth, flowers blooming, warmer weather (hopefully) and holiday celebrations.  See if you can increase your springtime joy with an expanded imagination.

With blessings of Light and Love,

Cheryl

Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can? – Sun Tzu

Imagination is more important than knowledge – Albert Einstein

The only limitation to your impact is imagination and commitment – Tony Robbins

What is Maca?  Maca was discovered in archaeological sites of the high Andes tracing back thousands of years ago.   To the people of the Andes, Maca has been a valuable food source.  It is the only known cultivable crop that grows above 14,000 feet.

Maca is a hearty root resembling a radish that is left to dry naturally after it is harvested to maximize the potency of over 60 phytonutrients and over 30 vitamins and minerals.  Chemically Maca root contains significant amounts of amino acids, carbohydrates, and minerals including calcium, phosphorous, zinc, magnesium, iron, as well as vitamins B1, B2, B12, C and E. Peruvian Maca also includes a number of glycosides.  The high content of nutrients increases strength, endurance and promotes mental clarity.  In the Andes it is considered the fountain of youth.  Available in powder or capsules at health food stores.

Are you a diamond or a pearl?  I pondered that question recently when thinking about the effort and energy required being involved in life, to participate, to show up, being present.  There are times when doing so doesn’t come easy and feels extremely challenging.  That’s when my thoughts drifted to diamonds and pearls, specifically how they are formed.  My limited knowledge on the subject seemed to recall that both go through a process in becoming exquisite jewels.  Feeling that I was going through a process, I wondered if I was like a pearl or a diamond.

I did a little research on the formation of diamonds and pearls.  Much to my surprise, I learned that diamonds aren’t really made out of coal which has been the typical scientific explanation for years.  Rather, they are a high-temperature and high-pressured mineral that form 100 miles below the earth’s surface.   Natural pearls form when an irritant, such as a piece of sand, works its way into a particular species of oyster, mussel, or clam. As a defense mechanism, the mollusk secretes a fluid to coat the irritant. Layer upon layer of this coating is deposited on the irritant until a lustrous pearl is formed.  From this information, it’s apparent that beautiful, sparkling, multi-faceted gemstones take some work to realize their full potential.

In conversation, we can refer to someone as “a real gem” and never say which one.  I believe we are all gems.  We are all striving to reveal our greatest and most wonderful selves.  Sometimes it may not look like that to others or to us.  Diamonds are formed deep inside the earth and pearls are formed inside an oyster, clam or mussel.  Our “formation” is also an inside job.  Deep within the center of our being are our truth, our values, our purpose and our intentions.  What we reveal on the outside with our words and actions can change according to what we are doing on the inside.  That means what the world sees today or our personal view can change.  For me, that is a heartwarming and most encouraging thought.

The question of whether you are a pearl or a diamond isn’t as important as the awareness that deep in our center we have the ability to “form” or create ourselves into all that we desire.  Does it take daily focus and practice?  Yes.  Is it worth it?  Yes.  Just ask a diamond or a pearl.  If it could talk, I bet it would say the time, energy and commitment was worth it.