The Portal to Boomeranger World

Money on Monday: Understanding Your Worth

 

This  post comes to you via a forwarded email from a friend--it is no doubt making the rounds of the internet, and seemed very apt for my Money on Monday post. Clearly there are others out there who feel the same as I do and it is good to hear that.

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.
 They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take 'no' for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what
makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their
family and friends.
Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.
HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

$$ Money on Monday: What Do you Need to UNlearn?

 A few years ago in a conversation with a woman who turned out to have blind dated my ex  (after we were exed!), I had an epiphany about my inner vision of money. In this picture, I was like Kilroy pining after the riches on the other side of a thick wall. (I related this story in an earlier post, but I think it bears repeating because of the deep lessons I am still unlearning.)

After being smote with this sad image, I had another bloom in my mind's eye--this one was of the wall transforming into a very BIG dam in front of an even bigger reservoir. 

I have spent a lot of time in the past months imaging on that dam and the reservoir and the streams and rivers that feed the reservoir.

UNlearning that inner image was a deep lesson that connected to all kinds of myths, personal histories, and assumptions about money.  The most basic one for me was that I was not a person who would or could receive money/riches/abundance in any form.

And undeRstanding that this image, expectation, basic deep belief was in my mind's eye literally set in stone in the form of a BIG STONE WALL, was one of the most profound UNlearnings.

I began thinking about walls and all they can do for us beyond separating us from what we want and need, besides being barriers to abundance, wealth, good health and love.

WALLS can:

• Protect from attack
• Have magical properties with magical openings
• Can be high or low
• Be beautiful to provide structure and definition
• Contain--water, gardens
• Retain--shore up and strengthen and support and hold up structures and information
• Guide in dim light
• Safe enclosures
• Provide borders between

Walls then are a very good thing and much needed. This I have firmly in mid. What is not so clear is RECEIVING the contents of the reservoir that my VERY BIG DAM is retaining.

In your life--what do you need to UNlearn? What is a deep lesson that you learned at an early or vulnerable stage of life that is preventing you from some desired end or state?

Mine now is to UNlearn not receiving and RElearn to receive--love, abundance, health, long life.
In terms of health...I am UNlearning laziness. Here's a simple tip for you. Keep a set of small hand weights in the bathroom. Do several sets of exercises during the day. I have been doing 3 sets of 10--biceps, flys and triceps everyday for the past several weeks. Makes it very easy and since the weights are right there on the floor beside me, I am reminded to do these quick repetitions. Remember brain plasticity--the hallmark of a "young" brain is building new neurons and exercise is a key method to doing so.

What are YOU UNlearning??

What Is Your Goddess Energy? Mine is Artemis (Creation and Manifestation), Aphrodite (Passion and Love), and Hera (Nourishment and Firey Protection)

My Artemis energy is really vabooming today as the parent company of Vaboomer became legal. Last fall when I first began to conceptualize Vaboomer, some friends who are more left brain oriented, advised me to FOCUS!

I am FOCUSED!! I replied. Mine is a wholistically focused thought process. My vision was multifaceted: first as a Vaboomer blog and then as a larger web-based business that could "save lives" by providing a channel for creative boomers to VABOOM! To encourage Boomers to find their particular vavavaboom. And for Boomer educators to help other boomers with information and support on a wide range of topics--from finances to sex.

But what do I mean about my Artemis energy? I mean those energetic qualities that work on the deep psychic archetypal level to inspire and serve as guides for living.

Artemis is better known as the Roman Goddess of the Hunt--or Diana.

She loves adventure and creation. She  loves to work with others, especially women. Artemis' association with the natural world, the wilderness, symbolizes her own untamed spirit.  The most independent of the goddesses, she roamed the forests in her role as huntress.

She is undaunted.  And the Bear is her pal.

That one made me open my eyes--remember my past posts about having dreamed about bears for 30 years? Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love and Passion. She loves to spread love and has passion for her mission. Hera is the Goddess of the Hearth and tend the home fires, protects her family and nourishes others. See Jean Shinoda Bolen's "Goddesses in Everywoman" to find your constellation of goddess energies. Bolen has written "Gods in Everyman" as well.  http://www.jeanbolen.com

So together these archetypes demonstrate my undaunted passion to provide a channel for others (and myself) to express themselves, gain support and feel the (financial and appreciative) love!! that nourishes in a wholistic way. These energies are what are inspiring me  and my partner, Nancy, to expand Vaboomer in August.

UPCOMING:   You will begin to see more Boomer produced art, books, music, educational topics and support that you are already seeing appear on the Vaboomer blog. You will be able to browse the Vaboomer Book Cafe and Tea Shop, read some sample pages of how-to, sci-fi, inspiration while you knosh some fresh baked goodies,  and listen to some R and B, Jazz or a Spoken Word Artists.

In the Vabooming Times Two Art Gallery, you will see unique ceramics, fiber arts pieces, flower photography, abstracts and other lovely works. And all by Boomer artists who are finding their "second but true" voices. Club Gig will bring you spectacular musicians who have been playing the clubs for decades, but who have never been in the Top 40.

In  The Words of the Wise Education Center you'll be able to learn that it is never too late financially, you'll be able to attend a Creativity Workshop with yours truely, or get your tech hand held on that tricky question you've been too embarrassed to ask.

Want to know about fabulous sex or where you can go to get a cheap vacation in the winter...you'll be able to check in with us. And then for all you Nostalgia Buffs--bring your cup of fair trade and organic Earl Grey over to Nostalgia Central Viosk (virtual kiosk!) and get a tie-dyed onesie for your littlest hippie-baby.

Soon, you'll be able to see and hear some samples of what is to come.

Money on Monday (On Tuesday!): Do You Receive the Treasure of Friendship, Giving, Helping?

  Sorry everyone for posting  Money on Monday on Tuesday.

The last few days have been helper days to friends. One couple needed a yard for a whole house yard sale and borrowed mine. SO this past weekend from 7:30AM-8:30PM, we were yard selling.I made some dollars; they made some. We donated some money to a charity and gave the rest of the unsold stuff to the Vietnam Vets. If you do not know this--Vietnam Vets will pick up from your house and take everything away. http://www.clothingdonations.org/accepted.htm is the official website for Vietnam Veterans of America donations pickup service. Log on and search your state.

Then Lady M's daughter called to ask if I could drive LM to the hospital in Newark for a possible liver transplant. Her daughter was working in the far north of NJ and could not get back to our town in time to drive her mom to Newark and she was wanted pronto and possibly underwent a transplant this afternoon. I don't know if it was a match yet, but I am hoping there was one. When I called to say are you ready to go--she sounded fearful and reluctant. I asked her, do you want to sing? Or do you want to die? Sing, she replied. So let's go and we went.

Money Attitude:  For the past few weeks, I have been asking about your attitude towards money. Is it a positive one? Do you think about money as a means to enable you to create, care for others, provide stability for your family, even have fun? Do you have a sense of what is (your) enough?

Do you receive the treasures of friendship, giving, helping?

Hugs:

I attended a workshop two weekends ago (given to me). There I received feedback about receiving hugs. I got a little miffed and said I am a very huggy person. I grew up in a huggy family. All my southern elders always said to us kids, "Come here and let us love your neck."

But, over the years, I have gotten away from receiving hugs, even while I am very good at giving them.SO now I am getting back to the practice of getting hugs--of receiving. Of recognizing when I am receiving--appreciation, help, support, community, a hug. LOTS of hugs. Today there have been many--from Lady M, from my daughter, from my other "daughter" who  lives next door and is going off to Europe for the summer and then to college. There will no doubt be more today. I just have to recognize them and receive them. I am plugging the drain on my heart and turning on the faucet--to fill my reservoir to overflowing.

I want to sing in many voices and have my life sing!

Do you want your life to sing? How do you want to sing?

Boomer Brain Power: What Are You Doing to Keep Your Brain Growing?

All the latest research shows that brains are plastic--NOOOOOO we are not internal Barbie Dolls, but that brains  grow and change daily, even moment to moment.

Now as a social scientist, I find this a fascinating concept, having studied social change in China in the 1990s. I was boggeled at how fast seemingly "carved in stone" beliefs and practices changed. This new brain research helps explain that social phenomena, by thinking through the lens of how individuals changed so rapidly. For a researcher, it helps to explain social change in an exciting new way. As an individual, it is SOOOOOOO exciting and intriguing.
Below are just a few of the thousands of resources out there.

http://www.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=brainBriefings_brainPlasticityLanguageProcessingAndReading

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s10302.htm

http://bfc.positscience.com/about/neurogenesis.php

http://www.lumosity.com/landing/cc_brain_games?refer=6816&og=true&OVRAW=brain%20plasticity&OVKEY=brain%20fitness%20program&OVMTC=advanced&OVADID=18896765512&OVKWID=72759005512

Also treat yourself and read Dr. Norman Doidge's 2007 book, "The Brain that Changes Itself." Fascinating and so inspiring. For one such as I who is dyslexic--that's why you sometimes see typos and spelling errors--I can't see them, even with spell check some slip through!!--the notion that there are techniques that might erase  those brain glitches and at my age!! is just fantastic.

Another really inspiring real life story is the memoir written by vaboomer, Madonna Siles called "Brain Heal Thyself: A Caregiver's Approach to Recovery from Stroke, Aneurysm, and Traumatic Brain Injuries." (Hampton Books 2006). Siles writes from the caregivers point of view and with some concrete methods she developed to help her roommate heal from a devastating stroke that was supposed to leave her little more than a vegetable.

And see http://kanosboomernews.blogspot.com/ for a list of healthful and helpful tips to keep Alzheimer's and dementia at bay--or at least slow their onset. Read Dr. Daniel Amen's book, "Change Your Brain Change Your Life." also excellent. .

All reFIREMENT activities challenge your brain and keep it growing and changing. Think of it as a muscle--not a machine. SO it is use it or lose it. Learn a new language, take up a musical instrument, play Brain Age with your kids or grandkids on their DS's. I'm planning all three. I learned Mandarin starting at 46. And now I think I will be gin Spanish and learn the guitar, something I have wanted to do for years.

What will you learn today?