Tag Archives: cafe gratitude

Grateful Monday: What Are You Creating?Nov. 26th

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What Are You Creating?*

This isn’t a direct answer to the chosen question here, but to start, I just want to say that I am very grateful for this past holiday weekend that afforded me and my family some much needed downtime!  We made the most of our time together eating (of course!,) enjoying the great outdoors, taking in a movie, and, I for one, took the opportunity to disconnect from technology for the weekend, which was unusual and very relaxing!

And… that bit of gratitude is what has led to the answer to today’s question of ‘what are you creating?’  Bryan and I got to spend some time thinking and talking about what we set out to create with Playful Planet.  So much of our inspiration for creating this company was to create a way to support our family that also supports the lifestyle that we desired to create for us in our relationship, our family and our community.  We set out to create a way that we could be doing something meaningful in the world without losing sight of our connection to each other and our daughter.  We were excited to continue to work for ourselves (both having been independent contractors for much of our careers,) so that we could have flexibility in our schedules that doesn’t always come with more traditional career choices. 

 

This past weekend we got to look at where we are achieving what we set out to accomplish and where we are falling short.  In many ways we are doing a lot of what we intended – the most important being bringing a quality product to children to help inspire them to healthy lifestyles at a young age.  And we were able to see where what we are ‘up against’ is VERY familiar to entrepreneurs (as witnessed in this great article that talks about entrepreneurs being like the Pilgrims.)

In taking stock of where we are at today, we simply got clear that we have been allowing our work life to dictate our schedules and trying to fit in the things that feed us emotionally, mentally and spiritually around the needs of the business.  What we talked about, and what we are creating now, is the space to put our well-being first (for me it means making sure I take time to meditate in the morning AND get regular exercise,) so that there is more to give when it comes time to get to work!  It is the old oxygen mask analogy — place your mask on first before attempting to help anyone else. 

I think that this stance is so important in so many facets of life, including career, family, child-rearing and being a contributing member of a community.   I am taking on creating more balance in my life.

What Are You Creating?*

Stay Playful, Playful Karen

 *Questions provided by Cafe Gratitude and their daily ‘Question of the Day’ program that helps facilitate ‘clear and present’ employees at their amazing Cafes.

Grateful Monday: What Are You Grateful For?Nov. 19th

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What Are You Grateful For?*

Yes, the classic Grateful Monday question.  Nothing else would have made sense for Thanksgiving week, right?

My full-on gratitude list is too long to share here.  It probably wouldn’t be much different than many of yours.  If we are here (on the internet,) and reading a blog, than most of us have the comforts of the ‘well-taken care of.’  So, I won’t bore you with my particulars.  Just know that my life is abundant with blessings, and I am grateful for it.

Rather I will turn my attention here to my gratitude for Lynne Twist.  Some of you may already know Lynne and her work, and some not, but the timing of this post is coinciding with our loading up a video to Playful Tube  of an interview we did with Lynne a couple of months back. 

Why should I be grateful for Lynne Twist?  I’m sure that the list could be endless, but for the sake of brevity, I will only share a couple of them here:

  • I had the good fortune to hear Lynne when she was a keynote speaker at the Natural Products Expo 2011.  Hearing her speak, learning her story, and experiencing her dedication to her work in person was truly inspiring.  It gave me the spark I needed to make it through a LONG day!
  • After hearing Lynne speak, I purchased her book, The Soul of Money. The wisdom she shares based on her personal family experiences as well as her global work with The Hunger Project are memorable and help me to keep priorities in alignment.  The story of her time with Mother Theresa comes back to me often.
  • I was introduced to Lynne’s current work with The Pachamama Alliance through a Leadership Training program I took with Cafe Gratitude (see the credit below that I give each week to our Grateful Monday questions.)    When I began to delve into the work she is doing to create a bridge between the modern world and the indigenous world in the rainforest, I was beyond moved.  Here is someone that is taking on the seemingly impossible, and it making it happen!
  • Lynne made time in an extremely busy schedule to grant Playful Planet an interview for our Playful Tube.  She was gracious beyond measure as she fit us in right before a major webinar she was hosting later that day.  We promised to be done in 20 minutes, and when we were done with our allotted 20, she offered to answer ‘one more question’ because she had learned that we had driven a long way that day to see her.

I am really thrilled with the beautiful story of the legend of The Eagle and The Condor that Lynne shares with us in this particular clip.  Stay tuned for more wisdom from this woman who teaches that it is entirely possible to live an amazing life filled with integrity and make a difference in the world. 

I’m sure that I qualify as a full-fledged groupie, but today what I am giving thanks for and what I am grateful for is Lynne Twist ~~ on so many levels.

What Are You Grateful For?*

 *Questions provided by Cafe Gratitude and their daily ‘Question of the Day’ program that helps facilitate ‘clear and present’ employees at their amazing Cafes.

Stay Playful, Playful Karen

Grateful Monday: What is Your Dream?Nov. 5th

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What Is Your Dream?*

My dream is that the trajectory of our world shifts in a major way.  That a sustainable future for all becomes the highest value.  That those that ‘have’ use their resources for the good of all and that those that ‘don’t have’ are given the means to live with dignity and peace.  My dream is that being kind, generous and giving becomes a higher priority than being powerful, dominant and right.  That barriers of all kinds (race, religion, sex, politics,) give way to Oneness. 

My dream is that children are given a fair shot at a future that is still filled with promise rather than mere survival.  That solutions to dwindling resources and over-consumption begin to appear and that all people get on board.

My dream is that I learn to live from the place of my stated dreams, in big and small ways in my daily life.  That I remember to put LOVE first and not be self-seeking, unconscious or fearful.

Honestly, I didn’t realize what I was taking on when I chose to answer this particular question, but I’m glad I took some time to think about it.  I invite you to do the same.

What Is Your Dream?*

 *Questions provided by Cafe Gratitude and their daily ‘Question of the Day’ program that helps facilitate ‘clear and present’ employees at their amazing Cafes.

Stay Playful, Playful Karen

Grateful Monday: What Are You Winning At?Oct. 22nd

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What Are You Winning At?*

I have to admit that when I hear this question about “winning,” it causes me to think about winning’s flip side: losing.  So I guess what is occurring to me as I ponder this question is how grateful I am that I am married to a man that doesn’t see life in terms of winning and losing, good and bad, wrong and right.  (I guess I am shifting here to what I am grateful for, but who’s keeping score here?)

So what has happened in my life as a result of hearing Bryan counsel our daughter on no good/bad, right/wrong, win/lose, is that it has helped me to be more tolerant, more willing to see that there is beauty in the differences between people, and that the adage ‘live and let live’ is sage advice.  I wish that I could claim to have put this teaching into perfect practice, but alas, I still have work to do in this arena (as well as many others!)  The good news is… I catch myself sometimes saying something that creates this divide, or hear my daughter and her friends doing the same, and I catch it.  I catch it and I can redirect it to bring it back around to a loving, accepting, and compassionate place.  Come to think of it, I would call that WINNING!

What Are You Winning At?*

 *Questions provided by Cafe Gratitude and their daily ‘Question of the Day’ program that helps facilitate ‘clear and present’ employees at their amazing Cafes.

Stay Playful, Playful Karen

Grateful Monday: What Do You Love About the Sun?Oct. 15th

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What Do You Love About the Sun?*

Today, what I love about the sun was the warmth it provided on a mid-October, early release from school Monday!  To put things in context, although we live in California, we live in a coastal climate where the average temperature never goes above 69 degrees.  So, a day like today ~~ that reached 88 degrees, well it is unusual to say the least, and very welcome! 

There are so many more things to love about the sun (energy, plants, life!) but for today, I will bask in the glow of sunny warmth.

What Do You Love About the Sun?*

 *Questions provided by Cafe Gratitude and their daily ‘Question of the Day’ program that helps facilitate ‘clear and present’ employees at their amazing Cafes.

Stay Playful, Playful Karen

Grateful Monday: How Can You Take Care of Yourself Today?Sep. 24th

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How Can You Take Care of Yourself Today?*

I realized two things as I got up this morning. #1, it is Monday, and Mondays are tricky in my world. And, #2, I am still a little “off,”, with an odd ‘sort of sick, sort of not,’ but definitely not feeling 100% well physically.  Together, these two factors could potentially make for a super stressful day for me.

HOWEVER, it is a special day for me today (celebrating 17 years of sobriety,) and so I made a really conscious decision this morning that I would go easy on myself, make sure I am kind to myself, and give myself a break if I don’t power through my entire TO DO list today.

So far, so good.  My husband offered to take on the school drop-off this morning, but I made a counter offer that we both go and then walk the dogs together on the beach. It was grey and misty and as we remarked, very poetic.  Great way to get the engine running.  And now I know that I still have some figuring to do in terms of getting to, and through, some of the most pressing “to-do’s.”   But, I also know that I will make my way to my favorite Farmer’s Market today, pick up my favorite Farmer’s Market Inspired Soup(which will save me from cooking dinner,) and I will spend a little time this evening with a mentor/good friend who always lifts me up.  So that is how I am taking care of myself today.

 How Can You Take Care of Yourself Today?*

 *Questions provided by Cafe Gratitude and their daily ‘Question of the Day’ program that helps facilitate ‘clear and present’ employees at their amazing Cafes.

Stay Playful, Playful Karen

Grateful Monday: What Impact Do You Have on Your Community?Sep. 18th

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What Impact Do You Have On Your Community?*

Ah, this is one of those super uncomfortable questions for me to answer.  Why?  I don’t know why.  Theories abound.  It’s not polite to pump oneself up … it’s immodest … women are self-effacing … I have low self-esteem issues … WHATEVER!  Really, it doesn’t matter so much, except for me to realize that OF COURSE I have some impact on my community, so now can I look to see where that impact is positive and simply OWN that?

My desire is to have a positive impact on the world through the work we have chosen to do here at Playful Planet — empowering kids and their families to be healthy and live sustainably.  And while I would love to claim SUCCESS in that endeavor, I can’t honestly say we have reached a critical mass to indicate impact on the WORLD!  Perhaps, one child who was introduced to yoga and a more connected way of being in the world will grow up to be a great leader of peace and justice… maybe then I will see that impact.  But until then, I will look a little closer in my daily life and see what we’ve got…

I just returned home from my daughter’s school because tonight was our Parent Network meeting.  We are at a small charter school and the parent network is our version of a PTA.  I have accepted the job of being Secretary on that committee and because of that I show up at (mostly) all the meetings.  And because of that, I stay informed of the challenges that the school faces (for example, if you are in CA reading this, you may want to know that our great state ranks 48th in ‘per child’ spending in our schools!)  And because I have that information, I am motivated to help out where I can when we are putting on fundraisers and doing whatever we can to make up for the economic shortfall.  And because of that, I am a participating member in this particular community and the impact I have is that I help to keep this phenomenal little Montessori based charter school going.

So there.  I guess that wasn’t as hard as I made it about to be. How about you?

What Impact Do You Have On Your Community?*

 *Questions provided by Cafe Gratitude and their daily ‘Question of the Day’ program that helps facilitate ‘clear and present’ employees at their amazing Cafes.

Stay Playful, Playful Karen

Grateful Monday: What Brings You Joy?Aug. 21st

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What Brings You Joy?

Okay, so this is predictable, but it’s honest and it’s in my heart right now, so… reflecting on the summer months with my family and friends brings me great joy!  I look back on all the little trips we have done, and all the friends we have shared trips with and all the growing up our Lily has done, and I have to say, my cup ‘overfloweth.’  

I spent a bunch of time tonight creating a slideshow of the above images, but couldn’t figure out how to get them out of iDVD and into this blog, so for now, just the images of a VERY full summer of friends, family, fun and love.  Oh yes, and JOY!

Stay Playful, Playful Karen

What Brings You Joy?

 *Questions provided by Cafe Gratitude and their daily ‘Question of the Day’ program that helps facilitate ‘clear and present’ employees at their amazing Cafes.

Grateful Monday: What Do You TrustJul. 31st

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What Do You Trust?

I think today I will do a list. (I trust that a list will be a good vehicle to talk about what I trust!)

  • I TRUST… that every day offers an opportunity to start again. Reboot, refresh, start anew.
  • I TRUST… that I have always been taken care of, and that I always will be.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that all of my ‘wildest dreams’ will be realized, but that my basic needs are met, and met abundantly when I look at the rest of the world.
  • I TRUST… that the better my attitude is, the better my results are.
  • I TRUST… that the more I can be a role model for my daughter around the benefit of leading a life of compassion and service, the more likely it is that she will take it in.
  • I TRUST…that the role model ‘thing’ goes for all types of ways of being that I would wish for my daughter… healthy eating, taking physical exercise, not being driven by an overly consumptive lifestyle. 
  • I TRUST… that the level of love that I can generate for myself is reflected in the feelings of love I feel for others.  I believe it is challenging to love others when I don’t love myself.
  • I TRUST… that there is a benevolent force that is guiding life.  I will sometimes refer to this as ‘God’, sometimes as ‘Universal Love Intelligence’, sometimes as ‘Mother Nature.’  I am not diligent about what name it is given, but I TRUST it is there.
  • I TRUST… my life is unfolding just as it should.
  • I TRUST… that many things will seem much clearer as I continue to get older.  I TRUST in the wisdom that comes with age.

 

What Do You Trust?

Stay Playful,Playful Karen

 *Questions provided by Cafe Gratitude and their daily ‘Question of the Day’ program that helps facilitate ‘clear and present’ employees at their amazing Cafes.

Grateful Monday: What Makes Your Heart Sing?Jul. 24th

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What Makes Your Heart Sing?

I am still on something of a ‘high’ from my trip to the California Mid State Fair yesterday.  It’s not my “first rodeo,” nor will it be my last. 8-)   And to practice some transparency here, if my husband had not woken up feeling ‘under the weather’ yesterday, I would have gladly sent him in my place. I love spending time with my family, but sometimes the thought of a quiet evening alone is very tempting!

Thankfully (not for him, and that is another story to be discussed in an overdue Healthy Family Project post…) I got to go.  And in answer to What Makes My Heart Sing, it is watching my lovely 7-year old daughter enjoying herself with such abandon.  It makes my heart sing to see her unreservedly getting on line for the ‘big kid’ rides and being clear that she is READY for it.  Although it takes a little extra stealth tracking skills, I love it that as she and her BFF ‘deplane’ from one ride, they are so excited they just start moving to the next with very little thought as to where their parents may be. (Okay, perhaps we need to work on this one a bit, but they are both very comfortable in their knowing that they are taken care of and watched over!)

I remember the first years we lived in this area bringing Lily to the CA Mid State Fair and feeling excited for her for the day that she would be getting older and able to more fully enjoy the Fair and all it offered.  That day has arrived and It Makes My Heart Sing!

What Makes Your Heart Sing?

Stay Playful, Playful Karen

 *Questions provided by Cafe Gratitude and their daily ‘Question of the Day’ program that helps facilitate ‘clear and present’ employees at their amazing Cafes.