Author Archives: Andrea

When you recognize a friend has a mental illness

Once you recognize someone has a mental illness and you see it come out in an unhealthy way, it’s time to step back and let the professionals handle it. Especially if you’ve been their advisor.  Leave this powerful work to those who are equipped for it and educated in it.  Most of us are not.  Don’t chance it.  Above all, do no harm.

Attitude affects reality

When you know that everything happens for the best, then everything that happens is okay with you. The irony of this is that when everything that happens is okay with you, you set up an energy field of such equanimity and harmony with the universe that the universal law of attraction draws more equanimity and harmony into your life. ~ Neale Donald Walsch

Squirrels know all about faith and trust

This evening I am sitting on my new patio area overlooking the east garden, watching the squirrels play in the pines and the bamboo.  They chase each other and leap fearlessly long distances.  They are a good lesson in faith.  In trusting that the leap will land them where they want to go, even though it seems reeeealy far away.  It seems like such a giant leap, yet they always make it and go on their merry way.  Squirrels, you are my guru.

How an 8 foot tall woman is changing the music industry

Amanda Palmer is a burning flame in this world.  This is a beautiful dialog on art, the state of the music industry, connection, and trust.  An elegant insight to the art of simply asking.  See her Ted talk at How an 8 foot tall woman is destroying the entire music industry.  How?  ”Mission Statement of Amanda F. Palmer: DEAR DOWNLOADER of MUSIC, this store is built on a “pay what you want” philosophy for my digital music. i firmly believe in music being as free as possible. unlocked. shared and spread. i believe that in order for artists to survive and create, their audiences need to step up and directly support them. honor system.   no judgment. if you’re broke – take it. if you love it, come back and kick in later when you have the money. if you’re rich, think about who you might be karmically covering if you really love this record. once you have it, SHARE SHARE SHARE! COPY COPY COPY! SPREAD THE EVIL!!! we are the media. I also release all of my music and writing using the Creative Commons “Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA)” license. If you want to understand what this means, google Creative Commons.  LOVE, afp”  She raised over a million dollars with about 25,000 donations.   Continue reading

My yard is calling me!

“Come move the sprinkler,” it says, “deadhead my spent blossoms, come pick up some wood for tonight’s fire and weave more fronds into the bamboo and palmetto wall.  Come outside.  It’s sunny, it’s 61 degrees.  Don’t delay.  This is only today and there is only now.”