Funkity funk funk funk

This morning I woke up with a slight case of 'funk'.

Funk.  You know that sinking feeling in your gut like things aren't quite right and you might be better off not getting out of bed.

That's funk.

If funk had it's own 'side effects' label it would look something like this:

"those with funk may experience a heaviness in the chest and an increased need for air.  You may experience your body feeling like a house of bricks making it difficult to move around or get off the couch.  Funk deteriorates eyesight and you may find it difficult to see the things you should be grateful for and you will definitely have a difficult time seeing all the amazing things you've experienced in the past.  Funk messes with the digestive system, making your stomach jump, flip and turn like you are on a roller coaster that you can't get off of.  Fatigue, loss or increase in appetite, a general sense of 'who gives a fuck' are often related to funk.  Some may experience loss of direction and may be found wandering aimlessly through the house, the grocery store or the office.  Nervousness and anxiety are also common side effects of funk."

Funk is not contagious and is thankfully curable!

I used to let these kinds of days embrace me, except funk doesn't embrace you gently, funk kind of puts you in a head lock and repeats 'say Uncle' until you do.

Now, I put some upbeat music on, or I throw on one of my healing chant cd's.  I sometimes make myself a cup of tea and get out my pastels and see what kind of creation comes out of it.  Sometimes I dance to that music and just let my body move.  Today, I'll take the puppy for a walk (puppies are like kryptonite to funk btw), throw on that music and draw my little heart out.

What do you do when the funk hits?

No more excuses!

I have been so stuck lately on what to write about.  There are so many issues at play in all of our lives at this time that it's hard to pinpoint exactly what people would be interested in reading.  But there is something tugging at my heart that I thought I'd work on today.

I am seeing so many people giving up on themselves and on life, blaming others for their circumstances and making excuses for the life they are living. 

Is it appropriate to ask the Universe to fulfill our dreams and desires when we ourselves cannot bring our thoughts out of the dark long enough to see that it is our own doing that we do not have what we desire?

Is it appropriate to scream at the world because our business is not thriving when we sit on the couch, gossip on the phone all day and do nothing within our power to change the situation our business is in?

Is it appropriate to complain about our children's behaviour and make no steps to improve our relationship with our children so that we can better understand why they are exhibiting this behaviour?

My answer to these questions is NO!  No, it is not appropriate...  Complaining and blaming outside sources for your uncomfortable living is only a crutch and only serves to give you an escape route if things aren't going the way you want them to go.

You are better than that!  You have more potential that you can ever imagine!

I know so many people who talk about change all day long, they talk about what they want, how they would prefer to live and then when they are asked "what is the first step to making that happen" they come up with a ton of excuses as to why they CAN'T do that?

The Universe does not accept excuses! 

You have many choices in life, one of them being to either live a life of abundance and joy, or live a life of suffering and misery.  If those two choices were handed to you on a platter which one would you choose?  Logically you would pick abundance and joy because it feels better and looks better.  But when the choices are not tangible, when they are not clearly set out in front of you, which do you choose?  In this moment are you living abundantly and full of joy, or are you suffering and fully miserable?

I think most people are comfortable with misery, it doesn't offer up any surprises, every day is the same old thing, right?  Living a joyful life brings with it opportunity and decisions because when you are joyful you attract opportunity, love and success.  And most people are afraid of opportunity and are afraid of making decisions because they may make the wrong one or they be criticized for it.

Take a look around you.  What kinds of people do you hang out with?  Are they kind, giving, generous?  Do they appreciate your presence in their life or do they use you and abuse you every chance they get?

How does your job feel to you?  Does your stomach turn at every thought of work?  Do you live for the weekends, hold off on having fun and being joyful until Friday at 5?

What about your family?  Are you happy with the way your household feels?  Are you happy in your marriage or partnership?  Are your children happy to see you at the end of the day?

Are your finances what you would like them to be or are you living pay cheque to pay cheque?

How's your health?  Are you sick all the time?  Do you allow yourself time to eat right and work out?

The point is that if you are living an undesireable life, you need to sit down with a pen and paper and write out each thing you are not satisfied with.  Then beside or underneath each item write down something that you could do to change that circumstance, then do that thing that can make a difference!  No matter what give yourself the opportunity to move forward.

I also recommend that if you are needing help with this that you find yourself a mentor or a life coach to help you along. 

I'd like to say that changing your life is easy.  It's really not.  It's difficult only because you will have to disappoint some people in your life, make decisions that are temporarily uncomfortable (keyword:  temporarily) in order for you to live in alignment with your hierarchy of values.


I believe it was Charlie "Tremendous" Jones that said "In 5 years you will be the same person you are today except for the people you associate with and the books that you read."  He was absolutely right about that!  And I can tell you that just changing those 2 things will bring you to a place in this world you never thought was possible!

When you begin to live within your hierarchy of values, when you begin to do things in life because it feels good to you to do them, then and only then will you begin to experience life in the way it was meant to be experienced.

I can tell you from personal experience that this year has been my most devastating and yet at the same time my most inspiring!  I'm telling you it is absolutely without a doubt possible for you to climb out of your self made hole, dust yourself off and walk into a better life.

I know that you can!

One Choice

Oprah Winfrey once said "Right now you are one choice away from a new beginning".

I believe this statement to be incredibly empowering.

In your life you are facing new choices each and every moment of each and every day.  There are opportunities all around us to guide us into the next phases of our lives.  The choice between bacon & eggs or fresh fruits and whole grain toast for breakfast.  The choice between watching the morning tv or taking a drive to the gym (where by the way they have tv's for you to watch WHILE you workout).  Taking a different route to the grocery store, maybe it will save you time so you can stop for a visit with a friend, maybe you will run into an opportunity to help someone out along the way, maybe that slight change of direction brings you past the house of your dreams and sparks a long lost goal inside of you.  Maybe?

There are times when a big choice needs to be made to set you in a new direction, but for the most part I believe it is just a matter of making a different choice daily that can bring you to a different life.

Taking a different route each time you go somewhere also keeps you aware of your surroundings.  I know I have caught myself driving on "auto pilot", not paying attention to my surroundings at all and realize once I've reached my destination that I don't recall the journey to get there.  The choice I make to take the same route over and over again bores the brain and stifles creativity.  And if the joy is in the journey, what kind of journey is it if we aren't aware of it at all?

Is this how you're living your life?  Did you know you were one choice away from a new beginning?

Think of all the times you have seen situations arise that look exactly alike.  Disagreements with co-workers, children, spouse, parent, sibling, etc.  It's frustrating isn't it?  You think you're doing everything right, however it always ends the same, in a resentful and angry situation.  This is one of those times you need to search your mind for the other choice that needs to be made.  Quite possibly the choices you have been making so far have been the same choice each time.  Just one time try a different perspective and make a different choice and see where it takes you.


Here's where you need to resist the urge to be fearful of what the change will be.  None of us knows what tomorrow is going to bring us.  We need to live where our feet are and be aware of the moment we are currently living in so that we can make the choices that are in line with our divine inner self.  You will know you are on the right track when you receive a feeling of enjoyment, fulfillment, purpose.

If you are feeling upset, angry, resentful you are most assuredly in the wrong place!

It's all about the choices we make.  You choose for YOU!

Opening yourself to seeing the truth in a situation allows you to shift your perspective and make a new choice in the situation.  This choice however large or small it is changes EVERYTHING!

Jennifer Merritt
State of Being
www.stateofbeing.ca
info@stateofbeing.ca