To live fully, intensely, and enthusiastically we need to live in the moment because we only have this moment. The past is gone; the future has not arrived. Living in the twenty-first century poses challenges to this concept. If you listen to the media or read the papers your attention is drawn to what already happened or what can happen. Now, if I’m living in hurricane alley and a hurricane is approaching then it is wise to prepare, but the rest of the information poses as distractions from my true task: living this moment. Not only does the information distract me, but it makes me jump into the future with worries. (There needs to be a balance. If a big snow storm is predicted I use that information to prepare.) This is also the second step of The Way. Live in the present moment. When you worry, you direct energy to the past or future, two areas that you have no control over. Forgive and let go. You have a savings account of energy and when you waste energy on negative thoughts and behaviors you deplete that account. So, I pose a challenge to you on this first day of September. Stay in the present moment as much as possible and open yourself to the gifts that the present moment is presenting. If you struggle with this concept, hang out with your dog (if you have one, if not there are many dogs up for adoption) Dogs are great teachers. They love you for who you are. My dog, Lulu, is an expert at living in the present moment. She rarely suffers from anxiety. (unless we visit the groomer’s or vet) She is joyful, playful, and wags her tail at everyone she meets. She lives her life fully. Be like Lulu and follow the seven steps. Buy the book and get bonuses.

http://bit.ly/thewaybook

The seven steps of The Way were told to me because the world is out of whack and many people live unbalanced, stressed lives, which causes disease and anxiety in their lives. One of the characters in The Way struggles with addiction. Addicts have blurred boundaries. They rarely invest their energy correctly. Lori illustrates this type of person, and she was patterned after people I have met. Lori’s problem is with alcohol, but that is not the only type of addiction out there. I know many people who are addicted to food, exercise, shopping, gambling, and sex. An addiction puts one out of balance. We all know that moderate food, exercise, alcohol, shopping, sex, and yes a little gambling will not harm you. I have witnessed many people using these behaviors to dramatize and exaggerate their life experience to feel alive. I know about addiction first hand–I suffered from anorexia for years. It was hard work to overcome that addiction and behavior, but it has been in my past for the last thirty years. Daily, I strive to live a balanced life. Read The Way and watch how Wanda helps Lori move past her addiction.

Buy the book. Get bonuses. http://bit.ly/thewaybook

Day 2 of my experiment, and it happened to fall on my art day. Since I live up in the mountains, on these days it is rare that I see a living soul, and this makes it easier to follow The Way because there are no distractions, with the exception of my puppy who epitomizes the balance and stress-free living that I aspire to. One of the hardest things to do is live in the moment. We have been trained since birth to lament the past and worry about the future. So, yesterday I did not listen to any news and focused on my writing and art. The day passed blissfully and I accomplished quite a lot. I followed Lulu’s suggestion of when to stretch, when to eat, and when to take a nap. When the sun came out, we sat in its rays and soaked up its warmth. I had no worries, no concerns. I have had a dog since we married, over thirty-two years ago, and I can’t imagine not having one in my life.  When the world gets crazy, all I have to do is look into her brown eyes and remember that all that there is this moment. Blessings for a beautiful day.

This is the first day of The Way blog, or how to live a balanced and stress-free life. Last year I had written a book called The Way to help a friend with his ideas. But life got in the way, oh, the pun, and even though the book was published and many people bought the book, the project did not work out. But I really liked my story, especially Wanda McBroom the wise woman who resides in all of us, so I prayed for a way to revise the book so I could take this book where I think it needs to go. In the night, she came to me with the seven steps to balance and stress-free living. I meditated on these steps, discussed them with a wise friend, and rewrote the book. It will be released later this spring.

In the book, which is written as a novel and has workbook pages, the reader follows the lives of three women who  have endured horrific circumstances and are in search of balance and stress-free living. The Way helped them achieve their goals.

I have decided to “practice what I preached” and implement these steps into my own life. I had written in my journal for years, which many times seemed like “bitch” sessions, followed and taught “The Artist’s Way”. There is no time line on this blog, just my growth.

You can follow me as I struggle to live a balance, stress-free life in the midst of owning and operating an RV dealership, husband, children and grandchildren, and my labradoodle, Lulu. I hope you learn from my struggles.

The rain is falling lightly outside my studio window as another storm slams the Sierras. And with it’s arrival a slight touch of depression encircles my body, which I have concluded is physiological, not psychological. It is my body, weary, going through the change of life, and in need of the dazzling sunlight that is our normal weather. In my area, like many areas across the country, winter has been harsh, cold, and cruel. Oh, I know we need the water, but it is never enough and they will still call drought, drought! I try to limit the amount of information I store in my mind from the state-controlled media outlets.

Today I have reminded myself to follow the tenets of The Way, which are seven steps to achieve  a balanced and stress-free life. I am keeping myself in good health, but I must confess I have been remiss with my spiritual side, which is the seventh step of The Way.  It’s not an excuse, but there have been many demands on my time from work and others.

So, today is Tuesday, my art day, and I am working on a novel set in Reno in the 1930s, which I find to be a fascinating period.  Back then this state had the foresight to create a way to get them through the Depression.

And unless there is a crisis, I will light a candle and meditate.