Compassion is a Choice~ Misery the Alternative

"I am the mate and companion of people, all just as immortal and fathomless as myself."

~ Walt Whitman

Compassion is the key that unlocks the door between the illusion of separateness and the Truth of Unity. Compassion is the deep understanding that you come into this world alone and you die alone. The difference you make comes after the first breath and before the last.

The holidays are painted with peace, love and joy, but can be riddled with expectation and disappointment. Open hearts tend to be more sensitive during this time of year. Then again, a closed heart is like a toy that remains forever packaged in its original box in hopes that it will be more valuable to a collector at a future a date. More valuable how? It will bring more money. The question is can you quantify that hope for future money as more valuable than the joy of using the toy to its maximum potential right now?

The same is true of the heart. The heart was meant to radiate love unconditionally and universally. This means loving even those whom you want to hate. Learn from ascended beings, the common thread is peace in the heart and love in the soul. It is packed with unlimited potential just waiting to be unlocked. You hold the key to your own heart. The path to love is in your hands.

It is easy to love when everything goes perfectly, but true transformation occurs when you can love through the imperfections. Find love for your neighbor who turns you into the HOA, find love for your boss who makes promises she doesn't keep, find love for your parents by believing they did the best they could at the time, find love for those who broke your heart, cut you off in traffic, took the last shot of wheatgrass, cannot control their children, are sitting in your seat on the airplane, bumped you with their grocery cart or got your order wrong at the restaurant. As you can see the list of opportunities to be pushed off center goes on and on.

However, choosing only to love who you love limits your opportunities to give and receive love to a handful of others. That is like choosing to keep the one toy you have wrapped in its original package, when you have unlimited access to every other toy in the toy store from now through infinity.

Compassion is a state of being. Compassion is the difference between living in fear and isolation and love and unity. Compassion is understanding that you don't have to understand everyone's pain and past, just know that there is one. It could be from this lifetime or lifetime's past. Compassion is accepting yourself and everyone else as perfect. Compassion is a choice. Without compassion for others, you will ultimately be subject to a life of misery and isolation. Be grateful to those who push you put of your comfort zone. They are your teachers, your real heart expanders.

Being Happy Healthy and Fit means understanding that Compassion is as simple as Love thy neighbor as thyself.

Secret to Longevity~ Won't Eat It? Don't Wear It!

If someone told me that I would be drinking ginger tea, rubbing sesame oil all over my entire body and then practicing hot yoga for two hours, even I may have questioned just how far I have stretched out of the conventions of society. Of course, isn't that the same society that suffers from obesity, anxiety, overall unhappiness and general dis-ease?

I loved every second of it. In fact, I have never felt more alive!

In the yoga tradition, as well as, many other eastern philosophies, it is understood that you are not your mind and you are not your body. However, it is also understood that you are subject to them and much accompanying suffering when you are attached.

To better understand the idea that you are not your body, consider someone who has lost a finger or a limb, are they any less themselves? However, the moment that health becomes an issue, the mind suddenly becomes fixated and all-consumed by the fear of loss.

After much reading on the idea of dis~ease leading to disease and attending a de-tox workshop by soon-to-be Doctor, Kishan Shah, Global teacher of Vinyasa yoga, meditation and Ayurvedic Holistic Medicine, it has been a great reminder that we cannot always control things going on outside of our physical body, but we can greatly control what is going on inside with a little knowledge and dedication.

There were several great take aways:

• The body absorbs 70% of what you put on it, so if you aren't willing to choke down that lotion or body spray, because it would be toxic, consider a natural alternative.
• Iced beverages contribute to obesity. Doesn't really matter the scientific/physiological reasons why, but consider that the United States is the only country where every restaurant serves this up first and we have the highest rate of obesity. Pass on the ice.
• Hot water in the morning with lemon and the same at night is a great way to keep the digestive tract operating at maximum efficiency.
• Incorporating a regular yoga practice into your life is a great way to keep blood from stagnating and triggering disease.

Making these few small changes to your daily habits will not only make your physical body feel better, but will actually elevate your consciousness to new heights!

Want to experience Bliss~

Enjoy Gracious Living and Get Happy Healthy and Fit ~ Spring Cleanse in Nicaragua this April!

YOGA | RAW FOOD | SURF | TAI CHI | EMPOWERMENT | ADVENTURE retreat

Early Bird Special! Register and Pay in Full by Jan 15th to save $200

Namaste~

RSVP: Randismith444@gmail.com

Be Santa! Give the Gift of PRESENCE

Presents may have price tags, but Presence is Priceless. The best things in life are free.

Christmas is a time to spread joy, peace, love and good cheer. It has also become associated with wish lists and gift giving. Gifts are lovely and make you feel special, but they are limited in their capacity to provide lasting fulfillment.

The greatest gifts are infinite and priceless. Spending $100, $1000 or even $10,000 on someone's holiday gift is certainly generous. The question is, does this make the giver and recipient happy and if so for how long? Material things are lovely, but if you are going to be generous this year, be generous with your Love. Be Present.

With Social Media, FaceBook, Twitter, texting and cell phones in general, there are so many distractions keeping you from truly being where you are. If you really want to give the best gift ever today, give the gift of Presence. Allow yourself to be in spirit and connecting with whomever you are with. Make eye contact, give hugs and silence what is going on outside of you for just a few hours today. It will all be there to pick up tomorrow.

From the moment you are born, you know that your time in this dimension is limited, so maximize it and be present for your loved ones today. As Stephen Stills sang so well~ If you can't be with the ones you love, love the ones your with. Gifts will come and go, but touch the heart of another and you have changed the world.

Being Happy Healthy and Fit means making every day a holiday and giving the gift of Presence. Merry Christmas.

Hanukkah Candles Teach Life's Greatest Lesson

Infinite LIGHT exists in your Soul to Light up the World!

The celebration of Hanukkah is really a spiritual cosmic window in time. Although, it is commonly known as a Jewish holiday, the true origin is rooted in connecting the Upper World and Lower world to create Miracles.

The celebration of Hanukkah brings about the image of the menorah and lighting candles. Why candles? Candles appear in church, meditation, ceremony and celebration. Candles provide a channel for the transfer of energy from the invisible to the visible from darkness to light. Study a flame and you will see that it has a dark part, a light part and a halo. Flames are steadfast, always burning up, reaching higher.

It is from the flame of a candle that you learn the true power of sharing life's greatest gifts. When a candle lights another candle, the flame does not diminish. This is true sharing. If you want to change the world, be like the flame, be the Light. Stay in a state of caring and sharing with others. Maintain control over your spirit and surrender the natural tendency to be shifted by and subject to your environment.

When we share money, food, water and anything else that can be divided, the second gains at the expense of the first. Light or Love is the only thing that defies this Law.

The reason the oil jar was discovered and the menorah was lit was teach how to give and share from the candle's flame. Whether you choose to celebrate Hanukkah or not, simply be conscious of the fact that the cosmos are aligned perfectly right now for sharing your greatest gift. Even in the darkest moments, trust that elevating is your consciousness is the path to light and ultimately to that halo.

Infinite Light exists in your soul to Light up the world. Being Happy Healthy and Fit means turning those sparks into a flame and Be the Light. Happy Hanukkah.

Out of the Manure and Into the PURE!

The Truth is that in every daisy lies manure and in manure lies infinite daisies.

You have heard that one man's trash is another man's treasure. It is true in the most literal sense. Having had the luxury of growing up in a farmhouse in New Hampshire, there was no such thing as garbage pick up. We had the town dump. Garbage had to be hauled there and sorted out. Even back in the 80s, they knew about recycling paper, green glass, brown glass, clear glass and plastic. Random things would left inside at the Swap Mart where they magically transformed from trash to treasures.

The real magic was actually happening at home. What never made it to the dump, was food waste. That went out back to the compost heap. We didn't have a dishwasher and we certainly didn't have a garbage disposal, so everything from apple cores to eggshells, made it out back to decompose into what would become pure fertilizer. The neighbors were farmers. They loved our trash for inside it lay the fertilizer to grow fresh delicious raspberries, giant zucchini, sweet tomatoes, carrots and green beans.

Today, I was reminded that when it appears like life is serving up manure, it is actually fertilizer. It may stink at the time, but inside each unpleasant experience lies an opportunity for transformation. Next time someone disappoints you, points you in the wrong direction, tosses you off the bus or simply drives right over you, have the courage to smile deep in your heart. Use this opportunity, not to become bitter, but to move deeper into a state of compassion. For this person is trapped in fear and there is no greater tragedy.

We must never defend ourselves, for that is pure ego. Recognize the manure and rest in it for a moment. With compassion and the right attitude, you will see that this manure is truly fertilizer that has the potential to elevate your consciousness.

Being Happy Healthy and Fit means being the flower that always rises out of the manure and into the Pure! Attitude is Everything!

Winter is Evidence of Great Magic!

The fact that Winter always precedes (or pre-seeds) spring and spring always follows winter is perfect and undeniable evidence that nature's greatest miracles occur in life's darkest moments.

Considering the order of the season's have not changed since the beginning of time, perhaps it is time to recognize that Mother Nature is not only a genius, but also a true master of truth.

Often in life, it seems as if nothing is happening, when in fact everything is happening. Where there is effort applied, effect always follows. The one things we cannot predict is the 'when' for we must also trust in Father Time to know how our long miracles take to gestate. Life is not to be rushed.

Allow the short dark days of winter to be embraced with joy, love and excitement. When you feel like you have nothing left to give, give just a little more. Although, it seems magical when the sprout pushes through the earth, know in your heart that all the real work was done in a time of great darkness. There is no such thing as suddenly syndrome. Want magic? Trust in the process of Mother Nature and Father Time. Keep on keeping on, especially when you feel like you have already arrived. No matter where you are in this moment, you are packed with even greater potential.

Being Happy Healthy and Fit means knowing that in the Winter seeds gain the strength, confidence and courage necessary to break all barriers and blossom into Spring!

F~ This Life.

F~ This Life. That's right. Life is so short so F~ it! F~ is for:

• Forgiveness
• Fearlessness
• Friendship
• Fun
• FREEDOM
• Faith

As I was flying back from Kauai, I opened my laptop to find a specific picture and ended up doing an impromptu year in review. In review of the greatest year of my life, I clearly saw what was documented through my camera lens: great adventure, great love, bursting smiles, new friends, old friends and moments of natural miracles. Month after month, I saw mountains climbed, yoga poses, giant smiles, parties, sunrises, sunsets, flowers, rainbows and openhearted friends.

For everyone who has ever said F#$* this life, maybe you need to adjust your F.

Be Forgiving: FORGIVENESS for it is truly for the Forgiver. Forgive yourself for every wrongdoing and forgive everyone else for their wrongdoings. Forgiveness is not about relationships, forgiveness is about inner peace.

Be Fearless: Fear is the greatest obstacle to love, peace and happiness. Fear keeps you stuck like superglue. Fear disconnects you from highest and best. Fear affirms scarcity thinking. For when we live in Abundance thinking, fear is useless.

Be a Great Friend: FRIENDSHIP is the greatest gift that you can give. When you give a gift, it is not to get one in return. Being a great friend means being a great friend all of the time. Just as the sun does not choose to shine on some flowers and trees and not on others, a true friend is steadfast.

Be FUN. Have FUN! Fun is Fun. Fun comes from the inside. Fun is not about being entertained. Fun is about discovering that we are the same. Fun is about showing up with your heart wherever you.

Be FREE! Freedom is your ultimate birthright. You hold the key to your Freedom. You hold the key to your voice. It's called Courage.

Have Faith! Faith is the intangible secret ingredient that turns every moment into a miracle.

December is a great month for reflection. With so many amazing digital tools like FaceBook and camera phones, what does your year in review look like?

When I said F~ This Life, what did you think I meant? Are you in the middle of your best life ever? If not, ask yourself what your 'F' stands for. Just as this double rainbow could be missed if you didn't know to look for it, your whole life could change in an instant. You are just one thought and voice of courage away from creating the Magical Life of your dreams. I challenge you to join me and F~ this Life!

Being Happy Healthy and Fit means filling your Life with the Fs that matter: Forgiveness, Fearlessness, Friendship, Fun, Freedom and Faith. I thank and celebrate everyone that has helped me to expand inside and outside my circle of Fs, you have touched my heart and I am blessed.

Humility Unifies all that is Separate

If you are somebody, you can be judged. If you are nobody, you cannot.

One of the greatest gifts that you can give to the world is the gift of humility. In a sense it is a lost art form that has been replaced by bravado and ego.

For some reason, you tend to value what has been placed on a pedestal. It appears as an object of beauty or great importance. Ego creates the illusion of a pedestal. Ego separates you from yourself spiritually and creates judgment separating you from others.

In order to ascend ego, you must understand the magnitude of the challenge. You must consider that everything you thought to be true may not be true. Pride in possessions and accomplishments is a huge blockage to lasting fulfillment and infinite happiness. It is easy to strive for these things and never actually arrive at the ultimate destination of love and happiness. Fixation on possessions and accomplishments is a powerful distraction.

Humility is the only effective path to happiness. It requires an elevation in consciousness to recognize the ego and diminish it along with your selfish desires. Possessions and accomplishments are false targets to feeling safe and secure. Alone, they really are the equivalent of being tossed into the middle of an ocean an swimming with a life jacket on. For a brief moment, you will feel safe, but ultimately, the chances of ending up safely on the shore are slim to none.

Real feelings of security come through feelings of unity. Unity is a result of humility. If you are somebody, you can be judged, if you are nobody, you cannot. A great act of humility is first recognizing your own ego. Then, when you recognize someone else's negative nature, have compassion and be open to the great potential for transformation.

Next time some gets under your skin with arrogance, bragging, insults or bravado, take a step back and a deep breath. If you truly are a righteous being, you will see that they are suffering from the ultimate pain: separation. Allow this person to serve as your reminder and teacher.

Everyone wants the same thing: to feel safe and secure, happy and healthy. This can be achieved through unity. First step down from your pedestal and then help others. Be sure to use compassion and great care when dealing with other people's fragile souls.

Being Happy Healthy and Fit means knowing that just as all the rivers of the world float down into the ocean, humility is the great gift that unifies all that is separate.

Get HIGH on YOGA! Expansion Boosts Endorphins

A return to my first yoga teacher has brought a return to the true essence of yoga. Bliss. So much more than a physical practice, mental practice or even spiritual practice, yoga is a chemical practice. What if you could get High on Yoga??

Considering we live in a time of high stress, anxiety overload and depression, pharmaceuticals are quickly devouring consciousness from the inside out. The desire for a quick fix is so forceful, the immediate and obvious solutions is often overlooked. It is easy to turn to alcohol or drugs (legal or illegal) for that boost. Imagine for a moment that you didn't have to experience the post-high crash, but could tap into continuously elevating your consciousness to new and lasting heights?

You can! Get High on Yoga! This ancient art was designed to literally raise the vibrations of the body in an effort to spread more love. Isn't that the sensation, we all secretly seek? Now you can create more love, by beginning with self love. The natural act of expansion will act as rays of light beaming from your heart.

Studies show that the simple act of expanding the heart, opening the chest and reaching the arms wide, as if embracing the whole world has a chemical effect on the physical body. Imagine, this simple act, actually boosts endorphins. Endorphins are responsible for the over all sense of well-being. Endorphins create that natural high sensation that leaves you feeling unstoppable, powerful beyond measure.

The body is a physical manifestation of the mind. Your posture tells a story. Body language is the language of love. Are you hunched over as a result of working at a desk all day or just feeling like you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. A contracted chest area can be the cause of depression and a closed heart or simply the result. The mind and body are deeply entwined.

There is something to be said about standing up straight and sitting up tall. It is more than personal pride, it is celebrating being alive. You don't need a yoga mat to get High on Yoga. Simply stand up wherever you are and open your arms wide, allow a smile to come across your face and imagine for just one moment you are embracing the whole planet with love.

Being Happy Healthy and Fit means incorporating yoga and heart openers into your life. It is an amazing way chemically alter your mood naturally from the inside out. Go ahead and give it a try. Get HIGH on Yoga!

Ceremoniously Leave the Past Behind

You are only ALONE until you add an extra L for the vibration of Love and then you become ALL-ONE. Healing is an art refined best when shared.

Yesterday, I shared a magical moment sanctifying freedom from the past and opening up to all of the amazing gifts the universe is abundantly providing.

After an amazing hike and dive into the beautiful waterfalls of Nepali Coast on the northern shore of Kauai, I decided to leave behind my muddy sneakers and muddy past and share in a small ceremony of great magnitude and gratitude. In those certain shoes I have walked many miles in the past year and many more miles through my personal past and perhaps past lifetimes.

I have taken those trail shoes across canyons and up mountains. I have walked hundreds of miles in those sneakers to find peace in my heart and freedom from pain. After climbing to the top of the cliff and jumping fearlessly into the freezing pool of water formed by the spill off of the waterfall, I reflected on how I spent years not knowing how to swim and fearing the water.

Perhaps we all fear what we don't know, until we have the courage to face it. Inside, you may have a fear of being Alone until you realize that you are never alone, with an extra L for Love, we are ALL-ONE.

In the decision to leave behind my favorite shoes, accompanied by a prayer out loud came freedom. I knew I could share this moment with anyone open enough to honor that we all carry our own pain and we are all constricted and controlled by it until we decide to consciously disconnect from it and choose Free Will and Freedom to connect in the vibration of Love.

Today, consider if there is some material item that you hold onto that no longer serves you. Somehow, it keeps you emotionally connected to a time, place or person that you have ready to ascend. Then notice the people in your life that you judge and see as different. Practice seeing them as the same as you in a different place on the path to Happiness and Peace. Close that gap by adding Love. Perhaps they feel Alone and you have the power to make them feel ALL-ONE.

Being Happy Healthy and Fit means recognizing that you are not your past and you are never alone. Express gratitude along the way, for every person and situation you encounter is an opportunity to be love and to be ONE. Stop searching for peace and love outside of you and start celebrating peace and love inside of you.

PEACE in KNOWing

What if the very worst thing that could happen is that we land safely?

Today find peace in knowing that you are always exactly where you are supposed to be with exactly who you are supposed to be with. We have so much to learn and so many teachers to teach us.

Yesterday when I got to the airport in Phoenix, I felt like I was playing "Where's Waldo?" I was looking for three people that I had never met, the only difference is, you always know what Waldo looks like and it is just a matter of trusting he is there and having the patience to find him in the picture. At an earlier time, I would probably have passed on going on a yoga retreat alone. Today, I have peace in knowing that there is a reason and I will meet new people who will teach me new things. I know will grow and expand exponentially.

I had complete Peace in Knowing I would find my soon to be new friends. Sure enough, I located them in an instant before we ever left Phoenix. When we left our jetliner in Maui and boarded a small prop plane for Kauai, I was overcome with complete peace. I turned to my new friend Angelo, who was extremely uneasy about the small plane and said, "What if the very worst thing that could happen is that we land safely?"

He contemplated it and so did I. Had he not been afraid, I wouldn't have had my own moment of clarity. With that clarity comes Peace. Although, it may have appeared that I was teaching him, he was teaching me.

No matter where you find yourself today, truly trust and KNOW that for some reason, it is exactly where you are supposed to be. Remain open to all of the lessons available, even if you can't make sense of them and you can't see clearly. Simply, resist the urge to resist where you are. Embrace it and apply enthusiasm.

Being Happy Healthy and Fit means having Peace in Knowing that you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Embrace it!

HAPPINESS is living your TRUTH

Aloha~

Everything is possible if you think it is possible. My truth is that life is an Amazing Adventure full of Love, Joy and Happiness to be shared with as many people as possible.

Last night as I was packing my bags to go on a yoga retreat in paradise, I cracked open a fortune cookie revealing great wisdom. It's what you haven't done that will torment you. There is so much truth in that.

Life is a journey. This week I laughed with a friend who went to medical school and delivered babies, but blissfully teaches yoga now. Another friend was a reputable lawyer and has found freedom as an artist. These two stories might not make sense to some people, but to me they are heavenly. For both women, have found their truth.

The world is full of people unhappily doing what they think they are supposed to be doing. Essentially, they are in hell. This applies to marrying the wrong person, having more children in an attempt to fix what is broken, following the family path career wise, buying a home in a place you don't love and the list goes on and on. It is almost as if you don't know that you have Free Will. Free Will is the ultimate decision to be Happy or to create heaven on earth.

Today, have the courage to be Happy. Stop tormenting yourself. Decide what you really want to do and don't sabotage it with thoughts of 'that will never happen' or 'it can't' or 'it is impossible' or any other doubtful seeds.

Set your intention for understanding and accepting responsibility in every situation and you will be on target for discovering happiness, fulfillment and your purpose on this journey. This is the most important thing you can do for yourself. All you have to do is decide in your heart what happiness feels like and trust that is your Truth!

Being Happy Healthy and Fit means listening to your heart and following it!

If you are like me and yoga on a beautiful beach sounds like a dream come true. I encourage you to believe it is possible, plant the seed in your heart and let it blossom. Join me for a TOTAL SOULFUL REJUVENATION yoga retreat in Nicaragua April 15-22.

Namaste~

Randi

randismith444@gmail (email me for information on Nicaragua)

2 Easy Steps to Create your DREAM LIFE!

Ask for what you want. Act like it's what you have got!

I once heard that God's only complaint is that no one is seeking him. Whether you choose to use the word God, universe, consciousness, higher power or Love is entirely up to you. Let go of semantics for a moment and consider the concept. It is no longer a secret that when we are perfectly clear on what we want, it appears.

Asking for what you want doesn't necessarily mean asking someone else for it. They can't give 'it' to you anyway. Practice asking by writing down what you want, telling someone out loud, using prayer or meditation fearlessly. Notice if you are limited by your own set of beliefs. Do you stop your manifesting with deep-rooted, pre-programed thoughts of: That will never happen, I don't deserve that or I am not worth it?

It doesn't matter where you are right now. This is only Point A. Get clear on today and then go ahead and get a little wildly crazy on Point B. Do you want to be a movie star? A mom? A Dad? In Love? a CEO? Dancer? Teacher? Taking 4 vacations a year? A new Home owner? A new car owner? A better friend? Identify the lack in your life and then imagine it being abundantly fulfilled. Trust that the 'how' doesn't matter. The treasured answer is beyond your imagination yet very much within your reach.

The trick or secret is to truly act like you already have what you want. I recently saw the movie Money Ball. There are quite a few scenes around the board of directors for the Oakland A's, which was comprised largely of men in their 70s and 80s. What really jumped off the screen and into my heart was the fact that it is a limited thought to think you have to be some kind of super model to be an actor. Those men were successfully acting like a board of directors, but the truth is they were defying doubt and acting like actors. It reiterated the belief that anything is possible.

If you want a boat, go to a boating store, you want to be a model, go for a makeover, you want to be a mom, get yourself around small children, you a a career change, act like the CEO wherever you are (even if you are bagging groceries) want to be in love, practice bringing great love to every relationship personal and professional that you are engaged in.

Trust in the Law of Affinity. Like attracts like. You have the power to make all of your dreams come true! Being Happy Healthy and Fit means applying the steps to make it a great day, everyday!

Step 1. Ask for whatever it is you want.

Step 2. Act like whatever you want, you have already got!

I would love to hear how you have made your dreams come true!

Is My Halo On Straight?

On my way home after a very long day, I stopped at Trader Joe's for a couple of things. There is always a very pleasant feel there. Perhaps, it is that you walk past countless orchids and beautiful flowers or maybe that the first thing you see is a pile of yellow bananas radiating the color of the soul. It could be the friendly staff in hawaiian shirts or maybe the like-minded consumers with a taste for organic goodness.

Tonight was just a snapshot of another amazing experience that I had at Trader Joe's. My cashier resembled Santa Claus disguised in his summer gear of a flowery shirt. He had a twinkle in his eye and we instantly connected. Soon we were high-fiving about all being perfect in the world, when he stopped and said he had only one question.

Is my Halo on Straight?

Although it was a brief moment that we shared, I am 100% certain I was in the presence of an earth angel. I actually felt my personal vibrations raise. Somewhere between the register and the car, I engaged in 3 more meaningful conversations. People were just drawn to me. Somehow Summer Santa had created a healing environment.

I may have let this whole encounter slip by if I hadn't just attended a lecture and meditation by Quantum Angel Healing author, Eva-Maria Mora. When we learn to be open to divine wisdom, sometimes we are the giving the light and sometimes we are receiving it. Staying open and friendly with everyone you meet is sure to keep each moment, day and lifetime filled with love and powerful connections.

Staying in the spirit of love keeps you radiating and adorned with your halo. Being Happy Healthy and Fit means having only one question to ask: Is my halo on Straight?