My Pink Roadmap

1. Ask yourself this question. “If you knew you were going to die in a year, would you still be living the life you’re living?” If the answer is no, you might want to rethink things.
2. Identify your desire. If you don’t know which risk you’re dying to take, it’s hard to pleap. Be very specific about what you desire. If you can’t figure out what you do want, get clear on what you DON’T want. That will guide you.
3. Don’t obsess about the Hows. Figure out the Whats and leave the rest to the Universe.
4. Recognize and honor what’s holding you back. Assess your fears to determine whether they’re genuine fears meant to protect you (if I jump off this cliff, I might hit the rocks and die) or irrational fears that are merely holding you back (I might lose everything and people will think I’m crazy).  It’s okay to feel the fear. Just don’t let it rule your decision-making.
5. Think things through to their worst possible outcome. What’s the absolute worst thing that would happen if you took this Pleap? Follow it through in your mind. Most of the time, the nameless, nonspecific fear is greater than the actual worst case scenario. While it sounds pessimistic, doing this can set you free when you realize that the worst possible outcome- while icky- isn’t bad enough to keep you paralyzed.
6. Ignore what everyone else thinks. This is about you and YOUR dreams. If you poll your family, friends, colleagues, and partner, you’re likely to get talked out of your dream.
7. Pray for guidance, then watch for Signs from the Universe. You don’t have to do this alone. Surrender.
8. If you’re not sure whether it’s time to Pleap, wait. When the time is right, it will be evident. You will feel it in your gut.  You will no longer be satisfied with standing on the ledge. If someone pushes you over the edge against your will, spread your wings. FLY.
9. Practice radical self-care while you’re considering Pleaping. Nurture your body, rest your mind, feed your spirit. Pleaping is hard work.
10. Believe in YOU. You can create whatever you desire.  You are powerful beyond measure. If you live in love and act from your heart with pure intention, you will never fall flat on the rocks.

I got an email today from my friend Kim in Corona, California titled "Putting Problems Into Perspective." As I watched the video, I began to cry at the beauty of this man, his journey and the message he shares with the people in his life. I believe you too, will be truly touched. Enjoy.

Following the Signs of The Universe
It is no coincidence that things appear in our lives in multiples. Whether it is that book that keeps showing up again and
again, insisting you read it. Or that persons name who keeps coming up around you, or that particular word that relates
to the idea you pushed aside to pursue later; the suggestions of our intuition and gifts from The Universe are all around.

It is in your hands to take charge of these signs or suggestions and run with them. How long will you continue to dismiss these suggestions before you realize the endless opportunities in front of you? When you do decide to act on these suggestions, will the opportunities still be there?

It is easy to think that we know the way we will be most happy. But when we give up control and surrender to The Universe, we open our lives to all that is truly possible. things we never dreamed of.  (Mind you I am mostly talking to myself as well here.)

What You Resists, Persists
One of my most favorite quotes that more than often deems true is "what you resists, persists." This is not necessarily implying that what you resist is actually the way your heart should follow (although in some cases this is true.) It is
merely stating that the longer you choose to work against the flow of life, the longer you will struggle. Somethings are simply out of your power. Things will not always go your way and you cannot control many of the aspects of your life,
except how you react. This is in your power.

My Invitation to You
So Pinkies, what suggestions from The Universe have you been ignoring? How can you choose to learn from your situations at hand versus complaining and resisting them? How can you take on a "go with the flow" attitude?

I am a painter.  I am a crafter.  I am a dog lover.  I am a concert-going, album-release-date-following, band-shirt-wearing music junkie.   One thing I was not: a videographer.  Several months ago, on a whim, I signed up for a digital video class while in pursuit of my graduate degree.  Though I was a bit apprehensive, knowing nothing about video and rarely going to see a movie, I figured I would do the coursework, throw together a video, and wham-bam-A+!  Little did I know, there was something much bigger in store.

It was early November and our final project deadlines were looming.  A friend invited me to a Monday night screening of a German cycling film at a local tavern; sensing adventure, I accepted the offer and set off with her to the screening.  Walking up to the tavern, the sidewalk was inundated with bicycles.  Bicycles?  In Dallas?  It’s no secret that Dallas is no Portland when it comes to being bicycle-friendly.  In fact, it was a rare occasion I saw a bicycle on the road at all, yet there they were, 20-or-so strong, glistening in streetlight.  We meandered our way through the maze and into the Tavern.   I struck up a conversation with a guy with one pant leg rolled up, a messenger bag slung across his shoulder, and a tight-fitting cap.  Apparently, this cyclist gathering is a weekly thing.  “It’s just the Monday Night Mash,” he said. 

Monday Night Mash?  I wondered about it for several days.  I consider myself to be fairly in-the-know with regard to goings-on in Dallas, so how is this such a surprise to me?  Do they all know each other?  Where did they meet?  How do they contact each other?  Who organizes this?  And maybe most importantly, why do they do it?  And thus, my class film project was born.

About a week later, after contacting a few cyclists on twitter to find out where they would be gathering that Monday night, I showed up at the designated spot, with me school-issued camera equipment in tow.  I knew no one there, and no one there had ever seen me, yet there I was.  I got surprisingly few strange looks and several cyclists approached me to inquire as to what I was filming for.  I didn’t even own a bike, yet everyone was so friendly!  The event organizer pointed me to several FaceBook and twitter profiles so I could follow what was happening and film more rides.  More rides?

Monday Night Mash.  Tits Tuesday.  Zip code rides.  Critical Mass.  Holiday rides.  The list went on and on.  It turns out every ride was organized by a different person or group of people - all through social media.  Very few of them know each other from anywhere other than the rides or had each other’s cell phone numbers, yet nearly every night, people gather for no apparent purpose other than to ride their bikes and be a part of this temporal community of cyclists there for the same reason.  Single speed, fixed-gear, geared, tandem, cruiser, road bike, unicycle – everyone is welcome who loves to ride.  Then, after the ride and possibly a drink or two, they all go home and back to their separate lives.  It’s there, then it’s gone.  Fascinating.

I threw together a video with my extremely limited video editing skills in 48 hours with no sleep and made my deadline.  Nervous and sleep-deprived, I got up to present to the class.  They loved it.  I put the videos up on YouTube as a thank you to the cyclists who had helped me along the way, and before I knew it, the video was up on 10+ cycling websites, got local online news coverage, and received over 800 hits on YouTube.  I feel like I need to show this to the world, afterall, everyone wants to be a part of something.  The fact that things like this exist is nothing short of inspirational, in my eyes.  I am currently editing it down more to submit to film festivals. 

I am now fairly well recognized within the Dallas urban cyclist community, and I daresay I’ve made some good friends in the process.  An everyday encounter followed by a series of chances and risks have caused my entire life to change; this has snowballed into something much, much bigger than any class project.  I have since been approached to do some activist cycling videos to help change city policy and most recently, to document SXSFixed 2010.  I welcome you to join me on my most recent project beginning Saturday 3/13/2010 in following 16 fixed-gear cyclists on their bike ride from Dallas to Austin in a span of three days, just in time for South by SouthWest.  Crazy?  Absolutely!  Follow us on twitter (@SXSFixed) and check out our website (www.SXSFixed.com), where I will be updating the map with photos, video, and interesting tidbits every step of the way from the back of a pickup truck on the road to Austin.  The resulting film will be screened at a local bike shop.  Who knows?  Maybe I can inspire someone else to take a leap of faith.

Lacy Mahone
@LaceofBase
www.LaceofBase.com

This past Saturday, October 24th was the first workshop I put on, Be Joyful! The success of the workshop far exceeded my expectations. Not only did my nerves not get the best of me, but I felt as if I had done it a million times before.

I didn’t realize the space we were using didn’t open until 10 a.m. and I had the workshop start at 10 a.m. Some how we mysteriously got started on time anyway. I got breakfast for everyone, so the ladies grabbed their refreshments and we all sat around in a circle. The room we used was very comfy- looked like a big living room, lots of soft cushy chairs and couches.

We started off by going around the room, introducing ourselves (There were 11 of us including me.) After the introductions, I started the conversation about why it is important to have gratitude in our lives and how it can affect us in a positive way. I invited others to join in the conversation with whatever came up for them. After the discussion we moved on to our exercise (JOY JOURNALS!)

I provided all the supplies need to decorate their journals and make it their very own. I printed out cards that had the 3 questions on them:

1. What are 3 three things I am grateful for today?
2. How was I my most authentic self today?
3. What inspired me today?

I feel that the workshop went very well. It seems that we created a safe space for everyone to truly be themselves. By the end of the class I felt like I had known everyone for years.

I have to give big thanks to Lissa Rankin, without her, these workshops wouldn’t be taking place. Thanks Lissa!

Don't know what Mojo is? Find out more here.

1. Take 10 minutes a day to enjoy the outdoors. Whether you are walking, hiking, relaxing in your hammock, or sitting and breathing fresh air- taking in the atmosphere will help revive your energy.

2. Do a favor for a friend. Sometimes when people ask us for favors we are too consumed with our own lives to take a few moments to help one another. Taking the time to lend a hand is one of the simplest acts of kindness.

3. Send someone a Thank You Note. Randomly pick someone out of your address book (email or physical addresses) and send them a Thank You Note, just for being who they are.

4. After a long day be the first one to ask how the other persons day went. No matter who you walk through the door to after work, be the first to ask how their day was. Did anything exciting happen? What was the highlight of their day? Listening to what our families or friends went through that day might be just what they needed.

5. Go to a space where you have a little privacy and DANCE! For 5 minutes, whether it is to the music in your head or on your ipod- rock out like there is no tomorrow. Be sure to smile and loose control in the process. Your day is sure to perk up after a good jig.

6. Walk down a crowded street for a few blocks smiling from ear to ear. Yawns are the only thing that is contagious! You might even open a few doors for people while passing, even if you aren't going in to that particular building.

7. Go to your local park with a trash bag and gloves. Helping keep our cities clean is a great way to get your Mojo pumping. What if there were no maintenance people to help keep our cities clean? Take part now to make a difference.

8. Give a hug to the first person you see. Even if it is that person at the office that you don't get along with all that well. Humans have a need for touch. After all, newborns can die without having felt the comfort of another persons touch.

9. Buy a meal at a near by restaurant and give it to a homeless person. Could you imagine not knowing where your next meal was coming from? Not having a roof over your head or all the amenities we have become accustomed to? Help the homeless.

10. Add money to a parking meter. If you happen to walk by some parking meters and notice that someone is about to run out of time or you cross an empty space, put some money in the meter. The person that finds it will be thrilled, wouldn't you?

I feel as if this story has been a long time coming. I want to honor a very special person in my life, my Aunt Doris, A True Pinkie. Doris always tells me how proud and in awe of my writings she is; it boggles my mind because for so long I have been in awe of her. Though there have been many people that have contributed to who I am today, I feel that Doris, above all has made the largest impact on my existence.

For as far back as I can remember, Doris has been my teacher, my mother, my guidance, my inspiration and more importantly my creativity. When I was little, most of my time was spent at her house. Everyday was a new adventure; from having friends of the neighborhood over to play to creating recipes from peanut butter and sugar, the fun never stopped. One of my most favorite activities was playing dress up. Doris had several old prom dresses, wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses from garage sales and hand me downs that I so elegantly strutted around the house in. She was always encouraging me to have fun and to express myself.

There was never a moment I felt I couldn’t confide in her. Doris was always very open and honest. When it came to matters of the heart or a moment where I needed guidance, she was the first one to lend an ear without passing judgment. As I was growing up, Doris was the example of what unconditional love was for me. I had always felt like she was my biggest fan. Even in the moments where my morals slipped a bit, she right there waiting to catch me when I fell. She never gave up cheering for me.

As I am getting older, I realize how wonderful of a woman Doris really is. She is always going out of her way to help the people she cares about. Whether it is designing amazing gift baskets for baby showers, picking up her grandkids after school or having dinner ready every night for her husband (and anyone else who decides to drop by,) Doris is a Pink Goddess. Her selfless is untouchable.

My purpose of getting my story out there, Pinkies, is not just to honor my wonderful Aunt, but also to remind everyone that the only reason for our existence is to love one another. On a daily basis we come into contact with numerous amounts of people (the internet counts too!) Don’t ever forget that every conversation, every comment, every hug and every compliment reaches out to those people is ways we may never know. Take some time to honor your favorite Pinkie and let them know how they make a difference in your life!

 

Loving You,
Megan Monique

  (PS. Doris, Thank you for being in my life! I love you more than words can express.)