"Physical well-being is inseparable from emotional well being. Happy people are healthy people. The wisdom traditions of the world tell us that happiness does not depend on what you have, but on who you are. As we begin the new year, it may be worthwhile to reflect on what really creates happiness in us. The following ten keys, gleaned from the wisdom traditions, may give us some insight.

1. Listen to your body's wisdom, which expresses itself through signals of comfort and discomfort. When choosing a certain behavior, ask your body, "How do you feel about this?" If your body sends a signal of physical or emotional distress, watch out. If your body sends a signal of comfort and eagerness, proceed.

2. Live in the present, for it is the only moment you have. Keep your attention on what is here and now; look for the fullness in every moment. Accept what comes to you totally and completely so that you can appreciate it, learn from it, and then let it go. The present is as it should be. It reflects infinite laws of Nature that have brought you this exact thought, this exact physical response. This moment is as it is because the universe is as it is. Don't struggle against the infinite scheme of things; instead, be at one with it.

3. Take time to be silent, to meditate, to quiet the internal dialogue. In moments of silence, realize that you are recontacting your source of pure awareness. Pay attention to your inner life so that you can be guided by intuition rather than externally imposed interpretations of what is or isn't good for you.

4. Relinquish your need for external approval. You alone are the judge of your worth, and your goal is to discover infinite worth in yourself, no matter what anyone else thinks. There is great freedom in this realization.

5. When you find yourself reacting with anger or opposition to any person or circumstance, realize that you are only struggling with yourself. Putting up resistance is the response of defenses created by old hurts. When you relinquish this anger, you will be healing yourself and cooperating with the flow of the universe.

6. Know that the world "out there" reflects your reality "in here." The people you react to most strongly, whether with love or hate, are projections of your inner world. What you most hate is what you most deny in yourself. What you most love is what you most wish for in yourself. Use the mirror of relationships to guide your evolution. The goal is total self-knowledge. When you achieve that, what you most want will automatically be there, and what you most dislike will disappear.

7. Shed the burden of judgment - you will feel much lighter. Judgment imposes right and wrong on situations that just are. Everything can be understood and forgiven, but when you judge, you cut off understanding and shut down the process of learning to love. In judging others, you reflect your lack of self-acceptance. Remember that every person you forgive adds to your self-love.

8. Don't contaminate your body with toxins, either through food, drink, or toxic emotions. Your body is more than a life-support system. It is the vehicle that will carry you on the journey of your evolution. The health of every cell directly contributes to your state of well being, because every cell is a point of awareness within the field of awareness that is you.

9. Replace fear-motivated behavior with love-motivated behavior. Fear is the product of memory, which dwells in the past. Remembering what hurt us before, we direct our energies toward making certain that an old hurt will not repeat itself. But trying to impose the past on the present will never wipe out the threat of being hurt. That happens only when you find the security of your own being, which is love. Motivated by the truth inside you, you can face any threat because your inner strength is invulnerable to fear.

10. Understand that the physical world is just a mirror of a deeper intelligence. Intelligence is the invisible organizer of all matter and energy, and since a portion of this intelligence resides in you, you share in the organizing power of the cosmos. Because you are inseparably linked to everything, you cannot afford to foul the planet's air and water. But at a deeper level, you cannot afford to live with a toxic mind, because every thought makes an impression on the whole field of intelligence. Living in balance and purity is the highest good for you and the Earth."

Happy Holidays everyone!

Anyways, found a funny article about the best tweets about the earthquake.

Enjoy!

A tornado and a rainbow...all at the same time. Haha.

Found this picture on the Astronomy Pic of the Day website... made me chuckle a bit. The scene almost looks like clay-mation.

Anyways, I'll keep it short. Just wanted to share some memories of a trip I took last month to Negril, Jamaica. Here is a picture of the patio at a small inn I stayed at. Nothing fancy.

I took a walk late one night, and being that we're in the third world and ambient lighting really isn't on the priority list... I couldn't see much. It's funny though how your other senses make up for a lack in one area. As we were walking the night was filled with amazing sounds from creatures I couldn't see. Frogs? Crickets? I'm not really sure. I of course pulled out my cell phone and recorded a small clip:

 Enjoy. Hope you find it as cool as I did.

He apparently plays with pieces of wire to create the lines and designs of his jewelry. The closest I can come to that is playing with Mowgli's big, floppy ears... but again, it is more a distraction than a brainstorming ploy. But... he's just so damn cute. 

Ever since I was a little girl, I've never understood how imitation is a form of flattery. It didn't matter what - whether it was an idea, a favorite song, my tendency to make jokes about certain (inappropriate) things or the color of my toenail polish - for me, being copied was as irritating as nails down a chalkboard.

Lately, I've been judging myself for this. I mean, take a stroll down the nail polish aisle of CVS. Yes, there are about 300 polishes from different brands, in different bottles. But really there are probably only about 25 colors, most likely all manufactured in the same factory. Who am I to be irritated when Sally Jo walks by with the same, exact, perfectly manicured shade of mint green on her nails? Ugh.

Maybe it's a product of being part of Generation Y (are we Y or X? I always forget), where Mommy and Daddy told you you were great and could do whatever you wanted in life. Rebelling against the tendency to fit in seemed like our motto. Then it hit me. Myself - and many others I'll deem as 'fauxhemians' - have fallen into the deep end of hyper-individualization where every little thing is supposed to be an expression of a unique identity. And if it isn't, the world comes crashing down like Armageddon combined with your worst teenage break-up.

So what to do? Get into a vicious cycle of trying to stay one step ahead of Sally Jo?

No. After percolating a bit on it, I've decided to just... GET OVER IT!! Here's where I go all hippie on you and say: we're all beautiful in our own unique way and we don't have to prove it to anyone.

Except Sally Jo. Damn it. Where did she get that shade of grey-purple lacquer? Talk soon, headed to the salon.

xo,

Aarti

I’m starting my spring-cleaning. Yes, I’ve started scrubbing all the dirt stains out of the carpet and I’ve even bought a bag of potting soil to start beautifying the front stoop of my apartment. I have to say that spring is my favorite season. Until allergies hit.

I’m so jealous of people who have yards in the city.  My apartment opens out to a four-lane road that has 40 mph (yes, the speed limit is 25 but HELLO, if you’re from Maryland or Virginia, you’ve got places to be) traffic at all times.

I love front yards so much that I’ve even picked out my favorite block and favorite house in the city. I won’t tell you the house… because that is a bit creepy. But the block is Q Street between 14^th and 15^th streets NW. When you have a chance, walk through there. I have to admit, when there is a conversation that pokes fun at the frou frou kinds that inhabit the Dupont area, I’m the first the chime in (…and pummel through the line of non-appropriate jokes). This block though… it’s like the feeling you had in high school where you hated the cool kids but you would have given anything to be one.

In any case, I’ve been rambling. I do have some jewelry in the works… just in time for spring. Some shimmering raw diamonds, yellow gold and of course the coin-pressed texture. Take a look at the waxes I’m working on:

Ah yes, it is springtime. Ideas are blooming.

Hope spring brings good times and fresh ideas to everyone.

xo,

Aarti

I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's be real here. I had a blast today. I got to pick everyone's brain about their work... and I also tried on this splendid hat!!

Sorry the picture is a little fuzzy. In any case, I had a great time, got to see some old friends/mentors and also schooled Matt in the craft/jewelry world a bit... poor guy!

That is all for now. Hope everyone had a great weekend.