Welcome to the MyLife Blog... All things Life! Be it serious, playful, inquisitive, irreverent or musing, this page is always a celebration of my life as it is. Here you will find my observations on life as well as shout-outs to people, services & products I love! Have an idea for a MyLife post? Email Suzanne
Today at Center for Spiritual Living in San Jose we had a wonderful guest speaker, Reverend Harriet Hawkins. As part of her talk she told the story of Wilma Rudolph who was born prematurely in June, 1940 at just 4.5lbs. Wilma was the 20th of 22 kids in a poor, Tennessee family. As a young child, she survived scarlet fever, chicken pox, measles, whooping cough and infantile paralysis caused by the polio virus. This left her with a twisted leg and no hope from medical professionals that she would recover the use of her leg or ever walk again.
Wilma's mother, a steadfast voice of possibility, believed in another outcome; that her daughter WOULD walk again. And she did everything she could to make certain it would happen. Very often the physical therapy Wilma endured was painful. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, Wilma held to her dream to be like other children. Even with the pain of physical therapy multiple times each day and long stretches of time with no visible change in her condition, Wilma chose, with the support of her mother, to believe in her dream.
Wilma's story is a dramatic one. She went from no hope of ever walking again, to walking with a brace at eight years and by the age of twelve, she ditched the brace altogether and began to enjoy her dream of living like the other kids. She took up basketball in school and in tenth grade was spotted by the track and field coach at Tennessee State. The rest is history... Olympic history! In 1960 in Rome, she took home three gold track and field medals; making Wilma the first American woman to do so in a single Olympic Games.
Here is what stood out to me about Wilma's story...
Even with a strong belief, even certitude in something and tireless, even painful, action toward it, there may be little or NO tangible evidence that change is occurring. Yikes! In our world of instant gratification, THAT is an adjustment! "...little or NO tangible evidence that change is occurring." For me, especially in the last 18 months, this is very familiar! Is it familiar to you?
What is your dream? Whatever it is, I encourage you to keep it close. Take bold action toward it multiple times each day... EVERY day! Yep, even on days it feels painful... maybe even more so on those days! And bless those well intended "voices of reason" in your life who say you cannot achieve it... they are welcome to their opinion ... while you keep your eye on your desire. They, especially, remind us to surround ourselves with people who DO believe in the possibility of our dreams! And while days, weeks, months, even years may pass without "proof" manifesting in our lives... remember Wilma Rudolph. Dreams DO come true... and THEN SOME!
Rev Harriet Hawkins shares her spiritual evolution which began with a mysical experience in childhood on her blog... Christ Becoming.
Fallen, Dead Tree... Roadside Art? It's all a matter of perspective. What will you see?
How I respond or react to something is all a matter of perspective. And let me tell you, there are days when it's an active and very conscious choice to shift my perspective! When things occur that interrupt, derail, sidetrack or otherwise divert my day, it's all about who I choose to be in the the presence of what's occurring. Let's face it, stuff happens! I can get all angry and righteous, "I had to STOP what I was doing and take THREE HOURS to write a letter that allowed everyone to win when all I really wanted was to write a letter that said, I'm Pissed Off!!!" Or, in another instance... "Grrrr! I went totally out of my way for a new client today and in a span of THREE minutes they forgot I was making a special trip over to see them and TOTALY stood me up! REALLY?!?"
Now, I could get all bent out of shape and carry these forward in my day... my week... collect agreement and commiseration from friends and thereby grow these petty annoyances into riveting page turners that well outlive their 15 minutes of fame. OR, after a momentary hissy fit in my parked car, I could opt for new perspectives... "WOW! It only took me three hours to write a letter that insures I get what I require AND has everyone thinking it was their brilliant idea! What a great skill I have and how cool is it, that if I ever need to write a similar letter again... Copy, paste, revise and send! And, instead of sitting through a tedious all-day seminar to learn how to do all this, I did it in only THREE hours! Woo hoo! Lucky me!"
Or, the other example... "Cool! In only forty five minutes I found out that this one particular service I provide is best reserved for established clients who know me and value my time. With a mere forty five minute investment, I've managed to save countless hours of lost time and frustration in the future! How does it get any better than that? Yippee!!!"
As I mentioned, some days it's a stretch for me to get to this place. Sometimes I'll notice myself enjoying the chemical buzz I get from the anger or indignation and begrudgingly pry myself away from the chemical payoff of the emotions in order to make another choice. This way of flipping things around keeps my momentum forward and my head in a space of gratitude for what is. And in gratitude for what is... WHATEVER it is... SO much more is possible.
Friends know that mornings have historically been a challenge, yet when I start the day out on a high note, I've set the tone for what's to follow! I desired TWO things... ONE, make consitient progress writing my book and TWO, to get outside and be active in this beautiful part of the country. The best time for me to do these things? In the early morning! Yikes!!! For me to make these mornings happen would require a little help from my friends. Once again, the key was for me to reach out... to connect with other people... to ask for, and actively create support and accountability, as I morphed into my new ways.
So, I took a deep breath and picked up the phone. Things evolved over about a year and now I have two writing partners! One is local to me and the other's in the LA area. My Monday partner and I meet in person and on Wednesday it's a Skype video call; bed-head and all! On both days we write 7-10am. Look out world... here comes Intentional Word!
I also have a hiking buddy on Tuesday and Friday. Our current hike of choice is Fremont Older Open Space Preserve where we romp for 90min. We've spoted spotted all manner of wildlife and have enjoyed some beautiful sunrises from the ridge , all because we meet at 6:30am! And let me tell you, as much as I love a good sunrise, it's the fact that my buddy's sitting in that parking lot waiting on me that gets me up and out the door at that hour!
7am Skype video calls are great... It's coffee & bed-head for all!
What's something that's a challenge for You? What's been on your DO list for a while that you'd LOVE to be doing? Ok, now... Who do you know that you could buddy up with? Take a minute and scroll through your phone... mentaly plumb your networks... take a look through your Facebook friends, email lists and Linkedin contacts. I've learned that so much more possible in partnership with others and encourage everyone to reach out and partner up! So it's time for a double dog dare... get out your gadget of choice... Now, reach out and touch someone, people! Start a new day right now!
This has been a wonderful week. And it's only Tuesday! It makes a BIG difference when you have people holding the possibility of your vision as you grow into it! People who see in you that unique gift you bring to the world... people who get what you're saying even when clarity is another few miles away... people who are themselves bright lights in the world and examples of what is possible. These three folks have been especially bright in my life this week! Much love to Abigail Schairer, Cassandra Rae and Alan Ruffin!
When you have a big vision or when you're in the midst of a transformation and mired in details and moment to moment change... when you're not sure which end is up or where the next step will take you... in these times especially, having friends holding the high watch is wonderful! They see though all the "stuff" clouding your view and KNOW the the bigger turth of who you are!
Are you growing into a big vision? Are you in the midst of a personal or professional transformation? If so, I encourage you to reach out to those friends who always have your back and champion you at every turn. Ask them to be part of your crew! Part of the team that holds the greatest vision of what's possible for you. Tell them your dream... your intention and allow them to be your torch bearers, to carry a bright and steady light for you as you create or become all you desire! Who would you ask? ...now... I double dog dare ya to pick up the phone or drop them an email right now! You GO with your FAB self!
Abigail Schairer is a Science of Mind practitioner at the Center for Spiritual Living San Jose. Coach Cassandra Rae works with Bay Area fempreneurs as they connect with their heart and open to their soul's calling. Alan Ruffin is a flash and web designer in Chicago and a gifted musician with two bands, Silver Atlas (original music) and Kid-A (a Radiohead tribute band).
Ok, I admit it... I LOVE these guys! The Roadents on YouTube is described as, "Two guinea pigs stuck in a 1983 Winnebago. Meet the Roadents, Pee Pee and Buttercup, as they happily travel the highways of America, and get on each other's nerves."
If you enjoy your humor bite sized and on the dry side, I'm sure you'll get a kick out of these two minute video snacks! Thanks to Kelli Bixler and her creative team at BixPix Entertainment, I now have a laugh any time I need one. My favorite episodes are Beef Barn and Oficer Pig. Enjoy!
My drive out to California from Chicago was a one dream of a road-trip and I was on a mission... I had a party to get to in Burbank!!! My longtime friend Kelli Bixler, of BixPix Entertainment (stop motion animation) was having a bash and I was going to be there! As a result of this pressing need to get on the road, I was just hours ahead of a freak, early-winter snow storm rather than in the middle of it. It was on my heals starting in Denver and on through the mountains. Whew! Got to the LA area three days after leaving Chicago and even had time to get a manicure and my hair cut before the party! In the words of Cassandra Rae, "Woo Hoo!"
If you have a quick sec, check out Kelli's handiwork as Exec Producer on The Roadents!
Brown Packing Tape on a Giant Light Box. How cool is this?
I have seen several of these works in person at the Tape Noir installation at the Philadelphia International Airport and fell in awe of them! The pieces are individially quite large, perhaps 4-6 feet in width, and are brilliant in their simplicity! If you ever hear of an exhibit... RUN to it! Please drop me a line so I can meet you there!
The artist is Mark Khaisman. He was born in Kiev, Ukraine and studied at the Moscow Architectural Institute. He now works and lives in Philadelphia. Lucky Philly!
I LOVED my apartment in Chicago! I was on the 9th floor in a 30 story high rise on Lake Shore Drive & Montrose. I used to joke that I had a double lake view... "One on each side of the obstruction." The only building that broke my view was an historic building with a fire escape running down the back. The photos here conveniently exclude that portion of things, however, that building made for dramatic photo opps when the sun set and the shadows were just right!
I FINALLY broke free of my "neutral Nellie" comfort zone regarding paint. This studio apartment was one big room, plus kitchen, bath and great closet space. A total of 450 sq ft I think. In the end I had TEN paint colors on the walls and it rocked! Viva la color!
I remember when I first looked at this space. Sunny, the owner of the condo, (she was an absolute peach by the way and gave me freedom to enjoy the space and paint to my heart's content!) was in the throes of rehabbing the unit after a 17yr tennant vacated the space. I remember her being VERY reluctant to even let me see it. I pushed her really hard and told her I could see past any anything. When I walked into the mess that was the demolition I took one look out the window... another look at the ample closet space and told her I'd take it!
As it turned out, the timing was freaky. I signed the lease on the morning of April 1st, 2001, and around 5pm, that same day, a 100lb propane tank exploded just 30ft away from our office suite in a workshop down the hall. I was there when it happened and watched the floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall fireball as it blew within 15ft of our glass, front door. For the next six months my world was upended. (There will be a blog post in the near future in the Words section of this blog that recounts the story... stay tuned.) Let's just say, while this condo had white walls when I moved in, it was a sancutuary for me and from April - Sep 2001 I was especially gratfeul to come home to an aparment I loved! I continued living in Sunny's condo for seven years until I moved to San Jose. I loved EVERY minute and treasured each morning as I woke up smiling. I could cry I was so happy living there. Thank you Sunny & Tom!
Born and raised just outside Philadelphia, I moved to Chicago after college and San Jose in 2008. I now have two decades of experience in jewelry design including countless hours of mentoring by expert artisans and ten “hands on” years in fine jewelry manufacturing. As a result I bring a wealth of knowledge about materials, craftsmanship and style to the table. Beyond jewelry, I have a passion for words and the intentional use of language. I believe we create our experience in life and am writing a book on the topic because I am curious… What else is possible? ~ Suzanne Bayles
This blog is for all of us. Selfishly, it’s a way for me to have all of my projects in one place so I can see progress over time & know your thoughts about them. As the blog grows it will provide practical info on both jewelry and the intentional use of language. Strange bedfellows perhaps. Welcome to my world!
Gratitude
I am fortunate to have the love and support of family and friends across the country; one in particular has known me since I was barely old enough to ride a tricycle in her driveway. Much love to all!
Welcome to the MyLife Blog... All things Life! Be it serious, playful, inquisitive, irreverent or musing, this page is always a celebration of my life as it is. Here you will find my observations on life as well as shout-outs to people, services & products I love! Have an idea for a MyLife post? Email Suzanne 
Wilma Rudolph 1960 Rome
