If you enjoyed reading “Eat Pray Love”, perhaps you’d like to create your own eat pray love experience with me on my Italy Retreat for Women to live la dolce vita, the sweet life. Even though the Italy Retreat this September is filled, I encourage you to make plans for the September 2011 Italy Retreat.
How can you prepare?
4 Steps:
1.) Start saving money for the trip. Have a special jar on your shelf or a travel savings account. Each week add more to your Italy jar.
2.) Create the trip in your imagination. Visualize yourself strolling along the Mediterranean, eating gelato or enjoying a spa on the Italian island of Ischia or Capri.
3.) Jump out of the duldrums and be courageous like Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat Pray Love. Check out her book if you haven’t already, and read other books about Italy throughout the year. Some of my favorite books to read about Italy can be found on my Italy Retreat blog. Just scroll to the bottom of the page.
4.) Even if you don’t create your own Eat Pray Love experience in Italy, find the moments in your life to go for more than you ever dreamed possible.
The book was a huge success and I’m sure the movie will be too (opening Friday August 13) because Elizabeth captures the joy of courageously following a dream, even though it may not be supported by others. She also reminds us that we will recover from sadness in our lives.
I love this section from the book about happiness:
“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.”
Each day think of 3 aspects to experience happiness:
EAT: I’m not promoting eating your troubles away in order to find happiness. Far from that, but part of travel in Italy naturally includes indulging in the pleasure of eating delicious food. Again, if your eat pray love adventure does not include leaving your own town, know that eating is symbolic for experiencing life’s pleasures.
PRAY: is a daily experience whether or not you are in Italy visiting an ancient church, or enjoying art, architecture, and turquoise waters that take your breath away, you will be filled with tranquility. Even if not in Italy, daily spend time in prayer, meditation, and communing with nature. I’m visiting Boulder and walking in the mountains to connect with the beauty of creation. This can be deep prayer.
LOVE: Open heart, feel deeply. Think about self-love–you will fall in love with yourself, and the possibilities that the outer beauty of Italy offers. Self-love does not have to mean narcissism, but an appreciation of your beauty and qualities. Love yourself first to be able to love others in a more accepting way.
How do you manifest eating, praying, and loving in your life?
Lenora's Italy Retreat blog | Lenora's Change Limiting Beliefs Website
The Pulse of Commitment
Commitment is tangible, like the beat of your heart felt in your pulse. Have you ever had the experience of being so committed to a goal that no matter how many roadblocks you encountered, you would not give up? How do you know when to continue in the same vein or take another path? Are the roadblocks a sign that you should quit?
I can’t answer that for anyone else, but I’d advise you if you want to re-examine your commitment, to do 3 things first: First, be quiet for awhile, secondly, ask yourself questions, and lastly, listen for your answer deep in your soul.
I do know that once I was committed to applying for Italian citizenship for me and my children, I jumped through all the hoops. More than four years ago, I requested information from the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. It was two years before they even looked at my request. I was told that, every day, they get 96,000 requests.
In order for me to apply for Italian citizenship, I had to prove that my paternal grandfather was still an Italian citizen when my father was born in the United States. If he had denounced his Italian citizenship, then I could not apply.
These last four years have been an emotional roller coaster while I was researching, waiting, gathering documents, having them translated into Italian, getting gold apostilles on each document from State agencies, and waiting some more. I wanted to quit so many times.
Twelve months ago, after driving five hours to the Italian Consulate in the US, to apply, I hit another major roadblock. (more…)
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Earth Day
Earth Day is my birthday and I received a great gift from the Italian Consulate in the US yesterday. I have been working diligently for four years gathering documents for application for dual citizenship for myself and my 2 kids (my husband can apply once I have a passport). Yesterday, my application was finally accepted after 3 different rejections! This was the greatest gift I could’ve received. As you know if you’ve read my Italy Retreat Blog, I am passionate about all things Italian.
I’ll write more about this tomorrow, but wanted to celebrate Earth Day too by sharing this wonderful video by Aqualise that my daughter, Grace, sent to me.
May we take care of planet Earth on this day and always. Please watch the beautiful video. What do you do to preserve our planet?
Lenora's Italy Retreat blog | Lenora's Change Limiting Beliefs Website
Letting Go . . Again
Some years ago, I accompanied my husband on a business trip to The Cayman Islands, which are known for some of the best snorkeling in the world. He decided to teach me to snorkel by having me jump from a low wall into rough water wearing my snorkel gear. I began thrashing and almost drowned the two of us. We made it out of the water alive, and then noticed a group of beginner snorkelers swimming in a barrier reef that looked like a shallow pool.
That’s where I finally learned to breathe through that ridiculously narrow tube. I don’t do well when I am thrown in over my head. I like to wade in with my feet touching the bottom, if needed, at least at first. This makes it easier for me to let go of my fears.
Once I got the hang of it, my husband would wake up in the mornings, startled to see me standing beside his side of the bed with my snorkel gear ready to go. I had surrendered to the ocean.
That’s what I felt like when I was thrown into India last week. I again traveled with my husband for this adventure. This time for ayurvedic health purification treatments.
Even though this was my fourth trip to India, the accommodations were more third world than I expected. My room was without windows and had a broken air conditioner with no one available to fix it. The electricity went out every day at noon for a couple hours without any regard for the 100+ degree temperatures. And did I mention the roaches in my room, including one climbing out of my toothbrush?
I know it sounds strange to many people that I would even go to India for rejuvenation treatments,but it is the home of an ancient health treatment called panchakarma.
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In the same breath, I might add that India is not for wimps, but it is a great place to burn off karma, stretch your boundaries and let go of limiting beliefs. In my clearer moments, I watched preconceived perceptions wash down the drain.
It’s a country of opposites — beggars, poverty, deeply spiritual citizens and holy people in the Himalayan mountains are quite common.
The scene outsidewas interesting — an empty lot filled with trash, that was burned on a daily basis, filling the air with choking smoke. Right next to the lot, was a small country club with a beautiful swimming pool filled with water, but no swimmers. Indian chants were blasting over a loudspeaker in the lovely park on the other side of the trash lot. The clinic is in a nice neighborhood, so there were no beggars on the streets, nor smoke from cow dung burning at night.
Their standards of cleanliness, however, are different than mine. I won’t even go into detail. Each day I would let go of my notions of what I needed to feel comfortable.
In each moment I had to die to my beliefs of cleanliness, of fine customer service, of being in control of my environment.
India was a gift that gave me practice allowing the death of my ego, the surrender of how things SHOULD be. The little deaths we go through when we fail, or find ourselves in deep water outside our comfort zone, create a more open-hearted, compassionate, enriching life.
For me, I find that coming up for air to find solid familiar space under my feet every once in awhile, supports the practice of letting go.
LETTING GO is a fast track to experiencing strength, growth and freedom. When we choose to try something different, we learn to stay flexible.
Grab change by the hand, maybe get a lifejacket, and swim.
What is your ‘India’? How have you learned to let go? I’d love to hear from you.
Lenora's Italy Retreat blog | Lenora's Change Limiting Beliefs Website
Every Thursday I post a quote or thought for all of us to ponder. Today’s quotes are:
“Burning desire to see or do something gives us staying power-a reason to get up every morning or to pick ourselves up and start in again after a disappointment.”–Marsha Sinetar
“Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.”–Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
Today was my first appointment at the Italian Consulate Office in Chicago to apply for dual citizenship with Italy. I have never sat in more uncomfortable seats in my life. They were metal bars on the seats and backs that left deep creases in my body. There was a steady stream of people arriving for visas, passports, citizenship and other things.
Lenora's Italy Retreat blog | Lenora's Change Limiting Beliefs Website
This September I’m combining my passion for Italy with my passion for helping women expand their possibilities to create a life they love. Even though I’ll be teaching in northern Italy, my roots are in southern Italy as shown in this video ad. My husband, two kids and I visited over 40 cousins in Calabria, Italy twice within the same year. That was two years ago, and I wanted to return.
I got tired of hearing myself whine about going back to Italy acting as though it was impossible. “Well, why not?” I asked myself over and over. “We still are paying college tuition, so travel has to be put on the back burner.” “Do you believe that?” I’d answer, “Yes”, until I thought of teaching there. But then the doubts set in. “I’ve never taught there before and not sure anyone would want to join me.” “Want to find out?” “Yes, I wanted to” and and I did. I focused on following a faint desire that grew into a possibility. Since I am an asker of questions in my life’s work as an Option Method teacher, I’m used to carrying on a dialogue with myself. I suggest you try it too! Or call me, and I’ll help you question and clarify your thoughts.
Michelle at Bleeding Expresso, an American living and blogging in Calabria, posted this beautiful ad featuring Gattuso Gennaro, a soccer player Calabria. He asks…”simu o no Calabrisi? Are we Calabrians or not?!”
The last line of the video is “Calabria has everything,” and then the closing line “we put our hearts into it.”
Maybe I’ll teach my next workshop in the foot of the boot of Italy, Calabria! It’s old Italy, full of mountainous raw beauty surrounded by the blue Ionian/Mediterranean Sea.
Whatever your dreams are, can you just keep them in your vision? Simultaneously, examine the thoughts or conclusions you have that block you from fulfilling them? Maybe one of your dreams is to visit Italy? I can help with that! I can help you with all of your dreams. LIKE THE AD SAYS, LET’S PUT OUR HEART INTO OUR DREAMS. Read more on my Italy Retreat Blog.
Lenora's Italy Retreat blog | Lenora's Change Limiting Beliefs Website
Continuing with the subject from my last entry about women’s rights in the US and Iran…
There is a matriarchal society on a paradise island in the Arabian Sea off the Malabar Coast of southern India, called Lakshadweep. Women enjoy a lofty status on these islands. Property is passed from the mother to daughter and men can only be caretakers. Husbands are supposed to give a salary to their wives on a yearly basis, and if they fail to do that, the women can and do ask for divorces. I find it interesting that the islanders are Muslim, but the women are honored and in charge. Their manner of dress is simple and similar to the Muslims of Malabar coast.
I’d just be curious to visit a matriarchial society, even though it’s a very long and arduous journey to reach these 36 teeny islands off the coast of Kerala, India. The water is clear blue and the beaches sandy.
If you know of other matriarchial groups, send me a comment
Lenora's Italy Retreat blog | Lenora's Change Limiting Beliefs Website
Please join me in Italy where possibilities abound, to AWAKEN YOUR DREAMS and learn to live la dolce vita (the sweet life). In September we will spend 7 days in Italy with a group of like-minded women, to transform our lives in a workshop that I will lead where we will be adventurers on the inside and outside.
Lenora's Italy Retreat blog | Lenora's Change Limiting Beliefs Website
Feeling the holiday blues? Visit friends and family (that uplift you), or just step outside and breathe in some fresh air (even if it’s as cold as it is today) and take a walk (even just around the block). This is one simple step that will awaken your seratonin level and sizzle your level of happiness! In this first photo, my arms outspread, hiking in Boulder, Colorado with light coming up over the mountain trail and filling the sky. I felt blessed in the mountainous pine forest, but only after I saw the photo did I notice the angel filling the afternoon sky. My friend, Bob Meyer, is standing behind me. He and his wife, Helena, are avid hikers and owners of a natural skin care company, the Helena Meyer Company in Boulder. Fabulous skincare.
A few other friends I visited in Boulder include Russ and Millie Malloy and their boys, and Heather Squires and daughter, Lauren in photo. Heather used to babysit my daughter 20 years ago, and now Grace babysits for Heather’s daughter!
Loved my time in Boulder, and when not hiking or eating, I worked on my laptop at one of the zillions of coffee shops downtown. Enjoy….
Lenora's Italy Retreat blog | Lenora's Change Limiting Beliefs Website
I’m writing this entry from an old stone house on the grounds of a Trappistine Monastery. I am living with four other women writers (not the nuns) on a six day writing retreat lead by Rae Bird. Our days are filled with hours of writing and hiking on the 500 acres of exquisite rolling hillsides surrounded by cows and silence. I learned today that bulls are territorial of their cows, so don’t walk too close! He snorted and gave me a warning charge–enough to stop my heart and give me something exciting to write about.
In the evenings, we meet to read our entries to each other for feedback. It sounds so simple yet much needed by women.
I know a writing retreat may not be possible for everyone, but I think more happiness and clarity can be created by writing about our hopes and dreams, our doubts and fears. Writing or journaling can be like moving the 800 pound gorilla off our chest. Sometimes we just have things to say, but either no one is there to listen, or we don’t want anyone else to know what we’re thinking and feeling. In that way, writing is cathartic, but it can also be a means of collecting our family history.
I’m suggesting that each day be a mini-retreat when we begin writing our thoughts and memories, not necessarily for publication but just so that our unique history & stories are made permanent. Write about how you feel, who you’ve loved (and hated), your thoughts on politics, traveling, foods you love, children you raised or didn’t raise, how you spend your days.
Writing To Do List:
1.) Write every day, even for 5-10 minutes for a start. Set a timer, don’t stop writing no matter what, and don’t edit. Just listen to the voice inside and write.
2.) Create a memoir folder on your computer or in spiral notebooks as you collect your family history pieces.
3.) Form a writing group. Write and then read to each other.
4.) Read books that help you tell your soul’s story: I recommend Writing Down the Bones (about free writing) and Old Friend From Far Away (about writing memoir) by Natalie Goldberg. Writing from Life by Susan W. Albert will also give you a jumpstart in telling your stories.
5.) Read blogs about writing well, such as Write to Done
I’d love to hear any ideas that have helped you write.
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