Breath In, Breath Out - 15 Second Savior

One trick that I have been focusing on lately is what I call the "15-Second Pause." I have this program that teaches me mindfulness and about what it is and what it means. It helps me practice and prompts me when I need it. One of the things it uses to help is the pause feature, which is available at any time from the homescreen. There's a 15 second circular loop in the middle of the screen and as the outside of the loop goes around to complete the countdown it prompts you to breathe in and breathe out twice. The background screen changes to one of twenty or more moving backgrounds; they are all animated nature or relaxing videos. It gives you 15 seconds to focus on something beautiful that is going on right in front of you. The goal is that while

breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth just twice and focusing on what you are seeing or what is really around you you can return back to your awareness of reality with an enhanced balance and mindfulness, in tune with the world around you. This is the chance to, when you look up from the exercise, look at what is around you now. Focus on being mindful of the present and what is going on all around you. Enjoy it and your life instead of worrying about things you can't control or living in the past or future. By spending all our time being upset for whatever reason at whomever about the past or all our time worrying about or planning for the future we miss out on the present. It's called the present for a reason. Really. Learn to be mindful, use these 15-second breaks to help. You can use the timer on you iPhone or look at a relaxing picture for 15 seconds - just make sure to breathe in and out two times. In through the nose and out through the mouth. It's a cliche, but it's true, don't forget to stop and smell the roses - you never know when you will be back and if they will even be in bloom. Take a minute to slow down and see things for what they really are, see what's really going on all around you. Live for today. Don't miss out on the life you've been given. 

You can download the app if you want - it's called "Mindfulness Daily" by inward inc - here's the link for the App Store:

https://appsto.re/us/_bIYP.i

The Joy of Being an Elephant (Even When Not In The Wild) 🐘🌾🍃🌿☀️🎶

Never forget to dance along to the beat of life, I mean look at this elephant. This magnificent creature is massive and It's been around so much longer than any of us and is built to destroy things many times our size. It's natural tusks are so valuable that they have put the elephant on the endangered species list and threatens to keep them there until they simply cease to exist. I don't know how the LA Zoo aquires and conserves animals but I know that these people and handlers can be trusted. These elephants needed a home and found one here, where they are well taken care of and don't have to worry about poachers or drought or predators. This Establishment has the backing of many very influential and honorable people. I could go on and on, but the point is that while the Zoo is not the ideal spot for the elephants to live it is the best and safest place for them to be right now and at least while they are here we can make sure that they are taken care of in the best manner possible so as to make them happy and make their life most like how it would be if they were home in the wild.

Being here allows them to safely and peacefully live their lives and to be happy as well. Human beings aren't the only living creatures capable of happiness and Joy. All living creatures are capable of love and joy to some form or extent. Look at this beautiful elephant, those amazingly rare and deadly tusks. Yet such a gentle demeanor from an animal not threatened by poachers or rifles. Granted they are still wild animals, but by being rescued we domesticate them to an extant (the least amount as possible) in order to help them acclimate and ultimately survive. They don't get all the same things they would if they were outside the zoo, but they get the extra benefits over the risks. I don't know if this elephant was bred, captured or rescued or whether or not he has ever even seen the wild, but I do know one thing - he doesn't care right now. He is enjoying being alive. Human beings must have invented stress and worry for ourselves because it serves no point except to sabotage our own lives; animals don't seem to be stressing about what their lives will be like in ten years. They live in the here and now because they have to. While we can't necessarily live life without thinking of the future at all we have quite a bit we can learn. This guy floored me, mesmerized me. I couldn't look away and the whole time I was grinning, smiling and laughing along with everyone else there. I was already complaining about odd things throughout the day and look at this elephant here who had more to complain about than me and he was saying screw it, let's make the best of it. It almost made me feel like a fool. 

At this certain point there were about twenty or so people gathered looking out over a meter-high barrier standing between the elephant enclosure and the outside zoo. The elephant seemed to know he had an audience because, as you can see in the video, he looks over many times smiling and keeps going as if to play. In the warm springtime sun he seems to dance to his own tune and rhythm, in sync with whatever is running through his head. He keeps cool by backing into the water from the waterfall and plays around once more by climbing the hill to dance around some more and wave with a smile to his adoring bystanders. It was one of those moments in the zoo when you completely forget about time and everything else and get lost in the sheer Joy of witnessing anther animal not only find its Joy but share it with others. Joy truly is all around us. We have to constantly remind ourselves to be like Mr. Elephant and simply blow off the sand and dirt of troubles and dance away the stiffness and ache of life. Live in the present moment and enjoy what is going on right now, even when your situation is less than ideal work with what you have and make the best of it. You will never get another today again; a tomorrow maybe, but we don't know about that either. Since we can't be sure lets make sure to focus on finding those things of Joy in our life and truly enjoying them once we find them. Once we do that sharing becomes an easy next step as it pretty much happens on its own as you become a becon outward of your own Joy. So play in the dirt and the water, get messy and have fun - sing and dance like there's no tomorrow, because today is all we are guaranteed.