the perfect red

When examining my life I gravitate towards metaphors. Somehow these tangible comparison allows me to understand the intangible reality of my life better.

Take the following example. I've been searching for the perfect red lipstick for ages. This might seem like a non-brainer to some, trust me that it's not a cut and dry endeavour.

Rocking red lips is a bold makeup move. Lips become front & centre, so they'd better tell a good story. Red is so powerful it can throw your whole face (& beyond) off if you're mis-rouged.

Getting the perfect shade of red is just half the story. The next part is getting a shade of red that I'd actually want to touch my lips. Most lipsticks are made with the grossest toxic ingredients. I don't want that stuff in my auric field, let alone touching me.

And then there's that nasty statistic that the average woman eats 4-7 lbs of lipstick over a lifetime. EW. That statistic, strangely, isn't enough for me to stop using lip goo, but it will make me WAY more careful about what lipstick I'm going to eat.

Finding a non-toxic, organic version of the perfect red? I've been searching and experimenting for years. And today I found it. Actually, it found me.

A friend of mine (Taylor) gifted me some makeup of her friend Fiona's up and coming organic makeup line Super Natural Lips. It arrived in the mail some months ago, and I finally received it upon returning home for some down time. I tried one of her ravishing shades and knew. The search was over.

And this simple act of applying lipstick made me wonder about all the other things I've been searching for, hoping it would be just right - perfect, I reflected on how those things or people or experiences might just come to me when I'm not even thinking about it. One relaxing day I'll just open myself to the experience and there it will be. Exactly what I wanted. No compromise.

The perfect shade of red is what happens when I'm busy trying to be my best and not focusing on getting or having.

Here's to realizing (& recognizing) all my perfect shade of red moments.

details, details.

I sit here on the eve of the last day of my 33rd year here on this planet and reflect. What were my most profound learnings of my latest spin with the sun?

First, I've learned to accept my own beauty more. I've been fortunate enough to be around people who let me know what they like about me, which is nice. And it's never what I expect them to say. The things about myself that I might dislike or discount are then very things that draw people to me. Who'd a thought? And so, all of me is likeable, even the parts of me that aren't. This revelation makes it so much easier for me to get along with myself & others.

On the beauty tangent I've come to recognize my sensual nature, and how it's allowed me to become a master appreciator. I can relish in every moment, even the ones that cause me pain. This amazes me all the time. And the beauty around keeps becoming MORE obvious and the moments in my life keep becoming MORE beautiful. I can derive so much pleasure from observing miracles of nature & humankind.

How is this? How is it that life's beauty abounds in the midst of what could be described as "shitty". How is it that we can look for the gift in every moment? Death, tragedy, embarrassment, laziness, ineptitude, dissatisfaction, etc., all have their rainbow factor.

Second, it's come to my attention that paying attention to the small details in my life will invite bigger things. If I can get the minutia of my life in order, where the simplest things are completed proficiently & efficiently, then I open my self to greater experiences. If I can show others, for example, that I can complete basic tasks with a sense of urgency & to a high calibre result, they are more likely to ask me to get involved with more important or high impact activities. Why get involved with someone who can't deliver on the basic stuff?

This seems like an appropriate variable to factor into my decision making. How I do anything is how I do everything. Same goes for others.....

And thirdly, getting clear is the key to activating passion. If I know what I want, (& don't want), it's easy to get up in the morning to work towards it. Fuzziness breeds laziness. A crystal clear vision breeds passionate action.

None of this is rocket science. Geez, this would have been great information to have had 33 years ago. But hey, everything's perfect, right?