Ulog 18 - Personal Independence Day
Today, I am Ulogging from my Yoga Mat.
In the US, the 4th of July is a major holiday - Independence day. The sun is shining and it is very quiet and peaceful in my neighborhood.
But I am not going to talk about the history of the country. The 4th of July is also my Personal Independence Day.
You see, I owned a small store for 12 years. I sold all kinds of groceries, meat, cheese and lots of produce. What that meant for me was that I was working all the time. The store was open 7 days a week and for the most part, I was working 7 days a week and often long hours.
Then, I got cancer. After being out for a while, I really didn't want to do this anymore. But if you have been sick, you have lots of bills and hospitals are not kind about late payments.
Anyways, it's a long story. But 9 years, on the 4th of July, I closed the store and walked away from it.
I have not regretted that decision for even one minute.
Every year, on the 4th of July, I celebrate my very own personal independence day.
My video is at DLive
Oh, Marianne,
I was teary-eyed just from reading your post text earlier. Then I had to go offline and just got back to watch your video. I wasn't so teary-eyed during your video though. Maybe because I'd done some clarity-inducing work of my own to clear the way for offering my new sound healing sessions online soon, so I was in a different space.
Plus I always find your energy so calming and healing that I rejoiced more at the meaning of your Independence Day as you shared it in the video. Imagine my smile when you sounded your healing gongies at the beginning! ;)
I don't think I'll ever not remember that July 4th is also your personal Independence Day from now on. I resonated so much with why it is. Following our own inner knowingness is soooo key to our continued unfolding magnificence and I, like you, have experienced radical health challenges after years of doing what I knew wasn't what served my own joyful living and being.
Thank Goddess you gave up your store and started doing what you wanted to.... that's always so healing, no matter how scary. I honor your courage for doing that, Marianne. Now every one of your videos I watch will remind me to follow my own heart and bliss every time.
Bless you and Thank you for always sharing yourself so authentically in all your posts,. From the time I met you here on Steemit, you have always been one of my favorite Steemians. AND I didn't realize until this week that you teach yoga. That's just one other level of magic and soul sister recognition joy. ;)
Anyhoo, I usually come comment and upvote your posts but I did find out about this specific one via @dynamicrypto's contest. So I'll add the tag thingy below. ;)
btw, Thank you for your mini #freewrite tutorial day before yesterday and further encouragement yesterday... it made me want to start soooonest. xxx
#dynamicfreewrite
Thank you so very much!!!
Now, I am curious about your sound healing sessions! So intriguing!!
One of my favorite memories is going to a backyard healing bowl concert/session - whatever you want to call it. That was so wonderful! Are you going to write about the sessions here on steemit?
You know, I've been doing galactic toning sound healing from 1990, Marianne. Learning it changed my life and I've had a couple pretty dramatic results from it personally. And I've used it to help others who've had some big and small issues to surmount.
But it scares a part of me more than a little bit. It's just super powerful. Enough that I don't share about it much. And have NEVER offered it online the way I've done my other healing work since 2004.
BUT after last year's health drama, the ONLY thing that gets me excited and my heart both fluttering and afraid, is the idea of now sharing it online via my monthly call memberships and coaching.
And yes, I've shared about it just a tiny bit here... actually started a series for it then promptly didn't do any more. Did I say 'running scared'? ;)
It's time now though. So although I won't be doing the whole shebang here on Steemit, I will share a few short audio excerpts of my toning. Part of the clarity-inducing work that I did offline and referred to earlier was setting out most of the steps I have to take to get it from mere idea stage to up and selling.
I was about to set up the memberships JUST as I joined Steemit early February. And I've been beating myself up a bit ever since because it was one more instance of setting it aside. But Steemit has helped me a lot in getting back online, writing, creating and sharing consistently after over a year of shutting down since my sister's passing.
In fact, the second post in the series that I promised to share is an excerpt of a sound healing session I did for her a couple years before she passed when she again had an emergency hospitalization and we thought we'd lose her. That sound healing was triggered by a dream I had that warned me she was in danger.
Gosh... I have to write that post tomorrow. Or later today. I'll probably use bits of this comment. Thanks for asking, Marianne. xxx
PS Almost forgot that tag thingy... ;)
#dynamicfreewrite
PPS btw, I DID forget your reference to the back yard sound healing you attended... and that flashed the mental memory pic of backyard tee pee healings I attended in the US decades ago. What are they called again... gosh!!!! American Indian origin... hot stones... HOTTTTT and chanting. The word is RIGHT there at the edge... .will come back and write it when I'm hearing Angels' reminder properly, Marianne.
sweat lodge? I have never done on since I don't deal well with overheating. Saunas and really hot hot tubs are out for me.
I am looking forward to your post!! will you drop it in a comment or tag me once you wrote it?
I want to know more about this!!
And paralleling your experience, I also am spending way too much time on Steemit instead of working on my podcast... Wonder what is up with that LOL
YESSSS!!! I thought you would know what I was rambling on about!!!
I LOVED sweat lodges back then. OMGosh!!!! But not sure I could deal with them now either. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for reminding me of the name. I LOVE even the NAME!!! ;)
Yes, I'll definitely tag or comment when it's up. Remember thought that it's not 'pretty' sounding like the gongies or bowls. It's rough, raw. Because it thoroughly breaks up crystallized, stuck energy. ;)
Podcast. I KNOW I read something about your podcast. What's it on again, Marianne? Please forgive my bad memory and not searching down the .... scratch that... it's on your profile. ;)
Sustainable living. You're living that yourself. Is it that you want to tackle another, fresher topic? Or a fresher angle to same?
Oh, it is along story. I started out with no tech knowledge (not that I have much now) and my co-host did all the tech stuff. Then I learned to edit and took a bunch of classes while she ended up being the caretaker of her mom. I was excited about changes and she didn't have the energy to even think about that.
So, I was basically doing the podcast alone - but with the consciousness of being in a partnership and didn't want to make unilateral decisions. by the time she decided that she was done with podcasting - at least for now - I had lost my mojo a bit and haven't gotten it back (yet). And more new tech things came up and the computer I have all the sound stuff connected to is running very slow... All things which are fixable but I am procrastinating on it.
Sounds like I need to book one of your sessions :)
We all need to love ourselves despite the adversities that life has for us. Loving oneself creates personal independence in order to love others.
I send you a big breath for your decision! Life is not easy, but on the way we meet wonderful people who help us walk.
Regards! #dynamicfreewrite
Thank you so much. and there is no doubt in my mind that we need to love and take care of ourselves before we can be truly useful to others.
First of all i hope that you really enjoyed your personal independence day and in my opinion everyday is personal independence day for human being but we human beings made it real busy and burdened life through entering into the rat race.
And good to see those Gongs and i really liked there sound and it really went so deep and that sound created deep vibrations and in my opinion also those can be used for the sound therapy.
Really unfortunate to hear about your cancer but your vibes telling that you really faced that huge obstacle with courage and you've pushed yourself out of it. And i want to salute you for your fighting spirit.
Good to know that you ran an shop. And yes, hospitals really became joke and they become so commercial that many people fail to pay the bills and they suffer due to lack of money and in my opinion this situation should not be happen because everyone's life is important and everyone can afford the treatment.
I am happy to see your smile and truly your happiness is reflecting the freedom and in my opinion tough and rough times will going to come in our life but we have to continue with those work which gives us happiness and also which is our passion because we should enjoy life because our life is valuable.
Thanks for sharing this post and video with us. Wishing you an great day and stay blessed. 🙂
#dynamicfreewrite
thank you so much. I so much agree with you!! Life is a gift and we can choose every day what to do with it - not always easy, that is for sure. But searching for the good things in every day's happenings makes it much easier to deal with the not so good ones.
to personal independence days 😄
Welcome, and thanks for giving value to my thoughts. Stay blessed. 🙂
Hi
It was great to listen to you today. I haven't heard you speak before. Thank you for sharing your experience. I am grateful to you for talking about getting through tough times.
I have come back from tough spots before. I worked damn hard to get my health and every aspect of myself back in the past, but this time has been long and it can feel hopeless.
Seeing you at the end of that hard work is very encouraging.
I'm sure you didn't just close a door and find everything was suddenly OK. It is evident you have worked very hard.
Your bell sparked a special memory for me. I want to share this little bell with you. I suppose I used it to sooth as a kid, without even knowing it.
I inherited it too I guess. When my grandmother died I was 9 yrs old. We went with my mother to her home and she allowed us to take items that were special to us. I maintained a shrine of sorts in my bedroom back then. This is one of the only things I still have. I did have one entire shelf on my book shelf of things from my grannys house.
This bell is copper I think, and about 2 inches high. I am ringing it now with gratitude to you for helping me through a tough day.
Thanks.
You made such a beautiful comment. And I just found out about this contest. Maybe you can update with the hashtag...
https://steemit.com/contest/@dynamicrypto/dynamicrypto-s-commenting-contest
No. Listening to you speak and benefiting from you sharing your very personal experience felt like a beautiful pure gift all its own. I don't want to negate it in any way. I think these incentives are a good thing, as sadly there is way too much irrelevant comments and spammy content.
I don't usually join a contest for the monetary gain, it doesn't motivate me. Long term steemit satisfaction can't be reliant on wether there is a buck in it or not. I see so many people come and go, because they don't make a quick win fall.
Thank you for the suggestion, I do appreciate it.
Your posts are worthy of a relevant and thoughtful comment without such an incentive. I imagine that is why you were selected @dynamicrypto for the contest. Encouraging people to take the time to communicate in a meaningful way is a great and positive way to combat the disheartening spam.
There is a comment that pops up every time I post. It is a click bait link. Sometimes my days are very isolated, I see a comment and I feel a little encouraged, then that encouragement is dashed by the spammy link. Someone has down voted the account (I'm grateful to those steemit crusaders too), I just do my thing. The best way to benefit from steemit is to just consistently do your thing, if that is authentic then steeming is easily maintained.
I am already a winner listening to you, and having the freewrite always there when I need it.
I think it was @kilbride that used the tag #freewritesavedmylife . She is not the only one x.
You just made me cry. In a good way. Thank you so very much!!
And I am wishing you lots of comments that aren't spam!! I so know the feeling!
Hugs to you!
Now we are all crying <3<3 I'm going to the monkey forest today finally. When I was headed out here my plan was to go by myself for two days and sit in monkey temples and cry and ask for help . I joked about how the monkeys would be so excited to see me that they would carry me away on their shoulders- a homecoming haha. But I got here and also felt isolated because everyone drives these motorbikes and I am having too much anxiety to learn to ride one and then fight the fray. I've been snuggling with a sweet cute guy and he is going to drive us up today. I've also felt isolated in my last relationship as my ex was sullen and withdrawn and stubborn about just giving some intimacy as a gift to me. So today I am headed to sit with our ancient cousins, lay my hand and head on our ancient buildings and enjoy some hugs and the fascinated attention we all desire <3 <3 I will think about you and radiate out my feelings and maybe you can catch a bit , use my electron entanglement properties to share the release from isolation with a far away hug :)
What a lovely bell!! do ring it for yourself. sound therapy is a real thing.
And hang in there. Recovery takes so long. And as you said, nothing is instant and we constantly have changes and ups and downs. Sometimes, when things don't go well - especially if it is our health - it can feel so discouraging.
Hang in there! there are better days ahead!!
Sending you hugs.
I did not know this, Marianne! I owned a truck stop on I-90 for 10 years. Open 24-7. I can completely sympathize. After I was to totaly burned out and the place was sold, I went to school and got my license in massage therapy, but was diagnosed with MS shortly after and was only able to work my massage practice for 10 years before the MS kicked my butt.
I never declared a personal independence day...but I love that you did and celebrate with you! Hugs from me! #dynamicfreewrite
And hugs to you!!! I didn't know that you are dealing with MS. My friend Patty was diagnosed when she was 40. She found that Yoga really helped her a lot.
Funny fact. I went to massage school when I was pregnant with my second child. I stopped practicing after we moved to San Diego which has several massage schools and people were offering massage for very little money. It would have cost me more to pay for childcare than I could have earned LOL
I was diagnosed when I was in my mid 40's. 17 years ago. It got to where I could physically only do a couple a day, and that didn't pay the rent, the insurance, and the laundry service, so I had to give it up. I loved doing yoga when I was able, and Tsu Chi. I just downloaded some chair yoga sessions and am trying to get motivated to get started!
Do you think I am supposed to put #dynamicfreewrite on each comment?
No lol maybe if its spectacular and you want it as an entry.
😁 yeah...I tend to talk to much to tag all of the comments! You might have noticed 😊
Ha! Auto correct Tai to Tsu! Guess what I type more often!
that is funny. autocorrect gets me every time. We should figure out how to do Dlive actually live and do some yoga. My teacher was very much into the "fixing your body" yoga not so much into "do crazy poses" yoga. He comes from an Indian Yoga family...
I would love that!! Can't think of anyone more enthusiastic and motivating than you!
cool. Let's do it!! My yoga has a lot of breathing in it LOL
I know nothing about D-live so will need lots of instruction!
hahaha - I know nothing as well :) I know how to upload to it, but haven't figured out the live streaming part yet. but I will :)
Hi, @mariannewest, thanks so much for sharing this story with us. Seeing @dynamicrypto's contest prompted me to revisit this post of yours. It puts in perspective a bit for me as I had a business failure as well in the past (also a bit over 9 years ago coincidentally). However, thankfully there was no health issues involved for me - I can't imagine how much harder those times would have been. Anyway, we move on to bigger and better things.
I really just wanted to thank you for what you do with the #freewrite. It took me a few days after someone recommended I give it a go before I actually did. Now I love it, and have found a terrific, supportive community to be a part of. Steemit to me is all about communities, and you certainly have fostered a nice one. Thank You.
#dynamicfreewrite
Cheers,
John.
Thank you so much, John.
I am so happy that you joined the freewriters!! And I do think that it has become a lovely community.
The funny- sad thing is that I was doing well with the business I was running but had loaned out so much money which never came back and the business wasn't doing well enough to support that debt. And it was a lot of work!!
What are you doing now?
My business experience was more about my own shortcomings, combined with bad timing. Way back in my blogs from weeks ago, I made a couple of posts about it. What am I doing now - quite apt given todays freewrite topic - I have sold out. I work as a night manager for a big Australian supermarket chain. Long hours, but stability for my family for now.
I think thats why I am enjoying steemit so much and particularly the freewrites, I have sold my soul for a salary, but at least here it feels like I do still have a soul, and some creativity is being discovered.
I agree with @mariannewest, @jk6276, taking care of your family is a high calling and doing what you have to do for now while you find other more soul-satisfying ways, is both serving Life Itself and a practical, daily expression of love.
I salute you and know that when it is time, you will create a form of expressing your gifts and talents that also allows you to take care of yourself and your family. Blessings to you. xxx
#dynamicfreewrite
This comment was made from https://ulogs.org
I did find your blog and commented but forgot that I was in the Freewritehouse account 😊
And it is not selling out your soul when you find a way to support your family. You are doing what it takes.
Agreed onSteemit being a good outlet for creativity and we can always hope that someday, it will be profitable as well :)
The Independence Day means a lot to many people, am glad you made that decision that sets you free, I can gladly say you've had your own fair share of Independence.
You have to be grateful to have left the shores of cancer long time ago, not many people could live to tell your kind of story.
Your experience of working 7 days in a week?. I think I have written a #freewrite on this before, I also have a sister who has a supermarket in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, she goes to work by 5:00 am in the morning and closes by 10:00 pm in the night, she has accomplished a lot with it, bought a house and two cars, she is no where to enjoy the wealth now, she's getting sick by the day, years of standing by the counter to sell thing has made her have a
big hulk-size muscle at the back of the leg.
Everything in life should be done moderately, and we must never forget to run after money at the expense of our health.
#dynamicfreewrite
Thank you! I hope your sister is learning from this and is starting to relax more. It is so very difficult to find the balance between working too much and getting everything done you need to get done.
All the best to you and to your sister!
Hi, @mariannewest am so sorry that you got cancer and my prayer for you is to get healed and may the Lord surprise you with a testimony. Making a choice is one of the most difficult in Life and more so walking out of business but am happy for you that you did it.
Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide. #dynamicfreewrite
thank you for your blessings. Always appreciated!!
Such an inspiring story. I think a lot of us have some kind of special anniversary that reminds us that we are still alive and kicking and to be thankful. I have one myself that I contemplate every November for the past 22 years.
I personally believe that the universe only gives you challenges that it knows you can conquer and learn from. It may seem insurmountable at the time but if you take it step by step, a little bit at a time, there's no obstacle too large.
I wish you peace, clarity, and blessings in your future
#dynamicfreewrite
thank you so much. Now, I am curious to find out about your story and your November 22 anniversary. Care to share? If you made a post - please drop the link!
I wish there was a private message option on this site. I haven't posted about it on here because it's a bit too personal. I am on discord but being a newbie, it is still a bit daunting and I'm working on understanding that platform better
no worries. If you ever feel like sharing - no pressure - I am on discord as well - same name :)
Hi thanks @mariannewest for sharing your life-story.
The most drawback with life is that it never listen our command.
I am currently 20 year old boy, suffering from hypertension and ligament injury, you can understand how life becomes troublesome.
Irony is that I wanted to become a doctor and I am preparing for seeking admission in Indian Government college since two years but I didn't succeeded yet!
Moreover, My views related to hospital system is that they should n't charge in bulk, they should charge fee on montlier basis via bank. Just as we buy television set or other stuff. So, that load on patient can become less.
*** Fighting for our existence is only a solution and doing best that I can do is only a real satisfaction.***
Have a beautiful day !
#dyanamicfreewrite
Oh, good luck to you! Hope you get into the school soon and also, that you can regain your health!
Thank you!! Your kind words encouraged me a lot!!