Bohemian B’s Beat

Colour me fabulous

I discovered something so majestic in beauty that I was left in a state of awe recently as I was surfing along my much loved companion, namely social media.  I discovered a wonder of nature which some of you may be familiar with, however this was a first for me, therefore I am obliged to share (sharing is caring after all)

  “Fire Rainbows”.....well....I love beautiful images and the wonders of nature enthrall me with its beauty time and time again. I do love rainbows and I do love fire.  I had to find out more about these Fire Rainbows as I was completely intrigued! So I asked my very knowledgeable and good friend, Google for an explanation and this is what the genius had to say, “Fire Rainbows are neither fire, nor rainbows, but are so called because of their brilliant pastel colours and flame like appearance.  Technically they are known as circumhorizontal arc - an ice halo formed by hexagonal, plate-shaped ice crystals in high level cirrus clouds.  The halo is so large that the arc appears parallel to the horizon, hence the name. Brightly coloured circumhorizontal arcs occur mostly during the summer and between particular latitudes. When the sun is very high in the sky, sunlight entering flat, hexagon shaped ice crystals get split into individual colours just like in a prism”.  Of course genius Google had much more to say on the subject, but I won’t spoil your fun, I know you enjoy Mr Google-ishious just as much as I do, so you can have a chat with him yourself.  Anyway, as per usual, this got my many minds thinking many things that represent this colourful and fiery wonder.    Colour....Bohemians love colour. The more the merrier.  Brighter is better.  Colour also has much significance and reflects one’s mood.  (Once again, information from Google, except this time on the subject of colour therapy.)  And this is where my trail of thought ventures deeper......

   Have you ever heard the saying, ‘don’t lose the moon whilst counting the stars’? Or ‘don’t throw away a diamond while picking up pebbles’?  Well here’s another one for you, (a-la Bohemian B), “don’t miss the colours of the rainbow while chasing the pot of gold at the end”.  We are always so fixated on something else, some form of distraction which in turn has the ability to steer us away from what is beautiful in life, the rainbow for instance.  When we forget to take a minute to ‘smell the roses’ or take in the beauty of the rainbow, because we are too busy chasing that something better, ‘funner’, easier, prettier, we may one day, wake up to the rude awakening  that we have not only lost the colours, but also the fire.  That fire that burns within, our passion.   

  “The conditions required to form a “fire rainbow” is very precise – the sun has to be at an elevation of 58° or greater, there must be high altitude cirrus clouds with plate-shaped ice crystals, and sunlight has to enter the ice crystals at a specific angle. This is why circumhorizontal arc is such a rare phenomenon.”- We are like that I presume, our conditions have to be miraculously perfect for our inner fire to burn, for our radiance to shine. Perhaps if we rather focus on our own inner fire and radiance, our conditions in life could be easier to tolerate and perhaps a bit more manageable. We’d be so consumed with life splendour and our inner beauty and fire would keep us motivated and passionate, that the incredible hardships and disappointments in life would not be all consuming and devastating (even the really ouchy ones) because we would know our own strengths and recognise our beauty and be satisfied in who we are as individuals.

   “Circumhorizon arcs are often seen between lower obscuring clouds”.  This sentence inspired me; it is at our lowest point that we should excrete radiance.  It should be at this low point that we should allow our inner fire to burn the hottest. That to me represents inner strength, a devoted character and true beauty.

I also realized that colour really can lift ones mood and after exploring the benefits of colour therapy  was amazed at what certain colours not only signify, but also how they can lift your spirits and motivate and encourage a happier, more vibrant and self confident you.  It’s time for me to break away from the bleak colours of my winter demeanor and instead, introduce my ‘me-ness to a summery feel good mood. 

   So colour me fabulous! No more chasing pots of gold and picking up pebbles, it’s time to get that inner fire ignited again to blend with the colour of me.  I think I’ll start off with red, which signifies vibrancy and fullness of life. Red also signifies love, passion, excitement, energy and intensity. Red is the colour of fire. (And those who know me know of my fascination with fire......).   So go on then.......try on a colour and be radiantly you!

Glitter greetings (and all things shiny)

Bohemian B

Bohemian B’s Beat

With eyes wide shut......

 I’ve often heard so many people, including or perhaps especially myself, saying they want to mean something to the world, to be remembered, to leave a significant mark.  Everybody wants to make a difference.  Everybody wants to leave some sort of legacy........alright, maybe not everybody, but most certainly all of my ‘me’s’......this has been my ‘unicorn’ that I have chased after for many, many years. 

   We all have fears (although I deny this as much as possible as I want/need to come across as a ‘tough-cookie’, fearless beyond reason......why? [shrugs shoulders and shakes head in absolute confusion] honestly, I have no idea.....) But I think, this past weekend I just realised my biggest fear, the fear of being obsolete. Athazagoraphobia- ‘a fear of being forgotten’.  (http://www.symptoms-of-anxiety-depression.com/athazagoraphobia-fear-of-being-forgotten.html and http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/athazagoraphobia)Athazagoraphobia.  Athazagoraphobia is basically the fear of being forgotten, ignored or abandoned. However, when I saw the enormity of this word, I realized that I cannot possibly have a phobia with a name bigger than the problem! Although, generally speaking, people who suffer from this phobia understand that it is not life-threatening, but often cannot control their feelings. Why are people afraid to be forgotten? Apparently, according to the above mentioned sites, the fear of being forgotten is something totally natural (uhem....normal? ok, obviously not a fear applicable to my selves and I then) because everyone wants to feel important and appreciated by their loved ones.  (And here’s the duzzi of awakenings.....) Loved ones, now you see this is exactly it, so often we are trying insanely hard to leave an impression for THE world that we forget OUR world.   I very recently watched a deeply touching movie, “Tasting the stars”, which immediately stopped my ‘phobia inclined thought patterns’ in their tracks.   As I mentioned, I’ve been chasing the ideal of ‘never being forgotten’ by the world, that I never for one moment realised that I won’t ever be forgotten, by MY world, the ones who are closest to me. The friends and family, who love me, and how I insult them, daily, by creating the impression that they are not important enough to me, that I continually have to chase down, run after, over compensate  and, ....well just to ‘be remembered’.   It should be enough, no, rather it should be all that matters, that I will always be loved, accepted and remembered by them, always.   You want to leave an imprint on the world? Start with your world.  We are so busy chasing ‘something’ that we forget the ‘someone’s’ in our life.  Now this does not for one second mean stop doing ‘good’ for ‘THE’ and ‘YOUR’ world though.  Another interesting conversation I came across is that the worst regret we have in life, is not for the wrong things we did, but rather for the thousands of right things we did for the wrong people. The following response made a universe of sense to me, the response was, “I agree and disagree. The fact that I helped someone who did not deserve it only takes something away from them - not me.  As long as I don't keep helping them after I have realised my error.  I give because I have ‘good’ in me and that's all we need to remember.  I can't own others behaviour - only my own”.  This ties in perfectly with my earlier epiphany.  When we realise our acceptance with the ones who choose to be by our side (whether it be by blood or by choice) and continually endeavour to positively infect our world, we will, with self-confidence and self-esteem, overcome fearful insecurities and as we reach out to those who accept us for who we are, we will inevitably be extending a kindness to the world. The best service you can do to yourself and to others is to live with eyes wide open opposed to wide shut.  Noticing the people who will accept, love and remember you always, not only for the good you possess in your heart, but purely for just being you.

   Don’t stop being a good person and doing good deeds and certainly make sure that you keep your good intentions (even if they are mocked or criticised) but don’t lose sight of yourself  for one, nor the ones closest to you, who continually love you.  Don’t lose sight of the rainbow’s beauty as you chase after the pot of gold.

Glitter greetings (and all things shiny)

Bohemian B

Bohemian B’s Beat

Hug a tree day

When you go out into the woods and you take a look at the trees, you will be amazed to see how many different trees there are.  Some are bent, some are straight, and some may be evergreen while others are... whatever, the point is, they are all trees.  You look at the different trees and just accept them for what they are - trees. You ‘allow’ them to just be trees.  You just understand the unspoken explanation for why they all appear so different. You understand that maybe the smaller trees didn’t get enough sunlight and that’s why it turned out the way it did.  You don’t get all emotional about it.  You just allow it, you still appreciate the trees.

However, the minute we get near humans, we lose all that understanding and acceptance.  We are constantly remarking, “you’re too this, or I’m too that”, and our judging mind comes into play and we can’t just allow a human to be human, like the trees.  Maybe we should start looking at people as trees and just appreciate them the way they are.

Every human tree should have a vision for their own life and actually believe in your own ability to ‘figure things out’. We should each use the peaceful principle that trees represent and without self affliction, attempt to have fun making our dreams happen, no matter how little sunlight you have to grow in.  We should adapt the trees patience to grow but always remain persistent.  Most importantly though, we should respect the other ‘trees’ around us as we are all growing, we are all playing the same game of life. 

So how about today we try something different  and put on our rose tinted glasses and imagination caps and see people as trees rather than humans and appreciate them for all the amazing things they are and not any of the things they are not.  Just allow the ‘trees’ to be ‘trees’ and love them for their beauty. Maybe just for today we should look at our own reflection in the mirror and see ourselves as trees, appreciating and loving our leafy, twiggy or just plain tree bark beauty, allowing ourselves to be the tree we were planted to be. Maybe even take it one step further and hug a ‘tree’...go on then... wrap your twigs around a ‘tree’, or even around yourself and just be a happily accepted ‘tree’.

And in parting, remember this, we don’t see things the way they are - we see things the way we are.

Glitter greetings (and all things shiny)

Bohemian B

Bohemian B’s Beat

Have a Kit-Kat…

What with working full time, running a dance school (however small, still jam packed with fun), being a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a glorified events planner (for the dance school), performer and never forget… mommy to the four legged kids, free time is an illusion found on comedy central.

   Free time? Nope, I don’t think I am familiar with concept at all.  Now, any mom would know that where kids are concerned, there is always SOMETHING on the program, right now for me, it is one of the biggest happenings in a teenage girls life, that terrifying (and exuberantly expensive I might add) Matric Farewell (has rendered me as wobbly as a jelly fish!). Anyone who knows me and is familiar with my daughter knows that she is a complete ‘mini-me’ - dramatic, eccentric, adventurous and ever so theatrical. This does not make any task a walk in the park I assure you and what makes it even more traumatic is that I know I am exactly the same…  Lucky for me though I have the support of my partner (who is superman by the way… he must be as only a super hero would survive living with my numerous personalities and me!). I also have a best friend who is not only a courtier and a master in the art of creative and ‘mind blowing’ creations, but also the best dose of inspiration and encouragement a friend could wish for.  What does NOT help me in anyway, is that it is apparent that I look like an ATM machine. 

   Anyway, I’m wondering away from the topic again, let me get back to that mysterious illusion called free time.  Just today I was sitting in my miracle working friends’ studio discussing the little princesses elaborate matric farewell attire (well him discussing and me whining). I mentioned to him about my ongoing battle with the ominous time factor and he asked me a very simple question, he asked “but why?” shaking his head in realization that he would need to lay it out for me in Bohemian B’s kind of layman terms, he continued to say that, no matter how much I did or not get done today, tomorrow would still come. He said, “Do what you can today and what you can’t finish today can be done tomorrow.  Tomorrow you handle what you can and what doesn't get done tomorrow will patiently wait for the next day… and so forth.  Obviously, me being me, always having an answer (or argument) for everything, I simply (or maybe a bit more dramatically) replied, “NO! This HAS to be done today!”  His eyes got as big as dinner plates as he asked in horror, “Why? Who is going to die due to your lack of getting to everything?”  Okay, this made me stop, pay attention and even think about what he said. 

   And there you have it wonder-woman.  If it is detrimental to your job, a life or death situation with your family or at home or a horrendously huge national disaster threat which could destroy the plant, then do it today.  If not, tomorrow is another day.  By managing your precious time and dealing with one ‘train-smash’ at a time and ultimately learning to loosen the reigns a bit could benefit you in more ways than you can imagine.  For one, you will enter the day of tomorrow with one less grey hair, one less wrinkle and much more enthusiasm, resulting in efficiency. So now, how about that cup of stress-free tea, undisturbed by your self-inflicted business. 

Glitter greetings (and all things shiny)

Bohemian B