Betty Leigh Verbeke

Corn tortillas filled with bell peppers (green, orange, red, and yellow), white onion, baby portobello mushrooms, squash (green and yellow), tomato, garlic, cilantro, salt, and cracked black pepper (all sauteed in extra virgin olive oil), then topped with black beans, jar jalapenos, and H-E-B salsa, with a heaping side of Dad’s home-made guacamole!  Dad also made mexican martinis with Trudy’s recipe.. spectacular!

High by Betty Leigh Verbeke

 

I’m high

All the time

Not on weed

Or coke

Or booze

Or caffeine

 

Ok, maybe caffeine

I do have coffee

Almost every morning

 

But that still isn’t the high I’m talking about

 

I’m high on life

 

On the fact I was once in two places

An egg

And a sperm

Floating

Waiting to fertilize

 

I’m high

 

High on that I live

Every day

Every second

Every inhale

And exhale

I’m here

And I get to share it with you all

 

My mind is fucking blown

 

I make my reality

I shape it

Like a potter and their clay

 

Everything, I choose

And I always have the choice

 

I am so high on choice

Choices to act

To feel

To think

To learn

To share

To be here, now

 

So high I can’t even function

 

Giddy on the fumes of yesterday

And tomorrow on the rocks

With a twist of today

 

So high I don’t even know what I’m talking about

 

Un-fucking-believably high

On life

 

And maybe caffeine

 

 

“Et Tu, Babe” by Mark Leyner

This book was so funny and interesting and ADD.  Full of fantastical spins and weird wit, Mark Leyner bases the main character off of himself, playing through random and exotic (to say the least) rolls in life, by being the best and most well-known writer.

“My advice to the young people of today?  I’m tempted to say: Surround yourself with flunkies and yes-men and have naked slaves, perfumed with musk, fan you with plastic fronds as you write.  Because that’s what’s worked for me.  But what does history teach us?”

“Love with extreme lucidity and barbaric ferocity.”

“The Look that year was “postcoital” – tousled hair, runny mascara, smeared lipstick.”

“If you . . . if you squander your precious beautiful days on meaningless labor whose” – he coughed up blood – “whose ultimate purpose is to further enrich the ruling elite or solidify the hegemony of the state . . . you’re a sucker.”

“‘The teenage baby-sitters are slathering me with Ben-Gay.  I’m eleven.  I’ve got this erotic fascination with the girls’ armpits – it’s completely unfocused; I don’t know quite what I want to “do” to or with their armpits, but I’m locked into their brunette stubble.’”

“A tip to the guys out there – visceral tattoos really turn on female medical technicians and nurses.  I’ve had numerous hot relationships start because a med-tech or a nurse saw one of my X-rays and went nuts over all the tattoos.  They know that any wimp can go out and get ‘Winona Forever’ stenciled on his arm – but it takes real balls to have yourself put under general anesthesia, sliced open, have a vital organ etched with radioactive isotope ink, and then get sewn up again every time you want to commemorate that special lady.”

“‘I’ll have a scoop of vanilla ice cream with cough suppressant whip and a cup of PMS tea.”‘

“Q: ‘Mr. President, I have a chunk of pork in my mouth -’  A: ‘I’m sorry, you say you have a pork chunk in your mouth?’”

“Sex was intense.  Creamy lime cum.  Then creamy apricot cum.  Then a mint gel.  And finally a cyan-yellow-magenta swirl that actually burst into flame.”

“‘And tomorrow night at CBGB’s, there’s Fried Wind and Dick Cheez.’”

“[...] ‘Go develop elephantiasis of the scrotum, you foreskin-munching Merv Griffin-head’ [...]”

“‘Oh, I love nightmares!’”

“‘Some people are preoccupied with the symbolism of their dreams and with who they might have been in past incarnations and with where their souls are going after they die, but I never think about any of that shit.  I just love this earth.  I love the morning.  When the first morning light hits my eye, I feel like a new appliance that’s been unpacked and plugged in for the first time.  But my life is beautiful.  Perhaps that’s why I love the morning light.  I have money.  I have a voluptuous wife.  And I have fans.’”

“That night as I slept in my bed, someone or something apparently drilled an evenly spaced series of tiny holes in my forehead.  I haden’t felt anything or even woken up, and only discovered the holes as I stood in front of the bathroom mirror where I began each morning, monitoring those inevitable daily manifestations of decay – the brown age spots, the broken blood vessels, the wrinkles; some days more appalling matutinal discoveries: maggots, for instance, and once a large piece of pinkish-white brain tissue extruding from one ear – the equivalent of a cerebral hemorrhoid.”

“Why did best-selling author Martin Cruz Smith testify before a secret Senate subcommittee that superlawyer Alan Dershowitz has continuously lactating breasts that could someday produce up to 50 gallons of milk a day in space?”

“[...] her nipples are covered with two banana daiquiri transdermal patches that transmit the cocktail through her skin into her capillaries [...]”

“The masturbating zebras, their long slender penises like black and white barber poles, join in on the chorus, the gist of which is simply: ‘the government is suppressing information about how sweet life after death is.’”

“‘Later on in the afternoon, we took a couple of bottles of scotch up to the rooftop patio and we played this drinking game that Mark invented.  You listen to one of those talk-radio stations and every time you hear the word “the” or “and” you have to take a drink.’”

“‘And I got this air freshener on my rearview mirror – you send a photograph of yourself to this company in Florida and they make an air freshener out of it – so I got this little cutout of myself dangling from my rearview mirror and it smells like a fuckin’ coconut.  And this broad’s got a big fuckin’ brown recluse spider bite scar on her ass . . .’”

“Ask And It Is Given – Learning To Manifest Your Desires” by Esther and Jerry Hicks (The Teachings Of Abraham)

This book was lent to me by my friends Kelly and Jessica.  It is very different than anything I have ever read, but on the other hand, it is basically like any other philosophy book.  Haha.  This book is Esther Hicks writing as she channels Abraham, her guidance and connection to source energy.  Like you read in my last post, I believe that being guided by any form of spirituality/religion is the same as using our free will.  So this book, to me, was a large metaphor, but you can decipher it however you would like.  So to get to the point, Abraham lets Esther and Jerry (and the rest of the world, through this book) know that we have control over our thoughts/ feelings/ actions.. and that we should choose the best thoughts/ feelings/ actions to promote happiness and flourishing in our lives.  That is pretty fucking fantastic, so let me repeat it:  We have control over our thoughts/ feelings/ actions.. and we should choose the best thoughts/ feelings/ actions to promote happiness and flourishing in our lives.  By consciously choosing our thoughts/ feelings/ actions, we are choosing what we get in return.  Ever heard of the Law Of Attraction?  It is kind of the same as Karma, in that what we put into the Universe, we will get it in return.  We are a mirror image of our thoughts/ feelings/ actions.  Our reality is a mirror image of our thoughts/ feelings/ actions.  Think about it.  Ok, here is a light example of the Law Of Attraction: walk down the street with a grimace on your face and notice the reactions of the people who look at you.  Next, walk down the street with a smile, and you will be guaranteed to have more smiles in return than when you were grimacing.  It’s pretty much as simple as that, but in every other area of life.  So why would we do anything else besides smile?  This life we live should be enjoyed for all that it is and all that it has to offer!  (:  Abraham also gives advice on how to take control over our thoughts/ feelings/ actions so it becomes an easier process in tough situations.  Jessica, Kelly, and I (along with many others) practice some of these techniques and find them very beneficial.  In fact, I was practicing a lot of these techniques way before I ever took a philosophy class or even met Kelly and Jessica.  The benefits are never ending; the better it gets, the better it gets!

Some things I book-marked to share:

You only hear what you are ready to hear.

It works, whether you believe it or not.

There is nothing you cannot be, do, or have.

No one else can create in your experience.  You have full control (and vice-versa).

You are co-creating in a magnificently diverse Universe.

There is a metaphor about getting from Phoenix to San Diego.. basically, if you focus and stay on the path, you will get there.  If you get lost, just get back on the path, or you will end up back in Phoenix or some other place that isn’t San Diego.  Also, the journey never ends, so you may arrive at San Diego, and later decide you want to be in Chicago, etc.

The Universe is ever expanding, and there are enough resources for everyone.  No one will ever get what is meant for you, and you will never get what is meant for someone else.  The way the Universe expands is perfect.  You are perfect.

There is another metaphor about not putting unwanted ingredients in your pie.

You get what you think about, whether you want it or not.  This is part of the Law Of Attraction.  (So think positively!)  Your attention should be on what you want, not the lack of it.

Life is always in motion, so you cannot be “stuck.”

Selfishness is not necessarily a bad thing because in some instances you have to be selfish to better yourself.

Once you feel in control, you will enjoy it all.

You can only attract thoughts within your vibrational range, meaning it can be very difficult to jump from rage to joy, but you can eventually get to joy through focus.

Lighten up and have fun!  You are the creator!

Some ways to better your thoughts/ feelings/ actions to better the things coming into your life:

A rampage of appreciation!  Go off on a rampage of all the things you appreciate in your life!

Create a “magical creation box,” or vision board, to help you stay focused and create your desires.

Meditation!  Because sometimes it is easier to think no thoughts at all.  Plus, it helps you re-align.

Keeping a journal – writing down the things you love in your life and why you love them.  This is similar to the rampage of appreciation, but sometimes it seems easier to “flow” when writing.  You’ll be surprised how many pages you use up on your first try.

Scripting, or writing out your life story, but in the past-tense.  Jessica has a great little Life Book that you can download for just five bucks!  When you write about how you achieved your goals in past-tense, it makes you feel like they already happened, and you feel such relief and joy!  Therefore, you are allowing them to easily come into your life with the Law Of Attraction.

I don’t know if you keep to-do lists, but I do.  I find it much easier to write one little list per day rather than keeping a long, daunting list.

Thinking “Wouldn’t it be nice if…” is a much easier (and positive) way to think about things you desire.

If you think about which thought feels better, it is easier to keep positive thoughts and draw into your life the things you want.  For example, thinking “I’m poor” is much more negative than “I am grateful for the money/ job I have” or “Wouldn’t it be nice if I got a raise because I do such a good job” .. simple to see what feels better, right?

…

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and that maybe you gained something from it!  (:  Love life!  <3

Things are great!  Really, my life is just so freaking abundant I don’t know what to do with all of the over-flowing goodness! (:

To start, I got a new job!!!!  Woo-hoo!!  I am now a part-time administrative assistant for a mediator/ divorce-lawyer!  I will be working 10ish hours a week out of the mediator’s home in south west Austin (only 15miles from my apartment!)!  I am so grateful for the opportunity to be working side-by-side with this woman!  I know I will gain so much experience and knowledge and will be able to help her out immensely with my fabulous administrative skills!  It is perfect because I am able to continue with my other job on the weekends, continue with school, and also continue to have a leisurely-paced life to fill with art, poetry, nature, meditation, reading, hanging with friends, whatever!

Second, my sister, DonNell, is getting married this month!  So amazing!  I am so happy for her!  And her fiance, Vladimir, is such a great person!  So fun, kind, and loving!

Third, being vegan is so rad!

Fourth, I totally enjoy being connected to others via the internet.  I think it is such a great experience and a way for us to expand (I actually found my new job through craigslist)!  I love this group page that my friend, Jessica, started on facebook.  It was previously a part of her own blog, but having it on facebook allows such easy access (and it is a public forum, so you can join to)!  Basically, it is a bunch of awesome individuals who collaborate and share their awesome lives/ ideas/ questions/ etc!  It’s called School of Life Design, please feel free to come and join us!

Fifth, as far as I know, all of my friends and family are doing well!  Which makes me so happy for all of them!

Sixth, this semester is ending so strong!  Every semester I continue to love school more and more, which I didn’t think was possible, but it sure is!  I love my classes, professors, class mates, everything!  And I am gaining more and more appreciation for ACC!  To end the semester, I am doing a great stock project in by Business Principles class which gives me the know-how to deal with stocks in the future if I choose to do so!  Also, we are doing presentations in my Philosophy of Ethics class!  (This is taken from SoLD on facebook, so you can find the same thing there, but I thought you would be interested in seeing it here too since the subject matter is centered around having a glorious life!)  Each student had to choose one of Aristotle’s virtues and I chose Practical Wisdom (the central virtue)!  I only have the outline to share with you (and I have expanded on it some for better understanding), but the presentation went swimmingly and at the end my professor said, “Now let’s get flourishing!”  (:

…

Practical Wisdom Presentation Outline

Definition of Practical Wisdom (Prudence):

Aristotle: “a state grasping the truth, involving reason, and concerned with action.” -book 6, ch 5

Me: the understanding and use of free will in all areas of life to enable flourishing.  Free will is self-governance, having complete control over thoughts/ feelings/ actions.

Main Difference: I’m stressing free will.  There are no “alternate forces” forcing us to feel/ think/ act in certain ways; it is all by choice, whether conscious of it or not.  & we should be conscious of it to enable the best flourishing.  Aristotle book 3, ch 1 – “it is not right to say that action caused by spirit or appetite is involuntary.”

Deficiency: ignorance/ incontinence; ignorance – not knowing we have free will and being “dragged around” by thoughts/ feelings/ actions of yourself and others; incontinence – knowing we have free will and not taking the time to use it, but instead still getting caught up in whatever experience.  Ex: a person with addiction is incontinent/ ignorant.  Individuals can convince themselves they don’t have free will to overcome situations.

Why did I choose it: Most important virtue and embodies/ is an umbrella over all other virtues (courage, temperence, magnanimity, understanding, courteousness, industriousness, etc.) & I have been practicing it for a while (I was ignorant before) & find it most beneficial.

Requires: the ability to “remove” ourselves from situations and deliberate, thinking about what do we want (what is best for flourishing (Aristotle’s “truth”)), and then act on that.  The action is the most important part.  We can know what’s right, but unless we act on it, what’s the point of knowing good from bad?

Like meditation: staying focused on flourishing & if we get off focus, we just re-focus.  Have to keep practicing to make it a habit.  Action produces character; character produces action.

Can help others achieve this by: leading by example and informing.  Ex: Jessica’s and Kelly‘s blogs & philosophy class!

Once we start, it’s hard to stop using our free will.  It is a motivator!  Aristotle says it cannot be forgotten – book 6, ch 5

Why would we want to stop once we see how we have control over our flourishing?  Possibility of fear of having “too much control,” but … it’s the same as being led by spirituality/ religion – choosing to use our free will can be seen as listening to “God” or “Universe” to make the right decisions.  Metaphor: multiple paths to get to the top of the mountain, no certain path is best.

Not gender/ age/ race specific & extremely important for every individual.  Individuals together make the whole, so if all individuals practice, would benefit the whole world! (:

…

I hope you all enjoy today, and every other day!  Life, in itself, is so beautiful and I am so grateful to be living it!  <3 <3 <3