Whoa... First Blog this Month!

Whoa! My life has really shifted in the past few months!

My life before = lots of time on the computer or watching DVDs... journaling... thinking and writing about life and how it could be and what kinds of things I like to do... with outings spattered in from time to time

My life now = actually LIVING! out and about... with friends and family... on the phone talking to people I love... playing around with WHAT ELSE I can fit into my schedule that matters to me... making a difference and being in the moment... dating - A LOT... having fun and realizing that I haven't watched a movie or blogged in weeks, and I don't really miss it.

Much of this shift happened when I stopped thinking about how the future was going to be and just started living into it so that I could find out.

Really, it started when I invented the possibility of ACTION and blogged about it back in January. What a ride it's been since then...!

I am so grateful for the training I've gotten through Landmark Education - it gave me the tools to invent new possibilities and the ability to have my life shift in an instant. From here on out, I get to say how it goes! I get to choose the kind of life I want to live. That truly is extraordinary!

If you're in my life on a regular basis, you may have heard me share about Landmark. Either way, please know that I HIGHLY recommend it and I know it can make a huge difference for everyone. If you want more information, just ask me about it or take a look at the website - www.landmarkeducation.com. Believe me, it's well worth it!

And if you really want more information now, there's a free workshop at my house this Sunday afternoon - I would love to have you there. Just write or call for the details...! :)

Stand for Children on Feb 16th in Salem!

Want to see more $$ for Oregon's public schools? Me, too!

Want to do something about it? Me, too!

So join me at a well-organized rally in Salem with the grassroots empowerment organization called Stand for Children. As they say, "Times are tough, and they're likely to get worse. Together, we can make it possible for legislators to stand up for our children and other vulnerable members of our community."

What: Rally and lobby day
Where: The state capitol in Salem
When: Monday, February 16, 2009 (President's Day) from 9 to 3 - rally @ noon
Sign Up: Register online - free bus transportation is available!
Why: Here's some information from Stand for Children:

The Governor has proposed $6.39 billion for K-12 education in Oregon, which is an increase of $147 million over the current 2007-2009 budget. However, this amount falls $199 million short of the Essential Budget Level for 2009-2011, which is the amount needed to maintain the current level of services, when adjusted for inflation. The Governor proposes offsetting this by spending $149 million of the reserves in the Education Stability Fund. That still leaves his total proposed investment $50 million short of what's needed JUST TO MAINTAIN the current level of services.

I think our children deserve better... don't you? See you on the 16th?

A Day in the Life...

Today was a good day.

Not that the past two weeks when I've been absent from blogging weren't ALSO filled with good days. I've just been bored with the blog-0-sphere and distracted by OkCupid. Those tests - they're addictive!

But today was good, too.

Laaaaazzzzzzy morning finishing up a good book.

Trip to a downtown art gallery with a special showing about love ("Art for Your Sweetheart").

Amazing conversation with my bestest friend... it's a beautiful thing when two people stand for each other's happiness.

Trip to Powells... mmmmm... books... and coffee... three new books to read!

A bit of craftiness on the homefront... working on updating my LifeMap.

Boldness on the Internet... I'm having fun asking guys out, instead of waiting for them to come to me - it's a whole new kind of adventure!

Yummy salad... mmmm... beets... and chili.

For the rest of the evening, I'll be curling up with a few episodes of Buffy and studying French. I took French in school for years, but it's fading fast... I bought a French book today and I'm committed to relearning the language before it's lost forever.

That's what a good day looks like to me! :)

Joke of the Day #3

A guy walks into a bar, sits down, and orders a drink.

He starts eating the beer nuts and sipping his drink when he hears a voice say,"Wow! You look GREAT tonight!"

There's nobody nearby, so the man shakes it off and keeps drinking.

Suddenly, he hears something again!"That's an awesome shirt! You are amazing!"

He looks around and he's the only guy at the bar. He mentions that he thinks he's hearing things and the bartender says, "Lemme guess, somebody's saying really nice things about you, right?"

The man jumps up and cries out "Yes! How did you know that?"

The bartender just chuckles and replies, "It's the nuts... they're complimentary!"

SoulCollage... Peaceful Warriors

I love this SoulCollage* card! I created it at a time when I was feeling very powerful within myself, but was not yet translating that power into action in the world. I look at this card when I need to remember to stand up for the things that matter in the world. It inspires me to make a HUGE difference in the world... it remind me that there is more at stake than just my life.

Here's the SoulCollage card and the corresponding reading. As you read the words below, listen to them as if the card is speaking to you. In this instance, the three beings in the card speak as one voice... working together as a team.

We are the Peaceful Warriors. We are the ones who stand up for Justice, anywhere and everywhere. We do not bow down to the actions of others... we bow only to our conscience, the collective conscience of all creatures. We each feel small as individuals, yet together we are unstoppable. We stand before the greatest evils without backing down. We rise up against that which we know to be harmful to the world.

We do not act without fear; rather, we act even in the presence of our fear. We recognize that the first step towards action is to witness. Do not turn away from the things that frighten you. Do not turn away from the things that trouble you. Do not turn away from the things that seem bigger than you. This world may not be perfect, yet the presence of those who are willing to make a difference is more powerful than all the evil that exists.

We are here to remind you of who you are. You make a difference all the time, when you are aware of it and when you are not. Choose the difference that you will make in this lifetime. Choose to stand up for your ideals. Choose to stand up for those who are too small or too frightened to speak for themselves. Choose justice, choose peace, and choose to fight when it is the only means left to defend your fundamental values.

We need you to know this: you must stand up for Justice now, or you will look over your shoulder with regrets in the future. Do not wait until it is too late.

You will remember us when you see others being disempowered. You will remember us in the moments when you want to look away from pain and sorrow. You will remember us when you see tears in the eyes of others. You will remember us when you feel shame for your actions and the actions of others. You will remember us and you will stand up. You will remember us, and you will choose to make a difference in the world.

Ice Skating! Pics

Here are the pics from Ice Skating! on New Year's Day. Have you noticed that I can't really write "Ice Skating!" without putting an exclamation point behind it? There's something to that... hahaha!

Best Friends!

You know, it's hard to get a non-action (a.k.a., non-blurry) shot when you're out on an ice rink...

Cloe's first time on the ice - she said "I only want to go with my friend Amy Kingston!" Thankfully, Stacey went with us for back-up... just in case!

Rob and Dan... looking spiffy! They tried out some pretty fancy tricks on the ice.

Kennedy and Kaela, watching from the sidelines and acting as the unofficial photographers.

Good times! Until the fall that came shortly after this pic... but even that was pretty fun, I must admit!

Megan and I... check out the speed!






Megan and Brian taking a well-deserved break...

Who I Am (A Declaration)

Who am I?

I am an optimist. I am an idealist.

I am the possibility of freedom and joy.

I believe freedom and joy are available to every person... in every moment... in the face of every circumstance life has to offer.

Finding freedom and joy in each moment gives access to power.

My interpretation of reality becomes my reality.
My interpretation of reality is my power, and it cannot be taken from me.

I am the words that I speak, for those words create my interpretation of reality.
Therefore, my word is my power.

I am a member of a worldwide community...
one that inspires me and one that I am proud to be part of.
That community is called "human beings."

I am on this planet to make a difference.

My presence and my way of being impacts everyone around me...
both when I am aware of that impact and when I'm not.

I choose to be a force for good in the world.

I am committed to self-expression.

I am committed to my own freedom and joy...
and to your freedom and joy, too.


Who are you?

You are my friend, my family, my lover.

You hold in your hands the promise of a new future.
You are everything-nothing.

You are a member of my community... the community of human beings.
You are a reflection of me, and I am a reflection of you.

In the end, there is only we.

Lights... Camera... What Comes Next?

Imagine me, sitting in front of a not-so-interesting episode of Battlestar Galactica...

Now imagine a bolt of inspiration from out of the blue... ice skating!

That pretty much sums up last Sunday afternoon for me. And it's not too uncommon in my world.

You see, I have this gift of being struck with inspiration on a regular basis... and it usually comes at the least expected moments and takes the least expected forms.

But here's where this particular idea took a different path - I actually followed through on it!

So often, I get a really exciting idea and I play it out in my head for days. "Ooooh... I could do this... or that... or maybe it would be fun to..." Well, you get the idea. And don't get me wrong, having a fantastic, inspiring, and active life in my head is great fun - and it's pretty safe and easy, too! I don't have to venture out in the rain, I don't have to expend much energy, it's completely free, and I don't have to risk any kind of social rejection. It's also lonely...

So this week I invented the possibility of action... being in action, inspiring others to action, having my actions make a difference in the world. When an inspiring thought appears in my mind, I'm committed to translating it into action right away!

So when "Ice skating!" popped into my head Sunday, I got on the net and changed my Facebook status. "Amy wants to ice skate this week. Anyone interested?" A few people showed interest, so I created an event invitation and sent it out.

And when I was thinking about the event and "Hot chocolate!" popped into my head, I started calling around to find a hot water dispenser. The result? A local Starbucks donated a huge carafe filled with hot water... for free!

And when the thought "Snacks!" showed up, I mentioned it to a few friends and we ended up with so much food it barely fit on the table!

The result: This afternoon, seventeen fantastic people from my community joined me at the Lloyd Center Ice Rink and we had a blast! We welcomed in 2009... we ate up lots of leftover munchies from last night's New Year's Eve parties... we fell, and we laughed about it... we met new people... we ice skated!

And tonight, I'm going dancing. Now THAT'S what I call action!