It's all about The Dirt:

11… what does it mean?

• A rocket must travel at over 11km per second to escape the Earth’s gravity.

• The space shuttle went up on its 11th mission, weighing 11 tons and fixed an errant satellite on the 11th day of the 11th month.

• The deepest point of the ocean floor is 11km at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

• The average adult male heart weighs 11 ounces.

• The number 11 is a prime number, which cannot be divided by anything other than itself.

• World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

• “Two pillars standing side by side will support far more than twice of what either pillar would individually.” ~Jerry J. Davis

Here’s 11 hints for life:

1. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return. But what is more painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let that person know how you feel.

2. A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be and you just have to let go.

3. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you’ve ever had.

4. It’s true that we don’t know what we’ve got until we lose it, but it’s also true that we don’t know what we’ve been missing until it arrives.

5. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone – but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

6. Don’t go for looks, they can deceive. Don’t go for wealth, even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.

7. Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go, be what you want to be. Because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

8. Always put yourself in the other’s shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the person too.

9. A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck a life. A timely word may level stress. But a loving word may heal and bless.

10. The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

11. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, ends with a tear. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you’re the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.

~ Unknown

“Eleven Hints for Life” shared from Lance Ekum @ The Jungle of Life.

11 sign photo
11 painting photo

“When you find yourself being ruled by the scores and outcomes of your physical tasks, build a stronger, more sublime base; focus on the process and appreciate each moment of play. You can do this by asking the question: ‘Why am I doing this… really?’ Get in touch with your inner, deeper motives for entering this particular arena of sports and fitness−why you play the game. You’ll discover that much of it has little to do with the outcome or the product. It is the process, joy, satisfaction and fun in the execution of a particular skill or move that turns you on. There is a strong divine connection between you and your sport. This is the dance that we refer to in which you totally give in to the natural movement of your physical routine. No need to think; silence the conscious mind. Put all aside; just play and dance the dance.” Working Out, Working Within, Jerry Lynch and Chungliang Al Huang

No more training for me… just dancing!

This is one of my favorite moments in “A Peaceful Warrior”: A true story of Dan Millman.

As I read through old writings and snapshots of time, I’m transposed back to the moment. But when I think of how they relate to the future, they apply as well. There is so much we say and do that give us hints to the future, but the most important thing is to be “here in the now”; to work on the present.

Here I share some negative-to-positive thoughts:

panic to… calm

get out to… venture into

stuck to… free

fear to… brave

break out to… be you

bad to… excellent

stick to… allow

illusion to… clear vision

shattered to… preserved

crumble to… rebuild

corner to… exposed

holding to… embrace new

worry to… welcome

shuffling to… meaningful, giant step

Rewrite your words and you rewrite your life, future and interior potential of now. You got it, use it. Focus. Use your inner drive to fill an empty cavern waiting to explode.

Just remember, you are on the cusp of something really good. Be present and “take out the trash”.

I love this photo. It reminds me of sweet home Chicago, the melting pot that I grew up in. Skirting the inner city along the lake, we thrived and meshed with all races, sizes, religions and beliefs. Pockets of rough and tough combined with tightly knit neighbors of loving families.

The butcher, the baker, the drug store, the library, the Catholic School, the department store…the cultural diversity. We never got hit by cars, but we crossed busy streets. We got bullied by kids and our bikes stolen, but we held our own. We went to carnivals with all our friends and didn’t have cell phones. Whiffs of Indian food hovered in the alleys while we walked home from school to eat our pot roast.

Different = not the same. But celebrated.

The city kids were the closest group of friends I ever had. We hung out and stuck together like glue. We played spin the bottle, had pizza parties and sleep overs. Ice skating, bowling, movies, birthdays, and beach bums. Everywhere from city parks, backyards, alleys, and parking lots. No one came over to my house because my dad was too tall, big and scary. Sometimes we’d be getting chased by the cops, loitering, or gazing fondly at the hunky life guards. We had adventures and escapades to bars and beaches near “the projects” (run down, low income housing known for crime). We always did something different and mixed it up because we could. I refused to live in fear because of my feeling of cultural connection and respect.

Our “clan” consisted of diversity. We came from different religions, blood and homes. We were raised from single moms and bum dads, drug-dealing siblings, crazy families and some with English sheep dogs. There were parents full of humor, and moms who hung their double D bras in the bathroom. Some parents who always worked and were never seen, or some that seemed to be there just when you needed them. Brothers who grew weed in the backyard and sisters who were super bossy. All of us gathered to talk about how dysfunctional our families were, but then again, we all had something in common:

We were different, and we accepted each other just the way we were. Harmony in disharmony.

Why now do we have to be the same?

What happened to accepting people for the way we are?

The “clan” is now scattered. FBI indictments, some became cops, drugs, comedians, politicians, some hit it big while some went to jail, Benz’s, cancer, and some escaped to the suburbs and are comfy in their big homes with their families. No matter how scattered we are, we’ll always have our unadulterated memories that we can laugh, cry, joke, and celebrate. As kids, we never looked upon each other as lucky, poor, rich, messed up, or judged. We just enjoyed each others company and accepted the many shades of skin, cultures and personalities.

Okay, fine, I’ll say I miss it. I miss the melting pot. I miss going to a ethnically diverse college and riding the “L” train, and learning to understand all different walks of life. Sometimes I feel sheltered, bubbled and protected.

When I was on my honeymoon at a cozy, small island named Anguilla, we stopped to ask a man for directions to a beach, who happened to be a deep shade of brown. Offering his services, he said he could take us there. Okay. As my husband shot me a look of suspicion, I winked at him and told the guy to jump in. Here we go…some stranger taking us to an out-of-the-way, tranquil, quiet and deserted beach. What was I thinking? Show us the way! First of all, the island was small and quaint with very little crime. I trusted my gut, my hunch. I felt “the peaceful island way”. The guy was looking for a tip, so he lead us to the beach, pocketed his wad and went back home. Yes, we were suckers, but we found the beach we sought after.

Maybe my childhood experiences of being exposed to many diverse people and gave me the wisdom to follow my instincts.

As we celebrate shades of green beer and Irish culture, let’s really celebrate shades of people, places and things. We are meant to connect with one another.

“Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.” – Sean O’Casey

(photo credit)