May Flowers?:)…i absolutely LOVE flowers!

Wish my home was a flower garden. Imagine life as a butterfly floating and fluttering wherever the air brings You

in your

peaceful paradise.

My garden would be

called: f~~~r~~~e~~~e~~~d~~~o~~~m!

Lilacs are among my favorites. (Isn’t it hard to pick 1 type of flower? What is your favorite?) i could go for some intoxicating Lilac Liquor (aromatherapy) right now. i LOVE the scent of Lilac. What scents do You like?(…actually, i prefer “common”…sense!:)

P.s. this post is NOT promoting aromatherapy (and/or drinking)…just discussing it (aromatherapy).

Two basic mechanisms are offered to explain the purported effects. One is the influence of aroma on the brain, especially the limbic system through the olfactory system.[13] The other is the direct pharmacological effects of the essential oils.[14] While precise knowledge of the synergy between the body and aromatic oils is often claimed by aromatherapists,  the efficacy of aromatherapy remains unproven. However, some  preliminary clinical studies of aromatherapy in combination with other  techniques show positive effects. Aromatherapy does not cure conditions, but helps the body to find a natural way to cure itself and improve immune response.[15][16] ~Wikipedia

Wouldn’t it be cool technology IF we could some how attach fragrances (i.e. Lilacs) to our posts?? Kinda like a scratch and sniff thing…is there an app for that…yet? It would be a fun feature except if you had allergies. Some parfum et eau de toilette too overpowering and distressing to those who suffer with allergies and asthma. Please, be mindful of other Breathing-Fragile-Life IF You choose to wear or bathe in the stuff.

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are concentrated extracts taken from the roots, leaves, seeds, or blossoms of plants. Each contains its own mix of active ingredients, and this mix determines what the oil is used for. Some oils are used to promote physical healing — for example, to treat swelling or …

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Thanks for joining me for our Compassion Conversation 2. To bring You up to speed, have you read 1 Compassion Conversation yet?…

The limbic (meaning “ring”) system is located in the forebrain and is virtually identical in all mammals. It sits just above the brain stem, with the two structures somewhat resembling a bagel with a finger (the brain stem) passing through it. This “system” is not composed of a single large brain structure. Instead, the limbic system is comprised of a large group of complex and oddly shaped smaller structures surrounding the upper portion of the brain stem. Each structure has an immense number of critically important circuits linking them to one another and to the cerebral cortex. These interconnected structures are intimately associated with our basic drives, bodily temperature control, hormone production, and emotions.~Brain Basics for the Teaching Professional by Kenneth A. Wesson

We discussed in our previous compassion conversation the role our limbic system plays in assigning emotional priority to auditory input and how our desire(s) determines our listening. Basically, we listen (pay attention/heed) to what we “want” to hear–what has Top Emotional Priority to us individually.

To examine our listening skills, perhaps, we should examine our emotional priorities?! Because listening is learning and unless we can broaden our emotional priority (to include concern for others)…our learning (i.e. compassion) and listening will be limited at best.

Are our desires selfish? Unselfish? For example, if #1 (me) is my top emotional priority then i listen/pay attention/learn and/or practice what will benefit #1! or if my top emotional priority is unselfish and/or concern for other fragile-breathing life…i listen (pay attention and learn and/or practice) what will benefit not just myself, but all breathing-fragile life!

This #1 talk reminds me of an old joke a friend told–let’s see if i don’t mess it up: “When you’re looking out for #1, you’ll step in #2!”

Who likes words/thoughts/behaviors/patterns that degrade and strip us or others of dignity and respect?! Compassion conversation is the usage of words that are thoughtful, non-offensive, a uniting language …

Gratitude: a year-round attitude!:) One does not need a “specific” day or “time” to limit their expressions of appreciation and thanks! Gratitude is a way of life that brings benefits to: day-long, month-long, year-long, life-long living and giving!:)

Professor Robert Emmons, of the University of California at Davis, says: “Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress, and to achieve a positive sense of self.”

Time magazine highlights something else: “People who describe themselves as feeling grateful . . . tend to have higher vitality and more optimism, suffer less stress, and experience fewer episodes of clinical depression than the population as a whole.”

Everyday one can find many reasons to give “THANKS!” Personally, for me, I’m choosing not to let certain traditions, national pressure (and/or) peer/family pressure dictate what I eat and when or when I give and what or when I say Thanks and why.

How would you measure your depth of Gratitude? Check this out from:  Professor Robert Emmons & Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami:

MEASURING GRATITUDE

“Much of our initial work on gratitude has been devoted to examining the disposition to experience gratitude as a relatively stable affective trait. To measure this affective trait, we have developed a short scale called the Gratitude Questionnaire, whose current incarnation consists of six short self-report items. The GQ-6 is available here for download in PDF format. This document includes some interpretative material that allows one to determine where a person’s score on the GQ-6 falls relative to a large sample of adults who recently completed the measure. Finally, this short technical document describes the psychometric properties of the scale, including some of the most important evidence for its reliability and validity.”

Appreciation and gratitude must be cultivated and grown. As a parent, i strive to set a “Gratitude Attitude” example for my kids. THANKS …