Angels Fly Because They Take Themselves Lightly

"When we can laugh at ourselves there is enlightenment." Shunryu Suzuki, Roshi

So far, from the Triple L blogathon we've served up Love, Luck, and now it's time for a favorite of mine, Laughter. By keeping a Simple Zen approach; Be Brief, Be Bright, this will help me get to the point quickly and Be Gone.

In my book Mental Fitness, the Nourishing Roots & Wings chapter pg. 41 is where I first mention the G.K. Chesterton quote that I am using in the title of this post. "Angels can fly because..." From a life long learner point of view, many of us have heard that the only thing we really have any control over is how we choose to look at something. By keeping this outlook in mind, we can clearly see how humor heals when we lighten up, and take ourselves less seriously. Consider, as noted by Erma Bombeck, "If you can laugh at it, You can live with it."
Scientific studies have documented that laughter is the best medicine. A tiny shift in perspective is where our spirit of joy is accessed even in adversity. I will graciously remind you that from a zen perspective, you are already enlightened. The light is within us. Learning to trust it is what we must learn for ourselves.

"Every situation, properly perceived, becomes an opportunity to heal." A Course in Miracles
In a previous blog, I mention my Starbucks Kismet experience of talking to Jerry Seinfeld about his brush strokes with Zen Improv. This is a perfect example of how I had to not take myself too serious. People always ask me this question "Did you tell him about your book and famous zen lineage?" The answer is no, I forgot (just kidding) . I chose to empty my mind and just show up in the moment, unattached to my history.

This insightful gift is found in Takuan's words of wisdom, "Zen is to have the heart and soul of a little child." Watching children at play, we can see that there is no agenda to discuss affluent or non-affluent backgrounds. Kids have no need to talk about themselves or take themselves too seriously. They simply want to have fun.

And that is exactly what I experienced with Jerry. In our short and bright talk, I resonated with Jerry's words that "Zen is just looking at something from a different perspective, and that's what comedy is." So in conclusion, laughter helps us restore our perspective and Simplify to F.L.Y. F.inally L.earn to (love & laugh @) Y.ourself.

Zen Upliftment Recipe: Piece of Angel Cake

(picture from Martha Stewart)

Angel Zenergy Steps: Begin within, (dolphin smile) turning up your mouth corners to soften your focus, face, neck and shoulders.

Laughing and singing activate a long breath out: Mindfully or nonjudgmentally, kindly observe your one pointed exhalation as you build-up your Pilates 101 core strength one breath (Exhale, tighten-up Inhale lighten-up) at a time.

Mindfulness Magic Mood Tool Tip: Whenever you note (breath-holding) stress building or critical monkey chatter getting louder towards yourself or others. Press your zen button (whoosh) exhale, smile ;) LOL for awesomely catching yourself in mid-air and mentally start over, feel your feet on the ground and keep your head to the sky.

(love to hear about your angel zenergy moments please share w/us @zenmommie or email mjrolek@aol.com)


Click here for information to order my Clear Your Mind Manual "Mental Fitness"
Foreword by Leonard Cohen, endorsed by Louise Hay, Dan Millman, Iyanla Vanzant, Michael Beckwith, O.C. Smith, Richard Carlson and many more...In Gratitude w/Love ❤

FunZen Girls OX
Michiko (lil mama) and Grace:

Contact: (805) 490-2391 Twitter: @Zenmommie Email: @mjrolek@aol.com

I teach Kids FunZen and train Parents to be Mindful.

How to Activate Your Lucky Charm!

The Sweet Science and Art of Luck

In my last blog, I introduced The Triple L's, Love, Luck and Laughter. I focused on the element of Love. Today, I want to discuss Luck and look at how each and every one of us can become an awareness architect of constructive change and create a charmed life.

The study of something that interests us, like physics ("everything is connected") is called a Science. The practice or application of that interest is known as the Art. Scientific documentation from Dr. Richard Wiseman, author of The Luck Factor reveals that "Lucky people create, notice, and act upon the chance opportunities in their lives. He adds, "...being in the right place at the right time is actually all about being in the right state of mind." (in picture Anne Merrem us & Robbie @BeautyofWisdom)

By placing your attention on gratitude, what you are grateful for, the positivity will naturally outweigh any negativity, no matter what the day dishes out. This is because the right state of mind is naturally geared toward being positive or happy-calm. The first step in activating your lucky charm is believing in a favorable outcome. As you will see with my daughter Grace, by being prepared she ignited a brilliant performance.

I am delighted to briefly share a living example of this very idea and how it worked with Grace. In this short video clip from a luncheon we spoke at on April 28, 2011, Grace talks about getting into her FunZen zone and the Luck Factor. (in picture, us, awesome Wendy Winks) She shares her successful steps of how preparation met opportunity while preparing for a recent voice-over job; the iconic role of Lucy in the brand new Peanuts movie, Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown.

It's one thing to talk about activating your personal lucky charm. It's another thing to offer you the know-how and life skills to empower you to become lucky and reach for inter-active mastery.

"When the student is ready, the teacher appears." Zen saying

When I wrote Mental Fitness in the mid-nineties, my intent was to cultivate the innovative idea of turning our knowledge into action. Turning what we know into what we actually do is the activation of our will; the power of personal choice.

American Buddhist nun, Pema Chodrun, in the lineage of Chogyam Trungpa, eloquently reminds us that "This Moment is the Perfect Teacher." With Mental Fitness, we prepare ourselves to access our spiritual zone where every moment offers an opportunity for us to make, or as we like to say at The FunZen Bakery, bake our own luck. Afterall, using our head and following our hearts compass to live a charmed life successfully is, at it's root, a spiritual matter. We're here to encourage and inspire you with insights to wear your invisible toolbelt from your tool box. You make your own choices.

Living in the 21st Century, the intention of being mindful in this moment is more relevant than ever. We cultivate the miracle of mindfulness by paying attention, non judgmentally, to the present moment instead of obsessing over the past or worrying about the future. Studies show that luckiness is the result of being positively present and expecting a miracle. The living art of devotion is affirmed when we remember that a miracle is a mental shift from fear to love (pure positive energy). Fear deactivates your luck and pushes away what you want. Love attracts and draws in what you want, making you a miracle magnet.

"I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity."
Oprah Winfrey

The four-leaf clover is an uncommon variation of the common, three-leafed clover. It is said that such leaves bring good luck to their finders, especially if found accidentally. According to legend, each leaf represents something different. The first is for faith. The second is for hope. The third is for love. And, the fourth is for luck.

Our power to attract and boost good fortune is more about choice than chance. Let's glance at the four-leaf clover and look at one leaf at a time. I've infused each leaf with an inspirational quote to inspire and prepare you to activate Living Under Correct Knowledge. I encourage you to find your own inspiring quotes and sayings and use this centering tool for immediate activation to live, love and evolve.

Keep in mind that marrying your intent and any inspiring thought, focused with mindful breathing will instantly activate your lucky charm and center you on pointe with purpose.

Faith: "Faith is the courage to live as if everything that happens, and every choice we make, is for our highest good and learning. Faith is also nourished by the higher understanding that every decision eventually leads to wisdom."

~ Brilliant author, Dan Millman "The Four Purposes Of Life"

Hope: "Hope is an emotion which brings richness to our everyday lives. It is defined as 'the feeling that … events will turn out for the best.' When we exercise hope, we 'look forward … with desire and reasonable confidence'. As such, hope brings a certain calming influence to our lives as we confidently look forward to future events."

~Steven E. Snow


Love: "Love is the answer to my every need. The problems in my life are simply opportunities to give forth more love. As I pour love on each situation, the problems all become answers. "
~Inspired author, Jack Addington "The Perfect Power Within"


Luck: "Everything in life is luck."

~ Donald Trump

"Live by law, and you are lucky. People will start to say about you, 'Everything just seems to come her way.' Or, 'He is always so lucky."
~Leslie Householder

Inspiration Recipe Quote

“It is your job to ask, to believe you are receiving, and feel happy now. Leave the details to the Universe on how it will bring it about.”

~Rhonda Byrne


Lucky Charm App (Activation): Eleven Heavenly Seconds, Breath Meditation

(On the Spot, Centering Tool whether you're standing, walking, waiting, living, learning, laughing...)

Joyful Heart Steps ❤❤❤-

❤ Stop: Whooosh, Exhale (pressing your zen button) Relax to refocus into the present moment.

❤ Breathe: (One Mindful Breath Circle) Inhaling mantra sound "Sa" (direct air to your core)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

1/2 note, space

Exhaling mantra sound "Ha" (firming-up core)

6, 7, 8, 9, 10,

1/2 note, space

(11 heavenly seconds) ♬.

❤ Feel: Clear Mind, Peaceful Heart (centered) Activate our worrier to warrior (warrioress) spirit...

Gentle Reminder: It doesn't take more time to get centered, thinking on our feet. It takes intent. It's always an empowering choice we can make to live in what Author, Eckhart Tolle, calls "The Power of Now." Right now, is where choosing to activate our lucky charm of mindful breathing unlocks our ability to live a Charmed Life.

One breath, One moment, One step at a time.

Click here for information to order my Clear Your Mind Manual "Mental Fitness"
Foreword by Leonard Cohen, endorsed by Louise Hay, Dan Millman, Michael Beckwith, Richard Carlson and many more...

In Gratitude w/Love ❤

FunZen Girls OX
Michiko (lil mama) and Grace:

Contact: (805) 490-2391 Twitter: @Zenmommie Email: @mjrolek@aol.com

I teach Kids FunZen and train Parents to be Mindful.

Girls Just Wanna Focus, Flow, and Have Fun!

Love is the Answer

Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Very recently (one week ago to be exact), my daughter Grace and I launched a new discussion series that we hope to continue on a regular basis. We examined the timeless wisdom found within our initial topic, "What's Love, Luck and Laughter got to do with living your best life?" Thanks to my awesome student, loyal friend, Anne Merrem (Lil mama, Anne my Berlin girl and Grace in picture) who put the "lunch bunch" together, we were able to share our exciting tips, tools, and know how, with about 22 amazing individuals. The ladies got to taste the magic of mindfulness (non judgmental observation) and an instant confidence boost with the empowerment of posture awareness.

Whether we meet and greet you in person or you're reading this blog, our pure intent is to ignite the brilliant performer within you. The method begins within by re-seeding your attitudes with new creative ideas. Then, releasing old ones, to inspire you to soar and explore, seeing your world in a whole new diamond light.

What's love got to do with it? Put simply, Love is what inspires us to exercise our courage to face and erase our fears and confidently follow our hearts compass to live our dreams.

Here's a pivotal soul story from my personal journey. I share my soul in process to illustrate learning to love me, which zen refers to as complete self acceptance. By taking a few baby steps at a time, this issue to insight is how I learned to be comfortable in my own skin. Taking action steps to love, respect and appreciate myself, has lead me to stand tall, light and firm and share these blessons with you.

I share with you, "Ti Amo."

Getting right to the point, back in the eighties, I met German born, beautiful actress, Natassja Kinski at Capezio's Footwear in Hollywood. During this time, I was dancing on pointe daily and was set to become a professional dancer. We talked about local dance classes and she asked me where I was studying ballet. To my surprise, she showed up at the dance studio bright and early the very next day. After class, she asked me if I could help her learn ballet.

Looking back at this time in my life, I certainly didn't feel good enough to teach or even befriend Natassja (in picture from, Stay As You Are her movie). I totally lacked self acceptance of my body. I was convinced that my butt was too big, making me often feel like a moving violation in ballet class. I constantly heard my ballet teachers say "drop your hips". My lack of perspective made me buy into the limiting beliefs of the If, Then, Plan.

If, I worked harder to have the ballerina body (that my teachers told me I didn't have), Then, I would truly be empowered to celebrate life, make new friends and enjoy myself more.

The whole situation was deflected by telling Natassja I was too busy to help her. There was an inner knowing that I missed the opportunity to work with her due to not being emotionally ready to jump in with both feet. The last time I saw her, I followed my heart and asked how to say I love you in Italian. She said "Ti amo." Those two small words with a very big meaning, "Ti Amo" became my password, tatooed in my heart to say to myself everyday.

Go Within or Go Without: We can learn our enlightened living lessons so we are not the ones holding ourselves back. From this experience I gleaned; "My body was a prison of self hatred, until self love set me free..." By keeping our hearts open to unconditional love, starting with ourselves,we can create space to both be heard and heal instantly. (click here ❤ for more self-healing love from my brilliant tweetheart friend @ValenciaRay M.D.)

"The basis of fear is not trusting yourself, not loving yourself. In a nutshell, you feel bad about who you are." Pema Chodrun :) The Smile @ Fear Teachings, my personal favorite ♡

Inspirational Recipe: Pie in the Sky

1-2-3 Easy As Pie (German Chocoate)

Step 1. Whooshhh. Smile, Relax & Re-focus, Catching a Gratitude Breath Wave… Slowly exhaling... to reach inner stillness and brighten your inner light.

Step 2. Look inward. Visualize your mind calm like water… Then, deeply~ Inhale~ Pure Love which waters your roots of learning to trust and love yourself.

Step 3. Long Breath Out…Ahhhh. Tighten-up the core to Lighten-up. Spread your heart wings to remain Upright instead of uptight, wearing your miracle diamond of mindfulness.

Now take this dancer's secret posture tool with you one mindful breath at a time to Focus, Flow and have Fun.

In the words of Grace Rolek, "Fear out, Fun in, with FunZen."

In upcoming blogs, I will discuss Part 2 Luck and Part 3 Laughter.

Mental Fitness Foreword by Leonard Cohen still available: Amazon, Bodhi Tree Books

In Gratitude w/Love ❤

FunZen Girls OX
Michiko (lil mama) and Grace

FunZen Bakery: 805 490-2391

Contact: MJRolek@aol.com

Twitter: Follow @Zenmommie

The first 22, callers, emailers, that mention this blog and Girls Just Wanna Focus, Flow, and Have Fun! tag #Fun ❤ will get a complimentary Hearts Compass Life Coaching session ❤ 805 490-2391

Special offer: Signed copies available, Mental Fitness: what I'm currently referring to as a: Clear Your Mind Manual (one yogi tea sip at a time)

I teach Kids FunZen and train Parents to be Mindful.

Freeing Your Inner Swan, Part 4

Take Your Bow

"I want you to open your hearts and see the world in a different way. I promise this will change your life for the better." Oprah Winfrey

Thank you for keeping an open mind and opening your hearts to see things differently.With these swan lake steps you can free your inner swan of beauty, serene strength, and transformation.

As you may have noticed, Oprah's quotes have illuminated some of my previous blogs. I share her passion of bridging the gap between Eastern Teachings (i.e. Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth online class) and immediate Western concerns that we hear or read about in the media. I call her the zen queen of truly starting the conversation. This caught my eye when I was pregnant with Grace 14 years ago. It has continued to be a source of empowerment for me as a mother. My life changing "free your inner swan" experience happened two years ago when Oprah was in my house with Jani Schofield. click here to read more

A recurring challenge I've come across from tele-coaching and emailed Q & A sessions is how to deal with doubt and uncertainty.

Two of my tele-coaching students, who experienced a shift in perspective, shared this similar question.

Q. Why does uncertainty creep into my thinking even when things get better? As soon as I start to feel good, I'm hit with a fear of failure and this looming doubt that something bad will happen.

A. The negative thoughts and emotions are like clouds in the sky that are there to be dismissed not entertained. From a zen perspective, when some thing like an unexpected occurance is bothering you, step back, stand tall inside and breathe mindfully, with non judgmental observation. The disappointment is seen with appreciation as a teacher not a tormenter. This empowers you with self-love to really feel and neutralize any negative feelings that arise and are now being released. To help you embrace this discovery process, I am honored to share these brilliant insights from @ValenciaRay MD. She left comments on Free Your Inner Swan Part 1 and 2 that inform us that ego based doubt is an "Enormous Growth Opportunity.” Worry is only negative focus on what you DON'T want. Be informed; the brain sees images and ignores "don't." Attention= I Want, period."

For a bit of clarification (essence of zen), the two students I mention are committed to our Zen training. Our main concern is connecting our knowing and doing. By turning what we know into what we do, we become an artist of life. It's perfectly okay to simply read and perhaps study these new ideas or seeds of enlightenment. They can trigger an aha moment with your gift of insight and inspire your transformation process. For example, the wisdom based teachings of Abraham-Hicks can help you to deepen your spirit and awaken Self Realization or Oneness with ideas of non resistance. For instance, "Appreciation and self love are the most important aspects you could ever nurture. Appreciation of others and the appreciation of yourself are the closest vibrational matches to Source Energy of anything we have ever witnessed anywhere in this Universe."

The 6 stages of change begin with pre-contemplation and the foundational tool called self acceptance. It is the fertile soil for growth and change.

But, it is beyond the scope of this blog to dive into these deep waters.

Zenlightened Living begins with remembering to remember that we don't change lives. We only plant and cultivate wisdom seeds of light. Our original nature handles the rest with divine timing.

Mental Fitness was written to help anyone get grounded in the brilliant basics. With it, if you choose, you can embody Legendary Artist, Misha Baryshnikov's wise words; "Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun." FunZen embraces our artist side (inner child) that wants to have fun learning and the Zen disciplined side (inner parent or coach) that establishes a work ethic to be successful. To soar and explore this topic visit Author, Julia Cameron @the_artists_way. Her vision is found in this quote from Pablo Picasso "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."

The "Taking Your Bow" Inspirational Recipe: giving you the best tools and the right know how to have a clear mind, peaceful heart and joyful warrioress spirit.
Here we go, Close your eyes (or softly focus) Open your Heart

1st Step: Exhale Whooosh (pressing your zen button) to re-focus in the present moment relax and soften into your authentic self. Breathe deeply to and from your core naturally. Allow the Centered Breath to take care of itself (p. 22 Mental Fitness)

Affirm: Go within or Go without: I am Going Within for my life lesson to feed my faith, and starve doubt with what I truly envision for myself. On the other hand, I Go Without my Insight (aha blessing).

By simply making this choice with intent, we can shift from worrier to peaceful warrioress or warrior.

Shout Out! Author, Artist. Warrioress, Janet Jackson's awesome book "True You" shares the blesson of taking her bow with Honesty Heals and how it helps to build trust, self esteem and quiet strength or real confidence. She reveals her painful journey of finding and loving herself which embodies the message of Freeing Your Inner Swan @JanetJackson, Amen. Namaste.❤

Please visit previous blog for information on Mental Fitness: what I'm currently referring to as Yogi Tea for the Mind ❧ Foreword by Leonard Cohen.

Many Blessings w/ Love,

FunZen girls OX

Michiko (lil mama) & Grace Rolek

Contact: 805 490-2391

mjrolek@aol.com

I teach Kids FunZen and train Parents to be Mindful.

FunZen Bakery: Food for thought that empowers kids to shine brilliantly from within.

Freeing Your Inner Swan Part 3

"Only the still pool reflect the stars." Zen saying

From a zenlightened perspective, which is seeing with a clear mind, peaceful heart; I resonate with Jon Braeley, Director of "The Zen Mind" who mentions that the intent of zen training "is to rid the mind of ego and self doubt, to reach satori or self realization."

In this blog, Freeing the Inner Swan (part 3 ) I wanted to briefly address striking a yin/ yang balance between a healthy ego which involves (self esteem and confidence) and an aspect of ego (inner toxic critic). The distinction that has brought me clarity is the subtle difference between self esteem and confidence. Self-esteem is related to caring or loving who you are being no matter what you are doing. Self confidence is knowing you are good at what you are doing and believing in yourself. By witnessing this contrast I've worked with many successful, wealthy people who are excellent at what they do, yet seem to not truly love who they are or feel good about themselves. The word independent is key here to observe as inward dependence on our Beingness, Spirit, or God. Once we connect to our spirit or being through centering exercises like meditation the doing has a chance to fall naturally into place. A healthy ego is when our self esteem or being and confidence doing are working together in harmony.

When I was doing research, I asked the question "What is a healthy ego? " The name Carolom showed up with her illuminating suggestions and a reference to Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth message board from Oprah's website. I have reprinted it for you here.

"Wholeness is a return to identification with the origin of creation; a return to contemplation of the field of consciousness itself; a return to what is referred to as God,Beingness, or Spirit." Eckhart Tolle

You know you have a healthy Ego when...by Carolom

*You have transcended the state of duality and opposites and are living a fully integrated life

*You are clear on why you are here, what you are to do and have embraced the unique gifts and talents you have to fulfill your Earth walk, enjoying your unique gifts and talents as a part of that

*You recognize that 'love, light and nice' is not always the answer...sometimes the difficult conversations and powerful Energetic cross currents require firm and assertive action

*You are comfortable in your role within the One whilst also embracing the individualized aspects of it...(the "Me" within the "We' )

*You take time to grow, develop and nurture your inner Self whilst contributing to the external world and its manifestations - including developing a healthy relationship with Egos call of the Self

*You love and honour all aspects of your Being by recognizing the Ego's immature state of selfishness and narcissism prior to the mature Ego state of a strong sense of identity and purpose..'make peace not war' within.

*You are comfortable immersing in the Ocean of Abundance and enjoying the fruits of lifes ventures whilst sharing with others the lessons and blessons

*You take responsibility for your snarky moments and blurky bits, embracing them with open arms and lightness of being

*You recognize the role that Ego plays in the development of the individual...individual ... as opposed to the Ego being the re-scripted version of the Devil and God battle and dualism and opposites story of old.

* You have evolved beyond the 'children of a loving Father" story and accepted your role as co-creator with Creation and the responsibilities that come with that

*You have identified your boundaries and are comfortable challenging their transgression and meeting discord with firmness and resolve (especially when working amongst violence and crime)

*You are comfortable with the intellectual combativeness of others...and your own....and choose whether to engage or not engage in all of the scenarios that life presents

*You no longer talk one way and act another...the inner and outer realms are in alignment and harmony

Inspirational Recipe: In One Bite,~ Yin Yang Cake Pops (repeat one breath at a time as often as you wish)

Here we go. In One Breath, let's glow with the flow: Exhale, Whooosh (pressing your zen button) to relax and reset diaphragm~with comfortable upright posture. (Mental Fitness gives you the right know how to be upright in total command of your body soul instrument)

Inhale: Deep blue ocean breath, Catching the wave. Let it rise gradually from your core cradle (hara) to your heart center ❤.

(Pixie Pause for Peace)

Exhale: Long Breath Out~ Soften your chest and start to feel the core tightening up (roots of self support) as you lighten up (wings) with the deep cleansing action of exhaling impurities, stress, and unwanted tension.

After you Exhale completely, rest in the thought free space between the notes.

Ahhhhh ♪ Musical ♫ Pause ♬ Let it Be

Zenjoy finding balance (do be do be do) in the dance of life. With your bite-size sweet/salt taste, you can take One Healing ♡Heart Step ♥ at a time to transform and reach wholeness.❧

What is a Healthy Ego? is a conversational starter. Part 4 will address your questions and perhaps i'll share a couple of soul stories about my re-integration process. Recently I spoke with an amazing lady, her name is Wendy, she helped me articulate making peace with my broken heart pieces. I hope to embrace this hot topic with you to satisfy curiosity, and clear confusion, including any doubts about how we can all spark our own innate beauty, truth, love and goodness. My intention is to share ideas about deepening our connection in building a healthy ego which honors our Beingness, Spirit or God...please tweet, dm or email ??? comments, suggestions, so looking forward...

Mental Fitness (Foreword by Leonard Cohen) is available: Amazon, Bodhi Tree Books , or contact me for Complimentary autographed copy and free gift (up to 22 minutes) telecoaching session by mentioning you read this blog "Free your Inner Swan"

In Gratitude w/Love ❤

FunZen Girls OX
Michiko (lil mama) and Grace:

Twitter: @Zenmommie Email: @mjrolek@aol.com

I teach Kids FunZen and train Parents to be Mindful.