Joy Junket

Many of you know I took a sabbatical from my job as a physician.  In the end, I decided to dedicate myself to full time writing, speaking and coaching.  That big LEAP did not happen without some major magic.  Much of the magic that helped me along my path was Nature related and I share how you can tap into that MAGIC in my new book, What the Walrus Knows:  An Eccentric’s Field Guide to Working WIth Beastie Energies. You do not have to be a Shaman living in the Amazon basin to do this work-  it is for everybody and it is a delightful way to FEEL GOOD, understand your loved ones in a more playful way and to experience more JOY!  There are animals showing up for you daily to share messages with you.  All you have to do is listen:)

The book is beautiful inside and out and has a dictionary at the back of 50 different Beasties and how best to align with their energies to help yourself feel GOOD

I would be thrilled if you buy it!

If you love it-  please share it on facebook, tweet it, bring a copy to a ladies night-  whatever FEELS GOOD.  My dream is that this book will delight and ignite every human who comes into contact with it!  ~Sarah

“How does this work serve the world?  To whatever extent it contributes healing of some form to society, to that extent the project is blessed.”–Marianne Williamson (and Kitchee Gammi Design Company business philosophy)

I was recently asked to submit a proposal for a project.  The person on the other end of the phone was rattling off the various requirements for the proposal… when she asked for a description of my business philosophy.  What a great question!  I loved the fact that she was INTERESTED in how I DO my work.  Not in if I have a fax machine or where my office was but what I believed in. 

I used to have a philosophy called “I HAVE NO CHOICE.”  As you can imagine, someone who subscribes to this mindset is generally resentful, unwilling to say NO, and rarely happy in their job.  In fact I almost quit the design business at one point because as a result of not valuing myself and my work enough, I had attracted some business that can be described difficult at best. 

I learned that in order to love my job again, I needed to value myself.  That meant coming up with a job description for the one and only employee of Kitchee Gammi Design Co. (me.)  I had to redefine my philosophy about how I wanted to continue in the design business.  Today I’m happy to say that I’m developing the confidence to take the right projects, and turn down the things that don’t fit my new vision for myself.  Any project that asks me for my business philosophy appears to be on track for one I’m interested in. 

What’s your philosophy… on how you work and play?  About what you’re willing to accept or dream for yourself?  Is it time for you to write a new job description for yourself?

Let’s have a party. You bring the cake and the streamers, I’ll bring the music and the laughter. We’ll get a bunch of people together and have a ball.

In fact, maybe we should have a ball. Like a real ball with pretty dresses and princes and everything. What am I talking about? Gibberish, but I have to start somewhere with this subject, so gibberish it is. The truth is, my bra is itchy, I’ve been apathetic all day, I don’t really feel like doing anything but going to bed. I don’t want to talk about parties.

I don’t know that absolutely any place is a good place for a party. Doesn’t that sound a bit frivolous? A bit silly? Well, yes, it does. But who cares?!? Isn’t that the point? The point Sarah and Suzi are trying to make is, “Be silly! Be frivolous!” But why?

Why when there are so many harsh realities in life should we go out of our way, risking ridicule, to be goof balls? And what exactly is a party anyway. I suppose I could check Webster’s. My daughter has often told me that I will talk to anyone. It’s true. I’ve started up conversations at many a check-out counter. I’ll talk to strangers all day long. People fascinate me. And I love to make them smile. So many people are so darned depressed looking. It’s fun to watch their eyes light up, their lips curve in a smile. Peoples’ faces change so much when they smile. Some people look completely different. Their whole face changes with a big grin.

Okay. That’s all for now.  Kim at Retreat with me

“Design is an opportunity to continue telling the story, not just sum everything up.”–Tate Linden

“It’s not done yet.”–Suzi Vandersteen

“It  has taken my entire life to understand what I already knew about creating art in the third grade.”  Philip Carrera

I had an assignment in 5th grade that started me on my road to the design world.  We were asked by Mrs. Lillibridge (our terrifyingand VERY TAN fifth grade teacher and coincidentally,  the school principal) to create a diorama of a house, including the various rooms and how they related to form and function.  I approached this task with the zeal I usually reserved for avoiding homework rather than completing it.  My diorama included carpets made of rabbit skins (WHY had no one thought of this before I mused…) and a room that ONLY housed a model 1969 Mustang pilfered from my brother’s room.  … More

I am probably at my happiest when I’m moving furniture around.  As anyone can imagine, this tends to create a lot of chaos in the house….. the dogs walk around, harummphhhh and throw themselves down on an available stretch of floor, only to be nudged out of the way as I harp “Coming through!” carrying a chair over my head.. ( I learned when I worked at the furniture store that this IS the best way to carry a chair through a crowded space.)  The kids say to me “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?  WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE WAY IT WAS?  And I sometimes ask myself the same questions!  … More

Bill Hamilton, Sava and me- photo Susan Honnell

From Sarah ~  The Jazz the Glass Retreat in Kauai Hawaii that I created with Susan Honnell and Tami McCall turned out to be an absolutely amazing experience for me!  We set out to take visionary Women-   Mavericks, the Bad Asses and Honey Badgers on this trip to connect to Nature, Spirit and (of course)  to bend the rules,  and play outsde of the fences of our ordinary lives.   Boy did it deliver, for me.

To be in Hanalei on Kauai is to be in a Bohemian Wonderland where the most clothes that people seem to be sporting are a bathing suit and maybe a shirt or sundress.  We even spotted a guy pumping gas on the highway in his Speedo.   Shoes are optional, tattoos are def. recommended.    Breakfast consisted of green smoothies at the local co-op and we packed up lunch in the cooler and headed for the beach.

We had planned to do Stand up Paddle boarding-  which we did up the Hanalei River and it was fabulous.  One of the unexpected (those are the best, right?) peaks, for me,  was learning to surf.

That very first day, it seemed daunting to paddle out on these large long boards to the place where the waves were breaking.  One of my co-hosts, Susan Honnell,  was an awesome guide and assured me that I could handle it.  Once we got out there were these small waves breaking perfect for a novice.  So I got into position as Susan had taught me and waited for the waves.  The first one I decided to go for I threw myself on the board and then (as instructed) paddled like a bat out of hell-  but missed it.  Then Susan pushed me onto the next one.  It felt different.   Instead of  feeling the wave sink and crumble beneath me….all of a sudden it was like this huge surge of power right under me and I stopped paddling and was hurtling along with no effort at all.  The, I leaped up,  into my karate stance,  (again- thanks Susan!) and I was up – flying along the water and I cannot even really explain how fun it was.  When it petered out-  I flopped into the water and could not wait to get back in the line up to catch another.

I surfed and tried to surf so many waves in the ensuing  6 days.    My leg and hip got so badly bruised (from slamming myself onto the board to get ready) that I looked a bit of a wreck.   I could not have cared less.  I even had a heck of a hematoma going on my right hand.  It was so much fun,  I was not going to let it stop me.  My body (at night) was like-  oh wow-  all over body workout and exhaustion-  yet as soon as I had stretched and had a cup of coffee I was like-  gotta get out and Jazz some glass!

What I noticed was the second day its started getting more difficult to catch a wave. It think beginners luck has something to do with “non-attachment’  because I didn’t really know if I would ever be able to catch a wave on that first day.  By the second day (knowing what it felt like to “catch” a wave) I was greedy for waves.   I wanted to CATCH them all.  When I tried to do that what I found out is my “paddling arms” got so exhausted and I didn’t catch as many.

By the third day, I had an awesome chance to hang out and surf with Sava (see her vid below) , queen of the waves who’s owner Bill Hamilton (Yes-  Laird is his son, lol!) taught me a few things.  I told him my dilemma— it seems like I am not getting up on as many.  He said-  “you gotta cherry pick”.  Bill explained that you have to be patient and wait for the cherry to grow on the tree  and then only pick the ones that are ripe and sweet.  I was laughing out loud at the sexual and surfing metaphor in all of this.

Sure enough, as I began to really wait for the waves that looked ideal….I sort of thought they looked “crispy fried” and seemed to have a bit of a CRACKLE to them….if I got into position and paddled like a mad woman into it-  I caught them and oh man what a feeling it was.  There is nothing quite like catching a wave, we all agreed and now, I know I am not the only one who is addicted.

What a great metaphor for my business, my life (sexual and otherwise, lol) and  in general….to wait for the best wave- the one that is ripe for my picking .  That way, I conserve energy and if I do succeed-  WOW what a treat I am in for.    You don’t catch every opportunity you paddle out to but, looking for the crispy delicious ones sure increases your chances.  What does your ideal wave look like in your life?

**We plan to Jazz the Glass Again in 2012-  so send me an email if you would like to hear more when we launch!  ~Sarah

“Design is intensely personal, develop your radar, combine, eliminate, collect.”  JJ Manifesto

Design is about solving problems.  Really, in my opinion it’s that simple.  Now the problem may show up in a number of ways:  suddenly a home that was perfect for two now houses three children, two dogs, a home business in addition to the original two people it was purchased for.  This was the problem a friend came to me with the other day.  … More

I have just returned from another fishing trip in Canada… completely rejuvenated and restored.  I used to wonder why I just LOVED being at this particular resort, why I felt such a connection to the beautiful lake that is dotted with hundreds of islands and rock shelves.  It hit me on this last visit, the lake is EAGLE lake, and when I’m there I’m surrounded by my particular animal totem… which is the Eagle!  They are everywhere, being chased by crows, chasing the seagulls, diving into the water, and quietly nesting in the trees. 

The Eagle is a constant reminder for me to develop my perspective and conserve my energy.  Eagles need to have an involvement with creation, and a willingness to experience extremes.  What a great inspiration for the design business!  I’m reminded that with design, it’s easy to get caught up in the details of a project when what’s most important is the end result. 

So what are you working on today?  Remember, it doesn’t need to be perfect, don’t get caught up in the details, develop your perspective, and ride the winds to your benefit for a change.  Have a little Eagle energy on me, really, I have enough to go around.  –Suzi

“Forgive.  Period.  Do it for you.  Do the  next right thing.”  Joy Junket Manifesto

“Great Design is Good for your Spirit.  Form and function work wonders.  Beauty Connects.”  Joy Junket Manifesto

“Easy Does it.”   AA and AlAnon slogan

I used to have a lot of personal slogans… my all time favorite was “Beat the living crap out of it, and then DO it some more.”  That applied to work, my relationship with myself, my time, and everything I did.  I didn’t realize it at the time but I suffered from the disease of perception.  Let’s face it, on a lovely autumn day most people idly carve on average of one or two Halloween pumpkins, not the 20-25 perfectly scraped, carved, and decorated ones I tended fill my front porch with every year!  Add in the flawlessly bundled corn stalks, homemade squash light strings (don’t even ask), hay bales, coiffed scarecrows, floral arrangements, candle lanterns, cooked from scratch meal and one exhausted/ crabby hostess and you had our annual Halloween party!   But I didn’t know any better, because that’s how I did everything.   My perception was that if I didn’t actually do/complete/finish all the ideas in my mind that I was a hopelessly lost cause.  I constantly compared myself to others, and though I didn’t know it at the time, the trouble with this attitude was that sometimes I won, but more often lost.  I was comparing my insides to everyone else’s outside.  Most often these people were impossible perfectionists,,, Martha Stewart was my prime target. … More

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle.  But I think the real miracle is to walk on earth.  Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize:  a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child-our own two eyes.  All is a miracle.”  –Thich Nhat Hanh 

A few weeks ago Dan and I took our boat out fishing on the river… at the last minute I suggested we toss Maddie in (I tend to introduce chaos into our boating excursions), because she loves fishing and being on the water… and it’s a great reminder to me, that no matter how many times she’s been on the boat, or seen us catch a fish, it’s always a total party to her, with lots of growling, barking and jumping around the offending slippery specimen.  Sometimes we examine the little thing we just caught, and throw it back in without fanfare, but with Maddie aboard nothing goes unnoticed or unheralded.   

She reminds me to monitor my everyday activities through the eyes of a dog;  to treat every homecoming with joyous celebration, to stare out the window and notice birds, lightning bugs, deer and rabbits, to look at every fish caught as a miracle, to not do too much when it’s hot outside, to sleep long and hard, and to PLAY. 

What is a miracle?  What about what isn’t a miracle?  I am content in getting some of my best lessons from my dog.  What about you?  —Suzi

“I like living.  I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.”—-Agatha Christie

“Start living your dream right now.  Baby steps count.  Forward motion motivates.”—-Joy Junket Manifesto

I get the incredible chance every time this year to work on a project that benefits many people.  It’s something that is relatively simple.  A children’s playhouse.  But this playhouse is designed by an architect, built by some dedicated and professional volunteers and I have the been given the honor to decorate it.  It’s auctioned off at a charity event and some years it has gone for as high as $22,000.00.  This year that money will be used to benefit a local children’s mental health day treatment program.  Did I mention we all do it for free? … More

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out.  It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.  We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”  Albert Schweitzer

Thank you to all the wonderful people in my life who’ve been my kindling.  In a million years, I never would have imagined the people, circumstances and things that have spurned me on to do more, be more and appreciate more.  Sometimes they showed up in packages I didn’t expect.  In fact, many of them showed up as problems that were magically transformed into gifts. 

I can never repay the kindness and love that has been shown to me, but I can be someone else’s kindling…. So today I want to be kind, be understanding and be better than usual…. –Suzi

“Joy is Contagious—Expose as many people as you can.  Start an epidemic.”  Joy Junket Manifesto

I am feeling massively joyful and grateful today!  Must share five things I cannot live without….                               (Warning:  likely to change on a moments notice!)

1.  Pandora….. the John Mayer station

2.  My I Phone…. I always say it’s the greatest invention besides the John Deere tractor!

3.  My girlfriends… you know who you are… you inspire, amaze, and encourage me to be the best person I can be, I stand in awe of all of you!

4.  Beauty… including but not limited to the view from Kitchee Gammi Design Co. studio (hello Lake Superior), the view from my front door (northwoods in all it’s glory)…

5.  Books… all shapes, sizes and types of inspiration… book suggestions always appreciated.

What are your five things today???   —Suzi

“There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.”—Richard Bach

When I used to work at a furniture store, we would tease the owner that the store was a giant checkerboard board and moving anything was to participate in a large scale chess game.  As soon as a new chair or sofa came in, it needed to be placed in an attractive setting, then the lighting, accessories, rugs and surrounding pieces often needed rearranging.  New homes then needed to be found for those things, and on and on…. … More

From ~Sarah

For some it seems to happens all at once, a diagnosis, an event-  something causes an unraveling of everything they thought they knew and life falls apart.  For me, at least my most recent “falling apart” was really a culmination of many things happening at once and a result of me being unconscious- or you could say I had lessons to learn.   As my colleague Lin Eleof , the self-proclaimed Worst Mother would say,  I was being presented with another F%$ing growth opportunity.    Martha Beck, another colleague in the trenches of personal transformation ,  might say  “I smell God!”.

About 5 years or so ago-  give or take a few months I was in  a perfect storm.  I was:

1.     Mom to 4 little beings ages 2-10 who needed me desperately but,  I had little time to be with them.

2.     Stretched to my limits intellectually as a Physician practicing nearly full time AND so tired that I struggled just to get dressed in the morning (I came to work several times to present for 7 AM Cancer Conferences with my skirt unzipped.   Eventually I wore scrubs full time it was safer for all of us.)

3.     Deeply enmeshed with a person close to me who was struggling in a fight for their own life and feeling like I didn’t know what the hell was going on.

4.     A financial picture made me feel trapped with large mortgages-  including large gorgeous house with fabulous fancy kitchen, a lake home  and a lot ( of course, we planned to  build our “dream home” there, lol!)

The feelings inside of me at  this place 5 years ago included (but not limited to) loneliness, guilt (for having complicated my own life), anger (directed at “those bad people”  who thwarted me, lol!) and it generally was quite un-fun.  Don’t get me wrong, not every moment was misery.  I continued to love my kids, hold out hope that things would get better and kept “trying” to figure it all out.

Things shifted, for me, when I asked for help.  Kinda like when James DeFranco’s fiercely independent character in the film 127 hours,  the one who had to cut off his own arm, shouts  “HELP ME!!!!” and you know he means it.  I believed I had no damn idea how to get out of this mess and desperately wanted to find some relief.    My first Life Coach listened to me tell my story (for a while….) and then suggested I start doing a little of what made me happy.  What????  Preposterous!!!  Plus at that point I wasn’t sure what the hell that even was anymore.  I was so wrapped up in everybody else I had lost my connection to my own desires, wants, needs.

Yet, since I didn’t have any better ideas, I began to try.  It turned out, I did know how to get myself out of the mess….one step at a time.  I immediately began to a tiny bit FEEL BETTER.  That tiny FEEL GOOD began to give me fuel.   You might say the FEEL GOODS began to restore me back to full power.  5 years later, things are 180 degrees different:

1.     I love my life.  I feel appreciative for all who are in it with me.

2.     I feel extremely FREE.

3.     I am with my children, who need me.  I have time.

4.      I have learned to be compassionate, rather than empathetic so that I can stand in my own power.

In short,  life is good.  It is by no means perfect.  I still have to confront fears.  Take leaps.  Sit on a lotus and breathe.    Yet, it’s really good to be here.

More days than not, I experience moments that are off the chain.

What is your perfect storm? Reach out and ask for help.   Find a community.  A Coach.  A friend.  We are out here waiting.