Little did I know when I woke up this morning that I would be creating my own blog, so if you know me, I'm just as surprised as you are (well, maybe not).
So what is a Zen Shark exactly? A creature that chooses to see all that is beautiful and positive as it swims through life, appreciating balance and harmony, health and well-being, practicing spiritual open-mindedness in honoring how others choose to live their lives. Unless you poke it in the nose, in which case the shark is not a door mat, and will probably give you a few chances to "make good" in its graces before it shreds your ass to bits.
While the mythical unicorn has been featured in literature since time eternal, the Zen Shark was born twenty years ago, the creation and collaboration of my and my husband's rampant and depraved imaginations. At the time, however, it was more of a business model, a way in which we would treat our clients in our newly incorporated business.
To give credit where credit is due, the Zen Shark is a direct descendant of my father-in-law's business philosophy, specifically, the "no a**hole" policy. If he didn't like you, wouldn't have a fun conversation or share a beer with you, go someplace else for service. It was his company, after all, so he made the rules.
The Zen Shark was, and is, a more spiritual, New Age version of an almost forty-year-old internal business motto that served my father-in-law's five-million dollar plus 'small family business' well. While we haven't reached the million dollar mark yet, we're rich as married business partners, which says a lot.
So what will I write about? What we all struggle with on some level or another, which is how to lead a happy life and remain positive when there is so much that is negative to focus on, if we choose to.
As a spouse, parent, and responsible adult with an average of 60,000 thoughts a day to contemplate (a real number we all face EVERY day), we are challenged to make conscious decisions to live more peacefully. That definition, like happiness or success, is personal and different to each and every one of us.
Join me on my journey - define what happiness and success means to you, and strive for it in every aspect of your life. As a self-proclaimed 'informed optimist," (I've also been told that I am someone who views the glass as "half-full, damnit"), this journey will be quite the trip for me. My husband, on the other hand, seems to always swim with the current, and self corrects his course a hell of a lot faster than I do.
Start thinking, REALLY thinking, about taking care of you, and coming along with me. I cannot guarantee you will learn a thing, but I'm damn sure I'll at least put a smile on your face. Take care...
I love the intention behind the blog Laura! I think it's a beautiful thing that you created this. It's nice to see a talented writer (especially being my cool cousin! :)) come out with a stance on issues in life, challenges in business, family, the importance of making decisions in life and how to do it while keeping a "glass is half full" type of mindset. For anyone who's ever encountered a dilemma and faced making a decision with swarming thoughts going in and out the transient of one's mind--either negative or positive might I add, it's nice to have a blog that's subjective and objective for people to share their thoughts in hopes of a resolution. Without a negative, there wouldn't be a positive and vice versa. But, my point is, in most cases it can be easier said than done at times to focus solely on the positive when the negative keeps lurking at you. You can find positives and beauty through the negatives. We shouldn't always "tune out" the negatives, but become receptive in a way where we can each turn it into a positive by helping the situation at hand without allowing it to tear down the most precious parts of ourselves or those around us. I'm looking forward to reading more and learning more about the Zen Shark and its role in everyones life...Am I the first comment??? Sweeet.....
ReplyDeleteLaura~
ReplyDeleteCongratulations cousin on your new blog! Looking forward to your postings! And I must say...I just love the name. "Zen" is a word that we use quite frequently in our household. We are known to say such things as, "Exercise gives me zen" "Clean house=zen" "This order of Pad Thai in zenful" etc... As we used the word, we all thought...what is the real definition of zen? We knew the message we were trying to portray when we used the word zen, however I found that we all had a little different perception of it. I personally think of zen as peace, harmony, contentment, enlightenment. Here are some "web" definitions of zen below:
The True Meaning of Zen is also the True Meaning of Life.
Zen is the Japanese name of a well known branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism, practiced especially in China, Japan, Vietnam and Korea. It stresses the role of meditation in pursuing enlightenment. But besides this, it has been termed, by one Western commentator, "a way of life, work, and art ."
A school of Mahayana Buddhism that asserts that enlightenment can be attained through meditation, self-contemplation, and intuition rather than through faith and devotion and that is practiced mainly in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Also called Zen Buddhism.
Zen Shark reminds me of the concepts of "The Secret." How powerful our mind and thoughts can be in determining our actions and mind-set! We are what we eat? No, we are what we THINK! Negativity will affect both your physical and emotional health. Believe me, I like many others, get trapped in negative thinking at times. It's part of human nature. What we do with that negativity is the tough part.
I admire you Laura (and you cousin Brooke) for your journalism abilities. Not a strong point of mine and I always admire those who possess that quality!
With LOVE, HUGS, and ZEN~
Julie :o)