Growing up one of my nicknames within my family was "Bear" because of my affection/obsession with care bears and all things teddy bear-ed. This was an affectionate name given to me by my mother and used mostly by my brothers and cousins. As an adult looking back it would appear that I was given just the right name for the right time. There were many struggles within my childhood. Everything from living in project housing to not having enough to eat to at times being homeless. There were many things that shaped me into a bear and allowed me to be strong and fierce to survive but also to have seasons where sleep was the best survival mechanism, as it allowed me to protect myself while dealing with things out of my control.
Later my 8th grade teacher and mentor told me that I reminded him of a butterfly and so this became his nick name for me. He explained his observation as my growth from a tough and thick skinned young girl who held everyone at arms length , into a warm and beautiful young lady who was ready to explore the world and create beauty where ever possible. Thus my transformation from a Bear to a Butterfly, included my success and determination to stay at the top of my class throughout high school and my leap of faith to go 730 miles away from home in an environment completely opposite of what I was used to and fight my way through earning a Bachelors degree.
While completing my studies for a Masters Degree in International Relations, I studied for 8 weeks in Thailand. During this time I had the privilege of learning the skills of meditation from Buddhist monks. Our language and cultural professor explained that one of the highest privileges was to receive a new name from the monks during or meditation lesson. The monks named me Ubon which means lotus as in one of the most sacred Buddhist flowers. An explanation of the significance of the lotus is as follows: "As the lotus flower grows up from the mud into a object of great beauty people also grow and change into something more beautiful (hopefully!). So the symbol represent the struggle of life at its most basic form.Lotus flower tattoos are also popular for people who have gone through a hard time and are now coming out of it. Like the flower they have been at the bottom in the muddy, yucky dirty bottom of the pond but have risen above this to display an object of beauty or a life of beauty as the case might be."
So now my transformation from a butterfly to a lotus. I have earned my Masters Degree and been to 5 0f 7 continents and 11 countries around the world, I have witnessed many different cultures and several different lifestyles sparking a sense of compassion and understanding within me that has defined my life. Now as a lotus I am ready to begin my ascension into being an evocative member of society and creating an impact on the world around me. There are many lessons I carry from my bear and butterfly stages that I am eager to put to use.
Please stay tuned :-)
We go through several transitions in life,..much like most things on the earth. It is essential to ensure that we not only stay mindful of the lessons that each presents but to also put these lessons to use to help make life as productive as possible. Life is like a roller coaster ride, with twist, turns, parts that make us laugh and many scary parts. The most important thing is that when one ride has come to an end, even though we may be dizzy, crying, laughing or holding our stomachs we must hold on to the lessons of the ride in order to make the next one more enjoyable. In the end it should all be worth the ride!

New Year Fresh Thoughts
Posted January 1, 2010

You could have been anywhere in the world but you're here with me. Thank u for joining me.Happy New Year everyone. I am resolving to writing a blog this year and who knows, if it goes well maybe I will continue the tradition into the future, however for purposes of this first blog lets take things one step at a time.

I would like to start the new year off talking about a very important subject one that I am certain is on the minds of the masses,..LIFE. To be fair almost all topics surround this subject,..even death when u think about it. I would like to focus on the celebration of life and the enjoyment of it. Now as this being my first blog and I have no real sense of protocol besides reading others thoughts (Alisia), I would like to ensure you that this will not be a lengthy read, but I do hope for it to be insightful and thought provoking, so I ask that you continue to indulge me and read further,...

I have recently become aware that the only life worth living is a life that is enjoyed. If you are not enjoying life then you might as well be dead. (however I would not recommend the later because there is no guarantee that you will enjoy it!) I found myself lately following the school of thought that allowed my ancestors freedom even through enslavement. The thought that no matter your circumstances no matter how much money you have, weight you've lost, romance you experience, education you have, all that really matters in life is your freedom to enjoy the here and the now. There will always be more to want and to need because that's who we are as humans. The only thing that prevents those wants and needs from driving us insane is that we learn to appreciate what we already have.

Only when we truly take a moment to appreciate what is already in abundance around us, can we start to enjoy life. One of the few types of people that I despise and will refuse to spend time with are those who too easily find something to complain about. Life is too short to be anything but happy so stop wasting your time on this earth, focusing on the negative. One of the people who has continuously inspired me, Rose, explored the notion of what might happen if the world as a whole- or even a significant fraction- focused on the positives of situations, how different would the world around us be? Some would argue that this is far too idealistic. I would argue that that argument is exactly the problem.

So in closing, and beginning ;-) I would like to challenge you to look at 2010 as a start to truly enjoying life and instead of complaining or focusing on what is missing in your life and eagerly rushing to feel voids, I urge you to concentrate on those positive things around you and see how different your world becomes. if your car breaks down walk and be thankful for the exercise, take the bus and be thankful for a cleaner earth and the new friend you met. If you gained a little weight be thankful that you aren't going hungry,.If you loose your job, be thankful that the door is now open for you to explore other talents, if your significant other calls it quits be thankful you didn't waste any more time with someone who is obviously crazy,.. cause you are FABULOUS!

welp I hope this has inspired some1,..please feel free to leave comments

All the best!