new heights

it's my new favorite thing.

hanging out on top of the door.  not only is it a feat of great agility and balance (you thought that shawn johnson cutie was impressive at the olympics, just check out what i can do!), it's also a great vantage point.  i can see for miles and miles -- well, for square feet anyway.  

i love it up here.  i feel strong and powerful.  i also feel adventuresome and bold.  there's excitement combined with a healthy dose of nervousness.  i'm certainly proud of myself.  and i feel it's important to mark this new attained height with my lovely scent, so i sweetly rub my face on it.  i know - cute, right?  that way, you know i've been here and that i belong here.  that's not to say that this door belongs to me -- nah, that would just be silly.  but it is to say that i claim my position, my presence.  zulu was here!  zulu's been here and zulu can be here and zulu likes it here but just happens to be somewhere else just now.  i don't have to stay up here all the time to contend my ability to scale to and exist in these exalted heights.  i don't have to prove my worth.  it just is -- and made a little more fragrant with a genteel stroke of my head. 

nice.

and lest i forget to mention -- i cannot arrive at this place on my own.  i need help from those around me.  a boost.  a paw-hold.  support.  and, believe me, this is no small detail -- it is essential in my successful surmounting.  and, as we have discussed before, i shamelessly ask for that assistance.  i don't go to that place where i think "oh, they don't really want to help" or "i should be able to do this on my own" or "if i ask for help, i'll appear weak" or "i'll be such a bother if i ask" -- stop that nonsense!!  

start seeing the world in a different way.  we're all in this together (my humble apologies for the "high school musical" reference) - but it's true!  let's start acting like we are part of each other's lives -- that we're alive - here - now - together!!  and let's help each other out!  it's not easy getting up on top of that door.  it's a great place to be -- and woo-hoo that i have folks to help me out on my way up!  now i'm in a place where i can help them, give them a hand, inspire them, pull them up with me and support them if they want to try to make that leap to the chandelier. 

boldly go where you've never gone before and have always wanted to or been curious about. there are folks around that will help you get there, keep you company, marvel at your brilliance, welcome you back and encourage you further.  mark your presence in your life! let 'em know you're here.

 

and remember to smile and laugh -- you might get recorded along the way!!

take care of your poo

and now for something completely different.

well, not really -- it's all connected.  today, we're gonna talk about our selves.  which we've been doing, i know. but really, today, it's all about our Selfs.  and taking care of our Selfs. 

know what i mean?

it's back to basics. keep your Self clean.  

this self-cleaning thing we cats do -- i know it can be a little mysterious and even a little gross at times.  but really, it is an auspicious thing. okay, maybe not the butt-licking -- hard to call that "auspicious".  and yet, if you think about it (not too hard, and maybe not in too much sensory detail), it is a pretty cool thing we do.  we can take care of our selfs.  totes.

now i'm not suggesting that you toss your soap in exchange for your tongue - that's just nasty. well, for you anyway.  i'm just saying -- you keep your Self clean. there's a lot out there to muddy us up.  cloudy our thoughts.  our bodies.  our Selfs.  we need to take the time every day to clean out the muckity muck.  i mean, think about it -- if i didn't bathe myself every day, pretty soon i'd be tough to recognize.  my gorgeous (if i do say so myself) fur would be matted, dull, drab.  i wouldn't be able to function as i usually do, what with stuff between my toes and gunk in my whiskers.  and, i daresay, i would smell (perish the thought).  i would not be me.  my self would be lost in the dirt and stank.  who i am would be buried beneath, well, the shit i am carrying around.  the stuff, the garbage, the baggage we carry around -- that we saddle our Selfs with -- it conceals who we really, REALLY are.  it keeps our true Selfs shrouded in poo.

and how sad is that.  when all it takes is a good cleaning.  regular cleanings, actually.  i mean, the more often i clean myself during the day, the less time it takes to un-muddy my self.  a clue -- take a little time often thru-out the day to un-muddy your Self.  check in with your Self -- are you shrouded in poo thoughts?  clean 'em up and get your fine Self out into the world.  there's work to do.  heights to scale.  games to play.  sunbeams to seek out. 

yes, tend to your poo.  that's another thing we cats do really really well.  am i right?  we don't try to hide it -- that's not what we're doing.  we're recognizing it, paying attention to it, and dealing with it. dealing with the smells.  am i getting too graphic in my metaphorical illuminations?

i'm just saying - keep your Self clean.  and do it often.  

your Self and the world will thank you for it.  not to mention it will make life a whole lot more pleasant.

scaling the familiar

scaling new heights.  seeing new sights.  exploration.

lately i'm kinda considering myself the lewis and clark of cats.  well, i guess that would really be lewis OR clark. either one. you see,  i've got the bug to survey, investigate, even reconnoiter.

i'm of course surrounded by the familiar.  nothing new -- no new pieces of furniture, no new inhabitants, no new toys.  same old, same old.  but not.  not at all.

suddenly i find myself looking at things anew.  with a different eye, i guess.

that coat rack, for example.  up to now, it's served as good a thing as any to rub up against, maybe swat a toy under.  but one day, i take a look at it - step back, see it completely differently.  now it holds the unknown.  it is a treasure trove.  and i alert my friends of my newfound interest in what is at the top of the coat rack.  i ask for their aid and their company on my quest to explore above.  and - well, it takes some explaining and some creative feline wiles, but before i know it - there i am, atop the coat mountain!  somewhere i've never been, and never even knew existed. and it was there all along.

bliss!

i sit up there, supported at first by the company (and head) of my friend.  then once i feel comfortable, i nestle in with the help of some craftily placed boxer shorts (they make a nice hammock).  i see new sights!  i see everything from a new and exciting perspective.  it is invigorating, enlightening.  definitely purr-inducing.

and now i find i am contemplating everything anew.  looking differently at the same old - it is familiar and at the same time completely unfamiliar!

seeing opportunity and possibility in what appears to be mundane.  and then having the courage to investigate, explore, survey -- check it out!!  what's up there or behind there or around that corner?  sometimes it is mind-blowing -- full of unfathomable discoveries.  sometimes it is just full of dust bunnies.  whatever the case, it is a fresh experience.

try it yourself.  step back from your limited and limiting vision.  try seeing your stuff differently, experiencing it with new eyes.  your surroundings, your routines, your relationships.  there are hidden treasures there.  we get used to seeing things as they present themselves at face value.  dare to peek beyond that.  it takes a sense of adventure, curiosity -- or even just a whisper of a wish.  know that you are supported -- and if you're concerned and need assurance:  breathe, you're in charge of the expedition and get to set the pace, and consider bringing along a pair of boxer shorts. 

really. you'll see things you didn't realize were there all along.  possibilities.  new friends.  a toy you thought long-gone.  a spark of interest you thought had faded.  opportunities.  beauty in something that used to appear dull.  new horizons.

go.  explore.  purr.

if only . . .

wow. here we are.

i am restless of late. i find myself wandering around. crying. not a cry of hurt or anguish. not even a cry of sadness or melancholy. just a cry of, well, noise. just using my voice. making my self present. i'm here!

sometimes i'll stand at the front door and cry. knowing that there are things unknown - places i've not been. in truth, i probably wouldn't really want to be in most of those places, but knowing that they are out there and i am not makes me shout nonetheless. there have been a few instances when i've run out there -- had a good look around -- then satisfied and just a little overcome with adrenaline, high-tailed it, if you will, back inside. not to hide, mind you. for, really, i am happy where i am, being here. and it is good to be reminded of that once in a while.

when i'm restless, i imagine life to be better outside the door - somewhere else. just getting a whiff of something different -- oh, it can make me spin into emotional acrobatics of what could be if only . . . if only. if only what? when you really think about it, the "if only" isn't about the place, the people, the possessions. it's about how you imagine yourself feeling. how the place, people or possessions make you feel - about yourself.

it all comes back to you.

and you're still here. but that's not a bad thing. in fact, it's the best thing! ever! because that's what it is all about. you. and how you feel about yourself.

so go ahead -- embrace the gift of restlessness. imagine what it's like outside the door. imagine "if only" and how you'd feel "if only". now, it just comes down to the feeling. creating that feeling here and now. imagine it! use your voice! "i'm here!" "here i am!"

if only i could get outside, i would feel happy. i would feel adventuresome. i would feel strong and alive. meow!

so, i howl questioningly: what makes me feel happy, adventuresome, strong and alive on THIS side of the door - where i am?

and guess what!? playing in the bathtub makes me happy. venturing up into the closet makes me feel adventuresome. running as fast as i can from room to room to room makes me feel strong and alive.

ask yourself the questions - how would that "if only" make you feel. what, where you are, can make you feel that way. meow! make it happen. bring those feelings into where you are right now.

here you are!

meow,

zulu

perception

once again, i have been a bit remiss.  i shan't apologize for being absent for a while, as i have been about my business, taking care of myself and getting done what i've needed to get done.  i shall apologize if you have felt neglected -- for that, of course, is not my intention.  i ask for your understanding.  and, hey, there's something to be noted here.  to you, it appeared perhaps that i had forgotten about you.  the reality is that i have been busy.  it's that simple.  and yet the situation is also that complex.

so often we interpret things solely from our own understanding, without even considering other possibilities.  and, taken even further, our understanding is usually colored with actual MIS-understanding.  my friend won't respond to my pleas to throw the little mouse toy - and from my (mis)understanding, it's because she is mad at me or i did something to annoy her or she doesn't like me anymore or on & on & on.  when in fact, she's on the phone, in the middle of ground-breaking discoveries, asleep or on & on & on.  nothing at all to do with me.  now that can be frustrating and somewhat offensive -- WHAT??? you're NOT thinking about ME????  well, yes, in fact - this situation really has nothing to do with me.  dang it.  and it's a relief as well.  whew -- it has nothing to do with me.

make sense??

seeing a bigger picture.  but it's beyond that - considering a picture, a reality, that encompasses the unknown.  in a way, it gives you a nicer picture.  next time you are wont to assume the worst, try assuming the best -- just for fun.  i mean, really -- which is more fun -- deciding something didn't happen the way you wanted because a) you made a mess of it; or b) something better's taking its place.  they're both just assumptions, possibilities -- so why not choose the one that makes you smile?

that's what i think, anyway.  

life's short -- even with nine of 'em.  

choose the path that makes the journey more enjoyable.  you'll have a better time -- and probably, just probably, your trip will be loaded with good stuff!

later -

zulu

rest. play. pov.

sorry it's been so long since i've added an entry. or entered an addition. whichever way you choose. life's been full. for me, full of rest. full of play. full of exploration and finding newness in the familiar. same for you? i hope so -- and shall i say, i certainly expect so. if not, well, then, you've got some re-adjusting to do if you're going for the win.

i do love to curl up in a cozy spot. if the sun's available, then i take it up on its offer of delicious warmth. nothing like a good nap. or even just a snoozy rest. meditation. stillness. yes. let your mind wander. wherever it wants to go. there's a feeling of safety and security. calm. but don't you dare call me lazy. this is the opposite of laziness. i am recharging, laying the groundwork of creation and of action, reconnecting to and with my Self (ooh - note the capital 's') and with Energy (again note the capital). important stuff that. the most important stuff.

on to play. lots of play! in all its forms. me? i had a great time the other day chasing a paper ball around. simple stuff is sometimes the most fun. i also engaged in some serious shall we say "cat and mouse" activity involving a knitting needle and a blanket. again, simplicity. try it out. just for fun. i do enjoy making my own fun. and sometimes i ask for help in having fun. i know that sounds crazy -- needing help to have fun. but i suspect a lot of you reading this know exactly what i'm talking about -- and find yourselves in need. granted, it isn't due to your lack of opposable thumbs - lucky. but sometimes we forget what it is to have fun - how to do it. how often. (with regularity is the answer to that one.) be a fun-seeker. engage others in your quest for fun. let them help you have fun. another win-win for the win.

exploration and finding newness in the familiar. sometimes i amaze even my feline self -- even though i live in a relatively confined environment, i still am capable of exploring and discovering. i'm a regular lewis or clark -- finding new paths to undiscovered countries within the four rooms of my dwelling place. in all earnestness, yeah, i probably am familiar with every square inch of this place. and yet, i still can find surprise and excitement within those square inches. sometimes it's simply a matter of changing perspective. that same old thing looks different when i'm up above it looking down. when life feels dull, stale, at a standstill -- i like to get up high. literally. get up on top of the bookshelves or the cabinets or the refrigerator or even on someone's shoulder -- and look down. look at things differently. it changes everything. even if only for a little while. it's enough to make a difference. sometimes it really is just about changing your point of view.

rest. play. point of view.

the good life.

time for me to jump up in the closet, then chase a dust bunny and find a soft spot to curl up in. ah - a full and perfect day.

later -
zulu

entitlement - own it

i have this new habit. "behavior". when i need some lovin', i cry a little -- just enough to get their attention. then when they come over to pet me, i stretch up and crawl up their outstretched arm and sweetly perch myself on their shoulder. usually the left one. no particular reason why it's the left, it's just how it happens to end up. anyway, i love it. i'm up high, looking at life from a new perspective, they're holding me, i'm purring, they're making whatever sounds of contentment they choose to utter, and life is very, very good. i get what i want. and apparently, the arrangement is not too shabby for them either. it's a veritable win-win. and my initial concern, my sole primary intention was my own want. nice how that works out.

i feel entitled to that.

entitlement gets a bad rap these days. i guess there are different degrees of it. to some, entitlement connotes a sense of greed, of selfishness. of expecting to get rewards when you have done nothing to "deserve" them. getting the benefits without working for them.

believing that one is deserving of certain privileges. that's according to webster's. i mean, if i can write a blog, i certainly can look up words online. don't be so surprised.

so maybe it's really a case of what privileges we're talking about here. maybe that's where the conundrum lies surrounding this idea of entitlement. i believe that it is okay to feel entitled. and these are some of the privileges i most certainly deserve: to believe, know, understand that i am loved. that i am wanted and that i will be taken care of. that there is room for me. AND i feel i am entitled to these privileges by the mere fact that here i am! oh yes i am.

and so i will continue to ask for what i deserve. and if someone can't or doesn't want to give me what i want, they will let me know. they are entitled to do that. it doesn't mean i don't deserve it or that i'm not entitled to it -- it just means that they are unable/unwilling to give it to me for whatever reason they may have. so i go to the next one and meow at their feet.

so feel entitled. you do deserve privileges. the privileges that come with being here. and you'll be surprised how many out there want to support you in getting what you want. that's the beauty of it! it really is win-win. funny how when we get what we're really entitled to, we simultaneously give it.

you are entitled to happiness. to sadness. to having all your feelings. you are entitled to your place in the world. and yeah, do your part. but that's not as dire as it may sound. it's all in the showing up. the believing. the noticing. the asking. again, it's in the simple things. because those are the privileges really worth having. not the ones we get bogged down in -- the having-more-than, the being-more-than.

of course, you start by giving it to yourself. by believing that you DO deserve it. simply by being.

you are the stuff of stars. believe it. you are entitled to shine. it's your birthright.

meow -- ftw!
-zulu

here we go

now let's get down to bizness. let feline wisdom ensue. don't worry, you don't have to duck.
first up: ask for what you want.
that's right. very simple. very hard for some to do. for whatever reason. some have been told that it's greedy to want or that its selfish. it's not. it's taking care of yourself.
so, first you have to agree with the notion that it is okay to want. not only is it natural, it's actually imperative to living. and it is definitely okay. you gotta have wants. period. give yourself permission. stop listening to that little voice in your head. they don't know. they want to keep you small and hidden. that's no way to live.
now you have to figure out what you want. in this moment. of course as moments change, so do your wants. that's how it should be. you can be flexible. you can really and truly want THAT much! that often! what do you want? food? change? love? help? the possibilities are only as limited as your imagination -- which means they are limitless.
on to the asking part. this i do and do often - it really pays off. trust me. you can't just assume someone - the world, your mate, your boss, your friend with opposable thumbs - is going to know what you want. darn it anyway. yeah, it can make you mad to have to ask -- but, cmon, how will you ever really get what you want unless you ask for it? i want a scritch? i ask for it. i want some attention? i ask for it. loudly. it's amazing, but sometimes i even have to ask to play. you think that would be a no-brainer. i mean, it's PLAY! but that can be a tough one to feel okay asking for. like help.
asking is not a sign of weakness. quite to the contrary. it shows you acknowledge your self and your being in the world. it's a good thing.
and sometimes you have to put yourself where you want to be to get it. i've found it very advantageous to position myself on the kitchen counter next to the cupboard which holds my food when i ask for dinner. or if i'm in need of attention from my friend who has been incessantly changing her facebook status, i will not think twice about standing between her face and the computer screen and let out a wail. sometimes if i'm just wanting some lovin, i'll ask to be picked up and then climb on to the nearest shoulder and curl up. the result of my asking for what i want? prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. it doesn't get any better. if you want a job - get the skills, get out there and ask. if you want a companion, put yourself in a position to meet people. you know the drill.
now of course there are times when i ask and i don't receive. that's life. it doesn't mean that i shouldn't have asked. no way. no room for punishment here. putting my wants out there, like i said, is the way to go. at least now i have a 50-50 chance of getting it. actually the odds are better than that. i may not get what i specifically asked for right then. or maybe ever. although in the case of things like food, i sincerely hope this isn't the case. anyway, be open to the possibility that what you do get may look different than what you expected. come in a different form. at a different time. could be tuna instead of salmon. still good in my book.
really, ask for what you want. ask a friend. ask your lover. ask a teacher. what's the worst that could happen? they'd say no. maybe.
then ask someone else. another friend. a boss. the universe.
make your wants known. your little ones and your big ones. shout em out!! we all have wants. if we speak them out loud, chances are they'll be heard be someone who's been waiting for this very opportunity, this invitation to be wanted - to serve, to offer, to love, to help. it's the best deal ever! in fact, i had a feline friend who actually cried the words "i want" whenever she wanted a treat. now that's how to get results!
and now i want my friend to stop playing the piano, so i'm going to climb on her back, all subtle-like, and ask her to stop. i want.
yeah.

ftw-
zulu

further introduction . . .

hi all! here i am - entry two. i wonder if i came across a little too forcefully on the first post. and i don't think i explained myself and my mission, my purpose for being here. chalk that up to my penchant for the mysterious. to clarify things, i added a little profile statement, made some adjustments. thanks for your patience as i journey along this bloggity-blog world.

so here is my deal. i am here for you. for YOU. i am going to impart the wisdom of the ages - my ages - about how to live a better life. a bigger life. a life where you get to take up space, make some noise, play often, rest often, be ready to go, claim your place, and live for the win. which is what "ftw" stands for, if you didn't know.

don't worry. it'll be simple. it'll be fun. we're in this together. there will be pictures. and just like life, sometimes they may not be pretty. that's all relative, tho, isn't it. who's to say that the piece of toilet paper stuck to your shoe isn't wonderful?! i know for a fact that the sight of it will bring great joy to someone. and who wouldn't want to bring joy to someone? even if it means getting a little red in the face. life's bigger than that. you're bigger than that.

don't take yourself, your ups and downs, so seriously. just be in the world. define yourself by things like how many people you made smile today or how often you see beauty in the world, even if it's just looking out a window, or how you can be of service just by being good company -- rather than by the size of your paycheck, your career, the number of friends you have, or who has the grooviest kitty condo. you know what i'm talking about, don't you. i know you do. sometimes you just need to hear it from a cat.

ok, that's my intro to what we're embarking on here. and, yeah, there's an obvious pun with "em-bark-ing", but i'm just not going there. I have more important things to do. like lick my back paw.

blog ya later.
-zulu

zulu ftw

yes, i'm a cat.

a bengal to be precise. which i like to be.
precise. i'm wise, just so you know. i mean, with 9 lives, wouldn't it make sense that i know what i'm doing?

listen up, check in here and i'll give you the secrets to living a good life. the secrets o' life (one of my fav songs by jt - i'll post it as soon as i can figure out how).

life = old hat. blogging = still pretty new.

but like i said, i'm wise, so it shouldn't take long.
trust me, you can learn from me. simple stuff. but really important stuff. it'll make your life better. you'll like it more. you'll get more out of it.

take it from me. i'm a cat.

ftw -
zulu