Wednesday, January 28, 2009

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


Tuesday, January 27, 2009

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

Monday, January 26, 2009

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