"While many of us don’t know yet how to realize our potential,
we can all learn. Most important, we can learn this while we live our
everyday lives. The key is to act in ways that shape what happens
to us day to day, instead of passively allowing events to shape us.
For example, by learning how to embrace all our experiences, we
become strengthened, expanded, and spiritualized by them, and our
extra-ordinariness then emerges."
from the Urban Mystic by Ken Mellor
This is the power of choice which is our greatest asset. We may not be able to control what happens to us but we can control how we respond to what happens to us.
Do your thoughts control you or do you control your thoughts?
Many say "I cant help it, the world gets me down, its overwhelming." I am not unfamiliar to being sensitive to the suffering I see and having moments of feeling immobilized by my own life challenges but my belief, that we still have choice in how we talk to ourselves in these moments, is what gets me moving again. I look for the smallest step I can take now and do that. Even if its as small as cleaning out a drawer or making a phone call. These are the increments of a life and start my momentum. Often its the getting started that is the hardest part.
Never underestimate the power of one, one consciousness - yours - to transform your day. That can ripple outward to those around you and if you choose to be a positive influence in the world there is no limit to how many you can inspire. So no excuses today, you hold the power. Go use it well.
In and through all things Love is the message that Spirit would have us know; that we are loved, that we are love and that love is always the answer. Let the words you read here be a message for you today from the Universe that created you, perfect as you are.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Paradise
"If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it."
I can hear the skeptic voice in all of us rise up in response to this statement instantly, this paradise? Look at the poverty, look at the wars; how could anyone call this life of struggle and suffering heaven? Yet if I invite you to look at a freshly bloomed rose or the innocent smile of a child your heart would open to the beauty you see before you. Similarly if you recall a struggle from your past that you have surmounted and from which you have grown you can also see the beauty in that experience.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Behind us all things assume pleasing forms, as clouds do far off. Not only things familiar and stale but even the tragic and terrible are comely as they take their place in the pictures of memory.”
Even in my darkest moments I have known that there is beauty and good and love to be found and if I can adopt the pace of nature as Emerson says; "her secret is patience," it will reveal itself in time. So take heart if you are in despair or off kilter today, all things come to pass and not to stay.
For the Glee version of the song "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTBG7FZvmc0&feature=related
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Tell me a story
We all love stories, as told in movies or novels, in short stories or tall tales. I like to write stories about events in my past and I may get that from my father who loved to tell stories from his childhood. In many ways telling our own stories helps us appreciate the life that we have been given, the journey that has been ours alone.
There is a branch of psychology called narrative psychology which has explored the effects of telling our stories in the third person. This is done either as the story told back to you from the therapist's illuminated perspective or as told by yourself as if you were describing the events as seen on a movie screen. The effect is in the removal of ourselves from the emotion of traumatic events. From this vantage point we may be able to make sense of what happened and find the meaning as it fits into the flow of our lives. This is a powerful process that serves to integrate events and shift who we see ourselves as today. We become empowered and more confident.
We do love to tell our stories! And tell them and retell them. If you are sick of yours this could be the catalyst for change you have been waiting for. If you feel stuck in your life this could be a great tool for removing blocks. Its worth a try and could be fun. Sharing our new third person stories with friends who support us helps authenticate our revised interpretations and creates an opportunity to connect which always increases our life satisfaction. So tell me a story and not the one about Johnny McGorey!!
Shall I begin it? That's all is in it!
There is a branch of psychology called narrative psychology which has explored the effects of telling our stories in the third person. This is done either as the story told back to you from the therapist's illuminated perspective or as told by yourself as if you were describing the events as seen on a movie screen. The effect is in the removal of ourselves from the emotion of traumatic events. From this vantage point we may be able to make sense of what happened and find the meaning as it fits into the flow of our lives. This is a powerful process that serves to integrate events and shift who we see ourselves as today. We become empowered and more confident.
We do love to tell our stories! And tell them and retell them. If you are sick of yours this could be the catalyst for change you have been waiting for. If you feel stuck in your life this could be a great tool for removing blocks. Its worth a try and could be fun. Sharing our new third person stories with friends who support us helps authenticate our revised interpretations and creates an opportunity to connect which always increases our life satisfaction. So tell me a story and not the one about Johnny McGorey!!
Shall I begin it? That's all is in it!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Mental health?
The new year brought news of the suicide of someone I knew from my church but had not seen in some years as she had moved back to her native England. It was news that rattled many as suicides do. This woman was a Spiritual Counselor and part of our core of practitioners. She was a very spiritually aware individual having been a seeker and a student along side me and many of my friends on the path. Thoughts of her have been my companions since her passing and I recognize our kinship in my moments of disillusionment or doubt. I wonder but will never know the thoughts that led her to take this drastic measure.
As I get older I find I have fewer answers to life's mysteries. More and more I simply give up resisting what is and find that acceptance provides me with more energy to act. Otherwise I get bogged down. Things change for good and for bad without our input - we have only so much control.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said,
"The measure of mental health is the disposition to find good everywhere."
In order to find that good we have to look for it and sometimes even do some digging for it in some circumstances. I'm not sure I can find it in a suicide but I can certainly try to find it in my life. In fact, despite my many complaints, if I decide to shift my focus to find good, there is more there than I even imagined. That feels better than complaining. And again I have more energy to be creative and take action when I feel grateful for the good I find. It is my hope that we can find some good always in our lives and if we can't that we can call a trusted friend who can show it to us.
Namaste
As I get older I find I have fewer answers to life's mysteries. More and more I simply give up resisting what is and find that acceptance provides me with more energy to act. Otherwise I get bogged down. Things change for good and for bad without our input - we have only so much control.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said,
"The measure of mental health is the disposition to find good everywhere."
In order to find that good we have to look for it and sometimes even do some digging for it in some circumstances. I'm not sure I can find it in a suicide but I can certainly try to find it in my life. In fact, despite my many complaints, if I decide to shift my focus to find good, there is more there than I even imagined. That feels better than complaining. And again I have more energy to be creative and take action when I feel grateful for the good I find. It is my hope that we can find some good always in our lives and if we can't that we can call a trusted friend who can show it to us.
Namaste
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
End of Year
Endings always mean new beginnings.
Every new moment affords us the opportunity to begin again. At the end of the year I tend to look back and evaluate as well as look forward and make resolutions to improve the quality of my life in the year to come. At the very least I set intentions or wish lists. For the last 7 years I have written a list of ten things that happened last year and ten things I would like to happen in the year to come. The events I record are not only in my life but the lives of those close to me. It is a record of changes.
The list for next year often includes my wishes for someone close to me too.
If you don't choose to mark the passage of the year, after all it is simply another flowing moment - just know that each moment has within it the possibility for newness. At any time we can choose differently than we have in the past. At any time we can choose to act from love and not from fear, to be kind instead of critical, gentle instead of harsh, patient or compassionate instead of judging. Each and every hastening moment has the potential for a new experience and it is unbound by the past unless we decide to let the past define it.
There is freedom in this moment, take it!
Every new moment affords us the opportunity to begin again. At the end of the year I tend to look back and evaluate as well as look forward and make resolutions to improve the quality of my life in the year to come. At the very least I set intentions or wish lists. For the last 7 years I have written a list of ten things that happened last year and ten things I would like to happen in the year to come. The events I record are not only in my life but the lives of those close to me. It is a record of changes.
The list for next year often includes my wishes for someone close to me too.
If you don't choose to mark the passage of the year, after all it is simply another flowing moment - just know that each moment has within it the possibility for newness. At any time we can choose differently than we have in the past. At any time we can choose to act from love and not from fear, to be kind instead of critical, gentle instead of harsh, patient or compassionate instead of judging. Each and every hastening moment has the potential for a new experience and it is unbound by the past unless we decide to let the past define it.
There is freedom in this moment, take it!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Love again
Who or what represents love in your life? When you close your eyes and picture the face of those you love truly and completely without question, who is there?
For me, the faces of love are my parents, first and foremost. In the past I may have had anger or resentments toward them because I felt that I did not receive some form of love I believed I needed from them. Now that is all dissolved as I have come to take responsibility for my own experiences and stopped asking for perfection from them and myself. All that remains is love. My relationships with them are the longest standing relationship of my life and our differences have been resolved.
I am still working on the relationships I have with everyone else in my life and they are at varying stages of resolution. I would like to come to that same place with each and every one but unlike with my parents their influence on me has not been as deep or demanded such urgent attention. Even so I am making a conscious effort lately to resolve issues and develop better relations with those I love because I believe it will greatly add to my peace. Being at peace I am more free. Free to be myself and to feel more connected knowing my oneness in the universal energy of life.
I am practicing by giving the compassion, understanding and generosity I would like to receive. Some days its not easy but having set the intention I am more conscious of where I am not being love. I have a long way to go yet. I begin the journey in hope and enthusiasm.
Blessings to you this day and may your circle of love grow with each moment in time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhMCBnwS220&feature=related
For me, the faces of love are my parents, first and foremost. In the past I may have had anger or resentments toward them because I felt that I did not receive some form of love I believed I needed from them. Now that is all dissolved as I have come to take responsibility for my own experiences and stopped asking for perfection from them and myself. All that remains is love. My relationships with them are the longest standing relationship of my life and our differences have been resolved.
I am still working on the relationships I have with everyone else in my life and they are at varying stages of resolution. I would like to come to that same place with each and every one but unlike with my parents their influence on me has not been as deep or demanded such urgent attention. Even so I am making a conscious effort lately to resolve issues and develop better relations with those I love because I believe it will greatly add to my peace. Being at peace I am more free. Free to be myself and to feel more connected knowing my oneness in the universal energy of life.
I am practicing by giving the compassion, understanding and generosity I would like to receive. Some days its not easy but having set the intention I am more conscious of where I am not being love. I have a long way to go yet. I begin the journey in hope and enthusiasm.
Blessings to you this day and may your circle of love grow with each moment in time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhMCBnwS220&feature=related
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Create
You are creating your day in every moment. The one moment NOW is the place of choice and action. No matter where you are, be it in line at the grocery store or sitting in a car with a sibling, parent or friend or meeting a person for the first time, BE PRESENT to them. This may be the last moment you have to give your full attention to, it may be that person's last moment to be acknowledged.
Ask what can you give rather than what you can receive. This way you activate the creative power within you. You realize you have the power to create a loving or peaceful moment. You are the center of the world you create. You are responsible for the energy you bring to a room, to a meeting, to your life.
Choose wisely because YOU have the power to create heaven or hell!
Ask what can you give rather than what you can receive. This way you activate the creative power within you. You realize you have the power to create a loving or peaceful moment. You are the center of the world you create. You are responsible for the energy you bring to a room, to a meeting, to your life.
Choose wisely because YOU have the power to create heaven or hell!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Love, Love, Love
I was speaking with my mother across thousands of mile the other day when as the phone call was finishing up she said "Enough talking about nothing!" We didn't have a lot of news for one another but we still wanted the call to last a while. My reply was, yes, on the surface it may seem like nothing but what we are really saying is "I love you." She agreed that that is the most important thing.
Three different stories have been related to me in the last week of people coming to the end of their lives and in each case the person was able to see life from a different perspective. Facing death all they saw in life was love. One individual let go of a life time of judgment and resentment, mending relations with his brother.
Wouldn't it be great if we could see this sooner, if we could learn from these people, and know only love. I have been looking at my own life to see who I have distanced myself from or if I am holding unresolved anger or resentment toward anyone. If I am withholding love in any area then I may be blocking the channel for more self acceptance and greater flow in other areas of my life. If I am truly to embody love and peace I must let go of anything that is not love from my heart.
Is there anyone in your life that you still blame for some hurt you still hold on to? In the present the only one suffering is the one holding the hurt. Can you see your part in inviting this person into your experience and what you gained from it? For me it's time to explore, through journaling where these blocks may lie and to take back the power I am giving away. I am not a victim, I always have the power to forgive and to find my part and be responsible for it. I am ready to see the truth of every situation and see only LOVE. Are you?
Three different stories have been related to me in the last week of people coming to the end of their lives and in each case the person was able to see life from a different perspective. Facing death all they saw in life was love. One individual let go of a life time of judgment and resentment, mending relations with his brother.
Wouldn't it be great if we could see this sooner, if we could learn from these people, and know only love. I have been looking at my own life to see who I have distanced myself from or if I am holding unresolved anger or resentment toward anyone. If I am withholding love in any area then I may be blocking the channel for more self acceptance and greater flow in other areas of my life. If I am truly to embody love and peace I must let go of anything that is not love from my heart.
Is there anyone in your life that you still blame for some hurt you still hold on to? In the present the only one suffering is the one holding the hurt. Can you see your part in inviting this person into your experience and what you gained from it? For me it's time to explore, through journaling where these blocks may lie and to take back the power I am giving away. I am not a victim, I always have the power to forgive and to find my part and be responsible for it. I am ready to see the truth of every situation and see only LOVE. Are you?
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Blessed day
Today its a wonderful day...
because I am alive,
because I feel no pain,
because I love,
because I am loved,
because I am creative,
because I made carrot soup,
because my cat sleeps beside me,
because I went to church and met lovely people,
because I meditated,
because I set an intention and carried it out,
because I prayed,
because a friend said something nice to me,
because I have a friend,
because I did something nice for someone,
because I know my power today,
because I am free.
What was the best part of your day today?
Give yourself credit for bringing about the bast part of your day.
And if it has not been a good day, listen to this, its almost guaranteed to lift your spirits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFoXcO8llNI&feature=fvsr
because I am alive,
because I feel no pain,
because I love,
because I am loved,
because I am creative,
because I made carrot soup,
because my cat sleeps beside me,
because I went to church and met lovely people,
because I meditated,
because I set an intention and carried it out,
because I prayed,
because a friend said something nice to me,
because I have a friend,
because I did something nice for someone,
because I know my power today,
because I am free.
What was the best part of your day today?
Give yourself credit for bringing about the bast part of your day.
And if it has not been a good day, listen to this, its almost guaranteed to lift your spirits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFoXcO8llNI&feature=fvsr
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Blocks in your head!
How conscious are you of your thought patterns or behaviour patterns?
Are you creating your experience each day or simply going through the motions, in habitual routines or a busy blur?
I love being busy, I love filling my time, even in the car I listen to books on CD, my mind is kept busy. Well if my mind was not kept busy where would it go to...I guess I don't want to find out! Yet if I don't find out then unconscious ideas and thoughts may be running my life.
Situations and people that irritate me come easily to my mind and I can have great arguments in my head which really doesn't serve me or anyone. If we are all One, they are just representing a part of me that I disown and deem less attractive. I realized I could choose to bless them and as my minister says "Praise them and raise them" and that way I might heal that part of myself.
That would be better than stewing on an annoyance or rushing off to another activity and pushing irritation to one side. How can I be clear and loving with an annoyance in my breast pocket? My energy is divided, how effective can I be with blocks to love like this, lurking in the dark corners.
Ok, so I need to spend time in the spiritual practice of blessing and releasing the sticking points in my self so the flow can be clear and open. Back we come to time, time to be still and consciously choose my minds activity. I love the idea but will I take the time, in my busy day? How committed am I to growing and stretching myself? I could do these blessing exercises as I take my morning walk, that doesn't seem too difficult. Or I could set my timer for ten minutes. Either way I know its a necessary practice for me.
Signing off to take a walk...bless you all!
Are you creating your experience each day or simply going through the motions, in habitual routines or a busy blur?
I love being busy, I love filling my time, even in the car I listen to books on CD, my mind is kept busy. Well if my mind was not kept busy where would it go to...I guess I don't want to find out! Yet if I don't find out then unconscious ideas and thoughts may be running my life.
Situations and people that irritate me come easily to my mind and I can have great arguments in my head which really doesn't serve me or anyone. If we are all One, they are just representing a part of me that I disown and deem less attractive. I realized I could choose to bless them and as my minister says "Praise them and raise them" and that way I might heal that part of myself.
That would be better than stewing on an annoyance or rushing off to another activity and pushing irritation to one side. How can I be clear and loving with an annoyance in my breast pocket? My energy is divided, how effective can I be with blocks to love like this, lurking in the dark corners.
Ok, so I need to spend time in the spiritual practice of blessing and releasing the sticking points in my self so the flow can be clear and open. Back we come to time, time to be still and consciously choose my minds activity. I love the idea but will I take the time, in my busy day? How committed am I to growing and stretching myself? I could do these blessing exercises as I take my morning walk, that doesn't seem too difficult. Or I could set my timer for ten minutes. Either way I know its a necessary practice for me.
Signing off to take a walk...bless you all!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Another Day in Paradise
As I lay my head on my pillow these nights I say to the universe, thanks for another day in paradise!
Is that because I live on a white sand island and eat my fill from the trees everyday, chatting with the other bare footed inhabitants as we loll in the sunshine? NO!!
I live in Los Angeles and though we have nice beaches here it is a far cry from anyone's vision of paradise! I drive on the freeways and I walk on the concrete, I wonder about the source of my next paycheck yet I eat well everyday. I am not without the normal concerns of a life.
But that's just it. The normal concerns of a life. My last statement of the day is inspired by a character in a fabulous novel I am currently reading. The character is a doctor in a Mission Hospital in Ethopia. He is father to twins who witness his nightly declaration, "Another day in Paradise!" It mystifies them as they see the poverty, the human struggle, the daily parade of needy patients in the hospital. They think their father a little crazy. It is not until their world is turned upside down because of a coup in Addis Ababa in the 1960s, which leads to the arrest of the man they know as their father, that they finally realize the truth in his statement. A day when things are normal, when the people we love are safe and warm, when our world seems mundane yet all is well, that is another day in paradise. Not till its taken away do we fully appreciate the humdrum pace of a normal day.
So may I suggest to you that today you live in paradise. If you have family that loves you, if you have health enough to love them and to do the things that you need to do, if you have a warm dry place to lay your head tonight and a fridge with food enough to eat today, you live in paradise. If you are not being bombed, persecuted, threatened, then let me suggest that you live in paradise and that the humdrum day can be something for which to be grateful!
(The novel by the way is "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese)
Is that because I live on a white sand island and eat my fill from the trees everyday, chatting with the other bare footed inhabitants as we loll in the sunshine? NO!!
I live in Los Angeles and though we have nice beaches here it is a far cry from anyone's vision of paradise! I drive on the freeways and I walk on the concrete, I wonder about the source of my next paycheck yet I eat well everyday. I am not without the normal concerns of a life.
But that's just it. The normal concerns of a life. My last statement of the day is inspired by a character in a fabulous novel I am currently reading. The character is a doctor in a Mission Hospital in Ethopia. He is father to twins who witness his nightly declaration, "Another day in Paradise!" It mystifies them as they see the poverty, the human struggle, the daily parade of needy patients in the hospital. They think their father a little crazy. It is not until their world is turned upside down because of a coup in Addis Ababa in the 1960s, which leads to the arrest of the man they know as their father, that they finally realize the truth in his statement. A day when things are normal, when the people we love are safe and warm, when our world seems mundane yet all is well, that is another day in paradise. Not till its taken away do we fully appreciate the humdrum pace of a normal day.
So may I suggest to you that today you live in paradise. If you have family that loves you, if you have health enough to love them and to do the things that you need to do, if you have a warm dry place to lay your head tonight and a fridge with food enough to eat today, you live in paradise. If you are not being bombed, persecuted, threatened, then let me suggest that you live in paradise and that the humdrum day can be something for which to be grateful!
(The novel by the way is "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese)
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Life is an Experiment
"When you alter your relationship with yourself, your external world will alter accordingly."
-Katherine Woodward Thomas
I used to visualize this idea as two people carrying a plank (connected in a relationship dynamic.) One day, one person decides not to carry their side (to act or react differently.) Now the second person has to adjust their behavior accordingly. When we no longer act as we used to, naturally people have to act differently around us. If I decide to get healthier, to grow, to change the way I allow others to treat me, naturally it upsets the equilibrium. People around me don't necessarily like it even if they support me. Change can be difficult.
Then should I not change?
You know the answer to that! I cannot keep myself the same for the sake of other people. I then sacrifice my integrity and trust in myself, plus I may be paying a higher cost than I know for playing safe. I may be losing the chance of greater love or expanded experience of life. Plus I am not giving others the chance to grow with me, to change and explore the limitations they have set for themselves. So I endure some discomfort for a time and some friends may fall away but some others may be inspired. I have to allow the external things to do what they will do.
My concern is internal. I must follow my heart, the quiet voice beckoning me on into uncharted territories. Its a natural progression and if I want a different experience than I have had in the past I must forge on in expectation of some discomfort as I break the mold of past conditioning. I may also expect great reward and vistas never before witnessed or experienced by me in my life. The things we leave undone cause us more regret than the things we do, no matter the outcome.
Emerson said "All life is an experiment." Who knows how many days we have left, let us be brave and move beyond our comfort zone. What have you left undone?
-Katherine Woodward Thomas
I used to visualize this idea as two people carrying a plank (connected in a relationship dynamic.) One day, one person decides not to carry their side (to act or react differently.) Now the second person has to adjust their behavior accordingly. When we no longer act as we used to, naturally people have to act differently around us. If I decide to get healthier, to grow, to change the way I allow others to treat me, naturally it upsets the equilibrium. People around me don't necessarily like it even if they support me. Change can be difficult.
Then should I not change?
You know the answer to that! I cannot keep myself the same for the sake of other people. I then sacrifice my integrity and trust in myself, plus I may be paying a higher cost than I know for playing safe. I may be losing the chance of greater love or expanded experience of life. Plus I am not giving others the chance to grow with me, to change and explore the limitations they have set for themselves. So I endure some discomfort for a time and some friends may fall away but some others may be inspired. I have to allow the external things to do what they will do.
My concern is internal. I must follow my heart, the quiet voice beckoning me on into uncharted territories. Its a natural progression and if I want a different experience than I have had in the past I must forge on in expectation of some discomfort as I break the mold of past conditioning. I may also expect great reward and vistas never before witnessed or experienced by me in my life. The things we leave undone cause us more regret than the things we do, no matter the outcome.
Emerson said "All life is an experiment." Who knows how many days we have left, let us be brave and move beyond our comfort zone. What have you left undone?
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
More Love
Love makes the world go round so THEY say! And yes love motivates a great deal of what gets done in the world. Love plants trees, nurtures children, builds beautiful buildings, creates music, gives to the poor, looks out for the less fortunate, listens to the voice of reason and inner guidance.
Then there's fear, the other less attractive motivator. Its the driving force behind greed, oppression, crime, and all manner of selfish acts. The fear is, I can't have what I want any other way than by taking it by force.
Love increases our experience of peace while fear keeps us awake at night.
Imagine Love and Fear as fires within us that we can choose to feed or not. The one you feed is the one that dominates your experiences. There is so much fear in our society today that feeding the love fire may seem like going against the grain but doing so can change the quality of your relationships especially the most important one, your relationship with yourself.
Here's what "Psychology Today" says about the power of love.
"Love is probably the best antidepressant there is because one of the most common sources of depression is feeling unloved. Most depressed people don't love themselves and they do not feel loved by others. They also are very self-focused, making them less attractive to others and depriving them of opportunities to learn the skills of love."
For more from this article with helpful tips about loving yourself (feeding the love fire) go here; http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200212/the-power-love
"Love is as critical for your mind and body as oxygen. It's not negotiable. The more connected you are, the healthier you will be both physically and emotionally."
Then there's fear, the other less attractive motivator. Its the driving force behind greed, oppression, crime, and all manner of selfish acts. The fear is, I can't have what I want any other way than by taking it by force.
Love increases our experience of peace while fear keeps us awake at night.
Imagine Love and Fear as fires within us that we can choose to feed or not. The one you feed is the one that dominates your experiences. There is so much fear in our society today that feeding the love fire may seem like going against the grain but doing so can change the quality of your relationships especially the most important one, your relationship with yourself.
Here's what "Psychology Today" says about the power of love.
"Love is probably the best antidepressant there is because one of the most common sources of depression is feeling unloved. Most depressed people don't love themselves and they do not feel loved by others. They also are very self-focused, making them less attractive to others and depriving them of opportunities to learn the skills of love."
For more from this article with helpful tips about loving yourself (feeding the love fire) go here; http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200212/the-power-love
"Love is as critical for your mind and body as oxygen. It's not negotiable. The more connected you are, the healthier you will be both physically and emotionally."
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Persistence
”Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." --Calvin Coolidge
Have you ever felt discouraged and wanted to give up? I know I have.
And it can happen so easily especially after a disappointment. I may have had my hopes up, and attached a lot of expectation to one event but it did not go according to my visualization. It can be so disheartening. I feel the universe is telling me to forget it or that my idea was no good.
And I have to weigh up my strategy or my endeavor and ask myself do I believe in it? Do I believe I have something of value to offer, am I passionate about what I do? If I can answer yes to these questions I do what the song says..."dont lose your confidence if you slip, be grateful for a pleasant trip and pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again!"
Persist, have faith, meantime do whatever lifts your spirits, till you are ready to try again.
Listen to the song here....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6MtmkqPbps
Have you ever felt discouraged and wanted to give up? I know I have.
And it can happen so easily especially after a disappointment. I may have had my hopes up, and attached a lot of expectation to one event but it did not go according to my visualization. It can be so disheartening. I feel the universe is telling me to forget it or that my idea was no good.
And I have to weigh up my strategy or my endeavor and ask myself do I believe in it? Do I believe I have something of value to offer, am I passionate about what I do? If I can answer yes to these questions I do what the song says..."dont lose your confidence if you slip, be grateful for a pleasant trip and pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again!"
Persist, have faith, meantime do whatever lifts your spirits, till you are ready to try again.
Listen to the song here....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6MtmkqPbps
Monday, October 24, 2011
Being Present
How busy I get, how full my days are some weeks, I don't take time to be present with those I love the most. Then the time has passed and opportunities are missed to deepen my connections and in time I start to feel disconnected and wonder how this happened.
What is life about if not to slow down and smell the roses, pet the cat, call my mother or sister, hug my husband and ask him about his day? Facebook just doesn't cut it when it comes to quality time! I take a half an hour to an hour to write my blogs each day, my cat sits patiently by my side. Tonight I think I'm going to keep this short in favor of a short walk with my beloved and a little fussing time with my kitty.
Who have you been neglecting today?
Maybe its time to go play.
What is life about if not to slow down and smell the roses, pet the cat, call my mother or sister, hug my husband and ask him about his day? Facebook just doesn't cut it when it comes to quality time! I take a half an hour to an hour to write my blogs each day, my cat sits patiently by my side. Tonight I think I'm going to keep this short in favor of a short walk with my beloved and a little fussing time with my kitty.
Who have you been neglecting today?
Maybe its time to go play.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Be Still
| "Be still and know that I am God" AS THE CLIMAX of Psalm 46, this verse is not so much about meditation as it is about the mediation of God's kingdom in the heart of faith. The command to "be still" comes from the Hiphil stem of the verb (רפה) rapha (meaning to be weak, to let go, to release), which might better be translated as, "cause yourselves to let go" or "let yourselves become weak." From http://www.hebrew4christians.com But to what end are we to "be still," "let go," "surrender," and even to "die to ourselves"? In Hebrew grammar, the emphasis of coordinate imperatives ("be still!" and "know!") is on the second imperative. In other words, we surrender in order to know that God is in control. We "let go" in order to objectively know the power of God in our lives. We give up trusting in ourselves and our own designs in order to experience the glory of God's all-sufficiency. Our needs are met, let it be. Be still. Take a moment and quietly enjoy this series of beautiful pictures as you are nurtured by the music. This is not the version I was looking for ( a chant I am familiar with) but it is very soothing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C01lLxEo3xM&feature=related |
Friday, October 21, 2011
Grateful
Willing and grateful, I am today.
Grateful for all that I am and all that I have and the incredible abundance I experience everyday. Sights, sounds, experiences, sensations, thoughts, actions fill my day, and so many of them are joyous.So often I forget to acknowledge them. And even more so, to give my self a pat on the back for making the choices that allow me to have these experiences and sensations.
I took myself for a walk after all, I chose to paint with rainbow colors, I chose (well Spirit chose, I didn't resist) the man I married, I chose to have a cat, I chose to live in Montrose, I can take some credit for my good. Other things I am not in control of and they come as they may, good and bad.
In these situations I can be willing to look for the good, to decide to take what action I can and expect the best. Generally, things come to pass. The more I resist the longer they seem to persist. Like if I run toward an approaching storm, it passes quickly but running from it, it seems to follow me.
So, willing I am today, to face the storm and give thanks for the rainbow and the silver lining, which I know cant be too far away. I live in joyous expectation and gratitude meantime.
Grateful for all that I am and all that I have and the incredible abundance I experience everyday. Sights, sounds, experiences, sensations, thoughts, actions fill my day, and so many of them are joyous.So often I forget to acknowledge them. And even more so, to give my self a pat on the back for making the choices that allow me to have these experiences and sensations.
I took myself for a walk after all, I chose to paint with rainbow colors, I chose (well Spirit chose, I didn't resist) the man I married, I chose to have a cat, I chose to live in Montrose, I can take some credit for my good. Other things I am not in control of and they come as they may, good and bad.
In these situations I can be willing to look for the good, to decide to take what action I can and expect the best. Generally, things come to pass. The more I resist the longer they seem to persist. Like if I run toward an approaching storm, it passes quickly but running from it, it seems to follow me.
So, willing I am today, to face the storm and give thanks for the rainbow and the silver lining, which I know cant be too far away. I live in joyous expectation and gratitude meantime.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Surrender
How do you respond to the word "surrender?"
Do you interpret this word to mean " to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; on demand or under duress" or simply "to give up, abandon, or relinquish."
I guess my first impression is the former, surrendering the Alamo, I surrender with the white flag, peaceably but only because there are guns pointing at me!
But if I think about surrendering doubt or fear, then its more of a relinquishing, giving it over, hoping someone will take it off my hands!!
Then there is outcomes, I like surrendering those too, it sure takes the worry out of the process. Like my life, I like to relinquish it to Spirit or God or Good, whatever term works. I've tried controlling things, or making plans and then having things take a completely different direction. It's not that I don't take responsibility for my actions, I do, I choose how I use my body, my time, what decisions to make and actions to take but after that I have to surrender. A big lesson in surrendering came when I met my husband. Unlike any relationship I had ever had before it flourished from the start and took on a life of its own. We both had done a lot of inner work and growth before we met but neither of us could take credit for how right it felt. In the same way as we could make a past relationship feel right if it did not.
I've learned I have an antenna that I have honed in sensitivity over the years - it tells me what feels right and what feels wrong and surrendering to this guidance has served me well while ignoring it has gotten me into real complicated and messy situations. This definitely comes into play in my surrendering and yielding to greater wisdom than my own. Today I invite this wisdom to guide me and I relinquish my doubts as I move forward in my life. I simply say YES to the good and Thank You to the God that provides for me as he does the birds of the air and the lilies of the fields, I know my preciousness in His eyes.
Do you interpret this word to mean " to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; on demand or under duress" or simply "to give up, abandon, or relinquish."
I guess my first impression is the former, surrendering the Alamo, I surrender with the white flag, peaceably but only because there are guns pointing at me!
But if I think about surrendering doubt or fear, then its more of a relinquishing, giving it over, hoping someone will take it off my hands!!
Then there is outcomes, I like surrendering those too, it sure takes the worry out of the process. Like my life, I like to relinquish it to Spirit or God or Good, whatever term works. I've tried controlling things, or making plans and then having things take a completely different direction. It's not that I don't take responsibility for my actions, I do, I choose how I use my body, my time, what decisions to make and actions to take but after that I have to surrender. A big lesson in surrendering came when I met my husband. Unlike any relationship I had ever had before it flourished from the start and took on a life of its own. We both had done a lot of inner work and growth before we met but neither of us could take credit for how right it felt. In the same way as we could make a past relationship feel right if it did not.
I've learned I have an antenna that I have honed in sensitivity over the years - it tells me what feels right and what feels wrong and surrendering to this guidance has served me well while ignoring it has gotten me into real complicated and messy situations. This definitely comes into play in my surrendering and yielding to greater wisdom than my own. Today I invite this wisdom to guide me and I relinquish my doubts as I move forward in my life. I simply say YES to the good and Thank You to the God that provides for me as he does the birds of the air and the lilies of the fields, I know my preciousness in His eyes.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
New Dawn
I am grateful today to see the dawn, to witness the world come alive as it turns toward the sun once more. Without much thought we rely on this event to set the rhythm of our days. How much more do we take for granted our breath. Each time we breath out we trust that there will be another lungful of oxygenated air to fill that space. We dont know when will be the last but guaranteed we will wish for one more hour of light. As this song suggests, now, today, this very day, the moment in which you now live, this, is the best part of your life.
MAY I SUGGEST
Copyright © Susan Werner
Listen here...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdPh4MpxwJo
There is a world
That's been addressed to you
Addressed to you, intended only for your eyes
A secret world, Like a treasure chest to you
Of private scenes and brilliant dreams that mesmerize
A lover's trusting smile, A tiny baby's hands
The million stars that fill the turning sky at night
Oh I suggest
Oh I suggest to you
Oh I suggest this is the best part of your life
There is a hope
That's been expressed in you
The hope of seven generations, maybe more
And this is the faith
That they invest in you
It's that you'll do one better than was done before
Inside you know
Inside you understand
Inside you know what's yours to finally set right
And I suggest
And I suggest to you
And I suggest this is the best part of your life
This is a song
Comes from the west to you
Comes from the west, comes from the slowly setting sun
With a request
With a request of you
To see how very short the endless days will run
And when they're gone
And when the dark descends
Oh we'd give anything for one more hour of light
And I suggest this is the best part of your life
MAY I SUGGEST
Copyright © Susan Werner
Listen here...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdPh4MpxwJo
There is a world
That's been addressed to you
Addressed to you, intended only for your eyes
A secret world, Like a treasure chest to you
Of private scenes and brilliant dreams that mesmerize
A lover's trusting smile, A tiny baby's hands
The million stars that fill the turning sky at night
Oh I suggest
Oh I suggest to you
Oh I suggest this is the best part of your life
There is a hope
That's been expressed in you
The hope of seven generations, maybe more
And this is the faith
That they invest in you
It's that you'll do one better than was done before
Inside you know
Inside you understand
Inside you know what's yours to finally set right
And I suggest
And I suggest to you
And I suggest this is the best part of your life
This is a song
Comes from the west to you
Comes from the west, comes from the slowly setting sun
With a request
With a request of you
To see how very short the endless days will run
And when they're gone
And when the dark descends
Oh we'd give anything for one more hour of light
And I suggest this is the best part of your life
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)