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Monday, December 31, 2018

2019

"The rose of the old year withers away as the new bud begins to bloom."
~ Terri Guillemets ~

I let go of 2018- 
the pains, the victories, 
the courage and the hurt. 
I let go of any and all habits
that no longer serve me
and step into the new year gracefully,
and gratefully,
committed to present moment awareness,
authentic living,
and the ever opening path
that leads me forth.

I welcome the New Year!

Sunday, December 30, 2018

NEW YEAR'S EVE

"Old debts shall be forgiven; old feuds forgotten, old friendships revived... the good vows shall be kept... There shall be patience, courage, faith; the dream shall become life... "
~ George William Curtis ~

I'm one who likes to get on with it and not linger in past hurts. And yet, approaching the New Year requires a certain acknowledgement of what has been. If we don't know what we're letting go of, we can't very well let go.
     And so, I let go of living out West, of the Santa Fe experience such as it was, complete with its spacious and beautiful sky, and spacious and beautiful, generous people. I let go of missing Virginia, and the process of learning through missing it that Virginia is home. I let go of my father- his life, his death, his judgments, his decisions, and his disregard of me. I let go of the hurt and the feelings associated with that. I let go of all the painful conversations and accusations that this year erupted in the people I love. I let go of searching for the farm of our longing. I let go of who I was, and who I have been, and in letting go of these things, I prepare for whatever may come, and welcome it with an empty and spacious heart.

I clear the past to make room for what's coming.

Thursday, December 27, 2018

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

"There will be many loving thoughts hovering around you like angels today."
~ J.R. Macduff ~

It's Happy Birthday time again for Sienna and Nick: beautiful daughter, beautiful son: 24 years old. We had a lovely Christmas together and I am learning to relax about them and let them be who they are, where they are, without my fretting and interference. My instinct is still to warn and protect, but I can keep quiet now where before I couldn't.
     And the truth is that they are both glorious! Intelligent, fit, self-reflective, confident. They are eager and passionate, and fiercely driven, while still being able to laugh with ease. I am proud to be their Mom, and grateful to be back on the East Coast where I can see them and be part of their exciting, evolving lives!

I celebrate my children!

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

THE FULL VIEW

"If you do not raise your eyes you will think that you are the highest point."
~ Antonio Porchia ~

When we are focused on the small task in front of us, it's easy to forget about the big scope of time and life, and become frustrated and irritable if things aren't going smoothly. At such times, visualizing a camera drawing back and back and back to reveal the full setting is helpful. It puts things in perspective, and returns us to our right size.

Every so often, I remember to take a step back.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

ONWARD

"This is the day the Lord has made. let us rejoice, and be glad in it."
~ Psalm 118:24 ~

Another Christmas come and gone and the sun rises on a new day. 
Onward we go, 
with memories to carry, 
and our beautiful lives to live.

I open my eyes and welcome the day. 

Monday, December 24, 2018

MERRY MERRY

"Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance- 
each beautiful, unique and gone too soon."
~ Deborah Whipp ~

Because of the nature of Christmas, we have lots of expectations, and yet, Christmas never goes the way we think it will or want it to. It's unpredictable. Consequently, we will be happiest approaching the day clear and open, flexible, fluid, and with a good sense of humor. That's our best guarantee for a good time- not controlling all the happenings, but surrendering to them, and letting them unfold however they may.

I allow for the unpredictability of Christmas. 

Sunday, December 23, 2018

CHRISTMAS EVE

"At Christmas, all roads lead home."
~ Marjorie Holmes ~

Christmas Eve deserves our reverence and attention. It's not just another day. It's a hearthstone and a welcome-mat; a doorway into the soft glow of coming Christmas and all that it promises and cannot deliver, and all that it delivers that we cannot possibly anticipate.
     It's a preparation day for the heart and mind- to receive with grace, to relax and be flexible, and to let go of the reins and surrender to the ride.

I honor the anticipatory energy of this magical day. 

Thursday, December 20, 2018

HABITS FOR GOOD

"The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken."
~ Samuel Johnson ~

Our well-being is our responsibility, and is not dependent on other people doing what we think they should do, or even our life circumstances. It has to do with our habits of action and our habits of mind. How do we take care of ourselves physically and how susceptible are we to runaway thoughts? These will be our measures, and this is the place to look for a positive shift in how we feel.

I consciously choose what I do and what I think. 

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

THE DEEP SEA OF PEACE WITHIN

"Man is never alone. Acknowledged or unacknowledged, that which dreams through him is always there to support him from within."
~ Laurence van der Post ~

Our moods are in constant flux. What pleases us in the morning can annoy us in the afternoon, and what excites us one day can bore us the next. Living in the come and go of our emotional winds can be buffeting.
     So where is stability then? Where is center? Where is home? It's somewhere beyond our moods, somewhere deeper. If we can learn to access the vast stillness within us, we can become lords of our emotions instead of their victim.

There is a place inside me that is always at peace. 

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

THE PITFALLS OF BEING HUMAN

"Forgive each other, help each other, and begin again to-morrow."
~ Louisa May Alcott ~

Forgiving others and forgiving ourselves does not mean that we condone hurtful behavior, only that we have mercy, and recognize the pitfalls of being human: that we are all loaded with the propensity for error. Plus, in forgiveness lies hope- that others, like us, may evolve in kindness as they gain in wisdom.

I let the energy of forgiveness flow freely in all directions.

Monday, December 17, 2018

MEDITATION AS A MANNER OF LIVING

"Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

Meditation is not some high and mighty daily event, but a practical approach to living peacefully. It's a state of mind more than a ritual of the body. It's inner quiet and lack of attachment and aversion. It's the complete and graceful acceptance of what is. And it can happen anytime and all the time. It is the simple and profound result of being aware.

I invite quiet awareness into my daily experience.

Sunday, December 16, 2018

INTRICACIES

"To live remains an art which everyone must learn, and which no one can teach."
~ Havelock Ellis ~

Intricate problems require patience and flexibility.
The way through is not immediately clear.
We have to try things and learn as we try them,
And discard the approaches that don't work.
And deal with our moody frustrations as we get slowed down
and stuck.
It's a process, 
And our emotions are as engaged
As our physicality
So it's unlikely to be graceful as it goes.
But it does go, and if we can be patient,
And willing,
And flexible,
We will get there.
And then, when we get there, 
we will experience our grace.

I appreciate the puzzle-like nature of certain life situations and engage my patience to see them through.

Thursday, December 13, 2018

INTEGRITY

"If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters."
~ Alan Simpson ~

If we don't do what we say we're going to do, 
if we're late, 
if we're unresponsive, 
if we're sloppy, 
it makes it challenging for others to feel fulfilled in relation to us.
Without integrity, nothing works.

I honor my word. 

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

STEPPING UP

"Heaven is blessed with perfect rest but the blessing of earth is toil."
~ Henry van Dyke ~

There is a time to be slow, and steady, and thoughtful, and considered, and a time to just get the job done. We overthink things and tie ourselves up in knots when we could be moving on and up.

I do what needs to be done.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

SEASONAL SURRENDER

"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveler, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home."
~ Charles Dickens ~

I used to resist this time of year with a kind of snide sarcasm over the commercialism, overwhelming busy-ness, and money spent; but somewhere along the way I must have surrendered to all of that, because now I enjoy it- every little bit.

I stop fighting Christmas and let it in. 

Monday, December 10, 2018

OWNING OUR GROUND

"Strange how long it takes us to discover ourselves."
~ Truman Capote ~

I'm still learning how to set boundaries without guilt. I'm hardwired to please people even at my own expense. I know on an intellectual level that this kind of self-sacrifice is likely ego-driven, definitely filled with martyrdom, and that setting boundaries is healthy and the way to go... but it just doesn't come naturally to me. Still and all, it's needed and I'm working on it.

It's ok to set boundaries. 

Sunday, December 9, 2018

SNOW!

"Winter came down to our home one night
Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
And we, we were children once again."
~ Bill Morgan Jr

Trees look lovely dressed in snow, 
and snow falling from the sky is magical beyond measure. 
And cold air feels 
delicious and fresh 
on my face.

I celebrate the blessings of winter!

Thursday, December 6, 2018

STOP WORRYING AND START LIVING

"Nothing is worth more than this day."
~ Goethe ~

Let's decide not to be afraid about the future. Worrying over what may never come is wasted effort, and worrying about our inevitable end strips us of the experience of living now.
     Things work out. They always have, one way or another, and always do. Let's trust that, let go of our future fretting, and enjoy the day!

I trust my ability to deal with whatever may come. 

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

ENERGY BUBBLES

"Yuletide excitement is a potent caffeine, no matter your age."
~ Terri Guillemets ~

I love the feeling of giddy excitement.
It's reminiscent of childhood, an, "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy," feeling.
Life is bubbly, and good.
And it definitely doesn't happen all the time, so when it does,
I enjoy it!

I celebrate the feeling of excitement.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

HIGH LOW FAST SLOW

"Days are stringed instruments and every one strikes a different note."
~ Kenneth Alfred ~

Some days seem vast with opportunity, and the hours stretch and linger.
And other days do not.
They go by in a flash,
And undone chores spill over the edges and make puddles on the floor. 

I accept the different pace of different days. 

Monday, December 3, 2018

SOUND FOUNDATIONS

"Split your own wood, and it will warm you twice."
~ Old New England Saying ~

I have been doing carpentry- repairing a rotted building and framing windows, and I have learned that carpentry is like life. 
Too much is too much, too little is too little, and just right is just right. 
Established structures are sometimes rotten and falling apart, 
while others are stubborn and take incredible effort to adjust. 
Anything can be done, 
thought and care and managing risk is required, 
and perfection is for the textbooks. 
The reward is in the transformation, 
old and new can mix graciously together, 
carpenter ants and termites can be insanely destructive, 
and maintenance matters.

I take care of the structures in my life. 

Sunday, December 2, 2018

THE REALITY

"What a piece of work is man!"
~ Wesley Douglass Camp ~

I can go along for a time feeling all calm and spiritual, and then something triggers me and I act like I'm 5. And this happens over and over. I am certain I've got it at last, that nothing can get to me, and then, whammo, I'm an irritable child.
     And rather than be upset with myself, I can be understanding, and have compassion. I can have a sense of humor, and trust that sooner or later, I will bounce back.

I am an emotional and sensitive being, and can be moody, as well as wise. 

Thursday, November 29, 2018

COMPLETING OUR WORK

"Clear clutter. Make space for you."
~ Magdalena Vandenberg ~

Whatever tools we take out during the day to work, whether they be pens and paper, or computer programs, or saws and hammers, or paints, let's put them away when the day is done. It's important to our well-being to keep things put away and tidy and it gives us a sense of closure and completion, even if the job's not completely done. Spreading our unfinished business across the borders of the week is like never making our bed. Why start either our night or our morning dealing with a mess?

I keep my life orderly in day-tight compartments.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

THE BEND AND SWAY

"Peace like a river flows through me."
~ Anne Warriner ~

Life is a dance if we allow it to be. It's fluid and changing, flowing and spinning. It's percussion and flutes and guitars and pianos. It's a saxophone. And we have to learn to move to the music as it presents itself, to go with the rhythm, whatever the rhythm may be.
     Some days, it may be heavenly choirs of voices raising us up, and other days rap, or jazz, or a symphony by Debussy.

I dance with life. 

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

THIS DAY

"Try another way of looking."
~ Rumi ~

Appreciating each moment of our lives is so obvious that we blow it off, fully expecting to live another day. And we have regrets and plan to correct them down the line. And save our dreams for someday. And spend time blaming and criticizing the people we love the most.
     But what if we took it seriously?
     What if we sincerely lived as if we might not see another day?
     I bet our moments would become more precious, and I bet we'd slow down, and I bet we'd stop doing some of the things we do, and start doing others.
     So I challenge us all. Why don't we start now?

I take nothing for granted. 

Monday, November 26, 2018

OUT OF THE FOG

"To live is so startling, it leaves little time for anything else."
~ Emily Dickenson ~

The path is revealed step by step.
We make a choice, 
and that choice shuts down some options, 
and opens others.
And then we choose again.
And a picture emerges, 
And a life. 

Like a Polaroid picture, my daily experience materializes from the mysterious unknown.

Sunday, November 25, 2018

CHANGING WEATHER

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky."
~ Rabindranath Tagore ~

Rain makes the sunshine sweeter,
and coldness, heat;
and heat, cold.
Life is balanced by opposites.
and made delicious by variety and spice.

I welcome changing weather and temperatures that rise and fall. 

Thursday, November 22, 2018

THE BEST TEACHER

"Sometimes Mother Nature has the answers when you do not even know the questions."
~ Keith Wynn ~

If we go out into it, the natural world will teach us everything we need to know.

I trust the lessons of Nature.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

GRATEFUL DAY

"Forever on Thanksgiving day
the heart will find the pathway home."
~ Wilbur D. Nesbit ~

I am grateful to wake up each morning and stretch my body, to bathe, to walk, to eat; to see and hear and feel and speak. I am grateful for hugs and insight, for moments of clarity and the glorious grace of God. I am grateful to be who I am, to have learned all that I've learned, and to be conscious of the sacredness of every detail of my life.
     In light of all that, the most appropriate refrain on this day and every day may well be nothing more than, "Hallelujah!" and, "Amen!"

I am grateful for the beautiful and sacred experience of life.

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

BARE TREES

"You feel the bone structure of the landscape... Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show."
~ Andrew Wyeth ~

The landscape devoid of leaves has its own kind of stark beauty. The trees and sky are different- softer, grayer, paler, but not without their own kind of charm.

I appreciate the changing seasonal landscape.

Monday, November 19, 2018

BOILING POT

"Ideas are like wandering sons. They show up when you least expect them."
~ Bern Williams ~

Ideas rise to the surface of my mind like bubbles rising in a boiling pot, 
and they percolate there, 
and cook 
until God 
or time 
takes them off the stove.

Creative ideas have a life of their own.

Sunday, November 18, 2018

SPACE

"Let yourself become living poetry."
~ Rumi ~

There is space within us. We are infinite beings. We can invite everyone we've ever loved into our energy field, every place we've ever been or hope to be, all of our memories and dreams, and all the people of the world. We can carry all of these in our hearts and minds and still have room to spare.

I am infinitely vast.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

PERSONAL INVESTMENT

"You've got to know when to hold them, and know when to fold them."
~ Kenny Rodgers ~

We invest ourselves in things- in projects, in relationships, in jobs, in ideas- such that even when there are clearly serious limitations, problems, and issues, it becomes difficult, even impossible feeling, to walk away. It's as if we think that the time we have put in guarantees us a happy ending... ultimately... so if we just wait it out, if we just push on, then surely, the tides will turn.
     And then, in many cases, things get worse and worse until we are forced to walk away or risk our lives or our sanity. Let's learn to surrender before it has to go that far.
   
I am able to walk away. 

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

KNOWING

"The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too."
~ Teresa of Avila ~

I'm not sure how I know what I need to know when I know it- only that I do.

I trust the divine intelligence within me. 

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

DISCOVERING THE PATH

"In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks."
~ John Muir ~

When walking in the woods where there is no clear trail, 
looking ahead, it seems completely impassable. 
And yet, 
once we start moving forward, 
the way to go is revealed.

I trust in the unfolding journey and give my full attention to the next step. 

Monday, November 12, 2018

UNSTOPPABLE TRAIN

"Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights."
~ Pauline R. Kezer ~

One change inspires the next. Think of a room. If we move one piece of furniture, it affects the position of all the others, and often they need to be shifted as well, at least, some of them do.
     An action that creates change is like the tapping of a finger on a line of dominoes. It begins an unstoppable train.

I welcome the shifting energy of everything changing, including myself.

Sunday, November 11, 2018

THANK YOU VETERANS

"Semper Fortis."
~ US Navy Motto ~


Both my father, and my father-in-law, served their country in the armed forces, and I'm certain that their service grew them. It is noble and honorable to represent more than just ourselves, and to stand for something worth standing for, and to be of service to others. There may be nothing more noble than that.

I am grateful to my father today, and to my father-in-law, and to all who have stood for our freedom. 
   

Thursday, November 8, 2018

SIMPLE AND GOOD

"I will bring the health of simplicity to my burdened soul and days."
~ Muriel Strode ~

We have an expectation and a belief about our lives that they have to be spectacular- that we are meant for great things. And yet, maybe the real treasure is in the ordinariness of daily experience, the sun-up to sun-down regular stuff. Perhaps we needn't be famous or even strike out to change the world, but be present and reflect the natural, simple beauty as it crosses our path.

I am a mirror. 

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

RIDING THE CURRENTS

"The tides are in our veins."
~ Robinson Jeffers ~

Life is a continuously rising and falling affair: the sun and dark night, our emotions, sounds out of the silence and back into it, and the way we move and are still. It comes and it goes- nothing is static, and nothing remains the same. 
     In light of that, flow seems a better strategy than resistance, and flexibility rather than demand. 

I am one with all that circulates.

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

TREBLE AND BASS

"Why waste money on psychotherapy when you can listen to the B Minor Mass?"
~ Michael Torke ~

The right kind of music at the right moment can elevate our spirit and carry us from this earthly domain to a place of heavenly grace; or, it can enliven our blood and get us moving. With certain beats, we just have to dance. Or, music can accompany our grief, or inspire our self-reflection.
     My gratitude today is for music. It's a gift to the world and to each of our lives.

I celebrate the glory of music!

Monday, November 5, 2018

BEING FREE

"He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away."
~ Raymond Hull ~

Let's refuse to be limited by what others think about the choices we make.
Let's stop with the guilt and shame and second-guessing and fear.
Let's take responsibility for ourselves and own that responsibility.
And accept with grace the consequences of whatever we choose to do.
And be who we are.
And trust in our lessons.
And live our joy.
And be in the moment.
And be free.

I am ok with who I am. 

Sunday, November 4, 2018

THE RISK WE CHOOSE

"You look into my eyes to read that oft-told story of defeat, but I tell you that the plot was changed and you will see the flag of conquest waving from the turrets of my soul."
~ Muriel Strode ~

When the choice has been to play it safe or go for it, I have generally chosen go for it, and that has resulted in more challenge than the play it safe route might have, but I have no regret. It's not so much the adventure itself that has made it worth it, or the survival skills, or even the stories. It's the lessons. When we take a big risk, even if it doesn't play out as we hope, and maybe especially then, we grow spiritually. Our souls gain depth and our hearts and minds a certain wisdom. And that's what I crave more than the risk itself: to dance with life at the level that will stretch me most.

I cherish the experience of spiritual evolution. 

Thursday, November 1, 2018

BOLDNESS IN ACTION

"He who rejects change is the architect of decay."
~ Harold Wilson ~

We are making a lot of changes to the farm we just bought, and as we trim trees and tear down walls, I find I have this guilt about it all. Even though I believe the changes we are making are ultimately for the good of the place, there's a sense that our actions are too jarring and drastic. Like a short haircut and a bath for someone who hasn't been properly clean in years, there's a case for it, and yet, it's still a bit alarming.
 
I accept the occasional necessity of radical change.

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

THE POWER OF PAIN

"We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them."
~ Charles C. West ~

It's so easy when we are not in pain ourselves to be flip about other people's pain. "They're exaggerating," we think, and we may be less than graciously patient. Give us the pain though, and it is entirely real, and the realness of it interferes with everything.

I have compassion for human pain. 

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

"Eat, drink, and be scary."
~ Rosie O'Donnell ~

Halloween is about the fun side of fear, the giggly, pretend, have-a-thrill and be somebody else for a day guts and gore kind of good time. It's for children and adults who like to dress up. It's for candy and jack-o-lanterns and ghosts and spooky sounds. It's the beginning of the "holiday season," and the official end of summer longings. It's a marker in the year, and here we are again.
     How do YOU honor this Hallow's eve?

I am grateful to let my fears come out and play. 
   

Monday, October 29, 2018

APPRECIATION BEFORE THE FACT

"Let nothing divert you from your duty to your body."
~ Mose Velsor ~

The expression, "We don't know what we've got till it's gone" is so true that it bears consideration in advance. In presentations, in order to identify real value, I ask the audience if they'd trade their eyesight for a million dollars, and the answer is always, unequivocally, and enthusiastically, "No!" Because it's our eyesight.
     And yet, I am guessing that I am not the only one who fails to wear protective eye ware when injury is not only possible, but imminent.

I appreciate and care for my body. 


Sunday, October 28, 2018

THE SHIFT WE RESIST

"Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day."
~ AA Milne ~

Somehow, over the years, I have come to think of fall as something that is here and gone in a flash- maybe because that's how it seemed when I was living in more Northern Climes. But here in Virginia, it's a long, slow, lingering process. It's gracious and subtle. While some trees are empty of leaves, others are still green, and those that seem to have reached their peak peak further as the days carry on. It requires care to see the subtleties, but they are there, and feed the spirit.
     And all of life, like the fall in Virginia, is a process; not "here and gone in a flash," but slowly and subtly shifting in a way that is smooth and easy. Nature is like that, and, much as we may think differently, so are we.

I accept the pace of Nature. 

Thursday, October 25, 2018

CHECKING IN AND LOOKING BACK

"Thank you is small for all of this."
~ Ann Kite ~

In the last 18 months, I left a job where I had worked for over eight years, moved to Montana, moved to Santa Fe, my father died unexpectedly of a heart attack, I moved back to Virginia, and now we have purchased a farm and are in the process of renovating it. And there have been angels and challenges every step of the way.
     I am grateful to a small group of women in Livingston Montana who made me feel welcome, a large community in Santa Fe, NM who generously included us in their lives, a few individuals who touched my soul in ways that have changed it forever, The Transition Network who entrusted me with leadership, my drive by neighbor here in Lexington with her cheery daily hellos, the practice of  5rhythms, the steady friendship of my husband, and the Grace of God.
     That we survived the adventure at all and grew from it in the ways we have is a deep blessing, and one I do not take lightly or for granted.

I acknowledge where I have been and who has been there with me. 

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent."
~ John Donne ~

Our great original ideas are often surpassed by even better ideas presented by others. Being open to community input, being willing to work with all those we encounter, and listen to them, and compromise, and consider all kinds of points of view makes for a good life. We are made rich by interaction.

I value the input of others.  

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

PARADISE NOW

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky."
~ Rabindranath Tagore ~ 

The world is full of happy surprises if we stop looking for things to be a certain way and open to clear sight. There are colors and textures and tastes and sounds that abound and are pleasing. There are unexpected smiles and kindnesses, and moments of traveling light reflecting off of surfaces and trees. There are delicate sensations, and power in the body, and curiosities that lift our spirits, and provocative conversations that inspire our minds.
   
Earth is heaven, and heaven earth when we wake up and tune in.

Monday, October 22, 2018

BIAS

"Our thoughts are unseen hands shaping the people we meet. Whatever we truly think them to be, that's what they'll become for us."
~ Richard Cowper ~

We see what we look for.
Think about the impact of that fact on the experience of our lives.

I am curious, observant, and free from pre-conceived bias.

Sunday, October 21, 2018

CONTINUUM

"All are but parts of one stupendous whole.
whose body Nature is, and God the soul."
~ Alexander Pope ~

I'm not sure there's really such a thing as a happy ending. There are cycles that complete to our satisfaction, and goals that we achieve, but everything that happens is ultimately part of a continuum. There are no endings that aren't tied up with beginnings, and no hope that is not tied up in some way with despair. There is no healing without wounding, no growth without struggle, and no birth without death.

There is no point of arrival, and I have nothing to prove. 

Thursday, October 18, 2018

EGO AND GRACE

"The gale that breaks the pine does not bruise the violet."
~ Austin O'Malley ~

The ego in action is an inglorious thing to behold. It's selfish and unbecoming.
     Let's be about LOVE instead, about what's best in us, and enjoy the grace and communion that comes with generosity of the spirit, authenticity of expression, and humility of the heart.

I catch myself being all about myself and consider what I can do for others instead. 

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

CHOOSING STILLNESS

"One little room (can be) an everywhere."
~ John Donne ~

We live in a noisy, high-tech, screen-dominated world 
in which we must choose 
our silence, 
and our solace,
and our solitude, 
and our space.

I make inner stillness a priority.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

THE ULTIMATE GIFT

"Pleasure is spread through the earth
in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find."
~ William Wordsworth ~

We can be so callous and complaining about life, 
as if we think we are entitled to have our way no matter what. 
But life is so much more tenuous than that. 
It's a sacred and fragile gift to be revered, 
not reviled, 
and kept with care, 
not contempt.

I open daily to the glorious gift of life. 

Monday, October 15, 2018

JACK

"I am a part of all that I have met."
~ Alfred Lord Tennyson ~

I knew this likable guy named Jack once. He was tall and blonde, with a smile that warmed the room, and an open-ness about him that felt good to be around.
     In spite of his charm, Jack struggled with the disease of alcoholism and addiction, so it was with great joy that those who knew him celebrated his one-year-of-staying-clean-and-sober anniversary.
     Shortly thereafter, Jack started drinking again, and he was found dead in his house, having hung himself. Few deaths in my life have struck me the way his did. He was such a brilliantly bright light! And he had a baby on the way, and seemingly so much to live for.
     Life is filled with mysteries like Jack's death that I cannot comprehend, and the answer, as always seems to be love NOW, live NOW, and take nothing- nothing- for granted or for certain, because the only thing for certain is that we just... never... know.

I assume nothing. 

Sunday, October 14, 2018

THE ERROR OF TEACHING

"To hell with facts! We need stories!"
~ Ken Kesey ~

I get in trouble when I fancy myself a teacher, because I aim to impart wisdom in that role that is the result of what I've been through. I do far better to share stories from my life and let others draw their own conclusions about what things mean.

We all require the perspective of our own point of view. 

Thursday, October 11, 2018

SURRENDERED TO THE ROAD

"The car has become a secular sanctuary for the individual... (a) mobile Walden Pond."
~ Edward McDonagh ~

If I don't resist it, driving can be soothing. It's the movement of my position by rolling wheels from one place to another, and the freedom of choice whether I listen to music or sit in silence, allow or disallow fresh air in through the windows, and how I adjust the seat heat and AC. It's a place of peace if I let it be that, and if I am able to surrender to the traffic and the rumbling road.

My car is my personal domain.


Wednesday, October 10, 2018

BE

"Nothing is worth more than this day."
~ Goethe ~

The answer is not success. It's not wealth or fame or even influence. And it's not in the future when this, that, or the other thing happens or doesn't happen.
     The answer to everything we seek is in acceptance and gratitude, which sounds all fine and good, but what does that even mean? It means stop gunning for the future and whining about the past, and appreciate the sacred beauty of wherever you are right now!

I am here. 

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

FECKLESS FEAR

"Autumn is the season of change."
~ Taoist Proverb ~

I love the fall and am aware of a self-centered fear in myself that it won't come! Or that it won't come the way I want it to and feel like I need it to... And I'm also aware that this is an annual pattern in me. I get all locked up in catastrophic all-or-nothing thinking- that it will never cool off and that this year is the year the leaves will just dry up and fall off and won't display any of their glorious autumn splendor.
     It's simple fear that something I want to happen isn't going to happen, and I try to avoid my disappointment in advance by fretting over it. What insanity!
     I wonder if anyone out there can relate?

I choose to be fearless. 
I let go and trust in the raw energy of life. 

Monday, October 8, 2018

TWO WAY STREET

"The soul has no secret that the behavior does not reveal."
~ Lao Tzu ~

Having an agenda is over-rated. It creates a bias in us that makes us listen less well than we might otherwise, and be constantly trolling for openings to express our point-of-view.

I stop peddling opinions and step into the raw experience of interaction.

Sunday, October 7, 2018

TEACHING STORIES

"Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it."
~ Hannah Arendt ~

In my own stories, I am always looking for the lesson. What did I learn? What can I take away? What is the point of what has happened?
     And yet, the stories I most enjoy listening to are not the ones designed to teach me at all, but the ones that spin a yarn and create an experience that I can relate to and laugh about.

Life is not always about the lesson. Sometimes it's just about sharing the ride.

Thursday, October 4, 2018

ONIONS

"You learn something every day if you pay attention."
~ Ray LeBlond ~

I am not a fan of onions because anytime I eat them, the taste lingers beyond my desire for it. The flavor overstays its welcome. I am done with onions before they are done with me, and maybe certain experiences are that way as well. They take their time to process when we are ready to close the door and move on.

Daily experience is my greatest teacher. 

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

KNOWING

"Assumptions are the termites of relationships."
~ Henry Winkler ~

We suffer for the assumptions we make. We think we understand who people are without being curious about them. We come at things from a position of knowing when our knowing is severely limited by our own personal experience, and we close our mind to new possibilities by insisting that the information we have is the only access we need.

The longer I live, the less certain I am about anything.

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

THE CALL OF THE COUNTRY

"Nor rural sights alone, but rural sounds,
Exhilarate the spirit, and restore
The tone of languid nature."
~ William Cowper ~

I used to be a city girl and I'm not so much anymore. I prefer the quiet and space of the country now; the clean of it, and the closeness of the raw earth.

I choose where home is. 

Monday, October 1, 2018

OUR DESIRE TO FIGURE THINGS OUT

"Happiness is an occasional brief glance into how simple it all can be."
~ Robert Brault ~

The answer is generally simpler than we think. Life feels complicated, so we approach it as a problem, or as a series of problems, that need figuring out and fixing. But perhaps that's not really the case. Perhaps life is just what happens and who we encounter and how we show up in the world... today.

Life is simple. I complicate it with my complicated mind. 

Sunday, September 30, 2018

NO WAKE

"Do good, and be happy."
~Simeon Carter ~

We are not defined by what has happened to us- not what happened to us in childhood, puberty, adulthood, or last week. Our state of consciousness reflects the day we are in, and ends there. We needn't drag along a trail of victories or tears. It's dead weight and serves us not.

I travel light and experience each moment as new. 

Thursday, September 27, 2018

ALL THINGS MIXED TOGETHER

"Human life is the source of deep suffering and gorgeous hope."
~ Henry James Slack ~

Last week I went to a wedding, and this week, I am on my way to a funeral: the sister of one of my oldest friends struck down by cancer at 52. It seems impossible that she's gone, and yet, she is.
     Life is so full of birth and death and marriage and schooling, and traveling and moving, and activity and rest- all going on simultaneously. It's the big bowl of all things mixed together, none more important than the other in the big scheme of things, and yet, for each group who attend each event, it's the biggest life happening there is.

I honor the living of life. 

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

THE EGO TRAP

"True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes."
~ Edward Frederick Halifax ~

My ego traps me in resistance. It makes me feel "right" in the face of everything in the world and in my current circumstance that I perceive as "wrong." It pretends to know best, and be certain of what is uncertain. It punishes me with it's discontented internal whining, and strengthens itself by becoming increasingly miserable.
     Suffering at the hand of my ego is a choice though, thankfully, and by being aware of it in action, I can take the first step toward being free of it in the now.

I catch my ego hating and blaming, and choose loving-kindness instead. 

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

LIVING FRESH

"In this very breath that we now take lies the secret that all great teachers try to tell us."
~ Peter Matthiessen ~

We cannot go back. We can't repeat good times, or delicious meals, or the way we felt way back when. And we can't go forward either, without committing to a dreamworld that we make up in our mind. The only place is where we are and the only time is now.
     Every moment, every taste, every experience is fresh, even if we think it isn't, and even if we think we know in advance the way it's going to play out.

I show up with an open mind for each fresh moment as it comes.

Monday, September 24, 2018

THE WORKING THROUGH

"Man never knows what he wants; he aspires to penetrate mysteries and as soon as he has, he wants to reestablish them. Ignorance irritates him and knowledge cloys."
~ Amiel ~

Sometimes something we've been through won't quite let us go. Our brains keep rewinding, for good or ill, and like a broken record, we get stuck there. My sense, when such things happen, is that there's something incomplete that has to round itself out, whether through conversation, or the distance of time passing. A processing process is at work, and all there is to do is let it work. We don't have to fight it, or obsess over it, or try to figure it out. All we have to do is be present to our attachment, observe our circling thoughts, and open up about it to another if the opportunity presents itself.
     And then, it will pass. We will move on and let it go, and be free to experience the next thing that hooks us, and the next-

I allow what happens to process through me, however long it takes. 

Sunday, September 23, 2018

READY AND WILLING

"Who goes far will go without guide or map."
~ Muriel Strode ~

Cautious as we might want to be in life, sometimes we just have to plunge.

The only way in is in! 


Thursday, September 20, 2018

WEDDING DAY

"The bride and groom- May their joys be as bright as the morning, and their sorrows but shadows that fade in the sunlight of love."
~ Minna Thomas Antrim ~

The date has arrived at last for my stepson, Coleton, and his fiance, Andrea, to be wed. And I wish them all the blessings of a good marriage- humor, solidarity, patience, love and tolerance, forgiveness, and the willingness to be vulnerable and to communicate from the heart.
     It's the journey of partnership through life that they're beginning, and the navigation together of rough and shallow waters, and still water that runs deep.

Relationships thrive when we root them in spiritual principles.

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

THE HARD WORK PAYOFF

"When you have worn out your shoes, the strength of the sole leather has passed into the fibre of your body."
~ RW Emerson ~

Doing challenging work can be uncomfortable while we're doing it, but afterwards, there is a real sense of accomplishment- that we didn't quit. It's like climbing a steep mountain. The upward steps are brutal, but getting to the top is it's own reward.

I keep climbing the hills before me.


Tuesday, September 18, 2018

IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS

"I nod to a passing stranger, and the stranger nods back, and two human beings go off, feeling a little less anonymous."
~ Robert Brault ~

It's certainly ok to take our time alone, and we all need a fair bit of it, but we need time together as well. It is in contact with others that we see ourselves reflected, and learn to appreciate the very human challenges that we all face.

I need people.

Monday, September 17, 2018

ACCEPTING LIFE

"There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth."
~ Rumi ~

Sometimes things move along happily like a bubbling brook, and sometimes they just don't. Accepting this makes for peaceful living, and misunderstanding it makes for frustration and strain.

I tune into each moment, and whatever I discover, I let it be what it is.

Sunday, September 16, 2018

INNER CHATTER

"If we were but conscious of our own littleness, we would not dare look with contempt on the smallest atom in the world."
~ Charles Lanman ~

Our internal dialog dictates our day. We can be open-hearted and gracious or petty and judgmental. We can cop an attitude or a resentment. We can be victors or victims. And all of it is made up. It's in our heads. The only thing real is what's happening in the moment. All the innuendo and drama is what we create.
     Being aware of this gives us power. Even if we can't change our habit of thinking instantaneously, being conscious of it is the first step toward being free.

I listen for my internal dialog, and become conscious of the tone it sets for my day.


Thursday, September 13, 2018

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

"I come to the forbidden edge.
I strap on the sheath of unfear and gird the strands of daring about me."
~ Muriel Strode ~

Just because it's the way everyone else does it doesn't mean it's the way it has to be done. Fresh ideas, and the courage to be authentic trumps the beaten path every time.

I go slowly, and honor the call. 

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

THE BIG DIFFERENCE

"The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too." 
~ Teresa of Avila ~

My agenda pales in comparison to God's assignment for my life, and understanding what that might be results in purer satisfaction than the accomplishment of personal goals ever can.

I pray for God's will for me and the power to carry it out. 

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

CONSIDERING DEATH

"Death is not warden of life, not thief, nor enemy- but Life's most equal partner."
~ Terri Guillemets ~

Death is not always tragic, though our culture seems to suggest that is the case. We have major medical models to put it off, and societal etiquette that agrees not to speak of it unless absolutely necessary. And yet, it is as natural as birth, an opportunity for suffering to end, and a promise for the soul to be free of the heavy and often problematic physical form.
     At least on occasion, and at least to ourselves, let's every so often acknowledge the blessings of death, and the relief of it, and the peace.

I am grateful for the blessings of death. 

Monday, September 10, 2018

GOOD NATURED PATIENCE

"Patience is what the sea teaches, patience and faith."
~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh ~

I'm not sure patience is a virtue as much as a necessity. We live in a hurry up and wait culture. We rush around, and our rushing has no impact on the fact that the process of things from start to finish takes time, and usually more than we anticipate.
     So, without good natured patience, we are subject to stressing out, and who needs that? Our being anxious doesn't make the world move any faster. Days come and days go as they always have, and what's happening now is what's happening now. Getting to the future faster is a sham.

I accept the process of time.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

PHYSICALITY

"He felt it, he said, an honor to wash his face, being, as it was, the temple of the Spirit."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

Our bodies are wise but we don't always trust them. and they can easily guide us, but we don't always listen so well. Through movement, stillness, wakefulness, and sleep, and biofeedback from all that we eat, we can experience what it is to be well, and what it is to be not so well, and have appreciation and respect for our incredible, physical selves.

I trust my body. 

Thursday, September 6, 2018

IN STRIDE

"The line of life is a snarl of loops and ends."
~ James Lendall Basford ~

Challenges bubble up in life and we can deal with them as problems or opportunities. The track record for things working out is pretty solid, and so far so good in terms of our personal rate of survival.
      So, if it's not fatal, whatever comes our way simply comes, and we can choose to freak out, create drama, and go to end-of-the-world thinking, or simply take a deep breath and take it in stride.

I accept that life is what it is.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

RHYTHM AND FLOW

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul."
~ Martha Graham ~

Our bodies are meant to move and sway and lift and twist. 
We trap them in repetitive back and forth comings and goings and 
miss the delightful pleasure of rhythm and flow. 
Let's not miss it! 
Let's get up and find our groove!

I play music and dance. 

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

HOW TO OVERCOME FEAR

"Be here now."
~ Ram Dass ~

There is no fear in the present moment, so if we feel fearful, we are trapped in the past, the future, or the stories in our head. 
And it is within our power to break through these- all of them. 
We have only to stop, to look, and to listen. 

When I feel fear, I get present. 

Monday, September 3, 2018

THE SPORT OF LIFE

"The more I practice, the luckier I get,"
~ Jerry Barber ~

I have known the seven-year-itch sensation, and the feeling that a cycle is complete and needs to end, and yet, here I am, married to the same man for seven years and a day, and I still like him. I love him in fact, more deeply than I've ever loved anyone. He is my best friend, and my team for the game of life. Together we have scored goals, been subject to penalties and fouls of all kinds, and experienced every level of victory and defeat.
     The experience itself has been the sport, and continues to be, and I know I can count on us both to be good natured, to be scrappy when necessary, and to play with heart and give every effort everything we've got.

I am grateful for team players. 

Sunday, September 2, 2018

LABOR DAY

"Labor not- for one day,
just sit, breathe, and rejoice
drinking what you please
and enjoying what you may."
~ Terri Guillemets ~

Labor Day, 2018- the end of summer, the coming of that delicious fresh fall feeling, and the celebration of seven years of a good marriage. I am blessed on all fronts- blessed with lessons from the past, the promise of future adventure, and the exceptional delight of each loving moment as it comes.

I celebrate life.

Thursday, August 30, 2018

MERCY

"The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from Heaven 
Upon the place beneath."
~ William Shakespeare ~

Mercy, it seems to me, is a kind of undeserved blessing. It's goodness at the deepest level and the grace of God... How many of us have stories of being desperate, afraid, and unsure, and having had something or someone come to bless us? I imagine we all do, of one kind or another, and the beauty is that having been at the receiving end of mercy, we know how it feels, and if we keep an eye out, and wait for an opening, we can be the source of it too.

I am grateful for life's mercies.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

GOOD COMPANY

"Sometimes Mother Nature has the answers when you do not even know the questions."
~ Keith Wynn ~

The mountains are good company, and so are old trees; 
and moss on the woods floor, 
and butterflies, 
and the sky.

I am graced by the natural world. 

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

WISDOM

"The years teach much which the days never knew."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

Wisdom happens when prior experience and lessons hard learned bubble up for testing, and we pass the test.

I have learned from my mistakes. 

Monday, August 27, 2018

GUILT

"Guilt is always hungry. Don't let it consume you."
~ Terri Guillemets ~

Self-recrimination and guilt are a waste of our effort. they do nothing to move life forward, and hold us in a sticking pattern of repetitive condemnation.
     If we did something wrong we can do something about it, and if we feel badly for being who we are, we can be sure that ours is a clouded view.

I let go of guilt. 

Sunday, August 26, 2018

CROWDED BEACH

"In one drop of water are found all the secrets of the oceans."
~ Khalil Gibran ~

The beach, this time of year, is a mass of humanity looking for a good time, and seeking peace together. It's a community affair. We plop our towels and umbrellas down beside each other and become neighbors for a day.

I am one among many.

Thursday, August 23, 2018

THE SACRED STILLNESS

"Silence is the universal refuge."
~ Henry David Thoreau ~

Everything rises out of the sacred stillness and returns to it. 
Listen for it, and you will hear. 
Look, and you will see.
     The stillness is in the world and also in us. 
It is creative and gestational and absolutely complete. 

I am one with the sacred stillness. 

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

BROAD EXPANSE

"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness."
~ Seneca ~

Mean-ness is small-hearted and petty.
Let's live in the broad open expanse of kindness instead, and empathy, and good humor, and light.

I give of myself generously. 

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

BEING RICH

"After a visit to the beach, it's hard to believe that we live in a material world."
~ Pam Shaw ~

Money isn't the thing that makes us rich.
It's love and gratitude and present moment awareness.

I am here, now. 

Monday, August 20, 2018

INSTANT SATISFACTION

"Have patience, my friend, have patience;
For Rome wasnt't built in a day!
You wear yourself out for nothing
In many and many a way!
Why are you nervous and fretty
When things do not move along fast;
Why let yourself get excited
Over things that will soon be past?"
~ Gertrude Tooley Buckingham ~

Our capacity for patience as a culture has been seriously diminished by modern technology. We are so familiar with instantaneous google results, and the power of communication via text, that when we have to wait for anything, we get antsy and possibly indignant.
     Everything is as it is, and no matter how vehemently impatient we may feel, patience is still a virtue, and we need it, daily, for a quality life.

I am patient. 

Sunday, August 19, 2018

THE CHOICE IS OURS

"Two prisoners looked out of prison bars. One saw the mud, and one saw the stars."
~ Dale Carnegie ~

Being in a position of dependency in any way, shape, or form, wakes up my ego. It wants to assert itself and try for power it cannot have, and it does this through righteous resistance to what is, as if saying, "I don't like this situation," will change the situation, when it won't.
     The change required for recovery of peace of mind is an internal one. It's acceptance, and grounding, and breathing, and more acceptance. It's in the recognition that I am forever independent in my mind, my attitude, and the experience I choose, so even when circumstances might make me feel trapped, the only real trap is in my mind.

I am free if I choose to be. 

Thursday, August 16, 2018

SELLING OUT

"Instinct is untaught ability."
~ Alexander Bain ~

We can lose ourselves so easily following other people's plans, and trying to "get it right," whatever "it" is. This one said be sure about this, and that one said be sure about that, and we are so busy trying to cover all the bases, that we have no connection to our intuitive inner guide. We doubt ourselves in favor of trends and guarantees and those who claim to know.
     But when we can get quiet on the inside, when we can get present to the moment, then our knowing seeps through, and when it does, it's effortless, and beautiful, and just what was needed, and right on time.

I trust my intuitive knowing.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

PICKING A DIRECTION

"To decide is to make peace within and let the chips fall where they may."
~ Lisa Tabak ~

Decisions commit us to action and give us something to stand for and represent. When we make a decision, we set a course for ourselves and head purposefully in the direction we want to go.

I create my life one decision at a time. 

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

THE LIMITS OF EXCUSES

"God has entrusted me with myself."
~ Epictetus ~

Excuses disempower us. They put the responsibility for what happens outside of ourselves, which means that we are acted upon rather than actors in our lives- pawns in the game- and that might make us innocent, but it also makes us ineffective.

I take responsibility for my life. 

Monday, August 13, 2018

WHAT'S RIGHT THERE

"Nature never did betray the heart that loved her."
~ William Wordsworth ~

Glorious gifts from God that make life paradisaical are all around us: trees, sunshine, wildflowers, birds- and too often we miss them, caught up as we too often are, in our heads.

I stop thinking and experience the blessings around me.  

Sunday, August 12, 2018

THE LIGHTNESS OF BEING

"Those who play rarely become brittle in the face of stress or lose the healing capacity for humor."
~ Stuart Brown ~

Being overly serious is an ailment as sure as any flu-bug or cold, and it creates a weight in life that makes us pretty sorry company for others. We live on the edge of irritation with anyone and everyone who is less heavy than we are, and feel tragically self-important.
     Let's not be that person. Let's be light and playful and dance with the changing energies and often ridiculous nature of things as they are.

I catch myself being overly serious and lighten up.

Thursday, August 9, 2018

RAPID AND STILL

"Variety is the spice of life."
~ American Proverb ~

A number of years back, when I went white water rafting, the rapids were my favorite part, and I found the floating bits along still water almost excruciatingly dull. From where I sit today, I can see how lopsided my perspective was, and how black and white my thinking.
     I appreciate the smooth water and the white water equally today, and understand the blessing in them both.

Everything that happens is its own particular kind of gift. 

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

THE TRAP

"It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall."
~ Mexican Proverb ~

It's a trap to allow things of low importance to dominate our schedules, and yet, one we easily fall into; so much so, in fact, that life has to come along every so often with a tragedy or a shock to snap us back to our proper proportions.

I remember what matters.

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

SKEWED VIEW

"What if when you die they ask, 'How was heaven?'"
~ Author Unknown ~

We see things through the filter of our point-of-view, which colors everything. And the judgments we make affect those around us no less than ourselves.
     Bringing awareness to this, we can learn to look differently. We can look to see what's there instead of looking for what we expect to see. There's a difference between the two, and an important one. It's the difference between love and suffering, between curiosity and dismissal, and between faith and doubt.

I open my heart and see clearly.

Monday, August 6, 2018

COLLABORATION

"None of us is as smart as all of us."
~ Ken Blanchard ~

Two brains are better than one when it comes to creative solutions, and speaking out loud solves more problems than silent stalemate inside our heads. We spark ideas in each other, and discover what we didn't know we knew through language.

I share ideas with others which makes my ideas expand!

Sunday, August 5, 2018

SIMPLE THINGS

"Happiness is an occasional brief glance into how simple it all can be."
~ Robert Brault ~

We don't have to make some big crashing impact on the world to have our lives be meaningful and our life purpose be met. Being loving, being kind, breathing deeply, and doing whatever is in front of us with appreciation and grace is enough. It's the simple things that fulfill us and make life worthwhile.

I appreciate my daily blessings. 

Thursday, August 2, 2018

SPILLING THOUGHTS

"Clutter is found in so many shapes and sizes. We can find it on our kitchen tables, under our beds, in our cars, and in our heads."
~ Katrina Mayer ~

The "less is more" principle can have to do with kindness, particularly as it relates to our revelation of information to others. We don't necessarily need to spill out every thought in our head, and sometimes holding back the whole truth is the most loving and compassionate approach we can take.

I choose my words with care.

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

BOTH AND

"God turns you from one feeling to another and teaches by means of opposites, so that you will have two wings to fly, not one."
~ Rumi ~

We long for travel and adventure, and then we long to get back home. Both have their glory and place, their lessons and comforts.
     Life is always seeking balance, so whenever we start pushing a limit a bit too far one way, we are urged back in the opposite direction. It's a perfect design, and a plan that supports our well-roundedness and well-being.

I am grateful for life's variety.

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

CONSCIOUS LIVING

"Transformation can only take place immediately; the revolution is now, not tomorrow."
~ Jiddu Krishnamurti ~

Life is short.
Life is precious.
And life ends unpredictably.

I live fully, each moment of each day.

Monday, July 30, 2018

LESSON HARD LEARNED

"Nothing is worth more than this day."
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~

It's been 5 months now since my father died, and the sharpness of it has largely receded, but I found myself sad a bit today, missing him being in my life with his quirks and delights. His death has been such a lesson for me in the importance of living NOW, and appreciating this moment, each moment, and savoring the hours as they come, and as they go.

I take nothing for granted. 

Sunday, July 29, 2018

ONWARD

"In each moment the fire rages, it will burn away a hundred veils. And carry you a thousand steps toward your goal."
~ Rumi ~

We have ideas about the way things will be. We imagine them in advance, and feel certain of our imaginings. And then, when we encounter the reality, it's often entirely other than we thought it would be, and we adjust ourselves quite readily considering how much we had invested in our vision.
     We're adaptable beings- far more adaptable than we give ourselves credit for being- and we're afraid of the future more than we need to be, because it always works out, and we push on and find our way- awkwardly maybe at times- but nonetheless, onward.

I am equal to whatever comes. 

Thursday, July 26, 2018

LIVE NOW

"Why wait for the weekend to have fun?"
~ Loesje ~

Another week has cycled round, and how have we spent it? Have we been kind? Present? Productive? Filled with doubt? Have we had lovely peaceful moments? Have we been in nature and noticed the trees? Have we felt free?
     It's useful every so often to ask ourselves questions such as these to re-orient ourselves to what matters, to what makes our lives a pleasure, and to what makes them stressful and keeps us hardened and missing out.

I review my days and make space for joy.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

FEAR NOT

"(Be) the only one who knows you're afraid."
~ Franklin P. Jones ~

Be brave.
The dividends pay off.

I step up to the plate. 

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

PARTNERSHIP

"All that is involved in the consideration of rhythm..."
~ Edgar Allen Poe ~

Life and time are a mix of the practical and poetic, of stillness and movement, of work, and of play. It is a daily experience that we have, and a seasonal one- sun-up to sundown. And how we interact with it is our choice. We can rail against it, go with the flow, or burst out laughing.
     The point and the purpose is bigger than the task in front of us, whatever that may be. It's in the way we approach it. And we are happy or not, enjoy ourselves or not, and feel fulfilled by our lives or not, depending whether we align ourselves with natural rhythms or fight against them, wrestle with the world and everything in it, or dance with circumstances and people exactly as they are.

I align with natural rhythms. 

Monday, July 23, 2018

OVERCOMING CONFLICT

"In the name of peace
They waged wars
Ain't they got no shame"
~ Nikki Giovanni ~

"Not enough" is a mindset that infects our lives like some pestilent disease. Not enough money, not enough time, not enough time alone, not enough time with others... there's just not enough!
     Ever felt that way?
     If we're honest, I imagine we all have. And yet, in spite of the collective mindset, we're very well mistaken. With only the slightest shift in our perspective we can see that the exact opposite is actually true... that there is enough and that we are enough and that life is exactly as it should be, and thinking otherwise just puts us in a state of conflicted unhappiness.
     Let's choose blessings and mercy and pleasure and faith. They are certainly as valid, and most certainly a lot more fun!

I believe in mercy and goodness.

Sunday, July 22, 2018

STRAIGHT FORM THE HEART

"This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and attend them all! Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in."
~ Rumi ~

We have nothing to prove.
We have only to be who we are,
Authentic in each moment,
Raw, fresh, and
Straight from the heart. 

It's ok to be me. 

Thursday, July 19, 2018

SIMPLE TRUTH

"Give us this day our daily bread..."
~ The Lord's Prayer ~

The simple things, 
our daily routines,
These are our blessings.

I honor the sacred nature of my everyday experience.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

MIND GAMES

"'Tis the great art of life to manage well
The restless mind."
~John Armstrong ~

Self-sabotage is a thing.
We do it.
All the time, if we're honest.
We think ourselves into problems that don't exist.
We despair.
We project and blame.

Quieting the mind is also a thing.
We can practice it.
And reap the rewards.

I am the master of my mind and not the other way around.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

DRIP, DRIP, DRIP

"There is no daily chore so trivial that it cannot be made important by skipping it two days running."
~ Robert Brault ~

Even if we left a room in perfect order- vacuumed, dusted, windows cleaned- over time, it would still require additional cleaning. Cobwebs and dust pile up. Care requires maintenance. So the question is, how well are we caring for ourselves?

I attend to my heart, mind, body, and soul on a daily basis.

Monday, July 16, 2018

BEING THERE

"We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth."
~ GB Shaw ~

It feels good to be there for people, to care about them, and let them know that we are available to help, or to sit, or to listen, or to send love from a distance.
     Let's tell people when they are in our hearts and on our minds. Let's connect with them and allow them to connect with us.

I am grateful to be one of many.

Sunday, July 15, 2018

THE BODY ELECTRIC

"In the body, and the instincts of the body, there should be no shame but rather a frank, joyous pride."
~ Arnold Bennett ~

Sometimes, the body is just tired. There's a physical kind of heaviness that demands our respect. And though we may cajole it and distract it and caffeinate it, the ultimate solution is rest and trust, that whatever is requiring the extra down time will also heal what needs healing, and move us toward high energy and buzzing aliveness yet again.

I honor the needs of my body. 

Thursday, July 12, 2018

LIMITED BY HOOKS

"There are two types of fishermen- those who fish for sport and those who fish for fish."
~ Author Unknown ~

Fishing is an apt analogy for so much of life. We are baited by and bait others. We get hooked on lines. And sometimes the hook slips and we swim away, and sometimes we get caught up and thrash about. In too many interactions in life, one or the other of us seems to have a fishing pole in hand.
     And yet, what makes for pleasant, and truly effective interactions between us may be less fishing, and more team-sport: running and passing and working together to achieve a common goal.

I stop trying to get people to do things for me, and collaborate with them instead. 

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

THE COST OF LIFE WITHOUT INTEGRITY

"If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters."
~ Alan Simpson ~

One individual's lack of integrity, or wish-wash, or perpetual lateness, affects a wide swarth of other humans. For the world to work and function efficiently, we must be good to our word, honest in our intent, and consistently show up on time.
     When we're lazy, when we're slippery, when we're manipulative, and whenever we blow things off, we cause problems for others. We are an inter-connected group, and our actions ripple endlessly across the pond.

I live by integrity and by the sincerity of my word.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

HALTINGLY FORWARD

"Those who expect moments of change to be comfortable and free of conflict have not learned their history."
~ Joan Wallach Scott ~

Forward movement is rarely a straight line. It tends to zig-zag and backtrack and u-turn such that it hardly even feels like forward at all. And yet, we do make progress. We gather information and grow. We learn. We make mistakes and adjust accordingly. We adapt and improvise. And life goes on. The sun rises and sets, and carries us with it, and at some point, we find ourselves way down the road and look back, and can't even remember how it is exactly that we ended up where we are.

I trust the momentum of life. 

Monday, July 9, 2018

FREEDOM FROM WHAT OTHERS THINK

"Our thoughts are unseen hands shaping the people we meet. Whatever we truly think them to be, that's what they'll become for us."
~ Richard Cowper ~

I have spent so much of my life caring about and fretting over what other people think of me, without having any real ability to change what they think. There's freedom in recognizing that it doesn't really matter, or mean anything, or have to affect the way I am. Judgment is so personally skewed that it lacks veracity. What matters most is our level of integrity and who we know ourselves to be.

I am free of the sea of opinions.

Sunday, July 8, 2018

INTUITION OVER IMPULSE

"Let soul and world meet."
~ Rumi ~

There's a difference between impulse and instinct. Impulse is reactive, and often childish, defensive, or aggressive. Instinct, on the other hand, springs from a divine creative source.
     Let's be aware of the difference and not confuse them for convenience-sake. Being impulsive makes for trouble while being instinctual make for clear sight.

I reign in my ego and tune in to divine wisdom.