Typically one would think of possibilities in life based upon background, opportunities provided, exposure to biases, etc.... basically in a nutshell, boundaries. I have always thought there was more to this though, based upon the numerous examples throughout history of those from various backgrounds who have risen to great heights. Not necessarily by history standards, for the sake of being in history, but achieving amazing things in their life. Albeit, these 'amazing' things are very different for everyone... as simple as making a difference in a child's life to running a marathon, or making discoveries in the world.
Considering this makes me think of an article I read not too long ago about our limitless possibilities.... our untapped potential to thrive in the most detrimental circumstances, and our innate ability to flourish into wondrous beings. You know, it's a proven fact that we are genetically made up of star stuff.... the unlimited power and promise of the universe. Ponder that for a moment... everything in our existence is about measurement of limitations and yet, still we are without measurement. "Man" as a whole may try to place us into a small box of life and tell us where we fit in the equation, but SPACE is what we hold within us and cannot be measured in the truest sense of the word. The only dimension of capacity possibly lies in getting to know ourselves and the ever changing realm within; again- wondrously immeasurable.
Our journey through life is as unique as our fingerprints and the opportunity for realization of goals desired as vast as the heavens which float lazily above us. It is the star stuff that allows us to attain all we dream, to become all we desire. In the same way that our Creator made the heavens and splashed points of illumination to light our way, so too we should consider our lives and the potential we have to not only illuminate our own way in life, but the keen effect we have on the lives of others. Like a unique quilt, there is no separating its parts without it becoming nothing more than mere thread, we too are woven together for a purpose. Acknowledging the fact that we are made up of star stuff, we should ask ourselves what is keeping us from reaching the heights of our potential... attaining what we most deeply desire... breaking out of the box life has tried to contain us within... illuminating our way to greatness? Remembering that we ARE what hangs above us in the sky- unlimited power and potential, promise of the universe, immeasurable- should inspire us to reach new heights and to keep the word impossible out of our vocabulary!
"...With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."Matthew 19:26
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Apasionada Viviendo ...
It was one of those nights... I had finished at work early, received some good news and spoke to one of my favorite people... I was on a natural high and I didn't want to go home to do homework- just yet. Ya know, those perfect summer nights.. awesome temp, and an illuminated sky, but with no moon visible ... you just want to soak it in- outside. I rang my cousin, Lee and one of our infamous "chats" began on her porch last night.
You know how you have some people in your life that you can just talk to for hours... about anything and everything and never tire of their company. Someone that makes you think and circle your own thoughts, always to draw a new conclusion. She is definitely one of those people and has been since we were little, sleeping over at each other's houses and talking till the wee hours of the morn. lol Anyway, the conversation was on any number of topics, but mainly on life and challenges, growth, the future, and the possibilities.
I know looking back over the course of the past year, I would never have envisioned being where I am now, feeling what I do today, and wanting what I am about to pursue. The changes that have occurred I didn't see coming.... I know I felt them swirling, but there was no urgency to set them into action. There were several people and circumstatances that changed all of that over this past year, but moreover, at the time, I don't think I had the strength, or the courage emotionally to set out to attain any of it... I just wasn't ready. I think it is only over time that we grow to become who we will venture into the depths of our lives as and it cannot be rushed by any one thing- until we are ready. I am certainly in the here and now of that process, and I do believe, as I expressed to her last night, it can be exciting and all a bit overwhelming at times too.
But all the same, I think life is suppose to be this exciting adventure with all the twists and turns it can throw at you... this is what challenges us and makes us stronger... it pushes us to grow. There is no right or wrong answer... just experience and holding on for the ride! Often times though, and I am certainly guilty of it in various times of my life, we are in such a hurry to rush to the next stage... to be on to the next moment, success, life achievement. Slowing all that down is so hard and yet, very important I am finding. I am grasping the beauty of progression, of embracing every moment, looking at each day as a moment to treasure. Sure it has it's monotony too... that's part of it..... UPS, downs and just the In-BeTwEeN.
There is no manual, no decisive answers as to what you should do, who you should become, or even who you will love... it just flows into your life and sometimes it's not about willing something, or always making it happen. Sometimes, it is solely about what happens to you, and our ability to embrace the moment and doing the best we can. And in the end, having lived with the satisfaction that it was just that... your best and you passionately enjoyed every moment of the ride!
<
You know how you have some people in your life that you can just talk to for hours... about anything and everything and never tire of their company. Someone that makes you think and circle your own thoughts, always to draw a new conclusion. She is definitely one of those people and has been since we were little, sleeping over at each other's houses and talking till the wee hours of the morn. lol Anyway, the conversation was on any number of topics, but mainly on life and challenges, growth, the future, and the possibilities.
I know looking back over the course of the past year, I would never have envisioned being where I am now, feeling what I do today, and wanting what I am about to pursue. The changes that have occurred I didn't see coming.... I know I felt them swirling, but there was no urgency to set them into action. There were several people and circumstatances that changed all of that over this past year, but moreover, at the time, I don't think I had the strength, or the courage emotionally to set out to attain any of it... I just wasn't ready. I think it is only over time that we grow to become who we will venture into the depths of our lives as and it cannot be rushed by any one thing- until we are ready. I am certainly in the here and now of that process, and I do believe, as I expressed to her last night, it can be exciting and all a bit overwhelming at times too.
But all the same, I think life is suppose to be this exciting adventure with all the twists and turns it can throw at you... this is what challenges us and makes us stronger... it pushes us to grow. There is no right or wrong answer... just experience and holding on for the ride! Often times though, and I am certainly guilty of it in various times of my life, we are in such a hurry to rush to the next stage... to be on to the next moment, success, life achievement. Slowing all that down is so hard and yet, very important I am finding. I am grasping the beauty of progression, of embracing every moment, looking at each day as a moment to treasure. Sure it has it's monotony too... that's part of it..... UPS, downs and just the In-BeTwEeN.
There is no manual, no decisive answers as to what you should do, who you should become, or even who you will love... it just flows into your life and sometimes it's not about willing something, or always making it happen. Sometimes, it is solely about what happens to you, and our ability to embrace the moment and doing the best we can. And in the end, having lived with the satisfaction that it was just that... your best and you passionately enjoyed every moment of the ride!
<
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
A Dress Rehearsal...
I don't know if anyone really remembers "A Different World", but it was the character "Whitley" who was best known for a little crazy saying when she was all out of sorts, or trying to calm others into a state of peace... not to mention her comical body flailing of Relax, Relate, Release! lol Too funny, but it is often what I think of when I consider what needs to be done to release the old and embrace the new. I think as humans we have a hard time letting go, but especially women... old flames; seemingly secure, but dead-end jobs; keep-sakes of moments long gone; friendships which have waned. We search high and low for answers, with none truly to be found. I suppose that is just life sometimes... there aren't always answers to our life's greatest mysteries, only subtle clues. Scattered pieces of a puzzle that for some comes together in a lifetime and for others, they are forever disheveled.
The weight upon a heart when turning over and over circumstance to by chance be offered another view, another turn of events, can nearly snuff out its life. If we ponder deeply upon the 'coulda, woulda, shoulda' of life, we never open ourselves up to the opportunities to make new moments and take those risks which we may have shied away from the first round. They often say "life is not a dress rehearsal", but perhaps it really is just that... perhaps, it is a continuous play but with ever changing characters. Allowing opportunities to enter and enabling change and thus reinventing one's life. To explore all that we have ever dreamed by just letting go of what we thought once was impossible. Possibly life is a dress rehearsal in that we always have the opportunity to make it better, to improve our last performance, to tweak what we might not like in the present.
Once we empower ourselves to change the way we view our lives, stop limiting our possibilities by the extent of reality and expanding it by our dreams, possibly this is when we can truly let go of what has grown old and gray, worn and withered. Whether that is a job, a lover, a friendship, or anything that seems to keep us from tweaking our life to what we always thought it should or could be. It's not an over-night concept, it's not even within a year venture... it is a process of ratification and an outlook that we deserve all we can dream and nothing short of that.
Simply Relax (ing) our mind and beginning to dream again.... Relate (ing) to our world and how we visualize our part in it... Release (ing) what we thought we knew of our life, our future and embracing a world of opportunity. No matter where we 'exist' now in the present, we can transcend any reality we thought we knew by simply letting go of that predisposition and embracing the possibility of whatever we can dream. We have but one life, and only time upon this earth, how sad that we should squander it away by frivolously holding onto what makes us weak in spirit and will and never striving for more than we 'think' we deserve.
After all, it's only a dress rehearsal... we can always change at anytime what ends up in the final show.
"Where there is a will, there is a way. If there is a chance in a million that you can do something, anything, to keep what you want from ending, do it. Pry the door open or, if need be, wedge your foot in that door and keep it open." ~Pauline Kael
The weight upon a heart when turning over and over circumstance to by chance be offered another view, another turn of events, can nearly snuff out its life. If we ponder deeply upon the 'coulda, woulda, shoulda' of life, we never open ourselves up to the opportunities to make new moments and take those risks which we may have shied away from the first round. They often say "life is not a dress rehearsal", but perhaps it really is just that... perhaps, it is a continuous play but with ever changing characters. Allowing opportunities to enter and enabling change and thus reinventing one's life. To explore all that we have ever dreamed by just letting go of what we thought once was impossible. Possibly life is a dress rehearsal in that we always have the opportunity to make it better, to improve our last performance, to tweak what we might not like in the present.
Once we empower ourselves to change the way we view our lives, stop limiting our possibilities by the extent of reality and expanding it by our dreams, possibly this is when we can truly let go of what has grown old and gray, worn and withered. Whether that is a job, a lover, a friendship, or anything that seems to keep us from tweaking our life to what we always thought it should or could be. It's not an over-night concept, it's not even within a year venture... it is a process of ratification and an outlook that we deserve all we can dream and nothing short of that.
Simply Relax (ing) our mind and beginning to dream again.... Relate (ing) to our world and how we visualize our part in it... Release (ing) what we thought we knew of our life, our future and embracing a world of opportunity. No matter where we 'exist' now in the present, we can transcend any reality we thought we knew by simply letting go of that predisposition and embracing the possibility of whatever we can dream. We have but one life, and only time upon this earth, how sad that we should squander it away by frivolously holding onto what makes us weak in spirit and will and never striving for more than we 'think' we deserve.
After all, it's only a dress rehearsal... we can always change at anytime what ends up in the final show.
"Where there is a will, there is a way. If there is a chance in a million that you can do something, anything, to keep what you want from ending, do it. Pry the door open or, if need be, wedge your foot in that door and keep it open." ~Pauline Kael
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Changes...
How life can grip your soul and put you into a tailspin... just when you think you have it all figured out, it changes. New faces appear, as old ones fade away... people you thought you couldn't live without become less integral, and those who make their presence known, you see you could really need. Opportunities won, become moments lost and thus, decisions loom on the horizon. The not knowing is enough to drive even the sane mad, and back again.
Life comes in these crazy stages of change, pushing us out of our comfort zones, making us face our fears and come to see realizations. Things thought to be trite, or never to be possible, all come to pass. Standing in these moments we see the purity of our souls and of those who surround us.... knowing our own weaknesses and seeing theirs in subtle light. Embracing the fragile spirit of humanity, never knowing where one path may take you, and the fear of making the leap.... to step off into the darkness with only our faith to pull us through. Only our inner strength to make us mobile... to propel us forward into the unknown.
In so many ways, and so many times making this leap leads to growth, but it isn't always easy. Never really left alone to figure it all out, a greater source of comfort always present. An understood, but never fully grasped presence which brings ease to the new.... allows the soul to embrace come what may... knowing if you are brought to it, you'll be brought through it. How often do we shirk off the bigger picture of life... the "coincidences" life hands us? Perhaps, nothing is left to chance and yet life is more planned than we care to give pause to, as the thought may actually rock our very core.
For every moment- every heartache and joy; every person who touches our life, gives us just one more piece of our own picture called life. Just perhaps, all the changes that we try to run from or deter, are exactly what we need... their timely occurrence given to us at the appropriate time to make us grow, and again, to push us beyond our comfort zone.... thus, bringing blessings not yet attained. For residing in that comfort zone too long only makes us stagnate and more fearful to move forward with each passing day, turning into years. Life is perceived by our experiences and as perception is our own personal reality, being true or not, we allow it to shape us and mold us into our next moments in time.
Heartbreak can leave us scared, bitter, and unsure of the true intentions of another.... even if it comes with the purity of love. To lose trust in our fellow travelers of life can put us in a place to only view those who cross our paths in gray, versus the vibrant colors of the rainbow which God intended for us all to embrace our fellow man/woman. We become hardened and scared, for the pain at times has been greater than the perceived reward. Yet again, our perception is not always true reality, it is just ours... at the time, in the moment of unknowing what to do, or what will come to pass.
I recently heard a sermon while visiting an friend's church and a key statement that struck me to the core was 'how often do we stand in God's way?' Do we push our own agenda thinking that one path is too scary to pursue, when it has been placed in our life for a reason? Options are given to us for free-will, yet changes forced are when we are not heeding a Higher purpose for our lives. I have had it happen many times... when I wasn't listening to the whisper, shouting came in and change was forced upon me with a new set of circumstances to choose from. I have found listening to that small whisper, like the intuition that a mother possess regarding her children, can allow boundless insights... if we choose to listen and if we are willing to step out in faith.
The hardest part is just letting go and letting God.... in whatever form that takes on, and no matter if you can't see the end or the purpose of the shift in your life, knowing there is a reason and holding on for the ride... that is true faith and what changes are all about. A test of wills and of strength and yet in the end, providing a glimpse of beauty we all possess deep within our souls, and just maybe attaining more than ever imagined possible.
Life comes in these crazy stages of change, pushing us out of our comfort zones, making us face our fears and come to see realizations. Things thought to be trite, or never to be possible, all come to pass. Standing in these moments we see the purity of our souls and of those who surround us.... knowing our own weaknesses and seeing theirs in subtle light. Embracing the fragile spirit of humanity, never knowing where one path may take you, and the fear of making the leap.... to step off into the darkness with only our faith to pull us through. Only our inner strength to make us mobile... to propel us forward into the unknown.
In so many ways, and so many times making this leap leads to growth, but it isn't always easy. Never really left alone to figure it all out, a greater source of comfort always present. An understood, but never fully grasped presence which brings ease to the new.... allows the soul to embrace come what may... knowing if you are brought to it, you'll be brought through it. How often do we shirk off the bigger picture of life... the "coincidences" life hands us? Perhaps, nothing is left to chance and yet life is more planned than we care to give pause to, as the thought may actually rock our very core.
For every moment- every heartache and joy; every person who touches our life, gives us just one more piece of our own picture called life. Just perhaps, all the changes that we try to run from or deter, are exactly what we need... their timely occurrence given to us at the appropriate time to make us grow, and again, to push us beyond our comfort zone.... thus, bringing blessings not yet attained. For residing in that comfort zone too long only makes us stagnate and more fearful to move forward with each passing day, turning into years. Life is perceived by our experiences and as perception is our own personal reality, being true or not, we allow it to shape us and mold us into our next moments in time.
Heartbreak can leave us scared, bitter, and unsure of the true intentions of another.... even if it comes with the purity of love. To lose trust in our fellow travelers of life can put us in a place to only view those who cross our paths in gray, versus the vibrant colors of the rainbow which God intended for us all to embrace our fellow man/woman. We become hardened and scared, for the pain at times has been greater than the perceived reward. Yet again, our perception is not always true reality, it is just ours... at the time, in the moment of unknowing what to do, or what will come to pass.
I recently heard a sermon while visiting an friend's church and a key statement that struck me to the core was 'how often do we stand in God's way?' Do we push our own agenda thinking that one path is too scary to pursue, when it has been placed in our life for a reason? Options are given to us for free-will, yet changes forced are when we are not heeding a Higher purpose for our lives. I have had it happen many times... when I wasn't listening to the whisper, shouting came in and change was forced upon me with a new set of circumstances to choose from. I have found listening to that small whisper, like the intuition that a mother possess regarding her children, can allow boundless insights... if we choose to listen and if we are willing to step out in faith.
The hardest part is just letting go and letting God.... in whatever form that takes on, and no matter if you can't see the end or the purpose of the shift in your life, knowing there is a reason and holding on for the ride... that is true faith and what changes are all about. A test of wills and of strength and yet in the end, providing a glimpse of beauty we all possess deep within our souls, and just maybe attaining more than ever imagined possible.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Soul Collective
The soul... a mysterious entity but present nonetheless. The state of depth with which it "lives" on inside of us is not a clear reality, as the abstract of a soul is daunting. Scientists have marveled its mysteries, poets have quipped of its expanse, lovers have sworn by it, religions have tried to save it. It is possessed by one, but can be captured by many.
The course of life allows you to become soul collective, if we are open to it. Taking in what swirls, dances and presents itself before us. The energy that radiates from within, and beams out and back again. One cannot control what a soul feels-- the depth of joy, the ache of pain. Many moments to possess during our journey, to collect and store away... deep into our soul... our life. Allowing those moments to seep deeply into our being... not losing our individuality, but collectively gaining from each. Soul collective... to live in the fullness and the beauty of what life presents to us on the daily, and to tuck away the vibrancy of those moments for a later viewing.
Welcome to Life in Process.
The course of life allows you to become soul collective, if we are open to it. Taking in what swirls, dances and presents itself before us. The energy that radiates from within, and beams out and back again. One cannot control what a soul feels-- the depth of joy, the ache of pain. Many moments to possess during our journey, to collect and store away... deep into our soul... our life. Allowing those moments to seep deeply into our being... not losing our individuality, but collectively gaining from each. Soul collective... to live in the fullness and the beauty of what life presents to us on the daily, and to tuck away the vibrancy of those moments for a later viewing.
Welcome to Life in Process.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The Sweetness of Life...
As the tide flows in, the ebb of change washes over
Slowly, methodically, with a rhythm that seems heaven sent
No exact answers, no clarity of time, just the vision set forth from the mind
It feels as if my heart is spent and my course is never finished
But I continue on to reach the dreams woven on a warm afternoon
I know that change is expensive, but bliss will follow soon
Whatever that may be, the endless possibilities set within this eternity
No shortcut, no detour, no easy-route
Change is the only momentum given to sort it all out
Pushing and pulling, tossed about within
One journey coming to an end
Yet another lies just ahead waiting for me to embrace the beginning
Uncertain destination, excitement oozes like honey from the hive
It is this change that invigorates the soul and makes one come alive
The sweetness of life
Yet, I stare at what I will leave behind, longing for answers
Swirling and twirling about in my mind, all the time and efforts of the daily
Sorting out the life lived to this point... the black and white
The gray in-between, the words unspoken, the moments unseen
The growth felt is like that of a mighty red oak
Straight and true, strong and tall
Hasten pace, adaptable, yet steadfast
The changes being worth more than the beginning pangs
Slowly, methodically, with a rhythm that seems heaven sent
No exact answers, no clarity of time, just the vision set forth from the mind
It feels as if my heart is spent and my course is never finished
But I continue on to reach the dreams woven on a warm afternoon
I know that change is expensive, but bliss will follow soon
Whatever that may be, the endless possibilities set within this eternity
No shortcut, no detour, no easy-route
Change is the only momentum given to sort it all out
Pushing and pulling, tossed about within
One journey coming to an end
Yet another lies just ahead waiting for me to embrace the beginning
Uncertain destination, excitement oozes like honey from the hive
It is this change that invigorates the soul and makes one come alive
The sweetness of life
Yet, I stare at what I will leave behind, longing for answers
Swirling and twirling about in my mind, all the time and efforts of the daily
Sorting out the life lived to this point... the black and white
The gray in-between, the words unspoken, the moments unseen
The growth felt is like that of a mighty red oak
Straight and true, strong and tall
Hasten pace, adaptable, yet steadfast
The changes being worth more than the beginning pangs
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Between the Lines...
My heart has been waning as of late... torn in many directions. Some of my own doing, others just being the events that take a toll on one's soul naturally in the process of life. No matter the years of my life experiences, I think one topic never to be completely understood or deciphered is the heart and human nature, in relation to it.
I have to wonder what makes us shirk away in fear when confronted with the purest form of acceptance and willingness to love? Do we allow the perceptions of what we desire to cloud our truest needs? Reflecting upon disasters of the heart that make us who we are today, but certainly not what will appear in the mirror tomorrow. Change is growth and every part of one's being is encompassed in this momentum on the daily. Why do we try to impede the process of change... of the inevitable growth of the soul... the very core of being? The desire for more- love, life, laughter, money, success, etc etc etc. Why not open our arms and welcome what could come to pass? Yet, it seems our arms are so stiff in the motion of just one more time. As you age and your 'battle scars' appear, it seems that motion gets a bit more wearisome, but deep within the desire for 'more' burns bright and so slowly... we open up ourselves, our heart, our life to what might be. Never knowing if it is or isn't the "right" choice to make, but stepping out in faith that if you don't...
you might never know.
Unfortunately this process is never one-sided and you can never deem how the human spirit will receive the process of another. Some may be on the same path as you and embrace willingly and fully and then others may desire to have the same, but are just unable to do so. Maybe their journey does not include you, or maybe you were just there for a brief moment to show them what could lie ahead in their course, IF they are willing to step out at a later time. The cycle of life is not broken until it is time and within this continuum, we continue to grow, experience what it is to truly live and love, and thus, feel the depths of loss, heartache, joy and success.
That is just life though... sometimes you soar and others you just have to hold onto the ride.
Oh, Sarah.. how you said it all between the lines.
I have to wonder what makes us shirk away in fear when confronted with the purest form of acceptance and willingness to love? Do we allow the perceptions of what we desire to cloud our truest needs? Reflecting upon disasters of the heart that make us who we are today, but certainly not what will appear in the mirror tomorrow. Change is growth and every part of one's being is encompassed in this momentum on the daily. Why do we try to impede the process of change... of the inevitable growth of the soul... the very core of being? The desire for more- love, life, laughter, money, success, etc etc etc. Why not open our arms and welcome what could come to pass? Yet, it seems our arms are so stiff in the motion of just one more time. As you age and your 'battle scars' appear, it seems that motion gets a bit more wearisome, but deep within the desire for 'more' burns bright and so slowly... we open up ourselves, our heart, our life to what might be. Never knowing if it is or isn't the "right" choice to make, but stepping out in faith that if you don't...
you might never know.
Unfortunately this process is never one-sided and you can never deem how the human spirit will receive the process of another. Some may be on the same path as you and embrace willingly and fully and then others may desire to have the same, but are just unable to do so. Maybe their journey does not include you, or maybe you were just there for a brief moment to show them what could lie ahead in their course, IF they are willing to step out at a later time. The cycle of life is not broken until it is time and within this continuum, we continue to grow, experience what it is to truly live and love, and thus, feel the depths of loss, heartache, joy and success.
That is just life though... sometimes you soar and others you just have to hold onto the ride.
Oh, Sarah.. how you said it all between the lines.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
I Want to Know...
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
And if you dare to dream of meeting
Your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
For love, for your dreams,
For the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,
If you have been opened by life's betrayals,
Or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain,
Mine or your own,
Without moving
To hide it or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy,
Mine or your own,
If you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
Without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic,
or to remember the limitations of being human.
I want to know if you can see beauty
Even when it is not pretty every day,
And if you can source your life
From God's presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure,
Yours and mine,
And still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"
It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair,
Weary and bruised to the bone, And do what needs to be done for the children.
It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
In the center of the fire with me
And not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
From the inside
When all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone
With yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep
In the empty moments.
~Oriah Mountain Dreamer, "The Invitation"
I want to know what you ache for,
And if you dare to dream of meeting
Your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
For love, for your dreams,
For the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,
If you have been opened by life's betrayals,
Or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain,
Mine or your own,
Without moving
To hide it or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy,
Mine or your own,
If you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
Without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic,
or to remember the limitations of being human.
I want to know if you can see beauty
Even when it is not pretty every day,
And if you can source your life
From God's presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure,
Yours and mine,
And still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"
It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair,
Weary and bruised to the bone, And do what needs to be done for the children.
It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
In the center of the fire with me
And not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
From the inside
When all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone
With yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep
In the empty moments.
~Oriah Mountain Dreamer, "The Invitation"
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Releasing and Embracing...
I received news last night that an acquaintance, who was only 42, died in her sleep two days ago. It was shocking to say the least.... someone at this age, just passing away with no warning. The fact that she was just 12 years older than me is unnerving.
There is something about death that cripples our human spirit... the finality, the loss of opportunities, the sheer gravity of how short one’s time upon the earth can truly be and yet, in the strangest ways, it can renew the spirit at the same time. I suppose it is a bit different for everyone, but death, especially when it comes close to you, certainly makes you reflect. I don’t fear death, as I feel when it comes, for one thing, there is nothing I can do to change the fact and also, I feel I will be in a better place. Maybe that is a morbid way to think of it, IDK, but it comforts me. Albeit, I would still have to say the not knowing when, is still intimidating to me.
At 20, I had no qualms with life or where I was heading... plenty of time to figure all that out. I still embraced life, but I wrestled less with the mysteries of it all than I do now. At 30, at least for me, the big picture comes into play.. having a keen awareness of time and my obligation to the gift I have been given. Squandering it away no longer is no longer desired, nor a viable option. There are things which you ’plan’ in life- some come to pass and some are still just out of reach. Yet, I long to understand more, feel more, and live more.
I guess that is where releasing what one cannot control comes into play. It seems to me, when things really start to fall into place for me is when I allow life to just happen- I step back and stop planning. I know that probably evokes horror in some people, as I think we are taught from an early age to plan our lives, and to a certain extent I would agree. However, when the mysteries of life pop up- those occurrences which cannot be explained away easily, or blessings bestowed upon us that alter our course a bit, I think the plan kind of goes out the window. When you are in the thick of it, maybe it is to our benefit to just use the knowledge of past experiences and to allow whatever will be, to be. Who knows, maybe by always sticking to the plan or what we think we want, we miss out on the opportunity to experience what could alter our lives for the better, in ways we could only imagine.
We have options everyday to experience the fullness of life or to settle for mediocrity in our journey and maybe there is just only so much you can plan, or should plan for that matter; yet sometimes waiting through it all can be a true test of wills. It seems to me, when we fully release ourselves of the need to have a to-do list and just do, life opens up to us more, and thus by releasing, we enable ourselves to receive the gift of embracing life.
There is something about death that cripples our human spirit... the finality, the loss of opportunities, the sheer gravity of how short one’s time upon the earth can truly be and yet, in the strangest ways, it can renew the spirit at the same time. I suppose it is a bit different for everyone, but death, especially when it comes close to you, certainly makes you reflect. I don’t fear death, as I feel when it comes, for one thing, there is nothing I can do to change the fact and also, I feel I will be in a better place. Maybe that is a morbid way to think of it, IDK, but it comforts me. Albeit, I would still have to say the not knowing when, is still intimidating to me.
At 20, I had no qualms with life or where I was heading... plenty of time to figure all that out. I still embraced life, but I wrestled less with the mysteries of it all than I do now. At 30, at least for me, the big picture comes into play.. having a keen awareness of time and my obligation to the gift I have been given. Squandering it away no longer is no longer desired, nor a viable option. There are things which you ’plan’ in life- some come to pass and some are still just out of reach. Yet, I long to understand more, feel more, and live more.
I guess that is where releasing what one cannot control comes into play. It seems to me, when things really start to fall into place for me is when I allow life to just happen- I step back and stop planning. I know that probably evokes horror in some people, as I think we are taught from an early age to plan our lives, and to a certain extent I would agree. However, when the mysteries of life pop up- those occurrences which cannot be explained away easily, or blessings bestowed upon us that alter our course a bit, I think the plan kind of goes out the window. When you are in the thick of it, maybe it is to our benefit to just use the knowledge of past experiences and to allow whatever will be, to be. Who knows, maybe by always sticking to the plan or what we think we want, we miss out on the opportunity to experience what could alter our lives for the better, in ways we could only imagine.
We have options everyday to experience the fullness of life or to settle for mediocrity in our journey and maybe there is just only so much you can plan, or should plan for that matter; yet sometimes waiting through it all can be a true test of wills. It seems to me, when we fully release ourselves of the need to have a to-do list and just do, life opens up to us more, and thus by releasing, we enable ourselves to receive the gift of embracing life.
Monday, March 31, 2008
The Mind & The Little Voice...
That which speaks to you, bubbling up from deep within, offering foresight and alternatives to what you perceive to be right. My g/f and I were discussing the other day the little thing which has been coined a 'woman's intuition' and how often we dismiss what the eyes cannot see, but the mind certainly ascertains. Do we really tap into the power of the subconscious mind, which seems to sense people and situations, sight unseen? Have you ever had a feeling come over you about a person, place, or situation which you pass off as... well, nothing really and proceed, only to look back and say, "man! I had a feeling about that! I should have .... (fill in the blank)" I know I can recall a few instances. It's one of those, 'd'oh!' moments! LOL There is something that we wrestle with it seems, where we have this indescribable need to have concrete data before making decisions. Yet, what part of life is ever really concrete, you know? I think too often we dismiss the, "I can't quite put my finger on it, but...." and we go forward to save face, and/or hold onto our pride/stubbornness, etc. Only later, we typically see what our inner voice was trying to tell us and sometimes with ill consequences.
The mind is an intriguing thing. There are myths which say we only use 10% of it, which is untrue, as we have over 90 billion neurons that are in use at one time or another during our daily processes of life. But even with this knowledge, scientists are still baffled by many realms of the human mind. Therefore, there is no telling what it's truly capable of , if it was 'utilized' properly. I say it in this manner, because you must look at the developmental years when gauging the brain's potential. When babies are born, up until the time they reach the age of about 3 years old, they are building what are called synapses. This chain of the nervous system is where your child either 'uses it or loses it' and sets the foundation for the rest of their life. That is why it is so important for parents to work with their children during this period of synaptic development. It is where a child can blossom, or to be quite frank, lose their ability to become a boy/girl wonder. Granted, there is some synapses growth during later years, but not to the extent which is seen in this time period.
Synapses are important because they are the pathways which the brain uses to associate learned responses and to store these to memory. For an example, to illustrate their significance, if visual information was to be completely eliminated, the brain would whittle away this network of nerves (the synapses) and the child would be blind. A child's brain must receive stimulus of all types- auditory, visual, tactile, etc for normal developmental growth to occur and the brain to reach its maximum potential. Now, don't get me wrong, this is not to say genetics don't come into play, they do. Depending on each parent's intelligence level, the child is certainly at an advantage, but studies show that this particular time period is crucial. There are amazing studies where parents began with babies in the womb, exposing them to various musical pieces (typically that of classical, since it is more complex) and continued their educational development through the age of 3. The children within these studies were actually playing, not tinkering, but playing musical instruments at the age of 4, with the proficiency of someone who had been playing for years!
So considering this information about the development of the brain and the potential in case studies, maybe what we call our inner voice is more than just a catch phrase and the concept of intuition actually holds more weight than we give credit. Fact of the matter is, the mind is still very much a mystery to scientists and psychologists alike and the possibility our mind is able to 'feel' or perceive what our other senses do not, is a very real and viable theory. So the next time a 'feeling' washes over, perhaps taking a moment and giving pause to something at work bigger than ourselves might work to our benefit... saving a life, preventing trouble, or who knows... maybe even avoiding that traffic ticket?? lol I joke.. I joke... (kind of). *wink*
The mind is an intriguing thing. There are myths which say we only use 10% of it, which is untrue, as we have over 90 billion neurons that are in use at one time or another during our daily processes of life. But even with this knowledge, scientists are still baffled by many realms of the human mind. Therefore, there is no telling what it's truly capable of , if it was 'utilized' properly. I say it in this manner, because you must look at the developmental years when gauging the brain's potential. When babies are born, up until the time they reach the age of about 3 years old, they are building what are called synapses. This chain of the nervous system is where your child either 'uses it or loses it' and sets the foundation for the rest of their life. That is why it is so important for parents to work with their children during this period of synaptic development. It is where a child can blossom, or to be quite frank, lose their ability to become a boy/girl wonder. Granted, there is some synapses growth during later years, but not to the extent which is seen in this time period.
Synapses are important because they are the pathways which the brain uses to associate learned responses and to store these to memory. For an example, to illustrate their significance, if visual information was to be completely eliminated, the brain would whittle away this network of nerves (the synapses) and the child would be blind. A child's brain must receive stimulus of all types- auditory, visual, tactile, etc for normal developmental growth to occur and the brain to reach its maximum potential. Now, don't get me wrong, this is not to say genetics don't come into play, they do. Depending on each parent's intelligence level, the child is certainly at an advantage, but studies show that this particular time period is crucial. There are amazing studies where parents began with babies in the womb, exposing them to various musical pieces (typically that of classical, since it is more complex) and continued their educational development through the age of 3. The children within these studies were actually playing, not tinkering, but playing musical instruments at the age of 4, with the proficiency of someone who had been playing for years!
So considering this information about the development of the brain and the potential in case studies, maybe what we call our inner voice is more than just a catch phrase and the concept of intuition actually holds more weight than we give credit. Fact of the matter is, the mind is still very much a mystery to scientists and psychologists alike and the possibility our mind is able to 'feel' or perceive what our other senses do not, is a very real and viable theory. So the next time a 'feeling' washes over, perhaps taking a moment and giving pause to something at work bigger than ourselves might work to our benefit... saving a life, preventing trouble, or who knows... maybe even avoiding that traffic ticket?? lol I joke.. I joke... (kind of). *wink*
Friday, March 28, 2008
A Journey of Questions...
Allow me to preface this flow of thoughts to screen by clearly stating, I intend no offense or desire to entertain a heated debate regarding religion, however, discussion and reflection are welcomed if you so choose. I'll be the first to admit, I don't have the answers to any of life's mysteries nor am I a Biblical scholar, obviously *wink*, I am just like a lot of people I suppose... I know how I feel about my faith, I know what I do not believe and have a pretty solid grasp of what I do. Yet, it is difficult to be in a world such as ours- the horrors, the marvels, our advancements and our degradation and not stare up into the heavens and contemplate what do we really know for certain? We speculate upon historical accounts, we write what we deem to be insights, we share our near death experiences and deliberate on the possibility of life after death aka heaven... who is to say that anyone has it right? I ponder, do all paths really propel us along the same journey? Faith and spirituality is very personal, very deep and though we worship together in our like 'faiths', albeit, it is still very private. Inquiring of some one's perception of their God could either bring you a plethora of information, thoughts, and feelings or be met with guarded words and a polite brush off.
My thoughts have trailed along a very specific course for the past few years and my study of history books, encyclopedias, the Bible, etc.- was to quench my thirst for knowledge. I wanted to know where did all these religions come from.... is there a correct religion... a correct path that we should follow? I believe most would agree our differences and personal reflections have brought forth various concepts of God and thus, these independent thinkers had followers, blossoming what we know today as our religious atmosphere. Digging deeper though, beyond the obvious of the situation, which one is correct? I am sure we all would agree that man is imperfect, yet how do we take heart in what someone tells you is right or their profound truth? Is that not following man then in some sense and not God? Do all paths lead to the same God and do those journeys all lead to salvation? Again, I would suppose theories which would develop could vary based upon what religion you were discussing.
When I began my journey, with a focus towards Christianity, it truly amazed me when I read about the 20 some odd major religions we have worldwide. I thought it would be a much greater number, yet it's within those 20 different types of religion, where you gain the bulk of our denominations and sects we see today. So with only 20 major religions worldwide I considered how would these have spread, as the human race did not always inhabit the entire earth. Just like today, they had formal writing and typically scribes to pass on the knowledge, but considering what great distances there really were between people, does it not make more sense that most faith based information was passed down within the family unit? As in the past then, how much of our spirituality is simply an inherited component of our lives today? Are our choices made simply out of habit from our familial unit? Meaning, do we simply accept what is passed from one generation to the next, giving no real pause as to why we believe what we do? In my opinion, and speaking solely towards Christianity, how can one be affirmed by what is deemed to be truth if the Bible has been altered to fit the objectives of certain political and religious forces during the 1500s and additionally, the translations and errors from being translated many times from various languages? That is not to say I do not believe in the Bible, on the contrary, I do, but I think there are too many who speculate on things that are not fully known.... trinity, heaven, Armageddon, etc. and then pass it off to the masses as gospel. For who is to say what was left out from the Masoretic text to the Septuagint when the translations occurred which might actually shed light on any of these various topics. Additionally, some Bibles hold the additional passages from the Dead Sea scrolls and others do not.... religious 'leaders' made that determination for us all, yet if you believe the Bible to be inspired by God, were those books not important? I would think they are.
Like I said, I don't have all the answers, but I do know, you can open up any newspaper on any given day and see that our world is in utter turmoil and that man has begun a journey where, to be quite blunt, there is no return. Today, it seems the world as quickly as we are connecting it together, we are dividing it at a far more rapid pace. We discuss the breakdown of the family structure, our ethics and moral code being a catalyst to all of the social problems that exist, yet how often do we take note of what exactly are the ethics and morals we have lost causing the family structure to breakdown? Is it just flowery prose we use in society as an elixir to calm our fears and disappointment of what we see occurring around us everyday? You don't have to be spiritual to see it everywhere... loss of resources, people in fear for their safety, greed, love of one's fellow man waxing cold and religion becoming the hot button topic. Yes, history does repeat itself, and kingdoms and nations have always been at war over religion, so what is different now? Why should we take any particular note of today's circumstances? If you put aside concerns of missing text from our Bibles, and whether or not you believe the Bible to be truly inspired by God, there is one thing which is very clear and is difficult to explain away, in my humble opinion. There are prophecies about what we are seeing now, in our day, in our generation within the Bible and Jesus called these the signs of the last days (Matthew 24). I may not know anything else for certain, but I do believe this, we are living in a time of what others before us only read about and could imagine.
My thoughts have trailed along a very specific course for the past few years and my study of history books, encyclopedias, the Bible, etc.- was to quench my thirst for knowledge. I wanted to know where did all these religions come from.... is there a correct religion... a correct path that we should follow? I believe most would agree our differences and personal reflections have brought forth various concepts of God and thus, these independent thinkers had followers, blossoming what we know today as our religious atmosphere. Digging deeper though, beyond the obvious of the situation, which one is correct? I am sure we all would agree that man is imperfect, yet how do we take heart in what someone tells you is right or their profound truth? Is that not following man then in some sense and not God? Do all paths lead to the same God and do those journeys all lead to salvation? Again, I would suppose theories which would develop could vary based upon what religion you were discussing.
When I began my journey, with a focus towards Christianity, it truly amazed me when I read about the 20 some odd major religions we have worldwide. I thought it would be a much greater number, yet it's within those 20 different types of religion, where you gain the bulk of our denominations and sects we see today. So with only 20 major religions worldwide I considered how would these have spread, as the human race did not always inhabit the entire earth. Just like today, they had formal writing and typically scribes to pass on the knowledge, but considering what great distances there really were between people, does it not make more sense that most faith based information was passed down within the family unit? As in the past then, how much of our spirituality is simply an inherited component of our lives today? Are our choices made simply out of habit from our familial unit? Meaning, do we simply accept what is passed from one generation to the next, giving no real pause as to why we believe what we do? In my opinion, and speaking solely towards Christianity, how can one be affirmed by what is deemed to be truth if the Bible has been altered to fit the objectives of certain political and religious forces during the 1500s and additionally, the translations and errors from being translated many times from various languages? That is not to say I do not believe in the Bible, on the contrary, I do, but I think there are too many who speculate on things that are not fully known.... trinity, heaven, Armageddon, etc. and then pass it off to the masses as gospel. For who is to say what was left out from the Masoretic text to the Septuagint when the translations occurred which might actually shed light on any of these various topics. Additionally, some Bibles hold the additional passages from the Dead Sea scrolls and others do not.... religious 'leaders' made that determination for us all, yet if you believe the Bible to be inspired by God, were those books not important? I would think they are.
Like I said, I don't have all the answers, but I do know, you can open up any newspaper on any given day and see that our world is in utter turmoil and that man has begun a journey where, to be quite blunt, there is no return. Today, it seems the world as quickly as we are connecting it together, we are dividing it at a far more rapid pace. We discuss the breakdown of the family structure, our ethics and moral code being a catalyst to all of the social problems that exist, yet how often do we take note of what exactly are the ethics and morals we have lost causing the family structure to breakdown? Is it just flowery prose we use in society as an elixir to calm our fears and disappointment of what we see occurring around us everyday? You don't have to be spiritual to see it everywhere... loss of resources, people in fear for their safety, greed, love of one's fellow man waxing cold and religion becoming the hot button topic. Yes, history does repeat itself, and kingdoms and nations have always been at war over religion, so what is different now? Why should we take any particular note of today's circumstances? If you put aside concerns of missing text from our Bibles, and whether or not you believe the Bible to be truly inspired by God, there is one thing which is very clear and is difficult to explain away, in my humble opinion. There are prophecies about what we are seeing now, in our day, in our generation within the Bible and Jesus called these the signs of the last days (Matthew 24). I may not know anything else for certain, but I do believe this, we are living in a time of what others before us only read about and could imagine.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
I Believe ...
...Life offers up moments where you must make crucial choices and they will forever change you.
...That a child's laughter is the closest thing to an angel's song.
...Everyone who crosses our path in life is there for a reason, a season or a lifetime and it's up to us to figure out which one.
...You can love many times and in many different ways in a lifetime, however, true love is very rare indeed, as not many people understand it.
...We are born with limitless possibilities for our lives, it is only by the restrictions which we place upon ourselves that limits begin to materialize.
...Faith is powerful and prayer to be 'magical'.
...We are more powerful than we give credit, speak what you want to work in your life- positive energy will find positive energy.
...There is one key ingredient to living a happy life- without fear - everything else is a variable.
..."Faith without works is dead", applies to more than just your spiritual walk.
...There is beauty and reason to be found in every life present among us, appreciation for this fact brings us closer to God.
...Success is achieved by those that have passion, motivation and determination.
...Accepting people at face value eliminates disappointment.
...Staring too long at a closed door will cause you to miss the other door already opened to you.
...Life is a continuous journey, make sure you have your running shoes.
...Being bored with life is self-deprecating humor.
...You can start a bad day over at any moment by merely pushing the restart button on your attitude.
...God continuously gives us 'courses' in life, it's just up to us how many times we flunk the class.
...Darkness always comes to light.
...Judging others will only bring judgement upon yourself in the end.
...You cannot call yourself a loving individual if you put restrictions on who you love.
...The way we treat those who cannot defend themselves, reflects what we truly are about.
...Forgiving others does not relinquish the wrong doing, it just allows you to move on.
...In the concept of truly paying it forward- without hope of reward.
...Money can enable happiness, but it will never ensure it.
...No matter how bad you want a yes or no answer, some of life's dilemmas will never offer that option.
...If you are continuously asking the same question, you already know the answer- face it and move on.
...If the same storyline keeps appearing in your life, just different characters, it's time to address the writer of the story.
...God is never our Enemy- he is incapable by definition.
...True strength and endurance comes from training sessions in life.
..What you feed your mind, your spirit becomes.
...While we at times may face circumstances, we always have choices.
...That a child's laughter is the closest thing to an angel's song.
...Everyone who crosses our path in life is there for a reason, a season or a lifetime and it's up to us to figure out which one.
...You can love many times and in many different ways in a lifetime, however, true love is very rare indeed, as not many people understand it.
...We are born with limitless possibilities for our lives, it is only by the restrictions which we place upon ourselves that limits begin to materialize.
...Faith is powerful and prayer to be 'magical'.
...We are more powerful than we give credit, speak what you want to work in your life- positive energy will find positive energy.
...There is one key ingredient to living a happy life- without fear - everything else is a variable.
..."Faith without works is dead", applies to more than just your spiritual walk.
...There is beauty and reason to be found in every life present among us, appreciation for this fact brings us closer to God.
...Success is achieved by those that have passion, motivation and determination.
...Accepting people at face value eliminates disappointment.
...Staring too long at a closed door will cause you to miss the other door already opened to you.
...Life is a continuous journey, make sure you have your running shoes.
...Being bored with life is self-deprecating humor.
...You can start a bad day over at any moment by merely pushing the restart button on your attitude.
...God continuously gives us 'courses' in life, it's just up to us how many times we flunk the class.
...Darkness always comes to light.
...Judging others will only bring judgement upon yourself in the end.
...You cannot call yourself a loving individual if you put restrictions on who you love.
...The way we treat those who cannot defend themselves, reflects what we truly are about.
...Forgiving others does not relinquish the wrong doing, it just allows you to move on.
...In the concept of truly paying it forward- without hope of reward.
...Money can enable happiness, but it will never ensure it.
...No matter how bad you want a yes or no answer, some of life's dilemmas will never offer that option.
...If you are continuously asking the same question, you already know the answer- face it and move on.
...If the same storyline keeps appearing in your life, just different characters, it's time to address the writer of the story.
...God is never our Enemy- he is incapable by definition.
...True strength and endurance comes from training sessions in life.
..What you feed your mind, your spirit becomes.
...While we at times may face circumstances, we always have choices.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Moments...
Moments fleeting at lightening speed, in every direction, at all times. Where you were yesterday, is not where you are today - who you were yesterday, is not who you are today. Every moment defines us, molds us and thus, makes us who we are and who we will become. Life is change. Whether you 'choose' to change or not, life will still change you for the good or bad, but this we can choose. Sometimes the changes are in small and what seems inconsequential moments, and yet, sometimes it's in the monumental moments by which we will never be the same. It truly is up to us though what we do with these moments, before their timely or untimely departures.
My moments have been a series of ups and downs, as those who know me well would acknowledge. At one point, I lost everything I thought I held dear to me; it was my darkest hour. And while I sat in those moments, lost and alone, weary and without a plan, I had a realization.... no, more like a revelation. I say this to you with all sincerity... it was within those moments of despair that I honestly let go- of my anguish about my material possessions lost, the love of my life (or so I thought within that moment) letting our marriage go due to his addiction to drugs, my so-called friends, which were no where to be found; of all of it. It just didn't quite matter as much anymore. I had to face my situation and come to terms with it- alone. Yes, I cried... profusely! lol Yes, there were nights I didn't sleep playing over and over what could of, should of, would I have done, but there was nothing left to do than to let go and pray to God for anything but where I was at. And it was within this 'moment' when I did let go, things started to change... I, began to change. Not anything miraculous, but slowly and steadily.
There is a sense of peace that washes over you when you forgive and come to terms with your trials and your journey. You gain strength and along that road, you gain courage and with courage, you gain confidence that you can tackle anything that comes your way. You gain an appreciation for the simple things in life, the realization that everything you have in abundance can be gone in a blink of an eye. You have a deeper understanding of who you truly are and don't really care about other people's thoughts of you... you become stronger for it all. I suppose you could become bitter as well, but this was not my case. It strengthened me, and made me look to God as my sole source of comfort and hope. I began to understand just how precious life truly was and my decisions, some of which had lead me to the moments of despair, will always build upon each other- good or bad, but ultimately, I am in control of which ones. I have a lot to be thankful for, and while I would probably take a different route so as to avoid the heartache, I wouldn't change the end result as it has made me who I am today. A more forgiving, humble, compassionate, and deeper person... whereas 4 years ago, I was lacking.
This weekend as we all take time to be with our families and contemplate the truly ultimate gift given to us all, my hope is that you will come to peace with your own trials, your current journey in life and forgive others in your life, as you are forgiven from above. Remember, life IS a series of moments, but within ONE moment it can all be over.
Peace and blessings to you all!
Have a wonderful weekend...
~Shalen
My moments have been a series of ups and downs, as those who know me well would acknowledge. At one point, I lost everything I thought I held dear to me; it was my darkest hour. And while I sat in those moments, lost and alone, weary and without a plan, I had a realization.... no, more like a revelation. I say this to you with all sincerity... it was within those moments of despair that I honestly let go- of my anguish about my material possessions lost, the love of my life (or so I thought within that moment) letting our marriage go due to his addiction to drugs, my so-called friends, which were no where to be found; of all of it. It just didn't quite matter as much anymore. I had to face my situation and come to terms with it- alone. Yes, I cried... profusely! lol Yes, there were nights I didn't sleep playing over and over what could of, should of, would I have done, but there was nothing left to do than to let go and pray to God for anything but where I was at. And it was within this 'moment' when I did let go, things started to change... I, began to change. Not anything miraculous, but slowly and steadily.
There is a sense of peace that washes over you when you forgive and come to terms with your trials and your journey. You gain strength and along that road, you gain courage and with courage, you gain confidence that you can tackle anything that comes your way. You gain an appreciation for the simple things in life, the realization that everything you have in abundance can be gone in a blink of an eye. You have a deeper understanding of who you truly are and don't really care about other people's thoughts of you... you become stronger for it all. I suppose you could become bitter as well, but this was not my case. It strengthened me, and made me look to God as my sole source of comfort and hope. I began to understand just how precious life truly was and my decisions, some of which had lead me to the moments of despair, will always build upon each other- good or bad, but ultimately, I am in control of which ones. I have a lot to be thankful for, and while I would probably take a different route so as to avoid the heartache, I wouldn't change the end result as it has made me who I am today. A more forgiving, humble, compassionate, and deeper person... whereas 4 years ago, I was lacking.
This weekend as we all take time to be with our families and contemplate the truly ultimate gift given to us all, my hope is that you will come to peace with your own trials, your current journey in life and forgive others in your life, as you are forgiven from above. Remember, life IS a series of moments, but within ONE moment it can all be over.
Peace and blessings to you all!
Have a wonderful weekend...
~Shalen
Monday, March 10, 2008
The Sandpiper
by Robert Peterson
She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I live. I drive to this beach, a distance of three or four miles, whenever the world begins to close in on me. She was building a sand castle or something and looked up, her eyes as blue as the sea.
"Hello," she said.
I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child.
"I'm building," she said.
"I see that. What is it?" I asked, not really caring.
"Oh, I don't know, I just like the feel of sand."
That sounds good, I thought, and slipped off my shoes.
A sandpiper glided by.
"That's a joy," the child said.
"It's a what?"
"It's a joy. My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy."
The bird went gliding down the beach. Good-bye joy, I muttered to myself, hello pain, and turned to walk on. I was depressed, my life seemed completely out of balance.
"What's your name?" She wouldn't give up.
"Robert," I answered. "I'm Robert Peterson."
"Mine's Wendy... I'm six."
"Hi, Wendy."
She giggled. "You're funny," she said.
In spite of my gloom, I laughed too and walked on. Her musical giggle followed me.
"Come again, Mr. P," she called. "We'll have another happy day."
The next few days consisted of a group of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, and an ailing mother. The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwater. I need a sandpiper, I said to myself, gathering up my coat. The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me. The breeze was chilly but I strode along, trying to recapture the serenity I needed.
"Hello, Mr. P," she said. "Do you want to play?"
"What did you have in mind?" I asked, with a twinge of annoyance.
"I don't know. You say."
"How about charades?" I asked sarcastically.
The tinkling laughter burst forth again. "I don't know what that is."
"Then let's just walk."
Looking at her, I noticed the delicate fairness of her face. "Where do you live?" I asked.
"Over there." She pointed toward a row of summer cottages.
Strange, I thought, in winter.
"Where do you go to school?"
"I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on vacation."
She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind was on other things. When I left for home, Wendy said it had been a happy day. Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed.
Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic. I was in no mood to even greet Wendy. I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.
"Look, if you don't mind," I said crossly when Wendy caught up with me, "I'd rather be alone today." She seemed unusually pale and out of breath.
"Why?" she asked.
I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" and thought, My God, why was I saying this to a little child?
"Oh," she said quietly, "then this is a bad day."
"Yes," I said, "and yesterday and the day before and -- oh, go away!"
"Did it hurt?" she inquired.
"Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself.
"When she died?"
"Of course it hurt!" I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself. I strode off.
A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she wasn't there. Feeling guilty, ashamed, and admitting to myself I missed her, I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door. A drawn looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door.
"Hello," I said, "I'm Robert Peterson. I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was."
"Oh yes, Mr. Peterson, please come in. Wendy spoke of you so much. I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance, please, accept my apologies."
"Not at all -- she's a delightful child." I said, suddenly realizing that I meant what I had just said.
"Wendy died last week, Mr. Peterson. She had leukemia. Maybe she didn't tell you."
Struck dumb, I groped for a chair. I had to catch my breath.
"She loved this beach, so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no. She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy days. But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly..." Her voice faltered, "She left something for you, if only I can find it. Could you wait a moment while I look?"
I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something to say to this lovely young woman. She handed me a smeared envelope with "MR. P" printed in bold childish letters. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues -- a yellow beach,
a blue sea, and a brown bird.
Underneath was carefully printed:
A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY.
Tears welled up in my eyes, and a heart that had almost forgotten to love opened wide. I took Wendy's mother in my arms. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," I uttered over and over, and we wept together. The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my study. Six words -- one for each year of her life -- that speak to me of harmony, courage, and undemanding love.
A gift from a child with sea blue eyes and hair the color of sand -- who taught me the gift of love.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE:
This is a true story sent out by Robert Peterson. It happened over 20 years ago and the incident changed his life forever. It serves as a reminder to all of us that we need to take time to enjoy living and life and each other. The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less.
Life is so complicated, the hustle and bustle of everyday traumas can make us lose focus about what is truly important or what is only a momentary setback or crisis.
This week, be sure to give your loved ones an extra hug, and by all means, take a moment... even if it is only ten seconds, to stop and smell the roses.
Everything that happens to us happens for a reason. We should never brush aside anyone as insignificant. Who knows what they can teach us?
Sunday, March 9, 2008
OUR...
~One
Life.
World.
Hope.
Love.
Journey.
~Many
Lives.
Countries.
Dreams.
Experiences.
Paths.
~Yours
Mirrors
~Mine
Reflects
~Theirs
Becomes
~OUR!
Yesterday.
Today.
Tomorrow.
Will we progess?
Will we digress?
Will we choose to be blind to the trouble of ~OUR~ lives?
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has..." ~Margaret Mead
By clicking the button below... you will visit a website, where you can support the cause one one click of a button! Each click creates funding, and costs you nothing!
Life.
World.
Hope.
Love.
Journey.
~Many
Lives.
Countries.
Dreams.
Experiences.
Paths.
~Yours
Mirrors
~Mine
Reflects
~Theirs
Becomes
~OUR!
Yesterday.
Today.
Tomorrow.
Will we progess?
Will we digress?
Will we choose to be blind to the trouble of ~OUR~ lives?
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has..." ~Margaret Mead
By clicking the button below... you will visit a website, where you can support the cause one one click of a button! Each click creates funding, and costs you nothing!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Love's Test...
Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all...
so they say.
When the heartache comes, it is there to stay... for a minute, a while;
Until it is ready to leave, it continues to stroll along;
Shaking perceptions I thought I believed.
I know that time does heal all wounds,
But the journey to recapture a heart lost??
Will I forget about you soon... enough, I tell myself.
This is another form of prose all together;
One that's best tucked away and allowed to weather,
To sit and brood, and then to mellow.... Alas!
Moments stolen, thinking of you...
Night turns into day... over and over, rolling through my head they play.
Used and worn cliches dispersed like candy from friends and family...
'Nothing ventured, nothing gained'.
But at what cost do we explore this anomaly?
Let time take it's stead; it will slip away, fading from memory.
But yet I find, moments gone by, ruminate in succession;
Each one, leaving me never to be the same,
Taking it's toll on my heart, showing your lasting impression.
Quiet moments shared, long admiring stares,
Inside jokes, evenings of music's latest, greatest and even faded.
Passionate, heated, blissful memories of time and space,
Sweet nectar you were to my taste,
Feeling the love within a touch, an embrace.
Searching for answers that I have yet to find,
But somehow feeling blessed from your grace of presence in time.
Rocking my foundation, I stepped out in faith;
Only to realize it was surely a mistake.
Why do we torture ourselves so?
Gambling our heart, to win a moment in love's glow?
Yet continuing to sign up and play the game,
You take the cards you're dealt.
Life is best when it is fully lived and felt,
Chances are always going to be 50/50... iffy, at best.
Gambling again, putting up with love's test.
so they say.
When the heartache comes, it is there to stay... for a minute, a while;
Until it is ready to leave, it continues to stroll along;
Shaking perceptions I thought I believed.
I know that time does heal all wounds,
But the journey to recapture a heart lost??
Will I forget about you soon... enough, I tell myself.
This is another form of prose all together;
One that's best tucked away and allowed to weather,
To sit and brood, and then to mellow.... Alas!
Moments stolen, thinking of you...
Night turns into day... over and over, rolling through my head they play.
Used and worn cliches dispersed like candy from friends and family...
'Nothing ventured, nothing gained'.
But at what cost do we explore this anomaly?
Let time take it's stead; it will slip away, fading from memory.
But yet I find, moments gone by, ruminate in succession;
Each one, leaving me never to be the same,
Taking it's toll on my heart, showing your lasting impression.
Quiet moments shared, long admiring stares,
Inside jokes, evenings of music's latest, greatest and even faded.
Passionate, heated, blissful memories of time and space,
Sweet nectar you were to my taste,
Feeling the love within a touch, an embrace.
Searching for answers that I have yet to find,
But somehow feeling blessed from your grace of presence in time.
Rocking my foundation, I stepped out in faith;
Only to realize it was surely a mistake.
Why do we torture ourselves so?
Gambling our heart, to win a moment in love's glow?
Yet continuing to sign up and play the game,
You take the cards you're dealt.
Life is best when it is fully lived and felt,
Chances are always going to be 50/50... iffy, at best.
Gambling again, putting up with love's test.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
W-O-M-A-N....
As a woman, I have to contemplate, from a distance at least, not up close and personal with a feminist view, but at the very least... where have we placed ourselves as women today?
Yes, we are daughters, sisters, mothers, etc, etc... but beyond that, in society, we have allowed ourselves to become objects for nothing more than the sake of making money; we will 'dummy-down' so as to fit in with our male counterparts and not to intimidate; we will sacrifice our self-love to be loved and even worse, we give away our 'love' so willingly and freely that it becomes the norm and more so the oddity when you hold on to it dearly. For me, it is numbing when I see it and when I experience it, because no matter whether I end up alone for the rest of my life, I care not. For I will not settle, I will not accept less than I deserve from a man, from a job, from a life that could be everything I know I need. I am a woman.... strong, empowered, beautiful and completely happy with just being me. I am sorry if you feel that makes me full of myself or even worse, *gasp* lol borderline of being a feminist, but in my mind's eye- that makes me a force to be reckoned with. I say for anyone in my life- either be with me or for me, but don't be a door to me... I have dreams and goals... hop on or stay behind, just don't impede my stroll!
Beyond the men I had to leave, and to be blunt, the females in my life I have seen, I really wish I knew more women that were not content in giving it up to just live it up, not settling because the loneliness begins to press, not coming to terms with what you're given, but wrestling with what YOU WANT to be living.
Are you her? Does she reside within the woman that you are.... buried beneath a few layers down deep?? Let her out. What you dare to dream, can be.... step up... step out.... arrive with you.... be true!
You are a W-O-M-A-N.............................. woman.
Yes, we are daughters, sisters, mothers, etc, etc... but beyond that, in society, we have allowed ourselves to become objects for nothing more than the sake of making money; we will 'dummy-down' so as to fit in with our male counterparts and not to intimidate; we will sacrifice our self-love to be loved and even worse, we give away our 'love' so willingly and freely that it becomes the norm and more so the oddity when you hold on to it dearly. For me, it is numbing when I see it and when I experience it, because no matter whether I end up alone for the rest of my life, I care not. For I will not settle, I will not accept less than I deserve from a man, from a job, from a life that could be everything I know I need. I am a woman.... strong, empowered, beautiful and completely happy with just being me. I am sorry if you feel that makes me full of myself or even worse, *gasp* lol borderline of being a feminist, but in my mind's eye- that makes me a force to be reckoned with. I say for anyone in my life- either be with me or for me, but don't be a door to me... I have dreams and goals... hop on or stay behind, just don't impede my stroll!
Beyond the men I had to leave, and to be blunt, the females in my life I have seen, I really wish I knew more women that were not content in giving it up to just live it up, not settling because the loneliness begins to press, not coming to terms with what you're given, but wrestling with what YOU WANT to be living.
Are you her? Does she reside within the woman that you are.... buried beneath a few layers down deep?? Let her out. What you dare to dream, can be.... step up... step out.... arrive with you.... be true!
You are a W-O-M-A-N.............................. woman.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The Power of Thoughts
By Remez Sasson
One day, a yogi and his disciple arrived to the big city. They had no money with them, but they needed food and a place to stay. The disciple was sure that they were going to beg for their food, and sleep in the park at night."There is a big park not far from here. We can sleep there at night", said the disciple. "In the open air?" Asked the yogi."Yes", responded the student.
The yogi smiled and said: "No, tonight we are going to sleep in a hotel and eat there too".The student was amazed. "How?""Come and sit down", said the yogi. They both sat down on the ground and the yogi said:"When you focus your mind intently on any subject, it comes to pass."
The yogi closed his eyes and started to meditate with full concentration. After about ten minutes he got up and started to walk, with his disciple following him. They walked through several streets and alleys, until they arrived to a hotel.
"Come, let's enter inside", the yogi said to his disciple. They just set foot in the entrance, when a well-dressed man approached them. "I am the manager of this hotel. You look like traveling swamis and I believe you have no money. Would you like to work in the kitchen, and in return I'll give you food and a place to stay?" "Fine", responded the yogi.
The disciple was perplexed and asked the yogi: "Did you use any magic? How did you do that?"
The yogi smiled and said, "I wanted to show you how the power of thoughts works. When you think with full and strong concentration about something that you want to happen, and your mind does not resist the subject of your thought, your thought materializes."
"The secret is concentrating, visualizing, seeing details, having faith and projecting mental and emotional energy into the mental scene. These are the general prerequisites. When your mind is empty from thoughts, and only one single thought is allowed to enter, it gains a very great power. One should be very careful with what he thinks. A concentrated thought is powerful, and exerts a very strong influence."
The disciple looked at his teacher and said: "I see that I have to sharpen my concentration in order to be able to use this power."
"Yes, this is the first step", responded the yogi.
One day, a yogi and his disciple arrived to the big city. They had no money with them, but they needed food and a place to stay. The disciple was sure that they were going to beg for their food, and sleep in the park at night."There is a big park not far from here. We can sleep there at night", said the disciple. "In the open air?" Asked the yogi."Yes", responded the student.
The yogi smiled and said: "No, tonight we are going to sleep in a hotel and eat there too".The student was amazed. "How?""Come and sit down", said the yogi. They both sat down on the ground and the yogi said:"When you focus your mind intently on any subject, it comes to pass."
The yogi closed his eyes and started to meditate with full concentration. After about ten minutes he got up and started to walk, with his disciple following him. They walked through several streets and alleys, until they arrived to a hotel.
"Come, let's enter inside", the yogi said to his disciple. They just set foot in the entrance, when a well-dressed man approached them. "I am the manager of this hotel. You look like traveling swamis and I believe you have no money. Would you like to work in the kitchen, and in return I'll give you food and a place to stay?" "Fine", responded the yogi.
The disciple was perplexed and asked the yogi: "Did you use any magic? How did you do that?"
The yogi smiled and said, "I wanted to show you how the power of thoughts works. When you think with full and strong concentration about something that you want to happen, and your mind does not resist the subject of your thought, your thought materializes."
"The secret is concentrating, visualizing, seeing details, having faith and projecting mental and emotional energy into the mental scene. These are the general prerequisites. When your mind is empty from thoughts, and only one single thought is allowed to enter, it gains a very great power. One should be very careful with what he thinks. A concentrated thought is powerful, and exerts a very strong influence."
The disciple looked at his teacher and said: "I see that I have to sharpen my concentration in order to be able to use this power."
"Yes, this is the first step", responded the yogi.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Makes You Wonder...
Series of events that unfold.. the mysteries of a life told...
like a story book with no end, new moments always to begin.
The beauty of complexity, the journey towards a destiny...
filled with moments that make you wonder.
The road less traveled, the actions that cause change to swirl ...
in a moment, a lifetime.
The highs and lows, the uncertainty is how life flows...
still searching for light amongst dark... waiting for that spark.
Moving over ground, no particular answer found...
Moments that make you wonder... what is the destination?
Forgive me for my hesitation, but the things I'd love to forget...
loom overhead and I find no matter how heart wrenching,
I must keep my stead.
I must keep my stead.
Back and forth... searching for what I seek...
praying for a sneak peak of the series of events already in motion...
taking it to that next level, no indication is clear...
Makes you...
Wonder.
Wondrous Moments
Wonder.
Cataclysmic Moments.
Wonder.
Profound Moments.
Wonder.
What yet is to be discovered from deep within... a new journey I begin.
Friday, February 22, 2008
It Begins & Ends with YOU...
In speaking with a friend today who is dealing with a painful loss and heartbreak because of circumstances beyond his control, he expressed to me that he is angry with God. Allow me to preface this blog with I believe it is every person's right to 'feel' as they need to, especially in times of sorrow. I do not judge and as I have conveyed in other blogs, sometimes your heart takes over your mind; there is no reasoning to find... you just know how you feel and nothing more.
As is such, this blog is not directed at his feelings, but more so that his turmoil began the wheels turning in my own mind, about how much weight we place on God for changing, managing and curing all our problems. Don't get me wrong, I am certainly one to say, 'Let go and let God' because I do believe a.) in a Higher Power and b.) that speaking what you need and desire can bring it into existence, but at the same time, does it not require effort on our part? How many times can you find yourself in the exact same situation and cry out for help, when you haven't very well helped yourself? Albert Einstein once remarked, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
I know I have had my fair share of issues that have reared their ugly head in my life, but if I give honest consideration to not just the immediate, but the events leading up to it... I can usually see where I contributed to it all going astray. If there are things going on in your life that are negative, chances are you're not doing something right. This is the hard reality I had to face 4 years ago and even still now... when things go wrong, as they often will, I have to consider... what led up to this situation? It is easy to want to blame someone for our hurt, our current demise, and I guess God is an easy target since he doesn't 'talk back' in the literal sense, but how often can we really say that when things go wrong, we do some serious introspection to change future outcomes? Are your problems of your own doing?
Don't get me wrong... tragic things befall us all. I am not speaking of an untimely death of a loved one being your fault, nor am I saying the car accident you got into, you willed into your life because you aren't doing right. But the other stuff... the stuff you COULD have prevented if you were taking care of business.... yeah, you can't be angry with God when you didn't care enough to take care of you and yours. He can only do so much, the rest is up to you. Praying for that guy to start treating you right, isn't going to happen... you have to leave that joker who shows you no respect and seek a MAN that knows a woman's worth. Just praying for money to come flowing in, or someone to help you get a job, a degree, an opportunity- whatever... isn't going to happen! You have to work for it, seek it, earn it or look for it... it's up to you!
Now, I am not discrediting prayer by any means, because I believe that when you're heart is in the right place, when you are doing right and seeking to find, they are answered. There are too many miracles that I have witnessed or heard of in people's lives not to believe that there is a Higher Power looking out for us all, but in the end it is up to us to start the process and finish the race. We are resilient creatures, and stronger because of our battles that we win in life, but to blame God or anyone else for that matter, or to try to justify your current situation and allow yourself to sink to a level of sub-par, is just unacceptable! Some people may disagree with my theology, but the fact of doing for yourself and not blaming your slights in life on others, is tried and true! There are too many people in this world with less- ability, money, love, opportunity, etc - for any of us to be complaining about what we aren't getting or what we need to make it happen.
You want change in your life? You have to be the change... it will always start with you.
As is such, this blog is not directed at his feelings, but more so that his turmoil began the wheels turning in my own mind, about how much weight we place on God for changing, managing and curing all our problems. Don't get me wrong, I am certainly one to say, 'Let go and let God' because I do believe a.) in a Higher Power and b.) that speaking what you need and desire can bring it into existence, but at the same time, does it not require effort on our part? How many times can you find yourself in the exact same situation and cry out for help, when you haven't very well helped yourself? Albert Einstein once remarked, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
I know I have had my fair share of issues that have reared their ugly head in my life, but if I give honest consideration to not just the immediate, but the events leading up to it... I can usually see where I contributed to it all going astray. If there are things going on in your life that are negative, chances are you're not doing something right. This is the hard reality I had to face 4 years ago and even still now... when things go wrong, as they often will, I have to consider... what led up to this situation? It is easy to want to blame someone for our hurt, our current demise, and I guess God is an easy target since he doesn't 'talk back' in the literal sense, but how often can we really say that when things go wrong, we do some serious introspection to change future outcomes? Are your problems of your own doing?
Don't get me wrong... tragic things befall us all. I am not speaking of an untimely death of a loved one being your fault, nor am I saying the car accident you got into, you willed into your life because you aren't doing right. But the other stuff... the stuff you COULD have prevented if you were taking care of business.... yeah, you can't be angry with God when you didn't care enough to take care of you and yours. He can only do so much, the rest is up to you. Praying for that guy to start treating you right, isn't going to happen... you have to leave that joker who shows you no respect and seek a MAN that knows a woman's worth. Just praying for money to come flowing in, or someone to help you get a job, a degree, an opportunity- whatever... isn't going to happen! You have to work for it, seek it, earn it or look for it... it's up to you!
Now, I am not discrediting prayer by any means, because I believe that when you're heart is in the right place, when you are doing right and seeking to find, they are answered. There are too many miracles that I have witnessed or heard of in people's lives not to believe that there is a Higher Power looking out for us all, but in the end it is up to us to start the process and finish the race. We are resilient creatures, and stronger because of our battles that we win in life, but to blame God or anyone else for that matter, or to try to justify your current situation and allow yourself to sink to a level of sub-par, is just unacceptable! Some people may disagree with my theology, but the fact of doing for yourself and not blaming your slights in life on others, is tried and true! There are too many people in this world with less- ability, money, love, opportunity, etc - for any of us to be complaining about what we aren't getting or what we need to make it happen.
You want change in your life? You have to be the change... it will always start with you.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Fervor... Is It Only Child's Play?
Where and when exactly do we lose our fervor for life? The carefree attitude that we use to all have and feel at a tender age? The idea that anything was possible and all you had to do was believe! The "HERE I AM" attitude, which children seem to ooze- they don't contemplate if something will make them look silly, they usually laugh at themselves in the process anyway. You know what I am talking about... If you wanted to dance and sing when you were young- you did it! You didn't think about, 'what if someone sees me?!!' YOU WANTED them to see you! If you wanted to make your friends laugh, you thought putting straws under your lip and pretending to be a walrus... as stupid as you looked, was funny! ... same thing with an orange peel and smiling... you did one or the other at some point in your childhood, right?? Come on... you know you did. LOL My point is- at what juncture in our lives did we begin to care so much about what other people think and say about our actions and thoughts? Is it really all just an exercise in futility? I mean, really!
I guess that is why children are wondrous creatures and babies are beautiful to me. We all arrive with this inner peace- a true happiness to just be. In the beginning we all live life with this free spirit and not a rule book; evolving, developing and becoming who we were given life to be! It's only as we get older that time tries to tire us, wear us down and make us forget just how beautifully special each of us are! Children, whereas, haven't been soiled with the pressures daily life throws our way and they've yet to lose any of themselves in a career, worries, or relationship. They are purely unadulterated.
Granted, as we become adults there are certain understood social graces of tact we use and guidelines which we follow to live our lives. Being a kid has it's advantages, but also it's downfalls as we age. You know, belting out a song and dancing in the middle of family members or friends, may have attained you some laughs, but I am thinking NOT so much in the Boardroom. Or perhaps telling an acquaintance their breath smells horrible (kids seem to have blunt honesty down pat), while it may, is not exactly the best way to win friends and become successful in life. So, yes, admittedly there are things we just don't do which guide us on this path, and we learn what is and is not socially acceptable at a more mature age. More or less, I would assume it's mainly so they don't lock you away though. LOL Let's face it- orange peels and straws are not really the table toys they once were at 7! But giving up your zeal for life and not taking stuff so seriously... where did that go? When did people begin to care so much about the status quo, they forgot to remember their internal happiness? The simplicity of being happy; of arriving everyday with YOU. I say being happy is key and whatever that happiness is for you- then do it! IMHO, there is an inner beauty that exudes when you live life with guidelines and not a rule book.
People will always see things differently than you. That is why we are unique individuals... it takes a lot of us to make the world work and keep it interesting. However, the next time you think you can't... voice your opinion, go on that interview, wear those crazy digs, change your career, etc... because someone will tell you different, might not like you, or think one way or the other about you?? Step out, smile and arrive with you! Be happy with where you are today because you won't be there tomorrow. Everyday is an opportunity for growth and change and yes, aging. Though aging is loathed in our society, there is something to be said for it- truly it is how true beauty... not the superficial... not the kind money can buy, but when you take chances and glow doing it... is attained!
It is up to us, as we go through our evolution of sorts, to not allow what time would love to steal. You have to tap into that person of long ago and keep a reminder of what once was and what you dreamed to be... you were born for a purpose! Don't lose your fervor... seek it till you find it again and restore what you once dreamed. What are you waiting for??? Get Living!!
I guess that is why children are wondrous creatures and babies are beautiful to me. We all arrive with this inner peace- a true happiness to just be. In the beginning we all live life with this free spirit and not a rule book; evolving, developing and becoming who we were given life to be! It's only as we get older that time tries to tire us, wear us down and make us forget just how beautifully special each of us are! Children, whereas, haven't been soiled with the pressures daily life throws our way and they've yet to lose any of themselves in a career, worries, or relationship. They are purely unadulterated.
Granted, as we become adults there are certain understood social graces of tact we use and guidelines which we follow to live our lives. Being a kid has it's advantages, but also it's downfalls as we age. You know, belting out a song and dancing in the middle of family members or friends, may have attained you some laughs, but I am thinking NOT so much in the Boardroom. Or perhaps telling an acquaintance their breath smells horrible (kids seem to have blunt honesty down pat), while it may, is not exactly the best way to win friends and become successful in life. So, yes, admittedly there are things we just don't do which guide us on this path, and we learn what is and is not socially acceptable at a more mature age. More or less, I would assume it's mainly so they don't lock you away though. LOL Let's face it- orange peels and straws are not really the table toys they once were at 7! But giving up your zeal for life and not taking stuff so seriously... where did that go? When did people begin to care so much about the status quo, they forgot to remember their internal happiness? The simplicity of being happy; of arriving everyday with YOU. I say being happy is key and whatever that happiness is for you- then do it! IMHO, there is an inner beauty that exudes when you live life with guidelines and not a rule book.
People will always see things differently than you. That is why we are unique individuals... it takes a lot of us to make the world work and keep it interesting. However, the next time you think you can't... voice your opinion, go on that interview, wear those crazy digs, change your career, etc... because someone will tell you different, might not like you, or think one way or the other about you?? Step out, smile and arrive with you! Be happy with where you are today because you won't be there tomorrow. Everyday is an opportunity for growth and change and yes, aging. Though aging is loathed in our society, there is something to be said for it- truly it is how true beauty... not the superficial... not the kind money can buy, but when you take chances and glow doing it... is attained!
It is up to us, as we go through our evolution of sorts, to not allow what time would love to steal. You have to tap into that person of long ago and keep a reminder of what once was and what you dreamed to be... you were born for a purpose! Don't lose your fervor... seek it till you find it again and restore what you once dreamed. What are you waiting for??? Get Living!!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Catch Your Breath ... Tie Up Your Laces!
Life runs quickly often at a maddening pace, making some fall and blunder and leaving most to appear without grace... catch your breath, tie up your laces... no time to stop, to falter, keep excelling, going farther.... heart break, lessons learned at every turn.... old lives given to new, rebirth as plentiful as the morning dew.... catch your breath, tie up your laces... keep moving forward, seeing new faces... reinvent, infuse your heart's desire in every possible place... focus not on what is lost, but on what is to be gained, no one ever said it won't tug and strain... catch your breath, tie up your laces... ups-downs, moving over ground... constant change, sometimes it's sunny, sometimes it's dark... strolling, running, gliding... alone, coupled, crowded out... too much, too little.... leaves you to laugh, cry, scream and shout.... catch your breath, tie up your laces... struggle and fight for excellence, never doubt, have a moment, but not to lose hope or faith... this is a race... catch your breath, tie up your laces... this is life... catch your breath, tie up your laces... and cross the finish line, experience serenity divine.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
What if...
What if you could go back... what would you change? You can't, but what would you- if you could? Everyone says they don't regret, they wouldn't change a moment of circumstance!? I disagree... I think this is the luxury that we try to afford the soul- to ease the hurt, to mend the hole that sits in our heart when we lose what we thought we had a grasp of in life.
Pondering... contemplating- What if everything you were doing before switched up, you mixed up, you threw out? What if everything you once knew had changed so dramatically that it changed you in season, and in turn, you no longer recognized the path you once ventured out upon? The course and direction of your path became somewhere along the way lost, misguided and now recognized as such. Would you continue on the path because it's the only way you have known for so long? What if this path is full of uncertainty, possible failure, but in present tense- bliss? What if this new path, though full of ups and downs, could just possibly set you back on track to a true sense of you? What if all this was true.. what would you do?
What if what once was is no longer? No longer what you thought existed does... absence does not make anything grow, but a sense of loss.... a sense of longing for what one can have not. To stand peering at a door closed is to realize all hopes have gone with the last bit of air pressed beyond the jam. It's a tragic way to live life, to allow it to consume you, to take and take till it breathes in all around you its stank breath of failure. What if you shook it all off... started anew.... became what you felt and really believed what you know? To realize the door that closed was not your door anyway... the door that closed was upon someone else as well... your door is just 4 doors down and is open, waiting on you to finalize your journey. What if this was all true... what would you do?
It will always be easier to give up than to look up, to sit down than to take a stand, walk than to run. The movement you decide to make at each turn determines where you'll land in a hour, a day, a year, your lifetime- keep moving... even if it's not the right move... keep moving.
Peace.
Tracy Chapman, "Change"
Pondering... contemplating- What if everything you were doing before switched up, you mixed up, you threw out? What if everything you once knew had changed so dramatically that it changed you in season, and in turn, you no longer recognized the path you once ventured out upon? The course and direction of your path became somewhere along the way lost, misguided and now recognized as such. Would you continue on the path because it's the only way you have known for so long? What if this path is full of uncertainty, possible failure, but in present tense- bliss? What if this new path, though full of ups and downs, could just possibly set you back on track to a true sense of you? What if all this was true.. what would you do?
What if what once was is no longer? No longer what you thought existed does... absence does not make anything grow, but a sense of loss.... a sense of longing for what one can have not. To stand peering at a door closed is to realize all hopes have gone with the last bit of air pressed beyond the jam. It's a tragic way to live life, to allow it to consume you, to take and take till it breathes in all around you its stank breath of failure. What if you shook it all off... started anew.... became what you felt and really believed what you know? To realize the door that closed was not your door anyway... the door that closed was upon someone else as well... your door is just 4 doors down and is open, waiting on you to finalize your journey. What if this was all true... what would you do?
It will always be easier to give up than to look up, to sit down than to take a stand, walk than to run. The movement you decide to make at each turn determines where you'll land in a hour, a day, a year, your lifetime- keep moving... even if it's not the right move... keep moving.
Peace.
Tracy Chapman, "Change"
Monday, February 18, 2008
L iving I n F ull E voultion...
I take a moment to ponder my choices made some times in haste, decisions delayed, friends and lovers lost and found... life moving so quickly, no grass grown on my small piece of ground... things all become brilliantly transparent... looking back.... hind-sight.
We all travel on this course- LIFE- Living In Full Evolution... mind, spirit, body... never standing still. They say have no regrets, but contemplation produces a place that I cannot help ponder of what could have been or should have been done... constant change mitigating life.
Where I have been is why I am who I am now... sometimes life has caressed me, sometimes it has thrown me about... while I would possibly change some of my choices I cannot. I must move on. All of us have our own stories... our own "battle scars" of life making us hunger for the best LIFE has to offer.
Wondrous creatures that we are... resilient, steadfast in this course of LIFE. Strange twists.... fate? GOD's hand? ... I meditate upon free will.... the ability to do as one pleases. But free would indicate that we are not affected by our choice, that we are not imprisoned by the outcome- good or bad. Choice is not free... it comes with consequence... it comes with a product... good or bad.
Living In Full Evolution of Mind, Body, Spirit... I choose how I spend my years here... all I have is time... time to navigate my course, my decisions that guide me along the way will either bring sweet delicious fruits of my labor, or it can offer the bitter abundance of this harvest- depending on my choices.
I choose to run this race of LIFE with resilience, with determination to make the time I have on this earth the best I possibly can. I choose to Win this race of LIFE. Because this gift given to me was given freely, but it is not free, my friends. LIFE is on loan and when it is time, there is no one that change that fact.
Nothing in Life is free.
We all travel on this course- LIFE- Living In Full Evolution... mind, spirit, body... never standing still. They say have no regrets, but contemplation produces a place that I cannot help ponder of what could have been or should have been done... constant change mitigating life.
Where I have been is why I am who I am now... sometimes life has caressed me, sometimes it has thrown me about... while I would possibly change some of my choices I cannot. I must move on. All of us have our own stories... our own "battle scars" of life making us hunger for the best LIFE has to offer.
Wondrous creatures that we are... resilient, steadfast in this course of LIFE. Strange twists.... fate? GOD's hand? ... I meditate upon free will.... the ability to do as one pleases. But free would indicate that we are not affected by our choice, that we are not imprisoned by the outcome- good or bad. Choice is not free... it comes with consequence... it comes with a product... good or bad.
Living In Full Evolution of Mind, Body, Spirit... I choose how I spend my years here... all I have is time... time to navigate my course, my decisions that guide me along the way will either bring sweet delicious fruits of my labor, or it can offer the bitter abundance of this harvest- depending on my choices.
I choose to run this race of LIFE with resilience, with determination to make the time I have on this earth the best I possibly can. I choose to Win this race of LIFE. Because this gift given to me was given freely, but it is not free, my friends. LIFE is on loan and when it is time, there is no one that change that fact.
Nothing in Life is free.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
It's Your Paintbrush...
Ever had a moment where your world felt as if it was closing in on you? Pushing you to the brink of your very existence, where you'd scream, 'COME ON ALREADY??! ' Of course you have.... and if you are reading this and saying, nope, not me... consider yourself VERY fortunate and... would you like to trade places??? *wink*
Life keeps pushing us because if you didn't have the spirals of life, you would never experience the ecstasy of elevation. Ever have a moment where you had a breakthrough?? OK... now, close your eyes and think back to that moment... you can feel it, huh? That surge of emotion.... of accomplishment... it's what a smile 'feels' like.
There is something to be said when you look outside and it's grey, but the sun is still shining in your mind. It's knowing that to get to your rainbow, there had to be rain for the sun to shine through. In my opinion, happiness is truly a state of mind... hear me now... I know easier said than done, but when you dig deep and put a positive spin on even the negative, you still win. If something is not how you wish it to be, all you have to do is change it. Now, I am not implying that change is easy. It can be heart wrenching, losing your ground, shifting amongst two difficult situations- the wrestling of heart against mind, but it can be done.
See we are each equipped with a special something inside us... it's what Wayne Dyer so accurately calls, "Divine Capacity"... which I love. We are such spiritual and beautiful creatures... we have so much strength and depth to each of us, it is merely waiting for each of us to tap into it. Often times we allow the external to mess with our internal and I guess that's the difficulty that each of us face... rising above it all. At some point in life, we either realize our strength and harness it's power or we eventually allow the storms to wither us to the point that we cannot any longer struggle against the external forces.... we lose hope... we become fearful... and thus, we lose our willpower.
Let me give you another way to look at this....
Take a summer storm in its full rage... thunder, lightening, swirling winds... it can be frightening and all out disconcerting, but after the storm... the calm that lulls in.... the crispness of the air, how pure and clean it all feels tells us all is ok. We have weathered the storm, so to speak. It's the same with life... you have storms that whip into your life, they can be frightening, you may even lose some power, but you know that it will be over soon and from that storm, you will be purified... you will start anew and life will be crisp... allowing you a clean slate.
The only thing that EVER holds us back from our dreams, needs, desires, wants is OURSELVES. Each of us has to learn how to tap into what we know to be our reality, and then figure out what it is we truly want. Once you KNOW what you want... that's clarity and clarity brings you empowerment. Empowerment to change what it is that you don't like about the canvas of your life.... it's YOUR PAINTBRUSH... you choose what piece of art you want to possess. If you are always dappling into the dark colors and expecting to see brightness upon your canvas, you got it twisted. It's time to take a look at your clarity of life.... cause I am thinking, something is not quite right. What you want, you must think.... what you think, you will be. This goes into many realms in life.... negative energy, draws negative people, places, things.... positive energy draws the opposite, obviously. Don't believe me?
Look at many people in our culture that rose above what life handed them and peer into their world after the time in which they conquered. You'll see amazing things that occur when you rise above. No one will tell you that it was easy, or that they don't have problems still, but it all really comes down to HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT??? YOU HAVE TO BE ABOUT IT... tap into your "Divine Capacity" and hold on for the ride. It may take you spiraling down, but don't give up because the elevation to new heights and breaking through your challenges brings ecstasy and the purest satisfaction that no one can steal from you. Once you got it... IT'S YOURS for the taking FOREVERMORE.
Peace.
Life keeps pushing us because if you didn't have the spirals of life, you would never experience the ecstasy of elevation. Ever have a moment where you had a breakthrough?? OK... now, close your eyes and think back to that moment... you can feel it, huh? That surge of emotion.... of accomplishment... it's what a smile 'feels' like.
There is something to be said when you look outside and it's grey, but the sun is still shining in your mind. It's knowing that to get to your rainbow, there had to be rain for the sun to shine through. In my opinion, happiness is truly a state of mind... hear me now... I know easier said than done, but when you dig deep and put a positive spin on even the negative, you still win. If something is not how you wish it to be, all you have to do is change it. Now, I am not implying that change is easy. It can be heart wrenching, losing your ground, shifting amongst two difficult situations- the wrestling of heart against mind, but it can be done.
See we are each equipped with a special something inside us... it's what Wayne Dyer so accurately calls, "Divine Capacity"... which I love. We are such spiritual and beautiful creatures... we have so much strength and depth to each of us, it is merely waiting for each of us to tap into it. Often times we allow the external to mess with our internal and I guess that's the difficulty that each of us face... rising above it all. At some point in life, we either realize our strength and harness it's power or we eventually allow the storms to wither us to the point that we cannot any longer struggle against the external forces.... we lose hope... we become fearful... and thus, we lose our willpower.
Let me give you another way to look at this....
Take a summer storm in its full rage... thunder, lightening, swirling winds... it can be frightening and all out disconcerting, but after the storm... the calm that lulls in.... the crispness of the air, how pure and clean it all feels tells us all is ok. We have weathered the storm, so to speak. It's the same with life... you have storms that whip into your life, they can be frightening, you may even lose some power, but you know that it will be over soon and from that storm, you will be purified... you will start anew and life will be crisp... allowing you a clean slate.
The only thing that EVER holds us back from our dreams, needs, desires, wants is OURSELVES. Each of us has to learn how to tap into what we know to be our reality, and then figure out what it is we truly want. Once you KNOW what you want... that's clarity and clarity brings you empowerment. Empowerment to change what it is that you don't like about the canvas of your life.... it's YOUR PAINTBRUSH... you choose what piece of art you want to possess. If you are always dappling into the dark colors and expecting to see brightness upon your canvas, you got it twisted. It's time to take a look at your clarity of life.... cause I am thinking, something is not quite right. What you want, you must think.... what you think, you will be. This goes into many realms in life.... negative energy, draws negative people, places, things.... positive energy draws the opposite, obviously. Don't believe me?
Look at many people in our culture that rose above what life handed them and peer into their world after the time in which they conquered. You'll see amazing things that occur when you rise above. No one will tell you that it was easy, or that they don't have problems still, but it all really comes down to HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT??? YOU HAVE TO BE ABOUT IT... tap into your "Divine Capacity" and hold on for the ride. It may take you spiraling down, but don't give up because the elevation to new heights and breaking through your challenges brings ecstasy and the purest satisfaction that no one can steal from you. Once you got it... IT'S YOURS for the taking FOREVERMORE.
Peace.
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