It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power. ~ Alan Cohen
Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death. ~ Anais Nin
The colossal misunderstanding of our time is the assumption that insight will work with people who are unmotivated to change. Communication does not depend on syntax, or eloquence, or rhetoric, or articulation but on the emotional context in which the message is being heard. People can only hear you when they are moving toward you, and they are not likely to when your words are pursuing them. Even the choices words lose their power when they are used to overpower. Attitudes are the real figures of speech. ~Edwin H. Friedman
~*~*~*~*~*~
I've come to discover with more certainty than I normally understand, that I hate my job. I hate it so much that on Sunday nights, around 8pm I begin to get sick. I've watched this trend with a growing concern hoping that I was wrong. But without fail, every Sunday night around 8pm or so my stomach begins to hurt. I have no clue what to do about this, as I have BEEN trying to remedy this to no avail.
Part of this could be that Mrs. NotThoughtful has been on vacation for almost two weeks , but part of it too could be the stress over not having insurance, not getting paid what I think I should (don't even ASK how I got my raise... ok ok well I'll tell you, CRONY decided how much I should get), etc.
Who likes to work? not me. At least not in telecommunications, not anymore. I used to like it. The fast pace, the environment. Now it's nothing but a game of how much crap one can take. Trust me you dont want me to rant on this...
So I've been investigating school again. I've always wanted to do counseling, and was even a psychology major in College before I stupidly dropped out to get married to someone who never intended to hold his end of the promise that I go back and finish.
I'm faced with money issues (majorly) so I'm considering an alternative bachelors. Meaning, not a traditional go to college, sit in classes type of degree but a bachelors nontheless.
1. I've been considering Holistic Theology which blends spirituality with cunseling. My only concern is that I do not want to do something that is focused on one religion. I would hope to counsel people of all religions, therefore my focus would need to be spirituality (which I'm ok with, but I dont know if the degree focuses on one thing).
2. The second degree I'm considering is Philosophy or Naturopathy with a twist of metaphysics. This is probably my most selfish choice in that the philosphy piece focuses on some psychology models I'm used to, naturopathy works with herbs and natural remedies for things (but would require enormous amounts of math and such I would think) and metaphysics covers all the things I'm interested in now.
3. The third that I'm considering is a traditional MSW (masters in social work). I would have to go to a traditional school and take classes which may prove difficult for me.
The bottom line is in order that they're listed, is how much they would cost. In other words #1 would be the cheapest for a bachelors at $3100 for the program. Number 2 $8600 (give or take some electives) and number 3 well, more than I can think of. Also the first two would take two years to complete, 3 years of intern and then if I wanted I could open a private practice (my goal). The third would take 8 years. I'm 34 nearly 35... I would like to be in my own practice long before I'm ready to retire.
So this is my thought process this morning. That and trying to not get sick so I can go to this job that ails me so. But I suppose the idea of school is a pipe dream... I doubt I could even get financing.
Well one can hope right? :)
Here's to hope today folks, may it grace your dreams and make the impossible quite real for you.
Have a wonderful day!
xo
~*~*~*~*~*~
DAILY INSPIRATION
A Life Of Learning
Earth School
Life is the province of learning, and the wisdom we acquire throughout our lives is the reward of existence. As we traverse the winding roads that lead from birth to death, experience is our patient teacher. We exist, bound to human bodies as we are, to evolve, enrolled by the universe in earth school, an informal and individualized academy of living, being, and changing. Life's lessons can take many forms and present us with many challenges. There are scores of mundane lessons that help us learn to navigate with grace, poise, and tolerance in this world. And there are those once-in-a-lifetime lessons that touch us so deeply that they change the course of our lives. The latter can be heartrending, and we may wander through life as unwilling students for a time. But the quality of our lives is based almost entirely on what we derive from our experiences.
Earth school provides us with an education of the heart and the soul, as well as the intellect. The scope of our instruction is dependent on our ability and readiness to accept the lesson laid out before us in the circumstances we face. When we find ourselves blindsided by life, we are free to choose to close our minds or to view the inbuilt lesson in a narrow-minded way. The notion that existence is a never-ending lesson can be dismaying at times. The courses we undertake in earth school can be painful as well as pleasurable, and as taxing as they are eventually rewarding. However, in every situation, relationship, or encounter, a range of lessons can be unearthed. When we choose to consciously take advantage of each of the lessons we are confronted with, we gradually discover that our previous ideas about love, compassion, resilience, grief, fear, trust, and generosity could have been half-formed.
Ultimately, when we acknowledge that growth is an integral part of life and that attending earth school is the responsibility of every individual, the concept of "life as lesson" no longer chafes. We can openly and joyfully look for the blessing buried in the difficulties we face without feeling that we are trapped in a roller-coaster ride of forced learning. Though we cannot always know when we are experiencing a life lesson, the wisdom we accrue will bless us with the keenest hindsight.
~*~*~*~*~*~
AND REMEMBER
“When Aesop’s jumpy hare was bested by the plodding tortoise, the great master of fable wrote “Slow and steady wins the race.” Yet, with our culture’s insatiable hunger for the faster, flashier, and more glamorous, we tend to forget that success is most often built brick by brick, in a slow and consistent fashion. This truth may not be as sexy, but it works every time!” ~Greg Barrette
Monday, August 21, 2006
Friday, August 18, 2006
You Raise me Up...
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.
There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.
Secret Garden – You Raise Me Up
~*~*~*~*~*~
It was one of those mornings again, where music was my companion. This time the music I played transported me to a theater where I was on stage. And in the audience (packed of course) were the people that I knew had supported me through many things in life. Back from when I was a child all the way up until the very present.
I stood on the stage in my gown of white satin, complete with little tiny stars of light. My hair was up and had little jasmine flowers tucked into it in various places. Behind me on the stage were several large canvases where I had created an image of each of the people I wanted to highlight during the song.
The stage was dark, as the strains of the violin began softly. With each new note sung by those cords one of the pictures I had created was illuminated behind me in an arc framing me so I stood in the center. You could have heard a pin drop it was so hushed in the theater. The air held that quivering moment of expectation about it; where you know that something magical is about to happen.
And when the song began with the first words “When I am down, and oh my soul so weary”, a single tear slipped down my face and my voice cracked ever so quietly. I looked at the wooden planks of the theater stage and composed my thoughts, because there would be time for tears of joy later. Now was the time for the gift that I had inside me, the gift of my voice, to echo against the farthest walls of the theater. It was my time to show the world with tones that rang clearly in their chests with every breath I took that with every fiber of my being I was grateful for their support.
When the second line began strength had entered my spirit and I looked up into the audience half darkened by the minimal light, yet each person shining with their own inner light. I caught the eyes of the people I wanted to sing to and in turn looked at each one my voice growing stronger with every glance at them as they looked on in support, love, and joy for me.
Halfway through the song as my voice became so loud and my notes swelled with the emotion I was to express, The lights came up behind the images which were slowly moved to the side to reveal the choir behind me that waited to sing the crescendo of the song with me. And for the last two verses of this song, the voices, intesnsity, emotions overlapped so beautifully it could move the most hardened heart to tears. Indeed, I am certain there wasn’t a person for miles that wasn’t overcome with a sense of wonder at the purest expression of love carried on the notes of a muse’s song.
“I am strong, when I am on your shoulders… You raise me up to more than I can be”.
As I looked into the audience, the darkness shimmered through the end of the notes and my breath came deeply as tears flowed freely in gratitude, joy, and accomplishment. I stood this way for a moment basking in the perfection of this moment.
The darkness of the theater dissolved into the grey daylight of the morning and I was back again, driving on my way into the office. A smile found its way to my face as I knew that a very large intention, had been spoken through my song (yes I sang full force in my car), a powerful emotion had been expressed (and there were tears), and was being carried from that very moment to all who would listen (and I wished so very hard that ALL would hear it straight from my heart, that they would SEE the light coming from my heart and be warmed by it.).
Today I have only love and thankfulness for those in my life who have made a difference in it (no matter how large or small). Your love, your words, your hugs, whatever you offer is what fills me with such love that I can sing with my heart to you, in purity.
Have a wonderful Friday everyone, big hugs to you all.
~*~*~*~*~*~
WELL WISHES, BLESSINGS, and INTENTIONS
May you today be aware of those who have supported you, even in just thought, and may you send them your gratitude today and every day. And I’m going to steal Kate Nowak’s line from her Heartfelt Blessings…
Until tomorrow know you are a cherished blessing to me…
XO
~*~*~*~*~*
AND REMEMBER:
"Many times people stay in places they don't like because they are afraid to move. Staying in the same place because of fear and apprehension is like living on a hamster wheel. Step off the hamster wheel by flowing with the changes in your life. Be it a mental or physical change, flow with it."~Ron Rathbun
Quote is taken from page 51 of: The Way Is Within; A Spiritual Journey
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Enthusiasm and Love
"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about." ~Charles Kingsley
My first thoughts are that I should not let people down, that I should support them and love them. ~Princess Diana
The be-all and end-all of life should not be to get rich, but to enrich the world. ~B.C. Forbes
~*~*~*~*~*~
I try very hard not to let people down. I try to be happier than I am sometimes, not just because of the fact that I don’t want people to see me sad, but also too, to help myself not be so sad. But I know that seeing someone’s face light up after I’ve done what I said I would, or somehow given them something they can grasp onto in their time of need (even if it’s just a hug) makes me feel so incredibly good.
I don’t do this in the real world. Meaning when I’m out (which isn’t often) I have a much harder time at doing this. Mainly because most people are driven by the societal tendencies of media hyped values. They look at me and see a fat woman, never mind that I would have given them such light if they would have let me. I do not care the color of skin, your past, or anything else, when I attempt to offer you some lightness in your day; but I am human, I am easily hurt, and therefore am guarded.
It’s easier to be open and sharing in a positive way in real life when you feel you have something to offer. When the very sight of you makes people either feel pity for you, or just not care to see you because you represent something they wish to not acknowledge, it’s harder to be open.
I have low self esteem (I’m sure you got that already ;)), but I do have a sense of self. I know that my face is beautiful. I know that my heart shines very much so and I WILL it so shine brightly pulsing like a lighthouse beacon guiding those to me who need comfort. But I know that 90% of society looks at the wrapping first and some pass judgment before allowing the rest to be viewed.
I want so badly to be exactly like Princess Diana says in her quote up above. But it’s hard.
I have some issues that I have to deal with lately. I’m awaiting the results of my tests from yesterday and I have another doctor’s visit on the 23rd for more tests. Once I get the results I’ll know more, but ALONGSIDE those tests and any resultant issues I may have from them… I have another very real issue. I must tend to it and all I ask of anyone is that if they wish to support anyone who struggles with anything to be open minded, thoughtful and receptive to the different journey someone else may be on that you may not understand.
If we can do that for each other, I think we can ALL be exactly like Princess Diana states in her quote; both supportive and loving. That’s what I endeavor to do today. I renew my effort even with my fears and sensitivities, to be more supportive and loving of people in the real world.
May I have thick skin for those on a different path who do not receive my smile or kind words well.
May I have enough strength to reach above what I suffer to help others.
May I learn to love myself as I extend my love to others too.
This is my hope today for me and as well for you.
~*~*~*~*~*~
WELL WISHES, INTENTIONS, & BLESSINGS
Supplied today from a local nondenominational church where I live, Called Renaissance Unity. Here is today’s blessing, wish, affirmation for you all. May you be in love with life!
XO
Today's Affirmation
I am in love with Life!
Today's Meditation
Mother/Father/Everything God,
Enthusiasm flows effortlessly as I clearly and consistently live the Truth of my being:
~I am Your child;
~I am created in and after Your likeness;
~You have shared Everything with me;
~Love is my lesson, my gift and my path;
~Every element of my life is working together perfectly;
~I am one with All that is;
~Everyone is my sibling;
~You love us all!
I surrender myself to You.
Holy, holy, holy -- is all of Your creation.
Amen
~*~*~*~*~*~
AND REMEMBER
As you begin to understand the immense power and love you hold inside, you will find an unending surge of joy, light and love that will nourish and support you all the days of your life.
~Susan Jeffers
My first thoughts are that I should not let people down, that I should support them and love them. ~Princess Diana
The be-all and end-all of life should not be to get rich, but to enrich the world. ~B.C. Forbes
~*~*~*~*~*~
I try very hard not to let people down. I try to be happier than I am sometimes, not just because of the fact that I don’t want people to see me sad, but also too, to help myself not be so sad. But I know that seeing someone’s face light up after I’ve done what I said I would, or somehow given them something they can grasp onto in their time of need (even if it’s just a hug) makes me feel so incredibly good.
I don’t do this in the real world. Meaning when I’m out (which isn’t often) I have a much harder time at doing this. Mainly because most people are driven by the societal tendencies of media hyped values. They look at me and see a fat woman, never mind that I would have given them such light if they would have let me. I do not care the color of skin, your past, or anything else, when I attempt to offer you some lightness in your day; but I am human, I am easily hurt, and therefore am guarded.
It’s easier to be open and sharing in a positive way in real life when you feel you have something to offer. When the very sight of you makes people either feel pity for you, or just not care to see you because you represent something they wish to not acknowledge, it’s harder to be open.
I have low self esteem (I’m sure you got that already ;)), but I do have a sense of self. I know that my face is beautiful. I know that my heart shines very much so and I WILL it so shine brightly pulsing like a lighthouse beacon guiding those to me who need comfort. But I know that 90% of society looks at the wrapping first and some pass judgment before allowing the rest to be viewed.
I want so badly to be exactly like Princess Diana says in her quote up above. But it’s hard.
I have some issues that I have to deal with lately. I’m awaiting the results of my tests from yesterday and I have another doctor’s visit on the 23rd for more tests. Once I get the results I’ll know more, but ALONGSIDE those tests and any resultant issues I may have from them… I have another very real issue. I must tend to it and all I ask of anyone is that if they wish to support anyone who struggles with anything to be open minded, thoughtful and receptive to the different journey someone else may be on that you may not understand.
If we can do that for each other, I think we can ALL be exactly like Princess Diana states in her quote; both supportive and loving. That’s what I endeavor to do today. I renew my effort even with my fears and sensitivities, to be more supportive and loving of people in the real world.
May I have thick skin for those on a different path who do not receive my smile or kind words well.
May I have enough strength to reach above what I suffer to help others.
May I learn to love myself as I extend my love to others too.
This is my hope today for me and as well for you.
~*~*~*~*~*~
WELL WISHES, INTENTIONS, & BLESSINGS
Supplied today from a local nondenominational church where I live, Called Renaissance Unity. Here is today’s blessing, wish, affirmation for you all. May you be in love with life!
XO
Today's Affirmation
I am in love with Life!
Today's Meditation
Mother/Father/Everything God,
Enthusiasm flows effortlessly as I clearly and consistently live the Truth of my being:
~I am Your child;
~I am created in and after Your likeness;
~You have shared Everything with me;
~Love is my lesson, my gift and my path;
~Every element of my life is working together perfectly;
~I am one with All that is;
~Everyone is my sibling;
~You love us all!
I surrender myself to You.
Holy, holy, holy -- is all of Your creation.
Amen
~*~*~*~*~*~
AND REMEMBER
As you begin to understand the immense power and love you hold inside, you will find an unending surge of joy, light and love that will nourish and support you all the days of your life.
~Susan Jeffers
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Present, Positive Thoughts...
Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.~Albert Einstein
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. ~ Buddha
Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it that you can. ~Danny Kaye
~*~*~*~*~*~
I have this problem a lot. (Referring to the italicized quote as my personal quote of the day). I live a lot in the past especially the past that I have found is good.
Mainly I’ve always remembered only the bad things in my life. Ask me about all the BAD things that happened to me as a child and I can recite most of them to you without hesitation. Ask me about the good things in life even in the past or recent past, and I tend to get blurry. So when I do remember a good thing that’s happened I try to hold onto it, and sometimes live too much in it.
The present right now for me is not the best place I find myself in. I’m not well (healthy), I’m not wealthy, I’m not happy (sometimes). We all go through this, and it’s far too easy for me to feel all alone in these feelings. Through this blog, through these affirmations, through any means possible I endeavor to change the way I’ve been thinking my whole life. I think in some measure it’s working. My glass seems to be a bit more full then I ever thought it was at a casual glance. But I still fail too.
I still remember with fondness certain emotions of the past, I still wish sometimes I could just go back and do something over again. It’s easy to fall into those thoughts when you feel that the present really doesn’t hold much charm for you.
So today, I will try to focus on the positives of the present. This will be hard, trust me, because today is the day for my doctors appointment. Today I’m working with Crony and I’m probably going to be just as busy as yesterday. But I think this is a good day to do this, BECAUSE of these things. So let’s hope I can focus on today, keep positive, and go home tonight the winner instead of going home with a headache
Wish me luck!
~*~*~*~*~*~
DAILY INSPIRATION
Coming Out Of Hiding
Isolation
There are times in our lives when withdrawing from our social obligations and taking some time to be alone is necessary to rejuvenate our energy and renew our connection to ourselves. However, there are also times when withdrawal is a red flag, indicating an underlying sense of depression or some other problem. We may not even have consciously decided to isolate ourselves but wake up one day to find that we have been spending most of our time alone. Perhaps it's been a long time since friends who used to call have given up. Without anyone inviting us out, we sink deeper into alienation.
The longer our isolation lasts, the harder it becomes to reach out to people. It is as if we have failed to exercise a particular muscle, and now it is so weak we don't know how to use it. Yet, in order to return to a healthy, balanced state of being, that's exactly what we need to do. If you find yourself in this situation, call an understanding friend who will listen to you with compassion, not a defensive friend who may have taken your withdrawal personally. The last thing you need is to be chided; a negative response could intensity your isolation. If you don't have a kind friend you can rely on, call a spiritual counselor or therapist. They may be able to help you determine the underlying cause of your isolation and help you find your way out of it.
When you've been in a pattern of secluding yourself, it can begin to seem impossible that you could reenter the world of friendships, conversations, and group activities, but with time, you will. Most people will understand if you take the time to explain that you've fallen out of touch and would like to reconnect. Take your time and be gentle with yourself, starting with one person and building from there. Try to reach out to one new person every week. Before you know it, you will find yourself back in the company of friends.
~*~*~*~*~*~
WELL WISHES, INTENTIONS, & BLESSINGS
Today I wish that you all find good health, good friends, good times awaiting you at every turn. Through this whole day if fear, negativity or doubt seeks you, may you find the strength to push past it and be surrounded by beauty. Beauty attracts beauty and you are all BEAUTIFUL.
XO
~*~*~*~*~*~
AND REMEMBER
"All the doors that lead inward to the sacred peace of the Most High are doors outwards--out of self, out of smallness, out of wrong."~George MacDonald
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. ~ Buddha
Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it that you can. ~Danny Kaye
~*~*~*~*~*~
I have this problem a lot. (Referring to the italicized quote as my personal quote of the day). I live a lot in the past especially the past that I have found is good.
Mainly I’ve always remembered only the bad things in my life. Ask me about all the BAD things that happened to me as a child and I can recite most of them to you without hesitation. Ask me about the good things in life even in the past or recent past, and I tend to get blurry. So when I do remember a good thing that’s happened I try to hold onto it, and sometimes live too much in it.
The present right now for me is not the best place I find myself in. I’m not well (healthy), I’m not wealthy, I’m not happy (sometimes). We all go through this, and it’s far too easy for me to feel all alone in these feelings. Through this blog, through these affirmations, through any means possible I endeavor to change the way I’ve been thinking my whole life. I think in some measure it’s working. My glass seems to be a bit more full then I ever thought it was at a casual glance. But I still fail too.
I still remember with fondness certain emotions of the past, I still wish sometimes I could just go back and do something over again. It’s easy to fall into those thoughts when you feel that the present really doesn’t hold much charm for you.
So today, I will try to focus on the positives of the present. This will be hard, trust me, because today is the day for my doctors appointment. Today I’m working with Crony and I’m probably going to be just as busy as yesterday. But I think this is a good day to do this, BECAUSE of these things. So let’s hope I can focus on today, keep positive, and go home tonight the winner instead of going home with a headache
Wish me luck!
~*~*~*~*~*~
DAILY INSPIRATION
Coming Out Of Hiding
Isolation
There are times in our lives when withdrawing from our social obligations and taking some time to be alone is necessary to rejuvenate our energy and renew our connection to ourselves. However, there are also times when withdrawal is a red flag, indicating an underlying sense of depression or some other problem. We may not even have consciously decided to isolate ourselves but wake up one day to find that we have been spending most of our time alone. Perhaps it's been a long time since friends who used to call have given up. Without anyone inviting us out, we sink deeper into alienation.
The longer our isolation lasts, the harder it becomes to reach out to people. It is as if we have failed to exercise a particular muscle, and now it is so weak we don't know how to use it. Yet, in order to return to a healthy, balanced state of being, that's exactly what we need to do. If you find yourself in this situation, call an understanding friend who will listen to you with compassion, not a defensive friend who may have taken your withdrawal personally. The last thing you need is to be chided; a negative response could intensity your isolation. If you don't have a kind friend you can rely on, call a spiritual counselor or therapist. They may be able to help you determine the underlying cause of your isolation and help you find your way out of it.
When you've been in a pattern of secluding yourself, it can begin to seem impossible that you could reenter the world of friendships, conversations, and group activities, but with time, you will. Most people will understand if you take the time to explain that you've fallen out of touch and would like to reconnect. Take your time and be gentle with yourself, starting with one person and building from there. Try to reach out to one new person every week. Before you know it, you will find yourself back in the company of friends.
~*~*~*~*~*~
WELL WISHES, INTENTIONS, & BLESSINGS
Today I wish that you all find good health, good friends, good times awaiting you at every turn. Through this whole day if fear, negativity or doubt seeks you, may you find the strength to push past it and be surrounded by beauty. Beauty attracts beauty and you are all BEAUTIFUL.
XO
~*~*~*~*~*~
AND REMEMBER
"All the doors that lead inward to the sacred peace of the Most High are doors outwards--out of self, out of smallness, out of wrong."~George MacDonald
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Serenity Shared (For Poetry Thursday, a Reprisal of an old poem of mine)
Serenity Shared
I had a dream of crystal blue waters
Cool to the touch
Warm grains of sand running through my fingers
Warmth of love and joy
Shared with you
Under the umbrella we sit
Time knowing no home in our sharing
In our realm of peace
The place we call home in our hearts
Known already by us
Glasses clink merrily against the backdrop of trees
And laughter is heard
The private joke
Twinkling in our eyes
Together we sit
The setting sun washing the sky in colors so vivid
We are moved in quiet repose
Thankful for energy of each other
Silently wishing on that very sunset
That this moment will never end
The stars twinkle brightly against the dark sky
In hushed tones we share secrets
Share private space
And complete our day by ending it the way we began
Together in love
©SKW
I needed this prettiness today. My day hasn't been the best so this was fitting for me :)
I had a dream of crystal blue waters
Cool to the touch
Warm grains of sand running through my fingers
Warmth of love and joy
Shared with you
Under the umbrella we sit
Time knowing no home in our sharing
In our realm of peace
The place we call home in our hearts
Known already by us
Glasses clink merrily against the backdrop of trees
And laughter is heard
The private joke
Twinkling in our eyes
Together we sit
The setting sun washing the sky in colors so vivid
We are moved in quiet repose
Thankful for energy of each other
Silently wishing on that very sunset
That this moment will never end
The stars twinkle brightly against the dark sky
In hushed tones we share secrets
Share private space
And complete our day by ending it the way we began
Together in love
©SKW
I needed this prettiness today. My day hasn't been the best so this was fitting for me :)
Tuesday's Muse was RANTING
I started this post at 8am. It’s nearly 10am and as much as I’ve tried to avoid this, my mood has taken a steep nosedive this morning in the short span of 2 hours. I will keep my rant to a minimum but it is a rant unfortunately. I might post later ….
Ok, I couldn’t resist. A SMALL rant. When I arrived in the office this morning I had 17 emails to be tended to. All were urgent and all needed stuff done IMMEDIATELY. Now I ask you, how the HELL can that be done?
Then on top of that there are several things in here for products and orders I have NO CLUE how to do. Mrs. NotThoughtful (my new name for my boss), didn’t think to train me on these things hoping that in the two weeks she would be gone on her 4,000th vacation of the year, that nothing would come up. Well congratulations dear, Mrs. NotThoughtful, I think you might just have won the Darwin award for corporate stupidity, because as Mr. Murphy says… “Anything that can go wrong… WILL”.
Now I have people screaming at me for orders, screaming at me because their service can’t be moved in 7 days, and orders that I have no clue how to do that are all rejected and must be re-sent. It’s a busy, stressful day and serves as a reminder (for many other reasons that just stated here, do not think me going off on a tangent for no reason) as to why I need to be out of here.
Wish me well in getting out and into something that doesn’t make my heart race… soon.
~*~*~*~*~*~
DAILY INSPIRATION
Different Ways of Navigating
We're All in the Same Boat
We're all in the same boat. We just have different paddles, and perhaps we find ourselves on different rivers. We all live in human bodies. These are the vehicles in which we move through our world. We are all made of flesh, blood, and bone, with brains, hearts, and lungs to power us. Our paddles-the tools we use to move through the world-vary, as do the bodies of water-the environments-in which we find ourselves.
Some of us use our high IQs to get where we want to go. Some of use our smiles, others use kindness, a gift with language, or athletic ability. Some of these qualities we were born with and others are skills we have learned. Considering this metaphor in light of your own life can be very enlightening. What tools are you using to get from point A to point B in your life? Chances are, you and the people you know have used many different tools in various combinations throughout your lives to get where you needed to go. Just as with oars or paddles, a balanced approach is best. If you rely too much on one thing, like beauty, to open doors, you fail to be well-rounded and you may eventually lose your equilibrium. And if you lose that one quality, you have no paddle at all. This is inspiration to develop multiple tools to navigate your world.
Some of us may be moving along paths that are like rushing rivers; others may be on a large, still lake. We have all felt, at one time or another, tossed about on a stormy ocean. Through all this, we are never really alone, even though it might seem that way. There is inspiration all around us in the form of other people making their way through the world, in the very same boat. Remember to look around you for role models, companionship, and encouragement.
~*~*~*~*~*~
AND REMEMBER
Fears, indecision, and frustration feed on words. Without words they usually stop. . . . Words are at times good for looking back, but they are confining when I need to act in the present.
~Hugh Prather
Ok, I couldn’t resist. A SMALL rant. When I arrived in the office this morning I had 17 emails to be tended to. All were urgent and all needed stuff done IMMEDIATELY. Now I ask you, how the HELL can that be done?
Then on top of that there are several things in here for products and orders I have NO CLUE how to do. Mrs. NotThoughtful (my new name for my boss), didn’t think to train me on these things hoping that in the two weeks she would be gone on her 4,000th vacation of the year, that nothing would come up. Well congratulations dear, Mrs. NotThoughtful, I think you might just have won the Darwin award for corporate stupidity, because as Mr. Murphy says… “Anything that can go wrong… WILL”.
Now I have people screaming at me for orders, screaming at me because their service can’t be moved in 7 days, and orders that I have no clue how to do that are all rejected and must be re-sent. It’s a busy, stressful day and serves as a reminder (for many other reasons that just stated here, do not think me going off on a tangent for no reason) as to why I need to be out of here.
Wish me well in getting out and into something that doesn’t make my heart race… soon.
~*~*~*~*~*~
DAILY INSPIRATION
Different Ways of Navigating
We're All in the Same Boat
We're all in the same boat. We just have different paddles, and perhaps we find ourselves on different rivers. We all live in human bodies. These are the vehicles in which we move through our world. We are all made of flesh, blood, and bone, with brains, hearts, and lungs to power us. Our paddles-the tools we use to move through the world-vary, as do the bodies of water-the environments-in which we find ourselves.
Some of us use our high IQs to get where we want to go. Some of use our smiles, others use kindness, a gift with language, or athletic ability. Some of these qualities we were born with and others are skills we have learned. Considering this metaphor in light of your own life can be very enlightening. What tools are you using to get from point A to point B in your life? Chances are, you and the people you know have used many different tools in various combinations throughout your lives to get where you needed to go. Just as with oars or paddles, a balanced approach is best. If you rely too much on one thing, like beauty, to open doors, you fail to be well-rounded and you may eventually lose your equilibrium. And if you lose that one quality, you have no paddle at all. This is inspiration to develop multiple tools to navigate your world.
Some of us may be moving along paths that are like rushing rivers; others may be on a large, still lake. We have all felt, at one time or another, tossed about on a stormy ocean. Through all this, we are never really alone, even though it might seem that way. There is inspiration all around us in the form of other people making their way through the world, in the very same boat. Remember to look around you for role models, companionship, and encouragement.
~*~*~*~*~*~
AND REMEMBER
Fears, indecision, and frustration feed on words. Without words they usually stop. . . . Words are at times good for looking back, but they are confining when I need to act in the present.
~Hugh Prather
Monday, August 14, 2006
Dreams (Poetry from my youth)
I discovered this over the weekend. I do not know when I had written it, as there is no date on it. It’s one of the rare first poems I ever wrote during high school. Unedited & raw, here it is. Tell me your thoughts.
Dreams
Barreling ahead, rocketing at full steam
My destination remains unknown
The seas I traverse, uncharted
And I the seasick traveler await knowledge
That unveiled should reveal a truth
So paradoxical to my very being
A truth that now makes me sick
As I careen out of control towards it
The journey choppy, the waters foamy
The discord evident in the crashing of the skies
Hanging tight to the sail, the white linen
Stark against the dark sky; I wait.
Praying, the words falling from my lips
Spoken with whispered fervency
My mantra in the darkest hour
“O pray for me all who look upon me,
That you may see this lost soul.
Guide me from this darkness,
That I may know sunshine again.
Pray for me, who needs strength.”
Crashing around me chaos ensues
My ship falters, wood splinters
The burden too great,
And fear sinks in while the tendrils of water
Reaching, pull me further below
When all around me the soft voice whispers
“Let go”
Intoned on the winds softly
Am I dead?
Let go…So insistent, so calming,
I must let go
So closing my eyes I do;
So I sank with no pain
Deeper and deeper into the depths of a void
Until finally
I rest comfortably among my linens
Transported back to my bed
Sitting, shaking the sleep from me
Stumbling upon reality
I see the paper on the spread
Written in elegant script
The parchment nearly as old as time itself
These small words; with the force of a brick
Startle me into awareness
The truth, the paradox revealed.
“You must let go…to be free”
©SKW
Dreams
Barreling ahead, rocketing at full steam
My destination remains unknown
The seas I traverse, uncharted
And I the seasick traveler await knowledge
That unveiled should reveal a truth
So paradoxical to my very being
A truth that now makes me sick
As I careen out of control towards it
The journey choppy, the waters foamy
The discord evident in the crashing of the skies
Hanging tight to the sail, the white linen
Stark against the dark sky; I wait.
Praying, the words falling from my lips
Spoken with whispered fervency
My mantra in the darkest hour
“O pray for me all who look upon me,
That you may see this lost soul.
Guide me from this darkness,
That I may know sunshine again.
Pray for me, who needs strength.”
Crashing around me chaos ensues
My ship falters, wood splinters
The burden too great,
And fear sinks in while the tendrils of water
Reaching, pull me further below
When all around me the soft voice whispers
“Let go”
Intoned on the winds softly
Am I dead?
Let go…So insistent, so calming,
I must let go
So closing my eyes I do;
So I sank with no pain
Deeper and deeper into the depths of a void
Until finally
I rest comfortably among my linens
Transported back to my bed
Sitting, shaking the sleep from me
Stumbling upon reality
I see the paper on the spread
Written in elegant script
The parchment nearly as old as time itself
These small words; with the force of a brick
Startle me into awareness
The truth, the paradox revealed.
“You must let go…to be free”
©SKW
Monday's Ramblings
"The only limits to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith."~Franklin D. Roosevelt
"An amazing thing happens when we slow down. We start to get flashes of inspiration. We reach a new level of understanding and even wisdom. In a quiet moment we can get an intuitive insight that can change our entire life and the lives of the people around us in incredibly positive ways. And those changes can last a lifetime. Living more simply will make it possible to create those quiet moments. Out of those quiet moments miracles happen. Be open to them.”~Elaine St. James
“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”~Helen Keller
~*~*~*~*~*~
The weekend was uneventful. It was spent entirely at home with very little communication to the outside world. Sometimes I need that solitude. I rested when I wanted (I really did take some naps). I ate when I wanted, and I spent the weekened either online or alone with my thoughts.
All in all it was ok. I also slept last night from 11:30pm until 5:20am. Not too bad since I've been unable to sleep well for a while. As the day moves on, I'll probably post more. For now, the weekend of thoughts has left me with digital soup; you know words with no purpose. I can't think of any better way in leiu of some awe inspiring post, to start the day than with Inspirations, blessings and quotes. So here you go...
~Muse
~*~*~*~*~*~*
DAILY INSPIRATION
I posted a new one on Digital Soup Online; the Blog as well, but I had two good ones, so here's another :)
The Journey Of Release
Tied In Knots
When we become overwhelmed and things are not going as planned, it is natural to hold tighter to our goals and try to force things to go our way. In the process, we tie ourselves in knots, tensing our shoulders, jaws, and muscles throughout our bodies. Our mind tells us that this is how to get a firmer grip on a situation that feels out of control, but as we create knots in our bodies we are blocking the flow of our energy, exhausting ourselves by exerting more effort yet accomplishing less. At these times, though it may seem counterintuitive, our higher selves know it's better to let go.
This may not be quite as easy as it sounds. After the relief of our first decision to release, if we allow questions about how to get everything done to start again, the knots will be back before we know it. So we need to be aware that this is a process to breathe through. First, we need to let go of our idea of what the perfect outcome should be, and allow that the intelligence that drives the universe knows better than we do how everything fits together for the highest good. Then we might have to release our imagined consequences and realize that, in most cases, the worst that could happen really isn't that bad. We may need to remember how to relax, first by taking deep breaths, then by meditating, and then perhaps seeking help from a loved one, massage therapist, or energy healer to clear the underlying knots.
We can ease our mental stress by prioritizing what we truly want to accomplish, and then delegating the rest to someone who has more enthusiasm for those things. When we relax and let life's energy flow through our minds, bodies, spirits, and lives, we will find that we can accomplish more with less effort and feel good doing it. We don't have to tie ourselves in knots. Instead, we can let the ribbons of our energy unfurl to gracefully direct us through life's abundant flow.
DailyOm
~*~*~*~*~*~
WELL WISHES, INTENTIONS, and BLESSINGS
My intention that I send out to you all today is that you all find your way to being open to others. A smile, a nod, even a hello can sometimes do wonders. Have a wonderful (and peaceful!) Monday everyone!
XO
~*~*~*~*~*~
AND REMEMBER
"What's the use of worrying?
It never was worth while,
So pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag,
And smile, smile, smile.
~George Asaf
"An amazing thing happens when we slow down. We start to get flashes of inspiration. We reach a new level of understanding and even wisdom. In a quiet moment we can get an intuitive insight that can change our entire life and the lives of the people around us in incredibly positive ways. And those changes can last a lifetime. Living more simply will make it possible to create those quiet moments. Out of those quiet moments miracles happen. Be open to them.”~Elaine St. James
“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”~Helen Keller
~*~*~*~*~*~
The weekend was uneventful. It was spent entirely at home with very little communication to the outside world. Sometimes I need that solitude. I rested when I wanted (I really did take some naps). I ate when I wanted, and I spent the weekened either online or alone with my thoughts.
All in all it was ok. I also slept last night from 11:30pm until 5:20am. Not too bad since I've been unable to sleep well for a while. As the day moves on, I'll probably post more. For now, the weekend of thoughts has left me with digital soup; you know words with no purpose. I can't think of any better way in leiu of some awe inspiring post, to start the day than with Inspirations, blessings and quotes. So here you go...
~Muse
~*~*~*~*~*~*
DAILY INSPIRATION
I posted a new one on Digital Soup Online; the Blog as well, but I had two good ones, so here's another :)
The Journey Of Release
Tied In Knots
When we become overwhelmed and things are not going as planned, it is natural to hold tighter to our goals and try to force things to go our way. In the process, we tie ourselves in knots, tensing our shoulders, jaws, and muscles throughout our bodies. Our mind tells us that this is how to get a firmer grip on a situation that feels out of control, but as we create knots in our bodies we are blocking the flow of our energy, exhausting ourselves by exerting more effort yet accomplishing less. At these times, though it may seem counterintuitive, our higher selves know it's better to let go.
This may not be quite as easy as it sounds. After the relief of our first decision to release, if we allow questions about how to get everything done to start again, the knots will be back before we know it. So we need to be aware that this is a process to breathe through. First, we need to let go of our idea of what the perfect outcome should be, and allow that the intelligence that drives the universe knows better than we do how everything fits together for the highest good. Then we might have to release our imagined consequences and realize that, in most cases, the worst that could happen really isn't that bad. We may need to remember how to relax, first by taking deep breaths, then by meditating, and then perhaps seeking help from a loved one, massage therapist, or energy healer to clear the underlying knots.
We can ease our mental stress by prioritizing what we truly want to accomplish, and then delegating the rest to someone who has more enthusiasm for those things. When we relax and let life's energy flow through our minds, bodies, spirits, and lives, we will find that we can accomplish more with less effort and feel good doing it. We don't have to tie ourselves in knots. Instead, we can let the ribbons of our energy unfurl to gracefully direct us through life's abundant flow.
DailyOm
~*~*~*~*~*~
WELL WISHES, INTENTIONS, and BLESSINGS
My intention that I send out to you all today is that you all find your way to being open to others. A smile, a nod, even a hello can sometimes do wonders. Have a wonderful (and peaceful!) Monday everyone!
XO
~*~*~*~*~*~
AND REMEMBER
"What's the use of worrying?
It never was worth while,
So pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag,
And smile, smile, smile.
~George Asaf
Friday, August 11, 2006
Friday's child was happy... And so was I :)
This morning on your way to work (or when you first get up if on a weekend) say a prayer of thanks for those friends in your sacred heart. Send them love and pink light to guide their day.
Today, write a poem about you as if you were someone else. This MUST be a poem of light, pinpointing your beauty by any means, works, physical appearance etc. Do not be afraid to recognize your worth.
Take one whole hour for yourself. Do something purely for you… to relax. Don't worry about anything you think you need to do. For one hour, take yourself out of the world & relax. Set a timer so you don't even have to watch the clock. ~Shaun
~*~*~*~*~*~
Wow, all three today are ones either I made, or that people gave to me. Shows you where I am these days. And if you don’t know, sometimes I wander in the swamp of despair with the issues I have going on. Sometimes I wander in the frenzied time riddled abyss of never having enough time to do it all. And still sometimes, very small amounts of time, I reside in my sanctuary where I should be a LOT more. Each of these quotes addresses some thing about me today personally.
On my way to work I said a prayer of thanks for all of the people I am blessed to have as friends. These past 3 years have seen me need to rely heavily on some friends both offline and online and those very special friends have really been there. No matter how life gets me down, I always try to not be blinded by feeling alone (even though it happens sometimes) because I’m so very blessed for those who have without question or fail been there to help me. I’ve had to swallow my pride on numerous occasions and accept the help that years ago I would have scoffed at. I’ve always been very independent but I’ve just not been this way for the past three years… My point in this discussion is that I do not want a SINGLE day to go by where I don’t acknowledge the wonderful people in my life. I may get angry at some things, I may get sidetracked by a current emotion, but underneath all of the journeys that we have, I recognize what a beautiful wonderful friend I have in many people. I want to remain humble in this blessing; because I know “true” friends ARE a blessing.
Let my heart sing to yours
I’ll reach across the shore just to touch you
So you know you’re not alone
Let me infuse you with joy
So you can soar high above all your troubles
And know beauty
Allow me to know you
I’ll handle your spirit with care and love
So you can feel comfort
Listen to my words
Let them express themselves to you
Blooming like spring flowers in your garden
This is me. This is all I am.
(my poem for affirmation #2. Not my best, but in a nutshell that’s what I want to do for people)
As far as the third affirmation, I will Shaun. I will take a whole hour this weekend and read, take a long bath, make some tea and meditate, workout, or whatever. My body and spirit need refreshing, replenishing, so that I can fight the good fight again.
So today, Friday, may you all have a VERY joyous day!
Xo
~*~*~*~*~*~
WELL WISHES, BLESSINGS and INTENTIONS
Today’s blessing is a Buddhist one. May it comfort you if you need it, bring peace to you if you don’t, and keep you well no matter what. XO
Traditional Buddhist Blessing and Healing Chant
Just as the soft rains fill the streams,
Pour into the rivers and join together in the oceans,
So may the power of every moment of your goodness
Flow forth to awaken and heal all beings,
Those here now, those gone before, those yet to come.
By the power of every moment of your goodness
May your heart's wishes be soon fulfilled,
As completely shining as the bright full moon,
As magically as by a wish-fulfilling gem.
By the power of every moment of your goodness
May all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.
May no obstacle come across your way.
May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.
For all in whose heart dwells respect,
Who follow the wisdom and compassion, of the way,
May your life prosper in the four blessings,
Of old age, beauty, happiness and strength.
~*~*~*~*~*~
AND REMEMBER:
It's always darkest before the dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it. ~Author Unknown
Today, write a poem about you as if you were someone else. This MUST be a poem of light, pinpointing your beauty by any means, works, physical appearance etc. Do not be afraid to recognize your worth.
Take one whole hour for yourself. Do something purely for you… to relax. Don't worry about anything you think you need to do. For one hour, take yourself out of the world & relax. Set a timer so you don't even have to watch the clock. ~Shaun
~*~*~*~*~*~
Wow, all three today are ones either I made, or that people gave to me. Shows you where I am these days. And if you don’t know, sometimes I wander in the swamp of despair with the issues I have going on. Sometimes I wander in the frenzied time riddled abyss of never having enough time to do it all. And still sometimes, very small amounts of time, I reside in my sanctuary where I should be a LOT more. Each of these quotes addresses some thing about me today personally.
On my way to work I said a prayer of thanks for all of the people I am blessed to have as friends. These past 3 years have seen me need to rely heavily on some friends both offline and online and those very special friends have really been there. No matter how life gets me down, I always try to not be blinded by feeling alone (even though it happens sometimes) because I’m so very blessed for those who have without question or fail been there to help me. I’ve had to swallow my pride on numerous occasions and accept the help that years ago I would have scoffed at. I’ve always been very independent but I’ve just not been this way for the past three years… My point in this discussion is that I do not want a SINGLE day to go by where I don’t acknowledge the wonderful people in my life. I may get angry at some things, I may get sidetracked by a current emotion, but underneath all of the journeys that we have, I recognize what a beautiful wonderful friend I have in many people. I want to remain humble in this blessing; because I know “true” friends ARE a blessing.
Let my heart sing to yours
I’ll reach across the shore just to touch you
So you know you’re not alone
Let me infuse you with joy
So you can soar high above all your troubles
And know beauty
Allow me to know you
I’ll handle your spirit with care and love
So you can feel comfort
Listen to my words
Let them express themselves to you
Blooming like spring flowers in your garden
This is me. This is all I am.
(my poem for affirmation #2. Not my best, but in a nutshell that’s what I want to do for people)
As far as the third affirmation, I will Shaun. I will take a whole hour this weekend and read, take a long bath, make some tea and meditate, workout, or whatever. My body and spirit need refreshing, replenishing, so that I can fight the good fight again.
So today, Friday, may you all have a VERY joyous day!
Xo
~*~*~*~*~*~
WELL WISHES, BLESSINGS and INTENTIONS
Today’s blessing is a Buddhist one. May it comfort you if you need it, bring peace to you if you don’t, and keep you well no matter what. XO
Traditional Buddhist Blessing and Healing Chant
Just as the soft rains fill the streams,
Pour into the rivers and join together in the oceans,
So may the power of every moment of your goodness
Flow forth to awaken and heal all beings,
Those here now, those gone before, those yet to come.
By the power of every moment of your goodness
May your heart's wishes be soon fulfilled,
As completely shining as the bright full moon,
As magically as by a wish-fulfilling gem.
By the power of every moment of your goodness
May all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.
May no obstacle come across your way.
May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.
For all in whose heart dwells respect,
Who follow the wisdom and compassion, of the way,
May your life prosper in the four blessings,
Of old age, beauty, happiness and strength.
~*~*~*~*~*~
AND REMEMBER:
It's always darkest before the dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it. ~Author Unknown
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Thoughts on Yesterday's quotes
What is around you is only an extension of who you are. Look at those things and realize that they are what they are, imperfect though they may be. By accepting the truth, you propel yourself into better circumstances. By resisting, you live in the constant negativity of your own dissatisfaction. ~Stuart Wilde
~*~
Here is today's heartfelt blessing:
"In this moment, if I choose to be ruled by fear, what will the consequences be? If I choose to embrace this moment with love and gratitude, what will the consequences be? Your heart knows the difference. It feels each moment that you have disconnected from love and gratitude. Consequently, every fear-driven beat of the heart plays a symphony of victimization and suffering." ~Dr. Darren R. Weissman, "The Power of Infinite Love and Gratitude"
When we keep the focus of our thoughts centered on those things that are good and pure and lovely; when we suspend judgment of others and choose, instead, to love without condition; when we look at every experience, good or bad, as a reason to be thankful; when we do these things, we remain connected to Spirit. We feel healthy, and vibrant and alive. Any clutch of fear or worry is simply a warning that we are pulling away from our power. It's like a disconnect notice from the universe, reminding us that we need to once more "pay" attention to the dominant trend of our thoughts.
And until tomorrow...Know that you are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to me.
May your day be filled with all things good,
Kate Nowak
One Million Blessings; May You be blessed
~*~*~*~*~*~
I really dislike being sick. Aside from uncomfortable, it’s just not fun. Who likes to be sick? No one that I know… Bleh. I won’t rant about this today.
I really like this line “By resisting, you live in the constant negativity of your own dissatisfaction” in the first quote.
The constant negativity of your own dissatisfaction…
That’s a powerful statement right there. It’s true though, dissatisfaction can be projected and twisted and turned onto someone else but ultimately it is your own dissatisfaction.
I find it hard to live Don Miguel Ruiz’s world sometimes (see yesterday’s quotes). I wish I could distance myself from assumption, never take anything personally, and always do my best. So far I’ve only managed to (sometimes) incorporate being impeccable with my word.
Here, in this blog particularly I try to say what I mean. I do this too in conversations with people, in email, etc. I fail sometimes because I’m a creature of emotion and sometimes that emotion gets the better of me. But as much as this musings blog, the digital soup online one, and my other (totally anonymous one ;) are very public places, viewable by anyone… I still maintain being impeccable with my word. I temper criticque with insight, and soften words of hurt with compassion. I try…
But I can’t seem to expertly weave the other 3 of the four agreements into my life to make a fine work of art that’s all me.
How does one not take things personally? Do you just shut off that voice that says “Oh my god, he did not just call you a fat cow!” and say he is a victim of his environment or has fallen prey to the dream that he lives in. That’s a hard sell. But maybe too, that’s the lesson eh?
How does one not make assumptions? We live in a fast paced world where signals and shortened messages account for 80% of our communication. There isn’t much room there for clarification. Personally too, it’s easy to fall into the “I know them well enough I’m sure they would do, or say this.” I can see where assumption would walk hand in hand paired perfectly, with fear. Assuming one will do something that could have an impact particularly negative is the driving force for people to take action without a basis in fact.
Always do your best, is not one that is too hard. If we at all have pride in who we are, what we do, what life is about, etc.; then doing our best comes naturally I would think.
I do think I lack discipline however, and need to work on my own “Dream” as Don Miguel Ruiz would call it. I need to furnish it with more of the things that help me be more of what *I* want to be, so that when I come across the things listed above, comments, meanness etc.; I can walk away saying I will not take it personally and wish them instead well. Additionally I can then use this to help others. That is my goal. I may lose sight of how to get to the goal line, but the goal itself has never been clearer.
And like Kate Nowak says to me every morning (see above quote), I say to myself as well as to you:
Know that you are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to me.
XO
~*~*~*~*~*~
WELL WISHES, BLESSINGS, and INTENTIONS
I wish you all a day of blissful peace. That no one hurts you; that you are able to look with compassion on others; that you are able to love yourself. Today should (like everyday) be a day of love. I send you all love today, allow yourself to feel it, even if it feels foreign. It starts somewhere ;)
~*~*~*~*~*~
AND REMEMBER
Accept everything about yourself -- I mean everything, you are you and that is the beginning and the end -- no apologies, no regrets.
~Clark Moustakas
Ok MAJOR Rant
Fear not, I will post some light later. But for now, I'm going to take a step out of my ordinary pose and offer how *I* feel on certain current events...
**********
We live in a mad, mad world. It amazes me that right next to the articles showing arrests of terrorist and thwarting the use of planes as weapons…AGAIN (Remember 9/11? Or has time softened that memory); there is also a picture of Mel Gibson and how a tabloid alleges he has a shady past.
GET REAL PEOPLE!
Look, I believe wholeheartedly that being famous thrusts you into the position of a role model. As people with a conscience, we have a responsibility to educate and help others, ESPECIALLY if we have the ability to make a staggering difference by simply being who we are.
But no one is perfect.
I’m not condoning his racial slurs, but I am saying there are FAR more important things going on in the world today that DEMAND our attention. And yet, the most read articles so far this morning are about Mel Gibson. Someone wants to put up a billboard against him; the tabloids allege he has a dark past, etc. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone mysteriously appears with some story of how he abused her or whatever soon.
We are such gossip mongers. (Not all of us but too many are). Are our lives really that boring that seeing the suffering and/or destruction of another’s life and calling it art or media makes us feel that much better? We are no better in that case than the bullies on the grade school playground; we’re just adults with media toys that are legal and intent that is perverted enough to think that flooding people with these things has some sort of “truth” effect (The people have a right to know. Right, and to know and to know and to know... God, ENOUGH!). All it is is a means to make money at other people’s expense.
Knowing this and seeing this, sometimes makes offering happiness and light feel like such an uphill battle. No matter what the “little” people like myself try to do, I feel sometimes as if I can’t paste enough messages in enough places. Even if I put these messages in blinking NEON I think they would still would be passed off as simple fluff; the meanderings of someone who’s not intelligent, not concerned or otherwise just stupid. Man, I know we all have opinions, I know we’re all unique, I know we’re all special, but can’t we embrace that about each other? Can’t we share that? Cant’ we be human and make mistakes? Can’t we respect someone’s mistake, accept their very public apology and move on? Even in the case of presidents who make HUGE mistakes. They’re role models too but they’re human. How many hundreds of people have face situations like that one? They’re not plastered all over the world… It seems as if the world eagerly awaits the newest scapegoat going along with mad delight at seeing people’s lives torn apart over something stupid. It’s like a drug and just like any drug, you have to use more to sustain the high. The world needs a new “drug” so who’s next?
I hope someday soon before we tear ourselves apart in this frenzy of bad behavior, that we wake up because sometimes it gets harder and harder for me to spread joy with so much filth around.
/rant off.
**********
We live in a mad, mad world. It amazes me that right next to the articles showing arrests of terrorist and thwarting the use of planes as weapons…AGAIN (Remember 9/11? Or has time softened that memory); there is also a picture of Mel Gibson and how a tabloid alleges he has a shady past.
GET REAL PEOPLE!
Look, I believe wholeheartedly that being famous thrusts you into the position of a role model. As people with a conscience, we have a responsibility to educate and help others, ESPECIALLY if we have the ability to make a staggering difference by simply being who we are.
But no one is perfect.
I’m not condoning his racial slurs, but I am saying there are FAR more important things going on in the world today that DEMAND our attention. And yet, the most read articles so far this morning are about Mel Gibson. Someone wants to put up a billboard against him; the tabloids allege he has a dark past, etc. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone mysteriously appears with some story of how he abused her or whatever soon.
We are such gossip mongers. (Not all of us but too many are). Are our lives really that boring that seeing the suffering and/or destruction of another’s life and calling it art or media makes us feel that much better? We are no better in that case than the bullies on the grade school playground; we’re just adults with media toys that are legal and intent that is perverted enough to think that flooding people with these things has some sort of “truth” effect (The people have a right to know. Right, and to know and to know and to know... God, ENOUGH!). All it is is a means to make money at other people’s expense.
Knowing this and seeing this, sometimes makes offering happiness and light feel like such an uphill battle. No matter what the “little” people like myself try to do, I feel sometimes as if I can’t paste enough messages in enough places. Even if I put these messages in blinking NEON I think they would still would be passed off as simple fluff; the meanderings of someone who’s not intelligent, not concerned or otherwise just stupid. Man, I know we all have opinions, I know we’re all unique, I know we’re all special, but can’t we embrace that about each other? Can’t we share that? Cant’ we be human and make mistakes? Can’t we respect someone’s mistake, accept their very public apology and move on? Even in the case of presidents who make HUGE mistakes. They’re role models too but they’re human. How many hundreds of people have face situations like that one? They’re not plastered all over the world… It seems as if the world eagerly awaits the newest scapegoat going along with mad delight at seeing people’s lives torn apart over something stupid. It’s like a drug and just like any drug, you have to use more to sustain the high. The world needs a new “drug” so who’s next?
I hope someday soon before we tear ourselves apart in this frenzy of bad behavior, that we wake up because sometimes it gets harder and harder for me to spread joy with so much filth around.
/rant off.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Wednesday Quotes
1 - Be impeccable with your word - Speak w/ integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
2 - Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say & do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions & actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
3 - Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions & to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness & drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4 - Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best & you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse & regret.
Don Miguel Ruiz – The Four Agreements
Rule Seven - Others are only mirrors of you. You love or hate something about another person according to what love or hate about yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and have an objective perception of your own self, your thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not adequately attending to your own needs.
~Cherie Carter Scott – Rules of Life
Pay attention to your own needs so you can efficiently help others.
"Life is not the body; it is not the mind; it is not the soul. It is a force" ~Don Miguel Ruiz –
The Mastery of Love"
**********
I’ve rewritten this blog post four times already, so I figure it’s better to just leave it alone as is. I have picked some wonderful quotes today so I’ll leave those up for you to enjoy.
Have a beautiful day!
Muse
2 - Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say & do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions & actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
3 - Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions & to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness & drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4 - Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best & you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse & regret.
Don Miguel Ruiz – The Four Agreements
Rule Seven - Others are only mirrors of you. You love or hate something about another person according to what love or hate about yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and have an objective perception of your own self, your thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not adequately attending to your own needs.
~Cherie Carter Scott – Rules of Life
Pay attention to your own needs so you can efficiently help others.
"Life is not the body; it is not the mind; it is not the soul. It is a force" ~Don Miguel Ruiz –
The Mastery of Love"
**********
I’ve rewritten this blog post four times already, so I figure it’s better to just leave it alone as is. I have picked some wonderful quotes today so I’ll leave those up for you to enjoy.
Have a beautiful day!
Muse
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Testing 1...2...3...
"Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight." ~Benjamin Franklin
**********
The above quote was so apropos for today. The results of my bloodwork came in yesterday. I debated about posting them because while they did see SOMETHING on them, they are still inconclusive. I have to have more testing to find out what's going on.
Basically my Thyroid is ok, but my white blood cell count is nearly three times higher than normal. This is not a good sign. Typically it means there is an infection of some sort, though with a white blood cell count and Neutraophil count to corroborate an infection, it seems likely that an infection that high would be noticeable. I am going for more testing on 8-16 to find out what the infection is and hopefully take care of it.
As I was cautioned, the infection can be something as simple as an internal one that pills would take care of. I was also conversly cautioned that it could be serious but they just dont know yet. I hate the precarious position doctors are put in. How much do you really let on? Too much and you have a patient that panicks (enter me....) too little and someone may blow the whole thing off as not important.
At this point my runaway train of thoughts has gone completely careening off the track of normalcy and I've had to call several friends of mine to just tell me to "Take a step back and relax". Which, I have done... but it still sits gnawing at the back of my mind that something is wrong.
One of the things I know from psychology is that if you are unprotected when you work with a person with a terminal illness, one of the likely things you'll go through is the fear of contracting those things yourself. Even psychologically based and with no scientific fact to go on you can feel as if every ailment can turn into whatever it was the person you worked with had.
Allow me to explain. Before Jessie passed away or shortly thereafter (I can't remember which now). I had some throat and ear infections. They were consistent, painful and not fun. I went to an ENT and he checked me said I was ok and was ready to dismiss me. I asked him if he could check for cancer and he looked at me funny, but he obliged ("surely if you like, you have insurance!"). They did a scope and some other tests and came back with an all clear. No cancer. I didn't realize until I burst into tears right there in the doctors office just "how" afraid I was that I would somehow through my involvement with Kathy (my friend who died of cancer, before Jessie) or Jessie or any one of the many people I've dealt with on several occasions who had cancer, that I would somehow get it. That's not to say that I wont ever get it, but realistically it wont be because of my involvement with them (see what I mean about irrational... it's all documented psychologically, but we still fall prey to it). I can remember shaing back then with Al (Jessie's husband) of my experience and he related the same type thing happening to him. It was good to know I wasn't alone in that.
So now we fast forward to today. Now my mind, that runaway train, again just refuses much like a petulant child, to be righted on the proper tracks.
I go back on 8-16 for more testing, then I have something else scheduled on 8-23. Hopefully these visits will establish (to the very pricey tune of over $3,000) that I am horribly overweight, but remarkably healthy. And that my imagination is alive and well... And hopefully these visits will set my train back on track because going off road with the engines screaming, makes my heart race (never a good thing). And when the road doesn't rise up to meet you but flies by in a blur as you careen out of control is a frightening thing.
Each day at a time until I know more, I will refuse to be led into darkness even if I can't get off this train. So today and everyday I will wish for your health, happiness, and joy to be at it's peak, even more so than normal. Because in the love of others we find peace for ourselves, I truly believe that.
XO
~Muse
**********
WELL WISHES, BLESSINGS, and INTENTIONS
A Celtic Prayer
Deep peace of the running waves to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.
May you have a BEAUTIFUL day! Turn your face to the sun and wrap your arms around yourselves. This is my hug to you ;)
**********
AND REMEMBER
Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime,
Therefore, we are saved by hope.
Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;
Therefore, we are saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone.
Therefore, we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite a virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our own;
Therefore, we are saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.
~Reinhold Niebuhr
Monday, August 07, 2006
Think before you speak (Poetry Thursday Post)
In the back of my mind the cautionary feeling sits
Blinking it's warning.
Still, unfazed I continue on my tirade
without thought to what's coming out
Later clarity sets in calmly
unlike the utterance of words earlier
Crystal clear do I see the words uttered
Suspended in the eerie glow of time past
I reach out to touch the words
That should have been said
They shimmer like the mirage out of my reach
Taunting, serving as reminder
To think before I next speak.
©SKW
For my Poetry Thursday Post
Blinking it's warning.
Still, unfazed I continue on my tirade
without thought to what's coming out
Later clarity sets in calmly
unlike the utterance of words earlier
Crystal clear do I see the words uttered
Suspended in the eerie glow of time past
I reach out to touch the words
That should have been said
They shimmer like the mirage out of my reach
Taunting, serving as reminder
To think before I next speak.
©SKW
For my Poetry Thursday Post
Exorcisms, 5 things, and listening quietly ;)
If a dog were your teacher... Author Unknown ~ Digital Soup Online; the Blog
**********
“Love is in you.
Go inward.
Play with The Creator.
The Creator is waiting for you with Love.”
~Chalanda Sai Ma
The Quiet Listeners
Go inward.
Play with The Creator.
The Creator is waiting for you with Love.”
~Chalanda Sai Ma
The Quiet Listeners
by Laura Foley
Go into the woods
Go into the woods
and tell your storyto the trees.
They are wise
standing in their folds of silence
among white crystals of rock
and dying limbs.
And they have time.
Time for the swaying of leaves,
the floating down,the dust.
They have time for gathering
and holding the earth about their feet.
Do this.
It is something I have learned.
How they will bend down to you
so softly.
They will bend down to you and listen.
**********
I saw 3/4 of the movie The Exorcism of Emily Rose this weekend. I watched it initially because the lead character is played by Jennifer Carpenter from the movie White Chicks. (I know, White Chicks wasn't a blockbuster winner, but I thought she did well with what she had.) In any event, the movie about Emily Rose was very nicely done I thought. I'll have to watch it again so I can see it from the beginning, but it was very creepy, detailed, and honest, anmd interesting. Why do I mention it here? Well because I can :)
This weekend was not without it's events, but for the most part, it was just a weekend. I've discovered some things about me, and kept chipping away at the mystery that surrounds a lot of who I am and what I like, and made some startling discoveries. I feel so much like part Indiana Jones (but the sexy female version) stumbling on treasures and taking on missions to FIND more treasures with great risk; and part Seer seeking blindly with only instinct and supernatural guidance to find the answers to a great puzzle.
In any event, I find my inspiration lacking this morning so because I have no words of wisdom, no message to totally rock and shake you to the core... I'll post this instead:
In any event, I find my inspiration lacking this morning so because I have no words of wisdom, no message to totally rock and shake you to the core... I'll post this instead:
So I was tagged by Kelli at Kelli’s Musings. So here is my post from that tagging ;)
Five items in my freezer:
1. Freezer Burned Chicken breasts
2. Peppermint Ice Cream from Oberweiss
3. Frozen Spinach
4. Ice Packs for injuries :P
5. ice cubes
Five items in my closet:
1. 7 Rubbermaid Containers of all my candles and holders
2. a suitcase
3. My first place trophy from Senior Year of high school, singing in a contest
4. a step ladder
5. Madonna’s Book “Sex” which for some reason I STILL have. One of the controversial things I bought when I lived home and was rebelling. And go me! It’s out of print so I own a piece of history, woohoo!
Five items in the car:
1.Bank Deposit slips
2. a purse someone gave me free
3. a winter jacket, a remnant from last year
4. TONS of music CD’s
5. My Insurance card
Five items in my backpack:
(I don’t carry a backpack either…neither does Kelli, but I will tell you what’s in my purse instead)
1. My wallet
2. My keys
3. various pens
4. Light musk body splash
5. various tiny letters I’ve received from people that came with gifts or just because… (i.e. from my birthday last year a note from Mr. Uber stating among other things not disclosed here, “…how wonderful you are to me and everyone you meet.” Or from October of last year when my car windshield was smashed a note from Shaun and his family as they sent me orange truffles “Trick or treat and lets hope no more tricks!”)
Five people I am tagging:
1. Mrs. Virgo
2. Mrs. B in AZ
3. Kelli (yup a tag back!)
4. Blog Dog (but he’s not back yet, so this will have to be an I.O.U. tag :P
5. E-Musings
**********
WELL WISHES, INTENTIONS, and BLESSINGS
My wish for you all today is that the Monday blues do not find you. Instead the glow of Friday (or whatever day you find happiest) envelope you and provide you with enough brightness to cast away the blues.
XO
**********
AND REMEMBER:
"Go forth into the busy world and love it. Interest yourself in its life; mingle with its joys and sorrows." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Five items in my freezer:
1. Freezer Burned Chicken breasts
2. Peppermint Ice Cream from Oberweiss
3. Frozen Spinach
4. Ice Packs for injuries :P
5. ice cubes
Five items in my closet:
1. 7 Rubbermaid Containers of all my candles and holders
2. a suitcase
3. My first place trophy from Senior Year of high school, singing in a contest
4. a step ladder
5. Madonna’s Book “Sex” which for some reason I STILL have. One of the controversial things I bought when I lived home and was rebelling. And go me! It’s out of print so I own a piece of history, woohoo!
Five items in the car:
1.Bank Deposit slips
2. a purse someone gave me free
3. a winter jacket, a remnant from last year
4. TONS of music CD’s
5. My Insurance card
Five items in my backpack:
(I don’t carry a backpack either…neither does Kelli, but I will tell you what’s in my purse instead)
1. My wallet
2. My keys
3. various pens
4. Light musk body splash
5. various tiny letters I’ve received from people that came with gifts or just because… (i.e. from my birthday last year a note from Mr. Uber stating among other things not disclosed here, “…how wonderful you are to me and everyone you meet.” Or from October of last year when my car windshield was smashed a note from Shaun and his family as they sent me orange truffles “Trick or treat and lets hope no more tricks!”)
Five people I am tagging:
1. Mrs. Virgo
2. Mrs. B in AZ
3. Kelli (yup a tag back!)
4. Blog Dog (but he’s not back yet, so this will have to be an I.O.U. tag :P
5. E-Musings
**********
WELL WISHES, INTENTIONS, and BLESSINGS
My wish for you all today is that the Monday blues do not find you. Instead the glow of Friday (or whatever day you find happiest) envelope you and provide you with enough brightness to cast away the blues.
XO
**********
AND REMEMBER:
"Go forth into the busy world and love it. Interest yourself in its life; mingle with its joys and sorrows." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friday, August 04, 2006
Waters Hidden Message (reposting from May for Poetry Thursday)
(A reposting for my contribution to this week’s option on Poetry Thursday)
Waters Hidden Message
Between the lines, under the waters windswept penmanship
Do you see the message?
The warrior of light stands surrounded by many still shining alone
From watery whispers the song comes
The dream of the City of Promise yet unseen
The untold prophesy speaks to open hearts
The tale of of light shared for all who would see
Volumes of truth uttered in solitude
Carried along her tears as they drop into the watery sea
The scribe writes hastily in ebbing tides and quiet moon rays
Flowing into the undiscovered City of Promise
To sing a harmony oh so few hear and she will never see
Claim her tears gentle sea
Be her messenger in the water's parchment
Her story written between the watery lines
So to wash away the sadness
And reveal your city of promise...This is her plea.
©SKW
*Composed while listening to Enya's - "Water shows the Hidden Heart"
Waters Hidden Message
Between the lines, under the waters windswept penmanship
Do you see the message?
The warrior of light stands surrounded by many still shining alone
From watery whispers the song comes
The dream of the City of Promise yet unseen
The untold prophesy speaks to open hearts
The tale of of light shared for all who would see
Volumes of truth uttered in solitude
Carried along her tears as they drop into the watery sea
The scribe writes hastily in ebbing tides and quiet moon rays
Flowing into the undiscovered City of Promise
To sing a harmony oh so few hear and she will never see
Claim her tears gentle sea
Be her messenger in the water's parchment
Her story written between the watery lines
So to wash away the sadness
And reveal your city of promise...This is her plea.
©SKW
*Composed while listening to Enya's - "Water shows the Hidden Heart"
Humility
Let Yourself Be Carried
The Flow of The Universe
The flow of the universe moves through everything. It's in the rocks that form, get pounded into dust, and are blown away. It is the blossoming of a flower born from a seed planted in the spring. The growth cycle that every human being goes through is part of this natural flow. The current that takes us down life's paths is this flow. When we move with it, rather than resisting, we are riding on the universal current that allows us to flow with life.
Many people live their lives struggling against this current. They try to use force or resistance to will their lives into happening the way they think it should. Others move with this flow like a sailor using the wind, trusting that the universe is taking them exactly where they need to be at all times. This flow is accessible to everyone because it moves through and around us. We are always riding this flow. It's just a matter of whether we are willing to go with it or resist it. Choosing to go with the flow is often a matter of letting go of the notion that we need to be in control at all times. The flow is always taking you where you need to go. It's just a matter of deciding whether you plan on taking the ride or having it take you there with you dragging your feet.
Learning to step into the flow can help you feel a connection to a force that is greater than you and is always there to support you. The decision to go with the flow can take courage because you are surrendering the notion that you need to do everything by yourself. Riding the flow of the universe can be effortless, exhilarating, and not like anything you ever expected. When you are open to being in this flow, you open yourself to possibilities that exist beyond the grasp of your control. As a child, you were naturally swept by the flow. Tears of sadness falling down your face could just as quickly turn to tears of laughter. Just the tiniest wave carrying you forward off the shores of the ocean could carry you into peals of delight. Our souls feel good when we go with the flow of the universe. All we have to do is make the choice to ride its currents.
Courtesy of DailyOm
**********
Today’s quote I actually went on the internet to look specifically for. I’m guilty of always going against the grain. I want something so bad, I think I need something, or whatever... So I push when everything else is pulling, and pull when I’m told to push because “I KNOW THE WAY”. I don’t do this all the time. But I do it enough that when life throws something at you saying “hey, just wait a god damn minute here, I’m the one in charge”. I’m sitting here stunned like…Wow.
Today I’m left with a humble sense of the fact that life sometimes, the universe sometimes, and even divinity sometimes throws us into situations because we need to stop thinking we are “all that” and realize that no matter what, everything can change.
I don’t subscribe entirely to the philosophy that our fate is decided by another, but I do believe that sometimes we need to be stopped from our forward motion and reminded that life is a precarious balance between forward growth and momentum, as well as the stopping to enjoy it; and that if either one of those two extremes is too…well, extreme, then life steps in and slows you down to remind you of this lesson.
I await more testing based on yesterday’s tests. While the results of this test can have anything from the easiest to manage of results, to the most drastic (as explained by a nurse who was probably a bit TOO proactive in telling me ALL the things that COULD be wrong with me) they have nevertheless left me a bit humbled and scared.
At various points in my life, I’ve had my eyes opened to the “real world”. The one that goes on around you as you move about your life. Some people may think they see this world, but really they don’t. It’s a world of possibilities, a world of awareness, a world of constant awakenings and truths. Jessie was very good at keeping me in this zone. Just by knowing her I was aware all the time.
Well in the last two years since her passing, I was blinded again. Yesterday I was awakened. Today’s post, this one in particular, is my witnessing to myself as a reminder that we should all respect life, and the tenuous grasp we have on it for the beautiful thing it is. Because even if you do not get sick, or have it taken from you, at any time you CAN suffer, and you CAN lose it. Life itself is more a gift than any gift I have known.
Today I pay my respects to those forces around me that have more control over my little light in this world than I give them credit for. I respect you, and yes… I’ve begun again praying in your honor. You can never have too much prayer.
~Muse
**********
WELL WISHES, BLESSINGS, and INTENTIONS
“Help me to adapt to change gracefully, so I can always grow and learn.”
That is today’s wish for you all. When you see with clarity hopefully you will be able to adapt and recognize what you see. When you are fraught with life’s hurries and things, may you have the gift of this vision. When you no longer have this vision, may you remember the sweetness of the door opening and the blinders falling from your eyes so that when you need it again, it is there to guide you.
Much love to everyone, including those who’re just visiting this place today for the first time. You are loved too…
XO
**********
AND REMEMBER:
When you have once seen the glow of happiness on the face of a beloved person, you know that a man can have no vocation but to awaken that light on the faces surrounding him; and you are torn by the thought of the unhappiness and night you cast, by the mere fact of living, in the hearts you encounter.
~Albert Camus
**********
Special thanks today to Aussie_Male. For all you already know, for who you are, and what you do for & with me. I am grateful for all my friends but this morning, my heart is grateful in particular to you this very second for reasons you already know.
The Flow of The Universe
The flow of the universe moves through everything. It's in the rocks that form, get pounded into dust, and are blown away. It is the blossoming of a flower born from a seed planted in the spring. The growth cycle that every human being goes through is part of this natural flow. The current that takes us down life's paths is this flow. When we move with it, rather than resisting, we are riding on the universal current that allows us to flow with life.
Many people live their lives struggling against this current. They try to use force or resistance to will their lives into happening the way they think it should. Others move with this flow like a sailor using the wind, trusting that the universe is taking them exactly where they need to be at all times. This flow is accessible to everyone because it moves through and around us. We are always riding this flow. It's just a matter of whether we are willing to go with it or resist it. Choosing to go with the flow is often a matter of letting go of the notion that we need to be in control at all times. The flow is always taking you where you need to go. It's just a matter of deciding whether you plan on taking the ride or having it take you there with you dragging your feet.
Learning to step into the flow can help you feel a connection to a force that is greater than you and is always there to support you. The decision to go with the flow can take courage because you are surrendering the notion that you need to do everything by yourself. Riding the flow of the universe can be effortless, exhilarating, and not like anything you ever expected. When you are open to being in this flow, you open yourself to possibilities that exist beyond the grasp of your control. As a child, you were naturally swept by the flow. Tears of sadness falling down your face could just as quickly turn to tears of laughter. Just the tiniest wave carrying you forward off the shores of the ocean could carry you into peals of delight. Our souls feel good when we go with the flow of the universe. All we have to do is make the choice to ride its currents.
Courtesy of DailyOm
**********
Today’s quote I actually went on the internet to look specifically for. I’m guilty of always going against the grain. I want something so bad, I think I need something, or whatever... So I push when everything else is pulling, and pull when I’m told to push because “I KNOW THE WAY”. I don’t do this all the time. But I do it enough that when life throws something at you saying “hey, just wait a god damn minute here, I’m the one in charge”. I’m sitting here stunned like…Wow.
Today I’m left with a humble sense of the fact that life sometimes, the universe sometimes, and even divinity sometimes throws us into situations because we need to stop thinking we are “all that” and realize that no matter what, everything can change.
I don’t subscribe entirely to the philosophy that our fate is decided by another, but I do believe that sometimes we need to be stopped from our forward motion and reminded that life is a precarious balance between forward growth and momentum, as well as the stopping to enjoy it; and that if either one of those two extremes is too…well, extreme, then life steps in and slows you down to remind you of this lesson.
I await more testing based on yesterday’s tests. While the results of this test can have anything from the easiest to manage of results, to the most drastic (as explained by a nurse who was probably a bit TOO proactive in telling me ALL the things that COULD be wrong with me) they have nevertheless left me a bit humbled and scared.
At various points in my life, I’ve had my eyes opened to the “real world”. The one that goes on around you as you move about your life. Some people may think they see this world, but really they don’t. It’s a world of possibilities, a world of awareness, a world of constant awakenings and truths. Jessie was very good at keeping me in this zone. Just by knowing her I was aware all the time.
Well in the last two years since her passing, I was blinded again. Yesterday I was awakened. Today’s post, this one in particular, is my witnessing to myself as a reminder that we should all respect life, and the tenuous grasp we have on it for the beautiful thing it is. Because even if you do not get sick, or have it taken from you, at any time you CAN suffer, and you CAN lose it. Life itself is more a gift than any gift I have known.
Today I pay my respects to those forces around me that have more control over my little light in this world than I give them credit for. I respect you, and yes… I’ve begun again praying in your honor. You can never have too much prayer.
~Muse
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WELL WISHES, BLESSINGS, and INTENTIONS
“Help me to adapt to change gracefully, so I can always grow and learn.”
That is today’s wish for you all. When you see with clarity hopefully you will be able to adapt and recognize what you see. When you are fraught with life’s hurries and things, may you have the gift of this vision. When you no longer have this vision, may you remember the sweetness of the door opening and the blinders falling from your eyes so that when you need it again, it is there to guide you.
Much love to everyone, including those who’re just visiting this place today for the first time. You are loved too…
XO
**********
AND REMEMBER:
When you have once seen the glow of happiness on the face of a beloved person, you know that a man can have no vocation but to awaken that light on the faces surrounding him; and you are torn by the thought of the unhappiness and night you cast, by the mere fact of living, in the hearts you encounter.
~Albert Camus
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Special thanks today to Aussie_Male. For all you already know, for who you are, and what you do for & with me. I am grateful for all my friends but this morning, my heart is grateful in particular to you this very second for reasons you already know.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Naivety...
I am so naïve. I don’t mean this as a slight. I mean it literally. I have no concept of the things people can and often do to each other. Some say this is a good thing as if I’m one of the few people out there who isn’t jaded, etc. Some say it’s a bad thing because I do not know the things that can be done so I step into things that would otherwise be caught ahead of time. And always when I’m alerted to the frequency of and acceptance of whatever it is I’ve been enlightened to (because the whole world knows about it and I don’t) what follows is always an “Oh…” almost airhead like from me.
I’ve had a few such moments like those online. Things where I just have no clue that this “thing” or “behavior” is not only commonplace but also accepted as existing, even though not liked, in our messed up world. And each time as I’m made aware of these things I’m left with a nagging sentiment “What kind of people are we that we would do these things to others, KNOWINGLY, and CONTINUALLY”. . Literally when I am told of such things, I’m left going “People DO that? Or is that even POSSIBLE?” I just can’t believe people spend their lives trying to think up ways to hurt another. If half that energy were spent in the other direction, could you just imagine how much better the world would be? This goes for all acts of deviant behavior, and I don’t just mean perversion. This includes situations where people pretend to be something they aren’t (gender, profession or otherwise) because they CAN; or situations where people have it set up to abuse others for any reason.
In one sense I’m glad I can’t think like that, because I fear that if I could I would lose a piece of my soul. Another step perhaps into darkness or madness because of the sadness I feel when people hurt others. In another sense I’m so frustrated when I come across this as it bites me in the ass.
As of this moment I’m glad I don’t think like this. I hate that I have to apologize to people who were just expressing a situation they had been through to me, because I jumped on them citing they “hurt my feelings”. I wish I was more sensitive to the fact that I do not know the circumstances that people have been through that might cause them to think a certain thing or express it verbally. It’s just hard when you have no concept of what is happening to be open to the fact that someone has experienced it already. Does that make sense?
In any event, this post is a testament to my naivety. It’s somewhat of an apology to those who I might have been hasty to say “you hurt my feelings” when you were just making sure something you’ve experienced once doesn’t happen again.
**********
((On a side note, I stared at this post for about 2 hours before I posted it. But in trueness to my blog, and to me, I posted it as it reflects awareness and growth. That’s part of what journey I’m on…))
I’ve had a few such moments like those online. Things where I just have no clue that this “thing” or “behavior” is not only commonplace but also accepted as existing, even though not liked, in our messed up world. And each time as I’m made aware of these things I’m left with a nagging sentiment “What kind of people are we that we would do these things to others, KNOWINGLY, and CONTINUALLY”. . Literally when I am told of such things, I’m left going “People DO that? Or is that even POSSIBLE?” I just can’t believe people spend their lives trying to think up ways to hurt another. If half that energy were spent in the other direction, could you just imagine how much better the world would be? This goes for all acts of deviant behavior, and I don’t just mean perversion. This includes situations where people pretend to be something they aren’t (gender, profession or otherwise) because they CAN; or situations where people have it set up to abuse others for any reason.
In one sense I’m glad I can’t think like that, because I fear that if I could I would lose a piece of my soul. Another step perhaps into darkness or madness because of the sadness I feel when people hurt others. In another sense I’m so frustrated when I come across this as it bites me in the ass.
As of this moment I’m glad I don’t think like this. I hate that I have to apologize to people who were just expressing a situation they had been through to me, because I jumped on them citing they “hurt my feelings”. I wish I was more sensitive to the fact that I do not know the circumstances that people have been through that might cause them to think a certain thing or express it verbally. It’s just hard when you have no concept of what is happening to be open to the fact that someone has experienced it already. Does that make sense?
In any event, this post is a testament to my naivety. It’s somewhat of an apology to those who I might have been hasty to say “you hurt my feelings” when you were just making sure something you’ve experienced once doesn’t happen again.
**********
((On a side note, I stared at this post for about 2 hours before I posted it. But in trueness to my blog, and to me, I posted it as it reflects awareness and growth. That’s part of what journey I’m on…))
The Immortal Song
I may not be able to post an entry tomorrow. I will be going through some tests. So here instead is the post I would have written tomorrow should I not get the time before the tests begin. It is a prayer, because I need it, a whole lot of people need it, and we should all be willing to offer it if we have compassion...
May the sacred stream of amity flow forever into my heart.
May the universe prosper, such is my cherished desire.
May my heart sing with ecstasy at the sight of the virtuous,
And may my life be an offering at their feet.
May my heart bleed at the sight of the wretched, the cruel, the irreligious,
And may tears of compassion flow from my eyes.
May I always be there to show the path to pathless wanderers of life.
Yet if they should not call to me, may i bide in patience.
May the spirit of goodwill enter all our hearts,
An may we all sing in chorus the immortal song of human concord.
From the Little Giant Encyclopedia of Meditations & Blessings.
May you be blessed today.
~Muse
(As posted in Digital Soup Online; the Blog)
Instant Gratification
"...We demand instant communication, instant coverage of world events, instant gratification, instant wealth, and even instant relationships. Ultimately, even fast food isn't fast enough-we want instant food. What is lost in our fast-paced society is depth. What is lost is not only the chance to reflect on our stories, but even the thought that we should want to reflect on them. In turn, what is lost is wisdom."
~Earnie Larsen
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The above quote is so true...I'm guilty of this behavior too. I always joked that I was an instant gratification type person, but it was true. When I want something I want it now. It's the same with other things I want, like a new job, my dreams to come true etc.
Speaking of jobs it's been a long time since I ranted about the place I'm at. As of January this year, I decided that I would try to not perpetuate negativity in this blog over things like that, but I would strive for a balance of honesty and realism as well as lightness. I think I've done pretty well for that considering the place I work at is just awful.
All that aside, it is time for me to move on. Truly, time for me to move on... There are so many reasons why but to list them here would just be rehashing what those who are near me (geographically) already hear. The point is, bottom line, I HAVE to get out of here as quick as possible.
If you have it in you today, and everyday, please send me some prayers about this. I'm nervous for the whole interview process (not that I can't interview, I'm damn good at it actually), the whole "new job" thing, and finding a place that's good that allows me to excel at what I already do.
Also send me some prayers on health...apparently I need them ;)
We can never have enough prayer & good intentions.
XO
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WELL WISHES, BLESSINGS, and INTENTIONS
Today's blessing is a Celtic one. I thought is was approporiate for all of you wonderful people.
A Celtic Blessing
May the light of your soul guide you.
May the light of your soul guide you.
May the light of your soul bless the work that you do
with the secret love and warmth of your heart.
May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul.
May the sacredness of your work bring healing,
light and renewal to those who work with you
and to those who see and receive your work.
May your work never weary you.
May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment,
inspiration and excitement.
May you be present in what you do.
May you never become lost in bland absences.
May the day never burden.
May dawn find you awake and alert,
approaching your new day with dreams,
possibilities and promises.
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered
and protected.
May your soul calm, console and renew you.
**********
AND REMEMBER:
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It's what sunflowers do.
~ Helen Keller
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Confidence, Courage, & Memories
"Confidence, like art, never comes from having all the answers; it comes from being open to all the questions." ~Earl Gray Stevens
~*~
Hello Susan,
Here is today's heartfelt blessing:
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." ~Steve Jobs, CEO Apple Computer
Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to live for others we forget to live for us. But the truth of the matter is that becoming the person you were meant to be begins with honoring the person you are right now. It begins with being true to you. It begins in this perfect moment.
And until tomorrow...Know that you are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to me.
May your day be filled with all things good,
Kate
The May You Be Blessed movie is available for viewing here: http://www.mayyoubeblessedmovie.com/
If you are not a subscriber to the daily version of Heartfelt Blessings but would like to be, you may subscribe here: http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?39u_8OBRpVlsUPtGErwLsg
Please feel free to forward this message to others.
© Copyright 2006 by Kate Nowak, Live More Abundantly Productions.
All Rights Reserved
~*~
Today is pick a wonderful memory day. Not a national holiday but a holiday from the traditional day for sure.
When I was adopted at the age of 4 (finalized when I was 5), I was immediately whisked onto a plane to celebrate the Bicentennial with my new mother, grandmother, and sister. The year was 1976. My mother knew she loved me from the start, but what she didn’t know was that I was quite talkative and had no fear meeting other people.
Most 5 year olds show a certain degree of shyness meeting other people let alone crowds of people. Not me…
On the plane ride, I took it upon myself to find and introduce all the passengers on the plane to my new mother, sister and grandmother. Each person thought I was so adorable, how could they refuse this precocious 5 year old who wanted nothing more than to connect people.
On the trip itself we met several more people, as many as I could get to listen I’m sure. They would come over and meet my family and were just enamored with me. I can’t remember thinking back on this day if I got anyone who reacted negatively to my charms. I like to think for the sake of the memory that perhaps just once, everyone was responsive. Perhaps.
While this memory is my pick of the day, it is not one I remember entirely. It is a memory created by the shared remembrances of my past. It’s funny, growing up with such trauma as a child it seems I’ve developed an ability to remember with clarity, the bad things. Yet the good things are fuzzy, almost dreamlike in their memories and even in some cases, almost nonexistent. When I decided to write this post today about memory, a WONDERFUL memory at that, I actually thought “Well hell, now what do I write about.”
I think however, exercises like these, for those who like I do, see more dark than light… will help to focus where our thoughts really need to be; Living in the light of good times, memories, and friends. This way you always know the things that make you special and loved. And the darkness has no where to hide in the face of light.
If nothing else, then at least people get to see the light side of me as I post the events and memories of my life. If it brings you joy, then I am glad and will smile. That is all I aspire to do…
XO
~Muse
~*~
WELL WISHES, BLESSINGS, & INTENTIONS
I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback on this section, and while Digital Soup Online; the Blog will continue, I hope to continue the tradition of blessings here too. Today’s blessing from me to you is two fold.
May you know that you are a blessing to me much as I am a blessing to a stranger Kate Nowak. Know that by coming here, reading about me, and having any opinion whatsoever to my writing, you are witnessing to my life. Just as I witness to yours by accepting you into my memories and events. May you have connections like these that last in your heart, because that’s where it begins…
May you know confidence. May it speak in volumes tumbling off your lips with every word, or flow steadily like the river straight from your heart to where you need it the most. May it be in your thoughts, so that when people see you the light you radiate banishes all dark and touches them too. May you truly see the beauty of knowing confidence.
~*~
AND REMEMBER
Imagine a world where everyone feels loved and blessed by the presence of everyone else. Just imagine how beautiful such a world would be.
~Kate Nowak
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