No Classes Nor Magic Wands

"If our parents didn't love and understand each other, 

how are we to know what love looks like?

Thich Nhat Hanh

Our first observation of love focuses on the interaction between our mother and father.  Equally important, is the exchange between ourselves and our mother.  If our parents do not know how to love each other, they may not know how to love us either.

The lower income baby may experience nurturing from a grandmother or extended siblings receiving the connection with family.  It should not be an automatic assumption that wealthier homes experience a higher element of caring.   The babes left attended, captured, violated in filth and unprotected situations will have a definite lacking, possibly developing emotional damage never to be healed.

The most precious inheritance parents can leave to their children is happiness, understanding, and ability to love.  When we do not learn to love in early childhood, how will we adhere to some sense of normality? There are no classes nor magic wands.  Adults and children alike can spend an entire life time pondering why they are not lovable and questioning why they are attracted to the wrong caliber of companion.  When we understand the origin of where others come, it is easier not to judge and an opportunity to reach out in love.

Absorbed Patterns

"If we have happy parents, we have

received the richest inheritance of all."

Thich Nhat Hanh

As non-verbal children, we depend upon learning through set examples.  We watch our parents or siblings and it doesn't matter if the exchanges are loving or harsh, we will absorb them.  What we see, we duplicate without full understanding.  Thus the patterns of dysfunctional families develop.

If we happen to be blessed by mentally healthy adults in our life, we catch glimpses of tenderness, comfort, courage and self-care.  This doesn't mean the family is rich nor poor, safe nor sound.  It simply references the behaviors of others taken out of context and how it impact us.

It is no wonder then, children of alcoholics seek out partners with alcoholism; or with history of violence; or even sexual abuse.  Right or wrong, we have a tendency to gravitate towards actions or habits we have emotionally absorbed. Feeling safe, for example, may feel uncomfortable to someone who has developed in a space of fear.

Feed the Soul

"There is an essential ... distinction between stories, on the one hand, which have,

as their goal, an end, completeness, closure, and on the other hand, information, which 

is always, by definition, partial, incomplete, fragmentary."

Susan Sontag

Fiction brings us stories that have partial truths or altered perceptions.  Characters can be reshaped and renamed switching personalities with hidden secrets.  Non-fiction delivers information based on factual evidence.  It may be in fragments and not have a sense of origin nor completion.

Life tends to be a little of both, fiction and non-fiction.  As the storyteller or reporter, we provide facts and frequently share truths as we know them.  What is truth to the author is not necessarily truth to others as we all experience life and events through our own perceptions.

An author could write about his or her perfect childhood growing up with nurturing parents, and we would happily absorb the information as truth.  An author could write about living in a cave for five days or walking on fire, and we would immediately become skeptical.  The importance perhaps, is whatever feeds our soul.

Associations and Potions

"Lilac floods the body with new vitality and joy.  It is helpful

for depression, melancholy and low energy 

due to a lack of self-connectedness."

Isha Lerner

If we feel a connection to God, we are comforted.  To feel a connection with the self is inspiring.  Our self confidence soars when we are balanced between the inner and outer dimensions.  To maintain this sense of fullness, we can read encouraging books, walk in nature and be a good steward.  We can also blend essential oils.

The first oil I came in touch with was Lavender.  I was leisurely walking through a lavender farm on Maui and the fragrance was monumental.  I visited the little shop offering all things lavender:  ice cream, tea, lotions, and of course, lavender essential oil.  Thus began my history of blending oils.

I have a cabinet with a multitude of essential oils potions.  Individual oils give  a burst of energy, sleep, outdoors, and varying depths of emotions.  More likely than not, I will go back to Lavender to spray on my pillows and throughout the house.  It brings the sense of innocence back to me, as it is associated with the lilac bush just outside my childhood bedroom window. The fragrance of the flowers floating through my screened in window, pushed my fears away.

Taking a Pause

"Sometimes, take a moment and ponder;

yes, take a moment and stir your life

just as you stir that delicious stew!"

Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

While fixing my morning cup of coffee, I was reminded of one of the sweetest women I knew.  She would place sugar in the bottom of her cup, then the coffee, and finally the cream; but she would not stir it which was a mystery to me.  Finally, I refrained from giving my cup of java a swirl and discovered layers of yummy coffee.

Life is just like this when we take time to ponder allowing every thing to have its own space.  Cream surfaces to the top where we hold the most uplifting thoughts.  Then we drop down to the mid layer for bitter sweet memories.  The bottom is the surprise as we find sweetness waiting for us.

Unfortunately, if we remain in this layered pause, our life will become stuck and not move forward.  It is part of the human condition to stir the pot, get things moving, and add new spices to life.  Mix it up for variety or update.  Bring fresh awareness into our life and after pondering, it is okay to take another pause!

Sails of Sinking Ship

"Going through hardships gives us strength in the places we'd never thought to develop, 

spaces we didn't know we'd occupy, room to reach beyond ourselves, 

toward others who are where we had been."

Kao Kalia Yang

In the midst of the lesson, it is wise to notice how deeply the challenge spirals into numerous levels.  If we can liberally stretch ourselves to embrace areas outside of our comfort zone, our understanding broadens.  During peril, we find it necessary to reach out to extended hands we have never touched before.  

As time moves along, we come across someone who is struggling similarly as we once did.  We have the choice to simply be reminded of our misery or to become the hand reaching out.  It doesn't have to be about deep involvement.  By acknowledging the situation, we can simply listen ... to just be present during a very isolated time.

If we choose to share our story, it validates to the listener that he or she too can survive.  By mentioning the strengths we surprisingly developed during our difficult time or the blessings arriving afterwards can billow the sails of a sinking ship.

Rush of Discovery

"Some beautiful paths can't be discovered 

without getting lost."

Erol Ozan

It is challenging for me to just "be" while waiting for the next path to appear.  I have removed physical pieces of the past and mentally released negative memories, so there is plenty of room to store the new as it slowly arrives.

Cycles are like that ... we get captivated by a thought, word, or action and we allow it to play out in our body, minds, and souls.  When we have enhanced the lesson of one particular cycle, lived through the rush of discovery and now depart from the familiar, we are faced with a pause.

The art is to open the heart and the mind to new opportunities, but without aggressiveness.  It is a time to allow the path to open up before us and with awareness so as not to miss the hidden entrance to where we will next be led.  It is when we have a sense of being lost that we stumble upon new horizons. 

Distorted in Repeating

"Words do not express thoughts very well;

everything immediately becomes a little different,

a little distorted, a little foolish."

Siddhartha

Hermann Hesse

When we experience a seemingly majestic event in life, we turn to express it in words.  Our excitement or emotional increase may be heard or seen upon our face, but somehow they are not transferred into the language we speak.  Transitioning experience into language, the dynamic and profound reaction is lost.

Each time we attempt to share our vision, it loses some glitter.  Part of the passion has a slight fizzle rather than the roar of a fire.   As we begin to notice a lack of enthusiasm from those whom we testify,  the luster in our words becomes minced.  Personal doubt may even begin to pierce our enthusiastic reporting.

If we refrain from sharing our remarkable thoughts, words or deeds, they become watered down in our memory.  In some cases we even question the reality of it happening at all.  If we jot down our words, allowing them to flow, we can be hopeful our memory will relive them in the future when seen upon  the page.  At the very least, mentally channel the experience, feeding the words to the fire of our inner passion, sustaining our light.

Parts Divided

"May such calm of soul be mine,

so as to meet the force of circumstances."

Aeschylus

Spirituality has honed my life into a calm of kindness.  I often feel like an ocean breeze or the stillness of the forest trees.  Drama comes, but letting go, it passes through.  Turbulence blows in with worldly circumstances generating my fears, and I am challenged to remain calm while facing chaos.

Deliberate awareness helps me to regain my balance.  If I allow the smallest margin of upheaval to slip into the crease of my serenity, it soon expands into monsoon.  Nothing expands quite as quickly as the fingers of fear.  

To be aware of the passing threat, to consciously release fear, and to focus on the goodness of life sanctions my passage forward.  There is no desire to redo or to readjust what has been.  My strides remain well spaced in hopes of dreams come true.

Delusion of Who You Were

"I'm not crying because of you, you're not worth it.

I'm crying because my delusion of who you were

was shattered by the truth of who you are."

Steve Maraboli

It is an error to see only the spiritual side of someone, overlooking the human side.  There is no need to judge human error, but it is healthier to be aware of its presence.  If we anticipate impossible expectations, we will ultimately be let down; and we will be angry at the human rather than our lovely selves.

In couples counseling, it is apparent that both parties are responsible.  Maybe one person has dominated with 97 percent negative behavior, but the other person needs to examine the 3 percent of their own.  Do we see our partner as we want them to be or how they really are? Are we projecting false expectations and then broken hearted when the results fall short?

Once we begin to see others as they really are we will have better clarity.  We will no longer be delusional about relationships.  The idea of changing someone sabotages honor and respect of others.  If we continue to be extremely distraught over the actions of others, taking a long look at what part we played will initiate healing.  We can let go of the drama and  focus on our actions, gaining better insight into our amazing selves.

Plan During A Storm

"Where there is darkness, there is chaos and confusion,

but when light shines, things are set in order

and the light rules and governs."

Sunday Adelaja

There is no guarantee that life will not throw curve balls or strike out bullets.  No matter how close one is to home plate, there are many variables in spite of luck, coaches, and skill.  In spite of deliberate intentions, we may slide and miss the base.

Bad things happen to good people.  Christians are not spared hardships.  Spiritualists are not above the darkness befalling upon earth.  One must be prepared to face what comes without staggering off balance.

There is no need to live beneath the perception of a dark cloud, but it is important to know what our personal umbrella looks like.  What will shelter us and guard our light from being saturated or blown out?  What is our go to plan during a storm?  When we have ingrained a sense a peace while walking through dark chaos, we will exit the other side with strides of bright forward motion.

Permission to Shed

"I found power in accepting the truth of who I am.

It may not be a truth that others can accept, but I

cannot live any other way."

Alison Goodman

As the rain gently falls, I slowly swing on the porch.  I can almost hear my flowers slurping up the much needed water.  I stick my feet up on the porch railing and enjoy the  soft drops of rain trickling down my feet.   My spirit fills with a full sense of self.  I know who I am, and all is right with the world.

There are times I find it difficult to stop being who I used to be.  My inner voice gives me permission to shed the options I no longer need.   This opens spaces within to be accented with a deeper way of nurturing the self or tools new to me.  I am comfortable in my own skin, and I allow leniency to those who won't understand.

It is exhausting to present a false self to others, and it is severely damaging to hide from our lovely self.  If we lie to ourselves and ignore personal truth, we eventually become overwhelmed by darkness.  We will have distanced ourselves to the point of emotional, physical and spiritual isolation.  We won't even feel the rain.

Time To Cross ...

"It is wise in your own life to be able to recognize and acknowledge 

the key thresholds:  to take your time; to feel all the varieties of presence

that accrue there; to listen inward with complete attention until you hear the

inner voice calling you forward.  The time has come to cross."

John O'Donohue

Chaos and change generate options for transitions whether from one home to another; one career move to another; or one viewpoint to one other.  Transitions, like change, are inevitable.  The bottom line, perhaps, is whether we go kicking and screaming or openly create new perception.  

Whether it is good for me or not, I tend to be reluctant to change.  I have confidence in myself; but, it is the unknown actions of the oppressed that I have begun to fear.  Politics and religion have always had two sides to the coin, but leaders appear to have replaced integrity and compassion with greed, and violence. 

How great is the threshold for pain?  Can Divine Presence still be heard or felt?  Are we still listening?  How much longer can the abused sustain without triggering extensive explosions?  The time for transition approaches and I wonder who will be ready to cross?

The Lover's Cry

"Every broken heart has screamed at one time or another:

Why can't you see who I truly am?"

Shannon L. Alder

As I sat eating my dinner, I observed the man and woman several tables down from me.  By watching their interactions, my suspicions were validated.  Like my lovely self, these two people had aged which changed their appearance; however, their mannerisms remained the same.  I had not seen them for over 24 years!

The state monitor of my contract had been reviewing my cases for eight years.  As I sat across from her, I realized I had never really noticed the details of her face or the alignment.  It was as though I was viewing her for the very first time.  Ironically, I could have recited detailed information about her character, career, and personal life.

When we view an artist's canvas, we do not zero in on one particular aspect.  Our attention drifts across the painting as we are impacted by content, color, and skill.   By accepting the entire presentation, there is little room for judgment.   It is also true in relationship. The yearning is always to be seen in depth, not just on the surface.  "See me," is the lover's cry!  

Light, Power and Integrity

"i am not a hotel room, i am home

i am not the whiskey you want

i am the water you need

don't come here with expectations

and try to make a vacation out of me"

Rupi Kaur

This writing by Rupi Kaur stimulated my thoughts to unearth earlier times in my life.  They were times when I was unclear about boundaries and uncertain as to my heart's desire.  I tried too hard to be what other's wanted instead of being who I was meant to be.

Boundaries need to be established prior to being challenged.  Flexibility is important, but not when in the midst of confrontation.  If we don't know what we deeply crave, how will we know what to accept and when to reject?  If I have not identified my expectations, will the needs of another override my own expectations?

How can we select if we do not know what we want?  It is through trial and error we carve out our definitions.  The key, however, is to have limitations to prevent us from getting in over our heads.  With integrity, we can make honest choices without diminishing our own light, power, and identity.

Pause for Golden Light ...

"So much of the loneliness of modern life

comes because we no longer witness one another."

Julia Cameron

We move through our days stuck in fast forward.  Our allotted times slop over and extra minutes for personal breath are non-existent.  Surrounded by this fast pace of life, we can find ourselves incredibly  lonely.

In the midst of people, we may yearn for quiet exchanges of just being or having the solitude to be aware of holiness surrounding us.  There does not seem to be a pause until our tired bodies fall into bed. Where does the time go?  What happened to our creative intentions and desires?  This life we are living, is it meeting our needs?  Do we even know what are needs are?  

Close both eyes, easing gentle breath in and then out.  Rotate the neck while lifting our shoulders both up and down. Our arms fall easily to the side.  Imagine our stretched fingers slowly  releasing exhaustion. Let our bottom gently support our spine as we sink into another breath. Our legs transport  used energy downwards as our feet attach to the floor.  This connection to the earth triggers a rainfall of golden light.  It splashes outside of our body and colorfully paints the walls within.  We feel blessed, open our eyes and return to the busyness of life.

Born A Vibrant Flower

"Every child is born in the garden of humanity,as a flower.  

Each flower differs from every other flower."

Thich Nhat Hanh

We are born as a vibrant flower,  different from all of the other flowers.  Our uniqueness is intentional for us to bloom in our own individual way.  And yet from early stages, we are given the impression that there is something not just right about our body, mind and soul.

We are taught to conform, to blindly recite prayers exactly, and to stop behaving incorrectly.  At first this seems rather odd to our inner spirits and we push further exploring.  Eventually, we hide our true nature in trade for other's expectations.

As we grow older, we encourage young people to be fully who they are inside.  We support creative endeavors and listen quietly to goals and dreams.  Deep within us, we feel the untouchable, hear the unspoken, and see the unseen.

Bazaar Now Mainstream

"Don't worry if people think you're crazy.  You are crazy.

You have that kind of intoxicating insanity 

that lets other people dream outside of the lines 

and become who they're destined to be."

Jennifer Elisabeth

BORN READY:  UNLEASH YOUR INNER DREAM GIRL

Born a Moon Child with the overdosing element of water (emotion) I have been given a wide path in allowance of my sensitive nature.  I best associate myself with the moon, stars, and trees reflected in pools of water.  Leniency has been granted to allow my imaginative creations of vision, meditation and knowings. The strong vibrations of color bring life into my being.

Truths I once hid thinking they were bazaar are now mainstream.  Clinging to authors and poets to sustain my ability to stretch from being grounded to being air borne, built confidence to begin using my voice.  It became interesting to see the confusion written across a friend's face as I shared awareness of spirituality and space.  My strange sense of humor was a saving grace.

I no longer worry about being crazy as over the years, the veils have been lifted to break free of time and space. Validations from other realms are far greater than the misinterpretations recorded in the history of man disfiguring truth to hide greed and gain.  As truth tellers, our words were meant to be free flowing laced with compassion and encouragement for equality in the human race.

Bridge Out Into The World

"Your personal truth is your gift to the world."

Jennifer Elisabeth

Life is a journey leading us through challenges which carve out our personal truth.  We are also exposed to the opinions of others which can strengthen or change what we hold dear.  By wandering from the main road,  we discover less traveled paths to explore what is unique to ourselves.

Freedom is based on our confidence molded from our personal awareness.  The goal is how to bridge our authentic self out into the world.  The key is not to be found in the midst of educational letters behind a name nor the amount of dollar signs associated with our identity.  It is when we can stand in love with kindness and compassion towards all that we become boundless in touching the lives of others.

So who are you once stripped of all labels?  How can you describe what happens within your body, mind and soul?  What language forms the communicating bond between you and the Divine?  By deeply loving the unique self, we come to understand true abundance in our lives and the rare gifts of others expanding light into the world. 

Geometric Patterns Within A Star

"Sometimes it seemed that one of the stars came loose

from the firmament and sailed off with a dizzying speed

to a far corner of the night.  In the dark hours before sunrise,

constellations came apart and reformed and fell in burning streaks."

Joe Hill

Stargazing has been a constant in my life, but not to the degree of naming constellations.  My attention is captivated by the singular star, seemingly calling to me.  Every night before bed, I let Bella, my beloved Redbone Coon Hound, outside; and as I wait, I watch the stars above.

A month ago, I noticed a particular star that seemed somewhat off.  I returned to the house to grab the binoculars to improve my view.  As I closed in on this particular star, I was amazed to see a geometric pattern blinking colors in the sky.  The star was stationary, yet moving in place with twinkling colors.  After watching it for five nights, I gave up trying to understand, especially when I saw a replica of the pattern in reading material.

A few nights later, I returned my gaze to the sky, but my unusual star was gone.  Glancing to the right, however, I found another star with a different geometric pattern blinking lights, and also stationary.  It is baffling for me to imagine what is going on in the darkness above our heads as we think we are dreaming our lovely selves to sleep in our beds.

Original Thought Has Prior History

"Every thing must have a beginning ... and that beginning

must be linked to something that went before ...

Mary Shelley

In the midst of emphasis on authenticity and originality, it is important to remember that our thoughts are based on previous experience.  We may have heard music or an argument, filed it in our memory bank, and it decides to surface years later.  As we live life, we accumulate experiences physically, emotionally, and spiritually that will creatively contribute to current life situations.

An Abnormal Psychology Professor shared the story of how intolerant he was with a new student.  He was aware how critical his responses and grading became with this particular young man based on some bias he could not decipher.  As he was looking at the liver colored freckles sprawled across the student's face and the matching rusty colored hair,  the teacher was startled to realize how much this individual reminded him of the Springer Spaniel that had severely attacked him as a child.  

We collect information consciously or unconsciously, and as challenge approaches us, we create a  calculated response to the situation.  The emphasis is on how we blend information together so that it is unique to ourselves.  How we use our knowledge depicts wisdom of our own.  

Snagged in Muck, Action Propels

"Harmony is our natural state of being, and so, when our energies

become too stagnant, chaos is thrown into the mix to stimulate 

what will eventually result in balance and invite flow."

Alaric Hutchinson

It is easy to get sucked up in the drama of life.  A rush of energy pushes us down the path chasing the answer to dilemma.  If resolve is not apparent, we get snagged in the muck of speculation.  Action is what will propel us back into a normal flow.

Balanced energy allows us to equally distribute attention when and where needed.  Our minds are as coherent as our bodies are stable.  This intentionally created harmony, we rest and renew our entire self ... body, mind and soul.

Harmony does not remain balanced indefinitely, but having a strong sense of it, we can navigate through challenge much easier.  We must be aware of our choice as to where to place our intentions.  The sense of harmony can help us refrain from straying too far, and maintain the desire to return to wholeness.  

Hearts and Souls

"Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little,

I am soulless and heartless?  You think wrong!"

Charlotte Bronte  

A career in social services offered opportunities to be exposed to both individuals and families who were emotionally distraught and physically exhausted.  There were incidents working with wealthier families who suffered the same emotional, physical, and spiritual abuse as those who were homeless. 

Abuse of any kind is not singularly occurring in lower class or immigrant families.  It stretches across status levels, ethnic components, and cultures.  We prefer to associate inappropriate behaviors with those who are most unlike us or those who we know less about, so we can distance ourselves creating a false sense of security.

The wealthier or the more power one has, the more layers of protection to hide deviant transactions.  Unfortunately respecting professionals is ingrained in us just as distaste for those struggling in poverty.  We tend to have a built in sense of elevated respect for peers while undeserved judgment of less fortunate is bountiful.   Life and career experience have taught me to recognize and respect a heart with integrity, no matter how it is encased.  Titles, badges, and profit can hide abhorrent behaviors and distract us from individual deviance.  A person with little or nothing, may have a  higher sense of integrity and a soul more true. 

Speaking From The Heart

"The best disguises were those that were poured out of the heart

rather than painted on the face."

Scott Lynch

North Park Academy was a private college prep school surrounded by a college and seminary.  Numerous professors dedicated themselves to the advancement of students, but they were especially good at coaching the soul.  My spiritual growth at the academy thrived and my mentors were saints from above.

The chaplain of the private school, Ron Magnuson, asked how I was going to react to the recently discovered knowledge that I had been two timed for several months by a clever boy from a different school.  In my humiliation, my intentions were to pretend as though nothing had happened and falsely act as though my life could not be better.

The chaplain explained that I was allowing the young man to not be held accountable.  He suggested I face the boy, and from the heart, tell him how deeply hurt I had been by his actions.  By allowing my feelings to be shown rather than hidden, I would honor myself and generate healing.   I did as the chaplain suggested and he was right.  Speaking from the heart set me free!

Fewer Masks

"Having perfected our disguise,

we spend our lives searching for

someone we don't fool."

Robert Brault

Extensive energy is used when we try to anticipate what others want from us.  We explore the possibilities and then must record our choice to memory so we can retain the role we play.  The roles of others differ in that some require our servitude, adoration, sacrifice, and total agreement.

Life can be exhausting when we are dedicated to the pleasures of others.  Our intention is to be seen and accepted, but engaging in a false relationship rarely produces anything but dissatisfaction.  We go to extremes to win someone over only to realize we can be readily replaced by any other dolt.

The energy we have ideally defines who we are.  When we become a woman of substance, we will attract the relationships we desire.  Yes, some will turn away, but the fewer masks we wear, the more authentic we grow reflecting kindness and goodness of the soul.

Desperately Needed

"Some women are meant to change the world,

while others are meant to hold it together."

Jodi Picoult

There are many women admired for the changes they brought into our world, culture, medicine and education.  The current warriors carry on in the same spirit to bring  long overdue equality to women and all peoples.   Young adult women are charging ahead as they have a variety of role models to choose from.  They are encouraged to continue moving forward for justice.

Each of us have a calling to use our inspirations to better the world.  It all begins with baby steps, an after thought, then finally a kick in the pants to proceed.  There are a million ways to serve and each individual needs to explore what is the best fit for their dreams and passions.

As a provider, a woman is responsible to create with the ingredients she has brought into this world.  Through personal development, confidence and courage are gained.  Research and resources are explored until the formula for the completion of our gift becomes a reality.  Whether we are changing the world or holding it together, our contributions are desperately needed.

Ain't No Pollyanna

"Conquer the angry one by by not getting angry;

conquer the wicked by goodness;

conquer the stingy by generosity;

and the liar by telling the truth."

Gautama Buddha

Earlier on my spiritual journey, it was indeed challenging to give up long revered doctrines in order to expand what I then found as truth.  As I carefully tread through documented research and recordings from ancient scribes, my view of the world, humans, and purpose was reluctantly altered.

During this early period, I maintained one wish ...  that all I believed was true.  I comforted my lovely self by believing God had given me a brain and until I heard differently, I would continue to increase my knowledge.  I began to understand worldly cultures and the beliefs they held true.  It wasn't a matter of right or wrong, but to eliminate my ignorance by broadening perspective.

In later years, I would not have any trouble relying on my adjusted belief system; but collective  reality sometimes triggered my fears.  It was during these times I felt like a Pollyanna focusing on good only.  Even that gave way with my sense of moving through chaos or darkness guided by light.  I am centered on my purpose of kindness allowing others to do the same.  

Sense of Freedom

"When you can get focused on what is really, really important,

then you can start to create freedom in your life."

J. B. Glossinger

A retired professional continues the tradition of the family garden.  He plants onions, potatoes, kale, tomatoes, berries, squash, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, rhubarb, and the list goes on.  It is a full time job for him and a labor of love even though it daily challenges his body.

I learned from this gardener extraordinaire the necessity to take preventive action against bugs and   unpredictable weather.  Like any other project, this garden produces a quality of organic produce when it has been gently handled with loving hands.

Once we determine what is really important in our lives, we create a routine to nurture, protect, and produce.  A simple but demanding job such as weeding, clears the way for better growth.  If we remove the clutter from our path our progress will be heightened.  When we are deeply involved in what we do, we develop the sense of freedom.

Nudge to Remain Silent

"Living according to your truth is a daily practice for checking in

with yourself to hear your truth, including your subtle guidance,

and then monitoring yourself as you interact with the world to make

sure you are in alignment with that truth and with higher will."

Deborah King

With an open mind, we subject ourselves to shifting our opinions or perspectives from time to time.  It is important to know exactly where we stand on issues and learn to be flexible as we are introduced to new information.

Our perspectives change rapidly as we experience differing situations in life.  Thus comes the quote about not until you walk in my shoes.   We can project how we might feel if an incident happened, but we never really can be certain until we are faced with the experience.

There are incidents when we may be prepared to make a comment when we become aware of a small nudge to remain silent.  As we respect this, the other person begins to unburden a pressing issue.  We are then thankful for not blurting out our careless trivia.  Awareness assists us in being aligned.

Waiting for the Ritual

                                                  "There is something in the nature of tea 

                                         that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation."

Lin Yutang

We each have our own special technique for contemplation.  It could be sitting on a porch swing; visiting a museum; wandering in a library; or extend prayers in a quiet chapel.  For some, however, a cup of tea will expand into a memorable ritual for quieting the brain. 

As a distraction, we could stroke a purring cat or mindlessly color as a means of distracting the brain so emotions or feelings can be released easily.  The same is true of sipping tea.  The aroma of the tea may distract our monkey brains while our thoughts escape out into the open.

For contemplation, one may have an antique tea pot and a family heirloom tea cup set aside just for this purpose.   It might be taken off the shelf deliberately for quiet meditation.  A journal may linger by the comfortable chair near the window, waiting for this ritual to begin. 

 

Better Than Yesterday

"There is a reason life has put you in the current circumstances,

Life will always test you, it will always try to make you stronger.

Life only wants you to be better than you were yesterday."

Akash Lakhotia

Even when we have experienced a vital lesson, life will present the same challenge, just to make sure the lesson remained in place.  Often we find ourselves in situations that seem vaguely familiar.  Different people, unfamiliar surroundings, and vague situations, but the very same challenge.

Challenges remain the same but in varying degrees.  They may be dressed a little differently or create a false sense of comfort, but the lesson is the same.  Whether the challenge is presented by people, places, or things, there is a fine line connecting them all.


If we retain the cause and effect, we  benefit from the wisdom.  We will still face challenge, but we will move through it less scathed.  We will remember the wisdom and side step the temptation to regress.  Whether teacher or student, there is always more to make us stronger.