Embracing the Small Things

"Not everything that counts can be counted,

and not everything that can be counted counts.

Albert Einstein

(Sign hanging in Einstein's office at Princeton) 

On any given day, in various cities, no matter what time of day, we will find  people talking on their phones.  Everyone is hurrying down the street, but captivated in their own little world.  They are so busy, in fact, they miss eye contacts, moments of synchronicity and simple smiles.

We can account for our mortgage, car payment, or  educational debt, but is it possible for us to just as easily account for things appearing and disappearing in our mind, body, and spirit.  If we live in the city, how often do we look up between the tall buildings to see the sky?  Can we even see the setting sun?  Is it necessary to go to a park in order to find a tree for shade?  When we think of listening do we only hear cars, trucks, and cabs honking horns?

I could ask the same of those living in smaller communities.  They, too, may be in such a hurry they never look up or even see the tree shading their home.  Who takes time to smell the flowers?

The art of listening or the practice of being present in the moment allows a person to embrace the small joyful things of life.  The tenderness of a young mother with her child, the kind gesture with an adult assisting and elder, and a leaf spinning from a branch are all pictures of life we do not give credit for contributing to the joy of our day.  The sound of a water sprinkler, an ocean wave, or a bird flapping its wings during flight, are easily forgotten we take record of our day.

If we are not paying attention to moments spread across our day, we miss the magic, the synchronicity, and the wonderment just waiting to catch our attention.  There are  many mysteries in every one's sight, but as our society calls for us to move at a very fast pace,   we miss the opportunities for increasing our personal beliefs. 

For many of us we travel a lonely world, but it is based on a false or inaccurate perception.  We may feel it is easier to collapse in on one's self, but the damage occurring is far greater than the risk of reaching out to our community.  We can choose to slow down and appreciate the world around us.  Allow little incidents with strangers to bring us joy or amusement.  We are not living singularly on this earth unless by choice.  If we desire a full life, then we must set our selves to that task. 

Master of Me

Stand still.  The tress ahead and bush beside you are not lost.

Albert Einstein

Wandering, in my own surroundings, the end of the year brought completion to the seen and the unseen, and has left me dying to my old self, and struggling to be born again into a passage with spiritual meaning.  Always in the present moment, forgiving and forgetting all of the past, while not venturing into a future, leaves me like a boat without a rudder. 

All of the time investing in meditation, to learn to be still, to be in the moment and here I am unescorted by any specific accomplishment, at least known to me.  Being still is calm, like a deer silently standing in the woods.  It is peaceful, like a great hawk floating with spread wings in a cloudless sky.

Compassion is still mine and my heart remains open.  I feel tender love for those in my life, and yet I am held in this lofty sense of being suspended in air.  I feel lofty with out a care in the world. 

I am comfortable without a charted course, but what if there is no course at all?  Am I simply marking time?  Am I waiting patiently for what has already passed?  Have I fulfilled my spiritual purpose and so now I am done?  Maybe I am a time keeper, simply a bookmark keeping a place in time. 

There is no pressing emotion for me, no crisis for me to resolve, no issues to be untangled, and although not removed, I am left just to be.   And so it is ... Master of me.

What We Need to Know

All religions, arts and sciences

are branches of the same tree.

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was born in 1879 and died in 1955 leaving an abundance of discovery, insight, and knowledge behind him.  He was a Nobel Prize winner and had been highly honored in his field of work.   I do not relate well to anything scientific as my strengths seem to be in English, literature, and the written word.  So it comes as a bit of a surprise to me when I am so drawn to Albert Einstein's quotes (not his scientific theories), in reference to life itself.

When expressing my own beliefs about life, I usually say that we are all traveling to the same place, just in different vehicles.  It doesn't matter which vehicle we are in, as long as we are making the journey.  We will each experience life in differing ways, some in the fast lane while others will be on country lanes.  The journey is just as important as arriving at the chosen destination.   No matter how we term our final resting place or destination,  I do believe we will all see each other there. 

Minds evolve and science advances, but ancient spiritual teachings have survived centuries.  Languages may not be the same, and writers may have their own interpretations, but basically, in my opinion, there really is just one resource or one original author.  The Divine speaks to all of us.

It matters to me if you believe in the goodness of all people, remembering that we are all children of God/Spirit/Universe.  Respecting diversity is also important, just as honoring the sacred within is imperative.

It does not matter which path has been chosen, as long as we find ourselves upon a path.  If we but open our hearts, our  minds, and our spirits, we will discover what we need to know!

Mastering the Challenge

May the dreams of your past

be the reality of your future.

Anonymous



In order to create a new outcome, we need to be open to new ways of doing things.   When we are dissatisfied, we need to explore our past and discover where we wandered off our path and how we lost our way.

Change is the catalyst to enable us to achieve our goals.   I believe it was Albert Einstein who said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results." 

So we examine our own behaviors to learn where improvement is needed.  I have personally found when giving up the focus on what other people have done incorrectly, I seem to have plenty of time to look at my own indiscretions.

Sometimes the closer we are to a situation, the more difficult it is to be objective and understand the complexities.  We may seek the help of friends, but gaining an audience with a seasoned therapist who really 'gets you' can be most rewarding.

When we love our selves enough to feel safe with embracing personal weaknesses as well as strengths, we can move forward in rekindling hopes and dreams.  When we can release anxiety over what other people may think, and trust the voice of spirit we can gracefully be resilient again.

When we experience any kind of change, minor or major, the importance is in the discovery of the lesson.  It is necessary to ask, "What am I to learn from this?"  Through mastering the challenge, our lives become more authentic and enhanced.

Dreams don't always come true, but if we are faithful servants to the lives we live through honesty, integrity, and kindness, we will find our selves in the midst of joy and happiness.  If we do not find our selves in the midst of a dream, then it is time for change. 

Through self-discovery, I have found my self able and willing to forgive and heal.  By believing in the power of individual change, I am prepared to once again have faith and trust.  The human spirit can experience great things once it is open to the incredible journey of life.  So I return to my dreams in hopes of creating an inspiring future.

  

THE WORLD AS I SEE IT, Albert Einstein

It is clear that all the valuable things, material, spiritual, and moral, which we receive from society can be traced back through countless generations to certain creative individuals.  The use of fire, the cultivation of edible plants, the steam engine ~ each was discovered by one man.


Only the individual can think, and thereby create new values for society ~ nay, even set up new moral standards to which the life of the community conforms.  Without creative, independently thinking and judging personalities the upward development of society is as unthinkable as the development of the individual personality without the nourishing soil of the community.

THE WORLD AS I SEE IT

Albert Einstein

We are led to believe that as an individual we cannot make a difference, but that is untrue.  If we focus on the goodness of each individual ... inventions, scientific equations, discoveries ... we find acts of kindness more rampant that acts of violence.  Acts of kindness simply are not news worthy.

We are all capable of extraordinary contributions if we but render the courage to be who we are and share what we have to offer.  Whether the gesture is to kneel in helping a child or sending space shuttles up into the sky, we are all called to bring forth our gifts to this time and space.

We must not wait for others to shoulder the load.  If each of us carries a small portion of the weight, the movement forward can be shared by all.

One of my favorite quotes, "Be the change you want to see," encourages us to look inward for unique ways we can contribute to this world.  Instead of criticizing others, use that energy to be creative in some alternate way.  Life is not a competition, but a time to respect and honor our personal strengths as well as the work of others.  We must nurture and nourish each other.

We need not wait until we have an earth shattering discovery.  Be eager to experience the insights of every moment and act upon them.  Whether through writing, painting, singing, or helping others, every positive actions moves the community forward.  

Part of the Whole ... Albert Einstein

A human being is a part of the whole called by us

"universe," a part limited in time and space.  He

experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as

something separated from the rest ---

a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.

This delusion is a kind of prison for us,

restricting us to our personal desires and to

affection for a few persons nearest to us.

Our task must be to free ourselves from

this prison by widening our circle of

compassion to embrace all living creatures

and the whole of nature in its beauty.

Albert Einstein

It has been said when we are feeling depressed, we need to turn our attention to service of others.  By reaching outside of our own comfort zone, we release some of our own stress and bring compassion to another.

Could life really be that simple?  Rather than building our personal walls of fear to keep people out, we can open our hearts while embracing others with compassion.  Understand that personal boundaries are important, but have we carried this too far?  As a culture have we grown too isolated within our surrounding community?

By connecting with others, we begin to see and feel the spirit of each other learning diversity.  We are not all the same, but we are all worthy of love.  We all want to be heard, loved, and respected.

If we present our self by reflecting our true spirit, others have the opportunity to respond in kind.  Engagement then is readily available.  As we open our self with respect to hear a new message our compassion grows as everyone has a story. 

Granted, there are those who are difficult, who challenge us and who will not engage in loving kindness.  It would not be in our own best interest to subject our self to repeated hurtful situations;  but it is helpful to remember that there have been times in our own lives that we have been difficult as well.  Just as we do not want to be judged, others do not want to be judged either.  Silently offering forgiveness, healing and peace to those who are difficult, we then can return our attention to others wanting to experience healthier encounters.

The emphasis here is to appreciate all peoples.  We are a part of a whole that experiences pain and suffering,  joy and hope, and birth and death.  Let us look into the eyes of each other to discover the spirit residing within hidden by fear of exclusion.



ESSESNTIAL CONVERSATIONS ... ATTENTION

In the middle of every difficulty

lies an opportunity.

Albert Einstein

During my transition into a new life, I have found creating a network of friends to be the most difficult.  So the other day I followed up on an opportunity my daughter found on line.  I attended an informal discussion entitled ESSENTIAL CONVERSATIONS at The Wisdom House.  The goal was to explore the many definitions of the word attention and how the meanings were used in our daily spiritual lives.

Sitting in a circle with strangers, it became obvious that although a variety of spiritual beliefs and practices were represented, and differing words and phrases were used, there was a sense of 'being on the same page'.  We were all different, but in some aspects, the same.

The word attention was understood by some in a mental way, while others thought of it in a physical way, and then there were those who sensed it in a spiritual way.  Grouping everything together, we found the word to be fully defined.

For your enjoyment, here are some of the responses.

Attention is:

• an experience within
• a mental focus
• a way of being
• eye contact, connecting
• oneness, bonding
• mindfulness
• ability to be present in a spiritual and secular way
• results in thanksgiving and joy
• attendance and tending to children
• garden tending
• energy in nature
• meditation
• being fully present
• not all pretty moments
• in pain, remove ego to attain awareness
• making a difference
• witness

My favorite comment was:  If we strike a singing bowl, each of us will hear a different sound.  This is so true about most everything we experience. 

A suggestion was made to do a self-inquiry.  Notice your thought, trace it back to the original thought and then ask, "Who or what is thinking that?" 

This exercise helps us to realize that much of what we think is not original thought.  We can trace much of what we say or think back to ego or to what some one else said or did.  By doing this, we become aware that our authentic self is quietly behind conversation or thoughts, almost like a back drop ... being silent, but paying attention!

Forgotten Gift ...

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift

and the rational mind is a faithful servant.

We have created a society

that honors the servant

and has forgotten the gift.

Albert Einstein

You Don't Know ...

I have no special talents.

I am only passionately curious.

Albert Einstein

You don't know ... how you touch the lives of others whether intentionally or unintentionally.  When you snip a small bouquet of flowers from your garden as a last minute act before you depart for a friendly visit, the gesture remains in the friend's thoughts for days afterwards, long after you have forgotten.  When you gently smile and tell the elderly woman how lovely she looks in the color she has chosen for the day, she beams with the recognition, shining her joy throughout the day, long after you have forgotten.

You don't know ... how special your gifts are even if you use them every day.  We all have been gifted with a special talent, but we seem to minimize it and take it for granted.  Extending a compliment on a personal gift, such as gardening or floral arrangements, the person usually responds by saying something like, "Oh, anyone can do this!" 

You don't know ... how important your contributions are until many years have passed.  Albert Einstein humbly says of himself, "I have no special talents.  I am only passionately curious," even though he was a recipient of a Nobel Prize in Physics,  credited with the Theory of Relativity, and created the basis for Quantum Physics.  He developed the formula that eventually led to the Atom Bomb, but he was clearly opposed to that discovery.  He also worked with another researcher in discovering the refrigerator.  It is also notable that he created a mental image of the Universe and used it as a basis for his theories.  Many of his ideas stemmed from fantasies and dreams.  What would have happened to Albert Einstein if he had simply given up when he initially could not find a job as a teacher?   

You don't know ... where your life can lead if you maintain the courage to see your dreams through; if you pay attention to the guidance within;  if you sustain desires with the support of friends, relatives, and co-workers; and if you carry courage in your heart rather than fear.

God has blessed each individual with a unique gift or talent.  For many of us, our gifts and talents will be blended into the nature of our being  ... character, honesty, integrity, and creativity ... rather than a brilliant discovery.  Either way, we will have to account for what we accomplished with those gifts and talents. 

Do you have an incomplete list of dreams that went unrealized or simply faded with time?  Have you simply never become all that you wanted to be?  With courage, simply begin again, so that you can joyfully account for the passion in your heart and where it led you throughout your years!