Slaying Dragons

Courage is not just about slaying the dragon,

but about being true to yourself

and speaking your mind.

Elizabeth Bernstein

If we manage to slay the dragon, but regress back into silence, another dragon will eventually appear.  Dragons can be  symbols of fear; thus the cycle of dragons.

Courage is a part of our self we use to conquer physical, emotional or spiritual fears.  We use courage to face battles, to run calculated risks, and to stand up for our truths and values.

For some, it takes courage just to get out of bed.

The Divine is perfection and the Divine has created us in perfection; however, as part of the human experience we have strengths and weaknesses.  The lessons in this human experience entitled "life" address our weaknesses far more than our strengths.  The lessons are opportunities to strengthen our weaknesses.  Whenever we face our fears our courage  grows just a little stronger.

When we maintain a balance between our body, mind, and spirit, we are 'in the flow' feeling resilient and empowered.  When we respect our gifts and talents, and integrate our personal beliefs with our outer world, we have the courage to move forward more easily.  If we hide our personal beliefs and do not utilize our strengths, life appears to be an upward battle.   Then one day, at last, we gather our courage and break through our fears, slaying our dragons.  

Swing Open the Gate ...

 Your only obligation in any lifetime

is to be true to yourself.

Richard Bach

We cannot be true to our most inner self if we do not explore our strengths, weaknesses, and insights.  Unfortunately our strengths are displayed rather nicely as children only to be ridiculed by others instead of encouraged and supported.  In the end, we can find our selves living parents dreams instead of dreams of our own.  The good news, however, is it is never to late to pursue our heart's desire.

Not only is it important to honor our talents and gifts, it is also very healthy to have an outlet where we can totally lose our selves.  When we invest in something we love doing, stress reduces, blood presssure drops, and mental attitudes improve. 

To be involved in an activity that brings us joy, we feel liberated which creates higher self regard.  Being creative in our own personal way heightens our life experiences directly and indirectly. 

We must take time to fan the fires of our passion.  We must give our selves permission to be involved in activities that allow us to be truly aligned with body, mind, and spirit. 

Step off the beaten path, swing open the gate and follow  intuition to where we need to be led.  Something wonderful is waiting ... if we would just stop and listen. 

Begin a New Day

We embark upon the creation of a peaceful lifestyle by recognizing the need, daily, to cleanse our minds just as we cleanse our bodies. Through morning prayers and meditation, we embark upon the day spiritually prepared.  Without this preparation, we enter the day with yesterday's anxieties  ~  our own and those of millions of others.  

---Marianne Williamson

Each day is a gift, an opportunity to begin anew, and a creation of personal experience.  Our attitude sets the tone for our inner rhythms and for the cadence of those around us.  

We organize household duties, designate responsibilities to others, and keep a running master list of all we have to do.  Even with the very best organizational skills, we frequently omit a beginning ritual.  

Every morning as we open our eyes, we can figuratively open our hearts to another day of compassion and encouragement  for ourselves and others.  We can repeat affirmations or words of thanksgiving for all that we have.  With a grateful heart, we then can begin a new day.

Balance must be consciously planned or time for nurturing and nourishing slips away.  The material world for whatever reason takes precedence over our spiritual awareness and our stress, anxiety, and worries multiply.  

Celebrate the gift of life every morning allowing a sense of excitement for the unfolding of the day.  Embrace the day with wholeness (the blending of spiritual with material) and expect wonderful things! 

Harmony

All the tragedy in the world,

in the individual and in the

multitude, comes from lack

of harmony.  And harmony

is best given by producing

harmony in one's own life.

HAZRAT INAYAT KHAN

So many scenarios come to mind when viewing the word harmony.  I can hear a Bartender Quartet in perfect harmony or a church choir.   I can view the harmony of hues in a painting or the sun setting in the sky.  While walking, there is a harmony communing with nature ... the birds, the trees, the flowers, and the wind.  Chicken and noodles, fresh baked bread, and pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting bring sensations of harmony as I breathe in my kitchen.  And let's not forget the taste of the perfect harmony of spices in the best chili ever!

Friendships have harmony as well although they may ebb and flow.  Most lessons are learned through relationships, so there must be challenges experienced within the harmony.  Communication, boundaries, respect and compatability all figure in while creating a balance for meeting the needs of all folks involved.  So then that would mean compromise, give and take, sharing, and speaking truth.  There seems to be a lot of opportunity for discord while maintaining harmony in relationship!

Perhaps we could best establish harmony in any individual relationship just as we find harmony in a sunset.  Maybe if we sat still and observed the other person, noticing the light shining from them, seeing the gracefulness in behavior, reserving judgment, and by being still and present, we could develop harmony. 

It is best to develop harmony within our self, so we can better see harmony in all that surrounds us.  When we carry peace and calm within us, we actually bring it out into the world for others to experience.  If we could all establish a personal balance with peace and calm, communities could come together and begin to harmonize.

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!