Day 36: June 30, 2012 ~ The Vital Force

Day 36: June 30, 2012 ~ The Vital Force

"Vital Force: the vital principle or animating force within living beings: breath, divine spark, life force, psyche, soul, spirit, vitality"

I hardly know where to begin on this subject...I'll start with what inspired me to write about it today. I have a bonsai tree, an evergreen/pine of some sort. I'm obviously no expert on bonsai! I have loved this plant for many years. However in the last couple of years I have not given it the care and feeding it needs, and it has been looking the worse for wear. Its once lush green needles have dried and turned brown. A couple of weeks ago I thought perhaps it was just beyond help and I even considered 'recycling' it.

Then I thought, wait a minute, perhaps it would respond to some extra love and attention. So I brought it to work and put it in a special place in front of a window where it would receive adequate sunlight, and committed to watering it regularly and nurturing it back to health. It dawned on me that it might also appreciate some added nutrients in the form of plant food.

I have been quite thrilled to watch its progress, as soft vibrant green needles shoot forth from its tiny branches every day. I water it, I feed it the nutrients it needs (lots of nitrogen). I talk to it—having read The Secret Life of Plants years ago and thinking there may be something to it—that plants respond to positive and negative energy of the humans around them. I err on the side of projecting positive energy just in case it's true. It's quite exciting to watch this half dead plant come alive and begin to thrive.


What is it that allows that to happen? I feel like I have been watching a process of mystery and magic unfold before my eyes as I watch this bonsai come back to life. There is a vital force that flows through all living things, a life force energy that will not be denied, that comes into balance when we focus our conscious awareness in its direction.


I am grateful today for this vital life force energy that flows through all living things. I also experience this process with alternative healing practices, such as homeopathy, acupuncture, and Jin Shin. I am mightily blessed to have a dear friend, Diana, who is a Jin Shin practitioner. She did a treatment for me today that was nothing short of miraculous. I arrived at her place several hours ago experiencing a great deal of muscle pain, and I sit here now at my computer completely pain free. Jin Shin works with the body at a subtle energy level, with light acupressure touch bringing the body and spirit back into balance.


I am in gratitude and awe as I contemplate the power of the vital force within all living things to effect healing and regeneration, when we focus our conscious awareness and our intention in that direction. Blessed be!

 

Day 35: June 28, 2012 ~ The Happiest Place on Earth

Day 35: June 28, 2012 ~ The Happiest Place on Earth

"I think what I want Disneyland to be most of all is a happy place--a place where adults and children can experience together some of the wonders of life, of adventure,

and feel better because of it."

~Walt Disney

I'm getting excited because I'm planning a trip to Disneyland with my son and granddaughter this summer. Today I am feeling grateful for the vision and imagination of Walt Disney, a man who believed in the power of dreams and envisioned a world where dreams really do come true. I'm grateful for this place where children and adults can experience fun and adventure together and feel the wild spirit of playfulness and inspiration.

I think Walt must have been a big kid at heart. One of Disney's Imagineers Bruce Gordon is quoted as saying, "I always believed the reason Walt built Disneyland was that he wanted one. He wanted the biggest train layout; he wanted a place for all his toys. In the park he had an apartment above the fire station. Walt would get up early in the morning, before the park opened, and he'd drive his fire truck around Disneyland. People would think he was crazy, but he was playing with his toy."


His delight and joy and passion for life permeated all of his creations. At the heart of all that he did was a deep respect for nature, a strong sense of integrity, a great deal of optimism, unbounded imagination...and an absolute delight in life. That's what we feel at Disneyland. We leave the world and all its cares behind as we enter the Magic Kingdom. There is a feeling of entering through some kind of portal to another dimension of time and space. You're not just going to a theme park; you're on a journey to a land of imagination and magic.

I was about 8 or 9 years old the first time I went to Disneyland. That was in the early 1960s. Do you know, I still have an "E" ticket from those early days...in fact I've got it right here! All these years later, it is one of my most treasured possessions, for the memories it evokes. "E" tickets were my favorite; good for admission to the Monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Jungle Cruise and the Enchanted Tiki Room! Since those days I've been back many times, with my kids on several occasions, and with a grandchild. I love it as much now as I did then. I still feel the magic.

As I write, I can almost hear Jiminy Cricket singing...

When you wish upon a star

Makes no difference who you are

Anything your heart desires

Will come to you.

If your heart is in your dream

No request is too extreme

When you wish upon a star

As dreamers do.

Thank you, Walt, and Mickey, and Jiminy, and Peter Pan and Tink...be seeing you real soon!

Day 34: June 26, 2012 ~ Ho'oponopono

Day 34: June 26, 2012 ~ Ho'oponopono

"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the world, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of."

~Jim Rohn

I write about this today because I need a reminder...how I wish I could remember this more often. Different cultures and spiritual traditions have their own unique versions of this practice. The Buddhists have a perspective of compassion and non-judgement that allow one to see another's negative traits and say, "I am that too". Twelve Step programs emphasize taking personal responsibility and humbly asking for God to remove character defects. Hawaiians have an ancient healing practice called ho'oponopono, a process of clearing away negative thoughts and beliefs about others and taking 100% responsibility for one's experience of life.

These practices arise from the understanding that we cannot change the world out there; we can only change ourselves, and it is not actually our conscious self that does the changing--the key is in willingness to let go of judgement, grievances, blame, anger, in all humility asking God/Spirit/divine intelligence to release them from us.

Dr. Hew Len, a renowned teacher of ho'oponopono, is purported to have healed a ward of mentally ill criminals at the Hawaii State Hospital with this ancient practice, simply by looking at the patients' files and feeling empathy for them, and taking responsibility for his part in their 'creation'...taking responsibility for the violence within him, and 'clearing' through prayer of forgiveness the hatred and violence that is in the collective consciousness. The prayer is simple and profound: 

I am sorry.

Please forgive me.

I love you.

Thank you.

Dr. Len said, "I was simply healing the part of me that created them." The thoughts and beliefs we hold have the power to create, for good or ill. It is so much easier to place blame outside, to project the things we don't want to see about ourselves onto others. It's second nature. We do it all the time. We gossip and complain about our grievances to anyone who will listen. The media encourages it--the more outrageous the rants, the higher the TV ratings. The question is, what thoughts do we want to give power to; what kind of world do we want to create? 

In gratitude for this simple prayer, and for the opportunities we have every day to create peace in our hearts.

Day 33: June 24, 2012 ~ Sharing Nature's Splendor

Day 33: June 24, 2012 ~ Sharing Nature's Splendor

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

~John Muir

 McClure's Beach on Point Reyes

Today I offer heartfelt gratitude for the beauty of our national parks, in particular Point Reyes National Seashore. Yesterday I spent a glorious day hiking the Tomales Point Trail with two dear friends. It was one of those beautiful warm blue-sky days where you can see forever. I've visited many of the beaches and hiked several of the trails on Point Reyes, however this was my first time on this particular trail.

If you visit Point Reyes and are looking for a leisurely hike with wildflowers and great views, I highly recommend this one. Bright yellow lupines line the trail, their sweet aroma filling the air; you have your rolling hills and Tomales Bay to one side and the vast blue Pacific Ocean on the other. The trail passes through a Tule Elk preserve where you are likely to see large numbers of these magnificent creatures grazing.


We had an unexpected treat yesterday--as we walked along the trail, we could see a pod of four or five California gray whales swimming just off shore, parallel to where we were walking. What fun to watch those little spouts of water shooting up into the air and catch glimpses of the whales as they breached. This area is part of their "highway" of migration: they travel 10,000 miles round trip each year--from Alaska to the warm shallow lagoons of Baja California for winter calving, and then back north to their summer feeding grounds in the cold arctic seas.

That's the wonderful thing about walking in nature...like John Muir says, "one receives far more than he seeks." There are often unexpected delights and surprises, as we set out on a walk in the woods or in the mountains or along a coastal trail. Our senses are more alert, colors are more vibrant, the air is fresh and clear. One spots a creature in the wild and feels a connection to one's own wilder nature and to the great web of life. One is refreshed and renewed by the elements of sun, sea and sky, and doubly so when the experience is shared with friends, mutual witnesses to these moments of magic and grace. 


~In great gratitude for the wild places and the men and women with foresight who have fought to preserve them for all to enjoy.

Day 32: June 22, 2012 ~ "It is Now"

Day 32: June 22, 2012 ~ "It is Now"

"The living moment is everything."

~D.H. Lawrence

"Life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon the present moment you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today."

~Cherokee Proverb

It seems to be universally acknowledged and understood...the value and importance of living in the present moment...yet how challenging it is to actually do that! That's why I schedule in time during the week to practice "being here now". Like my wonderful yoga class. In yoga it's all about focusing on the breath, moving the body into poses designed to open up and create space in the cells and tissues and to free the mind of its busy chatter. What if we lived more moments in that place between the thoughts, in that place of spacious awareness, where all truly is well? We allow our bodies to do what they are designed to do, regeneration and healing. We experience peace and serenity, and open to the flow of higher consciousness, clarity of thought, allowing for perspectives and solutions previously beyond our grasp.

 

Simply remembering to breathe more often would be helpful...I mean breathing deeply and slowly, receiving life giving oxygen into our bodies and consciously breathing out whatever no longer serves, as in tension or any kind of toxic energy. I often forget to breathe :-) so I put reminders around where I can see them randomly throughout the day, like the sign that hangs in my office next to my computer-- a lovely laminated sign with the word Breathe written in beautiful calligraphy. When I remember to breathe, immediately my body relaxes and clear thinking returns.

My son Brett was one of my first teachers in the art of being here now. When he was about 16 years old he went through a very interesting phase. "Interesting" is probably not the word I would have used back then, as this very active schedule-driven working Mom was less interested in philosophical musings about the nature of time and consciousness then she was in getting various family members fed and driven to soccer practices, music lessons, karate classes, meetings, and choir practices on time. After all, when you have that many plates spinning, time is of the essence. Brett, however was less interested in being a slave to time, and was more into the concept of being fully in the present moment. When I would ask him, "What time is it, Brett?" he would frequently answer, 

"It is now."

At which point I would become a little exasperated. Now I am amused in thinking about it. He was right...I could have used some lightening up. He's in his thirty's now and commutes to work and has places to be and schedules to keep. I have to say I love it when he asks me what time it is. Of course I say, "It is now, Brett"...and smile.

 

In gratitude for the precious present, and remembering to be in it more often!

 

Day 31: June 20, 2012 ~ Dolphins

Day 31: June 20, 2012 ~ Dolphins

"Man has always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much...the wheel, New York, wars, and so on...while all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man...

for precisely the same reason."

~Douglas Adams

Ah...dolphins...truly some of this planet's most awesome creatures. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to swim with dolphins in two very different settings. My first experience was at the Dolphin Research Center in the Florida keys, where people can swim with trained dolphins in a lagoon (after receiving training in dolphin etiquette; what to do and not do in their presence). I had such fun, and it seemed like they were having fun too.

I was taken for a ride around the lagoon by two dolphins who swam up behind me, allowing me to grab hold of their dorsal fins, and pulled me through the water at a fairly high speed. At the end of our swim together, I got a very special treat. I was instructed to hold on to the dock with one hand and hold out my other hand and wait for a dolphin to swim up and place its 'beak' in my hand. Somewhere there is a photo of me receiving a dolphin kiss on the cheek!

My second experience was swimming with a pod of spinner dolphins in Kealakekua Bay on Hawaii's Kona coast. My brother-in-law, who used to live there, swam with dolphins regularly. He came to recognize them and even had names for them. They would eagerly include him in their group play. He and I went out snorkeling one day and happened upon a 'sleepy pod' of spinner dolphins, lazily swimming in a large circle near us. As they were sleeping and not in a mood for play, I only got to watch them swim by, quite near to us, almost close enough to touch. It was a magical moment. It's difficult to explain the energy one feels in their presence. It just feels like a blessing.


I do have a film to recommend: MacGillivray Freeman's Dolphins, originally created for IMAX in 2000, featuring songs and music by Sting (available in DVD). This fascinating documentary, with stunning cinematography, reveals much about the lives of these amazing creatures. If you haven't thought much about dolphins, you will fall in love with them after watching this film.


Dolphins have much to teach us about living in harmony and community, and about playfulness. How they love to play. As this film points out, dolphins spend 20% of their time working (hunting for food)...coordinating efforts to maximize efficiency...and 80% of their time playing. They are extremely intelligent. Carl Sagan has quipped: "It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English—up to fifty words used in correct context—no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese".

If I want to smile, all I have to do is think about dolphins, and recall the magical moments I have been blessed to spend in their presence. Today I am feeling deep gratitude for these intelligent, creative, playful creatures of the sea.

Day 30: June 19, 2012 ~ Joyful Sound

Day 30: June 19, 2012 ~ Joyful Sound

"The singer has everything within him. The notes come out from his very life.

They are not materials gathered from outside."

Rabindranath Tagore

Yesterday I shared a dream with my dream group...it was about wanting to learn how to sing. I've had a series of dreams that involve learning to sing, which I've always looked at as metaphors for wanting to find my own voice and express it in the world--as in writing a blog for instance :-) or speaking to groups or teaching. After the fifth such dream I wondered if perhaps I'm also being prompted to actually learn to sing!

I've never felt confident about singing, so I've limited my performances to singing in my car or in the shower. I did get brave once many years ago. Inspired by Bette Midler's soulful rendition of "The Rose", I volunteered to sing it at a small gathering celebrating Christmas Eve. I practiced that song for weeks. In the shower, I swear it sounded just like Bette! When it came time for the actual 'performance' I was shaking like the proverbial leaf. Thankfully my guitarist friend who accompanied me was extremely patient and encouraging. I managed to squeak out the song somehow...and my friends were very sweet in their comments (I think they may have been exaggerating just a little when they said it sounded like angels singing :-)

Anyway, after all these dreams I decided to dive in and try another adventure: I have joined a summer choral group called "Joyful Sound". The theme is "Another Summer of Love" and the program includes: "Aquarius", "Let the Sunshine In", "Proud Mary", "Spinning Wheel", "You've Got a Friend", and a Beatles medley. I've been listening to the alto parts on a CD while driving in my car. It feels wonderful to sing out, and I have a new attitude now. Practice, practice, practice. What is that quote..."practice anything for 10,000 hours and you'll become an expert at it." 10,000 hours of singing those alto lines ought to do the trick!

The thing is, those dreams are about singing, and it's also not about singing...it's about how one goes through life. Singing in a dream is a metaphor for the expression of joy. So it's a desire to experience more joy. Singing involves body and soul. Singing is about being a willing instrument for spirit to come through. I love to watch someone sing who is totally engaged with the music, with passion, down to their toes. You can feel spirit streaming through. That's how I want to go through life, singing my own song at last.

In gratitude for the gift of song in our lives, and the opportunity to share it in joyful harmony with others, and for the opportunities to sing our own unique song.

 

Day 29: June 17, 2012 ~ Sharing Our Inner Light

Day 29: June 17, 2012 ~ Sharing Our Inner Light

"Beauty abounds; in gratitude I receive."

Joanne's six-word reflection

One of the things I love about this gratitude blog is how, in the sharing of my reflections and musings, some people feel inspired to inquire more deeply on their own...reflecting, contemplating, discovering. And sometimes they share their insights with me, and I feel doubly blessed. The image that comes to me is of a candlelight service, where one candle is lit, and then the person holding the candle reaches over to light the candle of the next person, and that person lights the next person's candle, and so on, until all the candles in the room are lit. I think we are are like that--we are lights for one another, helping each other remember and connect with something deeper, touching one another with our inner light.

I'd like to share this precious gem that came to me after a recent Sunday service at my church. In the service, the minister spoke about testimonials, saying that a testimonial is really about giving testimony to how God/Spirit moves in our lives. And I thought, that's what my blog is! It's my testimony of how Spirit moves through our lives! I shared that 'aha' during the reflections part of the service. I talked about how this process has been about opening my heart and listening to what wants to come through each day and then sharing my thoughts.

The minister had also asked us to think of a six-word reflection that expresses our relationship to the Divine. You may remember when the phenomenon of six-word reflections became popular years ago. It was inspired by the legend that Hemingway, once challenged to write a story in only six words, came up with this: "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn." It became a "thing"...to tell one's life story in six words. A google search turns up some clever ones: "Not quite what I was planning."..and "This is just a phase, right?"...and "Therapy bill indicates talk isn't cheap."

Well, several days after that Sunday service, one of the church members who had been there told me he had contemplated on what I shared about opening to listening to Spirit's inspiration, and he came up with a six-word reflection that resonated for him. He shared his reflection with me:

"Pregnant silence, truth revealed; act accordingly."

I love it! Beautiful. And what is my six-word reflection? "Beauty abounds; in gratitude I receive." What's yours? :-)

Day 28: June 15, 2012 ~ The Wisdom of the Body

Day 28: June 15, 2012 ~ The Wisdom of the Body

"There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophies."

~Friedrich Nietzche

  

Two beloved family members are currently in a rehabilitation and healing process--one recovering from hip surgery and one whose fractured ribs are slowly knitting back together. It has me thinking about the miraculous workings of the human body and feeling deep gratitude for the powerful forces at work on our behalf to facilitate healing.

How often do we really think about this? What a miracle this is! We are made up of trillions of cells, each "imbued with intent and purpose," as Bruce Lipton says in his wonderful book about the role of consciousness in healing, The Biology of Belief. These trillions of cells work together 24/7 to maintain/restore our bodies to optimum health.

As someone who leans more toward alternative forms of healing--homeopathy, acupuncture, reiki, qigong--I have come to appreciate and trust in the wisdom of the body. There is definitely a need and important place for medical intervention, surgery, medications and the like, however I wonder if we haven't veered so far in the direction of medical technologies, putting so much faith in doctors and diagnostic machinery, that we are losing touch with the wisdom within our own bodies and the ability to aid in our own healing, through the consciousness that we hold.

It seems that gratitude plays an important part in the healing process. Spiritual leader and best selling author Michael Beckwith tells a wonderful story about the role of gratitude in the healing of disease. Six years ago he was teaching a class about healing energy, and a woman named Donna, who was suffering from kidney disease, asked the class to pray that she be moved up the waiting list for a kidney transplant.

Michael asked the class to try a different kind of experiment instead--to vision for the healing of the kidneys she already had. He asked the class, "How many of you woke up this morning and expressed gratitude that your kidneys are working?" He gave them an assignment--every time they went to the bathroom to offer gratitude that their kidneys were functioning, and then claim the same for Donna's kidneys. He also suggested that Donna give thanks for her life and all the ways in which she has been graced and fulfilled, and then to shift that positive energy to her kidneys. He says, "a few months later she informed me that her kidneys spontaneously began normal functioning. To the day of this writing she is free of kidney disease!"

Today I am in deep gratitude for the powerful healing life force energy within and without. 

The image above is a photograph of visionary artist Alex Grey's painting "Theologue". Check out his website www.alexgrey.com for more amazing images of the human/divine form.

 

 

Day 27: June 12, 2012 ~ All Creatures Great & Small

Day 27: June 12, 2012 ~ All Creatures Great & Small

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

Anatole France

 

That's a treasured photo of my son Eli feeding Earnest the chipmunk some peanuts at our family cabin in the Adirondacks. Chipmunk feeding was a source of great enjoyment every summer, and so when we packed food for our stay at the cabin, we were sure to bring large quantities of peanuts to feed our furry friends. We chose names for each of them, to match their personalities. Earnest earned his name because he was...well, very earnest about his peanut gathering. He was not shy; he wouldn't always wait to be offered a peanut from our hands--sometimes he would scamper up our pants legs and dive into our pockets to find the stored loot. After a while, he learned to cut out the middle man altogether and go right to the source...he would go into the cook shack, climb up onto the counter and dive into the coffee can that contained the week's supply. 

Today I am in appreciation for the variety of animal species with whom we share this planet. There is something truly awesome about encountering an animal in its own environment and sharing moments of 'communion' in the wild. I experienced such a moment at the Adirondacks cabin. One sunny afternoon I was sitting in the lean-to writing letters (pockets filled with peanuts just in case Earnest should wander by), when all of a sudden I heard some rustling in the leaves. Oh good, I thought...chipmunks are visiting. I looked toward the fire pit in front of me and saw two little black pointy ears...oh how cute! A black bear cub! And then another little set of ears. Then it dawned on me, oh, that means mama bear must be right behind them.


Sure enough, Mama Bear came lumbering after them. Oops. I really had no idea what to do. Instinctively, I stood up and yelled, "Hey!" Not sure that was the right thing to do, but that's what I did. She started to turn and run, but stopped, as if to say, "wait a minute!" She stood up on her hind legs, about 12 feet away from me, and clacked her teeth and huffed at me. Time stopped for me at that moment. It seemed to go on forever, although I'm sure it was only a matter of seconds. It felt as if she just wanted me to know who was in charge. After all, she was the one with the 6" claws and very sharp teeth. In that moment I got that she certainly had the ability to do great harm, but she had no such intention. I felt in that moment very alive and very connected to nature and to the universe. She got back down on all fours and walked away, very slowly, looking back a couple of times for good measure. I earned the nickname Standing Bear Woman after that encounter :-)


I am in great gratitude for the opportunities we have to interact with and learn from all creatures great and small. How awesome they are!

Day 26: June 11, 2012 ~ Singing Our Own Song

Day 26: June 11, 2012 ~ Singing Our Own Song

"Find what makes your heart sing and create your own music."

~Mac Anderson

 

What a treat it was to spend the morning with Michael Stillwater, singer, songwriter, spiritual teacher, and music healer extraordinaire. And oh yes, he can now add 'film maker' to his credentials. This month he made his directorial debut with a film called Shining Night, a documentary film that the Wall Street Journal calls "a heartening rarity". Michael spoke at our church today and led us all in sacred chant. There's nothing like raising your voice in harmonious song with others to make your spirits soar.  
Michael has traveled the world sharing his gift of music and helping others to find their own inner song. Today he spoke about the Great Song. Brother David Steindl-Rast says this about the Great Song: "There is really only one song, and it's the Great Song, the cosmic song, the song that all things, animals, plants and humans sing in their deepest heart. And every song that a human sings with his or her voice is only an expression of that one Great Song that is there from the beginning and will be there after the end."

Michael's message is that the Great Song expresses through each one of us in our own unique way. It's not necessarily expressed as actual song, although it may be. It's expressed in the way we love our children, how we relate to others, what gifts we share with the world. And our life is about finding our unique song. No one does this particular thing quite the way we do. When we find our own song and sing it, we are living in integrity with our full potential, living authentically and fully, and we become a blessing in the world.

He expressed gratitude for his wife, who he said would accept no less than his living in full authenticity, fulfilling his dreams and visions—just wouldn't let him 'get away with anything less'. How blessed we are to have those people in our lives—those who remind us of our unique song when we forget. What a great inspiration he is. He said he had always wanted to be involved in film making, but figured that was an unattainable dream. Until he met his wife. With her encouragement and support, he committed to following his inner song, the promptings within him that would not be silenced...and with a clear intention and the patience to learn new skills and technologies, he fulfilled a lifelong dream and created a film that is now winning awards at independent film festivals across the country.

May each one of us find our unique song and share our blessing with the world!

Day 25: June 8, 2012 ~ Carpe Diem

Day 25: June 8, 2012 ~ Carpe Diem

"You don't need endless time and perfect conditions. Do it now. Do it today. Do it for twenty minutes and watch your heart start beating."

Barbara Sher

Is there a creative project or career path that you have contemplated beginning--or a new hobby like painting, writing, dancing, singing, skydiving, or whatever secret passion may be hiding in the closet--but you have put it off for another day, when conditions are right, when you have more time, more money, or finally know enough to begin? I'm here to say don't wait...do it now!

I feel like I am coming out of the closet. No, not that closet--but it does have to do with being happy :-) As I write, I'm getting a picture of a closet as being a passageway to new territory and am reminded of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe from CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. You know the story: four children are evacuated from London during World War II and sent to live on a country estate, where they discover a magic wardrobe that leads to an enchanted world. It is actually the youngest child, Lucy, who first discovers the wardrobe and boldly ventures through, led by curiosity and wonder. Isn't that the way--if we allow our child-like nature, our younger, more curious, perhaps bolder self to lead the way--what adventures might we encounter!

My hidden passion has been writing. That's the closet I've been in. I even bought a book years ago called Is There a Book Inside You? This is a great book that offers a step-by-step plan for writing and publishing your own book. Oh yes! I thought, this is the information I've been waiting for! Now I'll finally be able to begin. Don't you know, I read that book from cover to cover. I highlighted, underlined, made action lists, did all the steps. Only one problem: I had no idea what book I wanted to write, and so I didn't actually write on a daily basis.

Until now. And now I can't seem to stop writing! I don't know if this will ever be a book. But I'm having a great time. I work at two jobs and have a busy life, but I make time every day to write something, because it makes my heart sing. Because I can't not write. I'm loving opening my eyes to the beauty and wonder all around and finding new gems in my path every single day. I told a dear friend recently that it feels like turning on the tap and having water stream through.

I leave you with the words of another sage, Dr. Seuss: "Today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way."

Day 24: June 6, 2012 ~ Technology

Day 24: June 6, 2012 ~ Technology

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons"

~Popular Mechanics, 1949

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."

Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943

My sons would be most amused to find me praising technology today. When they were young their mother was an alien being who was totally befuddled by anything remotely technological, like trying to program a VCR or operate a computer or a digital camera. My husband was a wizard of technology and our sons definitely took after him. I, on the other hand, spent most of my life doing things the good old fashioned way, quite honestly feeling intimated by all the latest technological advances. Who needs a computer for word processing when a pen and paper will do the job just as well?

Then, ever so slowly, I began to venture into this brave new world. It all started when I bought an iMac. A whole new universe opened up to me! I could listen to my favorite music on iTunes while downloading photographs from my digital camera into iPhoto, create photo albums and books, publish newsletters, design and print meditation cards, correspond by email, research anything in the known universe on the web, Skype with my sons...I fell in love with my iMac!

And then came the iPhone. I can't imagine life without my iPhone! The only tricky part is mastering one-finger touch-screen email-writing. With this little hand held device I can check email, do my banking, listen to my favorite music, check the weather anywhere in the world, take pictures or video recordings and email them to friends, record random thoughts for my next blog posting while I'm out walking :-), find the best gas prices around, text to my son (which I've found is the surest way to get a response)...and, oh yes, make phone calls too. Remember when cell phones just made calls? 

Today I am singing the praises of computer technology, and all the pioneers who paved the way--visionaries like Steve Jobs, who saw the personal computer as a tool for creative expression and made it more user friendly for technophobes like me. It's a new world...even my mother learned to use a computer when she was in her 80's. Her 96-year old friend in the senior community where she lives has one too--she surfs the web, catches up on the latest news, and emails and Skypes. It's a brave new world, indeed. Praise be!
 

Day 23: June 5, 2012 ~ Makes Scents to Me

Day 23: June 5, 2012 ~ Makes Scents to Me

"I found one remaining box of comics which I had saved. When I opened it up and that smell came pouring out, that old paper smell, I was struck by a rush of memories, a sense of my childhood self that seemed to be contained in there."

~Michael Chabon

  

Today I am grateful for the magic and wonder of the five senses, particularly the sense of smell and how it connects us to our soul nature. The inspiration came to me while I was driving home from work one beautiful spring day with the windows open. There were so many wonderful smells in the air--eucalyptus, pine, fresh mowed grass--wafting through the air and filling up my senses. What an invigorating feeling! It got me thinking about the blessing of the five senses, especially the sense of smell.

As I'm driving I begin to imagine the scents of each of my favorite flowers--gardenia, jasmine, narcissus, lilacs, roses. Ahh...right away all tension drains from my body, and I am breathing more deeply, just in recalling those fragrances. There is a marked shift in my mood and energy level as I smile and breathe. I also notice that specific memories are coming to mind. When I close my eyes and think of lilacs, I swear I can actually smell them, and it brings me back to my teen years in New England and the lilac bushes in our back yard. All of a sudden it is May in Connecticut and I am sixteen again, full of spring and promise.

I think of another favorite scent, balsam pine, and am immediately transported to a lean-to in the Adirondacks lined with fresh pine boughs, feeling the crisp cool night air, lying in a down sleeping bag in front of a crackling fire, listening to the loons on the lake and counting shooting stars in the vast night sky overhead. I used to stuff pillow cases full of fresh pine needles to bring home from our vacations in the mountains so I could make little balsam pillows to have in our home year round. What a wonderful infusion of mountain energy, when I would hold one of those pillows to my nose, close my eyes, and inhale deeply...magically transported miles and years away to our retreat in the woods.

Magic, that's what it is. Today I am grateful for the gift of the five senses through which we may experience the magic and wonder of the universe and feel our connection to it all.

Day 22: June 4, 2012 ~ How the Light Gets In

Day 22: June 4, 2012 ~ How the Light Gets In

"Ring the bells that still can ring.

Forget your perfect offering.

There is a crack in everything.

That's how the light gets in."

~Leonard Cohen

My apologies to those who actually check the blog every day...I've been a bit sporadic in my "daily" postings...and I hope you'll have patience with me as we travel this road together, guided by the promptings of spirit. Today I am grateful for the gifts of the tender heart, the heart open to feeling sadness and pain, for in surrendering into sadness rather than resisting, the heart softens and opens to let the light in. Those who feel deeply also understand the suffering of others and bring compassion to those who thirst for it. Those who draw from a deep well of emotion to create art and music and poetry enrich our lives beyond measure with exquisite beauty.

I am grateful today for one of the wisest teachers I have known--my brother--who helps me to remember this whenever I forget. He listens with compassion when my inner critic does a number on me, passing judgement for not measuring up to its high standards, or when I apologize to him for expressing sadness or grief, as happened yesterday. He has no such judgement of the tears. He says there is beauty in them, because they reveal my tender heart. He sees my soul shining through the tears. He says that it is our capacity to be wounded, that vulnerability and tenderness, that make us truly human. He says when our tender heart comes forth, it is asking to be seen, held, nurtured, and understood. He says when we reject the tenderness, it is like rejecting our soul. Pretty wise guy, my brother. 

Some of us who have a strong inner critic carry the burden of being perfectionists. It's one thing to do a job well, and to put one's best efforts into an endeavor, out of a desire to grow and expand and feel a sense of pride in accomplishment. However, perfectionism is more about the need to "get it right", the need to look good, out of a need for approval. It is a kind of prison to the soul. We can avoid our feelings out of a need to project that "all is well", not wanting people to see the cracks in our facade. Ah, but what if we were to allow ourselves the full range of emotions and feelings? What beautiful creations might emerge from within? What healing and wisdom might we provide?

I love the image above--these beautiful little flowers emerging from the rich soil in the crack in the pavement remind us of the beauty that emerges from the soul in the places where the heart breaks open. May we nurture those places and hold them with tender hearts.

Day 21: June 1, 2012 ~ Awakening

Day 21: June 1, 2012 ~ Awakening

"The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen."

~Monica Baldwin

Ahhh...those first moments between sleeping and waking, where we are briefly suspended between worlds, in a state of consciousness that transcends the limited thinking of our ordinary minds. Our waking mind has not yet gone into gear with the to-do lists, the order of business for the day; the worries and concerns of yesterday are past and time itself seems to expand to infinity in this half dreamy state. Have you ever woken from a beautiful dream and as it begins to slip from your grasp, wish, oh please let me stay here a little longer!

How I love the early morning, those moments of peace and quiet before the world begins to bustle about. It's a lovely time for contemplation, journaling, meditation, yoga, recording and contemplating our nighttime dream adventures to mine them for the treasures they hold. I agree with those who believe that how we start our day, the thoughts we think, the attitude we hold upon waking and as we set about the day, sets the tone for the whole day. We may not have a lot of choice about what is happening in the world around us, but we do have a choice about how we respond, the consciousness that we choose to hold, the thoughts that we allow to take root in our minds.

What a miracle that we are given the opportunity for a new start with each new sunrise! Each day can be a new beginning. We can choose to discard old beliefs, adopt new more empowering ones, choose to forgive, let go, let God, let it be. We can make amends, make new friends, move in new directions, let the sun shine in. How we begin the day can make all the difference. Beginning with an attitude of gratitude, openness, curiosity and wonder and going about some sort of morning ritual consciously can have wonderful benefits.

I am very excited to have just discovered a book called Morning Rituals: How We Awaken, by Kimberly Call. The book offers simple practices inspired by ancient eastern and western traditions that take only a few moments in the morning, that help develop concentration, clarity, centeredness, vitality, and serenity. Sign me up for that! I'm looking forward to giving them a try.

Wishing you gentle and blissful awakenings!