Saturday, December 9, 2023

Happy Holidays

Time seems to fly as we prepare for the coming celebrations.

In all the busyness, I wish you peace.

Happy Holidays.


(image courtesy of pixabay.com)


 

Saturday, November 18, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving

      If we look at our lives, we always can find something to be thankful for.  

     As always, I am grateful for you.  Blessings.


(image courtesy of pixabay.com)

Saturday, October 7, 2023

Scary Things and You

     With the holiday celebrating scary things approaching, I thought it would be fun to post some quotes about fear.  Enjoy!

There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them.  (Andre Gide)

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. (Plato)

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.  Now it the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.  (Marie Curie) 

 

(image courtesy of pixabay.com)




Saturday, September 2, 2023

A Very Moving Message

      I ran across this blog post and it really touched my heart.  I thought that if you too were going through some difficult times, it might speak to you as well.  

     You can access the post here.  Peace.

Saturday, August 5, 2023

Wise Words from a Poet

From the poet Nikki Giovanni:

There is always something to do.  There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothes, sick people to comfort and make well.  And while I don't expect you to save the world, I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary, and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair, and disrespect. 

 

Saturday, July 8, 2023

Some Wisdom for Today

 Here's a pithy quote from Pema Chodron:

The inconceivable wish to help all sentient beings always begins with oneself.  Our own experience is the only things we have to share.  Other than that, we can't pretend to be more awake or more compassionate than we actually are.  Much of our realizaation comes from the honest recognition of our foibles.  The inability to measure up to our own standards is decidedly humbling.  It allows us to empathize with other people's difficulties and mistakes.



Sunday, June 18, 2023

Words for Our World

 I found some juicy quotes that speak to today:

We are like sleepwalkers, not knowing what we are doing or where we are heading.  Whether we can wake up or not depends on whether we can walk mindfully on our Mother Earth.  The future of all life, including our own, depends on our mindful steps.  (Thich Nhat Hanh)

No one who isn't us is going to destroy Earth, and no one who isn't us is going to save it.  The most hopeless conditions can inspire the most hopeful actions.  We have found ways to restore life on Earth in the event of a total collapse because we have found ways to cause a total collapse of life on Earth.  We are the flood, and we are the ark.  (Jonathan Safran Foer)

Let's be, for a while, true optimists, and operate on the assumption that human beings are not grossly defective.  Let's assume we're capable of acting together to do remarkable things.  (Bill McKibben)

 

Saturday, April 29, 2023

Words to Ponder

Here are some pithy quotes to ponder:

Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.  (Thomas Carlyle)

and 

Life is not easy for any of us.  But what of that?  We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves.  We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.  (Marie Curie)

In other words, keep on keeping on!

Saturday, March 4, 2023

March Forth!

      I originally published this blog to support my novel, The Gemini Bond, several years ago.  It morphed into a place where I could share new quotes, new books, interesting points of view, and occasional rants.  It has been a pleasure over the years sharing with you.

     But my life has become increasingly complex with continuing issues that are taking more and more of my time, energy, and focus.  They are not things that can be fixed, really, but dealt with on a daily basis.

     So, I have come to the point where I need to simplify my life and cut out some duties and obligations.  This blog, sadly, is one of them.

     That does not mean that I will never post again, but I need to give up the weekly deadline that I set up for myself years ago.  

     So, yes, I will revisit from time to time.  There are always wonderful books and pithy quotes to share.  I may need to rant now and then.  But the weekly post is coming to an end.

     So, I offer my blessing to you:

May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you work for peace and justice.
May you remain curious.
May you be wise and discerning.
May you strive, every day, to be the best version of yourself.
Peace.


(image courtesy of pixabay.com)


Saturday, February 25, 2023

Let's Heal Ourselves. Let's Heal Our World.

 Some quotes to ponder:

Heal the world, make it a better place.  For you and me, and the entire universe. (Sung by Michael Jackson)

 The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to healing the world.  (Marianne Williamson)

The inner self of every human waits patiently until we are ready to discover it; then it extends an invitation to enter the luminous mystery of existence in which all things are created, nurtured, and renewed.  In the presence of this mystery, we not only heal ourselves, we heal the world.  (Deepak Chopra)

Saturday, February 18, 2023

As Above, So Below . . . Part 2

      In the interview that was featured in the video I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Michelle Lee described a process in which one can heal oneself from traumas and hurts.  My belief is that when we heal ourselves, we heal the world.  "As within, so without," as the quote goes.

     She also alluded to an additional step after her trauma healing process, which is to rid the meridians of the body of the energy of trauma through EFT.

     What is EFT, you ask?  It stands for Emotional Freedom Technique, and involves tapping on certain meridian points (think Chinese acupuncture or acupressure points) while saying something along the lines of, "Even though I feel ___________ (angry, hurt, betrayed, sad, etc.) about _________ (situation or person), I still deeply and completely love, accept and forgive myself."   You continue to say that statement while tapping the various meridian points.  It takes maybe 2-3 minutes, and it really brings a big sense of relief, from my own experience.

     You can access one video as an explanation here, but there are many, many videos and books available for you to explore if you wish.  Happy tapping!

Saturday, February 11, 2023

Saturday, February 4, 2023

As Above, So Below . . .

      Perhaps you have heard the quote, "As above, so below.  As within, so without."  Well, I thought it would be good to focus on the last part of the equation -- as within, so without.

     First, what does that mean?  To me, it means that what we do inside ourselves is reflected in the All.  If we work on healing ourselves -- from traumas, hurts, disagreements, irritations, and so on -- then those healings will trickle into the whole of humanity and beyond.  

     So, the first question is:  Do you want to help heal the world?  If you do, first heal yourself.

     Easier said than done, of course.  But fear not, Dear Reader, I have some help for you.  

     I came across a very interesting video a while back and have been eager to share it with you.  It is an interview with a mother-daughter duo who work on manifestation and healing, and on it is a very beneficial healing procedure that you can do on your own.  I've tried it myself and it works wonders.  The healing procedure begins at about 26:30 into the video, but if you have the time, the whole video is worth seeing.  You can access it here.  Happy viewing!

     [One caveat:  If you have significant trauma in your background, please consult a professional.]

Saturday, January 28, 2023

Another Recommended Devotional Author

      If I were to be stranded on a desert island with only a couple of books at my side, I would choose of one of them to be by my favorite poet.  Rumi.  Yes, the 13th century Sufi mystic.  And Coleman Barks is my favorite translator because he makes the words practically leap off the page.

     There are several books available, so you can go candy shopping if you'd like.  But if you want one recommendation, I would offer The Essential Rumi.  It's delicious reading.  

Saturday, January 21, 2023

Some Recommended Devotional Books

      At the beginning of the year, I recommended that you practice meditation every day in an effort to keep yourself centered in a chaotic world.  How is that coming?  Are you able to devote at least a little time to your eternal self every day?  

     I also recommended that if you can, spend a little time reading spiritual material.  Here is one book that I read every day, year after year, and find new treasures each time.  It is 365 Tao: Daily Meditations by Deng Ming Dao.  He writes one-page devotions on a concept for every day of the year (except Leap Day -- I'm not sure why).  It's a bit like having an expert point out a new facet on an exquisite jewel, which in this case is the Tao.  If you are remotely interested in learning more about Taoist philosophy and practice, this is a good place to start.  

Saturday, January 14, 2023

Putting Centering Into Practice

      I found a video for you that explains how to put your centering into practice.  The presenter in the video, Waxela Sananda, calls it a form of manifesting, but it requires that you step back from the 3D world into your spiritual self before you re-engage in 3D.  However you conceptualize it, it is a very helpful guide to making your spirituality practicable.  You can watch the video here.  

Saturday, January 7, 2023

Centering in the New Year

      Well, here we are into the first week of the new year.  And how are you doing on keeping your new year's resolutions?  I gave up on making them years ago -- I couldn't stand being disappointed in myself.

     But here's a new year's resolution I'd like to recommend for all of us.  It doesn't involve deprivation, expensive equipment, or sweat.  It will probably even make your life run more smoothly with less drama.

     And that is -- come back to the center.  Every day.  

     Picture if you will a tennis player near the back line and her opponent is lobbing side shots so the tennis player is running from side to side.  Does she stay on one side only?  No, she doesn't know where the next shot might land, so she comes back to the center after every shot.

     Similarly, we are fifth-dimensional beings working in a 3D world.  We never know what life will bring us.  But rather than keeping our energy in the craziness and busyness of the 3D world, we need to come back to the center.

     How do we come back to the center? you ask.  Through a regular practice of meditation and some spiritual reading if you can.  We need to come back to our center, which is a spiritual being connected to the Source.  If we do that, we can better face what comes our way.  Try it.  Every day.  That's a habit worth the effort.  

(image courtesy of pixabay.com)