"Whatever I refuse to celebrate in your life, I will not be able to draw into mine."
-- Marianne Williamson. The Gift of Change, p. 35.
I've never understood why jealousy is referred to as "The Green-Eyed Monster." How did green eyes get to be associated with jealousy? Personally, I've always loved green eyes, as well as that classic rock song "Green-Eyed Lady" by the one-hit-wonder band Sugarloaf.
Be that as it may, jealousy, no matter what color its eyes, is a monster that eats the soul! The fact that it also keeps you from receiving the very thing you're jealous of is just an unfortunate side effect.
You must be able to say "Yes" to life in order to receive its riches. Yes, not only for yourself, but also for your friends, and neighbors, and even for your enemies. (Mental note to self: Stop making people into enemies!). The ideal is to get to the place where you're literally thrilled every time some toothless, tobacco chewing, butt crack showing hillbilly from Arkansas wins the lottery. Sooooeeee! Lotteries, like God, show no respect for social status.
So, today, look around and notice the abundance of goodness that people are receiving. Wealth, health, good looks, popularity, energy, piece of mind, enlightenment -- anything you want, someone else has already received. Find that space in your heart where you are truly happy for them. Don't worry -- it's there. It may take a little digging, but it's there.
And when you find that space of happiness for another's good fortune acknowledge, compliment and celebrate. Give a big shout out to Buford Thrasher down there in Hog's Breath, Arkansas. Congrats Buford on pickin' them lucky lotto numbers!
The more you celebrate the success and grace received by others, the more likely you are to experience it yourself. It's all part of the Law of Attraction. And, like gravity, it's not just a good idea, it's the law!
Doing What Comes Next
"Doing what comes next without a mental argument is devotion to God."
-- Byron Katie. A Thousand Names for Joy, p. 226.
As I write this, I'm in the process of moving, I just sold my online book business, and yesterday, carrying a big ass box of books down a winding staircase, I twisted my left ankle, so I'm hobbling around with a brace on it. Oh, you can bet, my head is full of arguments with Reality. And yet, all I can reasonably do is "what comes next."
I'm tempted to play the If I Were God Game, and fantasize about how things could happen differently, but where does that get me? Nowhere. Instead, I'm now here. And while I'm no Mother Teresa, my devotion to God today will manifest in the form of packing boxes, making phone calls, cleaning out the attic, and tying up all sorts of loose ends. Doing what comes next, and, hopefully, without alot of mental noise to distract me.
Look at your life. What are you resisting? What do you wish to avoid? Today, whatever comes next, take the Nike approach, and just do it! Arguing with God is fruitless -- He wins every time! One foot in front of another, even on a sprained ankle, doing what comes next, respecting Reality, doing devotion, life unfolds.
I hope you enjoy a wonder-full day!
-- Byron Katie. A Thousand Names for Joy, p. 226.
As I write this, I'm in the process of moving, I just sold my online book business, and yesterday, carrying a big ass box of books down a winding staircase, I twisted my left ankle, so I'm hobbling around with a brace on it. Oh, you can bet, my head is full of arguments with Reality. And yet, all I can reasonably do is "what comes next."
I'm tempted to play the If I Were God Game, and fantasize about how things could happen differently, but where does that get me? Nowhere. Instead, I'm now here. And while I'm no Mother Teresa, my devotion to God today will manifest in the form of packing boxes, making phone calls, cleaning out the attic, and tying up all sorts of loose ends. Doing what comes next, and, hopefully, without alot of mental noise to distract me.
Look at your life. What are you resisting? What do you wish to avoid? Today, whatever comes next, take the Nike approach, and just do it! Arguing with God is fruitless -- He wins every time! One foot in front of another, even on a sprained ankle, doing what comes next, respecting Reality, doing devotion, life unfolds.
I hope you enjoy a wonder-full day!
Miracle to Miracle
"To be alive, to be able to see, to walk, to have houses, music, paintings -- it's all a miracle. I have adopted the technique of living life from miracle to miracle."
-- Arthur Rubinstein
We don't know how or why anything happens. Sure, we can offer scientific explanations, psychological conjectures, and theological theories, but we don't really know all the forces involved and why they come together just the way they do, even for the smallest act or event. Artie's right -- it's all a mystery, all a friggin' miracle!
Just enjoy it. Enjoy it all. Can you think of another strategy that produces better results? I doubt it. Resistance sure doesn't work. And while it's been said that "ignorance is bliss," going through life in an unconscious state is pretty pitiful. Trying to understand and explain it all is a futile proposition, and adopting the dogma and myths of religion is a mere cop out.
What's left? Mystery and miracles! Joy! Life lived miracle to miracle. So, today, be on miracle patrol. Keep your eyes peeled for the miraculous. I think you'll be surprised how many awesome miracles occur to you on a day-to-day basis. You may even want to keep a miracle journal, just as a reminder.
Whatever you do, enjoy! And share. Share your miracles and your miraculous perspective with each and everyone you meet. Who knows? Your next miracle may be lying dormant in the heart of another, just awaiting your gentle touch.
-- Arthur Rubinstein
We don't know how or why anything happens. Sure, we can offer scientific explanations, psychological conjectures, and theological theories, but we don't really know all the forces involved and why they come together just the way they do, even for the smallest act or event. Artie's right -- it's all a mystery, all a friggin' miracle!
Just enjoy it. Enjoy it all. Can you think of another strategy that produces better results? I doubt it. Resistance sure doesn't work. And while it's been said that "ignorance is bliss," going through life in an unconscious state is pretty pitiful. Trying to understand and explain it all is a futile proposition, and adopting the dogma and myths of religion is a mere cop out.
What's left? Mystery and miracles! Joy! Life lived miracle to miracle. So, today, be on miracle patrol. Keep your eyes peeled for the miraculous. I think you'll be surprised how many awesome miracles occur to you on a day-to-day basis. You may even want to keep a miracle journal, just as a reminder.
Whatever you do, enjoy! And share. Share your miracles and your miraculous perspective with each and everyone you meet. Who knows? Your next miracle may be lying dormant in the heart of another, just awaiting your gentle touch.
Gifts
"An expected gift is not worth giving."
-- John Updike
I've never been big on the coerced gift-giving tradition of holidays. Birthdays may be the one exception, but even then, I like to celebrate the lives of my friends and family willy-nilly, year around.
The best gifts are surprise gifts. Things that arrive in the mail out-of-the-blue, just show up on your desk at work, or are handed to you when you least expect it, are so valued, in part, because they are not tied to holidays, rites of passage, or other patterns of cultural expectation. When it's a Tuesday in October and someone gives you a beautiful, wool sweater in your favorite color, you feel very special!
Plus, I love spontaneity. It feels great to see something you know someone else will appreciate, buy it on the spot, and give it to them immediately. No waiting for a special occasion, no stockpiling for Christmas, just see-buy-give.
So, today, give at least one unexpected gift. You can even give it to someone you don't know! When I was in college, a friend and I found dozens of roses that had been discarded behind a florist shop. They may have been a little past their prime, but they were full and succulent and a deep, ruby red. We took them all and then walked down the street on a cold February night handing out roses to delighted passerbys.
Today is your day to give the unexpected gift. Who knows? Tomorrow may be your day to receive it.
-- John Updike
I've never been big on the coerced gift-giving tradition of holidays. Birthdays may be the one exception, but even then, I like to celebrate the lives of my friends and family willy-nilly, year around.
The best gifts are surprise gifts. Things that arrive in the mail out-of-the-blue, just show up on your desk at work, or are handed to you when you least expect it, are so valued, in part, because they are not tied to holidays, rites of passage, or other patterns of cultural expectation. When it's a Tuesday in October and someone gives you a beautiful, wool sweater in your favorite color, you feel very special!
Plus, I love spontaneity. It feels great to see something you know someone else will appreciate, buy it on the spot, and give it to them immediately. No waiting for a special occasion, no stockpiling for Christmas, just see-buy-give.
So, today, give at least one unexpected gift. You can even give it to someone you don't know! When I was in college, a friend and I found dozens of roses that had been discarded behind a florist shop. They may have been a little past their prime, but they were full and succulent and a deep, ruby red. We took them all and then walked down the street on a cold February night handing out roses to delighted passerbys.
Today is your day to give the unexpected gift. Who knows? Tomorrow may be your day to receive it.
Slow Down
"Slow down and remember this: Most things make no difference. Being busy is a form of laziness -- lazy thinking and indiscriminate action."
-- Timothy Ferris. The 4 Hour Work Week, p. 73.
What do you really want to do? What do you really need to do? Actions in these two categories are important. The question is: Why are you doing all the rest of that stuff?
The old and tired reasons people usually trot out include -- I have to, I always do, someone else expects me to, if I didn't do it who would, I'm better at it than other people, it keeps me busy, what else do I have to do, and of course, why not. Ferris nails it dead center when he says "lazy thinking and indiscriminate action."
Even the "want to" and "need to" categories should be examined. Much of what people think they want to do is merely habit. When they delve into those habits, they see that they really quit wanting to do those things years ago. Needs, too, are highly subjective. Much of what you think you need to do could be done by someone else or not done at all.
There's an ad on TV right now that begins with the phrase "25,000 mornings." It goes on to say, that's what we get, if we're lucky. The question is: How do you want to spend those mornings? Do you want to keep doing what you've always done, fill your mornings with busyness, and zoom out the door to work? Or do you want to really look at your life, and consciously and passionately choose what you with to do with each of those mornings?
"Slow down" is not a message that gets a whole lot of cultural support. The economy, technology, sports, entertainment, career development -- it's all about speeding up. Or as one Bob Dylan song puts it, we're headed "90 miles an hour down a dead end street." May I suggest putting on the brakes? May I suggest taking another route altogether? Not only will you avoid an inevitable crash, the scenery is so much nicer at a gentler pace.
And isn't that what life is all about -- the journey, not the destination. The destination for all of is the same -- six feet under with dirt thrown over us. Now's the time to enjoy life. Today. Consciously. Slowly. Do what makes your heart sing.
-- Timothy Ferris. The 4 Hour Work Week, p. 73.
What do you really want to do? What do you really need to do? Actions in these two categories are important. The question is: Why are you doing all the rest of that stuff?
The old and tired reasons people usually trot out include -- I have to, I always do, someone else expects me to, if I didn't do it who would, I'm better at it than other people, it keeps me busy, what else do I have to do, and of course, why not. Ferris nails it dead center when he says "lazy thinking and indiscriminate action."
Even the "want to" and "need to" categories should be examined. Much of what people think they want to do is merely habit. When they delve into those habits, they see that they really quit wanting to do those things years ago. Needs, too, are highly subjective. Much of what you think you need to do could be done by someone else or not done at all.
There's an ad on TV right now that begins with the phrase "25,000 mornings." It goes on to say, that's what we get, if we're lucky. The question is: How do you want to spend those mornings? Do you want to keep doing what you've always done, fill your mornings with busyness, and zoom out the door to work? Or do you want to really look at your life, and consciously and passionately choose what you with to do with each of those mornings?
"Slow down" is not a message that gets a whole lot of cultural support. The economy, technology, sports, entertainment, career development -- it's all about speeding up. Or as one Bob Dylan song puts it, we're headed "90 miles an hour down a dead end street." May I suggest putting on the brakes? May I suggest taking another route altogether? Not only will you avoid an inevitable crash, the scenery is so much nicer at a gentler pace.
And isn't that what life is all about -- the journey, not the destination. The destination for all of is the same -- six feet under with dirt thrown over us. Now's the time to enjoy life. Today. Consciously. Slowly. Do what makes your heart sing.
Mad No More
"And so, while religious people are not generally mad, their core beliefs absolutely are."
-- Sam Harris
Virgin birth, resurrection, one and only son of God -- all such beliefs, from each and every tradition, are indeed "mad." They make no sense, they defy the laws of physics, much less commonsense, but most of all they are totally unnecessary.
Beliefs are used mainly to divide and separate. Believers and non-believers, the saved versus the damned, the saints against the sinners -- all such distinctions are man made crap!
Truth be told, we are One. One human race. One in the Spirit. The only sin is the second.
Faith without beliefs is unifying. Faith in ourselves, in each other, in the Universe. If we drop beliefs and emphasize faith, we create a totally different world, a world of unity, a world where we recognize that we're truly all in this together.
Try it for one day -- forgo madness for faith. Let go of beliefs and see what remains. Beneath and beyond all your ideas, concepts and myths, you might even find reality, you might even find love.
-- Sam Harris
Virgin birth, resurrection, one and only son of God -- all such beliefs, from each and every tradition, are indeed "mad." They make no sense, they defy the laws of physics, much less commonsense, but most of all they are totally unnecessary.
Beliefs are used mainly to divide and separate. Believers and non-believers, the saved versus the damned, the saints against the sinners -- all such distinctions are man made crap!
Truth be told, we are One. One human race. One in the Spirit. The only sin is the second.
Faith without beliefs is unifying. Faith in ourselves, in each other, in the Universe. If we drop beliefs and emphasize faith, we create a totally different world, a world of unity, a world where we recognize that we're truly all in this together.
Try it for one day -- forgo madness for faith. Let go of beliefs and see what remains. Beneath and beyond all your ideas, concepts and myths, you might even find reality, you might even find love.
The Immediate Now
"The central core of the spiritual experience seems to be the conviction, or insight, that the immediate now, whatever its nature, is the goal and fulfillment of all living."
-- Alan Watts
This Is It. That's the title of the Alan Watts book from which the above quotation is drawn. And that's his main point throughout the book -- the eternal now is all we have, all there truly is.
There's no pie-in-the-sky heaven somewhere that we need to get to. There are no astral shenanigans in which we need to partake. In fact, there is no future accomplishment whatsoever towards which we need to strive. Merely being fully here, right now is both the best we can do and all there truly is.
Kind of destroys the whole game doesn't it? If, indeed, this is it, what the hell are we stressing about, busting our humps to achieve, or bickering about with our global neighbors? We can relax, and, as another spiritual classic reminds us in its title, "be here now."
Can you do it? Can you be here now? Can you give up all your favorite theories, divisive beliefs, and pet peeves, and just be here, spiritually naked and unadorned, in the present? Can you be in Reality without feeling compelled to filter it, interpret it, or resist it, and instead just let it be?
Today is a great day to see. Indeed, everyday our challenge is the same -- to simply be fully and consciously present in anything and everything that we do. Or, put another way: Our life, our home is in the present. Come home to your life. Come home to Now.
-- Alan Watts
This Is It. That's the title of the Alan Watts book from which the above quotation is drawn. And that's his main point throughout the book -- the eternal now is all we have, all there truly is.
There's no pie-in-the-sky heaven somewhere that we need to get to. There are no astral shenanigans in which we need to partake. In fact, there is no future accomplishment whatsoever towards which we need to strive. Merely being fully here, right now is both the best we can do and all there truly is.
Kind of destroys the whole game doesn't it? If, indeed, this is it, what the hell are we stressing about, busting our humps to achieve, or bickering about with our global neighbors? We can relax, and, as another spiritual classic reminds us in its title, "be here now."
Can you do it? Can you be here now? Can you give up all your favorite theories, divisive beliefs, and pet peeves, and just be here, spiritually naked and unadorned, in the present? Can you be in Reality without feeling compelled to filter it, interpret it, or resist it, and instead just let it be?
Today is a great day to see. Indeed, everyday our challenge is the same -- to simply be fully and consciously present in anything and everything that we do. Or, put another way: Our life, our home is in the present. Come home to your life. Come home to Now.
Every Rub Is Grace
"If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?"
-- Rumi
Minds are like mirrors-- their purpose is to reflect reality. Problem is, there are alot of people running around out there with dirty minds! No, I'm not talking about people thinking about sex -- that's not "dirty," that's natural. I mean people with minds so full of shoulds and oughts and supposed to be's, that they can't grasp reality unless it hits them upside the head with a two by four.
Life is an automatic mirror polishing system. All your ideas about what is suppose to happen, what should happen, what ought to happen get wiped away by what does happen. If you let them. As soon as their minds are gifted with any clarity, though, many folks muck them right back up again with desires, prejudices, attachments, etc. Even their reaction to the "polishing" fogs their mirror because they fuss and fume with so much hot air!
What to do? Accept life. Accept it as it is, not as you wish it were, or think it should be. Accept life, and your mind mirror will become clean and shiny, and eventually even your fingerprints all around the edges will disappear. Today's a great day to start allowing the rubs of life to clean up your mind. Why wait? If "cleanliness is next to godliness," what could be more God-like than a clear, mirror mind?
-- Rumi
Minds are like mirrors-- their purpose is to reflect reality. Problem is, there are alot of people running around out there with dirty minds! No, I'm not talking about people thinking about sex -- that's not "dirty," that's natural. I mean people with minds so full of shoulds and oughts and supposed to be's, that they can't grasp reality unless it hits them upside the head with a two by four.
Life is an automatic mirror polishing system. All your ideas about what is suppose to happen, what should happen, what ought to happen get wiped away by what does happen. If you let them. As soon as their minds are gifted with any clarity, though, many folks muck them right back up again with desires, prejudices, attachments, etc. Even their reaction to the "polishing" fogs their mirror because they fuss and fume with so much hot air!
What to do? Accept life. Accept it as it is, not as you wish it were, or think it should be. Accept life, and your mind mirror will become clean and shiny, and eventually even your fingerprints all around the edges will disappear. Today's a great day to start allowing the rubs of life to clean up your mind. Why wait? If "cleanliness is next to godliness," what could be more God-like than a clear, mirror mind?
Buddha Baby
"Why become a Buddhist, when you can become a Buddha?"
-- Lama Surya Das
Yes, you too, can sit smiling with a distended belly and elongated earlobes! You, too can become a Buddha, baby!
Actually I don't think Surya Das is talking about becoming a caricature of a Ho Ti Buddha. He's talking about becoming what the term Buddha really means -- an enlightened one.
There's no need to embrace any "ist" or "ism" or "ity." There's no reason to settle for a second hand God. You can indeed become a Buddha, a Christ, a being who identifies with the Divine rather than one who looks longingly towards It. "Tat tvam asi" the Upanishads say -- "thou are that," i.e. you are the One and Only.
I can say it. You can know it. The challenge is to actualize your Buddha nature to such a degree that It eclipses your ego. That's what every true spiritual path is about -- recognizing your identity with the Divine.
So, today, if you're feeling more like Divine, the transvestite actress, than the Divine One and Only, sit down and shut up!Meditate, I mean. Allow your mind to quiet down and your Buddha Nature to appear. It's patiently waiting for you to recognize it, free It, and live as It. Isn't that better than joining some religion?
-- Lama Surya Das
Yes, you too, can sit smiling with a distended belly and elongated earlobes! You, too can become a Buddha, baby!
Actually I don't think Surya Das is talking about becoming a caricature of a Ho Ti Buddha. He's talking about becoming what the term Buddha really means -- an enlightened one.
There's no need to embrace any "ist" or "ism" or "ity." There's no reason to settle for a second hand God. You can indeed become a Buddha, a Christ, a being who identifies with the Divine rather than one who looks longingly towards It. "Tat tvam asi" the Upanishads say -- "thou are that," i.e. you are the One and Only.
I can say it. You can know it. The challenge is to actualize your Buddha nature to such a degree that It eclipses your ego. That's what every true spiritual path is about -- recognizing your identity with the Divine.
So, today, if you're feeling more like Divine, the transvestite actress, than the Divine One and Only, sit down and shut up!Meditate, I mean. Allow your mind to quiet down and your Buddha Nature to appear. It's patiently waiting for you to recognize it, free It, and live as It. Isn't that better than joining some religion?
Service
"Small service is true service."
-- William Wordsworth
Let's face it. Most of us are not going to do anything that society considers really great in our lifetime. We probably won't find a cure for cancer, invent a car that runs on water, bring about world peace, or even pitch a no-hitter in the World Series. What each of us can do, though, is small things that mean alot to one or more other people. On a daily basis each of us can provide small service to the world around us.
What form that small service takes is entirely up to you. It my be reading with a child, like my 84 year old mom does each week with a cute, little second grader named Charley Jo. Or it might be picking up trash in your neighborhood, or giving away stuff you no longer need on Freecycle.org, or talking with a friend who's going through a hard time, or merely making a few people laugh.
Small service may have BIG effects. It definitely has a ripple effect. Your small service to others makes them much more likely to provide small service to those they meet on down the line. Social scientists call it "the transfer of the helping impulse." Each act of service impacts not only the one directly served but also those they serve now and in the future.
You don't have to join some do-gooder organization, wear a hair shirt, or quit your job and move to Africa. You can perform small service in the midst of your daily life. Just keep your eyes open for countless opportunities. I call it "serendipitous service" -- random, by-chance possibilities to be of service to people both known and unknown to you. Today is a great day to stretch your service muscles. Just think of it as your small, yet powerful, contribution towards making this world a better place. And, oh yes, enjoy!
-- William Wordsworth
Let's face it. Most of us are not going to do anything that society considers really great in our lifetime. We probably won't find a cure for cancer, invent a car that runs on water, bring about world peace, or even pitch a no-hitter in the World Series. What each of us can do, though, is small things that mean alot to one or more other people. On a daily basis each of us can provide small service to the world around us.
What form that small service takes is entirely up to you. It my be reading with a child, like my 84 year old mom does each week with a cute, little second grader named Charley Jo. Or it might be picking up trash in your neighborhood, or giving away stuff you no longer need on Freecycle.org, or talking with a friend who's going through a hard time, or merely making a few people laugh.
Small service may have BIG effects. It definitely has a ripple effect. Your small service to others makes them much more likely to provide small service to those they meet on down the line. Social scientists call it "the transfer of the helping impulse." Each act of service impacts not only the one directly served but also those they serve now and in the future.
You don't have to join some do-gooder organization, wear a hair shirt, or quit your job and move to Africa. You can perform small service in the midst of your daily life. Just keep your eyes open for countless opportunities. I call it "serendipitous service" -- random, by-chance possibilities to be of service to people both known and unknown to you. Today is a great day to stretch your service muscles. Just think of it as your small, yet powerful, contribution towards making this world a better place. And, oh yes, enjoy!
Beyond Belief
"Reality, in other words, is not interested in your beliefs, it's interested in your actions, what you actually do, your actual karma."
-- Ken Wilber
Beliefs are bullshit! All beliefs. Some may seem empowering and others destructive, but all are mere mental creations, and most are divisive. The amazing thing to me is that so many people actually mistake beliefs for reality and then are willing to fight, even willing to kill, over them!
I don't care if you believe Jesus is the one and only Son of God. I don't care if you believe in the resurrection and the virgin birth or any other chosen myth. What I do care about is how you treat people, especially people who don't believe the same things you do.
Actions are what matter. Actions are what produce results. But if you need beliefs to drive your actions, if you are only nice to other people because you believe being nice will help you get into heaven, then you've added an unnecessary layer to the interactive process. If you need beliefs to keep you in line, what does that say about your essence, your soul, your inherent nature?
If you give up all beliefs, if you go deep enough into yourself so that you are able to respond freely and intuitively to whatever is happening, you will find that your actions are aligned with reality, that you are in harmony with the sacred, with what is. Don't take my word for it. Don't believe me. Try it.
Just for today, jettison all beliefs. Act as if you did not believe all the stuff you've been taught to believe. But be careful! Most of us have many layers of belief hidden in our craniums. It's kind of like an archeological dig -- you get through of one strata of belief, and lo and behold, a substrata appears! Keep digging. Eventually you get to China! No, eventually you get to a cool, wide open space, the space of Spirit. You've moved beyond belief. And from there, anything is possible!
-- Ken Wilber
Beliefs are bullshit! All beliefs. Some may seem empowering and others destructive, but all are mere mental creations, and most are divisive. The amazing thing to me is that so many people actually mistake beliefs for reality and then are willing to fight, even willing to kill, over them!
I don't care if you believe Jesus is the one and only Son of God. I don't care if you believe in the resurrection and the virgin birth or any other chosen myth. What I do care about is how you treat people, especially people who don't believe the same things you do.
Actions are what matter. Actions are what produce results. But if you need beliefs to drive your actions, if you are only nice to other people because you believe being nice will help you get into heaven, then you've added an unnecessary layer to the interactive process. If you need beliefs to keep you in line, what does that say about your essence, your soul, your inherent nature?
If you give up all beliefs, if you go deep enough into yourself so that you are able to respond freely and intuitively to whatever is happening, you will find that your actions are aligned with reality, that you are in harmony with the sacred, with what is. Don't take my word for it. Don't believe me. Try it.
Just for today, jettison all beliefs. Act as if you did not believe all the stuff you've been taught to believe. But be careful! Most of us have many layers of belief hidden in our craniums. It's kind of like an archeological dig -- you get through of one strata of belief, and lo and behold, a substrata appears! Keep digging. Eventually you get to China! No, eventually you get to a cool, wide open space, the space of Spirit. You've moved beyond belief. And from there, anything is possible!
See
"The foolish reject what they see, not what they think; the wise reject what they think, not what they see."
-- Huang Po
You are not who you think you are. The world is not what you think it is. Thoughts are, at best, like the shadows on the walls of Plato's cave -- pale and foggy reflections of reality. To think is to cogitate about what is. To see is to perceive what is directly.
Seeing happens on at least three levels. On the physical level seeing is about perceiving the stuff that is right before our eyes. Simple enough. But how many times in looking for your keys have you glanced right past them? How many times have you failed to recognize a friend whom you pass on the street? Have you ever missed a stop sign, speed limit sign or directional sign because you didn't see it? Remember: Entertaining worry and other negative emotions is one of the major causes of failure to see.
The second level of seeing is best summed up by the phrase "what you see is what you get." In the mind's eye, what you visualize, consciously or unconsciously, is what tends to manifest in your world. This type of seeing, though, is easily polluted by thought and desire. And, contrary to popular belief, visualization is just one component of the co-creation process. This internal seeing, or soul seeing, is in the realm of power and magic, and while you're free to go there and play all you wish, much of this astral level "seeing" has unforeseen results.
The third, and deepest level of seeing, we might call spiritual seeing. It is seeing the spark of the Divine in each and every person, indeed, in each and every thing. Your thoughts -- opinions, judgments and prejudices -- will arise, and those are the very things you need to reject in order to see more deeply into the Spirit. Thoughts are personal; seeing is transpersonal.
So, today, see what you can see. When thoughts arise, gently let them go. Look through them and beyond them. Don't let them define you or your world. Transcend thought, reside in Spirit. The view from There is terrific!
-- Huang Po
You are not who you think you are. The world is not what you think it is. Thoughts are, at best, like the shadows on the walls of Plato's cave -- pale and foggy reflections of reality. To think is to cogitate about what is. To see is to perceive what is directly.
Seeing happens on at least three levels. On the physical level seeing is about perceiving the stuff that is right before our eyes. Simple enough. But how many times in looking for your keys have you glanced right past them? How many times have you failed to recognize a friend whom you pass on the street? Have you ever missed a stop sign, speed limit sign or directional sign because you didn't see it? Remember: Entertaining worry and other negative emotions is one of the major causes of failure to see.
The second level of seeing is best summed up by the phrase "what you see is what you get." In the mind's eye, what you visualize, consciously or unconsciously, is what tends to manifest in your world. This type of seeing, though, is easily polluted by thought and desire. And, contrary to popular belief, visualization is just one component of the co-creation process. This internal seeing, or soul seeing, is in the realm of power and magic, and while you're free to go there and play all you wish, much of this astral level "seeing" has unforeseen results.
The third, and deepest level of seeing, we might call spiritual seeing. It is seeing the spark of the Divine in each and every person, indeed, in each and every thing. Your thoughts -- opinions, judgments and prejudices -- will arise, and those are the very things you need to reject in order to see more deeply into the Spirit. Thoughts are personal; seeing is transpersonal.
So, today, see what you can see. When thoughts arise, gently let them go. Look through them and beyond them. Don't let them define you or your world. Transcend thought, reside in Spirit. The view from There is terrific!
Our job...
"Our job is to learn to love as God loves, which means everyone all the time."
-- Marianne Williamson
Jesus Christ, Marianne, couldn't you think of anything more difficult? Couldn't we just fly to the moon on gossamer wings and call it a day?
I'm afraid not. And we can't really blame Marianne for the difficulty of the task that confronts us. She didn't really write the job description herself; she lifted it from all the great spiritual teachers and traditions, both ancient and contemporary.
True, it's a daunting task. Love everyone! Are you kidding? And yet, what else is there worth doing? Amass a fortune, build a big company, win the Super Bowl, buy more stuff -- they all seem so meaningless in comparison to love.
Really, you can do anything you want. Any of the things above, or anything else you can think of, as long as in the process you are learning to love as God loves. As long as you are learning to do everything you do with love, and treat everyone you meet with love, the external forms of your life hardly matter. Janitor or jet pilot, starlet or astronomer, troubadour or techno nerd -- whatever role calls to you, it, too, can be a pathway to love.
The key thing, the really important thing is that you take love from the personal realm to the impersonal, that you love people not because of some seemingly lovable quality they have but because of who they are -- shining splinters of the Divine. The eyes of love see beyond form to Spirit, beyond personality to essence, beyond body to soul.
And when you truly see a person, any person, you can't help but love them. Love comes naturally. You don't have to make it happen, you don't have to will it, or compel it, or force it out through your pores, it pours forth from you unhindered and uninhibited. You and love become one.
So today your task is so simple, yet so staggeringly awesome -- love all. Find at least a fleeting spot of love in your heart for everyone that you encounter. Act from that spot as much as possible -- live love. That's all.
I hope you have a lovely day.
-- Marianne Williamson
Jesus Christ, Marianne, couldn't you think of anything more difficult? Couldn't we just fly to the moon on gossamer wings and call it a day?
I'm afraid not. And we can't really blame Marianne for the difficulty of the task that confronts us. She didn't really write the job description herself; she lifted it from all the great spiritual teachers and traditions, both ancient and contemporary.
True, it's a daunting task. Love everyone! Are you kidding? And yet, what else is there worth doing? Amass a fortune, build a big company, win the Super Bowl, buy more stuff -- they all seem so meaningless in comparison to love.
Really, you can do anything you want. Any of the things above, or anything else you can think of, as long as in the process you are learning to love as God loves. As long as you are learning to do everything you do with love, and treat everyone you meet with love, the external forms of your life hardly matter. Janitor or jet pilot, starlet or astronomer, troubadour or techno nerd -- whatever role calls to you, it, too, can be a pathway to love.
The key thing, the really important thing is that you take love from the personal realm to the impersonal, that you love people not because of some seemingly lovable quality they have but because of who they are -- shining splinters of the Divine. The eyes of love see beyond form to Spirit, beyond personality to essence, beyond body to soul.
And when you truly see a person, any person, you can't help but love them. Love comes naturally. You don't have to make it happen, you don't have to will it, or compel it, or force it out through your pores, it pours forth from you unhindered and uninhibited. You and love become one.
So today your task is so simple, yet so staggeringly awesome -- love all. Find at least a fleeting spot of love in your heart for everyone that you encounter. Act from that spot as much as possible -- live love. That's all.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Walk Uprightly
"There is a transcendent power in example. We reform others unconsciously when we walk uprightly."
-- Anne Sophie Swetchine
I have no idea who Anne Sophie Swetchine is. She sounds like an evangelist or New Thought pioneer from the 19th century. But if it's the truth, what does it matter who said it? And Sophie (I'm sure her friends called her Sophie), speaks the truth -- your example influences those around you, whether you know it or not.
I'm not big on the word "reform." It has too many moralistic connotations. But if you think about it a bit re-forming is simply forming again in a new and better way. When we see others acting in a way that inspires us, we can re-form our behavior around their example. We can break down our old, dysfunctional patterns of thought and action and form new ways of seeing, doing, being.
And it can all be done without words, without preaching, advising, or writing. You are both the reformer and reformeee. Simply walk upright. Do what you know in your heart of hearts is the best that you can do. And don't worry about the results. Don't focus upon whether your behavior is reforming others or not, just walk around without dragging your knuckles on the ground!
So, just for today, walk more than you talk. Be in the world as a beacon. Let your light shine on all those around you. It may become a habit. And if it does, you will surely make Sophie proud.
-- Anne Sophie Swetchine
I have no idea who Anne Sophie Swetchine is. She sounds like an evangelist or New Thought pioneer from the 19th century. But if it's the truth, what does it matter who said it? And Sophie (I'm sure her friends called her Sophie), speaks the truth -- your example influences those around you, whether you know it or not.
I'm not big on the word "reform." It has too many moralistic connotations. But if you think about it a bit re-forming is simply forming again in a new and better way. When we see others acting in a way that inspires us, we can re-form our behavior around their example. We can break down our old, dysfunctional patterns of thought and action and form new ways of seeing, doing, being.
And it can all be done without words, without preaching, advising, or writing. You are both the reformer and reformeee. Simply walk upright. Do what you know in your heart of hearts is the best that you can do. And don't worry about the results. Don't focus upon whether your behavior is reforming others or not, just walk around without dragging your knuckles on the ground!
So, just for today, walk more than you talk. Be in the world as a beacon. Let your light shine on all those around you. It may become a habit. And if it does, you will surely make Sophie proud.
The Graceful Void
"Grace fills empty spaces, but it can only enter where there is a void to receive."
-- Simone Weil
We're full of it! Whether "it" be beliefs or opinion or thoughts or emotions -- we're full of them all. And our lives are full, too. Full of stuff we no longer need, objects we never use, crap that merely clutters, and toys that distract but fail to entertain. Finally we're full of activity. We're always going, always doing. Time for one mammoth, wholesale spring cleaning! Time to get rid of ideas, things and actions that truly don't serve us.
Creating external space is easy. Sell it, give it away or recycle it. Pare down, clean up, and simplify. Removing unneeded externals from your life is a great lesson in detachment. And in generosity.
Eliminating unconscious activity can actually be fun. Learn to say no to things you really don't want to do, rather than simply doing them because you always have, or because you're asked. Take the "Don't just do something, sit there" approach to life, and you'll find that not only does your life open up externally but your mind quiet downs internally, as well.
And that's the hardest part -- making space between your ears. The constant cerebral buzzing, the roof brain chatter, and the roller coaster ride of emotions goes on and on unabated unless you consciously work at letting it go. Your mind and your heart are your personal containers for grace, but if they're already filled to capacity grace will indeed go somewhere else.
So today your work is simple -- eliminate rather than add. Allow thoughts and emotions to pass through your mind like clouds in a summer sky. Give away those items you no longer need and that no longer make your heart sing. Empty your PDA or to-do list of unnecessary and unfun activities. Stand in awe as grace enters. Sit in repose and reap the benefits of returning to the Void. Grace-full living just requires a little space.
-- Simone Weil
We're full of it! Whether "it" be beliefs or opinion or thoughts or emotions -- we're full of them all. And our lives are full, too. Full of stuff we no longer need, objects we never use, crap that merely clutters, and toys that distract but fail to entertain. Finally we're full of activity. We're always going, always doing. Time for one mammoth, wholesale spring cleaning! Time to get rid of ideas, things and actions that truly don't serve us.
Creating external space is easy. Sell it, give it away or recycle it. Pare down, clean up, and simplify. Removing unneeded externals from your life is a great lesson in detachment. And in generosity.
Eliminating unconscious activity can actually be fun. Learn to say no to things you really don't want to do, rather than simply doing them because you always have, or because you're asked. Take the "Don't just do something, sit there" approach to life, and you'll find that not only does your life open up externally but your mind quiet downs internally, as well.
And that's the hardest part -- making space between your ears. The constant cerebral buzzing, the roof brain chatter, and the roller coaster ride of emotions goes on and on unabated unless you consciously work at letting it go. Your mind and your heart are your personal containers for grace, but if they're already filled to capacity grace will indeed go somewhere else.
So today your work is simple -- eliminate rather than add. Allow thoughts and emotions to pass through your mind like clouds in a summer sky. Give away those items you no longer need and that no longer make your heart sing. Empty your PDA or to-do list of unnecessary and unfun activities. Stand in awe as grace enters. Sit in repose and reap the benefits of returning to the Void. Grace-full living just requires a little space.
Joy!
"Pleasure is an attempt to fill yourself. Joy is what you are."
-- Byron Katie
I love pleasure! Especially when it arrives unexpectedly, serendipitously, gracefully. But I also know the difference about which Katie speaks. Pleasure is always associated with something external -- good food, fine wine, a beautiful sunset, great sex, etc. Joy, on the other hand, springs from within, irrespective of external conditions. Joy is our true nature, a nature which is too often covered over by our perceptions, thoughts, emotions.
Though joy can grab you when you least expect it, many times it helps to remove yourself, physically or mentally, from the hustle and bustle of life. When you do, it is amazing how quickly you will find joy blooming in the quiet spaces between activities, between thoughts. Like a patient and faithful lover, joy has been waiting for you to return home all the time you were out chasing that tramp pleasure!
So, today give joy her due. Be with her, hang with her, be her. Realize that you and joy are always one. Whether you're experiencing pleasure or pain, happiness or sadness, excitement or boredom, you can fall into the gap between emotions, between experiences, and be immediately immersed in joy. Today's a great day to tone your joy muscle, to practice one of the simplest of all spiritual disciplines -- to be joyful!
-- Byron Katie
I love pleasure! Especially when it arrives unexpectedly, serendipitously, gracefully. But I also know the difference about which Katie speaks. Pleasure is always associated with something external -- good food, fine wine, a beautiful sunset, great sex, etc. Joy, on the other hand, springs from within, irrespective of external conditions. Joy is our true nature, a nature which is too often covered over by our perceptions, thoughts, emotions.
Though joy can grab you when you least expect it, many times it helps to remove yourself, physically or mentally, from the hustle and bustle of life. When you do, it is amazing how quickly you will find joy blooming in the quiet spaces between activities, between thoughts. Like a patient and faithful lover, joy has been waiting for you to return home all the time you were out chasing that tramp pleasure!
So, today give joy her due. Be with her, hang with her, be her. Realize that you and joy are always one. Whether you're experiencing pleasure or pain, happiness or sadness, excitement or boredom, you can fall into the gap between emotions, between experiences, and be immediately immersed in joy. Today's a great day to tone your joy muscle, to practice one of the simplest of all spiritual disciplines -- to be joyful!
Mystery
"Nothing is unexplainable. Everything is a mystery."
-- Ram Tzu
You can find explanations for everything -- even without using Google. Birth, death, suffering, love, sex, taxes, change, even why the Cubs have gone 100 years without a World Series win, are all readily explainable by religious teachers, philosophers, gurus, and pundits of all shapes, sizes and stripes. The only thing is -- none of the explanations really mean doodly squat!
Explanations are fascinating. They're just not the truth. They are a perspective on what is. An opinion about reality, but they are not reality. Life is a mystery. Plain and simple. And I think Iris Dement offers the best advice, musical or otherwise, when she sings, "Let the mystery be."
We spend most of our time in the world of explanation. We're always trying to figure things out, answer the big questions once and for all, and live our lives in a smug complacency, a faux peace, that optimizes pleasure and minimizes pain. OK. It just might behoove us to take off our thinking caps every now and then and slide into the slipstream of mystery. The world of explanation encompasses both pleasure and pain, but the world of mystery is where true joy resides.
So, today let the explanations go as much as you can. Don't worry; your world won't fall apart. The Earth will keep spinning around the sun, which will rise and set as usual, and George W will continue to say incredibly stupid things and make disastrous decisions, just like always. Instead of looking for meaning in it all, delve into the mystery. Be present to what is. See the naked truth sans adornments, accoutrements and explanations. Simply let the mystery be.
-- Ram Tzu
You can find explanations for everything -- even without using Google. Birth, death, suffering, love, sex, taxes, change, even why the Cubs have gone 100 years without a World Series win, are all readily explainable by religious teachers, philosophers, gurus, and pundits of all shapes, sizes and stripes. The only thing is -- none of the explanations really mean doodly squat!
Explanations are fascinating. They're just not the truth. They are a perspective on what is. An opinion about reality, but they are not reality. Life is a mystery. Plain and simple. And I think Iris Dement offers the best advice, musical or otherwise, when she sings, "Let the mystery be."
We spend most of our time in the world of explanation. We're always trying to figure things out, answer the big questions once and for all, and live our lives in a smug complacency, a faux peace, that optimizes pleasure and minimizes pain. OK. It just might behoove us to take off our thinking caps every now and then and slide into the slipstream of mystery. The world of explanation encompasses both pleasure and pain, but the world of mystery is where true joy resides.
So, today let the explanations go as much as you can. Don't worry; your world won't fall apart. The Earth will keep spinning around the sun, which will rise and set as usual, and George W will continue to say incredibly stupid things and make disastrous decisions, just like always. Instead of looking for meaning in it all, delve into the mystery. Be present to what is. See the naked truth sans adornments, accoutrements and explanations. Simply let the mystery be.
A Consoling Lifestyle
"You can hold the shape of a consoling lifestyle for decades. It only costs your life."
-- David Deida
Are you living the life you really want to live, the life you're really called to live, the life that best reflects the Divine Energy that pours through you? If not, why not?
I'm sure you've got alot of reasons. Some damn good excuses. And most, if not all of them, are about maintaining your "consoling lifestyle." You've got a huge mortgage, or two car payments, or a boat to fund, or kids that need all the latest new clothes and high tech gadgets, or pricey habits that you just enjoy way too much to let them go.
Fine. How much of your life are you willing to exchange for a daily venti, triple, carmel, mocha, Crappucino?
Do you know the phrase, "If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space" ? My bet is that you're taking up way too much space. Most of us are. Close to the bone, close to the channel of life itself is where we need to be to live an authentic life. Otherwise all we have is a vacuous, well-appointed lifestyle.
The areas of your life you most need to examine are your job, relationships, home, use of resources, spiritual practices, and your everyday activities. All the biggies. Are they in alignment with your deepest, highest, clearest Self? Do they reflect the best of who you are and what you can do? Do each of these arenas of life support not just you and those closest to you, but life itself?
Today, make that lifestyle audit, if only informally. Look at your life. Really take a long, clear, unflinching look. What do you see? Is this really the life you want to live? How much longer can you continue to exchange life itself for a consoling lifestyle?
-- David Deida
Are you living the life you really want to live, the life you're really called to live, the life that best reflects the Divine Energy that pours through you? If not, why not?
I'm sure you've got alot of reasons. Some damn good excuses. And most, if not all of them, are about maintaining your "consoling lifestyle." You've got a huge mortgage, or two car payments, or a boat to fund, or kids that need all the latest new clothes and high tech gadgets, or pricey habits that you just enjoy way too much to let them go.
Fine. How much of your life are you willing to exchange for a daily venti, triple, carmel, mocha, Crappucino?
Do you know the phrase, "If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space" ? My bet is that you're taking up way too much space. Most of us are. Close to the bone, close to the channel of life itself is where we need to be to live an authentic life. Otherwise all we have is a vacuous, well-appointed lifestyle.
The areas of your life you most need to examine are your job, relationships, home, use of resources, spiritual practices, and your everyday activities. All the biggies. Are they in alignment with your deepest, highest, clearest Self? Do they reflect the best of who you are and what you can do? Do each of these arenas of life support not just you and those closest to you, but life itself?
Today, make that lifestyle audit, if only informally. Look at your life. Really take a long, clear, unflinching look. What do you see? Is this really the life you want to live? How much longer can you continue to exchange life itself for a consoling lifestyle?
Playing
"The only difference between a wise man and a fool is that a wise man knows he's playing."
-- Frtiz Perls
It's a game, folks -- all of it! In India they use the term lila, which, loosely translated means "divine play" or "the play of God."
Certain responsibilities, as well as certain opportunities, befall each of us. It's easy to take both way too damn seriously. But if we keep the perspective that whatever we're doing we're playing, then the terminal seriousness fades.
Politics, economics, business, environmental concerns, family life, spiritual practices, yes, even sports, are all just games. In other words, the outcomes don't matter nearly as much as how you play.
All games end. So, too, does the Game of Life. The players go home. Whether you believe that home to be a glorious heaven in the sky or a cold hole in the ground, doesn't change the intrinsic nature of the game.
But just because it's all a game, just because all games must come to an end, doesn't mean that you can't play hard, though. You can. Playing hard makes the game more fun. But even in the midst of hard play, maintain your perspective. Games are supposed to be enjoyable. Stress, heart attacks, strained relations, bitterness and depression are not inherent to the game, they are merely dysfunctional responses to it by some of the players.
Play is what you did on long summer days as a kid. Remember that feeling? The day felt like it could roll on forever. You easily shifted from one activity, from one game, to another. And if it rained all afternoon, you just played inside. No big deal. Flexibility, resiliency, creativity -- the hallmarks of childhood -- are still the best ways to play.
So, today, whatever you do, do it not as work, not as a dead serious matter that must be taken care of at all costs, but rather as play. Dance with it. Enjoy it. Or choose another game. Wise person or fool -- the choice is yours.
-- Frtiz Perls
It's a game, folks -- all of it! In India they use the term lila, which, loosely translated means "divine play" or "the play of God."
Certain responsibilities, as well as certain opportunities, befall each of us. It's easy to take both way too damn seriously. But if we keep the perspective that whatever we're doing we're playing, then the terminal seriousness fades.
Politics, economics, business, environmental concerns, family life, spiritual practices, yes, even sports, are all just games. In other words, the outcomes don't matter nearly as much as how you play.
All games end. So, too, does the Game of Life. The players go home. Whether you believe that home to be a glorious heaven in the sky or a cold hole in the ground, doesn't change the intrinsic nature of the game.
But just because it's all a game, just because all games must come to an end, doesn't mean that you can't play hard, though. You can. Playing hard makes the game more fun. But even in the midst of hard play, maintain your perspective. Games are supposed to be enjoyable. Stress, heart attacks, strained relations, bitterness and depression are not inherent to the game, they are merely dysfunctional responses to it by some of the players.
Play is what you did on long summer days as a kid. Remember that feeling? The day felt like it could roll on forever. You easily shifted from one activity, from one game, to another. And if it rained all afternoon, you just played inside. No big deal. Flexibility, resiliency, creativity -- the hallmarks of childhood -- are still the best ways to play.
So, today, whatever you do, do it not as work, not as a dead serious matter that must be taken care of at all costs, but rather as play. Dance with it. Enjoy it. Or choose another game. Wise person or fool -- the choice is yours.
Unexpected Sparks
"Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks."
-- Samuel Johnson
Thank God for serendipity! It's like the Universe winking at you. The unexpected spark ignites and you know that an intelligence greater than your own puny, little mind has a hand in how your life unfolds. Gladness, gratitude and awe ensue. Life is good.
Planning, executing and controlling are highly overrated! We can do our damndest to make things come out the way we'd like them to, and still we get very different results. Getting what you want is at best temporarily fulfilling. Accepting, and even cherishing, what life brings you, is a co-creative approach that is much more likely to produce long term peace of mind.
The problem, much of the time, is that the sparks are flying all around us, and we're too caught up in our own thoughts, our own plans, our own emotions to even see them. Opportunity doesn't knock but once -- it knocks all the time, but we're wearing our Ipods or talking on our cell phones, or we have the TV turned up too damn loud to hear it!
So, beginning today, be on Spark Patrol. Like Smokey the Bear, be on the lookout for sparks, hot spots and smoldering fire. But, unlike Smokey, don't extinguish them, fan the flames. Let the sparks of serendipity grow into conflagrations of joy, fed by your loving attention. And when they have burned their due course, you will know it, and the flames will die and other sparks will appear and life will continue to turn and churn and burn and you, in wide-eyed wonder, will love it all. Love It All.
-- Samuel Johnson
Thank God for serendipity! It's like the Universe winking at you. The unexpected spark ignites and you know that an intelligence greater than your own puny, little mind has a hand in how your life unfolds. Gladness, gratitude and awe ensue. Life is good.
Planning, executing and controlling are highly overrated! We can do our damndest to make things come out the way we'd like them to, and still we get very different results. Getting what you want is at best temporarily fulfilling. Accepting, and even cherishing, what life brings you, is a co-creative approach that is much more likely to produce long term peace of mind.
The problem, much of the time, is that the sparks are flying all around us, and we're too caught up in our own thoughts, our own plans, our own emotions to even see them. Opportunity doesn't knock but once -- it knocks all the time, but we're wearing our Ipods or talking on our cell phones, or we have the TV turned up too damn loud to hear it!
So, beginning today, be on Spark Patrol. Like Smokey the Bear, be on the lookout for sparks, hot spots and smoldering fire. But, unlike Smokey, don't extinguish them, fan the flames. Let the sparks of serendipity grow into conflagrations of joy, fed by your loving attention. And when they have burned their due course, you will know it, and the flames will die and other sparks will appear and life will continue to turn and churn and burn and you, in wide-eyed wonder, will love it all. Love It All.
Beauty and Usefulness
"All possessions that are not at the same time beautiful and useful are an affront to human dignity."
-- Ananda Coomarswamy
Look at all the stuff you've got! It's everywhere, as far as the eye can see. Some of it you bought, some of it you were given; God knows where the hell the rest of it came from! Perhaps, just perhaps, you don't need it all. Some of it may be useless to you at this stage of your life. Some of it may be broken, passe, irrelevant, or downright ugly.
Now's the perfect time for a thorough spring cleaning. Use the Ananda Coomarswamy Test -- if it isn't both beautiful and useful chuck it! And by "chuck it," I mean sell it, give it away, recycle it -- don't just fill up the landfill with it.
Anything and everything you own should make your heart sing! It should be a joy, a thrill, a splinter of the Divine. And, at the very same time, it should have some use in your life. Like a Swiss Army knife, or a colorful painting, or a piece of clothing that both flatters and keeps you from being arrested for indecent exposure.
I know, I know, you've got some stuff that isn't exactly beautiful, but you really need it. Your beer fridge, your fully paid for and still functional car, maybe even your spouse or partner! Remember the old saw: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You don't need the latest sleek, black, nuclear fridge, a Lambroghini, or Brad and Angelina to see beauty. Beauty is more a function of the heart than the eye.
As for all the other junk in your life -- there's probably alot you can just get rid of without giving it a second thought. The stuff that you really need, but isn't exactly beautiful, keep until you can upgrade it to a replacement that has more aesthetic appeal. I've got some butt ugly bookshelves, and I replace them with nicer, solid wood versions whenever I find the better ones used at an affordable price.
Simplifying and beautifying your life is a two-part, ongoing process. It's not a race, it's not the 11th Commandment. It's just a gentle way to bring more space and quality into your life. It's a game worth playing.
-- Ananda Coomarswamy
Look at all the stuff you've got! It's everywhere, as far as the eye can see. Some of it you bought, some of it you were given; God knows where the hell the rest of it came from! Perhaps, just perhaps, you don't need it all. Some of it may be useless to you at this stage of your life. Some of it may be broken, passe, irrelevant, or downright ugly.
Now's the perfect time for a thorough spring cleaning. Use the Ananda Coomarswamy Test -- if it isn't both beautiful and useful chuck it! And by "chuck it," I mean sell it, give it away, recycle it -- don't just fill up the landfill with it.
Anything and everything you own should make your heart sing! It should be a joy, a thrill, a splinter of the Divine. And, at the very same time, it should have some use in your life. Like a Swiss Army knife, or a colorful painting, or a piece of clothing that both flatters and keeps you from being arrested for indecent exposure.
I know, I know, you've got some stuff that isn't exactly beautiful, but you really need it. Your beer fridge, your fully paid for and still functional car, maybe even your spouse or partner! Remember the old saw: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You don't need the latest sleek, black, nuclear fridge, a Lambroghini, or Brad and Angelina to see beauty. Beauty is more a function of the heart than the eye.
As for all the other junk in your life -- there's probably alot you can just get rid of without giving it a second thought. The stuff that you really need, but isn't exactly beautiful, keep until you can upgrade it to a replacement that has more aesthetic appeal. I've got some butt ugly bookshelves, and I replace them with nicer, solid wood versions whenever I find the better ones used at an affordable price.
Simplifying and beautifying your life is a two-part, ongoing process. It's not a race, it's not the 11th Commandment. It's just a gentle way to bring more space and quality into your life. It's a game worth playing.
To be sensual...
"To be sensual, I think, is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, and to be present in all that one does, from the effort of loving to the breaking of bread."
-- James Baldwin
The senses are a gateway to the sacred. The present is the portal to eternity. It's all happening right here, right now, and the entire physical manifestation calls us to attention.
I live much of each day in my head. I'm not being sensual, I'm being abstract and cerebral. Now, as the spring flowers bloom for the first time in months, I come to my senses more frequently. The startling purple violets, the cherry red tulips, and the soft green leaves, pull me into the world and give me the experience that everything is alive! Now and always.
James Baldwin is oh so right -- sometimes loving is an effort. But the first step is always the same -- be present. Love is not a fantasy. It's not an idea. It's not even an emotion. Love is a state of being, a state of consciousness that can never be divorced from the reality of what is. You can only truly love what is, never what you wish would be. Sure, you can long for something different than what is, you can desire a better fantasy world, but love only lives in the present.
Once you are fully present, love is no longer an effort. Presence and love go hand in hand. No resistance and unconditional positive regard are two sides of the same coin. When you are right here, right now, you can't help but love.
So, at least for today, be an unbridled sensualist. Feel the varying textures of the bread as you break it. Look beneath the disguises of personality to the spirit of love that lies hidden within each and everyone you meet. No resistance, no avoidance. Be completely present with whatever is happening in your life today. Enjoy all the experiences that your senses bring you and "rejoice in the force of life!"
-- James Baldwin
The senses are a gateway to the sacred. The present is the portal to eternity. It's all happening right here, right now, and the entire physical manifestation calls us to attention.
I live much of each day in my head. I'm not being sensual, I'm being abstract and cerebral. Now, as the spring flowers bloom for the first time in months, I come to my senses more frequently. The startling purple violets, the cherry red tulips, and the soft green leaves, pull me into the world and give me the experience that everything is alive! Now and always.
James Baldwin is oh so right -- sometimes loving is an effort. But the first step is always the same -- be present. Love is not a fantasy. It's not an idea. It's not even an emotion. Love is a state of being, a state of consciousness that can never be divorced from the reality of what is. You can only truly love what is, never what you wish would be. Sure, you can long for something different than what is, you can desire a better fantasy world, but love only lives in the present.
Once you are fully present, love is no longer an effort. Presence and love go hand in hand. No resistance and unconditional positive regard are two sides of the same coin. When you are right here, right now, you can't help but love.
So, at least for today, be an unbridled sensualist. Feel the varying textures of the bread as you break it. Look beneath the disguises of personality to the spirit of love that lies hidden within each and everyone you meet. No resistance, no avoidance. Be completely present with whatever is happening in your life today. Enjoy all the experiences that your senses bring you and "rejoice in the force of life!"
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