My sole literary ambition is to write one good novel, then retire to my hut in the desert, assume the lotus position, compose my mind and senses, and sink into meditation, contemplating my novel.
-- Edward Abbey
It is a great moment, indeed. I wish it for all of you. Deeply. Earnestly.It is a great moment when you break out of the prison of negative self-criticism and develop a sense of the inner adventure of the soul.
People try to get away from it all—to the country, to the beach, to the mountains. You always wish you could too. Which is idiotic: you can get away from it anytime you like. By going within.
Nowhere you can go is more peaceful—more free of interruptions—than your own soul. Especially if you have other things to rely on. An instant’s recollection and there it is: complete tranquility. And by tranquility I mean a kind of harmony.
Never Give UpTenzin Gyatso is, of course, the 14th Dalai Lama.
by Tenzin Gyatso
Never give up
No matter what is going on
Never give up
Develop the heart
Too much energy in your country is spent
developing the mind instead of the heart
Develop the heart,
Be compassionate
Not just to your friends but to everyone,
be compassionate
Work for peace in your heart and in the world
Work for peace, and I say again
Never give up
No matter what is happening
No matter what is going on around you
Never give up.
Texas BluebonnetWouldn't it be lovely to be able to say that your home town is Friendship?Need to be cheered up?
Happy, Texas 79042
Pep, Texas 79353
Smiley, Texas 78159
Paradise, Texas 76073
Rainbow, Texas 76077
Sweet Home, Texas 77987
Comfort, Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530
Earth, Texas 79031
The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks.
How wonderful! How encouraging! I will carry this with me as a mantra.
It's also about biding one's time, isn't it?
~~~
Thanks, Paul!!
Breathe Through Your HeartDo click through and read the rest of them. Each one strikes me as really very powerful.
Breathing is one of the simplest ways to transform energy. This is an exercise you can do throughout your day: Place your hands on your heart and feel your heart moving as you breathe. This is calming, and feeds the energy of love, peace, and harmony in the world.
Look in a Mirror
Before reacting to a challenging situation, try emoting as you watch your reflection in a mirror. No one wants to see himself or herself acting out in a toxic way. You may feel silly, but don't let this stop you. Taking ourselves too seriously is one of the causes of negative thoughts.
My wonderful assistant and dear friend, Cynthia, handed me the above card the other day. Inside was a note in which she assured me that all would be well and that one day soon my face would look like the lady's face you see here!
Dear Readers,
Here's an email I sent out to a number of friends and family members last Friday:
Dear friends and loved ones,
This morning I received a certified letter from the bishop of Oklahoma informing me that, for financial reasons, my position with the diocese is being eliminated and that my employment will be discontinued effective December 31, 2009.
I had already begun the process of petitioning for early retirement and was hoping to qualify for medical retirement. That effort now seems to have been preempted unless there is some legal loophole I don't know about.
I'm confident that I can raise enough money to live on through my work at the Center (St. John's Center for Spiritual Formation here in Tulsa). My big concern, of course, is health care coverage. The law gives me 18 months of extended group coverage if I pay what it costs my previous employer. As of today that cost is $611 a month. After that I am essentially uninsurable privately because of my medical history. I will need to come up with some plan to provide medical coverage for myself until I'm eligible for Medicare when I'm 65. (I turn 60 next month, by the way.)
Well, that's the news, folks! Do keep me in your thoughts and prayers and if anybody has any ideas regarding my predicament, I'll be glad to hear them!
Every blessing to you all,
Ellie
Of course, there's more to this story. The "official" reason the Diocese is giving has to do with budgetary concerns. However the reality is that the new bishop has disliked me from the get go -- for reasons that continue to escape me. It's all very sad.
I will probably say more about this later. For now, this will have to do.
~~~
PS: I'm so glad I have Bernice, my new dog!
Remember, we are all affecting the world every moment, whether we mean to or not. Our actions and states of mind matter, because we're so deeply interconnected with one another. Working on our own consciousness is the most important thing that we are doing at any moment, and being love is the supreme creative act.
In the heart of eternal
loneliness, in the midst
of fear, in the labyrinth
of finding "the way",
I've come to know
that there is no answer
and this has to be a
beautiful mystery.
Everything changes,
everything has changed,
everything will change.-- Hydeh Aubon
22. Enjoy the journey. Goals are important, but not at the expense of happiness now. It’s important to maintain a balance between going where you want to go, and being happy as you go there. It’s easy to forget that, so be sure to remind yourself of this little, but important, tip as you make your journey.Go on over to the Zen Habits website for the rest if you like!
26. Enjoy the simple pleasures. You can find these everywhere. Food (I love berries!), sunsets, sand between your toes, fresh-cut grass, playing with your child, a good book and a warm bed, dancing in the rain, your favorite music. You could probably make a list of 20 simple pleasures right now, things you enjoy that you could find every day. Sprinkle those little pleasures throughout your day. It makes the journey much more enjoyable.
39. Don’t compare yourself to others. This is hard to do, but it can be a great way to accept who you are and what you have. Whenever you find yourself comparing yourself to a co-worker, a friend, or someone famous (those models on magazines with amazing abs), stop. And realize that you are different, with different strengths. Take a minute to appreciate all the good things about yourself, and to be grateful for all the blessings in your life.
47. Learn to deal with detractors. We all face detractors in our lives. They are the naysayers who, even if they are well-intentioned, will make us feel unworthy, or that you cannot achieve a goal. They will tease or be negative. In order to achieve your goals, you need to learn how to deal with these detractors and overcome this common obstacle. Read these tips for some ideas.
The "dream", of course, is very seductive. And it's hard to be willing to give everything in order to get free from delusion. Many (perhaps most) are not willing.Beware the flowery trappings because in order to possess them or benefit from them, you must cease your journey, stay in the dream. Ultimately, they're just a distraction from the tricky business of waking up. Breaking free of delusion takes everything you have. The price of truth is everything, Everything. That's the rule and it's inviolable.
-- Tao
We find it hard to believe that other people's thoughts are as silly as our own, but they probably are.
McDonald's book has been around for quite a while now and it is one of the very best books on meditation I've ever come across. Highly recommended!When we fall on the ground it hurts us, but we also need to rely on the ground to get back up.
- Kathleen McDonald from How to Meditate
And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are?
In the last decade or so, science has discovered a tremendous amount about the role emotions play in our lives. Researchers have found that even more than IQ, your emotional awareness and abilities to handle feelings will determine your success and happiness in all walks of life, including family relationships.
Don't give up too soon, now.I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is.
-- Alan Watts
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