Beyond Counting Blessings
Being Truly Thankful

Often when we practice being thankful, we go through the process of counting our blessings, acknowledging the wonderful people, things and places that make up our reality. While it is fine to be grateful for the good fortune we have accumulated, true thankfulness stems from a powerful comprehension of the gift of simply being alive, and when we feel it, we feel it regardless of our circumstances. In this deep state of gratitude, we recognize the purity of the experience of being, in and of itself, and our thankfulness is part and parcel of our awareness that we are one with this great mystery that is life.

It is difficult for most of us to access this level of consciousness as we are very caught up in the ups and downs of our individual experiences in the world. The thing to remember about the world, though, is that it ebbs and flows, expands and contracts, gives and takes, and is by its very nature somewhat unreliable. If we only feel gratitude when it serves our desires, this is not true thankfulness. No one is exempt from the twists and turns of fate, which may, at any time, take the possessions, situations, and people we love away from us. Ironically, it is sometimes this kind of loss that awakens us to a thankfulness that goes deeper than just being grateful when things go our way. Illness and near-miss accidents can also serve as wake-up calls to the deeper realization that we are truly lucky to be alive.

We do not have to wait to be shaken to experience this state of being truly thankful for our lives. Tuning in to our breath and making an effort to be fully present for a set period of time each day can do wonders for our ability to connect with true gratitude. We can also awaken ourselves with the intention to be more aware of the unconditional generosity of the life force that flows through us regardless of our circumstances.

In a deep state of gratitude we recognize the purity of the experience of being, in and of itself.

He who smiles rather than rages is always the stronger.

-- Japanese proverb

Have the courage and the wisdom and the vision to raise a definite standard that will appeal to the best that is in man, and then strive mightily toward that goal.

-- Harold E. Stassen

POSITIVE QUOTE OF THE DAY
-----------------------------

Aim at the sun and you may not reach it; but your arrow will fly far higher than if you had aimed at an object on a level with yourself.

-- F. Hawes
 

I LIKE THIS ONE!

 

"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.

-- H. Jackson Brown Jr."

 Beauty- Summation of all the parts put together in such a way that nothing must be added taken away or altered in any way

The greatest gift you will ever receive is the gift of loving and believing in yourself. Guard this gift with your life. It is the only thing that will ever truly be yours.

-- Tiffany Loren Rowe
 

 

February 12, 2010
Our Evolving Language
Healing Past Hurt

There are many troubling phrases in our language that we use without considering their full meaning simply because they have been accepted into common knowledge. Even as our ideals progress, our language maintains some phrases from our past that no longer serve us, for example: Boys don’t cry; good child; boys will be boys; problem child; illegitimate child; and many more. While these phrases may be used without harmful intent, they are inherently negative. Children can be especially sensitive to such phrases, which may stay with them their whole lives, adversely affecting their self-image and wounding their self-esteem. We can create positive change by choosing not to use these words and phrases as we come across them in our vocabulary.

It is challenging to examine our habits in terms of the words we use to express ourselves, but it is also exciting. Language is an area where we can exercise our free will, creating positive change in the world around us by simply choosing carefully the words we use. It may seem like a small thing, but our words have a rippling effect, like a stone thrown in a pond. People naturally pick up on the way other people speak, consciously or unconsciously changing the way they speak in response. We don’t need to actively try to influence people; it happens without our even thinking about it. All we have to do is choose to be more conscious ourselves, putting to rest words and phrases that are outmoded, insensitive, or harmful. We can also exercise our creativity by creating new phrases that carry positive and loving energy to replace the old ones.

You may already have some ideas about phrases you’d like to transition out of your language, and now that you’re thinking about it you may come across many more. As you consciously decide not to use these phrases, you may feel lighter and more joyful, knowing that you have chosen to drop baggage that was handed down to you from a less conscious time. As you do so, you elevate the language for future generations who would no doubt thank you if they could.

Choose to be more conscious of the words and phrases you use in everyday life as words have power.

POSITIVE QUOTE OF THE DAY
-----------------------------

The sages do not consider that making no mistakes is a blessing. They believe, rather, that the great virtue of man lies in his ability to correct his mistakes and continually make a new man of himself.

-- Wang Yang-Ming (1472-1529) Chinese Philosopher
 

POSITIVE QUOTE OF THE DAY
-----------------------------

If successful people have one common trait, it's an utter lack of cynicism. The world owes them nothing. They go out and find what they
need without asking for permission; they're driven, talented, and work through negatives by focusing on the positives.

-- Mike Zimmerman
 

The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.

-- Jack London

The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems.

-- Mahatma Gandhi
 

January 18, 2010 - Daily O/M
Choose Love
What We Are Made of

Love is often presented as the opposite of fear, but true love is not opposite anything. True love is far more powerful than any negative emotions, as it is the environment in which all things arise. Negative emotions are like sharks swimming in the ocean of love. All things beautiful and fearful, ugly and kind, powerful and small, come into existence, do their thing, and disappear within the context of this great ocean. At the same time, they are made of the very love in which they swim and can never be separated. We are made of this love and live our whole lives at one with it, whether we know it or not.

It is only the illusion that we are separate from this great love that causes us to believe that choosing anything other than love makes sense or is even possible. In the relative, dualistic world of positive and negative, darkness and light, male and female, we make choices and we learn from them. This is exactly what we are meant to be doing here on earth. Underlying these relative choices, though, is the choice to be conscious of what we are, which is love, or to be unconscious of it. When we choose to be conscious of it, we choose love. We will still exist in the relative world of opposites and choices and cause and effect, and we will need to make our way here, but doing so with an awareness that we are all made of this love will enable us to be more playful, more joyful, more loving and wise, as we make our way. Ultimately, the choices we make will shed light on the love that makes us all one, enabling those who have forgotten to return to the source.

                                              A New Year - Kamil Ali

 

A new year is upon us. We are looking forward to a bright beginning and change in the year that is about to visit us. It is a visitor! It will be our guest for three hundred and thirty four and a quarter days. Then it will leave us like all the ones before. Uncaring and selfish.

 

We will be abandoned and alone when it leaves. It pretends to be our friend by promising to give us hope and passing us to its successor with promises in the New Year's infancy. The new caretaker grows much faster than us and matures in three hundred odd days. That is not enough time. We are prone to mature in a lifespan at least thirteen times its existence.

 

When it goes, it takes our dreams and hopes and causes us to despair. We strive to maintain sanity and struggle to uphold dignity amidst a world of confusion and uncertainty. The whole process of renewed optimism starts on January one. By March we are tired and retreat to modus comfortable.

 

Whether you believe in God or not, at least believe in humanity and mortality. Your cycle will expire and the surrounding fanfare will only last by the contributions you have made. Stretch your lasting memories out by deeds and actions known as real.

 

Deeds you leave behind do not exist on their own. They are bred from virtuous qualities you possess. Goodness and kindness are born of generosity and humility.

 

Who knows if this will be your year or mine. Regard it as your last. Be gentle with your words and moods and seek to resolve stress. Do not complicate your life with unwarranted details. Today is all we have. Let tomorrow be a blessing for an opportunity to touch someone with pleasantry and joy. We may not be so fortunate to share in its birth at dawn.

 

Today is our opportunity. Yesterday is history. Our promise for tomorrow is compromised. Our sleep may not end.

 

God bless and awaken from your slumber.

 

Happy 2010.

 

Kamil Ali

 

 

 

 

Class is an aura of confidence that is being sure without being cocky. Class has nothing to do with money. Class never runs scared.  It is self-discipline and self-knowledge. It's the sure footedness that comes with having proved you can meet life.

-- Ann Landers, born 1918
 

Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage point.

-- Harold B. Melchart

December 18, 2009
Earthbound
The Pursuit of Conscious Wholeness

Striking the right balance between our physical and spiritual aspects is one of the most challenging aspects of existence. We are dual beings by nature, spiritual entities bound to earth by physical bodies. In our lifetimes, we are charged with the duty of nurturing and tending both with equal devotion and love. Yet while both aspects of the self are deserving of honor and respect, there is a tendency for people who are more spiritually focused to ignore, avoid, or dismiss their bodies. Similarly, many individuals are entirely ensconced in the carnal realm and pay no attention to the needs of the soul. In both cases, an adjustment is in order. We are whole only to the degree that we embrace both sides of our beings.

If the soul is the inward manifestation of our consciousness, the body is the living, breathing expression of that consciousness. The physical self provides the home in which the spiritual self takes root and flourishes. Just as we must tend to the seed of the soul to ensure that it grows strong, so, too, must we care for the protective shell that is the body to make certain it is capable of playing its role in our development. Though there will no doubt be times in our lives when we feel more comfortable focusing on the spiritual self or the physical self, denying the fundamental importance of one or the other can lead to ill health, emotional distress, and a sense of incompleteness. Both facets of the human experience play a vital role in our well-being.

The body and the soul are the yin and yang of our current reality. They are, at this point of human evolution, irreparably bound together, and many spiritual teachers agree that the body is one of the greatest vehicles through which to access the soul. In fact, many believe that our spirit has chosen to be embodied as an essential part of our spiritual development. Consequently, it is the responsibility of each person on the planet to forge a marriage between the two, so that these disparate aspects bring out the best in each other, creating a vibrant, dynamic, and workable whole.

To live in the presence of great truths and eternal laws, to be led by permanent ideals - that is what keeps a man patient when the world ignores him, and calm and unspoiled when the world praises him.

-- Honore De Balzac (1799-1850) French Novelist

December 10, 2009
Of Equal Worth
Humility - Daily OM

The notion of humility as a virtue brings numerous images to mind. We tend to envision those rare individuals who humbly bear life’s struggles while downplaying their own strengths. Yet humility is also associated with people whose insecurities compel them to judge themselves unfavorably as a matter of course. The true definition of humility, however, does not correspond precisely with either of these images. Humility is not passivity. Rather, it is an utter lack of self-importance. The individuals who embody the concept of humility appreciate that each human being on the planet occupies a unique place on an infinite spectrum of development. Though they can take pride in their own accomplishments, they also understand that the people they interact with each day are as valuable and have as much to offer the world as they themselves do.

To be humble is to accept that while there will always be individuals more and less advanced than yourself, those on all parts of the spectrum of development can provide you with insights that further your personal evolution. Recognizing these insights is a matter of opening yourself to the fact that not only do others think and feel differently than you, but their life experiences have shaped them in a very different way than yours have shaped you. This means that while you may have a greater understanding in some areas, others will always be able to teach you something. When you cultivate a genuine yearning to know what skills and talents those you encounter have been blessed with, you cannot help but learn humility. You instinctively understand that emotions like envy breed resistance that prevents you from growing, and that being flexible in your interactions with others will help you connect with unexpected mentors.

When you practice humility, you want to become as accomplished and evolved as you can possibly be, yet you are willing to submit to the expertise of others to do so. You understand the scope of your aptitudes yet you choose to eradicate arrogance from your attitude, and you can distinguish the value you possess as an individual while still acting in the interests of your fellow human beings. Humility, simply put, is a form of balance in which you can celebrate your own worth while sincerely believing that every other person on the planet is just as worthy as you.

December 8, 2009
The Impossible Dream
Right in Front of You

When it comes to the things we want, there always seems to be an endless list. No matter how many times we get something off that list, we add new things to replace it. In life, this drama of wanting and getting and wanting is all part of the dance. The things we want motivate us to get up and get them.

And yet, at the same time, we can torment ourselves with our wanting, especially when we want something we can’t have or can’t find. It is in cases like these that it might be fruitful to entertain the idea that maybe what you really want is right in front of you. Maybe you are using this desire you can’t fulfill to distract you from truly engaging the blessings you already have. It may seem like that doesn’t make sense, yet we do it all the time. It may be easier to see in other people than to see it in ourselves. We have all heard our friends wishing they were more this or less that, and looking at them we see clearly that they are everything they are wishing they were. We know people who have wonderful partners and yet envy you yours. We wish we could give these people a look at their situations from our perspective so that they could see that what they want really is right in front of them.

It’s not too far-fetched to consider that we might be victims of the same folly. It can be scary to have what we want. We get caught up in the chase and forget to enjoy the beauty right in front of us—like a child who never wants the toy she has in her hand but always the one just out of her reach. Take a moment today to consider the many things you are holding in the palm of your hand and how you might best play with them.

Pa, he always said a man had to look spry for himself, because nobody else would do it for him; your opportunities didn't come knocking around, you had to hunt them up and hog-tie them.

-- Louis L'Amour, author

Time and money spent in helping men do more for themselves is far better than mere giving.

-- Henry Ford (1863-1947) American Industrialist
 

November 20, 2009
The Reciprocal Flow of Abundance
Giving Without Expectations

Since giving and receiving are so intimately intertwined in our lives, we often expect that we can attract abundance by simply conducting ourselves in an openhanded fashion. Yet we find ourselves wallowing in disappointment when our ample generosity is not met with the expected results. The answer to this quandary lies in the expectations that, in part, initially prompted us to give. Though our intention is likely pure, we can unintentionally mar the beautiful experience of giving by focusing on what we will eventually receive in return. When we let go of the notion that we deserve to receive gifts based on giving gifts, bounty can once again flow freely in and out of our lives.

When the gifts you give are laden down with expectations, they cease to be gifts and become units of exchange that you are, in effect, trading for some reward. Thus, the reciprocal laws of the universe err on the side of the giver who shares for the sake of sharing. You may have seen this simple truth at work in your own experience, perhaps when life’s busyness prevented you from spending too much time contemplating the results your charitable actions would ultimately have on the lives of others. It was likely then that you received the greatest gifts in return for your kindness. If you have trouble divesting yourself of your expectations, you may need to reflect upon the root of your inability to act in the true spirit of giving. Each time you make a gift, whether spiritual or tangible, ask yourself if there is something you hope to receive in return. You may be surprised to discover that you expect to be repaid with an easy life, financial windfalls, or opportunities.

To integrate this most selfless form of generosity into your life, you will have to let go of your need to be in control. Accepting that while like inevitably attracts like, it typically does so on an unobservable timetable. This can help you stop weighing the gifts you give against those you have received. Giving eventually becomes a profound joy that stands alone, separate from any and all conditions, and you will learn to appreciate the flow of reciprocal abundance as a gift in and of itself.

The following is an excerpt from John Maxwell's Leadership Wired written by Jeremie Kubicek

Aligning OpportunityBy Jeremie Kubicek

The unrelenting release of full passion, strength and abilities is amazing in the life of a leader. Yet, it rarely happens that passions, abilities and opportunities all line up at the exact same time.

Often times someone's passion is high, while their abilities are low or the opportunity isn't right. Or, perhaps, the opportunity arrives, but they find themselves sapped of strength and passion, even though they possess the ability.

Passion is in most leaders - sometimes in the form of ambition or inspiration.

Abilities are developed over time - via experience, life and learning.

Opportunity arises less than passion and abilities - it is about timing, and being in the right partnerships or business.

Lining all three up can seem almost impossible. Therefore, I propose the following:

Hone your passion to be a consuming, all-time fervor while you work on your specific abilities and strengths to serve OTHER people versus simply serving your self. In doing this you will find your opportunities happen more often, and, because you are focused outwardly you will worry less about missing opportunities and naturally step into them with ease and grace. Opportunity will then find you rather than you having to search for it.

 

True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess.

-- Louis Nizer (1902-1994) American Lawyer
 

JT, I could not have said it better.  Thank you!

 

It all boils down to money, doesn't it? You paid a lot of money for that sofa and fine china. You wouldn't even take it out to drink some water when you wake up with a dry throat. You look for the plastic cup, or the styrofoam dunkin donuts cup you washed a few hours ago on the drain board eh. Yeah we buy expensive things to 'keep' them. I guess we are all pack rats in a way. We hold on to material things while we lose our purpose, ourselves, our cherished brothers and sisters. I remember my great grandmother sitting on her wooden chest in her room, not one of us could have even peeped inside that box with the two padlocks on it. So when she died you could have imagined the disappointment when her son, who prided himself in being her 'favrit'....opened the damn thing and find pure old love letters and cards from her dead husband, along with other trinkets from Europe. All she was guarding were her memories of a life she left behind. I remember distinctly one day I was helping an old friend of mine, (old as in age) to move out her sister's belongings from the retirement community she lived in. As we were moving the boxes, one box just gave way at the bottom and out fell this very expensive vase her sister had cherished for many years. The woman almost got a heart attack! I mean the hyper-ventilating, the cussing, the insults towards the poor guy who was helping her! I turned to her calmly and said, "Libby, that vase was not meant for you, let it go". This is a woman who has about four homes with packed basements of stuff. Stuff!! It's easier to deal with 'stuff', rather than deal with humans and their complexities. Why do we read and listen to all this motivational words? I find the people with the most issues are those who have all the books on said issues. Is it the inability to think outside our own heads? Not everyone has this capacity to place themselves in another's experience, how did we become self centered? How can we be self-less? Can we just accept the fact that all of us have a different wooden chest with deeply personal trinkets? This life is not about whose trinkets cost more, it's the value attached by each individual. Maybe we can learn to value other's not by what they have, but by what they do. God is love in every sense of the word. Love will see us through all things. Love each other even if it hurts when you feel rejected. Love is God at work, do not judge the owners by the trinkets they possess. He who has nothing can still have a heart of gold, and a collection of memories filled with love and a bug loud laugh....

Cause for Celebration
Honoring Everyday Life

We all know someone who keeps plastic covers on his or her couch in order to protect it. The irony is that many of these people may live their lives without ever having actually made contact with their own furniture! This is a poignant and somewhat humorous example of the human tendency to try to save things for special occasions, as if everyday life weren’t special enough to warrant the use of nice things. Many of us have had the experience of never wearing a particular piece of clothing in order to keep it nice, only to have it go out of style in the meanwhile.

It’s interesting to think of what it would mean to us if we let ourselves wear our nicest clothes and eat off the good china on a daily basis. We might be sending ourselves the message that every day we are alive is a special day and a cause for celebration, and that we are worth it. There is something uplifting about treating ourselves to the finest of what we have. It is as if we rise to the occasion when we wear our best clothes and set the table beautifully, as if for a very special guest. We are more mindful of where we place things, what we are eating, and who is with us. Using the good china, eating in the dining room, and taking the plastic off the sofa might be an invitation to be more conscious of the beauty and grace inherent in our everyday lives.

If there are things you’ve stashed away for a special occasion—a bottle of special wine, a gorgeous pair of shoes, an antique lace tablecloth—consider taking them out of their hiding places and putting them to use tonight, just because you are alive now to enjoy them, and that’s a great cause for a celebration.

Nothing motivational about the following word but wanted to share without starting a new thread:

termagant

 

(TER-muh-guhnt) 

 

noun: A quarrelsome or overbearing woman.

From Old French Tervagant. The term originates after an imaginary deity that Christians in medieval Europe erroneously believed was worshiped by Muslims. It was represented in morality plays as a violent, overbearing personage. Over time the term became generalized to apply to any brawling person, and eventually only to women.

 

I run great risk of failing. It may be that I shall encounter ruin where I look for reputation and a career of honor. The chances are perhaps more in favour of ruin than of success. But, whatever may be the chances, I shall go on as long as any means of carrying on the fight are at my disposal.

-- Anthony Trollope (1815-1882) English Novelist
 

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.

-- George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish Playwright
 

Let no man turn aside, ever so slightly, from the broad path of honour, on the plausible pretence that he is justified by the goodness of his end. All good ends can be worked out by good means.

-- Charles Dickens (1812-1870) English Novelist

 

 It is said that death is the great equalizer, it has a way of bringing life into a different kind of focus but should it not also be the great uniter, and perhaps educator. Accordingly, I have decided to share the following journal:

          

Skeletons - -- - - -      Ikkyu  (1394-1481)

                                     

 

These thin lines of India ink reveal all truth.

Students, sit earnestly in zazen, and you will realize that everything born in this world is ultimately empty, including oneself and the original face of existence. All things indeed emerge out of emptiness.  This original formlessness is “Buddha,” and all other similar terms-Buddha-nature, Buddhahood, Buddha-mind, Awakened One, Patriarch, God—are merely different expressions for the same emptiness.  Misunderstand this and you will end up distracted for eons.

Filled with disgust and longing to liberate myself from the realm of continual birth and death, I abandoned home and set off on a journey.  One night, I came to a lonely little temple, looking for a place to rest.  I was far off the main road, at the base of a mountain, seemingly lost in a vast Plain of Repose.  The temple was in a field of graves, and suddenly a pitiful-looking skeleton appeared speaking these words:

A melancholy autumn wind

Blows through the world:

The pampas grass waves,

As we drift to the moor,

Drift to the sea.

What can be done

With the mind of a man,

That should be clear

But, dressed up in a monk’s robe,

He just lets life pass him by?

All things become naught by returning to their origin.  Bodhidharma faced the wall in meditation, but none of the thoughts that arose in this mind had any reality. The same held true for Buddha’s fifty years of proclaiming the Dharma.  The Mind is not bound by such conditioned things.

Such deep musings made me uneasy and I could not sleep.  Toward dawn I dozed off, and in my dreams I found myself surrounded by a bunch of skeletons, acting as they did in life.

.

One skeleton came over to me and said:

 

Memories

Flee and

Are no more:

All are empty dreams

Devoid of meaning.

 

Violate the reality of things

And babble about

“God” and “Buddha”

And you will never find

The true Way.

 

Still breathing,

You feel animated,

So a corpse in a field

Seems to be something

Apart from you.

I got on well with this skeleton—he had renounced the world to seek the truth and had passed from the shallows to the depths.  He saw things clearly, just the way they are.  I lay there with the wind in the pines whispering in my ears and the autumnal moonlight dancing across my face.

 

What is not a dream?  Who will not end up as a skeleton?  We appear as skeletons covered with skin, male and female, and lust after each other.  When the breath expires, though, the skin ruptures, sex disappears, and there is no more high or low.  Underneath the skin of the person we fondle and caress right now is nothing more than a bare set of bones. Think about it—high and low, young and old, male and female, all the same.  Awaken to this one great matter, and you will immediately comprehend  the meaning of “unborn and undying.”

If chunks of rock

Can serve as a memento

To the dead,

A better headstone

Would be a tea mortar.

 

Humans are indeed frightful beings.

 

A single moon

Bright and clear

In an unclouded sky:

Yet still we stumble

In the world’s darkness

 

Have a good look—stop the breath, peel off the skin, and everybody ends up looking the same.  No matter how long you live, the result is not altered.  Cast off the notion the “I exist.”  Entrust yourself to the windblown clouds, and do not wish to live forever.

Ikkyu (1394-1481)

 

Excerpted from Wild Ways translated by John Stevens 2003

White Pines press                                          *

Death, the great equalizer, has a way of bringing life into a different kind of focus.  Ikkyu’s skeletons share teachings from their point of view, which is accessible to those of us who remember we too will be those skeletons, and in fact carry them with us daily.  Getting caught up in the world of form, we meditate and put our toes into formlessness, then get enmeshed again in form.  To realize the teaching of the Heart Sutra is one of the highest teachings we can “attain.”

 "Form is emptiness; emptiness is form; form is not other than emptiness; emptiness is not other than form."   

That about sums it all up, but realizing the depths of this teaching can take lifetimes or no time.  Just to hear this and contemplate this teaching plants seeds that will awaken when the conditions are right. 

Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha

 

Humbly yours,

Elana

 

 

All big things in this world are done by people who are naive and
have an idea that is obviously impossible.

-- Dr. Frank Richards (1875-1961) English Writer
 

POSITIVE QUOTE OF THE DAY
-----------------------------

There is no sensual pleasure in the world comparable to the delight
and satisfaction that a good man takes in doing good.

-- Tillotson
 

POSITIVE QUOTE OF THE DAY
-----------------------------

We come into this world crying while all around us are smiling. May
we so live that we go out of this world smiling while everybody
around us is weeping.

-- Persian proverb
 

June 22, 2009
The Wisdom of Sharing
Stone Soup

There are many variations on the story of stone soup, but they all involve a traveler coming into a town beset by famine. The inhabitants try to discourage the traveler from staying, fearing he wants them to give him food. They tell him in no uncertain terms that there’s no food anywhere to be found. The traveler explains that he doesn’t need any food and that, in fact, he was planning to make a soup to share with all of them. The villagers watch suspiciously as he builds a fire and fills a cauldron with water. With great ceremony, he pulls a stone from a bag, dropping the stone into the pot of water. He sniffs the brew extravagantly and exclaims how delicious stone soup is. As the villagers begin to show interest, he mentions how good the soup would be with just a little cabbage in it. A villager brings out a cabbage to share. This episode repeats itself until the soup has cabbage, carrots, onions, and beets—indeed, a substantial soup that feeds everyone in the village.

This story addresses the human tendency to hoard in times of deprivation. When resources are scarce, we pull back and put all of our energy into self-preservation. We isolate ourselves and shut out others. As the story of stone soup reveals, in doing so, we often deprive ourselves and everyone else of a feast. This metaphor plays out beyond the realm of food. We hoard ideas, love, and energy, thinking we will be richer if we keep to them to ourselves, when in truth we make the world, and ourselves, poorer whenever we greedily stockpile our reserves. The traveler was able to see that the villagers were holding back, and he had the genius to draw them out and inspire them to give, thus creating a spread that none of them could have created alone.

Are you like one of the villagers, holding back? If you come forward and share your gifts, you will inspire others to do the same. The reward is a banquet that can nourish many.

From my poem, "Charity":

 

Alignment with a humble group will teach respect and awe

Compelled by good; the heart is filled; good deeds from which to draw  

Kamil  

 

Sorry for te repeat. I wrote it late last night and made a few mistakes. I was tired. Here is the corrected version:

 

                   MOTHER 

Praise for all that you have done; compelling in your ways

Acceptance of my role and faults; hurt feelings you erase

The teachings you have given me are timeless in their worth

Intrinsic lessons that started long before my time of birth

Even now in daily thoughts, your kind words still resound

Never did you leave my head; your virtues I expound

Caressing words you use will always be my guide

Educated in your school of thought; a protégé filled with pride

 

Loyalty from your doting on my every move and breath

Ostensibly adoring acts will exist beyond death

Values you’ve reinforced with actions filled with smite

Excellence in attributes; a glowing guiding light

 

Ultimate in listening; always reasoning with my needs

Nestling warm parental clutch with kisses wrapped in creeds

Dispelling thoughts of present fears; time tested lore advised

Entertaining in transference flow; the terror is resized

Render captivated awe; clear message sent with style

Supposition of receipt in point; the knowing glance and smile

Tendency in character to surmise successful cause for quell

Active belief from pureness of self; hope offspring heed the knell

Notwithstanding the tensions you endure; your smiling will persist

Dauntless in your fight for cures; mental maladies to resist

Irresistibly you draw me to perceptive time and theses

Necessary insight for acceptance and continued life releases

Greater than you has never existed; I love you benefactor, if it pleases

 

 Kamil Ali

 

Please have a safe and wonderful "MOTHER'S DAY". On behalf of all the offspring in the world, here is my tribute the precious gift of a mother. My definition includes older sisters, aunts, step moms, grand mothers and all women who have experienced the unique blessing of caring for a child:

 

 

                    MOTHER

 

Praise for all that you have done; compelling in your ways

Acceptance of my role and faults; hurt feelings you erase

The teachings you have given me are timeless in their worth

Intrinsic lessons that started long before my time of birth

Even now in daily thoughts, your kind words still resound

Never did you leave my head; your virtues I expound

Caressing words you use will always be my guide

Educated in your school of thought; a protégé filled with pride

 

Loyalty from your doting on my every move and breath

Ostensibly your adoring acts will exist past the time of death

Values you’ve reinforced with actions filled with smite

Excellence in attributes; a glowing guiding light

 

Ultimate in listening; always reasoning with my needs

Nestling warm parental clutch with kisses wrapped in creeds

Dispelling thoughts of present fears; time tested lore advised

Entertaining in transference flow; the terror is resized

Render captivated awe; message clear in bind and style

Supposition of receipt in point; the knowing glance and smile

Tendency in character to surmise successful cause for quell

Active belief from pureness of self; hope offspring heed the knell

Notwithstanding the tensions you endure; your smiling will persist

Dauntless in your fight for cures; mental maladies to resist

Irresistibly you draw me to perceptive time releases

Necessary insight for acceptance and continued life releases

Greater than you has never existed; I love you benefactor, if it pleases

 

 Kamil

 

 

 

From my poem, "The Beggar". Her only child abandons them and her husband passes away. She is left all alone with a combination of maladies that have left her homeless. The son's life is in disarray when his wife walks out on him with their two kids and he is trying to return to the comfort of his parents. It may be too late:

 

She may be the mother you forgot all about

The one you’re now desperately trying to seek out

For etchings of time have carved on her face

Deep lines of worries; she looks out of place

Kamil

A bit of atonement this "MOTHER'S DAY" will probably be the gift most cherished and indelible than any other in the mind of mom. From my poem, "The Beggar":

 

Your daddy would sigh, your mommy would weep

You gave them emotional cuts that were deep

You left them with scars which they covered with love

Eventually they ask what you’re thinking of

Kamil

I promise to share thoughts from now until "MOTHER'S DAY". Here are a couple of lines from my poem, "Charity". I have received numerous calls on the direct impact my poems have had on the return to honesty in relationships. Please share these thoughts with your kids. You will be happy that you did:

 

The first real task is loyalty to mother who stayed true

Beyond the edge of certainty; devotion past the due

Love always,

Kamil

(I love and adore my mother. I always have. My wife does too. I was the one who was charged with the task of making my wife see my mother through my eyes. Thank God......I have succeeded. It's not hard. Make the effort and don't take relationships for granted.)

 

Stand By Me 

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741

 

 

From long familiarity, we know what honor is. It is what enables the individual to do right in the face of complacency and cowardice. It is what enables the soldier to die alone, the political prisoner to resist, the singer to sing her song, hardly appreciated, on a side street.

-- Mark Helprin () American Novelist and Writer

Here are a couple of lines from my poem, "Charity". As parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, older siblings or cousins, we have an obligation to pass along moral and ethical values to the younger ones. Often times we rely on the system to do this for us while we dote on them and fail to recognize potentially troubling attitudes..........until it's too late:

 

The germ of goodwill should start within the family value core

Then radiate through with rippling rings to reach out and explore

Kamil

 

A bit of nostalgia today. This is a verse from my poem, "The Seven". Doesn't it give you a warm fuzzy feeling when the memories resurface? Carefree and innocent. The best days of our lives. Enjoy...........

 

We look across a crowded room; teenagers at first glance

Arrested states with nervous smiles give prelude to romance

Attraction strong we find a way to circumvent and meet

We dance into each other’s heart; our world is now complete

Kamil 

 

 
Our capacity to draw happiness from aesthetic objects or material goods in fact seems critically dependent on our first satisfying a more important range of emotional or psychological needs, among them the need for understanding, for love, expression and respect.

-- Alain De Botton

A Great Teacher
Living Like Water

The journey of water as it flows upon the earth can be a mirror of our own paths through life. Water begins its residence on earth as it falls from the sky or melts from ice and streams down a mountain into a tributary or stream. In the same way, we come into the world and begin our lives on earth. Like a river that flows within the confines of its banks, we are born with certain defining characteristics that govern our identity. We are born in a specific time and place, within a specific family, and with certain gifts and challenges. Within these parameters, we move through life, encountering many twists, turns, and obstacles along the way just as a river flows.

Water is a great teacher that shows us how to move through the world with grace, ease, determination, and humility. When a river breaks at a waterfall, it gains energy and moves on, as we encounter our own waterfalls, we may fall hard but we always keep moving on. Water can inspire us to not become rigid with fear or cling to what’s familiar. Water is brave and does not waste time clinging to its past, but flows onward without looking back. At the same time, when there is a hole to be filled, water does not run away from it in fear of the dark; instead, water humbly and bravely fills the empty space. In the same way, we can face the dark moments of our life rather than run away from them.

Eventually, a river will empty into the sea. Water does not hold back from joining with a larger body, nor does it fear a loss of identity or control. It gracefully and humbly tumbles into the vastness by contributing its energy and merging without resistance. Each time we move beyond our individual egos to become part of something bigger, we can try our best to follow the lead of the river.

"The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."

                                                  -- Dorothy Nevill

Mothers are tireless in their pursuit of unselfish acts of giving to us. In this verse from my poem, "The River", there is reference to this same characterization. Even though they don't ask for it, a kind word in appreciation of their contribution to our lives is surely warranted:

 

So this completes another task; one of your many deeds

Respect you’ve earned, deservedly so; you satisfy everyone’s needs

Accomplishments are too numerous and everyone just knows

You won’t accept any accolades; you don’t turn up your nose

Kamil

 

Giving Your Gifts to the World
Being Happy with Your Job

In our search to define ourselves, we often look to our job to show us our worth. Society does not judge all professions equally, however, and it is not uncommon for the individuals who hold what others may consider to be ordinary or menial jobs to feel that they themselves are ordinary or menial. Yet, in truth, many wonderful and wise people throughout history have held what have typically been perceived as ordinary jobs, and this in no way has had any bearing on whether or not they have managed to contribute their skills and talents to the world. Whether you work in business, education, medicine, retail, or another profession, you worth is inherent to who you are and not what you do for a living.

A job that you enjoy, lets you meet your needs, and allows you to live in accordance with your values will always be more gratifying than a high-status job that you dislike. But while experiencing professional satisfaction can be a vital part of being fulfilled by your work, it is important to remember that it is possible to find happiness in any job. This is because what you do is often less important than how you do it. Your attitude and intention can turn a mediocre job into work that fulfills you because of the way that you approach it. If you do your job well and what you do benefits others, then you are doing work that is making this world a better place.

If you are happy in your current line of work and feel that it allows you to be yourself and live authentically while meeting your emotional and physical needs and allowing time for you to enjoy the fruits of your labor, then you have found a job that adds value to your life. If you are a waitress, then be the best waitress you can, take pride in your work and others will notice your passion. You can contribute your talents and skills to this world while doing any job. It is not the kind of work you do that allows you to be of service. It is you who must choose to be of service through the work that you do.

From my poem,"The Recipe" which outlines the most important ingredients in life. Laughter is one of them. Laughter has the ability to be understood by any language, culture or race. It is universal in its recognition and is a true ambassador of goodwill:

 

Lasting thoughts of countenance; the profile understood

Accept the force of revelry and elevate the mood

Utmost care to have your fun but hurt no one in jest

Gather all the light moments; compile them for the fest

Heaven likes to know we care; light hearted by request

Kamil

 

Today's verse is dedicated to sons and daughters of mothers. It is from my poem, "The Beggar". Call or visit your mom today and often. The role reverses and parents start to require more of our attention as they get older:

 

 

Tomorrow will come and leave as today

One more troubled day of life’s full array

Her heart is still burning with her love for you

Seeking to find you, the son she once knew

Kamil

 

 

A bit of romance for the weekend. We don't have anyone if we don't have each other. This is a verse from my poem, "The Gift". Enjoy...........

Though death will separate us; if for a brief moment in time

We both will feel each other’s presence as we continue to climb

To the height of new passion; uninterrupted without bother

Awaiting our return to the cherished promised gift of each other

Kamil

 

 

My poem, "The Balance", refers to the same topic as Carol's last post. It deals with our rush for material possessions at the expense of gaining spiritual wealth. Here is the last verse from the poem:

 

Incorporate within your plans the mandate of self worth

Perception of the world at large begins from time of birth

The pressures of both time and place will influence the mind

A positive force the universe; connect and be aligned

Kamil

 

February 27, 2009
Universal Messages
Signs

The universe can often relay messages to us through signs. Often, we are too busy to stop and consider what may or may not be a sign. We may ask the universe for guidance, yet fail to recognize the sign it sends us in response. Learning the subtle language of signs can help you interpret the guidance the universe sends your way. We all have been blessed with a connection that allows the universe to communicate directly with us. To be able to understand the information relayed over that connection, however, it is necessary that we learn to pay attention and know what to look for.

To see and correctly interpret a sign, you must open your heart and mind to the universe and invite its guidance into your life. Many of us are blind to the signs we receive because we expect angels or our spirit guides to speak to us in a booming voice and tell us exactly what we need to hear. But signs are usually of this earth and therefore easier to encounter. A song lodged in your mind or a number that seems to pop up everywhere you look after you’ve asked the universe for guidance can both be signs. Signs may come through the animal world, from strangers, or jump out of a book in the form of an insightful passage. A sign may be a direct answer to one of your questions. Other signs may point you in the right direction, warn of impending difficulties, or show you a different way. If you want the universe to send you a sign, tell it that you are ready and willing to accept its guidance.

Not everything you hear or see will be a sign. If you are receptive and patient, however, the signs you receive will become easier to recognize. It is important to listen to your intuition. A sign can mean many things to different people, and only you can decipher a sign’s meaning is for you. As you practice reading the signs and following their guidance, the universe will send more of them your way.

Sometimes in life it is easier to take the easy way out by remaining complacent instead of stepping up and accepting our role in society. In my poem, "The Farm", a young man grapples with this dillemma. He had suppressed unpleasant memories for years until he felt the need to correct a wrong to which he was witness. It required true strength of character to relive the horrors of his past experiences. He should be an example to us all. Here is a verse from that poem:

 

The transfer from complacency to active lead and guide

The focus of unwelcome light; a weakness of my pride

The sudden surge to discomfort; a selfless truth pursuit

Correctness of the twisted facts; my memories in recruit

Kamil

 

In modern times we have more freedom of choices. Religion is no longer the mainstream force in many cultural societies. Religion without fanaticism has remained a true moral guide throughout history if practiced in accordance its intentions. Here is a verse from my poem, "The System", which deals with this subject:

Correctness of the attitude; first order of the trait

Respondent fleets; subservient; we offer hope and wait

Directionless without a cause; the church is used to find

The motionless; unused resource; a mind to be defined

Kamil

 

 

Today's verse is from my poem, "The Beggar". In this poem, an only son abandons his parents for ten years after getting married. His marriage breaks up and he tries to seek out his parents. The stress from his neglect has serious repercussions. His dad has died and his mother is begging on the streets, suffering from dimentia. This poem is a wake up call for guys who forsake their parents. The cycle of life will catch up with you. Be careful:

 

Your children will look up and follow your example

Whatever you dish out will be theirs to sample

You abandon your parents; you’ve made a decision

To be cast away with surgical precision

Kamil

"I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it."       

 

-Pablo Picasso

Canadian GT Lime members will read the news today that a University student from Brampton committed suicide while she was a student at a University in Ottawa. She was goaded into this act by a Minnesota male nurse who wanted to derive sick pleasure from internet images, via webcam. Read today's edition of the Toronto Sun. It's on line. My verse today deals with the subject of suicide. In today's economical climate, people will become depressed and the young and vulnerable will seek what appears to be the only option out of a hopless situation. I hope this verse will cause reflection before action. It is from a beautiful poem in my book, where a young girl tells her story of the events leading up to the final act. This verse could potentially save a life. The poem is called, "The Midnight Cafe":

 

And then we stop to think about the ones we left behind

The ones who loved us most of all will have no peace of mind

The hurt we have inflicted them; unfair that they must pay

The ultimate in sacrifice; a loved one gone away

Kamil

 

From my poem, "The Monster". It's a story about a heartless man. This verse in the poem, though, is applicable to our lives:

Don’t we all feel captured by the pressures of the land?

Which one of us is master of a life in true command

Connection to the world at large; your part will be refined

Each time that you request a change that’s pleasing to the mind

Kamil

 

Thank you for your kind words, Carol. I also enjoy your posts very much. I sincerely believe that if at least one person benefits from a positive thought, his/her positive mood  will have a pleasing effect on the lives of all who come into contact with that individual for as long as the thought persists. To give freely and not expect something in return is the most gratifying experience available to us. Here is a verse from my poem, "The River". It pays tribute to the river yet it applies to us as humans. These poems can all be found in my book, "Profound Vers-A-Tales". Enjoy:

 

Forever you will cast your spell on all those who you touch

In some way they’ll want to say, “Thank you very much!”

As if to say it’s part of life, you’ll just move on and say

“Don’t mention it, it was a joy, I must be on my way!”

Kamil

 

February 19, 2009 Cultivating The Seed Within Peace In our noisy world, we often find ourselves longing for peace and searching to find it somewhere else. While it’s true that there are places we can visit where we can experience peace, such as sacred sites or buildings, we do not need to wait until we get to one of these places to feel at peace. Instead, we can learn to locate the seed of peace inside ourselves and cultivate it so that it grows into a reliable source of serenity that we can always access, no matter where we are. We experience peace when we are in a state of mental calm and serenity. It might surprise you to notice how infrequently you allow yourself to be free from anxiety. Realizing this is the first step to inner peace. If you wait until all the details of your life are taken care of to allow yourself to experience peace, you will never feel peaceful because there is always something that your mind can grab onto to create anxiety. It is important to consciously set aside your worries and make time to cultivate inner peace. Ideally, you could schedule time each day to meditate on peace and experience what it feels like to be calm and serene. It takes practice to learn how to let go of your worries, so give yourself some time. Inhale deeply, and feel your worries dissolve with every exhale. Remind yourself that soon enough you will be able to take care of everything you need to, but right now you are taking a break. As the clutter of your thoughts and concerns clear away, you will start to feel more serene. Allow yourself to move deeper into this state with each inhale. Realize that you have the power to free yourself from anxiety simply by deciding to do so. The more you practice feeling peaceful, the easier it will be for you to feel at peace.

Kamil, I am enjoying your posts.  A very pleasant day to you.

 

I've seen extreme bravery from the least likely of people. Life is about the moments when it's all gone wrong. That's when we define ourselves.

-- Bear Grylls, star of Man vs. Wild TV show

 

It's amazing when we read in the news that people of exceptional worth will still go out of their way accumulate wealth by questionable means. We shake our heads and wonder "why". Here is an appropriate verse from my poem, "The Balance":

 

Attachment to material wrought encumber our free thought

A constant fear of loss of worth for value that we’ve bought

In pursuit of the grandiose; we neglect alms and aid

Life’s balance check; exact and just; obligatory debts be paid

Kamil 

 

February 13, 2009 - Daily OM Staying Conscious Staying Grounded in a Big City or Busy World 1. Live simply and live deliberately. By choosing not to get caught up in the details of this fast-paced world, you are doing your part to slow down the pace. You will also discover that you have more time to enjoy being alive. 2. Stay in touch with yourself. Soul searching, meditation, and journaling are just a few of the many activities you can take part in to stay aware and learn as much as you can about your emotions, reactions, likes, dislikes, dreams, and fears. Having a solid sense of self gives you a firm foundation for living in this world. 3. Support or teach others as often as you can. This can help you form connections with people while also giving you an opportunity to make the world a better place. 4. Consciously choose what you will allow into your being. The media bombards us with visions of hate, war, and pain. Be judicious about what you read, watch, and listen to. 5. Acknowledge the beauty that resides around you. Whether you live in a sprawling metropolis or a stereotypical suburb, there are natural and man-made wonders just waiting to be discovered by you. 6. Nurture your ties to your tribe. If you don’t have one, create a community that you can belong to. Modern life can be isolating. When you have a tribe, you have a circle that you are a part of. Its members – loved ones, friends, or neighbors - can be a source of support, caring, guidance, and companionship. 7. See the larger picture. Remember that the way that you choose to live is not the only way to live. Widen your perspective by exploring other modes of being through research, travel, and discussion. 8. Embrace the challenges that life presents to you, and challenge yourself often. After a time, even the most exciting jobs or lifestyles can seem routine. Never stop assimilating new knowledge about whatever you are doing, and your life will never seem dull. 9. Move your body. In this busy world, it can be easy to live a sedentary life. Movement reacquaints us with our bodies and connects us to the earth in a visceral way. It also restores our vitality. 10. Make time for stillness, silence, and solitude. The world can be noisy, and we are subject to all kinds of noises nearly every waking hour. We are also often "on the go" and unable to relax. Being alone in a peaceful place and making time for quiet can help you stay in touch with yourself.

Trials, temptations, disappointments -- all these are helps instead of hindrances, if one uses them rightly. They not only test the fibre of a character, but strengthen it. Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.

-- James Buckham

A verse from my poem, "Charity":

 

Self control and discipline are soldiers of the mind

Respect for self will guarantee a temperament refined

Display a sign of fortitude when faced with life’s dark knights

Repel attack with shields of good carved from the guiding lights

Kamil

 

Some day, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now, in these quiet weeks. Now it is being decided whether, in the day of your supreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made
except by a steady, long continued process.

-- Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) American Bishop

Attending a wedding this Valentine weekend? How about this verse from my poem, "The Seven?":

 

We stand together locked in love; beginning life’s pursuit

Emboldened by our need to taste the sweet compassioned fruit

The people who are gathered here will witness our desire

Our whispered dreams now real at last; our nuptial vows inspire

Kamil

 

From my poem, "The Gift":

 

The love abounds with uncontrolled, unbridled verve

Our hearts are locked together; it’s what we deserve

The laughter that rings out; heavenly harps on display

Continuous mirth; a bouquet of sweet delirium each day

Kamil

 

Valentine is for parents too. Here is a verse from my poem, "The Beggar":

 

And those of you men who are smarter than most

Think well of your parents; they will be that post

You are forced to lean on when life beats you down

Speak to them kindly; don’t show them your frown

Kamil

 

Another verse from "The Gift":

 

The lingering shadow of sadness on my heart I feel

The knowledge of earthly limits; respectably surreal

Our kindred spirits, unable to abort our mission of ecstasy

Will transcend the mortal boundary toward hereafter fantasy

Kamil

 

A verse from my poem, "The Recipe":

Let all the goodness come to light in everything you start

Offer all that you can give; be cautious with your heart

Venture not where you can’t see the future bright and clear

Experience hardships; part of life; suppress the urge to fear

Kamil

Due to the many requests I have received, here is the full verse:

Cultivated with trust and unbiased requisites contributed

Interspersed with anguished thoughts that are unrefuted

Our unadulterated love is watered with his divine blessing

Our time spent with each other; emotionally caressing

 

Kamil

A couple of lines from my love poem, "The Gift". In honour of Valentine's Day. It should be a part of every couple's life............Enjoy!!!!

 

Our unadulterated love is watered by his divine blessing

Our time spent with each other; emotionally caressing

Kamil 

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

-- Aristotle

Self control and discipline are soldiers of the mind

Respect for self will guarantee a temperament refined

Kamil

The burden of a conscious wrong will render cause for strain

Correction of the errors made; true character regain

Kamil

 

Do not retain the urge to judge; perception's best is flawed

No perfect life has walked the earth; that image rests with God

Kamil

"If a man be gracious to strangers, it shows that he is a citizen of the world, and his heart is no island, cut off from other islands, but a continent that joins them."

                      Francis Bacon

 

Emotions that are aimed to harm will self implode and waste

Kamil

 

Speak out at will with honest flow; let truth be light and guide

 

Kamil

 

Incorporate within your plans the mandate of self worth

Kamil

 

Accept the limits of the mind and make the most of time

 

Kamil

 

 

Forgive with zest and feel the joy when tensions dissipate

Here is a verse from one of my poems:

 

Summon up the spark inside and let the goodness flow

Be grateful for the chance to let another person glow

Be truthful to yourself and then be cautious with your charm

Overindulgence in yourself can bring you undue harm

Regards,

 

Kamil

To find what you seek in the road of life, the best proverb of all is that which says:
"Leave no stone unturned."

Edward Bulwer Lytton

http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html

January 9, 2009 Vast and Potent Silence All sounds, from a whisper to a classical symphony, arise out of silence and disappear into silence. But silence is always there beneath sound and is the space where sound can exist. We tend to think of silence as the absence of sound, but silence has its own weight and quality. When you listen to silence, you can perceive its intense depth and power. Taking the time to experience silence calms the mind and rejuvenates the body. Silence is the void where we can hear the many sounds that we often ignore – the voice of our intuition telling us the truth, the sound of the breeze blowing, the hum of the radiator, and the noises we make just because we are alive. One way to experience silence is to wake up before the rest of the world has come alive. Try not to move into activity, and leave off the lights, radio, and television. Sit still and simply listen. You may hear your heartbeat or your breath, but keep your attention tuned to the silence that surrounds you. Stay this way for as long as you can, and allow the sound of silence to penetrate your body until it moves into your core. Feel the gentle, pulsing waves of silence and allow it to cleanse you. Five minutes of communing with silence can leave you feeling vibrant and connected to the universe. At night, choose a moment after everyone around you has retired and tune in to silence. You can also experience silence throughout the day. Even in the midst of activity, moments of silence are always present. Usually we ignore or feel nervous around silence and try to fill these moments with sound. Yet silence is always there – vast, potent, and available for us to step into any time we choose.

In the final analysis there is no solution to man's progress but the day's honest work, the day's honest decisions, the day's generous utterances and the day's good deed.

-- Clare Booth Luce

I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is, after all, to matter:
to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.

-- Leo C. Rosten (1908-1977) American Writer
 

A mother should give her children a superabundance of enthusiasm,
that after they have lost all they are sure to lose in mixing with
the world, enough may still remain to prompt and support them through
great actions.

-- Julius C. Hare (1795-1855)  English Cleric

A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong,
which is but saying that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.

-- Alexander Pope  (1688-1744) English Poet

 

“I Was Here”

 

 

I was here

I crossed this ocean

I walked this path

I lived this life

But what did I leave behind

What evidence would future generations have of my existence

Empty rooms

Faded photographs

Dilapidated buildings

Dust and bones and chiseled stone

The scraps of self

The residue of life

The ripples fade and they come to nothing

A footprint

A census

A statistic

Ink drying on a death certificate filed away and gone forever

But maybe a legacy isn’t material

 

Maybe a person’s impact can’t be determined by a calculator

Maybe ripples of our time on earth

The love we show

The faith we share

The good we do

The people we help

Maybe they go on forever

 

Maybe they multiply with time until a snowball becomes an avalanche

A drop becomes a flood

A spark a fire

And a single voice a tumult roaring through the universe

But I walk this path

I live this life

 

I was here

 

May 27, 2008
Spiritual Being--Physical Experience
Physical Bodies on Earth

We are on this earth, in our physical bodies, because our souls have things to learn that we could not learn in any other way. It is through our physical body and the physical world that we can experience life. Purely spiritual beings are just that - they are in a state of being rather than doing – in a place that is beyond the limitations of time and space. But when we incarnate on the physical plane, we are automatically subject to the laws of physics and the world of dualities. In this place, we know what happiness is because we have experienced sadness, and we understand the value and power of light because we have known darkness. Knowing this, we have the opportunity to let ourselves be spiritual beings having a physical experience.

There is no pain in the spiritual realm, because we know we are one with the limitless source of the universe. But here, in the material realm, our sense of limitation and separation allows us to feel our emotions and to learn about love, forgiveness, and compassion. We go from a spiritual state of oneness to learning how to be in relationship with people who are different and distinct individuals. We learn to understand ourselves through our relationships with the world around us—its seasons and landscapes, challenges and opportunities. And through our journey to find our place among so many others, we begin to recognize our own glimmer of light in a constellation of stars.

Once we remember that we are spiritual beings, we can revel in the experience of being human while knowing we are all connected. We can live from the place of oneness while truly appreciating the beauty of diversity, the bittersweet feel of love and loss, and the elation of triumph over challenges and adversity. It is through these opposites that we experience life itself, and we can ride through the dark times with the understanding that it will help us to appreciate the light of life and love and spirit more fully. We are here now because we made the choice to experience an earth life, so now we can choose to enjoy the journey as completely as possible.

You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them.  

Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990) American Publisher
   

My son came home from school one day,
With a smirk upon his face.
He decided he was smart enough,
To put me in my place.

'Guess what I learned in Civics Two,
that's taught by Mr. Wright?
It's all about the laws today,
The 'Children's Bill of Rights.'

It says I need not clean my room,
Don't have to cut my hair
No one can tell me what to think,
Or speak, or what to wear.

I have freedom from religion,
And regardless what you say,
I don't have to bow my head,
And I sure don't have to pray.

I can wear earrings if I want,
And pierce my tongue & nose.
I can read & watch just what I like,
Get tattoos from head to toe.

And if you ever spank me,
I'll charge you with a crime.
I'll back up all my charges,
With the marks on my behind.

Don't you ever touch me,
My body's only for my use,
Not for your hugs and kisses,
that's just more child abuse.

Don't preach about your morals,
Like your Mama did to you.
That's nothing more than mind control,
And it's illegal too!

Mom, I have these children's rights,
So you can't influence me,

Or I'll call Children's Services Division,

Better known as C.S.D'

Mom's Reply and Thoughts

Of course my first instinct was
To toss him out the door.
But the chance to teach him a lesson
Made me think a little more.

I mulled it over carefully,
I couldn't let this go.
A smile crept upon my face,
he's messing with a pro.

Next day I took him shopping
At the local Goodwill Store..
I told him, 'Pick out all you want,
there's shirts & pants galore.

I've called and checked with C.S.D .
Who said they didn't care
If I bought you K-Mart shoes
Instead of those Nike Airs.

I've canceled that appointment
To take your driver's test.
The C.S.D. Is unconcerned
So I'll decide what's best.'

I said 'No time to stop and eat,
Or pick up stuff to munch.
And tomorrow you can start to learn
To make your own sack lunch.

Just save the raging appetite,
And wait till dinner time.
We're having liver and onions,
A favorite dish of mine.'

He asked 'Can I please rent a movie,
To watch on my VCR?'
'Sorry, but I sold your TV,
For new tires on my car.

I also rented out your room,

You'll take the couch instead.
The C.S.D. Requires
Just a roof over your head.

Your clothing won't be trendy now,
I'll choose what we eat.
That allowance that you used to get,
Will buy me something neat.

I'm selling off your jet ski,
Dirt-bike & roller blades.
Check out the 'Parents Bill of Rights',
It's in effect today!

Hey hot shot, are you crying,
Why are you on your knees?
Are you asking God to help you out,
Instead of C.S.D..?'

Send to all people that have teenagers or have already raised teenagers,
Or have children who will soon be teenagers or those who will be parents someday

OR ANYONE WHO'D JUST GET A LAUGH ...I love this One!!!  

MOM

(Mean Old Mother.)