Category Archives: Life Inspiration

Overcoming Hate

What could I ever say about hate and love that would rival the words of one of the greatest visionaries for humanity, Martin Luther King Jr.?

His words encompassed a much broader spectrum than the issue of racism. They spoke to the very essence of who we are as individuals. They inspired us to improve our own character and integrity, so that we can then each contribute to a better humanity. He raised the bar. He dared us all to be better people.

We each grapple with the dark night of our own soul. Hate has the potential to rear its ugly head in various situations, small to big. Each of us holds the key to overcome the world’s hate. It is not in “someone else’s hands”. Unless we overcome our own darkness, the world will not be survive its darkness.

Inspirational Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.”

“I have decided to stick to love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.“

“There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”

“Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.”

“Hate destroys the hater…”

“I am convinced that love is the most durable power in the world. It is not an expression of impractical idealism, but of practical realism. Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, love is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. To return hate for hate does nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil, and this can only be done through love.”

Dissonance in Our Minds

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We live in a time of extreme cognitive dissonance. Some days I feel like I’ve walked through a portal into a twilight zone. How about you?

Cognitive dissonance occurs when two or more ideas or beliefs being held in our minds at the same time are in conflict. From the dictionary:

“Cognitive dissonance (noun) Psychology: The state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change.

Right now the world we believed in and many of our value systems are coming into acute question. Our inward belief systems no longer match the outward reality. Our minds are frantically scrambling to resolve the dissonance.

This can be extremely unsettling and stressful to process. There are articles out there on the Internet about how to resolve cognitive dissonance, this is just one, by Verwell Mind: Cognitive Dissonance and How to Resolve It

On a positive note, consider that cognitive dissonance may be a very important process that we need to experience right now. It can lead to questioning beliefs and systems that have not been serving us well.

Consider also that the resolution for this dissonance may well be found not only in our heads, but also within our hearts. This is a crisis of not only physical reality, but also of spirit.

And as an important end note: If ever there was a time to not block our personal discomfort with external events, this is it. Our world is a mess, and our cognitive dissonance demands acknowledgement and processing. It’s time to be really observant, think for ourselves, and practice critical thinking.

Lotus Wisdom

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Spiritual enlightenment, rebirth, the divine. For centuries the lotus flower has symbolized all of these, particularly in Buddhist and Egyptian cultures. It also represents good old grit and determination, the will to endure. A lotus seed can survive without water for thousands of years, and is still able to germinate. And when it does, it grows out of the murky mud beneath the water, gracing our world with exquisite beauty.

Whether you choose to embrace the pragmatic earthbound or the ethereal symbolism, they in fact go hand-in-hand. During our lifetimes our souls accumulate wisdom through our experiences, our willingness to learn, and our strength to endure.

Envision your soul as a beautiful lotus flower ~ growing your wisdom, unfolding and blossoming, petal by petal.

Inspirational Quotes:

“Doubt everything. Find your own light.” ~ Buddha

“Because you are alive, everything is possible.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

“Truth is not something outside to be discovered, it is something inside to be realized.” ~ Osho

“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames” ~ Rumi

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

“Set your heart on doing good. Do it over and over again, and you will be filled with joy.” ~ Buddha

“Our own life has to be our message.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

“Those who have failed to work toward the truth have missed the purpose of living.” ~ Buddha

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ~ Rumi

“Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.” ~ Rumi

Feel Nature’s Pulse

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We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for an important break.

A nature break, that is. Nature’s poetry brought to your doorstep. Breathe deeply, let go of the chaos and negativity in the news, and feel the gentle pulse of the sweet soul of the Earth. Steadfast and true, she waits for you…

Inspirational Quotes by John Muir:

“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

“As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can.”

“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”

“Another glorious Sierra day in which one seems to be dissolved and absorbed and sent pulsing onward we know not where. Life seems neither long nor short, and we take no more heed to save time or make haste than do the trees and stars. This is true freedom, a good practical sort of immortality.”

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.”

“The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us. Thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love.”

Photos courtesy Владимир Кондратьев, Francesco Ungaro, Jeremmy Bishop, Pexels

Power of Positive Words

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Our words and stories are powerful. We must be careful, because we have the ability to create a positive or negative reality with them.

Focusing on negative narrative keeps everyone’s minds confirming and expanding that reality. Have you noticed? Words used in the current COVID narrative too often leave us feeling weak, reliant, and disempowered. But, we’re not. This is just the story that has been thrust upon us, in this moment. We did not create it, but we are responsible if we choose to perpetuate it. We have the power to overcome this negativity with selective word and thought replacement.

Let’s Program Ourselves for the Positive

Start to create a positive narrative now, by actively using expansive and encouraging language. These words aren’t new; we all have them in our vocabularies. We’ve just been using them much less lately. How is this for a short list, just as a start?

Wellness
Love
Joy
Life
Birth
Creation
Beginnings
Beauty
Adventure
Playing
Cooperation
Abundance
Preparedness
Self-reliance
Independence
Celebration

When we use positive words, we raise our vibration and increase our power, as well as that of people around us. Positivity in our minds and hearts does affect the resiliency of our bodies. It keeps us in a healthier state holistically. We are then in a place of taking responsibility for our overall health, and, envisioning and creating a better future.

Taking responsibility for our words sounds simple, but it is not necessarily easy. It takes some practice and discipline, particularly when others around us try to engage us in the negative narrative. However, this is a fundamental way to exercise our own personal power to create positive change. We’ve got this!