Do you have a stranglehold on life? Most of us do, to one degree or another. Our stranglehold stems from our fears, our judgements, our need to be right, our focus on self. These place immense limitation on our growth and progress.
Life can become very small and petty when we dwell in this behavior. Living in such a troubled world has this tendency to drag us down, reducing us to little balls of worry and stress. We suffocate our own happiness when we succumb to it.
The challenge is to be brave enough to just let go of it all… and fly.
Inspirational Quotes:
“More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment. More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate.” ~ Roy T. Bennett
“Love is the absence of judgment.” ~ Dalai Lama XIV
“Do one thing every day that scares you.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
“We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets.” ~ Marilyn Monroe
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart. ~ Roy T. Bennett
P.S. Hello! I’m back from a break from writing. Sometimes the well feels like it’s starting to run dry, and when that happens, you know it’s time to replenish it.
The past few days I’ve been wrapping up some new ebook work. I’ll post about that soon. Most importantly, I’m happy to report a little miracle. You may remember that I posted Jan. 5th about a very sad event, the sudden illness over Christmas, and passing of our black cat Mocha on Jan. 2nd. See my post How Can It Be?
Due to several vivid dreams at the time, we’ve been on the lookout for his return in a new little gray body. As it turns out, Shadow was born a couple of days after Mocha’s passing, and a mere couple of miles away. At just a little over six weeks old, she was posted for adoption, and the universe conspired to help us meet up. She is so like Mocha in personality, it is startling!
The universe really does work in mysterious ways. Never forget that when you’re intending what you want to come to you in life. 🙂
One big melting pot for humanity? What a shame it would be to lose the beautiful diversity of various human cultures and history.
Yes, there is great value in mixing, appreciating the sameness and differences, learning to live with each other in harmony. The biggest lessons may be cooperation and universal love.
But in order to do this successfully, respect for each other’s uniqueness and cultural differences is essential. If we ourselves, and our world leaders, require that everything and everyone be “all the same”, then where is that leading us? Conformity is a soul crusher. Observe the world of nature around you. It displays diversity to the nth degree.
This is the challenge that faces us in building new societies: To orchestrate a harmonious blending of humanity, but also retain the valuable diversity. Appreciating the uniqueness of others helps to make life an expansive and rich experience. Travel is a valuable tool for building this understanding.
Inspirational Quotes:
“The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you; they are unique manifestations of the human spirit.” ~ Wade Davis
“Nature is busy creating absolutely unique individuals, whereas culture has invented a single mold to which all must conform. It is grotesque.” ~ U. G. Krishnamurti
“Being different will always threaten the institution of understanding of a closed mind. However, evolution is built on difference, changing and the concept of thinking outside the box. Live to be your own unique brand, without apology.” ~ Shannon L. Alder
“The second way of finding a meaning in life is by experiencing something – such as goodness, truth and beauty – by experiencing nature and culture or, last but not least, by experiencing another human being in his very uniqueness – by loving him.” ~ Viktor E. Frankl
Why Would I?
Why would I want to be like everybody else? By some miracle of Creation, I am unique, I came here to make my own contributions to the world.
If you and I think like everybody else, we all become a goopy, boring, stagnant, uncreative, unproductive, homogenized, mishmash of conformist hive minds wearing the same hat.
For many years I have practiced daily walking outdoors. These quiet, meditative times allow me to relax and escape my monkey mind cage.
Daily walking requires a certain self-discipline, because realistically every day does not offer “perfect weather”. (We all have our own definition of that. If we didn’t, people wouldn’t talk about the weather so much!) I have walked in cold, rain, snow, and gloom as much as I have enjoyed sunshine and bright, shiny walks. I have come to love all of it.
Here’s the thing: I love sunshine as much as the next person, and when we’re feeling down, the sun can be a real mood lifter. But depending on what I’m dealing with in my day, sunshine can feel like a good friend trying to jolly me out of my problems, rather than allowing space for my mood.
My observation over the years is that those moody, rainy, snowy, cloudy days also have their own merit for solitude and introspection. They are the perfect back drop to quiet my conscious mind. There I inevitably find the space for the true answers to come through from my subconscious.
Rain or shine, nature is my therapy. Without fail, I find the beauty, grace, quiet and solitude I need to transcend the rat race.
Moods
Sky dons her mood face, sulking clouds mirror my mind, silent I reflect.
Rejuvenate
When city voids me, I flee to garden refuge. Hummingbird dances.
“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” ~ Bob Marley
“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” ~ John Ruskin
“As long as this exists, this sunshine and this cloudless sky, and as long as I can enjoy it, how can I be sad?” ~ Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl
“I am a tiny seashell that has secretly drifted ashore and carries the sound of the ocean surging through its body.” ~ Edward Hirsch
We have all experienced discouragement, sometimes to despair. These feelings are part of life. Without obstacles and disappointments, our souls would not learn and grow. When I look back on my own difficult challenges, I would not want to do them over. But when I evaluate the growth in myself, it is tremendous. I am grateful for those soul lessons, not just because of the wisdom gained, but I also became a stronger person.
When we are struggling in darkness, it can be difficult to see light. Other people can extend a loving hand, either with a different perspective, or, hands-on assistance. But in the end, we must own our inner journey. It is ours, and it is we who develop the fortitude and mindset to deal with whatever life throws at us.
During one particularly tough time many years ago, focusing on gratitude helped me not only to get through it, and but also to develop a different perspective about myself and life. That’s right! Really seeing and acknowledging all of the blessings, big and small, that surrounded me. Going forward, I built on that. It created a positive mindset in which I could then conceive of hope and possibilities and solutions.
Light begets light, and that which we focus on expands.
Here is a good article about how seemingly small, simple actions can bring us closer to happiness: 10 Simple Ways to Find Happiness
Inspirational Quotes:
“A quick way to overcome your despair… is to go out and help someone else overcome theirs!” ~ Timothy Pina
“Be thankful for everything that happens in your life; it’s all an experience.” ~ Roy T. Bennett
There Are Moments
There are these moments that will haunt me forever, distant, but distinct,
the same lessons learned again, they won’t be denied, important imprints,
but the regrets are indelible too, embedded in bittersweet light,
born out of moments that will haunt me forever, distant, but distinct.
Susan L Hart / Author 