We live within a veil of illusion,

collecting scores of records on accounts by and 

for something that may always elude us.

We are drawn in and yet — in is out,

though reversal may seem skewed to the

unstirred practitioner.

A far away voice calls;

the creek rattles against the rocks;

the sunset flashes through the extremities 

of a starkly clad fellow,

or so it seems.

And in a dream

and in a poem we may know to

consider the underpinning of the verse.

Can we look too on the world as such

in the dissection of the universe composed

through our senses?

Can we hear how it sings,

answers, laughs and cries with us?

How dense is the language of men to distract

us from the symphony in the trees?

The words are

at the same time

too little and too much.

 

We have time, a certain amount and you do not get to know how much.  I heard recently that the most healing thing you can do is to sit down, in quiet and simply BE.  No distractions, no music, podcasts or tv.  To BE with you and the world that happens to BE around you.  To accept it and find Joy past the tapping foot, past the grocery list, past irritation and memories of that last meeting at work.

Sit, or go out with no earbuds and BE in the world for a bit.  Listen, walk, ride.  Listen.  If it is hard you may just need it the most.  There is healing in the present moment of nature – YOU are nature.

 

The only thing that I want to say today is that balsamic glaze makes everything a little happier in my world.  From avocado toast to veggies to baked fruit.  It can even classy UP a hot dog.

Better.  Happier.  Positivity.

excerpt from Tosha Silver’s Change Me Prayers:

Change Me into someone who can feel wildly open to receiving.
Let me know my own value, beauty and
worthiness without question.
Let me allow others the supreme pleasure of giving to me.
Let me feel worthy to receive in every possible way.

And let me extend kindness to all who need,
feeling compassion and understanding
in even the hardest situations.

Change me into One who can fully love, forgive
and accept myself…
so I may carry Light without restriction.

Let everything that needs to go, go.
Let everything that needs to come, come.

I do not think the sky takes storms personally.

I do not think it mopes or mourns over unorganized configurations.

I do not think it praises itself for a clear day or the perfect wind for birds to play.

I believe it lives, breathes, laughs, cries, has ‘fits’ of anger and joy without judgement or remorse.

I believe it lives fully and we watch a show of perfect expression.

Let me have that ease.

“Break the old pattern of present moment denial and present moment resistance.  Make it your practice to withdraw attention  from past and future whenever they are not needed.”   – Eckhart Tolle

“When you wash your hands, when you make a cup coffee, when you’re waiting for an elevator – instead of indulging in thinking, these are all opportunities for being there, as a still, alert presence.” – Eckhart Tolle

The everyday activities you perform can become mini meditations.  You can attach a practice to short lived actions as reminders to live mindfully.  You can also attach gratitude to the action with positive affirmations.  Think about an affirmation you’d like to repeat everyday or every time you see one of your coffee mugs.  (This isn’t a new idea -plenty of mugs have quotes on them, but I happen to like wordless mugs collected for their color or shape.) The sight of the mug, your positive affirmation, and then quiet awareness on the actions of preparing, pouring, and drinking the cup of coffee, tea, or water can become a meaningful part of your day.

Suggestions for mug affirmations

1. I am so grateful for this moment.

2.  I know my worth and I honor the same in others.

3. I am so lucky!

4. There is no wrong choice.

5. Life is always balancing itself.

Use whatever words bring you the most joy, comfort, or sense of rightness for where you are now.

 

Congratulations!  You’ve made it to day six of a brand new decade.  How do you feel?  Did you take time to look over what you were happy about in 2019?  Have you spent time hashing out those 365.24 days to see if you could pinpoint the most important moments for change, joy, and love?  If you did, did it make you feel better about the moment you’re in now or the ones you’re going to be creating soon in 2020?  If you loved the last decade, maybe you sat joyously reminiscing or celebrating your noted accomplishments.  If you’re not satisfied with where you are, maybe you resigned to buckle down and make larger strides.  It could also be that you were indifferent to December 31st, 2019 as it turned over into January 1st, 2020.  You know you and you know where you stand with your past and with your present.  Generally, the past is only useful to you in what you can learn from it in recreating more of the same or altering for change.  With that in mind, taking just a few moments to feel gratitude for the past decade and year could be enough, otherwise you may be missing some of your now.  The same is true for future planning.  Take time to set your goals and intentions, but don’t let your head get stuck in a future that’s not yet here.  Planning, vision boards, and even feeling your future as you want to experience it are wonderful tools but too much worrying about another time can keep you from being a part of the present.

BE HERE NOW  

You can bring yourself back into your present moment with purposeful breathing.  You can also spend time with nature to do this and if you can’t get outside but you need to refocus, call yourself back into the present moment by going tactile.  If you’re outside, look for a pebble or whatever is in the landscape and comfortably accessible to you.  If you’re inside or at a desk, you can call in your energy with a pencil or another item there close by.  Focus on the object of your choice, feel it’s weight, notice it’s texture, and smile as you inhale and exhale.  Notice the weight of your object again and internally recognize your presence through the external.

Let 2020 be a year of clear vision for staying present as much as you can.  Honor your true self with acceptance of the current scene while you let that bright light of yours shine radiantly. No matter what has come before this and no matter what may come to pass, let the present be your muse.

We often become immersed in the repetition of our days and dulled to the magnificence of our existence.  We don’t know what moment may be our last and yet we let so many pass in a string of absentminded interplay, forgetting to marvel at the beauty in it all .

Today is a gift.  Be alive with your surroundings and loved ones.  Today is perfect exactly as it is and as it comes to you.

 

This is the best way that I know to stay MERRY in this season….well and really any season.

1-say NO when you really do not want to; give, go, do.  Then let it go.

2-say YES when you feel the urge to share, be there or buy.  Then let it go.

3-Do not take what people do and say personally as if it is ALL simply to crush your day.  They are living their own path through the holidays and that can be VERY difficult.  “Be Kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”  Said differently by many people.   Let them go.

4-“Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it.”  Brian Tracy

Remembering that you do not necessarily need a quiet, neutral room with a yoga mat for ‘peace of mind’.  Then again, you might.  Let it be.