The Paradox
“To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour.” – William Blake
“Temperance – When a sword is tempered, it is first heated to melting point then hammered into a desired shape. It is plunged into cold water. Once cooled, it is fired and hammered again until it grows sharp and strong. This tempering makes the sword worthy of being carried by a king. As we learn to endure and surrender to the fire, the hammer, the cold, we grow strong and uncomplaining. We are able to face whatever comes, holding our temper, while we ourselves are being tempered. We accept the paradox of joy and sorrow, justice and injustice, abundance and scarcity with true temperance and grace. Temperance is our ability to endure with sobriety and equanimity the transforming fires of experience and the dowsing waters of disappointment. Temperance is the ability to allow ourselves to be molded into the being we are intended to be.” – Ann Mortifee, In Love with the Mystery
May you see color, light and beauty in difficult seasons;
May you hear a symphony forming from single notes in a noisy loud world;
May you breathe in the fragrance of spring in bloom as winter lingers;
May you trust the unfolding of the story without fully understanding;
May you allow unknowing in and observe without opinion;
May you respond with grace and kindness rather than react in judgment;
May you embrace all of the paradoxes of living and allow blessings to embed gratitude in each day;
Open your heart, meet every moment, see the doorway.
“Meet Every Moment – When we lose our self-pity, a whole new world opens. We often act as if life has singled us out to cause us personal struggle. But life is simply life. We either face what comes to us with courage and forbearance, or we fall into complaining and feeling sorry for ourselves. To meet every moment as a challenge is the only way to find peace. When we are content with what is, even a setback becomes a doorway.” – Ann Mortifee, In Love with the Mystery
