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Posts from the ‘Growth’ Category

Jan 12

The Math

“As human beings, we’re capable of greatness of spirit, an ability to go beyond the circumstances we find ourselves in, to experience a vast sense of connection to all of life.”― Sharon Salzberg, Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection

“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Do the math.
The fundamentals
Addition
Subtraction
Division
Multiplication
What will you add?
What will you subtract?
What will you divide?
What will you multiply?
Addition and multiplication create more.
Division and subtraction reduce and bucket.
Good principles to apply to each day.
Adding more without taking away creates more distraction in an already loud and chaotic world.
Subtracting only creates a void which is good if the space opens us up to reflection and connection.
January resolutions are mostly about losing, cutting out rather than contentment and gratitude.
Do the math and also the art.
Both, not one or the other.
Beauty, nature, flowers, snow (yep), poetry, literature, music, fun, play, friendship, dogs (of course), frivolity, silliness, exploration, mystery, heart pumping activity, yoga, meditation, joy, awe.
A deepening, awakening and enriching.
The art and science of living well.

“Art is not escape, but a way of finding order in chaos, a way of confronting life.”― Robert Hayden

Dec 2

Never Born Enough

“We can never be born enough.”
― E. E. Cummings

“To be nobody but
yourself in a world
which is doing its best day and night to make you like
everybody else means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.”― E.E. Cummings

Acceptance and embracing
Open and evolving
Awake and breathing
Hold and releasing
Being and unfolding
Knowing and unknowing
Growth and expanding
Enough and overflowing
Grace and understanding

Be yourself
Let others be who they are and will be
Direct your energy
Foster enthusiasm
Guard and fight for joy
Born again and again

“And now you are and I am and we’re a mystery which will never happen again.”― E.E. Cummings

Sep 21

The Root of It

“To be nobody but
yourself in a world
which is doing its best day and night to make you like
everybody else means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.”― e.e cummings

“We are all here to serve each other. At some point we have to understand that we do not need to carry a story that is unbearable. We can observe the story, which is mental; feel the story, which is physical; let the story go, which is emotional; then forgive the story, which is spiritual, after which we use the materials of it to build a house of knowledge.”― Joy Harjo, Poet Warrior: A Memoir

What lies beneath the surface that keeps rising up?
Get to the root of it, the source below, deeper
If it’s a weed – resentment, guilt, unforgiveness – pull it
If it’s a seed – dreams, aspirations, yearning – feed it
Something is trying to break open, break free
Clarity comes when we are open to receive it, receptive to answers not conscious but subconscious
Weeds and flowers reside together
Each telling us what we need to know, to grow or wilt under the weight
Expose it to the light
Create a new stories, rooted in hope, joy and beauty

“Keep your Eyes on All that’s Good and Beautiful and Possible in the World. Because “The Stories We Tell Create the People We Become.”― Jacqueline Lewis, Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone

Jul 15

1 Comment

Evidence of Life

“Growth is the only evidence of life.” – John Henry Newman

“To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” – John Henry Newman

Thrive
Bud
Bloom
Shed
Dormancy
Replant
Nurture
Bloom, again
Seasons
Cycles
Dynamic
Stretched
Pushed
Pulled
Wrestled
Pinned
Everchanging
Transcend
Transform

In moments of clarity, glimpses of beauty, may you say “yes” to growth, to soul work, to bigger than circumstances and surface existence. A resounding “yes” to life in all its imperfection, struggle, delight, joy, and unmet expectations.

Reconsider, rethink and reset your expectations. Not lowering them but expanding them beyond your past, your stories, your demands. Enter the current and flow of life so it enters you in return. Unknowing is the first step to real knowing. Prepare to soar in the most unexpected places.

“If we insist on being as sure as is conceivable, we must be content to creep along the ground, and never soar.” – John Henry Newman

Jul 11

Seeds Precede Harvest

“To see things in the seed, that is genius.” — Lao Tzu

“To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.” – Henry David Thoreau

Focus on what you can control.
Your outlook, thoughts, words, actions. Not others.
The past is over, carry forward that which brings you to new places.
The future will come as it will, sure to be filled with twists, turns, detours and outside the plan.
Today is it. Remain here awake and aware.
Affect the quality of your day, plant seeds.
Sow love, reverence, gratitude, enthusiasm, delight, joy, generosity, curiosity, encouragement, fun.
Seeds precede harvest.

“Your heart is full of fertile seeds, waiting to sprout.” – Morihei Ueshiba

Apr 23

Allowing, Unfolding, Expanding

“Patience doesn’t mean making a pact with the devil of denial, ignoring our emotions and aspirations. It means being wholeheartedly engaged in the process that’s unfolding, rather than ripping open a budding flower or demanding a caterpillar hurry up and get that chrysalis stage over with.” – Sharon Salzberg

“There is no meaning to life except the meaning man gives his life by the unfolding of his powers.” – Erich Fromm

We stay in places, spaces, relationships for certainty, familiarity, safety;
We fight change, settle in comfort;
Sometimes it makes sense, sticking and staying is the right thing;
We also know when a chapter is done and it’s time to turn the page;
In our need for a sense of control, in trying to figure it out before we move into it, we miss the journey, the richness, the mystery;
Put the road map down, stop looking for the “life instruction manual, take the training wheels off, move into something new;
Enter a space of allowing, unfolding and exploring;
Mystery, unknowing and expanding;
Write the story and let it write you anew.

“You must be a lotus, unfolding its petals when the sun rises in the sky, unaffected by the slush where it is born or even the water which sustains it!” – Sai Baba

Mar 26

On the Other Side

“May my soul bloom in love for all existence.” – Rudolf Steiner

“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.” – R. Buckminster Fuller

On the other side of dirt is bloom, if we plant.
On the other side of the chrysalis is butterfly, if we keep moving to break open.
On the other side of change is growth, if we step out of the boat and trust.
On the other side of winter is spring, both have their purpose and work to do in us.
We long for the other side but live in the middle, in the struggle, in the wandering, in the mystery.
And there’s more that we don’t see that’s working in, around and through us.
Live in the middle, trust, work your way through.
Ask questions, listen for answers that often are not your own yet somehow familiar.
Go deeper, get uncomfortable, accept uncertainty.
Dare to ask for more and pursue it.
It is never over until it’s over.
While you have breath, keep growing in, with and on.
Metamorphosis and full bloom, on the other side, even in the middle.

“Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend.” – Mao Zedong

Jan 5

Buds and Caterpillars

“The butterfly is a flying flower. The flower is a tethered butterfly.” — Ponce Denis

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” — Maya Angelou

Bud to bloom.
Chrysalis to butterfly.
Winter to spring.
Middle time.
Endings to new beginnings.
Enter it all.
Be still.
Peace. Grace. Joy.
Transformation in play.

“You do not just wake up and become the butterfly. Growth is a process.” — Rupi Kaur

Jan 2

Grow. Learn. Evolve.

“Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.” – Marcus Aurelius

“Your goal is not to battle with the mind, but to witness the mind.” – Swami Muktananda

As the world returns to “ordinary time” and a new year begins, carry the slowness, reflection and stillness of the season forward.
See in a new way rather than a continuation of the same thing.
Look for connections and patterns right in front of you.
A slightly different angle to see a fresh view.
Engage.
Inquire.
Seek understanding.
Dance.
Exchange.
Witness.
Observe.
Weave.
Listen.
Respond.
With forethought and care.
Be kind. Assume the best. Invite diversity of thought.
Allow change to do its work in you.
Grow. Learn. Evolve.

“Change is not threatening, so long as we keep firm hold of the values by and for which we live. We can travel with confidence so long as we have a map. We can jump with safety knowing that there is someone to catch us as we fall.” – Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Nov 29

1 Comment

Seeds, Roots and Shoots

“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.” – Theodore Roethke

“The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” – Bertrand Russell

The ground is hardening.
Ice is forming on the lakes.
Dormancy is on the doorstep.
Seeds that have been planted rest in the dark.
In due time, transforming to roots followed by shoots.
The work is done in the preparation, in the waiting.
Let the work of winter be done.
Spring is always the outcome.

“Your heart is full of fertile seeds, waiting to sprout.” – Morihei Ueshiba

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