Skip to content

Posts from the ‘Happiness’ Category

Feb 22

4 Comments

Be Held

“May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.”
– An Old Irish Blessing

When the road is uncertain, the wind is in your face, the clouds hide the sun and the storms are strong, may we know, trust and believe that we remain in the palm of His hand, held even closer.

Be the road that guides the lost, the shield that blocks the wind, the light that radiates warmth and the midst that quenches a thirst.

Just around the corner of patience and faith, the road rises, the wind subsides, the sun awaits and the symphony of soft rain quiets the soul.

No matter if lost or found, the truth remains. We are held in the palm of His hand, whether we know it or not. May we open our senses to our blessings in both abundance and scarcity. Be held, and when you can, hold someone in return.

“There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.” – Bernard Williams

“There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.” – Bernard Williams

Feb 14

Fundamental

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” – Deuteronomy 30:19

Pretty simple, yet often so hard to live out each day consistently with unwavering commitment. No matter where we wander or where we land, our choice is between life and death, blessing and curse, abundance and scarcity, loving unconditionally or with condition. When we let go of our theories, judgments and justifications, the choice is crystal clear. Life, blessing and light sustain and propel us forward.

Choose life, love wholeheartedly, live well. It’s fundamental.

Feb 7

2 Comments

Life Heals Itself

“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” – Michelangelo

As we weave through celebration and sorrow, diving and surfacing, pushing and pulling, time passes. Whether we see it sooner, later or ever, through the yin and yang of it all, life balances, goes deeper to rise higher again and heals itself. Only to start all over again, but from a new place, leading us to what’s next.

Our blessings and burdens both serve to shape, sustain and make the fragments whole again. Life, the very force that hurls us forward, breaks us open and binds us up resides in each day, each moment and in each one of us.

Sometimes we are the stone being sculpted and sometimes we are the sculptor. Chip by chip, we reveal and do the revealing, discovering the beauty that patiently waits to be found. Both light and dark move us further into our blooming, burgeoning and becoming. Life, indeed, heals itself and each of us in the very living of it.

Feb 1

The Butterfly

“The winter solstice has always been special to me as a barren darkness that gives birth to a verdant future beyond imagination, a time of pain and withdrawal that produces something joyfully inconceivable, like a monarch butterfly masterfully extracting itself from the confines of its cocoon, bursting forth into unexpected glory.” – Gary Zukav

“The winter solstice has always been special to me as a barren darkness that gives birth to a verdant future beyond imagination, a time of pain and withdrawal that produces something joyfully inconceivable, like a monarch butterfly masterfully extracting itself from the confines of its cocoon, bursting forth into unexpected glory.” – Gary Zukav

“Too many of us go to our graves with our music still inside.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

As I looked at my house light tonight at dusk, I noticed the image of a butterfly as the light spread its wings. What we choose to see guides our day, our way.

To release our music before we go to our graves, we must keep pushing through the cocoon to go from the caterpillar to the butterfly. Transformation takes time and then suddenly, it enters softly like a whisper.

Keep pushing. You never know when that last ounce of pressure and persistence will be your breakthrough, the tipping point. Release your light, your music, your true self – the butterfly.

Jan 26

The Folly of Control

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou

How many days, years, wasted pondering, pining, worrying about that which we have no control? Thoughts, assumptions and judgments creating stories that aren’t real, illusions. He said/she said. She thinks/he thinks…What if, why?

Do and give your best and let the results take care of themselves. Look for the best in others and the best is drawn out. Think good thoughts and goodness presents itself. Slow down, lighten up, take it in, let it go and most importantly enjoy the ride. It is but a short one at that.

Jan 21

But a Moment More

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharlal Nehru

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharlal Nehru

“I said to myself, I’m going to quit complaining! I’ll keep quiet especially when the ungodly are around me. But as I stood their silently the turmoil within me grew to the bursting point. The more I mused, the hotter the fires inside. Then at last I spoke and pled with God: Lord, help me realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here but a moment more.” – Psalms 39:1-6

It is so easy and tempting to join in with the complainers, the “chirpers.” Those who criticize and choose to see nothing but shadow. But the chirping merely breeds more of the same, producing nothing of value. The higher road has plenty of room for all and often a hard one to take. But with one step at a time and an acute awareness that we are here but a moment, the high road is the only journey worth the trip. So when the choice arises, and it will several times a day, choose light. See the beauty, be the beauty.

Jan 9

2 Comments

Melt Away

“Accustom yourself continually to make many acts of love, for they enkindle and melt the soul.” – Saint Teresa of Avila

“Accustom yourself continually to make many acts of love, for they enkindle and melt the soul.” – Saint Teresa of Avila

“In the pain, the agony, and the heroic endeavors of life, we pass through a refiner’s fire, and the insignificant and the unimportant in our lives can melt away like dross and make our faith bright, intact, and strong.” – James E. Faust

When we melt into rest and quiet the noise of thoughts derived from the outside, we are reminded of what we already know. What and who’s most important rises to the top again and the remainder is put aside out of the way where it belongs.

Find rest, solace and melt into yourself so all that is of your heart and soul takes front and center stage in each day of your story.

Jan 4

9 Comments

Doors

“Those who stand at the threshold of life always waiting for the right time to change are like the man who stands at the bank of a river waiting for the water to pass so he can cross on dry land.” – Joseph B. Wirthlin

As the New Year enters, believe and trust that the doors you choose to open and close are leading to your destiny and purpose. Some will be heavy, some will be light. Each one prepares you for the next. Cross the threshold.

“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” – Aldous Huxley

“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” – Aldous Huxley

Dec 31

6 Comments

The Cusp

“From the math of ordinary time, it seems we falter repeatedly, always off course. But this is how life uncovers us. It’s a beautiful journey that no preparation can avoid, that no learning can imitate. We begin with an irreplaceable trust and are sent into the amazing race the world has to offer, thinking there are more valuable destinations we can’t live without, only to land where we began.” – Mark Nepo, The Endless Practice

New Year’s Eve – the cusp of new beginnings filled with resolutions, good intentions, plans, moving on, hopes, dreams and “this year’s going to be different.” Looking back at this last year, most of it was unpredictable and “not in my plans.” A lot of it was struggling with family health issues and work intensity. And weaved through it all, that I often missed at the time, was joy, laughter, growth and love. What begins as a burden slowly then suddenly transforms into a blessing. Burdens always precede blessings.

Woody Allen’s quote comes to mind, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” Our plans are linear, a straight line from Point A to Point B. But life enters and the dimensional, winding and detoured journey ensues. And the crux of the struggle is in our clinging desperately to the linear rather than releasing to the current and flow of life.

So resolutions for next year?
Work and play hard, always do but more importantly BE my best;
Pray harder, accept the answer;
Trust deeper, let faith take hold;
Be more open than closed, risk hurt;
Love more, without strings;
Plan to be surprised, invite awe and wonder in;
Slow down, enjoy the view;
Be present each day, that’s all we are promised;
See, really see, all the beauty, in people and places;
Be grateful and kind, show and share it.

Simply put, let God’s plans unfold and cast light.

Dec 24

6 Comments

Crammed

“Earth is crammed with heaven.” – Elizabeth Barrett Browning

In this season of giving, may we be abundantly aware of all that we already have received and our boundless capacity to give more. Be filled, content and grateful.

Wishing you love, joy, peace, clarity, awe and Merry Christmas.

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »