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Posts from the ‘Light’ Category

May 9

Cheerful Beams

“Some people, in order to discover God, read books. But there is a great book: the very appearance of created things. Look above you! Look below you! Read it. God, whom you want to discover, never wrote that book with ink. Instead, He set before your eyes the things that He had made. Can you ask for a louder voice than that?”― Augustine of Hippo

“Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.” – Saint Augustine

Luminous
Above, abound, within
Wonder, beauty, nature’s canvas
Painting cheerful beams
May the spring that is unfolding outside, cascade within
Peace, awe, light

“O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.” – Saint Augustine

Feb 5

To Stand and Stare

“It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses.”― George Eliot

“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
– Leisure”

― W.H. Davies, Common Joys and Other Poems

To stand and stare
Deep breath
Drink in beauty, hope, light
Stop, sit, rest
An empty vessel is of no use
We can’t carry it all
Long game
No short cuts
Detour, distractions, delays
Pause, gaze, anchor
To restore, bind, heal
Joy on the journey
Planting seeds of love along the way

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

Jan 23

Illuminate Hope

“There are two kinds of light – the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.” – James Thurber

“The great poets have sympathized with the people. They have uttered in all ages the human cry. Unbought by gold, unawed by power, they have lifted high the torch that illuminates the world.” – Robert Green Ingersoll

What can one person do?
I can be …

Kind
Welcoming
Generous
Unassuming
Non-judgmental
Joyful
Forgiving
Compassionate
Tough
Resilient
Empathetic
Listening
Inviting
Hope
Peace
Grace
Light
Love
Choose well
Fight the good fight
Illuminate, glow, do not be dimmed
We belong to each other

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” – Mother Teresa

Nov 18

2 Comments

Weave Light Through This Day

“We all have an inner light waiting to guide us home. But sometimes the Universe turns off all the lights, so we have no choice but to find our own.”― Rebecca Campbell, Light is the New Black

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world”. – Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love

What can one person do?
Shine.
Give.
Receive.
Invite, welcome, expand.
Let your light shine.
A flicker or flame.
Cast light with kindness, a smile, words of encouragement.
Plant, scatter, weave light through this day.

“You have an inner light within you that is craving to be shared by those around you, by the world at large – but mostly by you. When you share your unique light, bit by bit, you light up the lives of those around you. And, one by one, you inspire them to light up too. It’s a chain reaction. And before long, the whole world lights up. Your light is contagious.”― Rebecca Campbell, Light is the New Black

Sep 20

The Light Within

“And then there were the poets, those unbelievable people so different from other men, who told anyone who would listen that a wish is more important than a fortune, and that a dream can weigh more than iron or steel.”― Jacques Lusseyran, And There Was Light

“Inside me there was everything I had believed was outside. There was, in particular, the sun, light, and all colors. There were even the shapes of objects and the distance between objects. Everything was there and movement as well… Light is an element that we carry inside us and which can grow there with as much abundance, variety, and intensity as it can outside of us…I could light myself…that is, I could create a light inside of me so alive, so large, and so near that my eyes, my physical eyes, or what remained of them, vibrated, almost to the point of hurting… God is there under a form that has the good luck to be neither religious, not intellectual, nor sentimental, but quite simply alive.”― Jacques Lusseyran, And There Was Light

Hidden within you the whole time.
Not off in far off places.
In other people.
In circumstances or some day “when”
Your light.
The well you rush by each day on the way to puddles.
Deep waters. Big sky. Brilliant light.
Within.
Home in you.
The light within awaits your attention, kindness and care.
Feed the fire.
Shine.

“Two truths: the first of these is that joy does not come from outside, for whatever happens to us it is within. The second truth is that light does not come to us from without. Light is in us, even if we have no eyes.”― Jacques Lusseyran, And There Was Light

Sep 10

Bring Light

“Our role in life is to bring the light of our own souls to the dim places around us.”― Joan Chittister

“An open mind must be mitigated by discernment. Knowing what to take in and what to discard or file away for future perusal is important to one’s growth.” – Safi Thomas

Open your heart.
Get closer to what you judge.
Question your assumptions.
Know what you believe and why.
Anchor in hope.
Move with optimism.
Sing rather than shout.
Encourage rather than criticize.
Consistent action rather than hollow words.
Be kind.
Cast light.

“Compassionate action emerges from the sense of openness, connectedness, and discernment you have created.” – Joan Halifax

Aug 21

2 Comments

Be the Lighthouse.

“Human spirit is the ability to face the uncertainty of the future with curiosity and optimism. It is the belief that problems can be solved, differences resolved. It is a type of confidence. And it is fragile. It can be blackened by fear and superstition.” – Bernard Beckett

“Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough.” – Richard M. DeVos

Thoughts, words, perspective.
View, angle, framework.
Listen to yourself.
Gripping, pining, complaining.
Or.
Curiosity, joy, delight.
It matters.
Choose well.
Daily.
Let light in.
Cast light out.
Be the lighthouse.

“The most fearless hearts, the audacious dreamers, have always maintained a sense of optimism that often flies in the face of the available evidence.” – Martin O’Malley

Nov 15

Wave of Color, of Light

“Look closely at the present you are constructing: it should look like the future you are dreaming.”― Alice Walker

“Be nobody’s darling;
Be an outcast.
Take the contradictions
Of your life
And wrap around
You like a shawl,
To parry stones
To keep you warm.”
― Alice Walker

Contradictions, complexity, unanswered questions.
Amidst imperfections, we weave a life.
Dreaming, hope, resilience.
The weaving tools to create joy, delight, contentment, independent of circumstances.
Knit your shawl, a wave of brilliant colors.
Shine.

“we are the ones we have been waiting for”― Alice Walker

Feb 4

Encouragement of Light

“How Did the rose Ever open its heart And give to this world All its Beauty? It felt the encouragement of light Against its Being. Otherwise, We all remain Too Frightened” ― Hafez

“How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give to this world
All its
Beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light
Against its Being.
Otherwise,
We all remain
Too
Frightened”
― Hafez

“I wish I could show you,
When you are lonely or in darkness,
The Astonishing Light
Of your own Being!”― Hafez

Let the light in.
Open your heart, release the light within.
Out and in.
Ebb and flow.
Darkness lingers, but light resides unhindered, running deep.
A current, a force, a liberator.
Astonishing light and beauty.
A rose in bloom.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson

Jan 28

See It and Be It

“In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” – Albert Schweitzer

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” – Albert Schweitzer

“When this ends, we’ll smile sweetly, finally seeing. In testing times, we became the best of things.” – Amanda Gorman

In the weariness of an ongoing pandemic, burnout at work, political unrest and incivility, do not succumb to the lies of despair. Endure in hope, bathe in light. The human spirit is stronger than circumstances, smallness and fear. Amidst our winters, light, beauty, joy are alive and well awaiting our attention and tending.

Never, ever, ever, ever lose hope. Rekindle the light within and spark it in others. A roaring fierce fire. See the light. Be the light.

“There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” – Amanda Gorman

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