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Posts tagged ‘optimism’

May 25

Small Bits

“Our task is not to somehow inject God into our work but to join God in the work he is already doing in and through our vocational lives.”― Tish Harrison Warren, Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life

“The new life into which we are baptized is lived out in days, hours, and minutes. God is forming us into a new people. And the place of that formation is in the small moments of today.”― Tish Harrison Warren, Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life

Feeling flat?
In a rut?
Is there more?
Someday when.
Remember when.
When, when, when.
Turn off auto-pilot.
Wake up and dive in.
Beneath the surface, more than skimming.
Participate and play.
Ordinary days.
We are steeped in beauty.
Overflowing in possibilities.
Pay attention, notice, enter the grace of small bits, sacred ground.

“…small bits of our day are profoundly meaningful because they are the site of our worship. The crucible of our formation is in the monotony of our daily routines.”― Tish Harrison Warren, Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life

May 24

The Connections We Make

“The connections we make in the course of a life–maybe that’s what heaven is.”― Fred Rogers

“There are three ways to ultimate success:
The first way is to be kind.
The second way is to be kind.
The third way is to be kind.”― Fred Rogers

May kindness be the path you walk today.
With enthusiasm, with anticipation, with appreciation.
Saying “hi” to a neighbor.
Stopping to share a moment or two of connection.
The holy, sacred ground of love.
Give and receive, like breathing.
In and out.
Ebb and flow.
Yin and yang.
And all of it inbetween.

“I believe that appreciation is a holy thing–that when we look for what’s best in a person we happen to be with at the moment, we’re doing what God does all the time. So in loving and appreciating our neighbor, we’re participating in something sacred.”― Fred Rogers

May 7

Spring Springing

“The soul is the greening life force of the flesh, for the body grows and prospers through her, just as the earth becomes fruitful when it is moistened. The soul humidifies the body so it does not dry out, just like the rain which soaks into the earth.”― Hildegard of Bingen

“O most honored Greening Force, You who roots in the Sun;
You who lights up, in shining serenity, within a wheel
that earthly excellence fails to comprehend.
You are enfolded
in the weaving of divine mysteries.
You redden like the dawn
and you burn: flame of the Sun.”
― Hildegard von Bingen, Holistic Healing

Rain yesterday.
Overnight, the leaves broke open in unison on my front tree.
Sun this morning.
Blue skies.
Fresh air.
Dew on the grass.
Spring unfolding, noticeably.
Gestation, bloom, formation.
The breath and brush of God.
The earth, the canvas.
Spring springing.

“Underneath all the texts, all the sacred psalms and canticles, these watery varieties of sounds and silences, terrifying, mysterious, whirling and sometimes gestating and gentle must somehow be felt in the pulse, ebb, and flow of the music that sings in me. My new song must float like a feather on the breath of God.”― Hildegard of Bingen

May 4

Know Joy

“The key to knowing joy is being easily pleased.”― Mark Nepo

“The further I wake into this life, the more I realize that God is everywhere and the extraordinary is waiting quietly beneath the skin of all that is ordinary. Light is in both the broken bottle and the diamond, and music is in both the flowing violin and the water dripping from the drainage pipe. Yes, God is under the porch as well as on top of the mountain, and joy is in both the front row and the bleachers, if we are willing to be where we are.”― Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have

As you walk and wake into this day, feel your feet touch the earth.
Pause and be still.
Look around.
A new angle and perspective.
See in new ways.
Listen and observe.
Praise and sing.
Present on all levels – physical, cognitive and spiritual.
Be where you are fully, easily pleased to know joy.
In each step along the way.

“We work so hard to get somewhere, to realize a dream, to arrive at some destination, that we often forget that though some satisfaction may be waiting at the end of our endurance and effort, there is great and irreplaceable aliveness in the steps along the way.”― Mark Nepo

May 1

May Day

“Every flower must grow through dirt” –Laurie Jean Sennott

“As full of spirit as the month of May, and as gorgeous as the sun in Midsummer.”― William Shakespeare

April is fickle.
May, there’s no turning back.
The threshold into spring, the cusp of summer days ahead, light and warm.
Soon full color, certain bloom.
Spring in full swing.
The faint scent of spring soon to be overwhelming.
Pay attention.
Do not miss the show.
A lift, an entering, a flow.
Cross the threshold.
Happy May Day.

“…I hear the sounds of melting snow outside my window every night and with the first faint scent of spring, I remember life exists…” – John Geddes

Apr 16

Muchness and More than Enough-ness

“A baby is as pure as an angel and as fresh as a blooming flower.” – Debasish Mridha

“Don’t wait for things to be simpler, easier, or better. Life will always be complicated. Learn to be happy now. And know that no matter the time or day, it will always be now.” – Kobi Yamada, Finding Muchness

The joy of a child.
Wonder and awe.
Full-hearted.
Bright eyes.
Overflowing with abundance.
Hope. Joy. Imagination.
Enter this day with the wonder of a child.
The fullness of time.
The weight of this very moment.
Available now, no waiting in line.
Muchness and more than enough-ness indeed.

Muchness is full-hearted abundance of hope, joy, and imagination that each of us has when we come into this world. It is there for us to love, to dare, to dream, to create, and to live our best life.” – Kobi Yamada, Finding Muchness

Apr 12

Keep Showing Up

“the secret that our poets and philosophers have been trying to tell us for centuries, is that our longing is the great gateway to belonging.”― Susan Cain, Bittersweet

“In a world where perfectionism, pleasing, and proving are used as armor to protect our egos and our feelings, it takes a lot of courage to show up and be all in when we can’t control the outcome. It also takes discipline and self-awareness to understand what to share and with whom. Vulnerability is not oversharing, it’s sharing with people who have earned the right to hear our stories and our experiences. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”― Brené Brown, Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

Show up.
Imperfect and authentic.
Salt and light.
Brilliant color, soft hue.
With energy and enthusiasm.
No permission or approval required.
Be yourself always.
As certain and welcome as the sunrise.
Keep showing up.

“when I’m prioritizing being liked over being free, I was much sweeter but less authentic. Now I’m kinder and less judgmental. But also firmer and more solid. Occasionally salty.”― Brené Brown, Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

Apr 11

Go Big

“Only the hand that erases can write the true thing.”― Meister Eckhart

“Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive is too small for you.”
― David Whyte, The House of Belonging

May you imagine the flower bursting from the bulb breaking soft ground in spring.
Praise 70-degree days at least as much as lament about winter.
See the beauty in the world, held in hope and light.
Brilliant colors exploding.
Holding on to what matters.
Releasing the rest.
Open arms to pick up what’s next.
Unfolding one step at a time.
Come alive, reborn again and again.
Erase, edit, fresh canvas, clean slate.
Write your own story.
Life is big, don’t stop at small.
Awe awaits your arrival.

“Holding on is believing that there’s only a past; letting go is knowing that there’s a future.” – Daphne Rose Kingma

Apr 1

April Showers, Minnesota-Style

“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. (Sonnet XCVIII)”― William Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s Sonnets

“Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.” – Luther Burbank

April showers, ala Minnesota.
There may be a bit of delay in the bloom.
But there are flowers underneath the fresh blanket of fluffy water.
Preparing, softening, readying for spring.
Never doubt spring will come.
Nor doubt winter will linger until ready to bid adieu.

“The deep roots never doubt spring will come.” – Marty Rubin

Mar 29

No More 3:00 am Purchases

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin

“Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” – Mark Twain

It should be required that Amazon is closed between midnight and 6:00 am.
The past month of restless nights, I’ve made the mistake of going online at 3:00 am.
Most purchases made sense.
And all could have waited to sunlight to purchase as well.
The arrival of the poop bag carrier with the LED flashlight marked the end of my 3:00 am purchases.
Although I did consider the smallest and most powerful vacuum.
Then I promptly put my IPad down to go back to being awake without shopping.

It all provided a good laugh and lightness.
Lesson beyond this and for all.
Turn off media and get rest, allow silence and quiet in to think for yourself.
Trust your instinct and intuition.
Read, write, play, wander, get into nature, savor.

Live life while you are in it, see it.
Find the joy of it, daily.
Broaden your view, do your own investigating, think for yourself.
Stop watching Fox News or CNN.
The world is not that narrow, scary or evil.
They are making money off fear.
This is not journalism. It’s a business built on instilling fear, hatred, and othering.
It’s irresponsible.

Get off autopilot and question what you are hearing and seeing.
It is a beautiful, big world, filled with wonderful people trying to live their life as best as they can.
Lecture done.
No more 3 am purchases.
No more fear.

“Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

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