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Posts tagged ‘play’

Jul 5

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The Sum of Small Things

“When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things. Where is beauty to be found? In great things that, like everything else, are doomed to die, or in small things that aspire to nothing, yet know how to set a jewel of infinity in a single moment?”― Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Today marks 916 days of posting daily.
It’s my morning ritual and practice.
Weaving together thoughts, quotes anchored in honesty, optimism, what I strive for and miss often, and light.
Sometimes it flows, sometimes it needs to be pulled out.
Clunky and smooth.
Random and ordered.
A mix of it all.
The commitment, the daily practice, the small steps add up.
It sets the direction and intention for each day.
Rituals. Practice. Imperfect action.
Hopefully it helps in our shared journey.
To lighten the load for a few minutes or more.
To extend belonging.
To deepen connection.
Do small things daily.
Explore. Create. Play.

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh

Jul 2

Dog Days

“Summer has filled her veins with light and her heart is washed with noon.” – C. Day Lewis

“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”― Jack London

Summer.
An invitation daily to delight, play and wonder.
Dive in.
Accept the invitation.
Let these days in.
Live not merely exist.
The proper function of man and dog.
Hear and dance to the song of summer.

“Every day has a story to tell.
Can you hear it?”― Emmanuel Onimisi

“In summer, the song sings itself.” – William Carlos Williams

Jun 29

Pastures to Rest

“Even when there are a thousand things to do, cherish these unrushed moments. Make room in your heart for them. There will be many mountains to climb, but always make time to find the pastures where you can rest.”― Morgan Harper Nichols, All Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living

“Were we really meant to rush with all abandon toward some earthly hilltop finish line? Or was God telling us something in those whispers to “be still,” that all along, it was necessary, to slow down, trust, and heal.”― Morgan Harper Nichols, All Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living

Give yourself permission and space to rest.
Margins to play, to laugh, to explore.
Unrushed, slow easy time.
Every single day, weave wonder, awe and delight throughout.
Grace to immerse into the beauty and unfolding.
Pastures to rest.
To have joy take hold, to remain.

“And in those moments where the sun is setting and the house is quiet and you are weary from the day, may you know that there is grace for you in that space, and no amount of heaviness or loneliness can take that away. And because of that grace, you are free to slow down. You are free to breathe and rest, no matter the things not sorted out. There might be some mystery here and there might be longing, wondering, and waiting. But there will also be boundless peace that goes beyond any understanding, running wild like a river through everything, no matter how heavy these moments feel. So rest easy, when everything is approaching. Tomorrow is surely coming, but in the hours in between, you are free to rest till then.”― Morgan Harper Nichols

Apr 13

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Bubble Season

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”― Nicolas Chamfort

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”― Nicolas Chamfort

Do not waste this day.
Laughter. Joy. Wonder.
Bubbles floating in air.
Take a pause.
Pay attention.
Dance. Delight. Walk lightly.
Sun. A soft breeze.
A thousand, no, ten thousand springs.
Delight here in this very moment.

“I am so fresh in soul and spirit that life gushes and bubbles around me in a thousand springs.” – Robert Schumann

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

Aug 6

Pinstripes and Polka Dots

“Everything beautiful has a mark of eternity.”― Simone Weil

“The landscape belongs to the person who looks at it…” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pinstripes and polka dots
Balloons and ferris wheels
Skipping and hopscotch
Jumping rope and swinging
Cotton candy and ice cream
Laughter and frolic
Evoke delight, that of a child, the one that remains within
Sparked by colors, a kaleidoscope playground
Enter this space and place if only for a bit
The world will remain for you to pick it back on your shoulders again, if you must
But it will look different, a little lighter, fresher
The beauty of just being alive.

“We have to get back to the beauty of just being alive in this present moment.” – Mary McDonnell

Apr 29

The Play of Imagination

“All of our great traditions, religious, contemplative and artistic, say that you must a learn how to be alone – and have a relationship with silence. It is difficult, but it can start with just the tiniest quiet moment.” – David Whyte

“The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable.” – Carl Jung

Ebb and flow.
Circles and seasons.
Clouds and blue sky.
In and out.
Back again.

Rhythm, the dance.

Play of imagination.
Restore and re-enter the world anew.
To commune and connect.
Belong and convene.
Unconditional love, the only kind.
Give and receive.

“The ultimate lesson all of us have to learn is unconditional love, which includes not only others but ourselves as well.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Aug 16

Bliss Work

“Nothing is more important than reconnecting with your bliss. Nothing is as rich. Nothing is more real.” – Deepak Chopra

“Your soul is infinitely creative. It is alive and expansive in nature. It is curious and playful, changing with the tides of time.” – Debbie Ford

Make sure you weave fun and frolic into each day;
Laughter and light;
Joy hunting and capturing;
Simple things right in front of you;
Flex your imagination;
Strengthen your smile muscles;
Find your bliss.

“It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up.” – Eckhart Tolle

Aug 12

Chase!

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” – Dr. Seuss

“The true delight is in the finding out rather than in the knowing.” – Isaac Asimov

Run
Take flight
Play
Laugh
Delight
Exhale
Dance
Don’t settle
Run to something, not from something
Build on what has been, not bound by it
Create your present and future with your thoughts, words, actions and dreams
Tune out the chatter
Turn up the whisper inside and listen
Imperfect action
Trip and get up, repeat
Keep going
Travel lightly
Chase joy, find yourself.

“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” –  e. e. cummings

Jul 25

Get on the Field

“Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it.” – Sai Baba

Are you spectating or participating in your life? Stuck looking backward or engaged in doing and planning what lies ahead? In problems or possibilities? In optimism or pessimism? Choose well and daily for it determines the quality and outcomes of your life.

Stay in your game and get on the field. Play. Have fun. Give your best in the moment, keep growing, improving and expanding. Ignore the critic who’s an expert at spectating, never playing. It’s not in error and shortcoming that we suffer defeat, it is in not ever trying or ever getting on the field. Dare greatly.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Guard your joy, embrace optimism, participate imperfectly.

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