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Monday, January 21, 2013 at 12:05 AM No matter what race, living circumstance or choices we make in the world, we are human. We all experience fear, hope, grief and trepidation. We have been someone’s child. We have loved and lost. We have fought for what we believe in. We have reached for dreams and come up short. Today is a BIG day.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 11:54 AM This summer I was invited to serve on a panel designed to assist participants in understanding the dynamics of letting go of a fundamentalist background. My participation was predicated on my personal history of transforming my own rigid religious and familial upbringing into a fluid, joy-filled life. What follows is a metaphor (and more).
Fear, Freedom, God, Letting Go, Personal Reflection Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 3:00 AM 
What are the boundaries of self-indulgence? Are personal actions overly indulgent if they inspire others to live more fully? What is your criteria for taking care of self, going on retreat, saying no to stifling obligations, or yes to life-giving opportunities? What inspires you? Consider the movies, books, or stories that tug at your heart or bring tears to your eyes. Do you long to be the bold singer on stage or a cloistered monk living in Tibet? Can you see yourself as a renowned chef or perhaps the lead cyclist on the Tour de France? Might you consider that these tugs of heart could lead you to your best life?
What does it mean to inspire or be inspired? Are you pursuing your wildest dreams or do you vicariously live through the lives' of others? From where does your inspiration come? One of my favorite songs begins with the words, "if I were brave." Ponder this: What would you do today if you were brave? Imagine what inspires you in others and then consider how you might choose to find it in yourself. And once you do... be sure to pass it along.
Diamonds in the Soul - helping high-functioning, under-living people recover and nourish
personal delight & joy in life.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at 3:00 AM
When Pigs Fly
Pedrita gazed upward into the night sky, pondering the question: When will I ever learn to fly? Her nights were dream-filled while her days were spent in the barnyard surrounded by fellow swine. The others passed their hours trudging back and forth between feed trough and mud pit. They slogged through the days mimicking perfect barnyard behavior infused with virtually no enthusiasm.
Pedrita, however, knew she was destined for more. Instead of snarfing down her slop, she would pause and be curious about where her meal had been before. Whose leftovers was she sharing? Did the grains come from the field over there? Was her mother gluten intolerant? Is that why she's so cranky? Pedrita spent her waking hours pondering and pondering and even though the other animals made fun of her and called her whacky, she offered them kindness and gentleness rather than matching their derision.
Every night she would gaze into the heavens and imagine herself floating among the stars. She could see herself reflected in the constellations and knew she was special and shiny. She tried to tell her friends about the magic night sky, but they were more concerned about the next meal and what everyone else was doing. Ped, however, would not be dissuaded. She continued to dream her dreams and wish upon the glowing stars. She saw beauty in everything and offered compassion unceasingly, even to the piglets who laughed at her wistfulness. Nothing could deter her from reaching for the stars.
Each evening while standing under the moonlit sky, she offered compassion to the whole world - especially the parts she didn't understand. She sincerely believed we are all made of stars, and as she nurtured this belief something gradually changed within her. Her heart sprouted wings and under the winds of generous compassion, one night she defied gravity and rose to join the twinkling lights of the sky.
She quit trying to convince others to change and went about her days seeing her mates perfect as they were with all their slogging and slopping. By day, she was a simple swine reaching out to others through curiosity and kindness. Little did they know, however, that through these daily actions she nurtured the incredible lightness of being that carried her, Pedrita the pig, soaring through the starlit nights.
Inspired by Pedro's prompt: When will pigs fly? And will we fly alongside them...
kauai pigs © h3images
Prizes for you... Inspiration for me... Check it out!!!
Diamonds in the Soul - helping high-functioning, under-living people uncover & maintain personal delight & joy in life.
Freedom, Pondering, Tales, compassion Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 3:00 AM "Best to be like water... it pools where humans disdain to dwell." -- Tao Te Ching
Today I will begin with openness. I will play with these crazy thoughts and nonsensical experiences that flow through my mind as I awaken this day. I will be adventuresome and see where the ideas invite me to go. I will be like a child on summer vacation allowing myself to move through my list of desires and needs with playful abandon and an open heart. When things cease to become play I will stop and breathe.
I will remember the wholeness of delight and joy that comes when I declare myself "Enough." To stand in my own power and desire brings richness to my life. The words shift and form until they announce "I am fully alive." I am created to play and my life is not about work.
Today I will begin with the nonsensical and allow myself to not make sense of it all for this would be an exercise in futility. I will begin this day with openness, pleasure and curiosity. I will invite play into my moments. I will allow my words to flow like water and dare to travel to the place that others resist. Today I will begin with me.
Prizes for you... Inspiration for me... Check it out!!!
Diamonds in the Soul - helping high-functioning, under-living people uncover & maintain personal delight & joy in life.
