Many of us organize our days around a to do list. Sometimes we write it down and check off competed items with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Or perhaps we note with disappointment the items that remain unfinished or even unstarted at the end of the day. Whether our list is written or simply […]
[Note: WordPress has changed something so that you might have to click on the title of the post to see the rest of the post. Sorry about that – trying to get that corrected.] For this you are here, to reach across and open the way. This is what my nondominant left hand wrote to
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Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. ~C. S. Lewis When someone asked me this morning how I cope with the tragedy of fear and rage and suffering going on in our country right now, I answered, “with compassion.” That is a simple answer,
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I could see peace instead of this. ~A Course in Miracles A friend of mine some years ago had worked very hard to get to a position of success. He had a good job and was well respected in his professional community. One family member, however, was in a difficult situation, mostly of their own
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For by their fruits you shall know them. ~Matthew 7:16 The Bible teaches that we know who people are by their fruits. I’ve been thinking about that lately. By what characteristics do we measure people? What are the qualities manifested by those we hold up as beacons of holiness or enlightenment? What are the attributes
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If a problem has a solution, there is no need to worry. If a problem does not have a solution, there is no need to worry.~the Dalai Lama Worry is so ingrained in most of us that we are not even aware of the “worry loop” spinning in the background of our thoughts. At least
Keeping your heart open does not mean liking or condoning whatever someone does. It does not mean refraining from defending someone who is being attacked. It means keeping your heart open with compassion for the person attacked, for the attacker, and for yourself. Especially for yourself. I cannot criticize myself for thoughts of fear, anger,
The way to find love is to be love, which is just another way of saying be who you are. You are not lovable because someone loves you. You are not without love if someone doesn’t love you. It is not possible to be without love or to be unlovable. It is only possible to
Talk less, listen moreJudge less, love more A mantra is a word or short phrase that focuses your attention. It can be a sacred mantra that connects you to the divine. It can be a brief, inspiring quote. It can be a reminder or guide to keep you focused on what is most important to
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things. ~Philippians 4:8 Since the beginning of the year, I have paid a lot more attention to my thoughts. Many of us
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Kiss gently with compassion All that come to you The babe and the crone The beggar and the king The wise and the foolish The angry and the meek The joyful and the grieved The fearful and the brave Touch all their hearts with love And smile sweetly to their soul Embrace them with forgiveness And send them on with blessing
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Mistakes. We all make them. Yes, even me. I wrote that last sentence with a smile because occasionally someone has a (mistaken!) perception of me that I don’t make mistakes. Perhaps they think that because I write this blog and lead a contemplation group and meditate and so on, that somehow I am always wise.
Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. ~George Santayana Oops! I did it again. ~Britney Spears Many of us have caught ourselves at one time or another repeating a pattern or a mistake, and thinking, “I knew better. Why did I do that again?” Our history can teach us to
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I’ve had several conversations over the last month or so that seem to circle around the same theme of challenges in various types of relationships. In each conversation a friend was trying to be caring to someone else at deep cost to themselves. Maybe they felt obligated beyond what their personal energy allowed at that
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In the last post, I wrote about the idea of having a “burden bowl,” where we can lay our burdens down and be free of them forever, or at least until we decide to pick them up again. I left a lot of burdens behind on New Year’s Eve. I wanted to walk into the
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The price of staying awake is giving up every reason you have to stop loving. ~Adyashanti Do you know anyone who is a hoarder? I do. When I walk into her apartment, there are piles of newspapers and magazines everywhere. Boxes of unknown contents are stacked along the walls. Every surface is crowded with deals
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Wanting to be good is a good thing. Right? I want to be a good person, a good mother, a good friend, and so on. And I want others to see me as good. I want my goodness reflected back to me in how others think of me, talk about me, and act towards
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My grandson and I watched the movie Yes Day recently. In the movie, a couple decides to reconnect with their kids by having a day of saying yes to whatever the kids want. Comedy ensues. The movie made me more aware of how often I say no. Maybe I forego a chance to be kind
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Under heaven nothing is more soft and yielding than water Yet nothing is better for overcoming what is hard and stiff As we approach the end of the Tao Te Ching’s 81 chapters, the text returns to the theme of water. Water is the most common metaphor for the energy of Tao. It flows
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Touch. Many people are expressing a need for touch in this time of pandemic social distancing. We miss being touched. We miss touching others. We think of touch as an external, physical connection. But touch can also be internal, emotional, energetic. We can touch with the heart of compassion. Absolutely anything that arises in
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