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Friday, December 31, 2010

Gems... and more gems ...

It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure. ~ Joseph Campbell




A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand. Is not the mountain far more awe-inspiring and more clearly visible to one passing through the valley than to those who inhabit the mountain? ~ Khalil Gibran




Invest in Love...It seems to have the highest happiness return ~ Hal Tipper




Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be...Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before. ~ Erich Fromm




Always Do Your Best. Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret. ~ Miguel Angel Ruiz




Every day is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been, and look at what can be. ~ Marsha Petrie Sue




A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided. ~ Tony Robbins




Infuse your life with action. Don't wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen... yourself, right now, right down here on Earth. ~ Bradley Whitford




Always remember 1+1=3 ! You support their growth, they support your growth,
and you both support the growth of the relationship. ~ Gregory Ashby




Whatever we are waiting for - peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance - it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart. ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach




Ask yourself whether the dream of heaven and greatness should be waiting for us in our graves - or whether it should be ours here and now and on this earth. ~ Ayn Rand

Friday, December 24, 2010

Year end resolutions

Did I express love this year, real love? The kind of love that doesn't announce itself in flashy circumstances or structured conditions - but an authentic, quiet, internal love? The kind of love that bubbles to the surface when I gaze at another with understanding, a love that places me in their shoes, granting freedom from judgment and deepening my compassion? A philanthropic love that expresses because it simply feels compelled to, because it knows there is more than enough and everyone can benefit. If not, then I resolve to be and do better in my authentic loving.

Did I forgive this year, really forgive? The kind of forgiveness that cracks open my heart, peeling away one more layer of righteous indignation, thus allowing my soul to breathe? The kind of forgiveness that loosens my clinched fists held high at a situation so that I don't enter into the next one with guarded mistrust? The kind of forgiveness that comprehends there is a difference between understanding a behavioral choice and condoning it? If not, then I resolve to be and do better in my forgiving.

Did I stop this year, really stop? The kind of stopping that can't help but make me vulnerable by becoming more familiar with who I am without distraction, smoke screens, excuses or self-imposed numbing? The kind of stopping that turns me, naked, towards my feelings, giving them permission to express? No right or wrong - a stopping that simply lets me hear what I need to hear so that I can live more effectively? If not, then I resolve to be and do better in allowing myself to stop.

Did I seek adventure this year, real adventure? The kind of adventure that requires me to not only take a leap of faith off my cliff of familiarity but actually sends me back to get a running start? The kind of adventure that shakes the dust off my capable but underused wings and gives them an opportunity to catch the gorgeous wind of change? The kind of adventure that knows there is no outside safety net in this physical world, only an internal one? The kind of adventure that shouts, "I choose to live fully!" If not, then I resolve to be and do better in seeking adventure.

Did I seek wellness this year, real wellness? The kind of wellness that requires me to be fully conscious of what I put in my body - the kind of wellness that requires me to practice what I preach when it comes to self-love while understanding that the power to dissolve poor habits starts by simply choosing to change? Wellness that says, "This is the only body you've got. Treat me with respect, praise me daily and honor me as the holy temple that I am?" If not, then I resolve to be and do better in allowing wellness in my life.

Did I play this year, really play? The kind of play that gives value to the heavenly activity of fun - knowing that fun is sacred, that play is the equivalent of work and that during play - renewal and relaxation usher in the newest ideas and the clearest choices for better manifestations? Did I view play as a necessary life function and not a debatable luxury? If not, then I resolve to be and do better in my relationship to playing.

Did I set a goal and see it to completion this year, really complete it? The kind of completion that lets the vibration of satisfaction and confidence in my abilities heal any opposing ideas of not being good enough? Did I honor my life and its sacred purpose by utilizing my time with forward thinking and letting my mistakes be motivators not antagonists? Did I dissolve my insecurities and procrastination by understanding that my untapped genius has but one mode of expression and that is through idea, thought, word and action? If not, then I resolve to be and do better in setting and completing my goals.

Did I open myself up to learn this year, really learn? The kind of learning that entices me to enroll in being a student of life with thirst and enthusiasm? Did I set an intention for uncovering more of my potential, letting divine intellect eat from my plate and stepping deeper into the waters of wisdom? Did I open a book, take a class, study a language, learn an instrument, write a poem, visit another culture? Did I learn to surprise and thrill myself with the infinite capacity I have to master more than I thought I could? If not, then I resolve to be and do better on my personal path of learning.

Did I clean up my relationships this year, really clean them up? The kind of cleaning that requires me to break open the lock, pull back the curtain, throw open the window and start removing the dust of harsh words, grudges, false accusations and misguided choices that have layered my heart? Did I make amends for the fearful ways that disheartened another, for neglecting to honor their point of view? With careful examination, did I communicate my truth, understanding that sometimes all we may be able to do is agree to disagree and to do so without judgement or malice? If not, then I resolve to be and do better on cleaning up my relationships.

Did I share my good this year, really share? The kind of sharing that comes from the pure joy of seeing another succeed, not from what I think they can or will do for me in return? Did I tithe back to where I was spiritually fed, transformed and inspired? Did I practice random acts of kindness and give of my time, talent, and treasure realizing that my good is a part of a never-ending wellspring that cannot run dry - whose source is and always will be the infinite wellspring of the Divine? Did I commit to walking the altruistic path, remembering that every step brings healing and enlightenment to the world? If not, then I resolve to be and do better in my sharing.

Did I pray this year, really pray? The kind of prayer that is spoken not to God but AS God - prayers that affirm rather than beseech, are pregnant with knowing rather than bloated with doubt? Did I make my every day activities a prayer - realizing that every thought I think carries with it the responsibility of an effect on the world? Did I remember how truly powerful my own prayer actually is and that by simply devoting myself to the practice of it, I become the change? Did I remember that my prayer takes what I seek and introduces it to me, the seeker? If not, then I resolve to be and do better with praying.

Did I do all these things because deep down inside I fully understand how precious I am and that these activities will help me to see that I am held in the light as a perfect idea? Did I remember that I have been perfectly conceived and am always held in the perfect mind of God as perfect being? Did I know that there is nothing that I can ever say, nothing I can ever do that will separate me from the love of God? If for any reason, I forgot my divinity this year, then I resolve to be and do better in my knowing of it, to fully understand and embody the truth that it is done unto me as I believe. And I believe in the power of Good, for me, for you, for all.


(c) Rev. David Ault

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Tuff choice :)

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.

~ E. B. White

Monday, December 20, 2010

The Power of Thought



If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches; for the Creator, there is no poverty.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke




The greatest revolution in our generation is that of human beings, who by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.
~ Marilyn Ferguson




As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.
~ Henry David Thoreau

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Sau gram zindagi

Thodi si meethi hai, zara si mirchi hai...
Sau gram zindagi, sambhal ki kharchi hai
Asli hai, joothi hai,
Khaliz hai, farzi hai
Sau gram zindagi...
Sau gram zindagi yeh, sambhal ke kharchi hai
Thodi si meethi hai, zara si mirchi hai...
Thodi si meethi hai, zara si mirchi hai...

Der thak ubali hai,
Cup mein daali hai
Kadvi hai naseeb si...
Yeh coffee ghadi, kaali hai
Chamach bar cheeni ho, itni si marzi hai
Sau gram zindagi yeh...
Sau gram zindagi yeh, sambhal ke kharchi hai

Khari hai, khoti hai
Rone ko chotti hai
Dhage si khushiyon ko silti hai...darzi hai
Sau gram zindagi yeh...
Sau gram zindagi yeh, sambhal ke kharchi hai
Thodi si meethi hai, zara si mirchi hai...

Life is good...
Life is wonderful...
Life is pain...
Oh yea yea yea
Life is good, life is good...
Life is wonderful, wonderful...
Life is pain...
It's all part of the game
Life is good...life is good
Yea all good..
Life is a pain...
Sau gram zindagi....

Sau gram zindagi,,, so lightweight and yet so potent.. the various hues and shades that life can be, all summed up beautifully in this gently hopeful, lyrical song ...

Listen to song here

Ke tera zikr hai...


Ke tera zikr hai?
Ya itr hai?
Jab jab karta hu...
Mehekta hu...
Behekta hu...
Chehekta hu...


Sholon ki tarah
Khusbuyon mein dehekta hu
Behekta hu
Mehekta hu


Teri fikr hai,
Ya fakr hai?
Jab jab karta hu...
Machalta hu...
Uchalta hu...
Fisalta hu
Pagal ki tarah
Mastiyon mein
Tehelta hu...
Uchalta hu
Fisalta hu

Lovely, lovely song from the film Guzaarish. It is so deep in meaning as to almost resemble a Sufi's ardent love for God...

Watch video here

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Everywhere I look, Oh Lord

Everywhere I look, Oh Lord,
I see you and only you,
alive, in the manifest,
asleep, waiting to be born.

Every blossom bears Your scent,
pain sublime in every thorn.
Laughter, grief, sorrow, doubt,
wear Your face in turn.

Here it is, the Universe,
rolling in ecstasy at Your feet,
here I am, rapt in awe,
lost in love, in Your arms.




the Force

'May the Force be with you' can now be paraphrased to 'The Force dwells within you, may you always be connected to it, be aware of it and dwell in it'.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Celebration

With all these festivals coming and going, it must be celebration time, buying new things, cleaning the house, making sweets. And I am thinking, what is the point? If we only clean the house but do not get rid of the cobwebs in our mind, buying new stuff while we hold on to old, limiting thoughts and prejudiced opinions. If we cannot pave the way for the darkness within us to give way to light, what is the use of lighting a thousand lamps or sending up thousands worth of fireworks.


And, why wait for a festival or occasion to celebrate. Shouldn't each moment be celebratory, each moment that we have been given to love, each precious moment that can get us closer to our Self, each step that takes us closer to the Divine, shouldn't we celebrate?

the way to love...

Your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek & find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.

~ Rumi

Saturday, December 11, 2010

The forty rules of love

I read a fascinating book recently called 'The Forty Rules of Love' by the Turkish writer Elif Shafak in which she unfolds two tantalizing parallel narratives - one contemporary and the other set in the thirteenth century, when Rumi encountered his spiritual mentor, the whirling dervish known as Shams of Tabriz - that together incarnate the poet's timeless message of love.

The rules themselves are timeless and pertinent and I will try to share as many as I can here -

1. The path to the truth is a labour of the heart, not of the head. Make your heart your primary guide! Not your mind. Meet, challenge, and ultimately prevail over your nafs (false ego) with your heart. Knowing your ego will lead you to the knowledge of God.

2. Each and every reader comprehends the Holy Qur’an on a different level in tandem with the depths of his understanding. There are four levels of insight. The first level is the outer meaning and it is the one that the majority of the people are content with. Next is the inner level. Third, there is the inner of the inner. And the fourth level is so deep it cannot be put into words and is therefore bound to remain indescribable.

3. You can study God through everything and everyone in the Universe, because God is not confined in a mosque, synagogue, or church. But if you are still in need of knowing where exactly His abode is, there is only one place to look for Him: in the heart of a true lover.

4. Intellect and love are made of different materials. Intellect ties people in knots and risks nothing, but love dissolves all tangles and risks everything. Intellect is always cautious and advises, ‘Beware too much ecstasy,’ whereas love says, ‘Oh, never mind! Take the plunge!’ Intellect does not easily break down, whereas love can effortlessly reduce itself to rubble. But treasures are hidden among ruins. A broken heart hides treasures.

5. Most of the problems of the world stem from linguistic mistakes and simple misunderstandings. Don’t ever take words at face value. When you step into the zone of love, language as we know it becomes obsolete. That which cannot be put into words can only be grasped through silence.

~

Friday, December 10, 2010

Distractions

---------- beginning of quote --------


Distractions are so embedded in our lives, we are bombarded with layer after layer to the point that we need distractions from our distractions. The Paredo principle states that only 20% of our efforts bring 80% of our results. That roughly translates to 80% of our time spent in unproductive distraction ! What are your distractions that keep you from claiming what you say you want in your life?


----------- end of quote ----------


P.S. very pertinent to what we were talking about today, Rukmini.

Appreciation

Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.

~ Margaret Cousins

Thursday, December 09, 2010

The beauty of adversity

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.

~ M. Scott Peck




Self-acceptance comes from meeting life's challenges vigorously. Don't numb yourself to your trials and difficulties, nor build mental walls to exclude pain from your life. You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory.”


~ J. Donald Walters.


From a friend's Facebook Wall

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Know yourself

Happiness is mental harmony; unhappiness is mental disharmony, ~ James Allen
All personal achievement starts in the mind of the individual. Your personal achievement starts in your mind. The first step is to know exactly what your problem, goal or desire is. ~ W. Clement Stone

Sunday, December 05, 2010

The rapture of love

Oh lord, my Lord,
you smote my heart
again and again,
and each time
love flowed out,
sweet and fragrant,
a gushing river,
ebullient, exultant,
breaking the bonds
of time and space,
expanding to embrace
the whole existence.

Look, Oh Lord,
now only your name
comes to my lips,
your breath flows in me
a river of life,
joy like a drug
throbs through my veins,
and love beats a tune
of enchanted silence.
Look, look, Oh Lord,
how I am irrevocably lost
in the rapture of love.

Some gems of thoughts

Manifestation is an act of trust. It is the soul pouring itself out into its world, like a fisherman casting a net to gather in the fish he seeks; with each cast properly made, we will bring what we need to us, but first we must hurl ourselves into the depths without knowing just what lies beneath us. ~ David Spangler
Every human has four endowments- self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change. ~ Stephen Covey
How can you open to greater trust that you’ll always have what you need?
Fear, doubt, anxiety and disbelief all serve to repel abundance from us. Faith, love and gratitude for the gifts of our lives keep energy and abundance flowing. The more we trust in our well being, the more it will be realized. ~ Higher Awareness
 ~~~ from a friend's Facebook Wall

Saturday, December 04, 2010

Love

Personal love is binding,
universal love, liberating.

Friday, December 03, 2010

Note from the Universe

When you understand why something hurts, it stops hurting.

When you understand you have options, you take action.

And when you understand you have wings, you can soar again.

~ The Universe

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Haiku


A hazy morning
air thick with fog
and the dust of memories.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Seek Your Soul

"Often in the physical it is difficult to determine if one is evolving spiritually. Dramas unfold causing great confusion in the hearts of those incarnate.

In pursuit of the truth, outside linear input can often mislead those who seek a plateau of spiritual connection. It is spirit and only spirit in harmony with you that will lead to the advancement of your soul.

It is important to take time in the chaos of a life to center one's perception of the self. A quiet thought has great worth when seeking spiritual alignment. If you find yourself in a sea of doubt or a confused arena of perspective, seek your soul. As we have said many times, it will not abandon you... ever.

Physical life offers opportunity to experience, but the imperfect energy can often derail your progress. Your spiritual perspective can repair the misalignment. All one need do is step back from the dramas and align with spirit.

Feel the pulse of yourself and the pulse /vibration of your soul. It will make a difference. This life is but one chapter in a novel of your evolvement. It will resolve itself if you reach out spiritually.

Go ahead.

Give it a try."

- VERONICA