Marks of a Spiritual Awakening .....................6/14/11

Image: "Duckset" by Tim Blessed, © all rights reserved, used by permission. 

       Good evening, everyone, 

Isn't that an exceptional photo, above? It looks like a painting, doesn't it? Tim Blessed,  is a magnificent photographer.  Isn't it amazing, the beauty found in nature? One mark of having a spiritual awakening is that: 

"Moments of appreciation of little things happen more frequently. Some of us experience feelings of connection with and delight in nature, or find ourselves relaxing and going with the flow."

   Isn't it tragic, those who surrender their lives

Relating With the Emotionally Fevered ....6/11/11

     Good evening everyone, a special welcome to the visitor from Germany!

Tonight's topic I'll get to, in just a  minute. But, first, I want to check in.  Alexander's death, I'm accepting, slowly and grudgingly.  Today, I got away from the events of this week by haunting what is fast becoming my favorite places for tea, Abigail Cafe. It faces the bay with the jagged, mountainous  San Francisco Peninsula as the backdrop to this body of water. Little varmints poke their heads up, in the foreground, along the shoreline. Taking in the view, sipping Moroccan tea while chatting with a friend, helped me unwind from the drama

Moving Towards Our Vision

"Where there is no vision, the people perish."

     Good to see you guys dropping by. Lately, the days have been crazy. I went out Sunday night and didn't get home until after one a.m. Yesterday, Alex's decline got worse, exponentially, he's still around, but the situation is sad. He can't sit or walk. He's mentally alert, but his body is giving out.  Monday, the internet went out in the afternoon, the service was restored this morning. I'll be busy replying to all who've dropped by over the past few days. Thanks for reading and commenting!
     
      As an aside, I've been working on my vision. (When do we ever here that word? Not often enough.) I'm concentrating on what my vision looks like, physically, spiritually, mentally, materially, professionally and relationally. It's been a good exercise. My actions are being set in terms of my priorities and they are being aligned with the vision for my life. I'm getting more tasks accomplished and I like witnessing the progress as I'm moving towards refocused, sharply defined goals.

       So, here are some questions I have for you:

1. Can you define your vision?  (Same categories as listed above.Try to make them practical.)
2.  If you were to break your vision down into three to five goal categories, what would they be?
3.  What would be some separate actions for each goal?

I'd enjoy hearing your answers. I'm asking that we share our practical goals.

    Have a great and grateful rest of the week,

Progress Not Perf3cktion .......3/18/11

      Being gentle with ourselves is critical for our serenity.  Often, the negative voices we hear in our head are the critical comments we heard as a child.  We no longer need adults to say the shaming statements we grew up up with.  I agree, it's important to make amends when we've done wrong.  The surprise is learning that the first person we need to make amends to is ourselves.

     Risking, and allowing ourselves to make mistakes contributes big time, towards self-acceptance. The following passage I find helpful. Having this perspective helps us have an Attitude of Gratitude.

Progress can be hard to recognize, especially if our expectations are unrealistically high. If we expect our negative attitudes or unhealthy behavior to change quickly and completely, we're likely to be disappointed, progress is difficult to see when we measure ourselves against idealized standards. Perhaps it would be better to compare our present circumstances to where we had been in the past.

As I overcome inadequate coping strategies, I realize holding grudges hurts me. I now let go of resentments and Idespair when these attitudes persist. Fortunately, I've learned to focus on progress, not perfection. Although sometimesI still hold on to resentments, I know I'm making progress because I don't do it as often as I used to. I'm not resentful for as long a time. 

Today, I don't seek perfection; the only thing that matters is the direction in which I'm moving. As a result of hardwork I've done to work in this area of my life and a willingness to change, I am moving in a positive direction. I celebrate my progress today. I know that the process of personal growth will continue to help me grow toward a better way of living.

"Keep adding little by little and you will soon have a big  hoard."     Latin proverb

        Have a great and grateful weekend, freed from the stress of trying to attain something that is unattainable. Thanks for dropping by.  Please keep posting your gratitudes!