I have always thought of courage
as the willingness
to let the deepest longing of my soul grow larger
than any fear that might arise.
Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Tag: inspiration
Little moments of wonder in a day
Even brief, five minute, encounters – if we have eyes to see – can contain a lifetime, and make a day special
Unexpected wonders happen,
not on schedule, or when you expect or want them to happen,
but if you keep hanging around, they do happen.
Wendell Berry
Sunday Quote: Acceptance: this is how it is
The earth always accepts what the sky throws down.
African Proverb
Underneath it all, something is coming to birth
Someone sits wakeful through the dark night,
thinking of some way to find the day.
Though they do not know how to get there,
still, in waiting for daylight,
the day approaches.
Rumi
Sunday quote: Learning from our mistakes
Growth begins when we start to accept our own weakness
Jean Vanier
Metaphors to live by
Spring is a metaphor for transitions. It moves from lifelessness to life and we move from lifelessness to life in each cycle of breathing. If we know change is going to occur we are in a better place to accept it. If we expect things to stay constant we are vulnerable to frustration, disappointment, and resistance.
Spring is also a metaphor for forgiveness. Whatever happened in the last season, life begins anew with no carryover resentment from the past. Spring reminds us, as Pema Chodron says, to start where we are.
Spring shows us the cycle of living and dying on a bigger scale do. Everything comes into being and goes out of being — changing its form. Spring invites us not to become attached to things, even the most precious things in our life. The invitation is to love things wholeheartedly with the awareness that they will not be with us forever. And, indeed, we, ourselves, will not be here forever. The invitation is to not be afraid to grieve when that grief becomes necessary. Grief is, at times, the admission price to the present moment.
So welcome spring and your multifaceted metaphors for mindful living!
Arnie Kozak, on Beliefnet
Mindfulbalance 