Tag: Joy

Doing less today

Karl Duffy1 Comment

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We do less by taking the time to rest mentally and physically in between or outside of our usual activities, perhaps instituting a regular practice of meditation, retreats, breaks, and reflection.

 We do less by pausing in the midst of activities: mindfulness practice (such as coming in touch with our breath in between reading or sending emails) and walking meditation are two examples.

 We do less by identifying and reducing unnecessary activities. In this case, “unnecessary” means those things that are not in alignment with what we want to accomplish.

Marc Lesser, Accomplishing More by Doing Less

photo shinealight

An inner voice

Karl Duffy2 Comments

surfing

Don’t ask what the world needs.

Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.

Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

Howard Thurman, African-American author and Civil Rights leader, in conversation with Gil Bailie

Live life to the full

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HappyChild

If I had my life to live over again,

I would ask that not a thing be changed,

but that my eyes be opened wider.

Jules Reynard, French Author, 1864 –  1910

Simple presence

Karl Duffy2 Comments

bird branches 4

Moments of natural meditation are happening to us all the time. We pause at a stop sign while driving or taking a walk, just for a moment, preoccupations of that important meeting tomorrow or memories of yesterday’s flood of emails fall away. We are simply there, noticing other walkers and drivers, cars and sunlight, clouds and trees.  A dog barks, and in the distance we hear a siren. For a  fleeting moment we have a more intense experience of simple presence.

Gaylon Ferguson, Natural Wakefulness

Being non-aggressive towards ourselves

Karl Duffy2 Comments

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Coming back to the present moment takes some effort, but the effort is very light. The instruction is to “touch and go.” We touch thoughts by acknowledging them as thinking and then we let them go. It’s a way of relaxing our struggle, like touching a bubble with a feather. It’s a non-aggressive approach to being here.

Pema Chodron

Photo: brokeninaglory

Take what is given

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Daisy 210309 Dumpling Cottage#001

At my feet the white-petalled daisies display
the small suns of their center piece, their – if you don’t
mind my saying so – their hearts.

Of course
I could be wrong, perhaps their hearts are pale and
narrow and hidden in the roots.

What do I know?
But this: it is heaven itself to take what is given,
to see what is plain; what the sun lights up willingly;
for example – I think this
as I reach down, not to pick but merely to touch –
the suitability of the field for the daisies, and the
daisies for the field

Mary Oliver, Daisies