Guarded

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We often go through our day or our life with our defenses up…

I seemed to hear God saying, “Put down your gun and we’ll talk.”

C.S. Lewis

Principles for today

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I follow four principles:

Face it,

Accept it,

Deal with it,

Then let it go.

Sheng Yen, 1930 – 2009, Chinese Buddhist monk

 

Training in contentment

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Peace is the result of retraining your mind

to process life as it is, 

rather than you think it should be.

Wayne Dyer

photo 4028mdk09

On change, choice, life and death

paths

Two paths diverge in a wood….

You start dying slowly
If you become a slave of your habits,
Walking everyday on the same paths…
If you do not change your routine,
If you do not wear different colours
Or you do not speak to those you don’t know.

You start dying slowly
If you avoid to feel passion
And their turbulent emotions;
Those which make your eyes glisten
And your heart beat fast.

You start dying slowly
If you do not change your life when you are not satisfied with your job, or with your love,
If you do not risk what is safe for the uncertain,
If you do not go after a dream,
If you do not allow yourself,
At least once in your lifetime,
To run away from sensible advice…

Pablo Neruda from Dying Slowly

One step at a time

mellerey

Ideals exist in the mind, with absolutes of right and wrong, which tend to give us a sense of striving, of not being good enough  On the contrary, once we touch into the heart faculty, we connect more with the actual here and now and let go of the need to be prefect and certain. This brings about a deeper sense of balance and groundedness:

Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how.

The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. 

Agnes George de Mille, American dancer and Choreographer.

Sunday Quote: Broken but..

crack

Lessons learnt from the week that has passed.  Two different personalities using words in different ways: one path ascends, the other descends.

This was reinforced in a conversation with a close friend yesterday: The Western mind is performance driven, with value being given to the highest achiever. This might be good for external advancement and achievement, but will it last in terms of wisdom and inner peace?

The birds they sang
at the break of day
Start again, I heard them say
Don’t dwell on what has passed away
or what is yet to be.

Ring the bells that still can ring 
Forget your perfect offering 
There is a crack in everything 
That’s how the light gets in 

Leonard Cohen, Anthem, died Friday November 11th

photo of centuries old rock in Glendalough