tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47132305968781795592024-03-08T11:16:10.449-08:00LaPlante Creative<br>Life Light Love</br><br><br>Laughter</br></br>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-42925432413702184732009-08-06T13:55:00.000-07:002011-06-22T17:50:03.702-07:00Faith in Mind<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-44KG4Gkouwk/TgKNmnhGN9I/AAAAAAAABi4/DaZUHP1nZtk/s1600/164194_10150120386906995_680276994_7872390_1301008_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-44KG4Gkouwk/TgKNmnhGN9I/AAAAAAAABi4/DaZUHP1nZtk/s320/164194_10150120386906995_680276994_7872390_1301008_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621210979494148050" border="0" /></a><br />Faith in Mind aka Hsin Hsin Ming<br /><br />The Supreme Way is not difficult<br />If only you do not pick and choose.<br />Neither love nor hate,<br />And you will clearly understand.<br />Be off by a hair,<br />And you are as far from it as heaven from earth.<br />If you want the Way to appear,<br />Be neither for nor against.<br />For and against opposing each other —<br />This is the mind's disease.<br />Without recognizing the mysterious principle<br />It is useless to practice quietude.<br /><br />The Way is perfect like great space,<br />Without lack, without excess.<br />Because of grasping and rejecting,<br />You cannot attain it.<br />Do not pursue conditioned existence;<br />Do not abide in acceptance of emptiness.<br />In oneness and equality,<br />Confusion vanishes of itself.<br />Stop activity and return to stillness,<br />And that stillness will be even more active.<br />Merely stagnating in duality,<br />How can you recognize oneness?<br /><br />If you fail to penetrate oneness,<br />Both places lose their function.<br />Banish existence and you fall into existence;<br />Follow emptiness and you turn your back on it.<br />Excessive talking and thinking<br />Turn you from harmony with the Way.<br />Cut off talking and thinking,<br />And there is nowhere you cannot penetrate.<br />Return to the root and attain the principle;<br />Pursue illumination and you lose it.<br />One moment of reversing the light<br />Is greater than the previous emptiness.<br />The previous emptiness is transformed;<br />It was all a product of deluded views.<br />No need to seek the real;<br />Just extinguish your views.<br /><br />Do not abide in dualistic views;<br />Take care not to seek after them.<br />As soon as there is right and wrong<br />The mind is scattered and lost.<br />Two comes from one,<br />Yet do not even keep the one.<br />When one mind does not arise,<br />Myriad dharmas are without defect.<br />Without defect, without dharmas,<br />No arising, no mind.<br />The subject is extinguished with the object.<br />The object sinks away with the subject.<br />Object is object because of the subject;<br />Subject is subject because of the object.<br />Know that the two<br />Are originally one emptiness.<br />In one emptiness the two are the same,<br />Containing all phenomena.<br />Not seeing fine or course,<br />How can there be any bias?<br /><br />The Great Way is broad,<br />Neither easy nor difficult.<br />With narrow views and doubts,<br />Haste will slow you down.<br />Attach to it and you lose the measure;<br />The mind will enter a deviant path.<br />Let it go and be spontaneous,<br />Experience no going or staying.<br /><br />Accord with your own nature, unite with the Way,<br />Wander at ease, without vexation.<br />Bound by thoughts, you depart from the real;<br />And sinking into a stupor is bad.<br />It is not good to weary the spirit.<br />Why alternate between aversion and affection?<br /><br />If you wish to enter the one vehicle,<br />Do not be repelled by the sense realm.<br />With no aversion to the sense realm,<br />You become one with true enlightenment.<br />The wise have no motives;<br />Fools put themselves in bondage.<br />One dharma is not different from another.<br />The deluded mind clings to whatever it desires.<br />Using mind to cultivate mind —<br />Is this not a great mistake?<br /><br />The erring mind begets tranquility and confusion;<br />In enlightenment there are no likes or dislikes.<br />The duality of all things<br />Issues from false discriminations.<br />A dream, an illusion, a flower in the sky —<br />How could they be worth grasping?<br />Gain and loss, right and wrong —<br />Discard them all at once.<br /><br />If the eyes do not close in sleep,<br />All dreams will cease of themselves.<br />If the mind does not discriminate,<br />All dharmas are of one suchness.<br />The essence of one suchness is profound;<br />Unmoving, conditioned things are forgotten.<br />Contemplate all dharmas as equal,<br />And you return to things as they are.<br />When the subject disappears,<br />There can be no measuring or comparing.<br /><br />Stop activity and there is no activity;<br />When activity stops, there is no rest.<br />Since two cannot be established,<br />How can there be one?<br />In the very ultimate,<br />Rules and standards do not exist.<br /><br />Develop a mind of equanimity,<br />And all deeds are put to rest.<br />Anxious doubts are completely cleared.<br />Right faith is made upright.<br />Nothing lingers behind,<br />Nothing can be remembered.<br />Bright and empty, functioning naturally,<br />The mind does not exert itself.<br />It is not a place of thinking,<br />Difficult for reason and emotion to fathom.<br />In the Dharma Realm of true suchness,<br />There is no other, no self.<br /><br />To accord with it is vitally important;<br />Only refer to "not-two."<br /><br />In not-two all things are in unity;<br />Nothing is not included.<br />The wise throughout the ten directions<br />All enter this principle.<br />This principle is neither hurried nor slow —<br />One thought for ten thousand years.<br /><br />Abiding nowhere yet everywhere,<br />The ten directions are right before you.<br />The smallest is the same as the largest<br />In the realm where delusion is cut off.<br />The largest is the same as the smallest;<br />No boundaries are visible.<br />Existence is precisely emptiness;<br />Emptiness is precisely existence.<br />If it is not like this,<br />Then you must not preserve it.<br /><br />One is everything;<br />Everything is one.<br />If you can be like this,<br />Why worry about not finishing?<br />Faith and mind are not two;<br />Non-duality is faith in mind.<br /><br />The path of words is cut off;<br />There is no past, no future, no present.<br /><br /><br />Books: Faith in Mind ~ A Commentary on Seng Ts' An's Classic and<br />The Poetry of Enlightenment ~ Poems by Ancient Chan Masters<br />Author: Chan Master Sheng Yen<br />Link: Hsin Hsin Ming from Terebess Asia Online (TAO)<br />http://www.terebess.hu/english/hsin.htmlpattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-58684952347303747212009-08-04T17:55:00.000-07:002011-06-22T17:53:25.259-07:00Writings from Robert Adams<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/TKpPy2W2-JI/AAAAAAAABg8/B078mh4J-50/s1600/nothing-ra.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/TKpPy2W2-JI/AAAAAAAABg8/B078mh4J-50/s200/nothing-ra.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524315627926780050" border="0" /></a><br /><b>The Art of Surrender</b><br />To whom should I surrender? To your Self. The Self that is omniscient, omnipotent. The Self that is All Pervading. The Self that is Ultimate Oneness, Pure Awareness. Sat Chit Ananda. Surrender to that Self, for you are truly That.<br />And you are amazed by what you have heard. You begin to do just that. While you are at work. While you are washing the dishes, while you are watching TV, you always remember to surrender. And one day the inner teacher pulls your mind inward to the Source and you Awaken. You become liberated. You become your Self. Then you are Free.<br />There is nothing in this world or anywhere else that can affect you or cause harm to come to you unless you believe it. The growth of the world is made up of mental beliefs. Everything that you behold is a projection of your mind, and because it keeps changing constantly, you cannot say, "This is reality." For instance, your body is not the same as it was 10 years ago, or 20 years ago or when you were first conceived. How can you therefore say that your body is real?<br /><br /><b>On Impermanence</b><br />The world isn't the same as it was twenty years ago, everything has changed. Then how can you possibly say the world is real? Most of us are afraid to get into that subject...for we begin to feel that nothing is permanent, and this brings fear. If nothing is permanent, then who am I really? What am I? Where did I come from? What is the source of myself? These questions can only be answered by you.<br /><br /><b>Something Beautiful</b><br />There is something more beautiful, more grand, more wonderful, than you could ever imagine, that exists within you, which is the substratum of all existence. Yet in order to feel this joy, this bliss, in order to find total freedom from life's so-called burdens, you have to dig for yourself. You have to give up something. You can't stay the way you are, with the same disposition. the same values, the same preconceived ideas, the same concepts and be free. You cannot do this. You have to do an about face and totally give up all your ideas about what life is, totally surrender your ego, your mind, your body.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Just Being is enough.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Not being this, not being that.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Just Being</span><br />The Secret to Peace of mind is to not identify with anything other than your True Self.<br />To whom do you surrender this? To your Self .... the only burden you have ever had is your mind. There is no other burden. See if you can stop your mind for a few seconds and see how peaceful you are. When there are no thoughts there are no fears, no worries. There's no anxieties, no desires, no wants, no greed, no hurt, no enemies. It is the mind, the thoughts that cause these things to come to us. We actually create these conditions. We create our own reality. Think of the kind of life you are living today, your possessions, your friends. your loved ones, your employment. Do these things come to you through luck or chance? Of course not. You have created all things yourself, for you have believed in the false self, you have imagined you are a human being who has to go through experiences. You have been brainwashed since you were little to believe the things you believe today.<br /><br /><b>Go Within</b><br />So, if you really want freedom, liberation, you do not go searching for this. It is nowhere to be found. For it already exists within yourself. You are already That. So where can you go searching for it? Who can give it to you? If you want water, you turn on the tap. You do not look at the tap and scream and cry, "I want water." You turn on the tap and you have water. Yet when you were a little kid, you did not how to turn on the tap.<br />Therefore, if you wanted a drink, you would cry and make a fuss, and your mom or dad would open the tap and give you a drink. So, can you drink from the spring of eternal life which is your reality? You have to turn on the tap. You have to turn yourself inside out. Can you imagine how you would look turned inside out? It wouldn't be a pretty sight.<br /><br /><b>The Choice</b><br />Most of us believe that if you hear the right word, that if you awaken through the Grace of a Sage, you will be free. This is true in some cases. But these people that you have read about in the holy books who were touched by the Grace of a Sage, these people have done their homework, prior to his happening. You have to want it yourself, and when you want it badly enough, something will happen to you. When you desire liberation more than anything else in life, you have begun to give up your stuff.<br /><br />Contributed by Ben Hassine ~ <a href="http://www.nonduality.com/hl1682.htm">nonduality.com</a><br /><br />--------<br /><br />IT IS ALL A COSMIC JOKE!<br />Satsang with Robert Adams<br /><a href="http://itisnotreal.com/gpage6.html">itisnotreal.com</a><br />Excerpt: "You are playing a game you created yourself. You create a teacher to wake you up; but you are already awake and do not know it. A teacher gives you teachings, gives you grace, and lets you understand you are already awake and in peace. In return you take care of the teacher. It is a reciprocal game. It is your game, it is your dream. Therefore waken now and be free."<br /><br />--------<br /><br />Book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Silence-Heart-Robert-Adams/dp/1889051535">SILENCE OF THE HEART</a>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-29839483546126467242009-07-23T18:23:00.000-07:002009-08-04T18:00:33.372-07:00I AM<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />I am</span> . . . the divine expression exactly as I am, right here, right now. You are the divine expression exactly as you are, right here, right now. It is the divine expression, exactly as it is, right here, right now. Nothing, absolutely nothing, needs to be added or taken away. Nothing is more valid or sacred than anything else. No conditions need to be fulfilled. The infinite is not somewhere else waiting for us to become worthy.<br />I do not have to experience "the dark night of the soul," or surrender, be purified, or go through any kind of change or process. How can the illusory separate self practice something in order to reveal that it is illusory?<br />I don't need to be serious, honest, dishonest, moral or immoral, aesthetic, or gross. There are no reference points. The life story that has apparently happened is uniquely and exactly appropriate for each awakening. All is just as it should be, right now. Not because it is a potential for something better, but simply because all that <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> is divine expression.<br />The invitation to discover that there is no one who needs liberating is constant. There is no need to wait for moments of transformation, to look for the non-doer, permanent bliss, an egoless state, or a still mind. I don't even have to wait for grace to descend, for I am, you are, it is already the abiding grace.<br /><br />Author: "As It Is" by <a href="http://www.theopensecret.com/">Tony Parsons</a> p73pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-73340532500403835872008-07-13T15:33:00.000-07:002008-07-13T15:44:49.814-07:00LaPlante Family - Independence Day<p><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="never" allowNetworking="internal" height="500" width="750" id="jl_show" data="http://www.jefflaplante.com/slideshows/FourthOfJuly2008/JLP_show.swf"><br /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><br /> <param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" /><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.jefflaplante.com/slideshows/FourthOfJuly2008/JLP_show.swf" /><br /> <param name="quality" value="high" /><br /></object><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.jefflaplante.com/" target="_blank" title="International wedding photojournalist">Jeff LaPlante Photography</a><br /><p>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-58552634545276417482008-07-11T22:26:00.000-07:002008-07-13T16:14:20.419-07:00Joyful Nature<center><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F5WAAdNJjH0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F5WAAdNJjH0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-25200351710156627222008-07-10T18:52:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:50:59.548-08:00Choose Peace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/SHa-QMrj19I/AAAAAAAABT0/kY8lce5kfXg/s1600-h/SpiritHandsBlue.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/SHa-QMrj19I/AAAAAAAABT0/kY8lce5kfXg/s200/SpiritHandsBlue.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221570003473782738" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Choose Peace</span><br /></div><br />A friend confided in me that he was struggling to understand his responsibility in a world obsessed with war. I told him the answer is simple: choose peace.<br /><br />While you cannot control the attitudes or actions of politicians or others, you have total control over the thoughts, feelings, and energy you are exuding. If you are steeped in fear, anger, or a sense of victimization, you are contributing to the darkness. If you hold a sense of peace, compassion, kindness, and the presence of love, you are contributing to healing. As Kipling nobly penned, "If you can hold your head when all about you are losing theirs...”<br /><br />Mother Teresa was once asked to speak at an anti-war rally. She refused. "If it were a pro-peace rally, I would attend," she explained. "But fighting against war, like fighting against anything, is just another form of war."<br /><br />A liberal spiritual teacher once recounted that on his altar he has pictures of Christ and many other spiritual masters. He recently added a photo of George W. Bush. Why? "Until I can find the same divinity in George W. Bush as I find in other holy beings, I am stuck. When I can see and honor his soul, then I am in a position to protest. Until then, I am ineffective."<br /><br />The power of intention and prayer goes a long, long way. At any given moment the world situation is a precise expression of the consciousness of all the people who live here. As you shift your consciousness in the direction of peace, wholeness, and faith, you tip the balance in that direction. You literally become the tipping point for the world you would like to create.<br /><br />Be less concerned with what you are doing and more concerned with how you are doing it. Actions that spring from fear or hatred, no matter how nobly clothed, create only more of the same. Actions that issue from faith and love, no matter how humbly clothed, create only more of the same.<br /><br />A visionary thrives under all circumstances, for he or she sees beyond the obvious. At this time the world needs good visionaries. If you would save the world, begin with your own consciousness.<br /><br /><br />Author: <a href="http://www.alancohen.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Alan Cohen</span></a><br />Image: Unknownpattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-12366069996440278362008-07-10T18:35:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:50:59.969-08:00Our Deepest Fear<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/SHa5fojumQI/AAAAAAAABTs/SwaQr-jQr80/s1600-h/PhoenixRising.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/SHa5fojumQI/AAAAAAAABTs/SwaQr-jQr80/s200/PhoenixRising.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221564771097024770" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Our Deepest Fear</span><br /><br />Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.<br />Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.<br />It is our light, not our darkness<br />That most frightens us.<br /><br />We ask ourselves<br />Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?<br />Actually, who are you not to be?<br />You are a child of God.<br /><br />Your playing small<br />Does not serve the world.<br />There's nothing enlightened about shrinking<br />So that other people won't feel insecure around you.<br /><br />We are all meant to shine,<br />As children do.<br />We were born to make manifest<br />The glory of God that is within us.<br /><br />It's not just in some of us;<br />It's in everyone.<br /><br />And as we let our own light shine,<br />We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.<br />As we're liberated from our own fear,<br />Our presence automatically liberates others.<br /></div><br /><br />Author: <a href="http://www.marianne.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Marianne Williamson</span></a><br />Image: <a href="http://www.gilbertwilliams.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Gilbert Williams</span></a>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-39581999046843672312008-07-10T18:18:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:51:00.139-08:00Look Well to This Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/SHa1p_CzpTI/AAAAAAAABTk/ZS_uV5RYOic/s1600-h/fantasy-05.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/SHa1p_CzpTI/AAAAAAAABTk/ZS_uV5RYOic/s200/fantasy-05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221560550885139762" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Look Well to This Day</span><br /><br />Look well to this day,<br />For it and it alone is life.<br />In its brief course<br />Lie all the essence of your existence:<br /><br />The Glory of Growth<br />The Satisfaction of Achievement<br />The Splendor of Beauty<br /><br />For yesterday is but a dream,<br />And tomorrow is but a vision.<br />But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,<br />And every tomorrow a vision of hope.<br /></div><br /><br />Author: Anonymous, 50 B.C.<br />Image: Unknownpattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-25656492926478533252008-07-10T18:05:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:51:00.230-08:00Hidden Mystery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/SHazMl3Py-I/AAAAAAAABTc/4EEejYDRtFE/s1600-h/calme-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/SHazMl3Py-I/AAAAAAAABTc/4EEejYDRtFE/s200/calme-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221557846886304738" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hidden Mystery</span><br /><br />In the deepest depths of you and me<br />In the deepest depths of we<br />Lies the most beautiful jewel<br />Shining forth eternally<br /><br />Within that precious jewel<br />Within that priceless piece of we<br />Lies a time beyond all time<br />Lies a place beyond all space<br /><br />Within that sacred source of radiance<br />Lies a love beyond all love<br />Waiting<br /> Waiting<br /> Waiting<br />Ever so patiently<br /><br />Waiting for you, waiting for me<br />Waiting patiently for all to see<br />The beauty that is you inside of me<br />The beauty that is me inside of thee<br /><br />In the deepest depths of you and me<br />In the deepest depths of we<br />Lies the love and wisdom<br />Of all Eternity<br /></div><br /><br />Author: Fred Burks<br />Image: Unknownpattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-26053460958148522692008-07-05T13:11:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:51:00.243-08:00Be Peace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/SG_VYpg8YpI/AAAAAAAABS8/yhJ542gg7DU/s1600-h/vision.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/SG_VYpg8YpI/AAAAAAAABS8/yhJ542gg7DU/s200/vision.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219625112583299730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />"We can never obtain peace in the world if we neglect <br />the inner world and don't make peace with ourselves.<br />World Peace must develop out of inner peace." <br />—The Dalai Lama<br /><br />Link: <a href="http://laplantecreative.blogspot.com/2007/03/angel-of-peace.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Let There Be Peace On Earth</span></a>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-33762382420356413722008-07-03T18:21:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:51:00.326-08:00Love is Life's Sweetest Flower<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/SG14NMbZuUI/AAAAAAAABS0/YBcx-WfptDo/s1600-h/love+is+life.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/SG14NMbZuUI/AAAAAAAABS0/YBcx-WfptDo/s200/love+is+life.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218959711262062914" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Love is Life's Sweetest Flower</span><br /><br />Our love is like the blossoms sweet that open one-by-one.<br />Our love is like a pair of wings that lift us towards the sun.<br /><br />Our love is like a precious jewel wih many facets to explore.<br />Our love is like the universe that forever shall endure.<br /></div><br /><br />Image: "Love is Life's Sweetest Flower" by <a href="http://www.bergsma.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Jody Bergsma</span></a>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-71536305961022487902008-03-13T19:27:00.000-07:002008-03-13T20:09:28.860-07:00Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight<center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="432" height="285" id="VE_Player" align="middle"><param name="movie" value="http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/loader.swf"><PARAM NAME="FlashVars" VALUE="bgColor=FFFFFF&file=http://static.videoegg.com/ted/movies/JILLTAYLOR-2008-2_high.flv&autoPlay=false&fullscreenURL=http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/fullscreen.html&forcePlay=false&logo=&allowFullscreen=true"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="scale" value="noscale"><param name="wmode" value="window"><embed src="http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/loader.swf" FlashVars="bgColor=FFFFFF&file=http://static.videoegg.com/ted/movies/JILLTAYLOR-2008-2_high.flv&autoPlay=false&fullscreenURL=http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/fullscreen.html&forcePlay=false&logo=&allowFullscreen=true" quality="high" allowScriptAccess="always" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" scale="noscale" wmode="window" width="432" height="285" name="VE_Player" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></object></embed></center>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-29983405804535283432008-02-23T14:09:00.000-08:002008-12-08T19:51:01.707-08:00Who am I?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CYiCpZ0LI/AAAAAAAABNs/aKOx9SgtVgE/s1600-h/womanchildtostar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CYiCpZ0LI/AAAAAAAABNs/aKOx9SgtVgE/s200/womanchildtostar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170300082814832818" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CbAipZ0NI/AAAAAAAABN8/nDI3II36EBg/s1600-h/starvision.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CbAipZ0NI/AAAAAAAABN8/nDI3II36EBg/s200/starvision.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170302805824098514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CcACpZ0OI/AAAAAAAABOE/paF0ZRPcAzg/s1600-h/crone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CcACpZ0OI/AAAAAAAABOE/paF0ZRPcAzg/s200/crone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170303896745791714" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CeGypZ0PI/AAAAAAAABOo/KRZueLbc_00/s1600-h/Unicorn%26Pegasus_RowenaMorrill.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CeGypZ0PI/AAAAAAAABOo/KRZueLbc_00/s200/Unicorn%26Pegasus_RowenaMorrill.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170306211733164274" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CjDipZ0SI/AAAAAAAABPA/o6DMIE8uc4M/s1600-h/alice-in-wonderland.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CjDipZ0SI/AAAAAAAABPA/o6DMIE8uc4M/s200/alice-in-wonderland.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170311653456728354" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CiAypZ0RI/AAAAAAAABO4/NOKVXDw-OVU/s1600-h/dnaevolution.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CiAypZ0RI/AAAAAAAABO4/NOKVXDw-OVU/s200/dnaevolution.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170310506700460306" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CfwypZ0QI/AAAAAAAABOw/Dw3X1svaJVA/s1600-h/apes-angels.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CfwypZ0QI/AAAAAAAABOw/Dw3X1svaJVA/s200/apes-angels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170308032799297794" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R8CfwypZ0QI/AAAAAAAABOw/Dw3X1svaJVA/s1600-h/apes-angels.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Link: <a href="http://laplantecreative.blogspot.com/2007/04/call.html"><span style="font-style:italic;">The Call</span></a>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-75052933551218536232008-01-16T23:11:00.000-08:002008-12-08T19:51:01.812-08:00Inspirational Videos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R5oxH1PjYYI/AAAAAAAABNA/TVc3eiC8_dw/s1600-h/infinity.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R5oxH1PjYYI/AAAAAAAABNA/TVc3eiC8_dw/s200/infinity.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159490333727482242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />My collection of inspiring videos at YouTube: <br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/OpenHeartOpenMind">OpenHeartOpenMind</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Image: crystalinks.compattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-74787860681017255502008-01-07T17:15:00.000-08:002008-12-08T19:51:02.008-08:00This is the year! & Fresh Beginning<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">This is the year!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">This is the year that my dreams come true!</span><br />These words from a beloved poem invite me to eagerly welcome the new year: Wonderful, wonderful, fortunate you, this is the year that your dreams come true!<br />This is the year that my dreams do come true as I am blessed with life-celebrating opportunities. Some at first may appear to be happenstance. Yet I know that they have come to me by divine appointment.<br />This is the year that expectations flow from my vision of good. I am an active participant in the joy-filled life of me!<br />This is the year that I move forward with zeal and enthusiasm, giving and receiving, committing to purposeful, rewarding goals.<br />This is the year that brings happiness, a year that I will live to bless. Wonderful, wonderful, fortunate me, for this is the year that my dreams come true!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R4F2RGEx8vI/AAAAAAAABJg/wJfSSmPONnE/s1600-h/lightwork.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R4F2RGEx8vI/AAAAAAAABJg/wJfSSmPONnE/s200/lightwork.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152529484749075186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fresh Beginning</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I am moving forward in fresh, new beginnings.</span></span><br />The new year brings fresh beginnings. Not just on calendar pages of new months and days, but from within me, new beginnings rise up. I have the attitude of mind and heart that I can begin anew.<br />I do not begin to do it over again, but begin with a freshness, an outlook and knowingness that propel me forward. Releasing any doubts, maybes, or I can’ts, I have moved from replaying discouraging messages in my mind to participating in a new beginning.<br />With attitudes and affirmations of overflowing faith, trust, and confidence, I reach new heights of spiritual expression. I do not circle repetitively. I spiral higher! With renewed attitude of mind and heart, I affirm: The radiant light of newness illumines my way, and I move forward in fresh, new beginnings.<br /><br />Source: <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.dailyword.com/">Daily Word</a> ~ Tuesday, January 1, 2008 and Monday, January 7, 2008<br />Image: "Angel Wings Celestial Harmony" by <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://kivisionart.com/">Ki Fujinaka</a></p>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-71645374659362955392008-01-06T17:55:00.000-08:002008-12-08T19:51:02.252-08:00The Ontologer's Pen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R4GzaGEx8wI/AAAAAAAABJo/Pd4Ww-1eKY8/s1600-h/bluefthr.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/R4GzaGEx8wI/AAAAAAAABJo/Pd4Ww-1eKY8/s200/bluefthr.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152596709577192194" /></a>In these monthy articles I try to challenge you and me to look at what we believe and how our beliefs affect our day to day living. For instance, how you think of your God directly affects how you interact with people and how you live your life. A person whose God belief is one that says God is "up there in Heaven" and is angry and ready to get even for any small infraction of the rules is usually a person who is very righteous and afraid and quite often very judgmental and isolated from other people. A person whose God belief is that God is pure love expressing through all things treats people and the things of the world with reverence and respect and feels a oneness with all life. Being environmentally conscious is second nature to this person.<br /><br />One goal I have is to challenge you and me to change our viewpoint and stop accepting violence in all of its forms just because we've been taught that's the way it has always been. I don't know about you, but I was never given equal opportunity to study a non violent way of life and its rewards and pitfalls. Instead I have been taught nothing but threats, war, violence, and veiled violence. But surely there must be a better way.<br /><br />When I get lost in this kind of question I turn to my friend and teacher, Jesus. I read His words and listen to how they sound in my head and heart. His teachings that I can understand, and that reverberate through my body, I put into use. I am learning about defenselessness. Little by little I am practicing defenselessness more each day. When I find myself resisting anything, I stop and take a deep breath, let go, and stop resisting. Surprising things happen. Events take place very quickly that change the direction of the action or the event in question, usually in a direction I would never have imagined. And it works out for the good of all concerned.<br /><br />Defenselessness leads to forgiveness. I read recently that forgiveness is your only path to your God. That's a pretty strong statement and one that bears investigation. My mind says, "Just a minute, prayer and meditation are the paths to God." Well, let's look at that.<br /><br />If I am harboring a grievance or anger toward someone, what kind of prayer time will I have? Prayer and meditation are our connection time with our God. Our God does not come down to our level of upset and misery, we must raise our consciousness to meet our God. In my world, my God knows no anger, no fear, only love. If I come to my God full of anger and resentment, there will be no connection.<br /><br />With my basket full of misery and upset I can't even get out of my own way let alone allow myself to love God enough to connect with Him. After all, I'm too busy being righteous and indignant and hurt and wanting to get even. Have you ever watched a friend or neighbor be upset and angry about something? They won't let it go and they keep getting more upset. You stand back and watch, amazed at the intensity of their anger and righteousness. You can see that they are just keeping themselves upset and unhappy. Have you ever watched yourself do that?<br /><br />Imagine that you are the Creator, maker of all the galaxies, the stars, the moons and planets, all of life in all of its exquisite forms. There you are living in all the immense beauty of your creation and this human wants you to get involved in how offended she is because Aunt Sally didn't send a thank you note. All the Creator sees is the true beauty of you and Aunt Sally, and knows nothing of your temperamental demands.<br /><br />Righteousness, indignation, hurt feelings, demands, anger, judgment, hatred, are all expressions of fear. But the Creator knows nothing of fear. What would the Creator fear? When you are the power and beauty of Creation there is no fear, only love.<br /><br />If I want to approach my God, the Creator, I want to go with a gift in my hands, the gift of love, the gift of gratitude for each day of being alive. It is a gift of wonder and awe. When I am full of resentment, irritation, and anger, I find it very difficult to be grateful, full of wonder and awe, to give thanks for being alive. That's where forgiveness comes in. I can choose to be offended, resentful, or angry or I can just let it go. I can forgive, I can look past the perceived offense and let it be. Who is affected by my decisions? I am.<br /><br />All prosperity comes from the Creator and it is filtered into my life through my consciousness, my thoughts, emotions, feelings, and beliefs. What kind of prosperity do I have when I am filled with resentment and anger? Do I see things and people to appreciate and love, or is my attention focused on what is wrong? Do I see all of the wonderful opportunities placed before me to increase my richness of life?<br /><br />If you are looking to expand your financial prosperity in the new year, wonderful ways to do just that are passing through your life daily. Because of your unforgiveness of the past, your present perceptions are distorted and cloudy and you miss your opportunities. Can you see how defenselessness and non resistance enter in here? If I am busy fighting, defending and resisting anything, I am giving my attention to what I am resisting. When will I have the opportunity to see the wonderful gifts that are being given me moment to moment?<br /><br />It may be that you are so caught up in your righteousness that you cannot fathom what I am talking about. Your anger, fear, resentment, vengefulness, are totally blocking you from hearing your own inner self trying to get you to forgive and let it all go.<br /><br />What is the cost of anger, resentment, getting even? Your health, dollars, relationships, peace of mind and heart, your creativity, joy. Need I go on?<br />I cannot make your decision for you, I can only look at myself and ask myself this question when I want to be right instead of happy. <span style="font-style:italic;">"Bob, is this upset really worth giving up your health, happiness, dollars, and joy?"</span><br /><br />Author: Reverend Robert K. Eagan<br />Publication: <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.everettunity.org/">Unity Center Gazette</a> ~ January 2008 [Article posted w/permission]pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-20397696833791490202007-12-24T20:21:00.000-08:002008-07-05T14:06:45.097-07:00Warriors of the Rainbow<center><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MXMel6AYFR0&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MXMel6AYFR0&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></center><br /><br />Source: <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Humanityhealing">Humanity Healing Network</a>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-86324710252739561812007-06-04T12:21:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:51:02.358-08:00The Real Thing<p style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RmRsMbcLq_I/AAAAAAAAA9w/AQkLx8WRBtE/s1600-h/EagleDove_native.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RmRsMbcLq_I/AAAAAAAAA9w/AQkLx8WRBtE/s200/EagleDove_native.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072298041106213874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Love Should Feel Good</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Often in our lives, we fall prey to the idea of a thing rather than actually experiencing the thing itself. We see this at play in our love lives and in the love lives of our friends, our family, and even fictional characters. The conceptualizing, depiction, and pursuit of true love are multimillion-dollar industries in the modern world. However, very little of what is offered actually leads us to an authentic experience of love. Moreover, as we grasp for what we think we want and fail to find it, we may suffer and bring suffering to others. When this is the case, when we suffer more than we feel healed, we can be fairly certain that what we have found is not love but something else.<br />When we feel anxious, excited, nervous, and thrilled, we are probably experiencing romance, not love. Romance can be a lot of fun as long as we do not try to make too much of it. If we try to make more of it than it is, the romance then becomes painful. Romance may lead to love, but it may also fade without blossoming into anything more than a flirtation. If we cling to it and try to make it more, we might find ourselves pining for a fantasy, or worse, stuck in a relationship that was never meant to last.<br />Real love is identifiable by the way it makes us feel. Love should feel good. There is a peaceful quality to an authentic experience of love that penetrates to our core, touching a part of ourselves that has always been there. True love activates this inner being, filling us with warmth and light. An authentic experience of love does not ask us to look a certain way, drive a certain car, or have a certain job. It takes us as we are, no changes required. When people truly love us, their love for us awakens our love for ourselves. They remind us that what we seek outside of ourselves is a mirror image of the lover within. In this way, true love never makes us feel needy or lacking or anxious. Instead, true love empowers us with its implicit message that we are, always have been, and always will be, made of love.<br /><br />Source: <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.dailyom.com/">DailyOM - Nuturing Mind Body & Spirit</a><br />Image: myspace.com</p>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-16816601458983532612007-06-02T14:13:00.000-07:002008-01-06T22:22:48.033-08:00Return To Innocence ~ Enigma<center><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x8SowFKX3ek&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x8SowFKX3ek&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></center>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-73932150010308324942007-05-28T21:16:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:51:02.766-08:00The Cracked Pot<p style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RluwQLcLq9I/AAAAAAAAA9Y/atUIkQXZ7n8/s1600-h/Aquarius.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RluwQLcLq9I/AAAAAAAAA9Y/atUIkQXZ7n8/s200/Aquarius.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069839597531016146" border="0" /></a>A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the masters house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his masters house.<br />Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.<br />After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."<br />"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"<br />"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your masters house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts." The pot said.<br />The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the masters house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."<br />Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the Pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RluyqrcLq-I/AAAAAAAAA9g/1MNKF_E_lSY/s1600-h/Libra.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RluyqrcLq-I/AAAAAAAAA9g/1MNKF_E_lSY/s200/Libra.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069842251820805090" border="0" /></a><br />The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pots side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my masters table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."<br /><br />Each of us has our own unique flaws. We are all cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them. There is a lot of good out there. There is a lot of good in us!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.</span><br /><br />Author: Unknown<br />Source: ovethissite.com<br />Images: Aquarius & Libra by <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.josephinewall.com/">Josephine Wall</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"Aquarians"</span></span> follow their own path, marching to the beat of their own drum. They are happy to have you along, but would never force their way on anyone. Their congenial attitude and habit of setting trends ensure they are seldom lacking for company. Logical and detached, they can seem aloof, but will work tirelessly to improve conditions for all humankind. New ideas pour freely from their fertile, far-reaching minds as they search for knowledge and truth. In Greek mythology, Aquarius was the Rain God who poured water onto a parched world below.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"Libra"</span></span>, the only inanimate sign of the Zodiac, is ruled by Venus. Modern-day astrologers often view Libra as the most generous of the Zodiac because it represents the "Zenith of the Year," when the harvest of the spring's hard work is reaped. Because Venus is the goddess of love and beauty, Librans admire beauty in many forms, such as art, music, and even people. Librans are very likeable due to their captivating charm. Being an air sign, Librans are intellectual and continuously seek out knowledge and new ideas. Born under the sign of the Scales, their spirits thrive on balance and harmony and are most at peace when the world around them is orderly and serene.</p>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-27997734110313909262007-05-27T16:12:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:51:02.890-08:00Looking Deeply<p style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RloJ_7cLq6I/AAAAAAAAA88/5YnYVkEroa0/s1600-h/amusicallove.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RloJ_7cLq6I/AAAAAAAAA88/5YnYVkEroa0/s200/amusicallove.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069375324451220386" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Good In All</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes we find it difficult to see the good in people, places, or situations that aren't to our liking. We focus on the things we don't like in our lives as a way of fueling our efforts to create change. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, and it is one way we make progress. However, if we get too caught up in this way of looking at the world, we lose touch with our ability to sit back and simply say yes to everything on our plates, which is the true starting point for all successful activity. Sometimes what we really need is to encourage ourselves to look deeply into all things in our lives to see the inherent goodness at the heart of everything.<br />At the core of this inquiry is the practice of unconditional acceptance, which can be scary because we feel as if we are being asked not to change the things we don't like. But when we think this way, we are still operating on the surface of our lives. In order to feel the beauty and warmth of full acceptance, we have to be willing to sink deeper into the stratum underlying the external manifestation of our lives. This deeper place of being is the origin of all lasting change, yet its paradox is that when we are in it, we often don't feel the need to change anything. From this place, we experience the pure beauty of the process of being alive, and we see that all things change in their own time. We don't need to force anything. If there are things that we do need to change, from this place of serenity we create the shift easily, our hands guided by an energy that resides at the very center of our hearts.<br />In our active, goal-oriented culture, we learn to distrust stillness and to engage in busywork on the surface of life. This tendency can blind us to the good that lies at the heart of all things. But all we have to do to see again is stop for a moment, let go of our preconceptions and our agendas, and settle into the very center of our hearts, remembering that it is only from here that we can truly see.<br /><br />Source: <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.dailyom.com/">DailyOM - Nuturing Mind Body & Spirit</a><br />Image: myspace.com</p>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-79689510089419516912007-05-27T15:23:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:51:03.236-08:00Healing Childhood Hurts<p style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RloZyrcLq7I/AAAAAAAAA9I/Snhj4TuwtIs/s1600-h/ascend2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RloZyrcLq7I/AAAAAAAAA9I/Snhj4TuwtIs/s200/ascend2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069392689003998130" border="0" /></a>We live in times when mainstream psychotherapy is focusing exclusively on short-term interventions and medical treatment for the symptoms of mental disorders. Managed healthcare plans are supporting "quick fix" approaches and pharmaceutical giants are offering a handful of "magic pills". Psychotherapy is losing its true meaning and turning into a type of "drive through" culture.<br />Meanwhile, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for people aged 15-44. The depression diagnosis rate among US children increased 2.4 times from 1990 to 2001, from 12.9 per 1,000 to 31.1 per 1,000. However, since childhood depression often goes undiagnosed, we have no idea what the real figures are.<br />In the light of this development, it seems very important to tell people about the alternatives that are available, and where they can get help. Painful feelings that been accumulated over a lifetime cannot be changed in a few days or a few weeks. We cannot heal the roots of our problems by trimming the leaves. Our bodies needs time to release suppressed emotions and to reintegrate the insights that follow. Deep Feeling / Primal-oriented therapy enables us to go back to these repressed experiences, feel them, liberate the locked-in energy and thus heal ourselves.<br />If we are unhappy or dysfunctional, it is primarily because we have been hurt. Simply talking about our hurts, or thinking positive thoughts, cannot fully change our feelings. It is widely known that there are different parts of the brain that are responsible for thinking and feeling - the mid brain (limbic system, amygdala and other structures) is where our feelings are stored and the cortex, or top part of our brain, holds most of the cognitive functions - thinking, reasoning, speech etc. Therapies that address only the top part of our brains can influence our feelings in only very limited ways. We need a different approach in order to heal deep traumas that have affected our feeling brain.<br />We are born into this world with the ability and the need to fully express our emotions: joy, pain, rage, terror, deep need, grief, loneliness, etc. But we often grow up learning that it's not OK to show our feelings because we get reprimanded for expressing them. "Don't cry, boys don't cry", or "Be quiet, don't be angry, be a big girl". Frequently kids are also told, "Don't be stupid", when they say how they feel. So they quickly learn to hide those parts of themselves in order to please their parents.<br />When we are told that it is wrong to express what we feel, we internalize the message that feeling is wrong. As a result we lose touch with a very important part of ourselves. The truth of the matter is that our feelings are the most real expressions of our being in the world. Unfortunately, when we block and store feelings we become tense, unhappy, constantly tired or sick. Eventually we become "split". Needs and hurts that cannot be expressed leave us carrying a heavy load of unresolved issues that exhausts our original energy and deprives us of a creative and enjoyable life.<br />When we are little we get hurt in two different ways. First, parents are often not able to meet our needs for nurturing, attention, contact and caring. We begin to starve emotionally and split from feeling the pain of unmet needs. Many parents are not ready for conscious parenting. They don't know what children needs are, or they can't meet these needs because they are depressed, unhappy or emotionally damaged themselves. In other words, they can't give us what they don't have... -continued-<br /><br />Source: <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://primal-page.com/esta.htm">Healing Childhood Hurts With Deep Feeling/Primal-Oriented Therapy</a> by Esta Powell<br />Image: worth1000.com</p>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-86395584622123604252007-05-27T13:11:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:51:03.469-08:00The Sacred Light<p style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RlnygrcLq4I/AAAAAAAAA8s/YBo1w0OPbok/s1600-h/WeNeverLeftEden+byMontserrat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RlnygrcLq4I/AAAAAAAAA8s/YBo1w0OPbok/s200/WeNeverLeftEden+byMontserrat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069349498812869506" border="0" /></a>The Sacred Light surrounded me, held me, bought me down the Lightening flash; pausing at the Ancient Standing Stones of Wisdom, and then on to the Sea of Sorrows, where the tears rolled in understanding.<br />And from the Sapphire Temple of Vision came the Masters in their sand-sun hazed robes, greeting and surrounding me, before urging me across to the Karmic Fire where the Queen of Love held, softened, and understood the frustrations.<br />To the Hermit then, the Teacher with his light in the innermost central cave of my heart, and the crystals flashing the sunlight off their path. And from there I walked into the arms of Victory, which I knew so well - and moved on, past the crooked tower of misperception, to the clear blue sharpness and ice cold clarity of truth.<br />And I stood before the Foundations of Life, glimpsing into the underground, down those up and down steps - and then into The Kingdom, my feet descending down and down in their Light robes, and I felt the strength of it, as I rose again to reach for The Crown, through this vast Light body, linked to everyone - to Humanity.<br />In the Ultimate Light, more tears as I built the grey stone Temple of the Gates, cemented with the salt from the tears - vast pillars with no roof - the sun, the moon and all the stars of the night translated into the Light, the Bliss at the peak of the mountain.<br />And I curled up in the Breath of God and was raised in His hands - could see/know of all worlds, cosmos, universes - looking from outside in, now in the vastness of the levels that hold links and lattices in the Breath of God.<br />And I am held in Light and in Trust - put back down off the peak from the gold vastness, where I am kneeling amongst the stones and the pillars in the huge ruins of Ephesus, Carthage and the ancient places.<br />Then back into the Temple of Creation - not holding or binding, but where I can wander - where the Masters congregate as they hold their great courts, and look up through the skies to the Breath - through the Breath. They were, and are The Love - the Breath of God which comes back down the lightening flash with me.<br />I am clothed - I am the gold, the Being, a part of the lattice web - I know from the depths to the heights and back. The salt tears hold the stones clear and firm as they are built through and through on the Breath of God - this Light Being - this Being - The Ancient of Days.<br />And I drew the Sword of my Will, and I rang the wee bell - it calls across the hills and the mountains and it laughs through its cracked body - it knows!<br />And I quietly closed the gates as I returned earthwards.<br /><br />Author: Rowena Nott<br />Source: <a href="http://www.orderofthewhitelion.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Order of the White Lion</span></a><br />Image: "We Never Left Eden" by <a href="http://www.thesacredfeminine.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Montserrat</span></a></p>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-72863608378107024332007-05-26T15:33:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:51:03.639-08:00The Gal in the Glass<p style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/Rli16LcLq3I/AAAAAAAAA8g/JO6nglgOSNg/s1600-h/unicorn2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/Rli16LcLq3I/AAAAAAAAA8g/JO6nglgOSNg/s200/unicorn2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069001391713528690" border="0" /></a><br />When you get what you want in your struggle for self<br />And the world makes you queen for a day<br />Just go to a mirror and look at yourself,<br />And see what THAT gal has to say.<br /><br />For it isn’t your husband or family or friend<br />Whose judgment upon you must pass;<br />That gal whose verdict counts most in the end<br />Is the one staring back from the glass.<br /><br />Some people may think you are a straight shootin' chum<br />And call you a person of place<br />But the gal in the glass says you’re only a bum<br />If you can’t look her straight in the face.<br /><br />She’s the gal to please, never mind all the rest<br />For she’s with you clear up to the end,<br />And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test<br />If the gal in the glass is your friend.<br /><br />You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years<br />And get pats on the back as you pass,<br />But your final reward will be heartaches and tears<br />If you’ve cheated the gal in the glass.</p><br /><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Source: <a href="http://www.hazelden.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hazelden Foundation</span></a><br />Image: myspace.com</p>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713230596878179559.post-65414581047703623112007-05-26T14:53:00.000-07:002008-12-08T19:51:03.843-08:00Gifts From The Universe<p style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RloBPbcLq5I/AAAAAAAAA80/DlrnjlX279k/s1600-h/caduceus_rainbow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1NVlRAFJLIM/RloBPbcLq5I/AAAAAAAAA80/DlrnjlX279k/s200/caduceus_rainbow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069365695134542738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Accepting Your Family</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Families can contain a fascinating grouping of personalities. Despite the potential for so many to have similar traits, there are many different ways to express them. As people marry into families and have children, even more personalities enter the picture. There may be some people that we would not choose to be related to, but that's what friends are for.<br />If we trust in a universe that has a higher purpose for everything, then we must believe that family members are in our lives for a good reason. These reasons may be easy to see and appreciate with some, but others may offer us a challenge. With those, we can look for something we can learn or perhaps teach. In the modern world where everyone seeks to be individuals, many move far away from their families in an attempt to escape them. But when we've successfully built a world around us that requires no one's help, our families are the people who are still attached to us. We can still choose whether or not to honor the family ties, and how to treat each other, but the fact remains that we are energetically tied to our families.<br />Our families help us see where we have come from so that we may more clearly decide where we'd like to go. If we can learn to accept our families for who they are, then we go out into the world armed with the ability to deal with anyone. Some families are better than others at preparing us for the world. What we learn from our families, even if they are simply blank spots on our family trees, becomes the basis of our identities as individuals. Rather than denying our connections, we can choose to accept their presence in our lives. Acceptance does not mean we have to like them; we simply acknowledge that we are connected to them and honor that connection for like it or not, there is a reason. When we can embrace all that they bring into our experience, we may be grateful for all we have learned from them and have to learn, while we experience everything that comes with family fully and completely.<br /><br />Source: <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.dailyom.com/">DailyOM - Nuturing Mind Body & Spirit</a><br />Image: "Rainbow Caduceus" by <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/babydave/770125"><span style="font-style: italic;">Over the Rainbow Emporium</span></a></p>pattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09279694273080300220noreply@blogger.com0