September 13, 2013

WEIGHT OF THE WORLD

If you take a step back (to gain better perspective), it is pretty laughable that we routinely feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders.

We believe that without us everything will stop…nothing will work…or that people will make catastrophically horrible decisions and ruin lives if we don’t intervene. Ok, sure, this might be true some of the time…but not all of the time :)

The more I live, the more I realize that life goes on and people figure out how to do it on their own. It may not have been the best or most efficient way (which it surely would have been with our genius input!), but things have a way of working themselves out.

When I’m asked for advice, I try to give helpful input. But outside of that, I’m trying harder to just say, “I know you will make the right decision.” And most of the time, that simple phrase can boost confidence, shorten unnecessarily long conversations, and allow that person to move forward. The result? The person probably made the same decision they would have made even with the genius advice!

(As an extra bonus, you get to use all of that saved energy for something much more fun — and less stressful — than trying to solve other people’s challenges with brilliant, yet, unsolicited advice :)

Photo source: Atlas (across from St. Patrick’s Cathedral – NYC)

Photo note: Whenever I think of carrying the weight of the world, I always think of the Greek Titan Atlas who did just that. I often try to post images that connect with my travels, and since I’m in New York at the moment (3am post!), this was an absolutely perfect fit! With St. Patrick’s Cathedral just across from the statue of Atlas, I see this image as being a silent message to drop the weight of the world off to God, the Creator, the Universe or however you choose to look at the higher powers at work. If we have more faith that things will happen as they are meant to (and that the past could not have happened any other way), we remove that weight from our shoulders and are much more free to just be…and spend our time enjoying the present without the stress that weight brings.

September 7, 2013

BECOME A LION

The greatest fear in the world is of the opinion of others, and the moment you are unafraid of the crowd, you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom.

-Osho

 

 

Photo source: the roar of freedom

September 5, 2013

GO WITH THE FLOW

A Taoist story tells of an old man who accidentally fell into the river rapids leading to a high and dangerous waterfall. Onlookers feared for his life.

Miraculously, he came out alive and unharmed downstream at the bottom of the falls.

People asked him how he managed to survive. “I accommodated myself to the water, not the water to me. Without thinking, I allowed myself to be shaped by it. Plunging into the swirl, I came out with the swirl. This is how I survived.”

 

Photo source: in flow (The Seljalandsfoss – Iceland)

September 4, 2013

RABIA

Rabia of Basra (C. 717-801), a Sufi Saint, and perhaps the first to introduce the concept of Divine Love…that one should not love God for fear of Hell or the promise of Heaven but that God should be loved for God’s own sake. Rabia was born 500 years before Rumi, and was perhaps the greatest influence on his writing.

Many myths surround her life and poems, but one has recently been confirmed by one of the most respected contemporary teachers. When Rabia was quite young, she became separated from her parents (it is possible that they died), and was literally stolen and sold into slavery. Because of her remarkable beauty, a famous brothel bought her for a large sum of money, and it is believed that she lived and was forced to work — as one might — in a brothel for many years.

She wrote, “What a place for trials and transformations did my Lover put me, but never once did He look upon me as if I were impure. Dear sisters, all we do in this world, whatever happens, is bringing us closer to God.”

Rabia is a beautiful spiritual voice for all…especially any person who has had to suffer the emotional degradation of unwanted touch. Though she was abused at an early age, she went on to become one of the greatest saints — and poets — known to history.

When she was about fifty, she was granted her freedom and spent the remaining years of her life devoted to prayer and meditation. She would often see visitors seeking guidance about their lives and many miracles were attributed to her.

The words and teachings she left behind have been profoundly influential:

Show me where it hurts, God said, and every cell in my body

burst into tears before His tender eyes. He has repaid me 

though for all of my suffering in a way I never wanted: The sun 

is now in homage to my face because it knows I have seen God.

But that was not His payment. The soul cannot describe His gift. 

I just spoke about the sun like that because I like beautiful words,

and because it is true: Creation is in homage to us.

Excerpt from Love Poems from God by Daniel Ladinsky

Photo source: rose in the sky

September 1, 2013

LOSE YOURSELF TO DANCE

Speaking of amazing songs…LOVE this one! Daft Punk and Pharrell need to partner for a full album already!

Love that someone put the song to old Soul Train footage (ironically to a Stevie Wonder tune! haha)

I hope that you enjoy this one! :)

<3

September 1, 2013

FREE…LIKE THE RIVER

“Free to be sure of what I am and who I need not be…

Free from all worries…worries prey on oneself’s troubled mind…

Freer than the meaning of free that man defines

I’M FREE!

To be nowhere but in every place I need to be…

Freer than a raindrop falling through the sky…”

—

This song is one of my all time favorites!

To be this free…that is a beautiful dream and worthy goal

Like Stevie, I too am working on it ;)

August 30, 2013

FOR JUST A MINUTE

After several months of consistent travel, I visited my wonderful friend and acupuncturist, Dr. Wu. After my most recent travels around Asia, he told me, “Selena, your qi is crazy after your China trip!” haha! He sensed increased brain activity…likely the result of new thoughts and experiences…along the kind of qi imbalance that can come from extended and hectic travel. While encouraging me to relax and rest, Dr. Wu…knowing of my background and interest in martial arts…also strongly suggested that I try T’ai Chi Sword. My immediate reaction was, “Sword?! Yessss!” And since obtaining a sword and starting the training this week, I’m even more excited.

Why so excited?

Because the practice is calming, relaxing, and puts me in flow with the environment around me. The sword is a meaningful addition to my meditative practice and somehow makes me feel that I am channeling qi even more effectively.

Being someone who tends to get excited about new things and change often (I know, I know), the challenge for me is always consistency. This reminds me of one of my previous (and beloved) posts: Discipline and Practice, which includes the wise counsel of Lao-tzu:

“Do not think that you can attain total awareness and whole enlightenment without proper discipline and practice.

This is egomania.

Appropriate rituals channel your emotions and life energy toward the light. Without the discipline to practice them, you will tumble constantly into darkness.”    

—

So…for just a minute (or 60!), I hope that you too will find a way to start and end your day with peaceful and meditative practice. It can be transformational, and I personally notice a difference when I take conscious time to perform meditative activities versus jumping up in the morning and going straight to work (or watching junk tv before sleep!).

As with all posts, this is only meant to be inspirational…delivered with love and the hope that you will identify practices that are best for you, while cultivating the discipline to keep it going!  I’m right there with you :)

 

Photo source: faith and stillness (Norway…thank you for the image, V! :)

August 29, 2013

ONENESS

Recently, I have been fascinated to read accounts from people who have “crossed over”. A consistent theme has been the overwhelming sense of compassion, unconditional love, and oneness that was felt by these individuals. They described being connected with everyone around them and having such a strong feeling of empathy that they could experience the emotions of others as if the emotions were their own. They actually lived this feeling of oneness that I’ve come to appreciate and attempt to describe on the site.

With that in mind, when I read the following excerpt from the timeless and beautiful Bhagavad Gita, it begged to be shared. This excerpt has inspired me to read my copy of the Bhagavad Gita  (I am a fan of Stephen Mitchell’s translations ever since reading his version of the Tao Te Ching) that has been among the (ever-growing) pile of books by my bedside to read haha I hope that it will be a source of inspiration for you too!

—

Why do you worry without cause? Whom do you fear without reason? Who can kill you? The soul is neither born, nor does it die.

Whatever happened, happened for the good; whatever is happening, is happening for the good; whatever will happen, will also happen for the good only. You need not have any regrets for the past. You need not worry for the future. The present is happening…

What did you lose that you cry about? What did you bring with you, which you think you have lost? What did you produce, which you think got destroyed? You did not bring anything – whatever you have, you received from here. Whatever you have given, you have given only here. Whatever you took, you took from God. Whatever you gave, you gave to Him. You came empty handed, you will leave empty handed. What is yours today, belonged to someone else yesterday, and will belong to someone else the day after tomorrow. You are mistakenly enjoying the thought that this is yours. It is this false happiness that is the cause of your sorrows.

Whatever you took, you took from God. Whatever you gave, you gave to Him. You came empty handed, you will leave empty handed.

Change is the law of the universe. What you think of as death, is indeed life. In one instance you can be a millionaire, and in the other instance you can be steeped in poverty. Yours and mine, big and small – erase these ideas from your mind. Then everything is yours and you belong to everyone. This body is not yours, neither are you of the body. The body is made of fire, water, air, earth and ether, and will disappear into these elements. But the soul is permanent – so who are you?

Dedicate your being to God. He is the one to be ultimately relied upon. Those who know of His support are forever free from fear, worry and sorrow. Whatever you do, do it as a dedication to God. This will bring you the tremendous experience of joy and life-freedom forever.

 

Excerpt from Bhagavad Gita

—

Photo source: progression to oneness

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