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on not noticing

Have you been left holding a door while a bunch of people you don’t know pass through without a nod, a smile, a thank you? They see you as their seemingly invisible doorman. Sometimes life leaves you holding the door. Now some people can do this graciously accepting their new position for the moment, others hold the door grudgingly unable to let go because they know it will slam into someone and they don’t want that to happen, others don’t care, if releasing the door from their hold means it will slam into someone, so be it. It’s all so hilarious. It’s a lesson in allowing.

People who write magazine articles often write about how busy and stressed out people are. But the busy and stressed out part of this is that it’s a busyness that’s mostly going nowhere because it’s a busyness caused by not being able to slow down or not being able to be alone.

It’s the same thing with people who drive while using a cell phone. If you ever walk in a city you have to be aware, or else. People who drive while using a cell phone have a look that says driving is secondary to talking on the phone. They don’t notice the things they should be noticing while driving. A little dangerous this is. They must have a angel on their shoulder or they wouldn’t make it home.

What am I getting at? Well, yesterday I saw a handsome, young, well-dressed man smiling as people passed by him as he held a door for a group he wasn’t attached to. They all paraded by, never noticing him, no one thanked him for not slamming the door in their faces. He didn’t care. That attitude was a neat thing to see. And the busy, busy ones? Well, maybe one day they’ll not be too busy to say thank you, or to actually hold the door for themselves and others.

“I have learnt silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.” – Kahlil Gibran

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britney in the limelight

When I click on my laptop, news about Britney manages to surface, and from magazine racks in stores, pictures of Britney manage to surface. So many adult people writing, judging, and photographing her. Time to give it a rest? Let her find herself, so to speak. Are we really a society that takes so much pleasure in watching someone beat themselves up? If we’re not going to assist, then, at the very least, we could refrain from putting her in the limelight where she doesn’t belong at the moment. Perhaps the way to assist is to allow her to live her life in private for now. Give her time to sort things out for herself. And that’ll give us all a chance to do the same for ourselves – cause when we’re so busy with someone else’s life, we’re not really paying attention to our own. And why are we so involved in scrutinizing someone else’s life? Who’s responsible for keeping all this going?

As supposedly evolving human beings we could be asking ourselves questions that bring us to other places, different ways of thinking, and far better ways of living. We humans could be, can we say, should be, concentrating on becoming all that we can be. Knocking people down whether it be with pen and paper, camera, or fist doesn’t feel right.

On another note is Louise Hay’s movie, YOU CAN HEAL YOUR LIFE. We can “Watch a Preview of Louise’s New Movie at www.youcanhealyourlifemovie.com ”

Let’s do it. Yeah!

www.louisehay.com
www.hayhouse.com

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holidays 2007 – it’s a breeze

You’re taking time for yourself during this December. Right? – not spreading yourself thin, not spending more than you have. We all know the ease of buying power with credit cards. It’s a breeeze to get carried away when shopping – the Christmas music lends itself to merriment, and a desire to please, people are walking around in stores, and along the streets, with prettily wrapped purchases peeking out of shopping bags, store windows entice, entice, entice, and you begin to believe if you don’t buy, buy, buy, you’re a cheapskate. Don’t believe it. Debt is a burden. And when the holidays are over and the bills come, the feeling changes. You don’t want it to change. There are ways to enjoy the holidays and keep your shirt on your back. It’s neat to see mainstream magazine articles promoting an amazing holiday with simplicity as the guideline, and giving ideas about how to shop in a smart way while remaining stress free and happy. Let’s go for the meaningful, fun, full-of-laughter memories, and avoid any burdensome ones. Enjoy it all!

If credit card bills can be paid in the blink of an eye, Ho Ho Ho pamper yourself, family, friends, treat a few strangers to a scrumptious meal. Enjoy it all!

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about certain emails

I’m seeing email warnings about not placing pocketbooks on restaurant tables because they collect huge amounts of bacteria from public places, e.g. the floor in a toilet stall. So, placing them on tables could “make us very sick.”

Okay, let’s continue with this line of thinking. There’s the ketchup bottle, mustard container, salt and pepper shaker, utensils and plates – where have all the hands been that have held these items? We touch the chair we’re sitting on, and the table we’re sitting at. How clean are they? We’ve probably grabbed doorknobs along the way to the restaurant, or in the restaurant after washing our hands, before we reach our table. Perhaps the person at the next table has sneezed or coughed in our direction. On and on we can go about the ways in which bacteria can reach us. Hmm, what else? Oh, yes, the bread that’s been going from table to table, and don’t forget, we don’t know what’s going on in the kitchen where our food is being prepared – shall we send an email warning people about all this, too?

The thing is that human beings have lived through the holocaust, war, destruction of homes by weather and fire, are born into horrible conditions,, etc., leaving them vulnerable and certainly not able to wash their hands. But they live to tell entertaining and inspiring stories, and are stronger from having had those experiences. This is our world and we can either go out and play in it or find one thing after another to ruin the day.

Want to drive yourself nuts? Keep reading emails that warn against this ‘n that in an attempt to bring us to a new level of fear. Meanwhile, the owners of companies whose products are in the market place – you know the products, antibacterial this, antibacterial that – are laughing all the way to the bank because once again, the public has bought into fear.

The wise ones have said that if something is true for one person, it should be true for everyone. Oftentimes people have had similar experiences, and only one person “gets sick.”

Though the thing about pocketbooks and hats on dining tables: – not esthetically pleasing.

******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* *******

“. . . Bacteria will not flourish destructively in an atmosphere into which they have not been “invited.” The calm, quiet, loving approach to life – at the same time backed by strong faith and belief in the essential goodness of human nature will prove to be the greatest mental-spiritual safeguard against any bacterial invasion.” ‘ Harry Douglas Smith, THE SECRET OF INSTANTANEOUS HEALING

“Perhaps one’s fear is of disease or germs. Then one should be fearless and undisturbed in a germ laden situation, and he would be immune. One can only contract germs while vibrating at the same rate as the germ, and fear drags men down to the level of the germ. Of course, the disease laden germ is the product of carnal mind, as all thought must objectify. Germs do not exist in the super conscious or divine mind, therefore, are the product of man’s “vain imagination. . . . Finally the army of the aliens is dissolved and dissipated because you do not give it your attention. You have starved the aliens out. Starve out the fear thoughts by not giving them your attention and acting your faith.” – Florence Scovel Shinn

 

 

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karen maezen miller, momma zen

There’s no doubt anymore, autumn is on its way. Last week I saw the beautiful Catskill foliage welcoming the new season, although where I sit the trees are still holding on to their green color. That’ll change soon, too. The humidity is gone, it’s been pouring throughout the past three nights sweeping away last week’s humidity, and a cool breeze passing by actually feels invigorating.

Yesterday someone showed a book to me, and it opened to the perfect page considering the time of year. This is what was written: “Do not be attracted by the sounds of spring or take pleasure in seeing a spring garden. When you see autumn colors, do not be partial to them. You should allow the four seasons to advance in one viewing, and see an ounce and a pound with an equal eye.” -Dogen Zenji, “Instruction for the Tenzo”. The book is MOMMA ZEN by Karen Maezen Miller. I hope it’s alongside all the other books written for new parents; it seems a good balance. www.mommazen.blogspot.com

Ahh, back to autumn.

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about everyday “news”

So many things are happening in the world, and although I don’t read newspapers — the news still comes. Have you noticed that the news is rarely uplifting? That being the case, it’s up to us to see the goodness of life in all its forms and let it infect family, friends, community, city, country, world. I don’t believe life is meant to be a drag and when we’re aware of how everyday news can dissipate our energy, and leave us feeling sad, fearful, anxious, sick, we can take steps to bring things into balance so that our view of life is not lopsided. There’s no balance in the news so it’s up to us to produce it in our own life.

“As long as we believe in our heart of hearts that our capacity is limited and we grow anxious and unhappy, we are lacking in faith. One who truly trusts in God has no right to be anxious about anything.” -Paramahansa Yogananda
www.yogananda-srf.org

“Be undisturbed by a situation and it will fall away of its own weight. There is an occult law of indifference, ‘None of these things move me. None of these things disturb me. ‘ ” -Florence Scovel Shinn

“Come to the edge he said.
They said, ‘we are afraid.’
‘Come to the edge.’ he said.
They came.
He pushed them. . .
And they flew.”
-Guillaume Apollinaire

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in tune with the universe

Have you ever stayed up with someone in the wee hours of the morning? The night is quiet, most people are asleep, the busyness of the day hasn’t yet begun, and talk is easy and comfortable. Conversation comes and goes and you’re comfortable with whatever is said, and you’re both relaxed. No matter what the conversation you’re accepting of it-the mind is at rest and something else comes into play. These occasions are always spontaneous. You can be with anyone in these wee hours of the morning, and it can be anywhere-at an airport, in a hospital, a guest somewhere, the lobby of a hotel, a 24-hour bistro. There’s a connection. a closeness felt in complete relaxation, when tick tock seems suspended and all is quiet.

Movies are made and books are written about all the events that have to take place for things to happen, e.g. meeting the love of your life, slipping into work that makes your heart sing, writing the kind of music the world loves, registering for a lecture that changes your life, and staying in present time and having a conversation in the wee hours of the morning.

It’s us being in tune with the Universe and it massages the heart.

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it’s summer

The weather this week- well, if we talk about it, we’ll feel really hot. It’s better to drink lots of water, stay out of the sun as much as possible, wear a hat to protect from the sun, and streamline the day the way it’s done in the tropics. If there’s no air conditioning, simply keep all rooms shaded, and use a fan. Listening to a newscaster saying-over and over-how hot it is doesn’t help. Not knowing what the temperature is contributes to a more relaxed feeling about the day.

Let’s see how we can hone our visualization skills by seeing ourselves at the beach. We timidly approach the water. We know it’s going to be freezing. Oh yes, it’s freezing! Our feet are numb from the cold. Should we stay in? Are we brave enough to get all wet-wet enough to jump into the cold, cold waves? Let’s focus on that thought for awhile.

Or what about this: There’s a swimming pool filled with ice cubes. They don’t melt because it’s so cold in that swimming pool of ice cubes. Do we want to slither into that or not? Too cold?

And this: summer, it’s so short; winter, it’s so long.

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the secret

So, what are your thoughts about the movie, The Secret? I saw it this weekend, compliments of Emi. Thank you, Emi. There was nothing new in the content as many books on the shelves of used and new bookstores have the same message. BUT to get the word out in a well-thought out-no-mystery-involved-movie is new. www.thesecret.tv

However, now there are all those people coming out of the woodwork giving us their opinions, all kinds of negative opinions, about the book and the movie, and about the reasons they’re against it. Let’s just say to that that we can decide for ourselves whether it’s authentic or not. We can experiement with the message in our own lives. We don’t need naysayers telling us what’s right and what’s not all of the time. We, too, have built in ways of knowing what will work for us. And if you naysayers will allow that to happen instead of getting in the way, well, lots of interesting things could happen. One never knows until one tries.

“Unless you leave room for serendipity,
how can the Divine enter in?
The beginning of the adventure is to lose your way.” -Joseph Campbell

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mr. moody

You don’t know the person we’re going to discuss here, so I feel I can write freely. And if he were to read this, there’s a good chance he wouldn’t think this was about him. I’ve known him for a awhile. Actually I met him abroad and we’re email friends at the moment. However, the relationship is a tiring one because from one day to the next his mood changes, and you don’t know where you fit insofar as his thoughts go. It could be pleasant; it could be stressful. Probably we all know someone who tends to cause havoc merely by the way s/he internalizes. They stress over something that should have been forgiven and forgotten. There are many things he should have, could have, forgiven and forgotten by now. Yet these things return like waves upon the ocean. In the past, we’ve had conversations about this, but always with him you’re right back where you started. I’m ready to throw him overboard, or at least delete his emails.

Is it a big ego that clouds his capacity to see that there’s no time to sulk in this life? Or is it the opposite, his little feelings about himself keep him focused on himself. Geez, whatever it is, he’s got to find a way to stop the nonsense. His children are all adults. He has money; you could say he’s living the good life. So, why not enjoy it all? Life should/could be wonderful for him.

I’m not being unkind; he’s had many chances to change. I think it’s rather important to walk away from someone who refuses to forgive and forget. Anyway, I’ve a feeling that people have had to forgive and forget many times over in their relationship with Mr. Moody. Ah, when I think of all the exciting emails he could be writing because his life should/could be fantastic – if he’d just get out of his head.

I’ve made a pact with myself and it’s this: If I have to, I’ll forgive and forget over and over, and I’ll live life this way til the day I breathe my last breath. Life is a work of art in progress, and it shouldn’t become joyless and heavy. What’s the point in wasting our precious energy by being mumpish?