all about all of us
Need we say more?!
It’s Monday! Ready for a fantastic week?
Here’s a tweet for us from www.soulseeds.com as we go along the day creating an outstanding Monday for ourselves and others: FEAR – False Evidence Appearing Real
And more: “Fear pretends its protecting you, when actually its preventing you.”
It was rather late last night when I clicked on to www.afterlifetv.com and found a video in which Bob Olson is interviewing Robert Schwartz, the writer of Your Soul’s Plan. There are two videos, and it may be wise to listen to the first one first. I saw the title of the book, and read what Bob Olson wrote about its author’s biography, and thought, why not? After that, it didn’t take long before I was nicely settled in and glued to the screen watching, listening, learning – the concept of pre-birth planning is hardly new. Though when Robert Schwartz began digging for the answers to questions that wouldn’t let him rest, he wasn’t expecting the kind of answers that his tireless delving uncovered. Listening to him talk about pre-birth planning seemed natural, and a part of me understood, and was in complete agreement about what he was saying from the get-go. Last night I went to sleep with a big smile covering my entire body. Oh, yes.
It’s fair to say that many of us have many questions about life on earth. The thing is that I haven’t heard life on earth explained in quite this way before. The answers to the questions asked by Bob Olson of Robert Schwartz don’t necessarily veer from what we know; they just seem to profoundly enhance what we know. And it all makes perfect sense. Now, there are a number of very good self-improvement and spiritual books, and videos that, when read or listened to, have you thinking, yes, yes, I understand now. And then a week later you barely remember any of it.
I feel this is different. I could give you a synopsis of the video, but it’s so much better to hear Robert Schwartz’s own words. He speaks articulately, and he has a desire to help us understand so that we can help ourselves, and others, heal and evolve. There’s no need for me to try to explain what he does so beautifully. The following is his website, enjoy. www.yoursoulsplan.com
I hope you thoroughly enjoy it.
Have a wonderful day!
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“If children grew up according to early indications, we should have nothing but geniuses.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
From the book: Enough Already by Alan Cohen
“I am convinced all of humanity is born with more gifts than we know, most are born geniuses and just get de-geniused rapidly.”
– Buckminster Fuller
From the book: Enough Already by Alan Cohen
I read the name Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov on page 22, Issue 30 of WATKINS BODY MIND SPIRIT magazine, and his writings, and what was written about him, made me want to buy his book, A Living Book: Autobiographical Reflections 1 By OMRAAM MIKHAEL AIVANHOV, translated and reviewed by Alison Holmes. Her review can make your soul sing; I can only imagine the joy felt in reading the book of this great Bulgarian born Master. In his lifetime he experienced great hardship, and was grateful for all his experiences; he used them as tools for transformation. I’m itching to quote a passage from the magazine review so that you can have an idea of the kind of man and Master he was. Though choosing from that one page isn’t easy because there’s so much said about him in every line of the review. Okay, here is one: “I know your difficulties; I’ve experienced them. I have been hungry, I have been cold, I have been ill, I had no money, nowhere to stay, been unable to wash myself, been badly dressed, I have had to wait for hours in the corridors of power, I have been continually under the threat of deportation, I have had my name dragged through the mud, have been the target of plots against me, and have been thrown into prison.” And this from Alison Holmes: “His account of some of the trials and tribulations of a great Master are of value to us, because his simple way of expressing how he dealt with them all infuses us with inspiration and gratitude that we have been shown how to deal with our own.” www.watkinsbooks.com
Some time ago I started reading Neville’s books and what he had to say about his life’s journey. I clicked on to the website www.nevillegoddard.wwwhubs.com and read more about his teachings and books. He was born in Barbados in 1905, and traveled to the United States at age 17 to study drama. He lived an extraordinary life, certain people showed up at certain times in his life as if by divine guidance, and because he followed through on the crux of his teachings and writings, “Imagination creates reality,” he made himself into a remarkable man.
The above-mentioned website quotes Neville as saying that if he was stranded on a desert island and allowed one book, he would choose The Bible.
Why The Bible? This is what he said: “. . . This changeless principle of expression is dramatized in all the Bibles of the world. The writers of our sacred books were illumined mystics, past masters in the art of psychology. In telling the story of the soul they personified this impersonal principle in the form of a historical document both to preserve it and to hide it from the eyes of the uninitiated. . . .” Neville is not the only spiritual teacher who has expressed these exact sentiments. And he said if he could squeeze in more books, they would be Charles Fillmore’s Metaphysical Dictionary of Bible Names, William Blake, and Nicoll’s Commentaries.
Have you heard of Maurice Nicoll? I haven’t, so I googled his name and was treated to a wonderful short story about his fascinating life. www.hurleydonson.com/nicoll.htm says he was born in Kelso, Scotland in 1884. If you’re looking for a break from the day’s activities, a break that will perhaps cause a slight shift in your thoughts, read, “Maurice Nicoll: Spiritual Giant, Gentle Genius.”
I copied this from the website: “Maurice Nicoll also had a lighthearted, playful side to his nature. In college his friends were those whose sense of humor and frivolity provided what he would need all of his life. Joy and love of life were among his gifts as well. Indeed, a quotation from Plato, “Serious things can only be understood through laughable things,” was hung in a prominent place in all the homes in which he lived.”
So, why spend time studying the teachings and lives of the above-mentioned people? Because they were willing to do whatever it took to bring themselves to a higher level of consciousness, and didn’t allow themselves to get sidetracked. They knew life holds more than we can ever imagine, and they guided others to do the same.
Before I clicked on, “Empty Spam,” a few words caught my eye, and I had to smile. They were: “Some of the things you say are controversial. . . .” Controversial: “clash of opposing views.”
But . . . opposite views seem a part of life, and help us to sort things out, so to speak. Most of what’s on this blog is light and sort of simple; I like simple. The words that inspire me over and over are: beauty, harmony, love, wisdom, joy, forgiveness, happy, compassion, understanding, fun, elegance, right action, change, laughter, courage, abundance and success (these last two words mean different things to different people). And the Divine. Controversial? – just choices to be made, changes taking place, teachings to ponder.
It often seems, however, that whenever we think we’ve found the “right” teaching from an “expert,” turn around and they’ll always be another “right” teaching” from a different “expert” saying the opposite of what we now hold to be true. I used to find this disconcerting, because it happened a lot. Now I understand that there’s room for many kinds of teachings because there are many kinds of people. And if we’re evolving the way we’re supposed to be, we might need to look around for something that will take us to the next step on our journey. If we stay at the same place, always thinking the same way, how will we ever find the next step?
There’s not just one mountain, one ocean, one kind of animal, one human face looking like all the others, etc. It would be intolerably boring if everything was the same. When we open our eyes really wide we’ll see that change is the spice of life. Many of us think that if we don’t rock our boat we’ll be secure and snug in our own little corner of the world. The funny thing is that when it’s time to evolve, our Higher Self will rock our boat until we fall out. (are you laughing yet?) Does that sound awful? I know, but in the long run it can be an energizing experience if we don’t resist. And quite possibly, after a time, we’ll say thank you for the change.
Choices, changes, teachings – we’re blessed; we have the ability to innately know what we need at any given time – if only we would stay quiet for a while, learn to listen and trust what the within is trying to tell us, and then hone the power within until we become the “expert” in our own life.
No controversy there, right?
It’s time to hit the road 🙂 What a lovely day – may the day be all you want it to be.
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There is another world and it is within this one.
– Paul Eluard
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
– Rumi (Coleman Barks, translator)
The music that ushered in the cosmos plays on,
inside us and around us.
– Brian Swimme
How can there be redemption and resurrection unless there
has been great sorrow? And isn’t struggle and rising
the real work of our lives?
– Mary Oliver
Work of the sight is done . . .
Now do heart work
On the pictures within you.
– Rainer Maria Rilke
Which of the two powers is able to raise men to
the highest sphere, love or music? . . .
I think we may say, that while love can give us no idea of
music, music can realize the idea of love. But why separate
one from the other? The soul soars on the wings of both.
– Hector Berlioz
Have you bought a quotable card lately? You know, the one when it first came to the marketplace had a white background and bold black letters. They seemed to have been a hit from the start.
www.quotablecards.com
Do you like this one?
“How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?”
Are you happy with the number that came to mind?
What about this:
Dance
as though no one is watching you.
Love
as though you have never been hurt before.
Sing
as though no one can hear you.
live
as though heaven is on earth. – Souza
They’re reminders, too, and when hung where it catches our eye they do just that
Because every so often we need reminders –
to make time to dance, move wildly, shake like the Kalahari Bushmen
and enjoy.
to open our heart and let love enter. Still one of the walking wounded? A closed heart hurts much more in the long run.
to give it our all and sing that song – a little louder; no one’s listening.
to live before. . . .
* * * * * * *
“People become what they expect themselves to become” – Mahatma Gandhi
“You can make the place you are now your paradise.”
“Never seek happiness outside yourself.”
“One of the greatest stresses we can endure is trying to live a life that doesn’t fit who we are. We look for some kind of mission and purpose external to ourselves to fill the void that only living in communion with the Inner Self can fulfill. And it is from this connection to the Inner Self that right relationship to the world (career) occurs.” – Jerry Thomas
“First of all, one must observe, see with great care the mind and its functioning, listen to what is within and without: Out of this arises sensitivity and in sensitivity there arises insight. That insight alone will wipe away sorrow.” – J.Krishnamurti
“All day long the thoughts that occupy your mind, your secret place as Jesus calls it, are molding your destiny for good or evil, in fact, the truth is that the whole of our life’s experience is but the outer expression of inner thought.” – From the Pen of Emmet Fox
“. . . We are where are thoughts have taken us, and we are the architects – for better or worse – of our futures.” – James Allen
“As is the human body,
so is the cosmic body.
As is the human mind,
so is the cosmic mind.
As is the mirrocosm,
so is the macrocism.
As is the atom,
so is the universe.” – The Upanishads
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
– Marcel Proust
“Do not fear mistakes. There are none.” – Miles Davis
“Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: Now.” – Denis Waitley
“. . . We have underestimated ourselves tragically. We are sadly mistaken when we see ourselves as merely temporary bodies instead of timeless spirit; as separate suffering selves instead of blissful Buddhas; as meaningless blobs of matter instead of blessed children of God.” – Roger Walsh
“Arguments gain little. The mental attitude and prayers gain much; for thoughts are things and their vibrations reach those in every sphere and walk of life as related to self and to others.”
– Edgar Cayce Reading 1438-2
“One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself.” – Leonardo de Vinci
“Forgive those who wrong you; join those who cut you off; do good to those who do evil to you.”
– Mohammad
“A major goal of spiritual practice is to clear our mental space of the intellectual and emotional garbage we have been collecting since childhood, and to provide space for the experience of true relaxation and enjoyment. We should realize that a positive thought or inspiration becomes nourishment for the mind, like healthy food. But negative views and passions, like waste products, have toxic effects.” – Tulku Thondup
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
– Mark Twain
www.twainquotes.com
www.marktwainhouse.org
The above quote can be used for almost anything we want to accomplish in our lives, whether it be changing jobs, changing profession, dropping out of school, returning to school, marrying, deciding not to marry, having children, adopting, deciding not to have children, staying together, deciding to divorce, losing weight, living abroad, founding an organization, buying an apartment or house, letting go of grief, investing in our health, changing beliefs, – it can be a very, very long list. And that’s a very good thing. People who have been at the crossroads of transition, help us to believe and trust that we can all do what they’ve done.
“You can have, be, and do whatever you will or desire. The only thing stopping you is the accumulation of negative thoughts and feelings which you are subconsciously holding. Remove those, and you remove the blocks to your accomplishing whatever you wish in life.
Remove those, and you will find happiness, satisfaction, and joy beyond your wildest dreams.
Remove those, and you are free.” – Lester Levenson
“Too often people set their lives by the calendar. It takes all the fun out of life.”
– John Glenn
“Security is not the meaning of my life. Great opportunities are worth the risk.”
– Shirley Hufstedler
“Walk down as many roads as possible.”
– Phil Cousineau
www.philcousineau.net
I love good quotes. Sometimes they set the stage for the day, or they propel us into capturing the essence of an idea that, for the longest time, hovered at surface level, or they give insight into a way to graciously manage a difficult situation, or, they allow us to experience a feeling of complete freedom.
A good quote can awaken a part of us by touching our core. Good quotes allow us to know and help us to understand that, although there are a lot of broken down things in our world; simultaneously there are lot of good things happening. A good quote jolts us into remembering things we just might not want to forget.
A few good quotes . . .
“Walk down as many roads as possible.” -Paul Cousineau
“There are no means of safety against superior qualities of another person but to love him.” -Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
“My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.” -Thomas Paine
“. . . It boils down to having the courage to trust your instincts. You have to realize that life . . . was not . . . designed . . . to be as hard . . . as you want to make it.” -Tom Huth
“Nothing endures but change.” -Heraclitus
I’ve noticed that during interviews many artists say that what they’re doing is fun. And if it wasn’t fun they wouldn’t be doing it. They have passion and absolutely love their work (they probably don’t even call it work – more like play). It’s a great way to live. It seems that way should be everyone’s birthright. And if we don’t have this passion and love for what we do in life, it’s our responsibility to somehow rethink how to make it happen because it’s often been said that more heart attacks occur on a Monday morning than any other day of the week? An interesting fact.
“Don’t play for safety – it’s the most dangerous game in the world. ”
-Hugh Walpole
For many reasons I love this quote. I have it written in a notebook and whenever I read it an incredible feeling comes over me. Because I really do believe this world belongs to everyone and we have to trust it and welcome it into our lives, confident that we’re more than capable of living life lovingly, wisely, grandly, happily, peacefully. It’s a delightful quote; it reminds us to be free, to abandon stress, and to imagine the things we’ve yet to do.
One evening I caught the tail end of a lecture given by Christiane Northrup, www.drnorthrup.com on PBS. Listening to her was fun; she had a radiant smile, and although the topic seemed heavy (The Mother/Daughter Relationship), she played with this subject and everyone in the audience enjoyed listening. Then she ended the evening saying there’s no reason to be sick when we start getting old. “Happy, healthy, dead” is the way she phrased it. I can’t remember how it tied into the subject, but it did. Those words, happy, healthy, dead seemed magical to me. When I think about them I say them because I want to plant the seed for this at a future date. It just dawned on me as I’m writing that I should start adding the part about a future date, or it will seem that I’m ready to say goodbye to this life. We need to feel the world is a friendly place, even though it doesn’t always appear that way.
“Everytime we choose safety, we reinforce fear . . . our world grows smaller and smaller.”
-Cheri Huber
