The Art Of Archives - Page 2 of 7 - Life, Thoughts & Coffee

February 14, 2014March 19, 2014

bumps on the road of life

Cuenca’s Rio Tomebamba. It’s well-loved and a perfect setting for strolling.

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There are times in our lives when we need to find a way to bring us out of a bump on the road of life. Otherwise, staying too long with that bump can damage our entire day.

Those securely anchored bumps can play havoc with our thoughts, and when that happens, returning to a calm mind can be a full-time job. Uh-Oh!

When a bump on the road of life is strangled in its path without too much delay, we quickly regain our equanimity. A passage in a book, a chance conversation with a stranger, a wise teacher, even tapping into our own wise selves, can snap us out of a bumpy situation.

Ram Dass has written about one such bumpy issue. In lieu of another way, his way makes great sense, and can be used time and again. Because, let’s face it, in today’s world, bumps on the road of life happen, and a quick resolution so that we can get on with creating wonderful lives, is indeed an awesome thing to know.

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www.ramdass.org

“If somebody is a problem for you, it’s not that they should change, it’s that you need to change. If they’re a problem for themselves that’s their karma, if they’re causing you trouble that’s your problem on yourself. So, in other words when Christ is crucified, he says “forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing”, they’re not a problem for him, he’s trying to get them out of being a problem for themselves, because he’s clear. Your job is to clear yourself. In ideal situations you would clear yourself within the situation, but very often it’s too thick and you can’t do that. Now, what you do then is you pull back and you do the stuff you do in the morning or at night before you go to work, you do the stuff on weekends, you do the stuff that quiets you down and then each time you go into the situation to where you have to work, you lose it again. And then you go home and you see how you lost it, and you examine it, and then you go the next day and you lose it again, and you go home and you keep a little diary “how did I lose it today”, and you saw that, and then you go and you do it again, and after a while as you’re starting to lose it you don’t buy in so much. You start to watch the mechanics of what it is that makes you lose it all the time.
If I’m not appreciated, that’s your problem that you don’t appreciate me. Unless I need your love, then it’s my problem. So my needs are what are giving you the power over me. Those people’s power over you to take you out of your equanimity and love and consciousness has to do with your own attachments and clingings of mind. That’s your work on yourself, that’s where you need to meditate more, it’s where you need to reflect more, it’s where you need a deeper philosophical framework, it’s where you need to cultivate the witness more, it’s where you need to work on practicing opening your heart more in circumstances that aren’t optimum. This is your work. You were given a heavy curriculum, that’s it. There’s no blame, it’s not even wrong, it’s just what you’re given. You hear what I’m saying? It’s interesting. Can you all hear that one?”
-Ram Dass, Summer 1989
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Let’s make it a grand day in however way we can.

January 2, 2014January 2, 2014

This message from anita moorjani . . . about healing . . .

“Many who would like to heal themselves want to know how to go about things like “trusting in your own healing,” “letting go and allowing healing,” and “accessing your place of healing.” Are these platitudes of any use to the average person? People who want to heal their bodies need to know how to put such things into practice.

A: I don’t like to advocate a set methodology, instructions, or anything like that, because if I do, I’m only creating more dogma, and the whole point is to be free of that. I do suggest, however, not viewing illness or symptoms as “something to be gotten rid of,” like an enemy. This a fear based reaction. For me, the appearance of these symptoms is my body’s way of trying to heal me. I know that if I try to eliminate the illness with an adversarial attitude, I end up doing the opposite, antagonizing it and embedding myself deeper into the illness mind-set.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t go and see a doctor. I’m purely referring to how I view disease or physical manifestations of the body. The idea is not to obsess about it and have your days revolve around doing things for the sole purpose of getting rid of the illness. It’s actually far more productive to distract yourself and stay occupied with activities that stimulate you in a positive, creative way.

As far as I could, I’d try to free myself from needing my health to be a certain way in order to find happiness and just create joy in the moment, as though I were already healthy. Living in the present means not carrying any emotional baggage from one segment of time into the next. Every instant is unique and can’t be replicated. It’s our choice whether to carry our fears with us, keeping us stuck in illness.

You don’t have to be a spiritual guru or anything. Just make the most of every minute, living it to the fullest and doing things that make you happy, whether you have a month to live or 100 years.” ~ Anita Moorjani, Dying to Be Me: My Journey from Cancer, to Near Death, to True Healing

September 10, 2013September 10, 2013

a brief encounter with grace

Yesterday as I was walking along Calle Larga, a busy street in Cuenca, looking for Bananas Cafe, I saw a lovely twenty-something woman with a hula hoop. She was dressed in clothes made of long, soft flowing fabric. She, tall and delicate-looking, was one with her hula hoop. Ever so gracefully she was performing in the middle of the street seemingly without a care in the world. It was mid-afternoon, and, at that particular time, everything around her briefly stopped. Then the light changed and we all woke from what seemed a dream.

I have a hula hoop. I’m practicing. She’s my inspiration.

Are you enjoying the day?

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“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare;
it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” – Seneca

“Expose yourself to your deepest fear;
After that, fear has no power,
And the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes.
You are free. – Jim Morrison

August 26, 2013August 26, 2013

www.soulseeds.com

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.”

July 4, 2013May 20, 2014

trust

Much is written about the times when we feel overwhelmed by decisions having to be made, and we try to figure out the best course of action to get from one point to another. Through the years I’ve tried to follow the advice of the wise ones. For me the advice comes in the form of carefully chosen (intuition plays a part here) books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs. I’ve found that the advice of the wise ones actually works. But we have to implant in ourselves a huge dollop of trust since there’s no other way of knowing whether it will work until we put it into practice. And practice, they say, makes perfect.

The advice of the wise ones goes like this: Learn to listen to your intuition and trust yourself. Negativity has no purpose, in whatever form it takes; trust yourself. Do what has to be done, and then know that the best possible outcome is forthcoming. Then trust. They say that when we plant seeds, whether in the ground or in ourselves, if we keep digging them up to see what’s happening, nothing will happen. That makes perfect sense.

The next step for us is to relax and let go; we’ve played our part — time to trust.

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Tweets:

“@maritasteffe: A truly creative person rids him or herself of all self-imposed limitations. – Gerald Jampolsky

“@_NealeDWalsch: If you’re going to do something, do it with gusto. Hold nothing back. In life. Or love. Or anything at all.”

“@DesmondTutuPF: If we have loved well while we were alive our love will go on for generations.”

“@LouiseHay: Remember, they are only thoughts, and thoughts can be changed. The point of power is always in the present moment.”

June 17, 2013June 17, 2013

gratitude

Thank you to all the authentic spiritual teachers who are trying to get the message out to all of us that gratitude, along with the power of love (for ourselves and all living beings), is something we don’t want to live without. A softly uttered thank you, a loving thank you shout from a hilltop, or dancing to our own movements in our own space to the words of thank you, thank you first thing in the morning and last thing at night guides, guards, protects, directs our day in a way we can’t imagine. Let’s go for it.

Ready for an amazing day? I am.

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“Long will you wander in a wilderness of confusion and distress until you come home . . . to a higher consciousness.” ANO ANO THE SEED by Kristin Zambucka

May 30, 2013June 2, 2013

into the lives of others

I was perusing Inc magazine while enjoying a good cup of coffee, when I saw on page 64, La Colombe Torrefaction Every Cup An Adventure Tale, and read: “This company shows the passion the owner has for coffee and lengths he’s willing to go to get it. It’s like the Patagonia of coffee.” — Bob Lord

The photo of co-founder and CEO Todd Carmichael on page 64 audacious companies helps to tell the story. He goes anywhere in the coffee world to track down “high-end beans other roasters won’t risk pursuing.” The words violence and danger don’t seem to be part of his vocabulary — he just goes. A travel channel show called Dangerous Grounds “captures each expedition.” A savvy businessman who loves what he does, does it his way, and does it well captures the definition of the word, inspiring. And www.lacolombe.com/founders-biographiessuggests that his personal life is also inspiring.

Reading about people who see the world in a good, BIG way and live with that amount of passion, feeds the mind and soul. Nice, right?

That same day I passed Rittenhouse Plaza and there was Joseph Dupoldt, a doorman who, without fail smiles and has an encouraging word for all who pass — should they be open to it. I pass Joseph to and fro when going to La Colombe which is next door, and so have an opportunity to collect his smiles and see him in action. And I’ve noticed that he doesn’t seem to realize the impact he has on the lives of the different people who come in contact with him as they go in and out of the door where he stands. He does though. He’s aware of when people want a smile, or when they want to be with their thoughts, undisturbed — either way, he’s there for them. If you pass quietly or linger a little, you can hear him singing; he likes du bop and has a wonderful voice. It’s easy to see that he brings harmony, joy, and awareness to his job, and that’s only the things I can see. Nice, right? I want to ask him where someone as young as he is got his wisdom. I wonder what he’ll say.

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“There is nobody else like you. The more you can quiet your own thoughts, fears, doubts and suspicions, the more will be revealed to you from the highest realms of imagination, intuition, and inspiration.” – Kenneth Wydro, American lecturer

“My country is the world and my religion is to do good.” – Thomas Paine

April 11, 2013April 15, 2013

bdgs at gramercy park and eataly at the flatiron district

This past Sunday found Emi and Jessie having six carefully chosen and funny comics for their show Bad Date Great Story at Gramercy Theatre. www.baddategreatstory.com Are you thinking: Of course they’re “funny”? Well then, I’m asking: Have you ever watched an unfunny comic? I have, and it’s a rather agonizing experience because you feel for the struggling unfunny comic. Happily, that wasn’t the case this past Sunday. Which is the reason I want to say thank you! for the laughs, and fun, to: Joe DeVito, Katina Corraro, MadDog, Charla, Christie Walsh, and Matt Mercier.

My cousins, Pauline and Diane, came from New Hampshire to watch and enjoy the BDGS show. They decided to drive to the outskirts of NYC on Saturday, find a hotel there, and come into the city Sunday morning. I met them then, and we meandered around waiting for the theatre doors to open at 1:00pm. Though while waiting for me to come in from Philly, they saw a street festival on Broadway between 23rd and 14th Streets, and thoroughly loved eating their way to 14th Street – and back. If you met them you’d wish they were your relatives, too.

And as we were meandering around the neighborhoods, I said to my cousins: “The show is a little on the risqué side; are you all right with that? Their uproarious laughter was followed by Pauline’s tongue-in-cheek humor: “No, we’re not; we’re two virginal sisters, and you’ll have to explain everything to us.” – the laughter continued. And I know in my bones that that question of mine will haunt me, and bring lots of laughter to our family. Whatever was I thinking? I’m prepared; it’s okay, laughter is good for mind body spirit.

It’s not possible to be in the Flatiron District and not go to Eataly, at 200 Fifth Avenue. www.eataly.com it’s an impressive “50,000 sq. ft. Italian marketplace.” And to say it’s impressive is an understatement. For this we have to thank Mario Batali, and his business partner Joe Bastianich, along with their partners, Lidia Bastianich and Oscar Farinetti.

I made a mental note that, sometime during the day of the next Bad Date Great Story show in June, I’ll meander over to Eataly to take in a little more of the eating and shopping experience. That sounds like a wonderful plan to me.

I’m wishing everyone a lovely full-of-laughter and fun kind of day.

April 10, 2013April 10, 2013

joel osteen

Did you read about the preposterous spam: “Joel Osteen Hoax: Man Allegedly Behind Ploy To Discredit Leader Wants Televangelist To Change His Message”? It had Joel Osteen abandoning his faith, and fleeing his congregation. And I ask myself, does the spammer have nothing else to do than to waste that amount of time doing what he did by sending biting words – supposedly from Joel Osteen’s mouth, along with pictures seeming to agree with the words – around the online world?

The following was Joel Osteen’s response to this pretend headline: “I’m really not angry; I don’t feel like a victim. I feel too blessed; life is too short to let things like this get you down.” Now that’s a perfectly simple response – one that we might want to memorize, and say with gusto, whenever we feel like a victim. Because we, in the modern world, tend to get offended rather easily.

When all was said and done, it was reported that the spammer said: “Joel doesn’t talk enough about the environment and poverty. He’s just too positive and smiley.” You gotta laugh; what else is there to do? Though the question that comes to mind for the spammer is: Why did you spend so much time doing what you did when there’s a call for ALL OF US to do our share, in whatever way works for us, to fix what’s been called, “our broken down” world.

Upon hearing the words: “he’s just too positive and smiley,” I thought, and what a different world it would be if we were all “just too positive and smiley.” Maybe we could all give it a try just to see what would happen.

When I had a TV, I enjoyed seeing Joel Osteen’s contagious smile and listening to him, because he has a talent for getting his message across with stories and laughter. What’s not to like?

I suppose the spammer thinks Joel Osteen came into this world just as he is. Think again, he’s had an interesting development, and chances are he continues to expand on it. Oh, yes.
www.joelosteen.com
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“Why are you unhappy? Because 99.9% of everything you think, and of everything you do, is for yourself, and there isn’t one.” Wei Wu Wei

“Joy is not in things. It is in you. – Richard Wagner

“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world . . . as in being able to remake ourselves.” – Mohandas K. Gandhi

“We choose our joys and sorrows before we experience them.” – Kahlil Gibran

April 2, 2013April 17, 2013

Have you ever made your own lobster sushi rolls… from a living lobster?

This past year, one of the most memorable nights I had was held by a New York City experience company called Sidetour. It was called: Crack the Japanese Food Making Code with a Lobster Lesson

The experience was led by a lovely, charming Misako Sassa. (A chef who, coincidentally, when I mentioned the cooking class to my roommate, was actually in a column she had fastened to our fridge from Chopsticks NY Magazine.)

Misako (or Misa) floated around the open New York City space, showing us the best way to de-pit an avocado, teaching us about the perfect kind of rice that she specially orders, and letting us learn as she fanned the rice to the perfect temperature for use. We learned about how to quickly blanche the lobster meat, and put just enough cucumber and rice on the nori sheets, so that it would roll smoothly, and still taste full of fresh flavors. But, I’m actually leaving out the best part…

The beginning of the lesson started with our cooking stations set up in front of us. Clean mats, towels, knives, and a bowl of moving, living lobsters.

Since we were making the freshest possible kind of lobster without the use of hot water, something had to be done, we had to kill them ourselves first.

Now, this might sound impossible (or easy, I guess it depends on who you are!). I felt game to jump in, but became a little bit of a wimp while holding the lobster belly in my hands – it moved while I was trying to pinpoint the exact spot where I was supposed to give a quick jab with the knife. But as soon as Misa saw my hesitation, she gave a great quick example. Once you see this petite, delightful woman handle a lobster with speedy, dexterous craftsmanship, you feel a lot less able to wimp out, and much more empowered to seize control and finish the job!

The rice Misa had selected tasted nothing like what you’ll usually find in any ordinary sushi place (or even the places that are always packed on weekend nights). It had a multi-layered rush of flavors, nutty, sweet, and satisfying, and hard to forget. She made the miso soup with the heads of the lobsters for flavoring, and it was the most delicious miso soup I remember having in a long time. And the lobster rolls, which all the guests rolled, were unbelievable. I had wondered if I would feel a twinge of regret participating in the end of the lobsters life, and then eating it, but, as my friends and I had discussed that week, it’s really a much more honest and authentic way to come to the table. And it was delicious! I am really looking forward to getting a few of my friends together and doing this again very soon…