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some fine tuning

What does it take to live a life of joy? I’ve met people who seem to come close to having this kind of special lifestyle. Special because it’s of their own doing and it works for them, flows for them. This kind of joy is also a life lived in loving kindness and in not hurting anyone. To be in touch with our gut and to listen to it is necessary in achieving this special lifestyle. It directs and guides us. If we don’t use it we lose it. This gut feeling – our intuition – helps us to trust in our decisions, and to not be swayed by someone telling us otherwise. And when someone doesn’t approve of our choices it helps us to stay firm. What else? Well, perhaps it’s about being bold and confident in stepping out, even when afraid, because it’s a fantastic-an energizing-way to live. We’re comfortable in our own skin because we trust who we are and know ourselves as no one else does.

It’s about living in the world according to our beliefs, creativity, talents, and skills cultivated. And periodically to assess what works and what doesn’t workm and to fine tune ourselves as if we’re a work of art in progress. Basically it’s us allowing ourselves to live as we want, with all the responsibility and freedom this implies.

“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

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christmas is coming

More and more people are talking about spending a Christmas that is not centered around gift-giving and stress. For one thing, the old way is too tiring. The joy we’re supposed to feel at this time of the year is being replaced with feelings of inadequacy-of not being able to live up to a Christmas Day “they” talk about from October to December. Every year it’s revved up to a new level. By the time we do all the things “they” say is a part of the Christmas spirit, we’re overwhelmed and exhausted. By the time Christmas Day arrives we’ve lost all sense of its meaning. Let’s make Christmas what we want it to be – what we think it should be – and in the process guard our sanity.

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the river

Have you ever lived in a place overlooking a river? At the moment I’m looking at a river on the fifth floor of an apartment in NH. It’s very still and everything reflects clearly and calmly in it. It’s a beautiful sight. If you happen to be anxious about anything, it all goes away when looking at the river. It has a way of quieting the mind. There are times when the river rages pass as though it can’t pick up enough speed. Then you witness the power of water. It’s awesome. All the changes of the river say something different to someone watching it. You feel compelled to stop and listen. Not seeing the river because of being too busy is a loss in the course of the day.

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before falling asleep

When you think about the world, and the world is as complex as it is, often it’s a struggle to know where to begin. Sometimes at night when I’m in a dark room, just before falling asleep, I think about my cozy surroundings. And then I think of the billions of people there are in the world all living different lives, having different dreams, feeling different emotions, thinking different thoughts. Many families and friends are saying hello to a newborn. Many families and friends are saying a last goodbye to someone well-loved. Soldiers and civilians are caught in fighting a war. Part of the world is saying goodnight; another part is saying good morning. And I think what an amazing world it is, and how much there is to see, to do, to know. And I’m glad I’m part of it. What about you?

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23 november 2006

It’s almost here. Are you ready for the feast? We’re blessed to be able to celebrate in any form we choose. I read The New York Times once a week. That’s enough to know the happenings. Then I look for other ways to gather information about the world. Again I say we’re blessed. Some families are traditional and enjoy celebrating in the same way every year. For others the holiday is never the same. Some don’t have family, and for them there is a smorgasbord of possibilities waiting. Should you find yourself alone this year, don’t be lonely, go out, find happy places, mingle, celebrate with strangers. Or, if you choose, be with nature. Another, altogether different way to celebrate is to stay home and be in the silence of the day. Whether celebrating with family, friends, acquaintances, strangers, nature, or in the silence, it’s a time to say thank you throughout the day for Life and for all that Life offers. Life, it’s fascinating; it’s challenging and often beautiful. How will you do on 23 November 2006?

“If the only prayer you say in your whole life is “thank you,” that would suffice.” -Meister Eckhart

“The most difficult thing – but an essential one – is to love life, to love it even while one suffers, because life is all. Life is God, and to love life means to love God.” – Tolstoy, WAR AND PEACE

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hospital food

And then there’s hospital food. It looks as if it could be somethng special – certainly it should be nutritious, and something to look forward to, –but, alas, it’s hospital food brought in on a cart, on a tray, packaged, cellophaned, covered. For healing, it should lift the spirits. In the twinkle of an eye this could easily change. Of course, there’s this other consideration, change doesn’t come quickly in many institutions. Yet, the ordering and preparing of nutritious and delicious foods could happen. Foods to anticipate, to enjoy, to heal when the cart comes to a patient’s room. It should happen. It could happen. How difficult can this be?

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to not imitate

Did you happen to read Tijn Touber’s column in Odemagazine July/August 2006? He wrote about watching the Beatles Anthology for 10 hours, and, while watching, he noticed the “look in the eyes of the girls” in the audience. It was almost as if they couldn’t deal with the emotions they were feeling. And as he listened again to their songs, the writer said he was struck by the beauty of their originality, and originality was in much of what they did. And originality is what our civilization is now lacking. Tijn Touber reminds us in his column that the Maya calendar stops in the year 2012. And we know what is suggested by this. However, this is not about gloom and doom. It’s about seeing the world with new eyes, to not be imitators. We have to find a way to inspire ourselves, to bring a newness to the world. to bring a beautiful vitality back to civilization. Otherwise, why go on? At present we’re “rehashing.” We’re saturated with copies of everything. What will inspire us to be creators? Perhaps we need to unclog our mind to get to a place that will allow us to bring about a radical change in the way we interpret life.

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procrastinate, or not

Many of us procrastinate. It seems though that if we don’t do what’s before us to do, what’s before us to do will catch up with us – eventually. And when it does, we’ll have to deal with the things of the past, along with the things of the present. And since we’re doing in the present what should have been done in the past, we’ll not do it as well. When we work with the energy that’s there at the time, things are accomplished more easily, life is smoother. Procrastinating, brings us into a different energy field.

On the other hand, there are those times when we need to wait. However, we don’t want to confuse those times with doing what’s before us to do. You’ll know the difference. Those things that have to be done, when done, will feel as if a burden has been lifted. Ah, such a good feeling. If there’s doubt as to the right course to take, wait, become aware of signs, of feelings you have, listen. You’ll know when the right time is.

Experiment and watch.

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hospitals

I read that in Greece, once upon a time, hospitals were true healing centers. Music played throughout the grounds, carefully chosen colors lent beauty to the eyes of patients; flowers, plants and herbs were everywhere. In other words, there existed a beautiful center for true healing to take place. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know that this would be waiting for us should we require the services of a healing place?

Hospitals, for the most part, cause great stress and anxiety to anyone having to be there as a patient. Even when visiting a patient, one can pick up the disquieting energy there. While visiting friends in hospitals, on different occasions, some nurses said they’d been working two days straight, because the hospital was understaffed. Who wants a nurse dispensing meds when she’s not slept for two days? That’s only one of many anxiety ridden problems. How is it that so many hospitals are screaming that they’re understaffed? What’s going on at the helm? Are you overcome by a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you hear the word hospital? It should be the complete opposite. When we need to be in a hospital, we should think pleasant experience so that we can heal beautifullly.

In the July/August 2006 issue of Odemagazine, there’s an article, Healing by Design, by Kim Ridley. It’s a big breath of fresh air. The article mentions a book, THE ARCHITECTURE OF HOSPITALS, and explains that it is “an international collection of ground breaking studies, essays and hospital designs published this summer by the Netherlands Architecture Institute.” Right now changes are being implemented. The “radical rethinking” that is responsible for this transformation is underway. Finally, people with the ability, understanding, compassion and power to change existing conditions are doing just that. www.odemagazine.com

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osho

A couple of years ago I was in Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Center and had a book by Osho. A salesperson tried, when seeing the book, to convince me that I didn’t want to read a book by Osho. He was getting all caught up in his words in trying to convince me of this. I left not understanding what he was attempting to say. Obviously he had strong opinions about this.

I didn’t buy the book but, I found it again in a used bookshop and bought it without someone looking over my shoulder. The book is called COURAGE THE JOY OF LIVING DANGERIOUSLY. It’s probably not what you think it is from reading the title. But it’s an interesting title. It’s fun to read and it’s stimulates the mind to see life in a different way. And no matter – if it resonates, if it dances, if it feels right, opinions contrary to yours – get it, do it, enjoy it. www.osho.com