count down

7 more days til I see my baby's sweet angelic face - Y A Y!

cannot wait to be where it's warm & sunny. . . .at least til Jan 2

family bonds

what's the most interesting connection you've had today?

I so so so appreciate . . . .
Anya’s help
& Baba’s support
& Mahala’s encouragement
& Angie’s generosity
& GVI's presence
& friends' friendly advise . . . .

reminding me about the truly important things in LIFE!

Happy Halloween ! ! !

On All Hallows’ Eve, many Irish and Scottish people have traditionally placed a candle on their western window sill to honor the departed.

Other traditions include carving lanterns from turnips or rutabagas, sometimes with faces on them, as is done in the modern tradition of carving pumpkins.

births, transitions, post mortems

as many births as there have been among friends & family lately. . . .

so too have there been many deaths. . . .

My prayer for you today:

The eyes beholding this message shall not behold evil.

The hands that will send this message to others shall not labor in vain.

The mouth saying Amen to this prayer shall laugh forever.

AMEN

change

questions I ask myself:

1. Why do I wish to have this?

2. What will it do for me & my growth?

3. Do I truly, really, absolutely want it?

.

time & what we make of it

so much to do. . . .so little time. . . .or so we tell ourselves. . . .

then we play all sorts of games with ourselves as we watch it drift along. . . .

the importance of our brain's prefrontal cortex

this is the part of our brain (3) that regulates judgment, planning, problem solving, decision making, moral reasoning, our sense of self

when it's out of whack, we are unable to plan ahead or make far-reaching decisions - unable to see the big picture

our thoughts affect us - our body & how we perceive our self - internally & externally, on the surface & deeply, in all areas & at all levels

make changes - change your attitude
& change your energy & your life
- be fully present in your life
- acknowledge the power in you
- problem solve effortlessly
- expand your time & days
- have more time & be more productive
- be in the flow & in harmony
- increase your zest for life
- experience more opportunities opening up
- as your body becomes a powerful team mate
- energized, rejuvenated, relieved & vitalized !

it's Mahala's birthday today

today is the birthday of my favorite & only daughter

Happy Glorious Birthday - my hero! ! !

happy labor day to me too

L O V E

making peace between who you love and what you want may be a bit of a struggle,

so what'll it be? engage or retreat?

coming home to be with my baby!

I know it's not til Oct yet - but I'm eager & happy that I'll be home soon & back in the arms of my sweet child!

happy! Happy! HAPPY!

what are we missing ?

in a regular place, at an inconvenient time, do we perceive beauty? do we acknowledge excellence?

do we stop to appreciate it? do we recognize talent when taken out of context?

if we do not have a moment to stop and be present to it - what else could we be missing?

use what you have to get you what you don't have

more than for mundane or material gain

when I apply a strength of mine towards an area of growth I'm working on

then I'm acknowledging & empowering myself as I'm learning rather than judging or beating myself up for a mistake or error

a preferred perspective - definitely!

why I love my daughter so

Hi Mom! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I made you a little saint called the Bodhisattva of Time. She's for when you feel pressured or harassed and like there's not enough hours in the day. She makes time for you.

I was thinking of your diwatas when I made her and also of those lovely Thai spirit ladies with the bird tails.

Happy birthday again and may blessings rain down on your head this whole week!

Lots of love, Mahala

seva - selfless service

it is a journey into new ways of being - be a contribution

it is a path of service that opens the door for you to live out the destiny for which you were intended

in the daily practice of this discipline, each step brings you closer to your own Self & God Realization

empowered to create & fulfill centered & grounded relationships

in a life that truly celebrates & honors your Spirit

freedom

you can always make the best of any situation

it is the perfect time to look at life thru the eyes of the grown up that you are - what a gift!

loving kindness - hold it in your heart always & express it in all you do

that's how to break the bonds that bind you

what is created can be un-created or re-created

set yourself F R E E !

C H O I C E

you have the capacity to utilize each one as life-enhancement rather than impediment to progress. . . .your choice. . . .always

Zen & Enlightenment

as Piko Iyer's roshi says in The Lady & The Monk. . . .

"The ultimate purpose of Zen is not in the going away from the world but in the coming back. Zen is not just a matter of gaining enlightenment; it's a matter of acting in a world of love and compassion."

new word - HEURISTIC

best thing about it is the word play between holistic & heuristic - topics & actions close to my heart!

Heuristic heu·ris·tic [ hyoo rístik ] adjective

Definition:
1. in EDUCATION - encouraging discovery of solutions: relating to or using a method of teaching that encourages learners to discover solutions for themselves
2. in PHILOSOPHY & SCIENCE - involving trial and error: using or arrived at by a process of trial and error rather than set rules
3. in COMPUTERS - able to change: describes a computer program that modifies itself in response to the user, e.g. a spellchecker

noun (plural heu·ris·tics) - logic procedure for getting solution: a helpful procedure for arriving at a solution but not necessarily a proof

[Early 19th century. < alteration of Greek heuriskein "find"]

adverb -heu·ris·ti·cal·ly
.

my baby does the loca-motion

Y A Y ! ! ! things are finally moving? ? ?

CONGRATULATIONS!

challenging times call on us to rise to the occasion or raise ourselves above the challenge

it's enough to curdle one's brains!

those who get out of their heads & take action reap success & fulfillment

what a cheat !

Spring in the East Coast can be such a cheat

it's the middle of May - where it was almost sweltering before this last weekend - only to be building another fire today to cut the chill

it's not even raining - bummer!

it's S P R I N G !

here's the gorgeous tree across the street

what a delightful sight

being useful

it helps to have a purpose & know what your purpose is

more so, if you wish to be productive

always be a contribution

burning down the house

This is a story of an abbot who was having some problems with his young monks who had moved into a palace that was donated & being used as their monastery

apparently, the monks were getting affected by the opulence of their new quarters - no matter what reprimands they got, this continued for quite a while

finally the abbot called in a senior monk to fix the problem

the wise & aged sage asked, what is my job? to which the abbot replied - solve the problem

the old monk asked again, what about my scope of authority? to which the abbot replied - full, do whatever it takes

lastly, the monk asked, how long do I have? to which the abbot said - however much is needed to get the problem solved

so the monk left & although the palace/monastery was a few days ride away - he was back almost immediately

this surprised the abbot - who asked the old monk, so did you fix the problem? to which the monk replied, yes

how did you get it done, asked the abbot? to which the monk replied - took a torch & burned it down

.

define polymath

or. . . .what is a polymathic person?

a polymath (or polymathic person) may simply refer to someone who is very knowledgeable - most ancient scientists were polymaths by today’s standards

a person who endeavors to develop his capacities as fully as possible, both mentally and physically, without affectation

related terms : generalis, universal genius, courtier, Rennaisance Man, Homo Universalis

Partial List of Polymaths Then: Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Leon Battista Alberti

Partial List of Polymaths Today: Bill Gates, Bono of U2, Shen Wei, the Dalai Lama, Georgia O'Keefe, Helen Keller
.

don't ask if you don't want to hear the answer !

I am grateful & so appreciate it when someone puts much self-effort to present me with a gift that they know I'll love.

but if I ask more - don't blame me : )

heart ache

being engaged but not at the effect of. . . .feeling emotions & not getting sucked in or used up. . . .

easier said than done - when it comes to honesty - don't ask if you don't want to hear the answer

today I got some real input that really hurt - o my. . . .& here I was clueless & thinking all was good between me & another. . . .knocked the wind out of me - pheeew!

at least now our relationship has been revealed for what it is. . . .& now my heart is terribly sore

. . . .

the path of an empath

is this really for me?

The etymology of the word empath is derived from the Greek word emp'atheia, meaning, en = in + p'athos = feeling.

Empathy then isn't merely a relation to a person, place, or thing but encompasses more. It is the bond formed of intuitive feelings and impressions. An empath is doubly blessed & burdened by the ability to form a bond, made up purely of feelings with another person, place, or thing.

That's a whole bunch more complex! for someone like me - who's already too sensitive & emotional - what a challenge this is to my clarity & balance!

sign of the times

in answer to what a friend wrote. . . .apologizing for not being in a good space. . . .I wrote. . . .

It's so amazing how each moment is just so in-my-face & I can see it happening to others too. That we are constantly challenged in our choices & daily doings. Each moment there's always two of me that shows up - my higher self & my personality . . . . & I can only pray that they work together instead of against each other - ha!

happy to return home

I am so blessed to be able to do the work I do & I so love doing it & being able to share it with others.

But it sure is great to come home!
.

handicaps

the human being is so amazing & fascinating

& yet, all too often, we argue for our limitations

instead of honoring & celebrating our G L O R Y



DANCE of 1000 HANDS

There is an awesome dance, called the Thousand-Hand Guan Yin, which is making the rounds across the net. Considering the tight coordination required, their accomplishment is nothing short of amazing, even if they were not all deaf. Yes, you read correctly. All 21 of the dancers are complete deaf-mutes. Relying only on signals from trainers at the four corners of the stage, these extraordinary dancers deliver a visual spectacle that is at once intricate and stirring.

Its first major international debut was in Athens at the closing ceremonies for the 2004 Paralympics. But it had long been in the repertoire of the Chinese Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe and had traveled to more than 40 countries.

Its lead dancer is 29 year old Tai Lihua, who has a BA from the Hubei Fine Arts Institute. The video was recorded in Beijing during the Spring Festival celebrations this year.

action & inaction

Gurudevi says, the longer you know what to do (should do, need to do - to change something) and don’t do it, the harder it is to do (what you knew all along you needed to do).

Then theory solidifies, leading to lethargy & apathy. Nothing changes and where you are is where you stay. Of course evolution will ultimately happen as we are return to the Light.

But why take countless lifetimes and forever to move forward & be discerning? When you can be so as soon as you decide to do what needs to be done!

.

simple pleasures

I asked my daughter to do me a favor and she did it within 24 hours.

I so appreciate it!
.

be in good company

mental aberration truly is contagious!

stir clear of anyone who lacks clarity - no matter how sweet & well-meaning

& even when it's just you - be in good company

listening

All speech, written or spoken, is a dead language, until it finds a willing and prepared hearer.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

.

being a parent

it's no wonder this choice is not for everyone. . . .

especially not the faint-hearted or the fearful !

when fully embraced, it is a constant blessing & delight

definitely keeps one young & on their toes! ! !

feeling lonesome ?

There'll be no pleasing me, so it's best not to lead me on. I'm not in the mood - for anything.

I'm grumpy! Time alone at my place far away from the madding crowds is best.

.

where you live & how you operate

our environment affects us. . . .

Does your persona change when you are in a different place?

Hard to live & breathe in the cradle of civilization & not be affected.

Some places are a constant reminder that our mundane lives are just so transient.

Some places just dull our senses & before we realize it, we've wasted away.

.

what I do with what I have

many say time heals all. . . .but I say, it's not time that does but what one does with all that time

in the same manner, experience does not teach one anything unless one is open to the learning & remains teachable

if the shoe fits, wear it

what is it about communications lately that's got all our lines crossed?

planetary configurations? emotional upheavals? mental aberration?

sure feels like all of the above! not a very loving segue into tomorrow

revealing your self. . . .reveling in your self. . . .

my sister had these words of encouragement for my child. . . .

I am eager to hear from you because every letter reveals the development of your Self and where you are going. It makes you accountable for yourself to your Self.

possibility vs. probability

the dictionary defines possibility as the potential for favorable or interesting results and probability as the likelihood that a given event will occur

and potential is defined as latent, capable of being but not as yet in existence; while likelihood is defined as the prospect or likeliness of a given event occurring

vastly different words that have been used interchageably, when in fact, possibility is passive & potential is active

more importantly, when faced with a choice, there is always possibility, but it's in our choosing that the potential is kindled

a student of life for life

I was such a rebellious student, I never thought I'd make a good teacher. Turns out it was the perfect breeding ground for me to discover how to connect to an individual's core creativity - reapplying my own path of self-discovery - minus plenty of trial & errors. Thru the tools & techniques it offers, to kindle latent talents & nourish & nurture these into applicable skills.

That started me on my road to being a student of life for life. : ) Now that I'm over here learning & teaching a variety of healing methods, I find myself applying that standardized step-by-step, hands-on system. It sure works wonders!

reclaiming Y-O-U

What have you said about you?

Don’t ask why you haven’t done it, but trust that you want it deeply enough to get it.

The Spiritual Warrior trusts in their BEingness - my behavior & my situation is not who I am - I Am the Master of My Universe.

a piece of one's pie

if life were like a pie. . . .

each time we push the envelope, we expand it. . . .

all our successes, errors & mistakes - as long as we learn from them - contibute to our expansion. . . .

it's only when we're stuck, arguing for our limitations, that we are diminished. . . .

shrinking ourselves & our world

more moments that take your breath away

between the years of 17 & 24 were such a learning, it's a wonder I didn't get the wind knocked out of me

much of what I'd set-up then, are things I'm having to live with today still

I didn't think myself so blessed then, yet today my life is so much richer as a result of those defining moments

last day . . . . yay !

today was the last day of taking my malaria pills - YAY ! ! !

head in a bubble

that's what it feels like since I flew back. . . .blame it on jetlag or the malaria pills. . . .bummer

January 4, 2009 already. . . .WOW!

don't you find that time has accelerated & our lives are unfolding in greater intensity?

hmmm. . . .

ask for guidance from other sources besides your own. . . .

reflect on how you can be an inspiration in your life and others. . . .

Ask some questions:

• If there was no self-limitation or judgment, how can your creative brilliance be expressed?


• If there were no boundaries, what would you create and how would it inspire you & others?


• What ideas and dreams would you like to manifest in 2009?


• How can you make your life more purposeful?

Let go of doubt. Go for it!

Be grateful & show your appreciation in useful ways that inspire & contribute.