Generosity …

Reading from the book, Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn:

WhereverYouGoThereYouAre

Such is the power of mindful, selfless generosity. At the deepest level, there is no giver, no gift, and no recipient … only the universe rearranging itself.

This quote struck me at my core. We – all of us – are part of the Universe, part of all that is in the cosmos. We are part of humankind, part of this amazing planet Earth that we call home, part of the evolution of consciousness and matter. We are part – among – connected. We arrived with nothing and we will leave behind all that we have used on the journey. And along the way, haven’t we simply been part of the Universe in constant motion: rearranging, creating, destroying, evolving, learning, growing, holding on, letting go?

What if, along the way in this journey of life, we practiced mindful, selfless generosity from an awareness that all is one? 

Might we approach today with:

How am I to support the Universe today?
What generous rearranging is mine to facilitate?
How am I to lend my life energy to the greater whole?

And since all is one, I must be aware that I am not alone and ask:

How is the Universe rearranging to support me?

What if it’s just a mirage?

I woke up after disturbed sleep and noticed depression, confusion and busy brain in my being. I selected a card to guide my inner connection time:

LookingForward4By6

The first thing I noticed was that there was a new chapter, new life, something more “around the bend”. This was both something to look forward to and something I couldn’t yet see.  How could I get *there* with my mental state blocking my view?

When I turned the card over, my eyes settled on this question:

What is just a mirage?

What if the current stream of thought, the current feeling of depression was just a mirage? If so, then it doesn’t really exist! What would I do, how would I proceed, if it wasn’t there?

And in that instant, I was free. I was free to choose to move forward in this day rather than deal with the depression or figure out what was wrong. And here I am, writing to you!

What about you:

What seems to be blocking your next move?
What if it is just a mirage?

What is truly possible right now?

(*) Click HERE for more questions from the Looking Forward card.

Just this …

Reading from the book, The Call, by Oriah Mountain Dreamer:
TheCall

… The task is to just pack the box or just type these words or just speak to the service person on the phone in this moment, all the while keeping one part of my attention on the spacious stillness within. …

Just this. No multitasking, trying to do three things at one. Yes, you know. You talk on the phone, fold laundry, and respond to the question from a family member that is being mouthed to you so as not to disturb your phone call. Really????

I’ve done it — many times. Yet when I practice single-tasking, just this, I am more open, connected, at ease. I feel the spacious stillness that Oriah wrote about. I am present and have so much more available to the task or the creation or the person who sits across from me.

Today, give yourself the gift of just this. Notice what tries to steal you away from the practice: thoughts, plans, fears, worries, unfinished business. Notice and set them aside – over and over and over as needed! Come back to just this.

What is the impact of just this?

No one gets to be wrong!

Imagine how this one idea might transform your relationships:

No one gets to be wrong!

Imagine:

  • conversations where the goal wasn’t to discover who is right but, rather, to connect, converse, share ideas
  • seeking to align rather than agree, discern what combination of possibilities lands in win-win or in mutual respect and agreeing to disagree in love

How many fewer verbal battles would we be part of?
How much more patience and acceptance might we experience?
How much more might we be open to?

What might life include when we aren’t so busy making others wrong?

The purpose of Vision …

… is not to attain it, but rather to let it be a bright star shining in the distance that guides us every step of the way.

star

I have heard that if one’s vision is attainable, it isn’t big enough. As I write that, I suspect that those who have made a practice of visioning, never attain it in part because their vision is big. I also think that those who value the art of visioning see the light at the end of the tunnel. As they see their vision nearing manifestation, they hear an inner calling – they hear the call to vision – again. And they do it. Such persons live a beautiful and expansive life where the vision invites them to grow and the vision, itself, grows as they grow!

What vision is calling you forward?
How will you know when it’s time for your vision to grow?