Aphorisms from Aa to Zz: Bb July 27, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Gratitude, Humor, Life Balance, Mindfulness.4 comments
Be Here Now
To fully embrace this moment, you must let go of the past.
Future plans and past recollections pale in comparison with this moment.
To attend to the moment is to attend to eternity.
It is only possible to live happily-ever-after on a moment-to-moment basis. ~ Margaret Bonnano
Time mastery is life mastery.
Every moment is a celebration, a miracle, a mystery.
Learn to Just Be. Let life unfold.
Enjoy this moment, it won’t last.
Black & White
Life is not always black and white . . . shades of gray predominate.
What have we missed while labeling things as right or wrong, good or bad, black or white?
Labels, like all else in life, are subjective and change over time.
Absolute certainty is a privilege of uneducated minds and fanatics. ~ C.J. Keyser
Our unique points of view are a gift.
Embrace ALL with Joy . . . Anything can be a Gift of Gold in Disguise.
Blessings
What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner. ~ Colette
Recognize the richness of your existence.
Count your blessings. ~ Adage
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused. ~ Unknown
“It’s all good.” ~ Contemporary Lexicon
Develop an attitude of gratitude.
Breathe
Breathe, smile, relax. ~ Spiritual Practice
Follow your breath. It leads to bliss.
God is the breath inside the breath. ~ Kabir
Even in the stillness, the cosmos swirls. Even when silence reigns, we hear its heartbeat.
Breathe. Just Breathe. ~ Anna Nalick
Buddhism
One of the wonderful things about Buddhism is that you don’t have to believe in anything in order to progress on the path of awakened enlightenment. ~ Lama Surya Das
Buddhism is not a matter of faith. It is a matter of practice. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Try spiritual practice and see for yourself. ~ The Buddha
Buddhism requires on-going application, rather than an initial leap of faith.
Renunciation is the feet of meditation practice; mindfulness and awareness is the heart; faith and devotion is the head. May we realize these spiritual qualities and progress along the path. ~ Mahamudra Song
Instead of trying to control everyone and everything, Buddhists embrace and relinquish all with joy, through acceptance and non-attachment to specific outcomes and desires.
Let go and let be. ~ Buddhist Maxim
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind. ~ Dr. Seuss
Aphorisms from Aa to Zz: Aa July 27, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Mindfulness.8 comments
Acceptance
Accept the things you cannot change. ~ Serenity Prayer
Accept the “What Is.” ~ Rain falls. The sun sets. The “What Is” Is.
Embrace ALL with Joy . . . Anything can be a Gift of Gold in Disguise.
Whether viewed as “good” or “bad” at the time it happened, with enough perspective, “It’s all good.”
Life is good, except for the bad bits (which, in hindsight, often become good bits, too).
Souls don’t break . . . they bounce!
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~ Teddy Roosevelt
Action
Freedom lies in being bold. Do one thing every day that scares you.
The greatest mistake we can make is to be continually fearing that we will make one. ~ Elbert Hubbard
If you aren’t making some mistakes, you aren’t taking enough chances ~ John Sculley
Mistakes left in a work of art record the artist’s magnificent struggle. Except for typos . . . those just show sloppy editing!
If you don’t have the life you want, start making changes . . . because it’s not going to fall in your lap.
Between the wish and the thing, life lies waiting.
It’s amazing the things we find to do . . . to avoid doing amazing things.
Create the life you want to live. Unleash your imagination & let it run wild!
Without freedom, one’s creativity cannot bloom.
Start where you are.
You will recognize your path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need ~ Jerry Gillies
Passion . . . makes it happen!
If you are lacking in attention ~ just make a mistake, and others are sure to notice!
Just start, and the way will appear.
Follow your instincts, intuition, inner wisdom, and see where you end up.
Actions speak louder than words. ~ Adage
Talk is cheap . . . until you hire a lawyer. ~ Contemporary slogan
I will not steep my speech in lies; the test of any man lies in action. ~ Pindar (522 – 433 B.C.)
Apathy is inertia in action ~ nothing goes anywhere.
Anger
How people behave in anger often reveals the truth at their core.
Sometimes words hurled in anger knock people’s “socially acceptable” and “politically correct” masks askew . . . revealing their true faces.
On the Spiritual Path, people who annoy us are our “teachers.” In time, people who can upset us become harder and harder to find.
Attitude
Attitude, not aptitude, determines altitude. Fly high!
Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching? ~ Author Unknown
Laughter prevents hardening of the attitudes. ~ Adage
I think I can. I think I can. ~ The Little Red Engine
Absolute certainty is a privilege of uneducated minds and fanatics. ~ C.J. Keyser
Some people wonder why . . . I wonder, Why Not? ~ JFK
Don’t worry, be happy. ~ Contemporary Lexicon
Authenticity
To thine own self be true. ~ Shakespeare
Know thyself ~ Oracle of Apollo at Delphi, Greece
Don’t worry about what the world wants from you. Focus on what makes you feel more fully alive. What the world really needs are people who are fully alive. ~ Joseph Campbell
Turn the spotlight inward. ~ Gandhi
Seek clarity.
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind. ~ Dr. Seuss
When we are enjoying the journey, we stop worrying about finding our intended audience ~ we trust that our intended audience will find us.
You don’t need a permission slip to live your life.
Always remember that you don’t have to be what they want you to be. ~ Mohammad Ali
If you’re already walking on thin ice ~ why not dance?
Our infinite worth lies beyond all labels.
When you stop trying to impress others, you will discover your infinite worth.
If you don’t do what you love, you’re just wasting your time. ~ Billy Joel
Be authentic. Discard your masks.
You have as many reputations as acquaintances. None is accurate. Be who you want to be.
The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. ~Ayn Rand
Don’t be afraid to let go of your “roles.” You won’t evaporate.
I always wanted to be somebody . . . now I realize I should have been more specific. ~ Lily Tomlin
Awaken to Spirit
Awaken to Spirit, and you will know.
God is the breath inside the breath. ~ Kabir
”What are you ~ a god, an angel, a saint?” “No,” replied The Buddha, “I am A-W-A-K-E.”
There’s no reality except the one contained within us. That’s why so many people live an unreal life. They take images outside them for reality and never allow the world within them to assert itself. ~ Hermann Hesse
Inner calm and peace are always there for the asking.
Inner peace, calm, and clarity are seldom achieved when we look to the Ego for guidance.
In meditation, when the world fades away, we become one with the world.
After enlightenment, the laundry.
In the silence of not doing . . . we begin to know what we feel.
When we meditate . . . the world recedes and we hold infinity in our grasp.
Awareness
Eat when hungry. Sleep when tired. Respect your hunger. Obey your thirst.
Where are you? Here. What time is it? Now. ~ Peaceful Warrior
The easiest way to transform the world is to change your perspective.
The quieter your mind becomes . . . the more you hear.
Allow Spirit to clear out the underbrush of weeds in your mind.
When you have conquered the enemy within, there are no enemies left to conquer.
Barn’s burnt down ~ now I can see the moon. Masahide (1657-1723)
I Know What I Know July 27, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Life Balance, Mindfulness, Music & Dance.4 comments
Love this song . . .
I know what I know
I sing what I said
We come and we go
That’s the thing that I keep in the back of my head
Who am I to blow against the wind?
Only one person remains with you on your journey through life.
I Can See Clearly Now July 27, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Mindfulness, Music & Dance.9 comments
When we still the mind, clarity surfaces. We see how we contributed to our suffering by magnifying the pain in our mind.
We let toxic, negative, counter-productive thoughts drift away. Blue skies return.
Or, maybe, we merely remembered to open our eyes.
Awake and aware, we reclaim power and control, and take the helm.
Why Write? July 27, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Blogging, Spirit & Ego, Writing & Writers.9 comments
Do we write to share an idea, a story, a passion to ignite passion or provoke memory in others?
Or to have our Ego stroked for each bon mot and delightful turn of phrase by pseudo-intellectuals who critique our words liberally?
Do we wish to communicate thoughts, ideas, hopes, and dreams to inspire thoughts, ideas, hopes, and dreams in others?
Or be on the receiving end of endless and empty platitudes by eager writers who hope we will reciprocate in kind?
Did J.K. Rowling create Harry Potter so her audience would admire her way with words and bow down to her genius in creating Dumbledore, Quidditch, and Hogwarts?
Or because she found a story within herself that screamed to be let out?
Do we seek publication because there is something within us that must be shared with a wider audience? Or because we ourselves wish to be seen?
Distilled to its essence: Do we wish to give? Or receive?
