This is my first post in a long while...I just haven't taken the time to write. Then a tragedy happened in my family. I lost my mother. It's been almost two months. It was sudden and completely unexpected. I've been taking my time contemplating what and when to write. I've written drafts, snippits, ran thoughts and ideas through my head, but haven't posted any of it yet. It wasn't the right time. I suppose now is, I just picked up the computer and decided today is the day.
Now...my inspiration to get going again, my "nudge", if you will...
I've been a little more active on Pinterest these last few weeks. Facebook, not so much. Pinterest is more solitary. I have a board that is dedicated to Blogs worth Browsing...I found a pin from a friend, saw that it was from a blog that was just up my alley (sewmanyways.blogspot.com) and on Blogger so I could add it to my reading list, and saw this fantastic idea "Find a Friend Friday" where you can link your blog right there on her blog and search anyone else who has linked up to meet new bloggers. I usually wouldn't do that, I'm still quite new to blogging and mine is not like the others. Although I am crafty, and love to DIY, I have yet to start a blog gearing toward that nature, so I was a little nervous about signing up. But you won't ever know if you don't try, right? Maybe someone might actually read a little of this blog and find a bit of inspiration. So, that's how I decided to get back to writing. I can't very well sign up for "Find a Friend Friday" with a blog that hasn't been written in since January, now can I?
So this is what I've been thinking about...
Since my mom died, I have my own B.C. and A.D.: Before Crisis and After (mom's) Death. Nothing will ever be the same. I haven't really let it all sink in. I've kept myself very busy with taking care of my dad: planning the showing and funeral , finding him a house and getting him moved here near us, getting his finances in order (he had never even seen their checking account), cleaning out their house to sell (still working on that), calling Realtors, the coroner (we're still working with them to get answers), taking dad to his medical appointments (he's a disabled veteran and does not drive), all while taking care of my own family and dealing with the fallout of my 17 year old son not handling his grandmothers death very well (they were very close). I, of course, am not asking for pity, it's just there's been so much to do, I've had a lot of distractions to keep my mind busy. Not always the best idea, I guess. I haven't really dealt with everything the way I should. But I'm getting there. I take it one day at a time. I've recently decided to speak to a grief counselor. I want to make sure I'm handling things in a healthy way. I believe that everything happens as it should when it should if you allow it. That philosophy is a hard one to accept after something like this happens. You question what you've been brought up to believe in, what you've always been taught. The story is always different when it happens to you, whatever it is.
I had been reading a book "Wishes Fulfilled" by Dr. Wayne Dyer. He gave high praises to a book that was written by a woman named Anita Moorjani called "Dying To Be Me" after she had a Near Death Experience. I acknowledged this with curiosity, planning to read it in the near future (though open minded as I am, I am a skeptic by nature) and continued with my book. A little while later, my mom died. After a while when things settled down a little I thought about that book. Alot. I looked it up and purchased it. It brought me such peace when I needed it the most. If you read any of my posts, you will immediately notice that I am not a 'conventional-thinking' person. I realize that what I believe isn't for everyone. I have changed so much over the years, and I will continue to do so. But I respect others for their beliefs and hope that they would bestow that same respect upon me. I think this world is changing. I see it every day. People are becoming less selfish. Thinking deeper. Accepting more. Connecting more. Becoming kinder. It's exciting.
I'm still working through my grief over my mom. It will take a long time. And even though I gained peace about most aspects of it, there are still rough patches to tend to. I will share as much as I can about it, while still musing about other things that are important to me. I also hope that when everything smooths itself out more I can expand my own horizons and start those things I have been putting off for whatever excuse. If I've learned anything from this great loss, it's that you have to do as well as dream. You don't have forever. You can't waste time worrying about what everyone else thinks. As long as you aren't hurting anyone, do what you love. If you can help someone in any way while you do it...all the better. There's nothing wrong with living a life of service. I learned that in the next book I was compelled to read-"The Shift." Halfway through that book I decided to watch the DVD movie of the same title. The information I gained from all of these sources is invaluable to me.
One of my greatest sadnesses about my mother's death came from the fact that she still had things she wanted to do. It wasn't like she was battling an illness. It was a medication issue and it was sudden and unexpected. And she wasn't done living. I'm not saying she didn't live each of her days to the fullest, she was involved in her church and was an avid volunteer. She loved to get out and go. She had just turned 69 and was very active. I'm saying we all need to do what makes us happy. Try to be a little more open minded and a little less condemning. Live an unselfish life. Love to the fullest. Forgive wholeheartedly. Hold your loved ones close and dear. Notice everything around you and enjoy it all. Learn all you can while you can. Choose your battles and decide what it's worth. Judge less. Vow to inspire, and be inspired. After all, we are here to be happy. Sometimes it's hard to think and feel this way especially after a loss, of any kind, and you're feeling lost and confused, maybe even angry. I've been there many times in my life for many different reasons and I'm sure I will be again. I'm human with a human range of emotions. What may be great for me one day could feel like it is falling apart the next. And I'll be writing about it. But I'm learning. And one of the greatest lessons I've learned is to accept myself for who I am. To love myself unconditionally. Nothing can ever be wrong with that. I am so thankful that I was able to receive the things that have come into my life( like Tolle, Hay, Dyer, Williamson, etc) that gave me the peace and clarity I needed when I needed them to start changing my life (2008). If I hadn't, I would be in a totally different place right now. All I needed was to be ready and allow it as it came. I can trust fully that I will get the answers I need when I am ready for them. Everything happens in this Universe perfectly as it should. We may not be happy about all of it, but our reaction to a situation is what gives us pain. We have the ability to choose. Why not choose to be at peace? I wish all of you peace and kindness, and above all...LOVE.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Great article...enjoy!@tinybuddha, 1/23/12 12:49 PM
 Tiny Buddha (@tinybuddha)1/23/12 12:49 PM Change Your Attitude, Change Your Life bit.ly/zwhFoG |
Sent from my iPhone
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right...No Matter How Righteous You Feel
The following is a post I read on Facebook not long ago. The original post, or comment made by Rep. Allen West is the original post of an old acquaintance of mine. What follows are comments from several different people, including that same acquaintance. It is copy and pasted, word for word. I did not change or omit anything that was said. I changed the names, because I would not betray trust or want to embarrass anyone. That is not what I intend to do with this. I just had such a strong reaction to the 'human-ness' of this conversation, I needed to write about it. My intentions are not to judge these people. My opinion is not about these individuals as people, but of my heartache over how people feel about acts such as these, and the fact that it quite possibly represents a lot more of America, of our World, than we realize. I will quote the copied text and follow up with my own words at the end. I had to think about what I wanted to do with this for several days. I just knew I wanted to do something.
"Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), a former Army lieutenant colonel, commenting on the Marines' video:
“I have sat back and assessed the incident with the video of our Marines urinating on Taliban corpses. I do not recall any self-righteous indignation when our Delta snipers Shugart and Gordon had their bodies dragged through ...Mogadishu. Neither do I recall media outrage and condemnation of our Blackwater security contractors being killed, their bodies burned, and hung from a bridge in Fallujah.
“All these over-emotional pundits and armchair quarterbacks need to chill. Does anyone remember the two Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division who were beheaded and gutted in Iraq?
“The Marines were wrong. Give them a maximum punishment under field grade level Article 15 (non-judicial punishment), place a General Officer level letter of reprimand in their personnel file, and have them in full dress uniform stand before their Battalion, each personally apologize to God, Country, and Corps videotaped and conclude by singing the full US Marine Corps Hymn without a teleprompter."
“As for everyone else, unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.”
(end of Rep. Allen West's comment)
(start comment feed)
"(Jake*)He's right... War is hell. However, since when does two wrongs make a right? All of these "right-wing, war mongers" claim to be Christians, well maybe it's time they start acting like it!!!
The U.S.A. is better than this! Just because they do despicable things to us doesn't mean we have to do them back. We should be the "bigger person".
"(Ted*-original poster/acquaintance)Jake this is why we live in AMERICA bro. You have the right to have your own opinion even though I disagree and would piss on their bodies as well. I also served in Kuwait and was a living target. I can forgive BUT I will NEVER forget!!!!!!!!!"
"(Susan*this is who sent Ted this article about Rep. West)My husband has been in the military for 18 years and has been deployed 5 times to both Afghanistan and Iraq..and he has not killed anyone..but trust me, he has ducked and weaved and bobed when those rockets come into their camps, he has also been shot at..AND he has seen the dead bodies of our soldiers as they come through to be shipped back to the US. I would hi five my man if he did it! Just saying!!"
"(Jake*)And I trully do appreciate your service. Trust me, I know it's no fun getting shot at, it's even worse getting hit, but where does it end? If taking a human life isn't enough for you that you have to desecrate the corpse as well then that's just sad."
"(Ted*)Well call me SAD but those men were dead when they were pissed on and many others gut us as well as behead us WHILE WE ARE ALIVE.....................
"(Susan*)I don't believe he is saying that..the taliban are in talks with the us right now and they are trying to use this as leverage..REALLY? U need leverage? After everything you have done to US troops, oh wait..ur own damn people..and other troops as well? What he is trying to say..and what I have interpret it to be saying..is Nothing was said by the Taliban condeming what they have done..Nothing was done to their soldiers when they decided cruel and unusual punishment was ok for our fellow Americans..than you know what..WHY? why should we be worried about what they think? They pee'd on their dead bodies..How many people did they kill before they were killed themselves? These people are NOT for freedom..they are for instilling fear among their people..So Unless you have been there..Shut the hell up!!(not you jake*..ppl in general) We are better than them..there is NO comparison!!"
"(Jake*)I respect your feeling, but still think it makes us (the U.S.) look bad. Since we claim to be superior to everybody else we should set the example. As I said, " be the bigger person."
"(Susan*)It only makes us look bad because of guys were dumb enough to video tape it. I am sure there have been much worse things done in the heat of a battle..by both sides. I think though that there are no consequences when they tape our soldiers being dragged or beheaded. I mean we did not even show the body of Bin Laden..out of "respect" to the muslim world. I personally wanted to see him and see what he has suffered..if that makes me a bad person than so be it. I had family and friends in the WTC..and it was about time!"
"(Ted*)Jake* I respect your point of view and I even respect your right to want to be or appear to be the bigger person. I am QUITE sure you have NEVER been in combat and never had to experience the SEA of emotions that one has when their next breath could be their LAST.......EVERY night you wonder WHO is NOT coming back to camp(because they are dead), WHO is suffering RIGHT NOW because they LIVE to torture us, WHEN you see the bodies of our YOUNG and OLD military getting ready to be shipped home because they died in action and many were desecrated..............TH
"(Jake*)You're right, I never have, and I never will see "combat". In fact I never had the chance to serve as you did, not that I didn't try mind you. I wont bore you with the details as to why I didn't get to fulfill my dream of a military carreer, I'll just agree that I don't know what it's like, and again thank you for your service."
"(Ted*)Jake* thanks for trying 2 understand. Thats more then a lot of people who wont even try 2 understand"
"(Dana*a new commenter)Ted*, with my marine son currently deployed to Afghanistan for his 3rd tour in 3 1/2 years. I do not agree with what the marines did however war is hell and unless you have lived day in day out in a war zone and have been wounded (my son 2x in a month) and watched your fellow marines die. You cannot judge others actions. My heart is in Afghanistan....my tears are here in (her home state*)!"
"(Ted*)I hear you Dana* and my thoughts and prayers are with you. I applaud your son and give him my full support. I know it is hard for most Americans to be okay with it. I am sure a lot of military are NOT ok with those actions. I am."
My first reaction to reading this feed was outrage. But this is not about me judging these people, just the situation. And this is how I feel about the situation of the soldiers urinating on dead bodies and the human reaction it received, at least from this circle of 'friends'. I happen to agree with Jake*. I share his views about two wrongs not making a right. About being the bigger person. I was appalled that this act even happened. I was more appalled that there are people who actually think that heinous acts like this are ok. And that they feel so ok about it that they get defensive, angry and confrontational while justifying something so mind-crushingly horrible! What has ever happened to all or any of our soldiers in the throes of battle since the beginning of war is ugly, unfair, unjustifiable. No matter what those acts upon them were or are. Violence is cruel. It is terrible. It will affect not just the person to whom it is displayed, but many who are connected to the victim. And as we are ALL connected, it is inexcusable. Ugly monstrous acts are damaging to the mind and Spirit of the person who is acting them, and not just to the one being acted upon, and not just to the witnesses.
Then I felt sadness. Seeing people speaking like this makes me sad. Sad for our World, sad for our Country, sad for our Minds. I try to be hopeful that we as a Nation, a global community, a species would be slowly but surely taking steps forward into the brightness of a New World. A New Mindset. Seeing the unconsciousness of some of the people making these comments made me feel a little deflated. Sad. I was shouting inside my head while reading this feed "No! I implore you! Please don't tell me there are people who believe it is justifiable to desecrate a corpse, no matter who it is!"
My next reaction to these comments was fear. I fear for the minds of our children that this type of grotesque situation is becoming so commonplace, or has already become this commonplace, that it is discussed as if it were an everyday heated conversation. That our children, and ourselves, are living in a desensitized world where discussions like this are even necessary. Now, I'm not stupid. I realize that time's, they are a-changin'...we don't live in a perfect world, we haven't in a really long time. And discussions like this about this war have been commonplace for well over 10 years. That's the sign of the times, though I wish it were not. I hope that our world changes, so that the times will change as well. We need that change.
Then, after I thought about all of this for several days (I did not want to react too hastily) I realized that I understood. I still do not endorse hateful, vengeful acts. But I can appreciate how these people feel. I realize all of the awful and hateful things that were done to soldiers stir rageful emotions out of us. I felt them, too. No one wants to see or hear of a soldier (or hopefully, any fellow human being) being tortured, drug through the streets and beheaded. That is some one's husband, father, brother, wife, mother, sister...we can all relate to that. Sadness will overtake us when these things happen. Overwhelming feelings of anger and discontent will swell up and envelope us. Our minds get flooded with these feelings, clouding our judgment. Dragging us into unconsciousness. We are not perfect. We are human. We feel. All of us do, even those we do not understand. But the goal that I hope for is that we start trying a little harder. We find and connect with that inner sanctum that God (whoever that is to you) gave us and use it to be better people. We use it to think before we act/react. That we realize the damage we are doing to ourselves is sometimes far greater than anything anyone else can do to us. You don't have to be any certain way for anyone else. But know that your actions cause reactions. While we are responsible for ourselves, we are also responsible for how we affect others. The changes can be small. I actually saw these "quietings" toward the end of the above comment feed. I could see the calming, the caring, happen. And I realized that this was not something to have outrage over. There was understanding happening there. There is no doubt that we need to change this World. But we must begin the change in each one of ourselves. If you work on yourself, you lead by example. You will shine a ray of hope onto others, you will begin the chain reaction of well-"being".
"Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), a former Army lieutenant colonel, commenting on the Marines' video:
“I have sat back and assessed the incident with the video of our Marines urinating on Taliban corpses. I do not recall any self-righteous indignation when our Delta snipers Shugart and Gordon had their bodies dragged through ...Mogadishu. Neither do I recall media outrage and condemnation of our Blackwater security contractors being killed, their bodies burned, and hung from a bridge in Fallujah.
“All these over-emotional pundits and armchair quarterbacks need to chill. Does anyone remember the two Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division who were beheaded and gutted in Iraq?
“The Marines were wrong. Give them a maximum punishment under field grade level Article 15 (non-judicial punishment), place a General Officer level letter of reprimand in their personnel file, and have them in full dress uniform stand before their Battalion, each personally apologize to God, Country, and Corps videotaped and conclude by singing the full US Marine Corps Hymn without a teleprompter."
“As for everyone else, unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.”
(end of Rep. Allen West's comment)
(start comment feed)
"(Jake*)He's right... War is hell. However, since when does two wrongs make a right? All of these "right-wing, war mongers" claim to be Christians, well maybe it's time they start acting like it!!!
The U.S.A. is better than this! Just because they do despicable things to us doesn't mean we have to do them back. We should be the "bigger person".
"(Ted*-original poster/acquaintance)Jake this is why we live in AMERICA bro. You have the right to have your own opinion even though I disagree and would piss on their bodies as well. I also served in Kuwait and was a living target. I can forgive BUT I will NEVER forget!!!!!!!!!"
"(Susan*this is who sent Ted this article about Rep. West)My husband has been in the military for 18 years and has been deployed 5 times to both Afghanistan and Iraq..and he has not killed anyone..but trust me, he has ducked and weaved and bobed when those rockets come into their camps, he has also been shot at..AND he has seen the dead bodies of our soldiers as they come through to be shipped back to the US. I would hi five my man if he did it! Just saying!!"
"(Jake*)And I trully do appreciate your service. Trust me, I know it's no fun getting shot at, it's even worse getting hit, but where does it end? If taking a human life isn't enough for you that you have to desecrate the corpse as well then that's just sad."
"(Ted*)Well call me SAD but those men were dead when they were pissed on and many others gut us as well as behead us WHILE WE ARE ALIVE.....................
"(Susan*)I don't believe he is saying that..the taliban are in talks with the us right now and they are trying to use this as leverage..REALLY? U need leverage? After everything you have done to US troops, oh wait..ur own damn people..and other troops as well? What he is trying to say..and what I have interpret it to be saying..is Nothing was said by the Taliban condeming what they have done..Nothing was done to their soldiers when they decided cruel and unusual punishment was ok for our fellow Americans..than you know what..WHY? why should we be worried about what they think? They pee'd on their dead bodies..How many people did they kill before they were killed themselves? These people are NOT for freedom..they are for instilling fear among their people..So Unless you have been there..Shut the hell up!!(not you jake*..ppl in general) We are better than them..there is NO comparison!!"
"(Jake*)I respect your feeling, but still think it makes us (the U.S.) look bad. Since we claim to be superior to everybody else we should set the example. As I said, " be the bigger person."
"(Susan*)It only makes us look bad because of guys were dumb enough to video tape it. I am sure there have been much worse things done in the heat of a battle..by both sides. I think though that there are no consequences when they tape our soldiers being dragged or beheaded. I mean we did not even show the body of Bin Laden..out of "respect" to the muslim world. I personally wanted to see him and see what he has suffered..if that makes me a bad person than so be it. I had family and friends in the WTC..and it was about time!"
"(Ted*)Jake* I respect your point of view and I even respect your right to want to be or appear to be the bigger person. I am QUITE sure you have NEVER been in combat and never had to experience the SEA of emotions that one has when their next breath could be their LAST.......EVERY night you wonder WHO is NOT coming back to camp(because they are dead), WHO is suffering RIGHT NOW because they LIVE to torture us, WHEN you see the bodies of our YOUNG and OLD military getting ready to be shipped home because they died in action and many were desecrated..............TH
"(Jake*)You're right, I never have, and I never will see "combat". In fact I never had the chance to serve as you did, not that I didn't try mind you. I wont bore you with the details as to why I didn't get to fulfill my dream of a military carreer, I'll just agree that I don't know what it's like, and again thank you for your service."
"(Ted*)Jake* thanks for trying 2 understand. Thats more then a lot of people who wont even try 2 understand"
"(Dana*a new commenter)Ted*, with my marine son currently deployed to Afghanistan for his 3rd tour in 3 1/2 years. I do not agree with what the marines did however war is hell and unless you have lived day in day out in a war zone and have been wounded (my son 2x in a month) and watched your fellow marines die. You cannot judge others actions. My heart is in Afghanistan....my tears are here in (her home state*)!"
"(Ted*)I hear you Dana* and my thoughts and prayers are with you. I applaud your son and give him my full support. I know it is hard for most Americans to be okay with it. I am sure a lot of military are NOT ok with those actions. I am."
My first reaction to reading this feed was outrage. But this is not about me judging these people, just the situation. And this is how I feel about the situation of the soldiers urinating on dead bodies and the human reaction it received, at least from this circle of 'friends'. I happen to agree with Jake*. I share his views about two wrongs not making a right. About being the bigger person. I was appalled that this act even happened. I was more appalled that there are people who actually think that heinous acts like this are ok. And that they feel so ok about it that they get defensive, angry and confrontational while justifying something so mind-crushingly horrible! What has ever happened to all or any of our soldiers in the throes of battle since the beginning of war is ugly, unfair, unjustifiable. No matter what those acts upon them were or are. Violence is cruel. It is terrible. It will affect not just the person to whom it is displayed, but many who are connected to the victim. And as we are ALL connected, it is inexcusable. Ugly monstrous acts are damaging to the mind and Spirit of the person who is acting them, and not just to the one being acted upon, and not just to the witnesses.
Then I felt sadness. Seeing people speaking like this makes me sad. Sad for our World, sad for our Country, sad for our Minds. I try to be hopeful that we as a Nation, a global community, a species would be slowly but surely taking steps forward into the brightness of a New World. A New Mindset. Seeing the unconsciousness of some of the people making these comments made me feel a little deflated. Sad. I was shouting inside my head while reading this feed "No! I implore you! Please don't tell me there are people who believe it is justifiable to desecrate a corpse, no matter who it is!"
My next reaction to these comments was fear. I fear for the minds of our children that this type of grotesque situation is becoming so commonplace, or has already become this commonplace, that it is discussed as if it were an everyday heated conversation. That our children, and ourselves, are living in a desensitized world where discussions like this are even necessary. Now, I'm not stupid. I realize that time's, they are a-changin'...we don't live in a perfect world, we haven't in a really long time. And discussions like this about this war have been commonplace for well over 10 years. That's the sign of the times, though I wish it were not. I hope that our world changes, so that the times will change as well. We need that change.
Then, after I thought about all of this for several days (I did not want to react too hastily) I realized that I understood. I still do not endorse hateful, vengeful acts. But I can appreciate how these people feel. I realize all of the awful and hateful things that were done to soldiers stir rageful emotions out of us. I felt them, too. No one wants to see or hear of a soldier (or hopefully, any fellow human being) being tortured, drug through the streets and beheaded. That is some one's husband, father, brother, wife, mother, sister...we can all relate to that. Sadness will overtake us when these things happen. Overwhelming feelings of anger and discontent will swell up and envelope us. Our minds get flooded with these feelings, clouding our judgment. Dragging us into unconsciousness. We are not perfect. We are human. We feel. All of us do, even those we do not understand. But the goal that I hope for is that we start trying a little harder. We find and connect with that inner sanctum that God (whoever that is to you) gave us and use it to be better people. We use it to think before we act/react. That we realize the damage we are doing to ourselves is sometimes far greater than anything anyone else can do to us. You don't have to be any certain way for anyone else. But know that your actions cause reactions. While we are responsible for ourselves, we are also responsible for how we affect others. The changes can be small. I actually saw these "quietings" toward the end of the above comment feed. I could see the calming, the caring, happen. And I realized that this was not something to have outrage over. There was understanding happening there. There is no doubt that we need to change this World. But we must begin the change in each one of ourselves. If you work on yourself, you lead by example. You will shine a ray of hope onto others, you will begin the chain reaction of well-"being".
Sunday, January 1, 2012
I found this tweet right after my last post. See?
| Tiny Buddha (@tinybuddha) 1/1/12 1:12 PM The Courage to Accept Your Own Beauty bit.ly/tJ1OwI |
Sent from my iPhone
It's time to take the power back...
You know what, everybody? It's time to do things right. Stop making excuses. This is your world, it is what you make of it. You have the power to make the changes necessary for your dreams to come true. If you think that this is easy for me to say, you'd be wrong. All of mine haven't yet. I feel, not even close sometimes...but I'm working on it. And I'm seeing the results. Every moment is another step closer. And I've learned patience. And that gives me peace of mind. I know that what I want, what I need is being developed.
Put all the harrowing, daunting, big picture ideals aside and don't get distracted by the solid form ideas of others, and what they tell you is the right way to do or live.
Focus on the abstract ideas of what you want to do. Look at the small picture.
Dont get overwhelmed with all the multiple tasks it might take to get there. We get so caught up in what all we have to do, we don't get to enjoy the dreaming we need to do of what we want. The worrying only makes more worry. And pain. The dreaming is what brings it all into fruition. The dreaming is what motivates us to act on behalf of ourselves, because dreaming alone does not get the job done. The Universe, like a genie, is probably not going to produce whatever you want out of thin air, unlike what is taught in a very popular book and dvd. I wish it did. But, if it did, what lessons would we learn? We need the bad times as well as good, as much as I hate to say it, otherwise we have no mistakes to live by. Our journey here, I believe, is to learn all we can to reach our highest potential. We act, mess up, learn and fix it until we get it right. I know, it sucks, sometimes...ok, alot. But, it's how we look at it that is the difference. How you react to whatever situation youre having can either cause pain or peace. I know people hate being told this type of message. I did, too. I have gone in and out of my feelings about life alot lately. But I know what I keep coming back to. To this realization: This is what is right for me, right now. There is more out there than what we see with our eyes, what we perceive with our minds. We just have to pull back the veil and look a little closer. It's work. Some aren't ready for this kind of work. It's nonsense to most. A namby-pamby waste of time. But once you do a little, you're on your way. You have a realization that you are in charge. Of yourself and what happens to you. That's a better feeling than obtaining material objects. But...once you become in charge of yourself, everything will start to fall into place. I can say this because I know, I've been going through these realizations for about 3 years. It doesn't happen overnight.
But it happens. Why not try it? See what comes of it. You are responsible for your own happiness. Give it to yourself, you deserve it.
Put all the harrowing, daunting, big picture ideals aside and don't get distracted by the solid form ideas of others, and what they tell you is the right way to do or live.
Focus on the abstract ideas of what you want to do. Look at the small picture.
Dont get overwhelmed with all the multiple tasks it might take to get there. We get so caught up in what all we have to do, we don't get to enjoy the dreaming we need to do of what we want. The worrying only makes more worry. And pain. The dreaming is what brings it all into fruition. The dreaming is what motivates us to act on behalf of ourselves, because dreaming alone does not get the job done. The Universe, like a genie, is probably not going to produce whatever you want out of thin air, unlike what is taught in a very popular book and dvd. I wish it did. But, if it did, what lessons would we learn? We need the bad times as well as good, as much as I hate to say it, otherwise we have no mistakes to live by. Our journey here, I believe, is to learn all we can to reach our highest potential. We act, mess up, learn and fix it until we get it right. I know, it sucks, sometimes...ok, alot. But, it's how we look at it that is the difference. How you react to whatever situation youre having can either cause pain or peace. I know people hate being told this type of message. I did, too. I have gone in and out of my feelings about life alot lately. But I know what I keep coming back to. To this realization: This is what is right for me, right now. There is more out there than what we see with our eyes, what we perceive with our minds. We just have to pull back the veil and look a little closer. It's work. Some aren't ready for this kind of work. It's nonsense to most. A namby-pamby waste of time. But once you do a little, you're on your way. You have a realization that you are in charge. Of yourself and what happens to you. That's a better feeling than obtaining material objects. But...once you become in charge of yourself, everything will start to fall into place. I can say this because I know, I've been going through these realizations for about 3 years. It doesn't happen overnight.
But it happens. Why not try it? See what comes of it. You are responsible for your own happiness. Give it to yourself, you deserve it.
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Happy New Year!
My hope for the coming year is for everyone to have peace. Real peace...in themselves, in each other and in their lives. For you all to be able to do what makes you happy and successfully change what needs to be changed in your lives to become happy. To live satisfied, joyful, prosperous lives and to be a beacon of hope to yourselves and to others. I would like to see us all try for kindness and find success in all of our endeavors. I wish everyone Love and Happiness in the New Year.
Nanette Stein
12/31/2011
Nanette Stein
12/31/2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
@Nanettestein13, 12/30/11 11:44 PM
 Nanette Stein (@Nanettestein13)12/30/11 11:44 PM "There are so many beautiful things out there...why not be one of them?" --nanette stein |
Sent from my iPhone
How to find Enlightenment in the most unlikely of places
I just watched American History X. If you've never seen it, it's rough, but worth a watch. It's about extreme racism that is unfortunately not so extreme any longer. It's a movie about mainstream problems with race and twisted ideas born from anger, frustration and ignorance. The story is rough, but it has a definite message, you have to be objective and wait it out. It shows one side more than the other at times, but both are represented, I think. Both sides of the sickness of everyone insisting that they are right and the other is wrong. Both sides of the hatred. In each other. In themselves. While I watch this movie, I see the sickness. It makes me sad. But by the end you find a bit of that ray of hope. That people can change. That something can awaken in everyone. That bonds can be forged in the most unlikely of places. Knowledge of this kind of hatred out there makes my soul ache for mankind. But the healing that happens throughout, the enlightening moments, give a ray of hope. Even with the bitter ending that leaves you feeling saddened and wronged and like the cycle continues, you can start the change by asking yourself
"has anything you've done made your life better?" and begin there. With you.
"has anything you've done made your life better?" and begin there. With you.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
My Daily Realization
It really is important and beneficial to be in the now. To stay in the present moment and not anticipate what is to come or give power to the past. You really do eliminate your pain when you just remain in the now and not harm yourself with worries of what's to come or regrets of what already has been done.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Wishing upon stars is not just for children...
I haven't written anything in my blog in a while because I've been dealing with some personal internal struggles lately. Months go by and you don't realize how much time has passed. You get so caught up in your problems, your situations. It's on my mind constantly that I need to sort it out, write about it. Maybe someone else out there will read it and be touched by it, that it will help them or help myself by getting it all out. I don't want to lose hope. I don't want to lose faith...in myself, or the Powers That Be. It's just a struggle, sometimes, to be able to sort your thoughts and feelings when there are so many of them to sort through. Then, the other night, on the way to work (I drive in a pretty dark area, and at a certain point I have a large open sky ahead of me) I Saw a "falling star." Now, I realize that it was not actually a star that I was seeing, but a meteorite, a bit of space debris, burning up in the atmosphere as it plummeted to Earth. It was still a beautiful and magical thing to behold. I had just happened to be cresting a hill and there was a lot of sky in front of me, and there it fell. I was very big, very bright. It fell for so long that I actually started to think it might just touch the ground. It was a moment that made me realize that I need to take the time to go over all the things I should be grateful and thankful for, all the things I could still hope for.
When you are a child and see a shooting star, you make a wish. So, I pondered over all my many wishes I would like to see into fruition, but it also reminded me, in that moment, to be grateful for all that I already have. I try to do that as often as I can remember, but my memory has failed me recently. And in that very moment I saw another falling star. It wasn't as bright, and it didn't fall as long as the first, but it was in the same spot. That almost never happens. And, of course, in the back of my mind I thought that if I saw more, that this is either a meteor shower I didn't know about, or that something else was happening...
I saw no more shooting stars that night, though I kept watch as best as I could while driving. The sky was very clear. It was quite cold out. I saw a planet, Venus probably, twinkling brightly in the sky. Whatever the atmosphere was doing that night, it was making this planet twinkle with such clarity. Blue, red, yellow.
It was a pretty enjoyable drive to work, as I was able to focus on my hopes and dreams, thanks to these celestial events.
What I give thanks for now, in retrospect, is the opportunity that I was given to become more centered, more grounded. To realize that we need to remember to be grateful every day, even in the midst of our hard times. We get too wrapped up in our own heads. I try to remember that I need to not get too wrapped up in myself so that I don't lose sight of what I should be doing each day. I try to always live by the tenet that 'things' don't matter. Belongings don't matter. I try to remember the words that I have read that have really resonated with me, that have helped me so much along my journey. The things that have helped me to figure out what my life is supposed to be. One of those tenets that I had learned is that...even if everything disappeared, all of my belongings, all of that 'stuff' we accumulate, even if it all went away, I could still be at peace. I may not be entirely happy about it, but I could be at peace, because I would still be the Being that I always have been. That can't go away.
I read in a book once, and this has become a popular saying now as I've seen it pop up more frequently, that "we are not human beings having a Spiritual experience, we are Spiritual beings having a human experience." As much as I hate overstated, cliche-type sayings, I feel that this one is appropriate enough to mention.
That's what I try to remember. That we need to separate ourselves from our human experiences once in a while and remember what we actually are. That our 'things', our 'titles', even our families, do not define who we are. And in the middle of my turmoil that I had been trying to sort through, a piece of that turmoil has been worry over the fact that I have not been blogging and writing down thoughts and feelings, and that I might lose that which I have been trying to obtain and retain: Creativity and Thoughtfulness.
I had wanted to start this blog so that I could have something every day that I could tap into that would help me to remember what's important. Gratitude, Thankfulness, Love, Thoughtfulness, Spirituality, Kindness, Compassion, the ability to take blinders off to the world around me. To be Present.
So, I'm glad that I saw the two 'falling stars' as they were ending their journey. I thank the Universe for throwing those right into my atmosphere, right in front of my eyes--to help me to remember to continue beginning mine.
When you are a child and see a shooting star, you make a wish. So, I pondered over all my many wishes I would like to see into fruition, but it also reminded me, in that moment, to be grateful for all that I already have. I try to do that as often as I can remember, but my memory has failed me recently. And in that very moment I saw another falling star. It wasn't as bright, and it didn't fall as long as the first, but it was in the same spot. That almost never happens. And, of course, in the back of my mind I thought that if I saw more, that this is either a meteor shower I didn't know about, or that something else was happening...
I saw no more shooting stars that night, though I kept watch as best as I could while driving. The sky was very clear. It was quite cold out. I saw a planet, Venus probably, twinkling brightly in the sky. Whatever the atmosphere was doing that night, it was making this planet twinkle with such clarity. Blue, red, yellow.
It was a pretty enjoyable drive to work, as I was able to focus on my hopes and dreams, thanks to these celestial events.
What I give thanks for now, in retrospect, is the opportunity that I was given to become more centered, more grounded. To realize that we need to remember to be grateful every day, even in the midst of our hard times. We get too wrapped up in our own heads. I try to remember that I need to not get too wrapped up in myself so that I don't lose sight of what I should be doing each day. I try to always live by the tenet that 'things' don't matter. Belongings don't matter. I try to remember the words that I have read that have really resonated with me, that have helped me so much along my journey. The things that have helped me to figure out what my life is supposed to be. One of those tenets that I had learned is that...even if everything disappeared, all of my belongings, all of that 'stuff' we accumulate, even if it all went away, I could still be at peace. I may not be entirely happy about it, but I could be at peace, because I would still be the Being that I always have been. That can't go away.
I read in a book once, and this has become a popular saying now as I've seen it pop up more frequently, that "we are not human beings having a Spiritual experience, we are Spiritual beings having a human experience." As much as I hate overstated, cliche-type sayings, I feel that this one is appropriate enough to mention.
That's what I try to remember. That we need to separate ourselves from our human experiences once in a while and remember what we actually are. That our 'things', our 'titles', even our families, do not define who we are. And in the middle of my turmoil that I had been trying to sort through, a piece of that turmoil has been worry over the fact that I have not been blogging and writing down thoughts and feelings, and that I might lose that which I have been trying to obtain and retain: Creativity and Thoughtfulness.
I had wanted to start this blog so that I could have something every day that I could tap into that would help me to remember what's important. Gratitude, Thankfulness, Love, Thoughtfulness, Spirituality, Kindness, Compassion, the ability to take blinders off to the world around me. To be Present.
So, I'm glad that I saw the two 'falling stars' as they were ending their journey. I thank the Universe for throwing those right into my atmosphere, right in front of my eyes--to help me to remember to continue beginning mine.
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