Tag Archives: Inner peace

Awakening to the Present: Unveiling Life’s Infinite Possibilities

Poetic potpourri

In the present moment, I find my bliss,
Where worries fade, and time dismiss.
No past regrets, no future fears,
Just now, serene, as it appears.

Embrace the now, let go of the past,
Each breath a treasure, meant to last.
Unburdened by what lies ahead,
I seize the moment, no time to dread.

The beauty unfolds, in every detail,
Nature’s symphony, a vibrant trail.
A dance of senses, a mindful embrace,
The present moment, my sacred space.

No longer lost in thoughts gone astray,
I savor the present, each passing day.
For life’s true essence, I’ve come to see,
Resides in the present, where I’m free.

So let us cherish this God’s gift we possess,
The present moment, a timeless caress.
Inhale its fragrance, let worries release,
Live fully now, and find inner peace.

View original post

Leave a comment

Filed under Being and Feeling, Lifestyle, Poetry - Poems, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs

Working in a garden…

Purplerays

    .

    Working in the garden . . . gives me a profound feeling of inner peace. Nothing here is in a hurry. There is no rush toward accomplishment, no blowing of trumpets. Here is the great mystery of life and growth. Everything is changing, growing, aiming at something, but silently, unboastfully, taking its time.
    ~ Ruth Stout

    ~ Art by Lucy Grossmith.

            Text and image source: The Garden of Pensiveness https://www.facebook.com/367268523352486/posts/pfbid02TpTHG8ZnmULR6vvjj6qAJdj6TqX2wK7JQMWAdyeyqbXQ6teH7QR9KrUmB89CxvV8l/

            View original post

            Leave a comment

            Filed under Ecological affairs, Nature, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Welfare matters

            Learning to ignore things

            °
            Learning to ignore things
            is one of the most important paths
            to inner peace.
            ~ Robert J. Sawyer
            °

             

            Leave a comment

            Filed under Being and Feeling, Knowledge & Wisdom, Lifestyle, Positive thoughts, Quotations or Citations, Social affairs, Welfare matters

            How can we help ourselves and others find better ways to respond to anxiety?

            Elisha Goldstein is a psychologist and author who combines traditional psychotherapy with mindfulness to achieve mental and emotional healing. Elisha teaches people to find space in moments of anxiety or overwhelm, and offers practical strategies to calm anxious minds, transform negative emotions and facilitate greater self acceptance, freedom and inner peace.

            At this event, Elisha will share how you can use his “Now Effect” strategies to handle difficult emotions and situations and train your brain to recognise the ‘mind traps’ we set ourselves. By taking time to compassionately observe our physical reactions to stressful situations, we can redirect difficult emotions, find greater focus and feel more empowered and in control of our lives.

            > Transforming Anxiety – with Elisha Goldstein
            Tues 25 May – Online via Zoom
            7pm UK time (see your time zone here)
            Tickets: Open to all with optional donation

            Leave a comment

            Filed under Announcement, Being and Feeling

            Believe me! Everything is Possible

            Once on our way in life we are confronted with lots of things, of which some seem difficult to tackle or which are disturbing us.

            All of us search for the better life and have their goal put on marvellous things we dream of. Many people think a good life and happiness lies in gathering wealth, but they are mistaken.
            Many think they have to look for luck by others around them and think the world can offer them peace within. They do hope to achieve great success, and some even can do so but in the end do not feel very happy. Several who seem to have reached the top within themself do not feel really satisfied or fulfilled despite becoming a multi-millionaire or a star. Oh, so many go looking for luck and happiness too far away out.

            Too many people do forget that answers should be found within themself, becoming self-aware and having the right spiritual goal.

            It might not always easy to accept we failed in something. But we should come to understand we better learn from any failure and go on avoiding it in the future by not falling in the same trap or by not choosing the wrong direction.

            Lots of people do not want to know they are created in the image of their Maker. The majority of the world population even does not want to accept such Eternal Spirit Being would exist. But if they would learn more about Him and read His Words, they would be able to find the most valuable Guide for life (in His given Word: the Bible). That century assembly of books gives enough wisdom to mankind to find the best way to live and shows the path to true happiness.

            *

            To remember

            • Failure =/= failure < > brings a lot of experience + maturity in our brain and mind set = > a way towards success.
            • willpower matters a lot
            • believe in yourself + never give up > you “can do it”.
            • Think Positive
            • Trust in Hard Work
            • Set your goal > set a milestone for yourself.  Every target and milestone has some requirements = think, find the story, model them, and then try to better them
            • empower your will power with greatness you have achieved in your life.

            3 Comments

            Filed under Being and Feeling, Knowledge & Wisdom, Lifestyle, Positive thoughts, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Social affairs, Welfare matters

            Window 190 – The door to our truth, can only be opened from within

            A Window Of Wisdom

            photo(148)

            “When we are unable to face the truth of our own feelings, we will vent our emotional pain upon anyone that goes against what we are trying to control, due to the exhaustion of representing our self as the truth, we wish we could be.”

             True freedom can only be felt when we stop concealing our thoughts, desires, and beliefs, and stop pretending to be someone we are not, or pleasing others out of fear; for when our truth is spoken, our spirit emerges, and our fear becomes void, to which freedom of our true self takes flight.

            ~ WOW ~

            View original post

            3 Comments

            Filed under Being and Feeling, Knowledge & Wisdom, Lifestyle, Quotations or Citations, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Welfare matters

            Trouble in my brain

            Who does not want to be loved? Who is not longing for attention, recognition, acknowledgement and for being recognised as a human being, to be seen and heard and why not for receiving a hug?

            E.T.'s blog

            I’m so confused.
            There’s a big mess in my head.
            I don’t know where to start and where to end.
            There’s no problem in my life.
            The only problems are made by me.
            I’ve got no big threats against my life.
            Then why is my brain fried?
            Problems are problems, if you give them the space to be problems.
            Because the only one recognizing those problems, is you.
            It’s your brain telling you there’s a problem, but when is it really one?
            My brain is fried with problems.
            Or aren’t they such things?
            Are they just thoughts, which pass my mind too many at the same time, so that I can’t see which one is which anymore?
            I can’t differentiate between them.
            I want things but do I have the right to?
            I’m aware of my past and my failures.
            I try to stop myself from doing weird things.
            But…

            View original post 1,147 more words

            3 Comments

            Filed under Being and Feeling, Lifestyle, Welfare matters

            Detachment by Family problems

            In the previous article Liza Borstlap writes

            I came to believe that the conflict in my family had created itself.

            It would be lovely if we all could grow up in very close lovely families which can give us everything we need. Though it does not work that way. The world is not made in such a way that all can be born at the right good place, in the right good class, receiving all the good education or even being all very bright.

            First Lady Michelle Obama reads "The Cat ...

            First Lady Michelle Obama reads “The Cat in the Hat” to children in Ms. Mattie’s class at Prager Child Development Center March 12, during her visit to Fort Bragg, N.C. The First Lady spoke with Soldiers and Family members as part of her initiative to care for military families. First Lady vows support for military families (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

            Even when all the material richness would be there when you are born in a rich family it does not mean you will find the luck to have a good relationship between all the members of that family.

            Wherever we may be born in whatever for family we are just part of one big turmoil. Every day, people’s lives are touched by political, social, economic, and religious conflicts that tear the human family apart. In these conflicts, it is common for people to take sides — verbally or otherwise — with the nation, tribe, language group, or social class of which they are a part.
            Even when people are not directly involved in some conflict, they often find themselves favouring one side over another. But regardless of which person or cause they endorse, to whom are they really giving support?

            The Bible plainly states:

            The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19)

            Families are not always such perfect units that shields the individual from a cruel society. Mostly we do find that in those families where there are no rules and morals and no eye for ethics the chances of getting derailed are grater than in religious families where certain religious rules go over the human will.

            We must come to see we too can often be the cause of a problem. We too can be making problems even bigger than they are. Also by becoming indifferent for what goes on we can get ourselves in a deeper mess than we would love to see ourselves. Indifference in the end shall create emotional agitation and stress which shall become so unbearable that the person shall find no inner peace left. Danger then is that one tries to look for detachment, thinking it can preserve the self.

            Another big problem is when people are not open enough to tell each-other what is on their liver. When not willing to let yourself be seen by the other like you are, you are that other person not giving the opportunity to get to know you, like you are really. It is by not having the open spirit to allow each other to be him or herself that restrictions are also laid on each other. When people than start remaining silent about the interference, the neglect, the labelling and toxic in-fighting, that often leaves a person with a limp and the frustration may ferment the malfunction in the own body as well as in the facility of being part of one united family.

            It is not by secretly covering our own failures and mishaps until we can identify the black sheep that can take the blame, that we are going to come to a good solution. The opposite, that will bring us deeper in the well.

            Deep in us may we find it screwing and tormenting. Our head can becoming spinning and looking for answers, but not seeing the places where those answers are easy to pick up. This deep-seated conflict between the desire to know and the inability to find the answer has tormented thinkers and philosophers throughout the ages. However, since God has put that yearning or desire in our heart, is it not logical to look to him to provide what is needed to satisfy that desire? After all, the Bible says of Jehovah:

            “You are opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16)

            For all those conflict which are between the family members, those persons should come to see what binds them, what makes it that they are brother and sister and that their is something in their blood which is more than special, even unique.

            Even when we do feel so much hurt by our own family members, we should come over the point of being selfish and come to see that we can be a necessary link to heal the wounds made previously.

            Being kind to those in our family involves following the admonition of the apostle Paul:

            “Really put them all away from you, wrath, anger, badness, abusive speech, and obscene talk out of your mouth.”

            Every day, Christian families should communicate with one another in a respectful manner. Why? Because good communication is the lifeblood of strong, healthy families. When disagreements arise, to smooth the conflict, try to solve the problem rather than win the argument. Happy family members make an earnest effort to promote kindness and consideration for one another. — Colossians 3:8, 12-14.

            By turning to God’s Word, the Bible, we can find satisfying explanations about life and death and about God’s eternal purpose regarding the earth and the human family. — Ephesians 3:11.

            Kindness is positive and makes us want to do good to others. Thus, we seek to be useful, considerate, and helpful in an agreeable manner with other family members. It takes both individual and collective effort to show the type of kindness that speaks well of a family. As a result, not only will they have God’s blessing but, in the congregation and in the community, they will honour the God of kindness, Jehovah. — 1 Peter 2:12.

            When frustrated, when in conflict with members of the family it would be best to seek Biblical advice and to put your own “self” not in the centre but alongside all others in the family. By going to look for answers in the Holy Scriptures solutions may be found. Even when others do not want to know of God, you yourself will be able to change so much that your improved attitude shall be helpful to heal the wounds.

            Seeing all the conflicts around us we also should try to become part of them. Best we take on a form of neutrality. Taking care of not to become misled with what is going on around us we should show others the other way to come closer to each other and to have agapé love.

            We ourselves should know that our time on earth is limited and that we should make the best of it. Our hope should be in the coming new world, and it is that idea that we should share with those around us. Our task is to come up for others and to protect them, but we must know that we can not take them or ourselves out of this world. (John 17:15, 16) We live in this world and have to live with it, but that does not mean we have to live according to it. No, we have to live according to God’s Law and by following His word many blessings may come over us already in this life. By not wanting to be part of this world, but by being part of God’s world we shall find ways to bring the love of Christ over unto others as well and then the love of Christ may also grow deeper in us.  .

            +

            Preceding articles:

            When you stay in your lane, there’s no traffic.

            Family happiness and little things we do

            Families with four or more kids most happiest

            .under the gazebo.

            How to Raise a Happy Child

            Crisis man needed in this world

            Dissolve The Barriers You Created

            What is important?

            Learning that stuff is just stuff

            72 Synod Fathers on the topic “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the contemporary world”

            ++

            Additional reading

            1. Behold, My mother and My brothers!
            2. Importance of parents 1
            3. Importance of parents 2
            4. Father and motherhood
            5. Youngsters, parents and the search to root in life
            6. Some one or something to fear #4 Families and Competition
            7. Teach children the Bible
            8. Poverty and conservative role patterns
            9. Dignified role for the woman
            10. Connection between women and environmental sustainability
            11. Three years ago and look back at several decennials ago
            12. Growing rift between observant parents and their children
            13. Synod of Bishops concerning minors
            14. Two synods and life in the church community
            15. Need to Embrace People Where They Are
            16. Conclusion of the synod of bishops for seeing the family in the light of the Gospel and church tradition
            17. Don’t be the weakest link
            18. I’m not a Mooch
            19. Patience is the ability to count down before blasting off
            20. Agape, a love to share with others from the Fruit of the Spirit
            21. Better loaves when the heart is joyous
            22. Jehovah’s Witnesses Shunning ex-members adverse effects on family relationships
            23. Agape, a love to share with others from the Fruit of the Spirit

            +++

            Further reading

            1. Conflict: Understanding Suspense
            2. Understanding others
            3. Understanding between religions
            4. Urges
            5. Subconflict, and Lots of It
            6. Fighting words: The role of conflict in fiction writing.
            7. No one listening? Then stop shouting, you might get heard
            8. The Rise and Fall of Action – for all levels
            9. Never Doubt Yourself
            10. Remembering Infinity: Caution…Egos at Work!
            11. Follow your heart when it’s in conflict with your brain!!!
            12. Can the World Bank Reduce Conflict in Nigeria by Providing Social Assistance?
            13. I Find my self conflicted
            14. Governance in a Mature Society, Part 2
            15. Communicating With Family – How to Let a Family Member Know They Hurt You
            16. Blessings and Duct Tape: How to Help Your Kids Get Along
            17. Stand Firm
            18. Hope For Battle Weary Mamas
            19. Family Conflict and Summer: The Best Time To Work Out Issues
            20. The father-child meeting
            21. The Problem With Beliefs
            22. Fighting With Your Spouse: How You Indirectly Effect Your Child
            23. 6 Tips for Handling Family Conflicts While Caregiving
            24. 10 Things You Need To Hear If Your Significant Other And Your Family Don’t Get Along
            25. Hurt People Hurt People
            26. Divorce: Part 1
            27. Divorce: Part 2, the minor problem
            28. Their’s Was A Perpetual Love Affair
            29. Depression: Postpartum Depression in Mothers
            30. Personality: The Birth Order Effect
            31. Frustration
            32. Finding Home
            33. The Very Best Way To Understand Grace
            34. Just like Granny told you, “Count your blessings!”

            +++

            2 Comments

            Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Being and Feeling, Crimes & Atrocities, Lifestyle, Social affairs, Welfare matters

            How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace

            Lots of people wonder why they live and have to struggle so much. More people do think they can enrich their life with several gadgets and do think when they live without caring about the rest they may enjoy it most.

            The materialistic mind shall not find peace and a state of peace is far away from those who only think about themselves.

            We should not go to try to find meaning behind every bit and piece of the day. We should be aware that we do live in a time system which shall always be imperfect. No government shall be sufficient to bring everything all right for every body. Only the governing system that shall come after World War III or Armageddon shall bring relief. though we do not know when that final point of the world-system would come, at the time that the master rabbi Jeshua (Jesus Christ) will return, we can already work on a better system to take into account every creature and to give it the full respect it deserves.

            The world is created out of chaos and the void but got turned over by mankind and filled with a lot of rubbish, trash defiling nature. In case we work at it to get again some order we also will find a better way of living.

            Peace is in every bodies hand. It is there to make easily when the person wants to put aside his own individual egoism. when we let go of all the bothering things, the struggles we have in us and we do encounter each day, than we shall find ‘soulavement’ mitigation of all inner and outer pains, alleviation of ‘ourselves’.

            It was material desire and greed which brought sin in the world. This materialism has grown unto unseen proportion; But this also means we are coming closer to the end times and to the point that some may think there is reached the point of no return, but at the other hand where is reached the point that more people their eyes shall be opened and who will find the way to a better life, making the relation of the in God’s image created human being back into a good relation with the rest of the creation.

            +

            Preceding articles:

            Less… is still enough

            Less for more

            ++

            Additional reading:

            1. Fear, struggles, sadness, bad feelings and depression
            2. Finding Beauty Amongst the Trash
            3. Watch out
            4. What Are You Seeking?
            5. A bird’s eye and reflecting from within
            6. Walking in the Light of Life
            7. True happiness, love and perfection
            8. Getting fate in your change to positiveness
            9. Lose a little inner peace
            10. Not holding back and getting out of darkness
            11. We all have to have dreams
            12. Walking in the Light of Life
            13. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
            14. Peace Takes You
            15. Humbleness
            16. Being Religious and Spiritual 4 Philosophical, religious and spiritual people
            17. Looking for True Spirituality 1 Intro
            18. Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up
            19. Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark
            20. Faith is knowing there is an ocean because you have seen a brook.
            21. The World framed by the Word of God
            22. Scripture about Creation and Creator Deity
            23. Coming to the creation of human beings in the image of God
            24. Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 2
            25. God’s wisdom for the believer brings peace
            26. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #16 Benefits of praying
            27. Cry out to Yahweh
            28. Give your tears to God
            29. Looking forward to the return of Jesus
            30. Israel, Fitting the Plan when people allow it

            +++

            • A New Life (birdchirp.wordpress.com)
              The putting on the new man is the counterpart of the putting off the old man, and what that is Paul explains when he says, ‘that ye put off concerning the former conversation–that is, concerning your former way of life–the old man, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind’ (Eph. 3:22, 23). Our old ways and character are to be laid aside, and therefore to put on the new man is to assume a new character and new ways. To put on the Lord Jesus Christ is to make our own His character.” – Marcus Dods, D.D.

            Let's Reach Success

            I’ve heard many answers to the existential question about the meaning of life.

            And as with everything else, each individual has his own view according to his beliefs and experience, things he wants and is going through right now.

            But there is one problem – he puts meaning in every little detail of his average day and sometimes that affects his version of his mission in life, and eventually his actions.

            Life is about more than the daily worries, fears, people that come and go, and things we pay too much attention to.

            And in this – finding meaning in life – we’re all equal, because the goal is one.

            Peace of mind.

            Life is about finding peace inthe chaos, silence in the noise, meaning in every event and wisdom in hardships and grief.

            Because peace is the highest happiness.

            It’s hard to find with all the distractions around…

            View original post 575 more words

            39 Comments

            Filed under Ecological affairs, Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs, Welfare matters, World affairs

            True happiness, love and perfection

             *

            True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.
            +
            It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
            +
            For true love is inexhaustible; the more you give, the more you have. And if you go to draw at the true fountainhead, the more water you draw, the more abundant is its flow.
            +

            Each man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life. It is not something discovered: it is something molded.

            +
            A civilization is a heritage of beliefs, customs, and knowledge slowly accumulated in the course of centuries, elements difficult at times to justify by logic, but justifying themselves as paths when they lead somewhere, since they open up for man his inner distance.
            +

            The meaning of things lies not in the things themselves, but in our attitude towards them.

            +
            Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

            Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add but when there is no longer anything to take away, when a body has been stripped down to its nakedness.

            – Antoine de Saint Exupéry

             

             

            English: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, pilot and w...

            Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, pilot and writer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

            Antoine de Saint Exupéry the French aviator and writer whose child’s fable for adults The Little Prince (1943) is not only in the school curriculum to be read, but is the person who lets children and adults dream and believe in their own dreams (born June 29, 1900, Lyon, France—died July 31, 1944, in flight over the Mediterranean) French and writer. His writings exalt perilous adventure and aviation, as in the novels Southern Mail (1929) and Night Flight (1931) and in the lyrical memoir with philosophical musings and meditations “Wind, Sand, and Stars” (1939).

            He flew as a commercial, test, and military reconnaissance pilot and was a publicity attaché for Air France and a reporter.
            He died when he was shot down on a wartime Air Force mission over the Mediterranean.

            Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Echt geluk, liefde en perfectie

            +

            Find also: What moves mountains? Trust!

            +++

            • The Timeless Tao (zengardner.com)
              it seems we have based so much of our understanding and our culture on empirical, materialistic science, that we have left out the rest of what’s “out there”. We have opted for the linear and causal mode of thinking, rather than what’s circular, unseen, interpenetrating, and spirals. What we’re discussing here is about as far away from petri dish as you can get. The Taoists always matter-of-factly asserted that Taoism exists in all places- all planets, all galaxies, all times, in all extraterrestrial civilisations- not as a religion, but as a flexible kind of science, a non-material science, that can be translated into any language. It just so happens that on our planet, at our particular stage of evolution, Taoism is represented in texts such as the I-Ching in 64 hexagrams. In other words, Taoism adapts to us and not the other way around- and that is the biggest difference between this and other modern religions, especially the Abrahamic ones in which an image of God is made in the image of man. There are no Gods or Deities per se in Taoism, at least not in early Taoism. They came later as psychological byproducts of a growing age of esoterica and cross-acculturation.
            • The Sutra of the Master of Healing (Bhaisajayaguru-Vaidurya-Prabhasa Tathagata) (zenspeaking.com)
              I now ask all beings to light up the lamps and hang up the banners, to set free the animals, and to do good deeds, so that misery and grief can be overcome and the life’ hardships can be avoided.”
            • ‘Towards Global Inclusion of LGBT People Within Catholic Communities’ (jasongoroncy.com)
              Well, each one of us was as shocked as the person next to them: the first-class citizens finding themselves on the same level as us, with all their purity and sense of separateness deflated, and having to overcome a certain repugnance about dealing with people like us; and the second class citizens having to get used to taking ourselves seriously and behave as sons and daughters, rather than dirty servant children who had a sort of built in excuse for impurity.
              +
              the teaching concerning us being bearers of an objective disorder inclining us to intrinsically evil acts has revealed itself to be a taboo
            • What Is Evil (tvtropes.org)
              Philosophers of morality have, for centuries, struggled with the apparently impossible challenge of objectively proving a “should”, even as most of us deeply believe that, say, murdering innocent children is objectively wrong. Typically, heroes tend to cling to that exact deep conviction; they don’t care for arguing about moral relativism, much like real-life people who see themselves as morally in the right don’t care for it. You could say that this has resulted from aeons of evolutionary pressure on heroes: the ones who stopped to think out the moral conundrums got killed by the Card-Carrying Villain who realized they could use this to Logic Bomb heroes. Meanwhile, the heroes who refused to give in to the villain’s nihilism – either out of boneheadedness, or out of a belief that fighting for what you believe in is a worthy enough goal- persevered. Out-of-universe, the typical lack of moral ambiguity in hero/villain conflict may be attributable to writers just not wanting to waste any effort on that issue, for either ideological or pragmatic reasons.
            • Be Mad At God First (orthodoxyandrecovery.blogspot.com)
              The path of Recovery requires that we drop the pretense: anger is a poison, and it is never justified.  Resentments and condemnation of others is the same judgment and condemnation you will receive.
              +
              Our afflictions are the path to healing.  Do not resent others for doing what is in their nature to do.  God will deal with them.  You yourself must be healed, and God will only do that if you cooperation.
            • 7 – Essays – Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) (classiclit.about.com)
              nature punishes any neglect of prudence. If you think the senses final, obey their law. If you believe in the soul, do not clutch at sensual sweetness before it is ripe on the slow tree of cause and effect. It is vinegar to the eyes, to deal with men of loose and imperfect perception.
              +
              Genius should be the child of genius, and every child should be inspired; but now it is not to be predicted of any child, and nowhere is it pure. We call partial half-lights, by courtesy, genius; talent which converts itself to money; talent which glitters to-day, that it may dine and sleep well to-morrow; and society is officered by men of parts, as they are properly called, and not by divine men. These use their gifts to refine luxury, not to abolish it. Genius is always ascetic; and piety and love. Appetite shows to the finer souls as a disease, and they find beauty in rites and bounds that resist it.
            • 49 For 49 (tokenhippygirl.com)
              The wind blows here, it’s blowing somewhere across the world.  It carries life and hazard and is alive in its own way.  It reminds me how gentle or ferocious life can be and that I should try to be gentler, quieter, softer in my approach.  It reminds me how small I am, how big the world is, and that there are people in other places lifting their faces to the wind, closing their eyes, and sighing, just like I do sometimes.

            6 Comments

            Filed under Being and Feeling, Lifestyle, Quotations or Citations

            What moves mountains? Trust!

            Antoine de Saint-Exupéry near Montreal, Canada (May 1942)

            Antoine de Saint Exupéry was a passionate searcher. He was passionate about life, about spirituality, the depth of mystery. But, for a long time, for him too the skies remained silent. Notwithstanding all his sustained trials, his prayers were not heard. Until one day he discovered that the biggest mercy of prayer consists in – not being heard.
             
            Prayer itself  is mercy.
            Every human being  sooner or later is confronted with sorrow, suffering, saying goodbye, and come across questions that are not answered or are confronted with problems that cannot be solved. We try everything, but nothing succeeds, nothing works, nothing moves – not through willpower, not through sustained prayer. Sooner or later we ask ourselves: why?

            We want an answer.

            Español: Interior del Museo Antoine de Saint-E...

            Interior Museum of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in Tarfaya (Morocco) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

            A sign. In this way in spite of ourselves, we imagine what is good for us. We create an image  that we need to be helped and how and when this should happen. It is exactly at this point that de Saint Exupéry discovered that the answer to his prayer did not coincide with the images he had in mind. He realised that the answer to his prayer exceeds the image created by us. It does not allow to be steered, or the use of words and is only  to be understood by the heart. From a heart that exists through… trust.

            Only belief that trusts completely can accept the holy ground of ‘not understanding’.
            When we touch the bottom of  intense doubt with our problems – and yet trust – true belief surges. Something becomes visible and tangible which we would otherwise never see, feel or experience.

            Then we may discover with surprise, with an inner certitude that does not need a rational explanation, that -in essence- we are inspired.

            And stronger : right through the agony of doubt, paradoxally enough, we find inner peace.

            BZN Movement Without a Name Proverb of the month

            +

            Additional reading:

            1. A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow
            2. Rejoice even though bound to grieve
            3. The soul has no rainbow if the eyes have no tears
            4. Trouble is coming
            5. Do not be so busy adding up your troubles
            6. Life’s challenges may not paralyse you
            7. A small trouble is like a pebble
            8. Remembering from times of trouble
            9. Anxiety is the gap between the now and the later
            10. If your difficulties are longstanding, try kneeling
            11. A problem not worth praying about isn’t worth worrying about
            12. Give your tears to God
            13. Crying and trusting ones do not get disappointed
            14. Call unto God so that He can answer you
            15. Let God’s promises shine on your problems
            16. Don’t put a question mark where God put a period
            17. Don’t wait to catch a healthy attitude
            18. Fearing the right person
            19. Trust the future to God
            20. Stick to one God
            21. Trust God to shelter, safety and security
            22. God is my refuge and my fortress in Him I will trust
            23. Be convinced that we are loved
            24. Love been perfected with us
            25. Faithfulness when most necessary
            26. Have a little talk with the Potter
            27. Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement
            28. A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses
            29. A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
            30. What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?
            31. Confidence
            32. Hope begins in the dark
            33. It is not try but trust

            +++

            • Secret ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (misssfaith.com)
              Throw away all the worries about being not perfect – you are perfect just the way you are and a big smile from a happy heart is much more worth than a fake laugh of a wrinkle-less face.
            • In Search of the Little Prince (kirkusreviews.com)
              A scene of Saint-Exupéry working on the manuscript for Le Petit Prince includes a peek at his imagined characters; the delightful back cover depicts the Little Prince and Tonio, shoes off, sitting in opposite chairs, apparently deep in speculative conversation.
            • Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: The Little Prince (headbutler.com)
              When Robin Williams died, my Facebook screen lit up with one quote after another from “The Little Prince.”I didn’t understand why so many people responded with lines from this book.
            • Why Did “The Little Prince” Quotes Suddenly Appear After Robin Williams’ Death? (goodmenproject.com)

              One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.

              You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.

              All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it.

              +

              those Facebook friends mourning a grown-up who never lost his connection to the child within? They knew just where to look.
            • 7 Best Book Covers Of All Time (whytoread.com)
              Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike as The Little Prince. Richard Howard’s translation of the beloved classic beautifully reflects Saint-Exupéry’s unique and gifted style. Howard, an acclaimed poet and one of the preeminent translators of our time, has excelled in bringing the English text as close as possible to the French, in language, style, and most important, spirit. The artwork in this edition has been restored to match in detail and in color Saint-Exupéry’s original artwork. Combining Richard Howard’s translation with restored original art, this definitive English-language edition of The Little Prince will capture the hearts of readers of all ages.
            • The Little Prince And The Better Parts Of Javascript (greenido.wordpress.com)
              The little price“It seems that perfection is attained not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to subtract.”
            • It’s a Little Lonely (bronwendeklerk.com)
              “Where are the people?…It’s a little lonely in the desert…”
              “It is lonely when you’re among people, too”
            • Inspired by His Love (enteringthepromisedland.wordpress.com)
              Indwelt by the light of God that continually produces good works springing from that love God has poured into our heart before (Rom 5:5), we can experience that there is nothing greater in this world and beyond than His Love offers. God’s Love is better than being right, better than being successful, better than being known, and better than possessing all material things one could wish for.
            • Storytelling, Culture, and Revolution (goodmenproject.com)
              A story might simply be a story if it stands by itself — in a vacuum. Yet, a story rooted in our life experiences is not just a story. It is much more. In it we find revealed the particular relationship that we, the storytellers, have with our environment. Individual stories are part of the fabric that is our worldview. Stories, whether fictitious or true, spring forth from our values, believes, perceptions, dreams, imaginations or wishes, all of which are bound to our life experiences, which in turn are fundamentally shaped by our particular environment. The stories, then, that we tell ourselves are bound up in a feedback system whereby our lives find expression in stories which are in turn enacted by us. If, as Ishmael tells us, we believe that the world was made for man (i.e. man as the climax of the whole cosmic drama of creation) and that we are at odds with nature’s distasteful, dehumanizing elements (i.e. moving beyond the wretchedness of the animal condition), then the stories that we will write and enact are stories of conquest, progress, and an alienation from nature.

            5 Comments

            Filed under Being and Feeling, Movement Without a Name, Spiritual affairs

            What Are You Seeking?

            At the beginning of the new academic year we also can think about what people would like to have on their bucket list and priority list for the new year.

            Like at the beginning of the New Western Calendar Year those living in industrialised and economic democracies can compete with the North Americans having their eyes fixed on material matters and on the self.

            When we look at the list of the top ten New Year’s Resolutions for 2014 it says all about the mind which has gone a long way off track from creation and its Creator.

            Like the medical world prefers to treat the visible sings but not the cause of the illness. A lot of people are not at all interested to work on their (bad) habits. They like enjoying themselves at no price. They also want to be first in the picture and would like to boost their popularity as much as they can. Social media are there for them to help to reach their goal.
            But are they really aiming at the right goal? We do not think so.
            They also are not interested to find the way to that small door or ancient gate, written about in very old books.
            They do not appreciate the value of those very old books. They better would spend some more attention to them.

            From old times they where there to help, guide and support those who wanted to pick up that Book of books, called the Bible. It has helped millions of people by now. It still can help you and those around you to bring inner-peace. A peace which shall last for ever.

            It may take years to come to that inner-peace and it is also very difficult for people to put aside the doctrinal churches of so many denominations. But when you shall find the truth in the Word of God, taking the words for what they say and not thinking ‘God‘ when there is written ‘Jesus‘, but than taking it to be Jesus, the son of God, than you will find inner peace so much quicker.

            Good luck with your Bible reading and studying the Word of God.

            God bless.

            +

            Find also:

            1. Allowed to heal
            2. Relapse plan
            3. Denis Wright looking at the world of human beings
            4. Mourners Celebrate Life Of Inspirational Cancer Teen
            5. Searching for fulfillment and meaning through own efforts, facing unsatisfaction and depression
            6. See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory
            7. Feed Your Faith Daily
            8. Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still
            9. The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places
            10. Obtain favour from Yahweh
            11. Bible, Word of God, inspired and infallible

            +++

            • True Peace (ellen5e.com)
              Those that don’t really know Jesus do not really know peace. Their souls deep down know that they are at enmity with God. Something is not right. They search and cannot find it. They try the world’s way of selfish ambition and self-rule. The Bible refers to this as the man who built his house on shifting sand. There is no solid foundation, because when the current scheme, relationships, pursuits fail (and they will) they simply try something else and start the cycle all over again.
              Our rock-solid, devoted & loving relationships with God and other people is in very strong contrast to their hate for our proclaiming the truth of God’s word.
            • Activators of grace and peace (dailymedit.wordpress.com)
              Grace and peace are like twins. Grace fuels you forward, peace makes you grounded. The bible says: it is good that the heart be established with grace not with food which has not benefitted those who are given to it. So Paul was saying in the focus verse that it is better to “eat” grace than to eat food for energy. It is more sustaining.When God wants to send help it comes in the shape of grace. The help which Jesus is the embodiment of, which was sent to the earth was said to be full of grace. Jesus is a grace-package (John 1:14). And when Paul wanted to write about Jesus he identified him with his grace, saying the grace of the lord Jesus be with you (2Corinthians 13:14).
            • Religious mentality (thelivingmessage.com)
              There are so many different religions in the world today and just as many if not more denominations of Christian belief too. Why are we so split up into different doctrines and belief systems? Mainly, because of Satan himself. I know, there are many, many people who don’t believe in him and those who say that he doesn’t exist at all. He enjoys taunting them and playing with their minds, especially when they don’t think that it is a real entity which is doing these things.
            • 10 Things Your Childhood Pastor Didn’t Tell You (But Should Have) (patheos.com)
              There are around 40,000 different Christian denominations all with their own particular nuances and ways of expressing the Christian message. I fear too many of us grow up thinking that our group is the one group who “gets it”, but with 40,000 different expressions of Christianity out there, chances are slim that you grew up in the one faith tradition who had it all correct. Each expression of Christianity has inherent strengths and weaknesses, all of which should be considered on the individual merits.
            • Triangulations : The Deadly Yahweh Dilemma (triangulations.wordpress.com)
              Here is my list of theological dilemmas (“doctrines”) that divide up Christianity into its many, colorful and flavorful varieties.  To this list I am adding another theological question by which to understand Christians:
              The Deadly Yahweh DilemmaIt is obvious to any Bible reader that in the Jewish scriptures Yahweh displays far more deadly attributes than Yahweh does in the Christian scriptures. Exceptions exist of course: with kind, wonderful images of Yahweh in the OT and a horrible Yahweh seen in the NT (see the Book of Revelation). But overall, the differences is clear — the Deadly Yahweh Dilemma has existed since the beginning of Christianity and Christians have devised several different clever solutions.

            Unshakable Hope

            I follow a Bible reading plan every year, and the plan I’m following this year begins with John’s Gospel. I’ve always thought it was much more than a coincidence that the first words spoken by Jesus (in John’s Gospel) come in the form of a very profound question; it’s a question that everyone should know the answer to:

            “What are you seeking? (John 1:38)

            When I read that question on January 1st, I paused to think about what I should be seeking this year. I believe that our New Year’s Resolutions, or lack of, tell a lot about what we’re seeking. The following is a list of the top ten New Year’s Resolutions for 2014. Other than showing that we smoke too much, spend too much, sit too much and eat too much, what does this list tell us about the American people?

            1. Lose weight.
            2. Improve finances.
            3. Exercise…

            View original post 429 more words

            17 Comments

            Filed under Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs

            A bird’s eye and reflecting from within

            Can you imagine flying birds travelling for miles and miles, crossing habitat regions and places where nearly no human being tramples on the ground.

            metropolis

            metropolis (Photo credit: jonfeinstein)

            From high above those birds can see how those earthlings destroy their own habitat. They see them wanting to live in their own dirt.

            Those birds look down at those creatures who so often dream about what they can do and worry so much about the day of tomorrow. They do not imagine the life those people want, though many of them might imagine wonderful things.
            Those beings down there spent lots of their time focusing on gathering all sorts of material gadgets. Their world seems to turn more around money than on getting food. Though we must be honest lots of them also focus their intention toward realizing their deepest desires and dreams.

            How many of those people dare to go up in the sky and go forward to that one goal, thousands of miles away?

            How many would begin to believe those dreams, aims and goals were possible?

            A Soul Talk questions:

            If you gave your attention to those things in your mind that spoke of your great beauty and talent, would you start to believe and have confidence in yourself again?  If life all around you is simply a reflection of those thoughts you most focus on, wouldn’t you be more careful of what you repeated over and over again to yourself?

            When we look in nature we do see that the seasons decide what shall going to happen. The animals do not doubt. They are not going to wait and see if it will be worthwhile to take off or to settle down.

            The birds can often see man as a fish which fails to see the water it swims in. They have a brain but use it strangely and are so often more concerned about figuring things out. they all think they are able to make and control their own world. Most of them want to play for God. Everything they do becomes calculated. Modern mind has become more and more calculating.

            The calculative exactness of practical life which the money economy has brought about corresponds to the ideal of natural science: to transform the world into an arithmetic problem, to fix every part of the world by mathematical formulas. Only money economy has filled the days of so many people with weighing, calculating, with numerical determinations, with a reduction of qualitative values to quantitative ones. (“The Metropolis and Mental Life” p.412)

            They all look for consistent and reliable formulas to how life works. For them formulas are re-assuring, such as

            “be a banker/lawyer/accountant/doctor, because these jobs translate into big numbers, and these big numbers mean success”.

            Success is something which they can count and measure. They have their eyes focused on those pieces of papers with heads and figures on it, but do not see where they are flying at.

            Eddie Tay on Hong Kong lucida writes:

            Of course, there are many successful bankers/lawyers/accountants/doctors who lead meaningful lives and who enjoy their jobs. I’m only arguing against the confusion between quality and quantity. Quality cannot be easily quantified. Sometimes we play this soundtrack too readily. {The Metropolis and Mental Life}

            English: Hong Kong Kowloon Panorama Victoria P...

            Hong Kong Kowloon Panorama Victoria Peak 2011 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

            For the birds it may look like life for man is oh so infinitely easy, and everything seems to lie at their fingertips. They have their big nests,  buildings which want to compete with the trees and air around, hoping to be the tallest one. They have their educational institutions, in the wonders and comforts of space-conquering technology, in the formations of community life, and in the visible institutions of the state. They offer themselves fantasies and create fro themselves an overwhelming fullness of crystallized and impersonalized spirit that the personality, so to speak, cannot maintain itself under its impact. From all sides they allow ideas coming up to them, in the hope they can become a personality like by the others. From the others they want to receive stimulations and interests. They all are consumed by time.

            They carry the person as if in a stream, and one needs hardly to swim for oneself. On the other hand, however, life is composed more and more of these impersonal contents and offerings which tend to displace the genuine personal colorations and incomparabilities. This results in the individual’s summoning the utmost in uniqueness and particularization, in order to preserve his most personal core. He has to exaggerate this personal element in order to remain audible even to himself.  (“The Metropolis and Mental Life” p. 422)

            Eddie Tay finds this to be rather depressing.

            The modern concern with the uniqueness of our personality emerges out of an anxiety. Now that everything is for sale, we’re compelled to be “unique”, “autonomous” and “individual” so as to differentiate ourselves from other cogs in the giant capitalist machine. “Look at me I’m so unique and interesting,” I tell myself and others, knowing that there are tens of thousands of people around me (and many with blogs like this) saying precisely the same thing. {The Metropolis and Mental Life}

            Many more people should be aware that

            We are surrounded by things we buy with numbers. And these things, whether tangible or intangible, which we buy and sell, turn us into who we are. {The Metropolis and Mental Life}

            http://hongkonglucida.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/img_20140327_0045-640.jpg

            Photo from Eddie Tay, Honk Kong lucida

            We make ourselves, by what we consume for our mind and for our mind. Stomach and brain take up the food what we present it, we can either make it healthy or poison it. When you look at certain markets, it seems that people can not get enough of material, but also are drowning themselves by it. Too many people forget what impact all those things around them can have on their life.

            We all should better take a moment to transfer ourselves in a bird and look at ourselves from way up there in the sky. We should take some distance, now and then, from what we do and want to do, and reflect on what we did, want to do and on what we would like to succeed and which goal we would like to make.

            With Spring time we should not only do our Spring cleaning but we could take a new start. You too, can start today to believe that you can impact your external world by placing your focus on images of love, kindness, and joy and you will truly be surprised by what you attract to yourself.

            Start today to live in consciousness as to what is happening within you, you will then have the grand opportunity to create what is happening around you in a more remarkable and enjoyable way. {Simply a reflection from within!}

            The mother of Soul talk has learned her lesson from the wise song of her toddler which continues to ring true- in the face of adversity “Never give up never never give up!”.

            Keep the faith and you shall persevere- I have learned this very difficult lesson recently and can tell you your only choice is to keep the faith and move forward-the alternative is not so appealing- I can promise you that-your biggest break can be just around the corner and if you did not move towards it you would never know. {Never give up!}

            Every year again the birds make their nest. They never seem to be tired to do it over and over again. We should also continue trying to do the things we really want to do.

            There are millions of people who do not know they have a security key in their own hands. They themselves have been given, by birth, the key to knowledge and inner peace. All being created in the image of the Divine Creator we do have elements from this Eternal Spirit. He acknowledges our being, but we ourselves are not willing to see our own being in relationship with Him. There lies the biggest problem of humankind.

            In case we would accept the Creator of our being, and accept that He has to be the Most High Master, than we could find fulfilment and guidance by following His instructions which He has given to the whole world.

            In the Garden of Eden He has given man the right to take care of the world himself. But He always was prepared to help those who wanted Him next to them. Those who want His Guidance He is willing to give.

            As adults, we build upon the hopes of our parents and the fertile imaginations of our youth. We continue to foster the dreams that were born in our hearts on our first day of life, yet now have the tools to bring those dreams forth into our realities. {With courage, our dreams become reality!}

            That is not bad. We all should have dreams and continue to make dreams. We should try to build up our life by dreams coming through. We have to foster our dreams and have to build up courage to see them through.

            The courage to step beyond our fears of failure. The courage to meet doubt head on.  The courage to pursue the ideas that were born in us, given to us, to be discovered by us to enjoy the fantastic world that begs for us to explore. The courage to make all our dreams come true. {With courage, our dreams become reality!}

            In case we would accept the Guiding Hand of the Creator and dare to ask Him to help us, He will be there for us.

            If we ask, believe, and have the courage to act, and begin to receive, the life we have imagined can be the life we are living.  When we start to believe and have faith in all that is possible for us, then we align with the hopes of our parents, the child within who dared to be whomever she wanted to be, and the adult whose courageous acts of faith allow those dreams to become a reality. {With courage, our dreams become reality!}

            We often forget just to take some time to be with that Mightier Being. We mostly trust to much those who are of this earth, instead of counting on the one in heaven.

            Why not trying to take a turning point? Why not simply taking the time each day to focus on those positive attributes and intentions that give you great happiness? Putting on the right mind shall help us but also those around us, on the right track and bring them in the right mood. When we do take a positive attitude we may rest assured that people and things will start to show up in your life that will greatly add to your happiness.

            Let it be said that a person who feels good on the inside will experience that good on the outside.  A person who looks at life with a glass half full mentality, will eventually have their cup runneth over.  Your world is but a mirror of what is happening inside of you. So before you start your day, promise yourself that you will take a moment or two to reflect on what you are grateful for to charge those positive emotions, then set out to experience your own something wonderful  when you start from that joyous place within. If your world is simply a reflection from within, wouldn’t it be in you best interest to make it the best reflection of a well lived life that you could ever imagine!   {Simply a reflection from within!}

            +

            Preceding articles:

            Birds, Birds Everywhere

            Birds’ Eye

            Food for Thought-Birds of Caution

            ++

            Additional reading:

            1. Searching for fulfilment and meaning through own efforts, facing unsatisfaction and depression
            2. The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places
            3. Some one or something to fear #2 Attitude and Reactions
            4. God Feeds The Birds
            5. Food as a Therapeutic Aid
            6. Men as God
            7. People Seeking for God 5 Bread of life
            8. People Seeking for God 6 Strategy
            9. Religions and Mainliners
            10. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
            11. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
            12. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
            13. A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
            14. A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus
            15. Some one or something to fear #7 Not afraid for Gods Name
            16. Texts, writers, accessibility and willingness
            17. Rest thy delight on Jehovah
            18. Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope
            19. A goal is a dream with a plan
            20. A treasure which can give me everything I need
            21. Opportunity!
            22. Count your blessings
            23. By counting our blessings we not only feel good, but we multiply our good
            24. Set free from any form of mental torment or self-condemnation
            25. A good idea to halt all activity for one hour some day
            26. We should use the Bible every day
            27. Come ye yourselves apart … and rest awhile (Mark 6:31)
            28. God does not change
            29. See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory
            30. Not holding back and getting out of darkness
            31. A New Perspective
            32. The Paradigm of Instinct, Intuition and Intention
            33. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
            34. Looking for True Spirituality 2 Not restricted to an elite
            35. Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up
            36. How long to wait before bringing religiousness and spirituality in practice
            37. Points to remember of philosophy versus spirituality and religion
            38. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
            39. Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal
            40. Try driving forward instead of backwards
            41. Life is like a ten-speed bike.
            42. Suffering produces perseverance

            +++

            • Chris Packham: Malta is a bird hell (theguardian.com)
              When Chris Packham announced he was heading to Malta to report on the island’s annual spring bird shoot as if he was a war correspondent covering a conflict, even his admirers probably thought he was guilty of hyperbole.But after a week in which the naturalist has detained by police for five hours, shoved to the ground by gunmen and witnessed the illegal killing of dozens of endangered birds, his mission to raise awareness of the annual slaughter of migratory birds has been more like a battle than he imagined.
            • Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (gardenwalkgardentalk.com)
              Since Earth Day just passed, I was thinking why can’t everyday be Earth Day? You visit places like this and wonder why can’t there be more wild spaces to enjoy. After all, without these wild and natural spaces, we would not have much of a world.
            • Birds Slam Into Windows, Leave Long Island Couple Lying Awake (newyork.cbslocal.com)
              It has been a full week of rude awakenings for a Long Island couple, who said their home has been under siege by a group of birds slamming into their windows over and over again.As CBS 2’s Elise Finch reported Monday, the problem that Peter and Lisa Kersich of Holbrook have been experiencing is common at this time of year.The loud thumps have been waking them up morning after morning.
            • Fly like a bird (lovingmefirstblog.wordpress.com)
              1) how do we know the bird hasn’t flown (are we worried about other’s achievements more than our own and we view this bird as a solitary soul who hasn’t taken the leap of faith?)
              2) what if the bird has flown but it feels most comfortable where it sits now? (maybe the world isn’t as amazing as we think it is)
              3) what if the bird is hurt, alone, lost or perhaps needs a push?
            • Dream-Like Song Created From Birds Perched On Electric Wires Proves Nature Is Perfect (fromthetrenchesworldreport.com)
              “Reading the newspaper one morning, I saw this picture of birds on the electric wires,” says video creator Jarbas Agnelli.”I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating.”
            • Garden Birds – Indigo Bunting (roadsendnaturalist.wordpress.com)
              If, as Thoreau says, the bluebird carries the sky on its back, the Indigo Bunting may sometimes be carrying storm clouds. These common open space birds are now arriving back in NC from their tropical winter homes and the males have dressed for the occasion.
              +
              I see them every year along the power line corridor, but I hope to spend a little more time this summer listening for their distinctive calls (the male sings all day, even in the heat of summer) and enjoying their brilliant blue attire.
              +
              Garden Birds – Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
              I often describe these active birds as looking and behaving like a tiny mockingbird. They are always fun to watch as they hop through the branches, or hover beneath one, snatching an insect meal. And their small size, white eye ring, blue-gray coloration, and exaggerated tail, make them easy to identify.
            • Not Just Sparrows and Pigeons: Cities Harbor 20 Percent of World’s Bird Species (allaboutbirds.org)
              Rock Pigeons, House Sparrows, and European Starlings are widely known as “city birds,” and with good reason. These three species (plus Barn Swallow) occur in more than 80 percent of cities according to the first-ever global study of biodiversity in urban areas, published earlier this year in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. But there’s more to cities than this narrow cast of avian urbanites: cities also retain more of their region’s native diversity than previously thought, according to the study’s analyses of bird and plant census data. So take heart, your next city stroll has much more to offer than just a few ubiquitous species.In fact, at least 2,041 species—20 percent of all known bird species—live in the world’s cities, according to the research. Unlike previous studies, which have focused on single cities or regions, this study spanned six continents, compiling data on birds from 54 cities and plants from 110 cities. The researchers themselves hailed from North America, Europe, Australia, and South Africa.
            • Look to the skies to spot the bounty of birds returning to Saskatchewan (metronews.ca)
              This is likely the most exciting time to cast our eyes upward and behold some of the beauty we take for granted in the skies.The birds that soar above are not here by chance. Indeed, it is of their own will that they come back to Saskatchewan.
            • Two Birds 114/365 Side A (theyearofdreamingdangerouslymardilinane2014.wordpress.com)
              two birds / floated over / the canyon / floated in circles
            • 10 Incredible Bird Photography Tips for Beginners (digital-photography-school.com)
              What is the most important factor in getting your bird photographs noticed by a large audience? Is it the camera or the lens or the bird?

            16 Comments

            Filed under Being and Feeling, Economical affairs, Knowledge & Wisdom, Lifestyle, Social affairs, Spiritual affairs

            Lose a little inner peace

             

            • Practice Forgiveness. (positive-thoughts.typepad.com)
              “I have a right to be upset because of the way I’ve been treated. I have a right to be angry, hurt, depressed, sad, and resentful.” Learning to avoid this kind of thinking is one of my secrets for living a life of inner peace, success, and happiness. Anytime you’re filled with resentment, you’re turning the controls of your emotional life over to others to manipulate.
              +
              First, you have to get past blame. Then you have to learn to send love to all, rather than anger and resentment. Just as no one can define you, neither do you have the privilege of defining others. When you stop judging and simply become an observer, you will know inner peace. With that sense of inner peace, you’ll find yourself free of the negative energy of resentment, and you’ll be able to live a life of contentment. A bonus is that you’ll find that others are much more attracted to you. A peaceful person attracts peaceful energy
            • Forgive You Once Shame on You, Forgive You Twice Shame on Me (kehugo.wordpress.com)
              Steve Maraboli once said “The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize the situation is over you cannot move forward”. While this may be the case for some, others believe that “Some wounds run too deep for the healing” (J.K. Rowling).  Many people do consider forgiveness to be relieving; however, some see it as forgetting the situation and sending a message that the situation is acceptable when it is most definitely not.
            • Jealousy (Final) (heguidry.wordpress.com)
              Jealousy has the potential to build a boulder in relationships and in one’s self-confidence. “The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves” (William Penn). How is jealousy affecting inner peace and would peace be gained if you were able to overcome your jealousy? Jealousy is a common problem in many relationships. At first jealousy is seen as a good thing. It shows that the partner is sweet and truly cares about the relationship and his/her partner. As that may seem a good thing at first, this can turn into a big problem fast.
            • Worldly knowledge doesn’t guarantee peace and compassion, wisdom will… (mydailyyogapractice.wordpress.com)
              It doesn’t matter who we think we are, or we think we know about the scientific facts about this and that, or how much knowledge that we attain from reading books and hearing from other people’s research and their personal experience, it still doesn’t guarantee us peace and compassion, be free from suffering and unhappiness that derived from ignorance, egoism, attachment, and impurities.
              +
              The stronger we attached to the egoism and qualities of names and forms, the more we think we are smarter or better than other beings, and the more suffering and unhappy we will be, as we will get very impatient, dissatisfied, disappointed, frustrated, irritated, or angry with other beings whom we think and believe as less smart and less good than us.
            • Weekly Spiritual Digest: Be Wary of Your Jealousy of Others (princesdailyjournal.com)
              Jealousy is like a thunderstorm–it builds and builds, forming dark clouds. And when it is ready to strike, it will spout out a bolt of lightning which can electrocute or kill a person in less than one second. In this same respect, jealousy is dangerous and hard to control; it’s unpredictable!
            • Writing that October 15, 2012 story (gordma.wordpress.com)
              A few years back, I sat down and went through John Lennon’s solo career. When I got to Imagine and the song “Jealous Guy,” I began to think about the psychology and especially the inner dialogues of envious and jealous people. Who were these people? What were they thinking? How did they come to those conclusions? Did they know what they were doing and thinking? And why couldn’t they stop?
            • Bonhoeffer on Peace (abnormalanabaptist.wordpress.com)
              There is no way to peace along the way of safety. For peace must be dared. It is itself the great venture and can never be safe. Peace is the opposite of security.

             

            Enhanced by Zemanta

            The Insight of a young soul

            Keeping grudges over insignificant issues

            binding myself more and more each day.

            I lose a little bit of the good in me.

            I lose a little inner peace.

            Using hurtful words,just to get back at someone

            ruining relationships ‘coz of selfish wants.

            I lose a little bit of the good in me.

            I lose a little inner peace.

            Call her fat,call him ugly.

            He hurt me,he deserves it.

            I lose a little bit of the good in me.

            I lose a little inner peace.

            Lying,cheating,manipulating

            people closest to me.

            I lose a little bit of the good in me.

            I lose a little inner peace.

            Building  mountains of hatred and jealousy

            with each passing day,

            I lose a little bit of ithe good in me.

            I lose a little inner peace.

            View original post

            2 Comments

            Filed under Being and Feeling, Poetry - Poems, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs

            Being a Light in the World Award

            We for sure can use some more people who would like to bring some sunshine in this grim world. Lovely that we can see more people trying to spread some Light in this world full of jealousy and hate.

            It would also be nice to find those bloggers who would love to bring messages of inner peace, brotherly love, and unity between people and different cultures and religions, together sharing their ideas and notifying others of their readings and writings. Hopefully many will let others know of such blogs which try to make the world a little nicer one day at the time.

            °°°

            And the nominees for the

            the very first nominees for Being a Light in the World Award
            are:

            1. Dr. Rex
            2. Shaun
            3. HuntForTruth
            4. Inavukic
            5. Dear Kitty
            6. Mungai and the Goa Constrictor
            7. Quiall
            8. BusyMindThinking
            9. SeaAngel4444
            10. PurpleRaysblog
            11. Al
            12. The Libertarian Hippie
            13. Moorbey
            14. The Unity of Souls
            15. Crowing Crone Joss
            16. CravesAdventure
            17. Cassidy Fraezee
            18. Ivonprefontaine
            19. SueDreamwalker
            20. OldPoet56
            21. Michael Lai
            22. Willowdot21
            23. HitandRun1964
            24. Professions for Peace
            25. ViewsSplash
            26. Blackbutterfly7
            27. Amaezed
            28. Tanveer rauf
            29. PetiteMagique
            30. Joe Bradshaw
            31. Terry1954
            32. Lilmisspoutine
            33. a star on the forehead
            34. Andy1076
            35. iithinks

            Followed by:.

            1. Marlyn http://kintal.wordpress.com/
            2. Sheri http://theothersideofugly.com/  
            3. Kindness Blog http://kindnessblog.com/ 
            4. Brother Murf http://brothermurf.wordpress.com/
            5. Tom Huff http://tomhuff.wordpress.com/ 
            6. Eve http://sathyasaimemories.wordpress.com/ 
            7. Jerry http://jerry792.wordpress.com/
            8. VWoods http://vwoods1212.wordpress.com/
            9. Suz http://suzjones.wordpress.com/
            10. CeeLee http://swimintheadultpool.com/
            11. Michele http://lifeasagarden.wordpress.com/
            12. Sherri http://sherriofpalmsprings.com/
            13. Stephanie http://happinessheals.wordpress.com/
            14. Brooke http://kundalinidotorg.wordpress.com/
            15. Nadine http://soulofagypsy.me/
            16. Gede Prama http://gedepramascompassion.com/
            Enhanced by Zemanta

            the Hunt for Truth

            .

            Being A Light In The World – awarded by Barbara Mattio at Idealist Rebel

            Thank you Barbara. 

            .

            being-a-light-in-the-world.idealistrebel.award Click the image to link to Barbara’s award page.

            .

            Wonderful people in the World spread Light, and love, hope and peace.  At WordPress, there are bloggers that consistently promote these qualities and work to be a force for peace and light in our world.

            My friend Barbara is diligent in posting on topics in the areas of creativity, women’s issues, and spirituality. Her blog is making the world a little nicer, one day at a time.

            The Rules:

            1. Thank the person who gives you the award
            2. Spread this award around to the people who you know who are doing this work, so that the work continues and the light is spread
            3. Let your nominees know
            4. Never give up on your fellow human beings

            .

            being-a-light-in-the-world.idealistrebel.award

            And the nominees for the
            Being a…

            View original post 56 more words

            1 Comment

            Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Announcement, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs

            We all have to have dreams

            Dreams

            Dreams (Photo credit: hufse)

            Without dreams we are nothing. As a child we bring our aspirations to live in our dreams. We are convinced that we have the right to dream whatever we want. In our dreams we any place ourselves in any role we want. We are also convinced the dreams are totally ours. In our mind and our soul we want to sojourn and create our own world. We claim it to be our individual right to dream as big as we want.

            Who cares if it never amounts to anything ? But who knows ? It doesn’t take away our right to do so one little iota.

            Claim your great individuality.

            Why is it that so many adults do not want to give way to their dreams any more? why do so many adults laugh with the dreams of others, and mainly with the people who would love to share their dreams with others. On this platform we do hope to present dreams of many people. For us all the writers who join us may dream as if they’ll live forever. Live as if they’ll die today.

            Here we do not mind dreaming aloud. Here we want to give a voice to the many dreams of people somewhere on this globe. We want to say to all that they should believe in the power of their dreams and should strive to get their dreams becoming true. The people joined here together may have dreams of which others think they never can become true …. but when everybody would think this way, it is unfeasible we shall never see the seeds of making something grow. The writers over here may believe in peace and unity between all folks. It may look utopian, but by holding strong on the dream they want to spread the message of those dreams and bring inner peace to many all over the world.

            Who knows where such dreams may lead to? Who knows where such belief leads to?

            If there is no peace in the future it is because not enough people wanted it. It is that simple.

            It will happen. Make no mistake. No way to avoid it. It is a cycle and for those who believe in the Divine Creator, they received the assurance of that world-peace and can count on the prophecies coming true, even when they still shall have to face the third World War and an other thousands year before the end goal shall be reached.

            English: Lubok-style cover of a Russian dream ...

            Lubok-style cover of a Russian dream book. The book is solemnly named The Dream-Book, or an Interpretation of Dreams by Sundry Egyptian and Indian Savants and Astronomers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

            For those who chased several dreams which never succeeded, they shall also be able to say they enjoyed them and perhaps they still have  fantastic memories by them.

            We may never give up dreaming, and we better take more efforts in sharing our dreams and living them to come true.

            Oh so many people have become frightened to dream. Perhaps we should accept that dreaming requires courage.

            A courage to strive towards a mirage, to build castles, to go to many worlds, and a courage to trust the ones who are willing to give you a hand on their voyage or to trust that whatever you may find when you finally get there, that it will be worthwhile.
            After all, although reality can never match our dreams, neither can a dream ever fully describe the complex and unpredictable reality.

            Some of the writers in this club of guest-writers may have fought for their dreams in World War II, in the 1968 upraising or in some other contestations or in one of the many worlds which killed so many people. Also much  younger voices we would love to see here, because they are the future. As such people who could have been at actions like the  or might join us in the future. They had their voices going loud on the marches for peace, power and freedom. They marked recent decades but saw many dreams scattered and saw how the world present a backdrop for today’s human conditions of stress, anxiety, insecurity and turmoil.

            There are as many civil wars and wars between nations. From the individual perspective, the cry for peace is heralded as respite from the turbulence of today’s hectic lifestyle. In the past four to five decades we have lived in such a way as to create challenging situations in our lives and create even more havoc as we try to solve the resulting problems. {Peace In Troubled Times}

            World Peace Flag of the Universal Peace Congress.

            World Peace Flag of the Universal Peace Congress. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

            Today in certain countries we may not see so many “No War” “Make peace” stickers as we saw in the time of the Vietnam War. but we might still see somewhere a popular bumper sticker that states, “Peace begins within,” and a hymn that is sung in thousands of churches world-wide on Sundays, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”

            Yes, peace begins within the heart and mind of every person. Until we reignite the flame of peace, love and unity there can be no lasting peace in individuals, among people and nations of the world. {Peace In Troubled Times}

            Those who have had or still have so many dreams of friendship and peace should dare to give their dreams a voice. We all should ask ourselves whether or not we have lived responsibly in recent decades and if we really tried enough to change something in the world around ourselves.

            On this platform we would love to give a voice to all who are interested to dare to out themselves and to give a voice to their dreams, prepared to spawn national and international debates. With the widely reported impending consequences of global warming, catastrophes of war and economic collapses, the outlook may be bleak. but we do believe whenever each individual would like to take up the figurative ‘arms’ and do something against our ‘pollution‘ (in a broad sense) we shall be able to make turning points.

            When we are with many we may give some impact and create some fertile ground for the human condition as they are fed in large daily doses at breakfast, dinner and all throughout the day. Conditions of fear, stress, anger, frustration, rage, insecurity and strife are the results of the negative thoughts and the materialism of this world, but the humbleness, the brotherly-love and the sincere care for nature, can bring solutions by which future generations can continue to build a better world.

            When we conform to the world we allow the dictates of the world and its appearances to control our lives. The real of man is spiritual and divine, not the ego driven personality that responds to the whims and fancies of every Tom, Dick and Harry. Stress and conflict occur when the inner spiritual self and its outer personality self are in opposing viewpoints.

            Frankl theorizes that mans search for meaning is a primary force in his life which is unique and specific in that it must and can be fulfilled by him alone. Our greatness as human beings lies in our ability to change our minds and the conditions of our lives. What is so great about living in a free, democratic country is that it affords us the privilege of freedom to be all we want to be. Individually we must desire freedom and make the choice for freedom as we live our life. The great author and self help guru, Stuart Wilde, teaches that we should “Concentrate on ourselves and leave the world alone. As we strengthen ourselves we save all of humanity, because we are all linked to one another.” {Peace In Troubled Times}

            By getting to know ourselves better and by allowing others to know us better as well and to share our love for others, we can reach even more if we do not leave the world but would embrace it as if it is the thing we love most and we do care as our little baby. Fostering as a little child we should educate it and show it the different ways it can go.

            It is true that we must desire a change from the stress and turbulent lifestyle we live today.

            We must dare to rise up, declare, pursue and claim peace for ourselves. This will impact the lives of family and friends and spread out to our communities and our world. The pursuit of peace is perhaps the most followed path to spiritual enlightenment. A peaceful disposition calms the rough and tossed seas of turbulence, strife, fear and discontent. {Peace In Troubled Times}

            We should join hands and not stand still, but walk together hand-in-hand, radiating out to touch the lives of others and willing to transform our world.

            Individually transformed lives will create a mass consciousness of peace and there will be peace on earth, beginning with every one of us. {Peace In Troubled Times}

            The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

            -Eleanor Roosevelt

            ***

            Become a co-author of “From Guest-writers” and join the Bloggers for peace
            and find 5 Steps to Peaceful Resolution, plus
            striving for happiness
            regardless of material conditions, relationship status, or past history,
            Re-hydrating Your Spirit,
            sharing the miracles of everyday life to inspire, instruct, and supporting others and ourselves,
            as one big family of this universe.
            Friends and Enemies: The Malleable Keys to Peace

            peace not warWe Can Make a Difference–Right Here, Right Now
            Letting others know that
            The Universe Is All of Us

            ++

            Additional reading:

            1. Live …
            2. Be happy that the thorn bush has roses
            3. Feed Your Faith Daily
            4. A Living Faith #8 Change
            5. In A World of Balance There Is Peace and Justice
            6. Memories are important
            7. Courage is fear that has said its prayers
            8. Justififiable anger or just anarchism
            9. The Y generation in conflict with itself
            10. Violence or an other way to win
            11. I want to be a better man than the one I’ve become.
            12. Reflection for today…The Roots of Peace -Thich Nhat Hanh
            13. Next World Peace Card Meditations
            14. There’s More to Life Than Being Happy
            15. An Artist For Peace
            16. Exercise for Spiritual Fitness
            17. Steve Strother on Blogging For Peace
            18. Bloggers for Peace March Challenge: Forgiveness
            19. Teaching Children Peace – A Bloggers for Peace post
            20. The Missing Peace
            21. Let There Be Peace on Earth
            22. The Peace Garden
            23. The “Pursuit” of Happiness
            24. Living Life to the Fullest
            25. Professions for Peace musings on life, love and peace
            26. Happy Birthday to a Warrior for Peace
            27. Let us watch carefully the decent of mankind into the situation we see around us today
            28. By counting our blessings we not only feel good, but we multiply our good

            +++

             

            • Queen Trishala Mata and the Fourteen Auspicious Dreams (youngjainprofessionals.wordpress.com)
              The story of Trishala Mata revolves around the fourteen dreams she had after the conception of her son, Lord Mahavir. It is believed Mahavir’s soul was conceived by a Brahmin lady named Devananda. However, divine powers transferred the fetus to Trishala. After having the dreams, Trishala’s husband, King Siddharth, summoned the scholars of the court and asked them to explain the meaning of the dreams.
            • Don’t Give Up On A Dream (justinjms1988.wordpress.com)
              Dare to dream / Only you can set the course / Navigating your destiny / Take the steps to make it reality / ~ Give your dream wings / Invent, conceive, believe / Venture out / Elude discouragement /Understand each dream can be yours / Positive attitude is a must
            • Dreams (crossfittoddler.com)
              I was friends with dragons, and I could fly, and I had magic powers, and I was immortal. I was always either saving the world or ruling it with a wise but firm hand (it was amazing how quickly things fell apart when left unattended). My dreams had no beginning and no end – once I sketched out a world in my mind, I’d land myself in the middle of some situation and watch it unfold, inevitably falling asleep before it was over. They didn’t need to: the fun lay in the no-holds-barred freedom of creation itself.
              +
              For an adult, dreaming can be one of the scariest things in the world.  It helps to remember that if a five-year-old can do it, you can do it, too.
            • Dream Big, It’s Important (robertjrgraham.com)
              As children, we all had our own big, crazy dreams for the future. Some may have wanted to become the first astronauts to land on Mars, while others wanted to end all wars and achieve true world peace. But where have those big dreams gone? As we grew older, looked at those old dreams and dismiss them, believing that they’re unattainable or that they were just products of a child’s naïve fantasies. The sad thing is that these days, even the children seem to be afraid to dream big. Research has shown that only 10% of Americans actually set a goal in public school, and this is actually closely related to the very low percentage of rich people in America. People seem to have forgotten the importance of dreaming big, which can be summarized into three key points
            • Dream, Act, Believe (perseverance366.com)
              What is it that you would like to accomplish? That’s the question I would like you to ask yourself if you have not already done so.
            • Dreams (stillsortingthisout.wordpress.com)
              One day this dream that my brain categorised as “good” will one day mean nothing to me and be shifted into the “neutral” section of dreams. The kind that you dream about, and wake up (if by chance you remember it) and feel nothing about.
            • What are dreams to us? (oceanelacroix.wordpress.com)
              We all have one and your dream is different from mine the same way that it is different from someone else’s. So what are they? Are they something we find inspiring and a reason to live, or is it something that we just call foolish and childish? An impossible fantasy or a rocky road?How many of us have grown up hearing people laugh at our dreams? And how many of us have had people support?
            Enhanced by Zemanta

            29 Comments

            Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Introduction, Lifestyle, Spiritual affairs