Are you alone? Deep in the forest, there is a magic that permeates the air, if you take the time, to sit quietly and allow the natural sounds of the nature around you to visit with you… the merry sound of meandering water over coloured pebbles is joyful as it slides with ease over the multi faceted rocks and gurgles joyfully as it brushes against and through the water ferns and stalks of vegetation that lines its banks.
Always there is something to discover, Know that all around you, there are eyes watching. You might not see who/what is watching, but…. your presence is not unnoticed.
Start by doing the things you notice.
It is impossible to do two things at once. Let your intuition guide you and start with what you can take on now.
Easy movements, slow, mind focused on how your body is able to move easily into the different stances. then taking the time to sit and reflect on how we are coping with the day to day opportunities that come our way. That is a personal activity that one should do daily. The world around us is busy, constantly moving, so often, we move into the day and adjust our energy to merge in and out of the constant ebb and flow of what is happening around us, Not taking into consideration the affect the jarring and the noise will have on our own peace of mind, The effects are not always positive. In making time to take 10 – 15 min. in the day to meditate, contemplate you can give yourself an energizing lift. Even 3 – 5 minutes of silence with your elbows propped on a desk.. and your chin, cupped in your hands can produce a quiet calm that gives you an energizing lift, the body/mind relaxation during a busy day can increase productivity and do wonders for YOU, YOU matter.
With a prayerful mind, put your heart into everything you do,
Even when you’ve put in your best effort, you may have overlooked something . With a humble mind, take a second look to check for mistakes or oversights.
PL2014.7
We work better and we are more efficient and effective when our energy is balanced. We feel better and are able to get a better night’s sleep when we are happy with ourselves. There is an expression, “Misery loves company” ….. ….. personally, I’m happy to let the miserable enjoy their chosen way of life.. I prefer to be happy and live with kindness and goodness in my life. it is so much more freeing.. and it all begins with a genuine smile.
It seems easy … just sit back, relax…. let the moments come and go.
I watched a short clip today, where there is a moving ball, starts at one side of the frame, moves slowly to the top (centre) of the frame pauses and then slowly slides to the other side of the frame. The caption and voice, asks that you watch taking a slow breath, then hold when the ball pauses, then release as it slowly drops down to the other side. Lovely reminder to pause during your day, to take a moment to just stop relax for a moment before hurrying on with whatever you are doing.
So often we live our lives on automatic pilot, When I was out yesterday driving to the conservation area I frequent, I thought about how often I had done this over this years.. and how the car just seemed to know where it was going. Ottawa is surrounded by green spaces. We are very lucky that way. I found myself asking the empty space around me (in the car) why I always went to the same locations. Why with hundreds of options, did I always go where it was familiar. (didn’t get an answer)(working on it)
When finally home, I settled down for a wee nap, and turned my iPad on to listen to one of my lessons, but instead of a podcast on male *health/ psychology, a story came up about a woman pilot.. a woman who had military training … now no longer in the military she was on a commercial flight when there was an incident that required quick thinking and the skills she had acquired while in the military,
This was not something usually on my radar.. but I was tired, comfortable, my eyes closed… so I let the story unfold. I woke to a story about a woman living in the wilderness of Nevada back in the 1800 when the land was wild, and civilization sparse ,… She tended a trading post on her own, in the middle of nowhere… stepping outside when she heard movement, she found an injured wolf… the story was about how she took responsibility for the injured animal.. and the consequences of her actions. (women did not have it easy!)
Both stories were nothing I would ever have searched out, but there they were.. … both told of courage, of kindness, of persons who put the safety and what was morally right first. Made me wonder what other “stories” were being offered. Interestingly I found that there are human interest stories .. that speak of kindness and helping others in all walks of life. There are consequences in life, and we are often the creators of our own “destiny”.
No one can take away the joy you get from putting your whole heart into something
The joy you feel when you’ve put your all into something is yours and yours alone. Nobody can take that away from you
PL20020.29
Have a great day everyone.. try something different. But keep smiling.
Oyashikiri
*this is a field of its own, men do have issues and problems specific to their gender.
Beautiful day, blue skies, balmy breeze, the water looked so inviting. I was on a trail leading up and around the area between two lakes. I thought, can I clamor down that incline…. looked steep but doable. What I didn’t take into consideration was that I was alone and without walking sticks.. I would have no support in areas where it was steep. Then I looked at the trees and thought they could be support as I made my way down.
What I didn’t take into consideration was my footwear. They are the “bare foot” type shoe you see being advertised everywhere these days. They have been around a long time, and I had tried them before, but my first attempt didn’t work for me, they were just too big for my foot. These that I acquired recently from “Hike” fit me beautifully, and I had worn them all day the previous day..
The incline was steep, sandy and looked easy if I took my time…. however, when I took the first steps, I realized soon enough that there was not enough grip, and the soil being so sandy it was loose and I began to slide down much like you see people on skis going down a hill.. except I had no poles. Well wasn’t I in a pickle. I managed to get a hold on a tree I was sliding past… and pulled myself into a position where I could lean on it while I figured out my next step,
I had slipped down a couple of feet, going up would be slippery.. every fallen branch I found was dried out and rotten, they snapped and broke easily, they would not support my weight .. I couldn’t use them for leverage.
Ah… fortunately … Bonnie * came looking for me, she had gone back to the car and found me missing. From her position on the trail, she could move forward enough to pull me up. It was a giggle, however, a reminder, if you are in the woods alone, do not wander off the trail if you are not properly outfitted.
When we started out in the morning, she did say she wanted a walk… we got a walk in! She had thought we would eat at the golf course in Lac Simon but when we got there, it was closed (in parts of Quebec, places close Mondays and sometimes even Tuesday) We ended up having lunch at Le Cafe du Bistrot in St. Andre Avellin. We didn’t have a reservation, fortunately, they did find us a table. Delicious meal and well priced. They are located at 198 Principale, e-mail info@cafedubistrot.com (phone is 819-983-3966 ) there is an outdoor patio.. it is not a huge place, small and inviting.. I would think reservations would be best…. (https://cafedubistrot.com/)
Be very careful about doing things you really like
Do everything in moderation. When you overdo, you’ll lose your balance,
PL2021.26
Friendship, fresh air, good food… what more is there!
Do you tend to speak in just a matter of fact tone? It is important to put your heart into your words.
PL2022.19
I have been writing all my life, expression whether written or creatively has always been a passion. In the move, a lot of material was unearthed that came from “past lives”…. I have been looking in wonder at some of the pieces and wondering “who” was this person, “where” was I coming from when these “expressions” were conceived. Some I have kept and will look at again, others I have “passed” on… they simply have no meaning anymore.
Learning to ** LET GO ** is a life long curve and journey that we take. I do see or recognize a thread.. some of my “instincts” and “thoughts” run deep! Never the less… I am working on cutting back,.
Song is Thy will be Done.. I never heard it before last night.. by James Hilton-Cowboy… listening to it, sent me into a very reflective mood. We are all born to die, yet death ( the word )seems to strike fear and anxiety into almost everyone. Only in October, do the ghouls and goblins come out to play…
There seems to be a focus on aging, we are all going in that direction, yet the media is full of commercials, videos and clips on “staying young”. there are ads for everything, all items with claims you just can’t live without them… creams, lotions, tonics, oils, machines, … Life is for living… at any and all ages. One podcast I saw was about how when you are reaching or in your 40’s *.. you have to focus on accepting you are “old”. I almost choked on that one,
Instead of living each day to the best of our abilities and exploring all this world has to offer, the focus is on the past, or all the MUST do’s if you want to “look” good in your “older” years.. OMG you might reach 50!!!
It is true, people are living longer,
PL Precept # 19 Begin once you perceive
There was a time, when it was different, but that is not now.. we’ve come a long way. I’m not saying the world is perfect, but there is so much to be thankful for. i.e if the technology wasn’t what it is today, I would not have heard that song.. thy will be done.. and I wouldn’t have spent an interesting evening searching out more music and trying to find out information on the singer and the album that song came from.
PL Precept # 18 Each moment is a turning point
With progress comes change. (the only constant in life is change) and in true Tao fashion, you cannot have positive without negative… With the technology and all its positives, it has negatives too… it is used in negative ways i.e. cyber theft, the falsifying of documents, the robotic way we have to communicate with companies… the “human” “humanity” is being “downgraded”.
PL Precept # 15 All is a mirror
The thought process was very enlightening, I found myself going down “memory lane” to what was (for me) a “ahhhhh you have lived a long time. The song I’ve listened to over and over, I am not sure why it has an appeal to me, but it does. I am very content with my life… and I am ready to take that final journey. NO.. there is nothing wrong with my health, I’m fine…. I am not at death’s door, but I do accept and know that my time will come. Meanwhile I want to live and experience life to its fullest. By that I mean .. I like being “happy and content” .. and that is what I want in my life.
I am not interested in what other people consider a “need” nor do I want to listen to or be around negativity.
I’m repeating this message from the other day..
Face Challenging situations with positive determination
When you encounter difficulties, boldly take measures to overcome them. By creatively finding solutions, you will feel the joy in tackling any situation.
PL2019.13
Oyashikiri
ref. old. I work with “older” clients… and one sent me an example of what she was listening to… it was about why younger males appreciate “older” women.. the older women they were referring to were ladies in their mid 30’s and early 40’s.
I can only shake my head and hope that common sense prevails.
We have a similar structure in the Gatineau Park (McKenzie King Estate) When I saw this picture I was immediately reminded of the many times I wandered the grounds in the Gatineau Hills.( Province of Quebec).. admiring the views and trying to imagine what it must have been like when the former Prime Minister lived in the hills, and had the remains of fallen ruins in Europe brought over and rebuilt here so we could enjoy the architecture another time and place. The above picture was taken in the state of Pennsylvania.
I have not ventured into the Gatineau Hills since before the pandemic… I did try a few times, but the NCC has made changes to what roads are open and when. (National Capital Commission).. Every time I tried, the roads I wanted to used were closed for one reason or another. Guess what after a couple of tries I simply found other places to go. I’d already been and done the drives over the many years I’ve lived in the area… it was time to discover new places, the world is a big place.
The outdoors are green and lush, but we’ve had forest fires in the northern part of the Provinces with all the high heat we’ve had. We have been advised that the extreme heat will continue for at a good 5 days. If you are also experiencing this heat wave that is working its way across the continent, please take care.
Be free of your attachments
If you are obsessed with doing something in only a certain way, it narrows your choices. Keep your options open and be flexible.
TAOIST Life is Art (Perfect Liberty precept #1)
contact info.- via blogs
--- there are two energies, Yin and Yang = ONE
---to have balance we must live each moment
of our lives.. with Makoto (sincerity)
The only constant in life is change. I am grounded in the reality of Living.
This is true, in all worlds. RL or virtual. I am me and only me.
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