The days are getting shorter, the leaves have begun to change into their fall wardrobe. In this picture Chris caught just the perfect moment of sun/shadow… with the background architecture a perfect foil for the artistry of nature. Christopher O’Keefe is a photographer from the States who over the years has shared with us some amazing captures.
Today’s calendar speaks of sincerity, putting our hearts into our words. What struck me the most about Chris’s work is that he often captured “makoto” in his pictures.. ie. this picture for me evokes.. “sincerity”. You can almost feel the sun as the shadows shift bringing the building’s walls and windows to life.
Put your heart into your words. Do you tend to speak in just matter of fact tone? It is important to put your heart into your words.
Last night as I lay in bed drifting off to sleep .. words came to me that set my mind to thinking.. it would be a good theme either for a post or a song. has that ever happened to you, I know many of you blog/write. Writing is not only a hobby it is a passion.. a need to put something down.. to record a thought. I no long know anyone in my immediate circle who writes a journal, but I do have many who do journals… by do I mean they make journals. Either way, it is our creativity that is being expressed.
Back in the day when I was writing every day, I had a need to write, I wrote prose, poetry, stories, I wrote and posted fashion blogs, entertainment blogs, I had pens in every room…. note pads everywhere in drawers on surfaces..(this was prior to the days when we had cell phones/tablets and laptops)
Of course, I knew last night that I would remember the words/theme it was soooo thought provoking and said so much using so few words. I did not reach for a pen to write it down, I trusted I’d remember when I woke… or got up for a break… Guess what… this morning just the memory of the thought is with me. AND you are right if you think I don’t remember what the lines where that came to mind last night… I only recall that it was a song idea that would have been a country song… about love/relationship/longing etc.
I do remember that I thought,… why do so many songs have to be about “love gone wrong” and that I myself, me…. was not relating to the thought cuz I was happy actually content in that moment. happy with my personal thought process… so maybe that is why I didn’t feel the need to jump up then and there and start writing.
Today’s quote is about listening with Makoto (sincerity) in particular in interactions with others. However, I feel that it is advice that needs heeding in how we deal with our own thoughts and ideas that pop up in our own gray cells.
Face the speaker, make eye contact and listen carefully. Listening to people is also a form of expression. Listen with Makoto (sincerity)
Perfect Liberty 2022.15
There is /are reasons that thoughts and ideas go through our heads.. in my case, I think I was teetering on feeling a bit sorry for myself ..I was perhaps disappointed (so ego crept in and reared its head) .. my left brain was going into a woe is me mode… when the right side took over and restored calm and quiet. My inner self, preferred the happy and content response… because that was my true feeling.. I like being happy =^_^= (my ego -I do have one- had to back off)
I wrote yesterday – hiding in plain sight – little did I know. The body is wonderful, when you over do or are in danger of causing serious damage to yourself… it shuts down.. In my case, it presented me with a problem I could not ignore. a whopper of migraine. So severe I had no choice but to lie down and let it fade and believe me, it was not going to make it an easy fix.
You can only change yourself. Before you start telling people how they should do things, think of how you can be more flexible.
Perfect Liberty 2022.13
If you have never had a migraine or suffer from headaches.. you will not understand or know that there is only one way what works, cuz your laid out, completely incapacitated…It is the body’s way of saying STOP you haven’t been listening. I encourage you all, if you are running from one “task/chore” to another and not taking the needed time for YOU… don’t fall into the trap.. Nothing is more important than YOUR peace of mind and making time for SELF CARE.
My spirituality is something I will never outgrow. it sustains me year after year and I truly believe that every day brings tremendous possibilities. ie a chance to live more fully, love more deeply and learn something new, no matter how old (physical age) I get. We can remain ageless – strong – healthy – happy and connected. but it isn’t always smooth sailing.
September is flying by all too quickly… Today is the 10th already! My morning began at 4 something .. yes a.m. I originally woke it was 3 something… after a wee break with Keeper… she now takes a break with me.. and we have for now almost eliminated accidents..(the vet has her on special food to control the acidity of her urine etc.) Balance is important even for dogs. Balance is important in all our lives.
It’s easier to adapt to something when we find it interesting. No matter how enjoyable a situation is, a slight change in our attitude can make it boring. Let’s face any situation with curiosity and enthusiasm.
Perfect Liberty 2022.10
bear scat (photo Daniel R.)
Daniel found his scat further along the trail, I found my scat closer to the parking lot on my out, heading down towards the research area ..(P23) a word of caution to hikers .. there are bears wandering.
Life will present you with many choices today, at some time.. make time for YOU. Not just the To Do list.
btw… on inspection yesterday, I saw that the bears are still finding and eating beautiful big black berries.
always and forever
Reminder. tomorrow the 11th. there will be service on Sunday, we will be doing the Ancestors Day ceremony at 10 a.m.
The tree in the first picture is at P7 (Sarsaparilla Trail) NCC Greenbelt – west end near the look out.
Chinese Lanterns, celebrations, happiness, they are such a joyful plant, I have the little lanterns at the entrance to my home, and in the house. I know fall is not far when they begin to show up, their happy colour peeking out from the green leaves. There is a lot of unhappiness in the world these days – share a smile, spread happiness – be open to listening – the only constant in life is change.
Think “now is the time” Instead of “it’s no use now” don’t give up by thinking it’s too late. Tell yourself that there is more that can be done.
Perfect Liberty 2022.7
Always and forever
Is Chinese lantern plant edible?
The fruits are edible and suprisingly, are higher in vitamin C than lemons. Care should be taken though, as all other parts of the plant are poisonous. The plant also has a long history of medicinal uses.
It is not fun to be stuck in one place. Instead of being captured by what’s in front of you, strive to broaden your horizons.
Perfect Liberty 2022.28
I picked up a magazine the other day to put in the bag i was putting together for the charity shop, I saw that I had a book mark on a page. ID your strengths… I must have been going to revisit the page. I had had good intentions.. date of the little magazine was 2021, January.
My eyes lingered on the one block on the page of strength, the issues was January so it is when everyone is looking at challenges we faced in the previous year and what lessons had we learned etc. It is an interesting list. I’ll share it with you.
Appreciation of beauty and excellence ……………. Kindness …………………. Leadership …………
Bravery ……… Love……….. creativity ……………… love of learning …….. curiosity ……… perseverance ………..
To cope with current problems, it helps to reflect on past successes .. and we are asked to look at what inner resources helped us to do this. Apparently psychologists call our “superpowers” signature strengths. is that a cape billowing behind you? Mine is tattered and torn in places, colours are faded,, but I won’t be trading it in soon…. I earned every wrinkle and stain… you?
Sometimes prayers are answered in a way that you don’t expect. Life has been busy, so busy that until it took its toll on me and I simply had no choice but to stop and unwind… I had no idea how brain fogged I was getting. We get busy, and we get into a routine of “doing” .. it is not until a friend mentions to you that you are always on the go. A friend actually was telling me that her friends were always telling her she was always traveling, and she didn’t necessarily see it that way, she saw herself as a stay at home person.
hmmmm. a little “bell” went off in my head. I was one of her friends who IF I thought of it, would think she did travel a lot. So when another friend said to me, “you are always on the go” I actually heard him, it wasn’t just words coming at me from across a room.
So… when a friend send me a link to pictures taken while he and his wife were on a travel vacation, I innocently opened up the files and WOW… OMG… this picture caught my attention, it literally screamed at me… if I was to visualize my inner thoughts and what was or has been going on in my gray matter, this picture said it all. Why? I don’t know.. it just drew me in, it captured my attention.
From my head to my toes, this picture could be an abstract picture of my emotions – all consuming yet not tangible. My life is so full in some ways, so content, so rich, so vibrant, yet… there is a part of me that seems to be simmering waiting to erupt.
Nick and Mel traveled through some very majestic territory.. they were exploring Yellowstone National Park… Some of Nick’s pictures were just too much to take in, I think it was the impression of the vast geography that they were experiencing, it was something that would be so totally mind blowing first hand. Thank you Nick for sharing, you gave me something that opened doors to possibilities.. more for me to think about .. LOL as always your sharing brings happiness and a smile
Make Today a memorable day. Let’s try to put our whole heart into whatever we say or do. as our unique signature.
Perfect Liberty 2022.26
Why I am so pulled in by this photo.. I have many thoughts on that… one of the PL Precepts is
When you get stuck – take a step back. when you are able to see things objectively, your viewpoint will change and you will receive new wisdom
Perfect Liberty 2022.23
Watching the birds. Yesterday as usual I spent time in the woodlands, just being there, listening to the birds, and taking in the silence. In the countryside, you catch a glimpse of the birds, but you don’t get to see them, just being themselves. A glimpse here and there, they might fly past or be perched on a wire or branch in a tree – but they are not up close and personal.
Since I installed a bird feeder station outside my living room window.. I have seen the birds daily and often. I get to see the mother bird feeding her youngster.. while it perches on a branch beside her, she dips into the feeder, than leans over and feeds it ..its mouth open waiting.. wings fluttering to balance. She is teaching it where to get the seed and how to balance on the feeder. I watched fascinated because behind on other branches patiently waiting for her to tend to her young, two adolescent starlings were waiting to be not at the feeder she was at but on the one the little one was balancing on. Not far from them was a couple more mature Starlings … they too waited for the mother to finish feeding and leave before they beelined it to the feeder they wanted, pushing and being aggressive.
The bigger birds push each other, shove and peck when they want something … yet when Mother bird was feeding her young one, they waited. The mother and baby were sparrows, so different and certainly not of the size of the Starlings.
I’ve noticed Blue Jays now come calling, as well as woodpeckers, cardinals and even pigeons. Yes, the squirrels come calling too. It will be most interesting to see, as the weather changes, who the visitors will be. As time goes on, I will also be able to see more of how the birds are in the community that has begun to take shape in my front yard. the Saskatoon Berry , the Cherry Tree and evergreens are always resting places for the birds.
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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