“This day will not come again.” ~ Thomas Merton

First blush of morning erupts
Songbirds usher in fresh beginnings

* * *

This day shall not come again

* * *

Summer afternoon arrives on the tuft of a breeze
Expectant sunflowers bow their ample heads

* * *

This day shall not come again

* * *

Evening huddles in city streets and forests
Day surrenders to the gentle hush of another night

* * *

This, too, shall not come again

©heartsdeesire

What would wholeness say?

I love asking the question; it seems to prompt a feeling of slipping my arms into the sleeves and cloak of wholeness.   Wholeness spoke quietly and tenderly just a few things to me -

You are a blessed being.
You are perfect just as you are.
You are innocence.

And perhaps if Rumi were by my side right now, he’d peer over my shoulder and whisper in my ear:

inside this new love, die.  Your way begins on the other side.

In my last found poem, combining Rumi and Rilke, Rumi’s Quietness comprised the last verse.  Here it is, in it’s entirety, the words below and the words, set to music and images by Rahmama at youtube.  It is absolutely spectacularly, breathtakingly beautiful!

Inside this new love, die.
Your way begins on the other side.
Become the sky.
Take an axe to the prison wall.
Escape.
Walk out like someone suddenly born into color.
Do it now.
You’re covered with thick clouds.
Slide out the side. Die,
and be quiet. Quietness is the surest sign
that you’ve died.
Your old life was a frantic running
from silence.
The speechless full moon
comes out now.

This side of heaven, where do you suppose this side of heaven is?

“It’s not a place you can get to by a boat or a train. It’s far, far away. Behind the moon, beyond the rain.”

So said the rubyslipper-ed one just before she sung that unforgettable song: Over the Rainbow.

Behind the moon, beyond the rain…is it really that far away?  Or is it found within each of us?  Is it found in between the spaces of
judgment about ourselves – that field that Rumi spoke of?
Is it found in opening to our innate creativity?  Is it where our
dreams lie?  Where imagination comes alive?  Is it in the little
forgivenesses we give ourselves and others?

Is it in that moment we took to consciously take a breath?  Is it now, when I end this entry, step outside, look up, look around, point my face to the sun, breathe in the beauty of today and stay there for a good long time?

Unencumbered
Free
Free to just simply
be

Days after writing the Champions post, where I said “never lose your muchness”, I awoke to a day when I declared softly: I have lost my muchness.  I forgot my own rule of thumb, never say never.  Never and its cousin, always, rules out another little thing called human-ness.

There I was, feeling alone in the suchness of losing my muchness.  As Emmanuel, once said: “if darkness were my natural home, I would be comfortable there.”  I wasn’t comfortable there and because I am a friend to me, I knew I had to take myself by the hand and find my way back to my light, my muchness.

Some of you may remember Abraham’s reference to having our pencil in the fan.  These days they call it “out of the vortex”.  I still like the pencil in the fan concept.  It’s such a perfect analogy of how I can impede my muchness.  So I developed a plan to turn back toward my muchness.  I call it my Emergency Pencil-in-the-Fan kit:

1.   move about mindfully
2.   whatever negative inner talk is going on, stop and ask what would a friend say to you right now, listen to what that friend has to say
3.   walk with your gaze outward and upward
4.   take 4 deep conscious breaths, up from the toes and exhale back down into the toes, feel yourself grounded to the earth
5.   tell yourself nothing is more important than being in your own corner, a solid friend to you
6.   eat something that had it’s roots in the earth, eat it slowly and mindfully
7.   surround yourself with the structure and support of doing what’s before you to do and doing it mindfully
8.   close your eyes, take one more deep breath, and as you exhale, feel your shoulders drop, drop into the body sense of “I am a friend to me”
9.   remember that whatever you are believing is based on untrue reasoning.  You may not know that now but you will as soon as your pencil is out of the fan.
10. move about mindfully

I made nos. 1 and 10 the same because if I did nothing else on that list, that alone would suffice.  It will ground you in the present moment.  This is what Eckhart Tolle says about the present moment:

“Once you have reached a certain level of consciousness, you are able to decide what kind of relationship you want with the present moment. Do I want the present moment to be my friend or my enemy? The present moment is inseparable from life, so you are really deciding what kind of a relationship you want to have with life. Once you have decided you want the present moment to be your friend… Life becomes friendly toward you… One decision changes your entire reality. But that one decision you have to make again and again and again – until it becomes natural to live in such a way.”

A word about mindfulness movement, several words actually!  It means dropping into the body, aware of every movement you make.  While walking feel each part of your foot strike the surface, note texture of the surface you are walking on, the air moving across your body.  Reach to open a cabinet, note the arm extending outwards, fingers touch surface, texture and temperature of surface.  Hand encircles a cup or a plate, feel each tiny movement.  Note the sounds, the textures, the temperature, smells, tastes, movement of the body.  Practice it before you find your pencil in the fan and you will easily be able to fall back into it when you are feeling wonky.  For more information on mindfulness, I recommend reading The Long Road Turns to Joy by Thich Nhat Hanh.

This is what Thich Nhat Hanh says about the importance of mindfulness:

“… consciousness is said to be a field, a plot of land in which every kind of seed has been planted, seeds of suffering, happiness, joy, sorrow, fear, anger, and hope.  The quality of our life depends on which of these seeds we water.  The practice of mindfulness is to recognize each seed as it sprouts, and to water the most wholesome seeds whenever possible.”

Thich Nhat Hanh also recommends repeating a Zen Buddhist poem while walking mindfully:

“I have arrived.
I am home
in the here,
in the now.
I am solid.
I am free.
In the ultimate
I dwell.”

May we all arrive home, solid and free.

When we learn to trust the Universe, we shall be happy, prosperous and well.  We must learn to come under that Divine Government, and accept the fact that Nature’s table is ever filled.  Never was there a Cosmic famine.  “The finite alone has wrought and suffered, the Infinite lies stretched in smiling repose.”  God is always God.  No matter what our emotional storm, or what our objective situation, may be, there is always a something hidden in the inner being that has never been violated.  We may stumble, but always there is that Eternal Voice, forever whispering within our ear, that thing which causes the eternal quest, that thing which forever sings and sings.

excerpted from The Science of Mind~Ernest Holmes

stop

the turning wheels of your mind

look

the miracle of life is happening all around you

walk

out that door with a heart filled with wonder

breathe

it all in

you

are alive

feel

the rhythm of a heart pulsing within you

you

are a part of this miracle

here, now

bask in the splendor of it all

Recently someone I consider to be a wise teacher in my life, Philip Golabuk, stated that we are too much with the world and not enough with the self.  I pondered what was the meaning of this statement.  What does it really mean?

I’ve come to see it means I am too much with trying to make things happen in the world.  Too much with believing there are an endless string of things to be worked through.  Too much with giving attention to what I don’t want.
Too much being reactive to the world.   Too much with shouldering burdens I am not meant to carry. And too much with believing I am in control.

Too much with getting and not enough with letting.

Too much with reacting and not enough with Being.

Too much with the head and not enough with the heart

Stated another way, as Meister Eckhart said: The outward man is the swinging door; the inner man is the still hinge.

Who is this inner man and which self are we not enough with?

Perhaps it is the inner self that doesn’t die.  The inner self that lives in the deepest truth.  The inner self which, when unobstructed, freely finds its way to goodness and grace.  The inner self that rests in calm, still waters.

The self that reaches a turning point and lays down its arms, literally and figuratively.  Knowing now there are no more causes to be fought or won.  Our arms drop to our sides and then, perhaps only then, does the Field/Universe/God take up our cause.

Just for a moment…

Be still

and know that I am God

Be still

and know that I am Peace
right along side any state of war

Be still

and know that I am Joy
even amidst your sorrow

Be still

and know that I am Faith
in between the spaces of your doubt

Be still

and know that I am Limitless Possibilities
right next to your fears

Be still

and know that I am Clarity
right beside your confusion

Just for a moment…

Be still
Breathe deep
And know that I am God.

©heartsdeesire

]]> http://simplyblessed.heartsdeesire.com/2009/11/25/be-still/feed/ 8 Beth/Bethie stillness http://simplyblessed.heartsdeesire.com/2009/11/04/this-world-is-full-of-miracles/ http://simplyblessed.heartsdeesire.com/2009/11/04/this-world-is-full-of-miracles/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:10:34 +0000 heartsdeesire http://simplyblessed.heartsdeesire.com/2007/09/13/this-world-is-full-of-miracles/ ]]> Image Locale

This world is full of miracles.

They stand in shining silence next to every dream of pain and suffering.

They are the dream’s alternative, the choice to be the dreamer, rather than deny the active role in making up the dream.

The body is released because the mind acknowledges ‘this is not done to me, but I am doing this.’

And thus the mind is free to make another choice instead.

~ A Course in Miracles ~

Follow your bliss, those were the immortal words of Joseph Campbell and oft quoted by Abraham Hicks.  I love its simple message coupled with Abraham’s message that appreciation is what brings us closest to our true nature and Source Energy.   G.K. Chesterton also said: “praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul”.  I love that quote.  To appreciate, to praise is to follow my bliss.

I’m listening to the cliff note’s version of “Happy For No Reason”, these mp3′s are put out by Philosopher’s Notes.  I highly recommend them.  Happy For No Reason presents several ideas.  The one I like the most is giving out awards daily.  The best cloud award of the day.  The most beautiful flower award of the day.  The kindest driver award today.  The nicest customer service person today.  Or how about this: the biggest raindrop that plopped on my head today; hello, I live in Seattle after all :).  As I was walking outside today, I thought of the prettiest bird song award.  The loveliest red maple leaf award.  The best dog tail wag today.  The best Autumn season ever award.  The most gleeful children’s voices award today.  The funnest laugh of the day.  The chubbiest bumble bee award.  You get the idea, you can tailor it to your likes and make it your own.

The idea is so much about appreciation.  I remember when I first started out with the teachings of Abraham and all I did was practice appreciation.  Talk about an easy method for turning your boat downstream.  What I loved about Happy For No Reason is that it reminded me how sometimes the simplest stuff is overlooked in the busyness of the day.  I forget how easy it is to turn my attention to the things I love and appreciate.  As I get back in the flow of what is the natural pulsation of my soul, I remember again just how good it feels to love, to praise, to appreciate.

Happy For No Reason also quotes a parable that was part of one my very first blog posts here entitled Feeding the Lover, have a look at it via the link, if you like.  It’s good wisdom even today.

Thanks to Ritama for recommending Philosopher’s Notes and Ritama you get my Best Not-Yet-Seen-In-The-Physical Fellow Blogger Award today!  How is that for a mouthful?! :)