Your daily dose of Fireworks - to motivate, celebrate, inspire and connect!
“Everything is created from moment to moment, always new. Like fireworks, this universe is a celebration & you are the spectator contemplating the eternal Fourth of July of your absolute splendor.” — Francis Lucille
I can hardly begin to sift through my emotions... I am trying to keep the pain buried, the tears locked away... I don't have any words of my own that might comfort, so here are some beautiful words from the hearts of others: The Peace of Wild Things When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a timeI rest in the grace of the world, and am free. - Wendell Berry
"I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains." - Anne Frank “In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.” - Fred Rogers
20 ways of taking on the fullness of who you really are: 1. Making peace with your religious past. 2. Taking responsibility for your spiritual journey. 3. Dissolving the line between “sacred” and “secular." 4. Listening to and trusting your inner voice. 5. Looking past the labels and differences, and relating to the deepest reality in other human beings. 6. Dissolving the line between "us" and "them." 7. Resisting the temptation to build a persona around being an enlightened person or spiritually superior. 8. Exploring the mystery, rhythm and flow of life in the natural world. 9. Expanding what it means to be “present” – exploring your spiritual aura and energy. 10. Addressing the root of your suffering. 11. Awakening and living from your inner passion. 12. Exploring the connection between spirituality and sexuality. 13. Expanding your relational world beyond religious sub-culture. 14. Not creating a new religion out of your latest discovery. 15. Assuming every human being knows something you need to know. 16. Not latching onto the latest guru – learn from everybody but consider yourself to be your own guru. 17. Exploring new fields of knowledge, understanding or experience. 18. No longer viewing your humanity as an obstacle to but a vehicle of being who you really are. 19. Giving up the story that something is wring with you. 20. Discover, explore, develop avenues of creative expression that resonate with you. - Jessica Blessica Vesica
The powerful changing of the seasons reminds me of the majesty of nature and leaves me in humble awe of Creation.
"Perhaps you have noticed that even in the very lightest breeze you can hear the voice of the cottonwood tree; this we understand is its prayer to the Great Spirit, for not only men, but all things and all beings pray to Him continually in differing ways"
A few months ago, I saw this trailer for an indie documentary called "I'm Fine, Thanks" and was really impressed with the trailer (ok, I got all choked up - it was exactly what I was going through). So I supported them, morally and financially, on Kickstarter. In exchange, I was promised a digital download of the film as well as the DVD.
The film is really inspiring to follow your heart and dreams, all about people who felt something wasn't quite right with their life path, and so they changed it :-) And Steve from Nerd Fitness appears!
They sent me the digital file several weeks ago, but the dvd shipment was delayed. However, last week I got an email with this hilarious picture:
Last night I was alone... I missed my kids like crazy and was exhausted from a long, sick week. And then I decided to watch "Finding Neverland." Epic tears....
Great movie, but lines like "Don't ever put a little boy to bed, they will wake up a day older" didn't help my mood. I was so lonely and cold.
But I'm ok now :-) It is a gorgeous sunny day, not windy like it has been, and I re-opened this blog! Long story, but I will not let silly misunderstandings stand in my way again.
I really want to share this wonderful video with you. It's by Christone Arylo on 5 ways to get rid of Loneliness. She only covers the first 3 in the clip, so I listed them all below:
1. Yourself. Spend an evening or entire day by yourself, no electronic connection devices to others. Take yourself to dinner or make a romantic dinner at home, and spend the night having a deeply intimate check-in with yourself. Ask yourself questions like, "How are you doing? What do you really need right now? What would make you happiest? What are you really proud of me for? What do you really love about me? What can we do to make my life even better?" Write the answers down and promise to take a least one action towards your happiness. Go to sleep feeling loved, by yourself.
2. Other people - Send out a love line. Call someone you can trust and tell them that you are feeling a little love starved. Ask them to share some of their love with you. Tell them what you need to hear and ask them to say those things back to you plus whatever else their heart has to offer. Hang up the phone or leave the date feeling seen, and go to sleep feeling cared for.
3. Spirit - Connect to the divine, to the bigger universal source, whatever that is for you. Get out of your narrow perspective of feeling isolated or like you are on a desert island alone, by opening up your heart to receive love from spirit. Do this by journaling a letter to the Universe, by praying, doing yoga, singing, meditating, reading a spiritual book, going for a long walk, whatever connects you to a higher force than yourself.
4. Nature and Animals - Get connected with your senses and body to nature and animals. Flowers open hearts, as do trees, mountains, lakes, anything in the natural world. Animals too! Fill your house with flowers. Lay on the ground or in the grass and feel the support of the earth. Go for a long hike or walk and notice how alive nature is. Pet a dog. Cuddle a cat.
5. Public places where people gather - Belong to the world. The Dalai Lama was once asked if he ever got lonely, and he replied that he couldn't be lonely when he was surrounded by so many people. Take yourself out to a public place - the movies, a café, the bus -- and observe the people around you, then begin to interact with them through smiling, small talk, or giving love to them via a compliment. When you generate love for others, especially strangers, you receive it back ten fold.
