Joy Doesn't Betray

"joy is a fine initial act of insurrection."

My appreciation for those with the ability

to foster and enhance joy is growing as

I experience its power in real time.

Now the question is, what is the next step

after this initial act of joy?

How can it be nurtured and sustained right now?

How can we keep it strong in our bones for the long run?

How can we keep it alive when things are tough?

How can we share it with those who are fearful?

It's no small matter.

We've got this!

Namaste"

What If My Joy?

Sophie Strand impresses me with her ability to

express original and compelling thoughts and ideas. 

It often requires two or three readings to let her view sink in.

My "joy, ease, bodily ecstasy" contained 

"somewhere past my skin silhouette". . . ?

This idea dazzles me.  

Of course, I think.  Why not?

How often have I found joy through a rainbow,

a waterfall, the call of  barred owl, 

a shaft of light slanting through the forest?

"What if the ways our bodies adjusted to trauma,

trespass and illness. . .was often deeply creative?

See what I mean?

She turns things around and upside down...

giving a fresh perspective

brimming with possibility and potential.

Thanks be for folks like her who alter our 

neural pathways into better ways of thinking and being.

Namaste'

 

I Remember

"I think of how much time it takes to nurture a place. 

I tell myself, sometimes goodness grows in the world if we wait."

We wait in joyful anticipation, 

is a phrase I've always loved and appreciate more and more as I grow.

Isn't it remarkable how one person, and now two

can bring about such a giant shift in our atmosphere?

It's a mystery to me how it happens.

It's not that they're better than anyone else.

It's that some invisible but palpable energy is activated.

Hope replaces dread...dignity shows up.

Excitement and enthusiasm enter the room.

And it's contagious.  

A pandemic of joy and decency.

Namaste'

 

How Many Times

 This quote rattled me a bit

with the reference to what I interpret as violence.

When I saw who said it, I felt it was worthy of sharing.

The idea of using pen or paintbrush or whatever implement of originality one uses,

to correct what is wrong in the world reminds me

how incredibly beautiful and powerful human potential is.

May our pens, paintbrushes and every instrument of creativity

move us toward more dignity, equality and decency.

Namaste'

Matter Is Spirit

And I would say, human matter is typically moving so quickly

it fails to notice spirit.

Another reason it's beneficial to slow down.

Namaste'

The River

Is it true that the river is everywhere?

I'm thinking of the middle of the Sahara desert for example.

It is if you consider the different forms water takes, doesn't it?

That alone seems rather miraculous, yet it is true, isn't it?

Right now, in this moment of time,

I believe a river of goodness exists.

You can conjure it anywhere, anytime.

Namaste'

 

The Only Thing

"An uncertainty that gestates miracles 

I could never have expected or authored."

How beautiful to consider the uncertainty we're feeling

is gestating miracles. Aren't we catching a glimpse of this?

It's still uncertainty, no doubt about it, only now it

contains a measure of optimism previously missing.

"I have found that the space I hold for being wrong

acts like a freshly mulched garden."

I love, love, love the idea of a freshly mulched garden

as the holding space for where I'm incomplete in my thinking.

Anything could sprout up from that fertile understory.

Imagine what seeds of unforeseen nourishment 

are about to break dormancy and flourish.

My outside garden may not be of a high caliber;

however, I'm counting on my inner garden of uncertainty

to produce a more generous and nourishing crop.

I'm reminding myself of the vigilance and care required to 

yield a bountiful harvest.

Namaste'