Participate Joyfully

 I confess to some hesitation about this quote.

It felt disrespectful to those who are sorrowful.

Truly "we cannot cure the world of sorrows".

But we can share the sorrow of a friend.

(I don't know how to do that without feeling their sorrow.)

I was going to chalk this up to a paradox because, in my typical binary thinking mode,

I believed a person can only feel one emotion at a time.  Turns out I'm wrong about that.

"It's common to think that you can only feel one way at a time, but we can actually feel two or more things that conflict or don't match up at the same time. No single feeling is more valid than another – they can all coexist." Rashida Dungarwalla If I was better at feeling my feelings this wouldn't be such a revelation.

After writing this, I happened to run across two more quotes that echo this sentiment.

"in the end, my happiness was my defiance.  My joy was my act of dissent."  David Joy and

"I think that recognizing joy and play and that kind of full humanity feels like a rebellious act".  Ada Limon

When you put happiness and joy in the the garb of resistance to powers that be, and in this case the power is a society with a propensity to over focus on the negative and "shameful"; isn't leaning into them an ideal way to change things deeply and quietly from the inside out?

It can be a revolution!

kastilwell

The Intangible Represents The Real Power

I'm finding much to soak in from  this gem of a thought from Bruce Lee. 

It does not match the impression I have from what very little I know of him.

Using the word intangible to describe "the real power of the universe" is the best I've run across to date.

It connects to the idea that "nothing" is something (and possibly everything). 

Each creative act born from a seed of the intangible.

The term "living void" is another excellent descriptor. . .the paradox of life in an exquisite duet of words.

May the "living void" fill you "with life and power and the love of all beings".

From now on, when asked, I will say I am a member of the "living void" congregation!

kastilwell

Be The Softness

For those times when your fists are iron

and your grievances seem permanently attached.

Where every soft space is hardened beneath layers of complaint.

When the shield of your armor seems all there is to hold on to.

Believe in your softness.  Trust in your kindness.

Hone your imagination.  Envision solace, support and understanding.

Let the wellsprings inside lavish you with love.

Mercy and forgiveness sit right next to you.

Let yourself feel them through the cracks of your longing,

the throbbing of your pain, the blankets of your grief.

Be very gentle as you "rub oil into your scars".

Namaste'

 

Deep Life

I love the idea of living a "deep life".

And I love the idea of checking in with the beans in your garden,

if you grow beans in your garden, about how best to life your life.

If you don't grow beans, there are a myriad of nearby wildflowers,

trees and shrubs and birds and insects and creatures available;

not to mention rocks and minerals, creeks and lakes and rivers;

all capable of providing advice on the matter. 

On this note, I might share the results of an experiment I did a couple days ago.

Instead of walking and dictating for a current project, I set out to listen to the forest 

using my camera to record images and thoughts as I walked.

Meanwhile, have fun listening to your "neighbors"!

Namaste'

 

 

Bring Your Awareness To The Space Between Things

https://www.kimmanleyort.com

The first thing that comes to mind when considering the space between things is

 the mood of our country as depicted by the ceaseless drone of media outlets, 

frantic to gain my attention; desperate to fill their coffers. 

This is a different kind of space. 

Some would dismiss it as "empty", unworthy of attention.

Yet, as I am discovering, this is where treasure lies buried and free for the taking.

Its collaborates with silence as a pathway to a vast inner space.

"It helps us see the invisible threads that tie everything together." 

It's a space where wretched and wonderful braid tightly together into one strong strand.

"Negative space becomes as important as positive space."

Namaste'

 

My Work Is Loving The World

Loving sometimes seems to me an overused word.

To marvel, to appreciate, to rejoice in, to treasure...

these add juice to the sentiment, I'm thinking.

Yet, as with all words, its not the word itself...

but the invisible, sometimes intangible frequency invoked.

That hum in our bones when the words cross our retinas

or slip past our tympanic membrane causing vibrations of recognition and connection.

This poem is a symphony of pictures, hums, and vibrations.

Mary Oliver is a magician of words.

Am I no longer young and still not half-perfect? Let me keep my mind on what matters...

 

It's Not That My Mind Has Gone Quiet

http://dannafaulds.com

I love finding voices I've not encountered before. Wisdom threading like tributaries from many sources, contributing power to the River of Goodness, flowing unceasingly through our world.

May you find your space to breathe and heal and be yourself. Namaste'

kastilwell