Mindfulness is trusting that this moment is enough showing our appreciation for the gift of now Setting aside our doubts to delve deeper into the present seeing past the surface simplicity to be enveloped in sheer awe Each minute becomes magnified under the gaze of the focused mind purpose found in pondering a cloud's reflection in a puddle It's surprising what can fill your cup when you pay attention to the pouring of each moment into the next perfect stillness in motion
the smallest dose of ancient medicine breaks down the walls I build around myself letting the world in once again a reminder of what is the tether of the present moment pulling me along through time the curiosity of the child inside waking to a wonderful world that's been here all along the sheer beauty of bird calls as I add my own joyous song the deep knowing of connection that binds me to all beings in this mysterious adventure of unlikely existence the realization that I am here a vessel to fill up with love and awe by witnessing the miracle of reality gratitude spills from my eyes in salty streams of sacred serenity thank you, thank you, thank you
What if this is just a game? would we still feel as attached to the arbitrary outcome and keep hacking away at ourselves in order to win What if we chose this avatar in another life we've forgotten was this path placed before us with loving, mindful intention a joyous challenge, a precious lesson Will we feel silly to wake up and realize we felt such urgency a desperate need to get it right in a form we can return to as much as we'd like
A grateful heart grows in size as it gathers in all the goodness that surrounds A cynical heart licks its wounds as it shrivels and becomes saturated with complaints Perspective is all that separates the two both can be formed or found in any circumstance or station of life Let us not be fooled by the feeling of not enough lest it linger on despite all we continue to acquire The mind may hold habits that are hard to break of looking for lack feeling justified when it always finds what it seeks Creating illusions of darkness and depravation despair solidified through misunderstanding and fear disguised as certainty Failing to see the joyous truth that the mind's fruitful efforts merely prove it's own power to shape our reality through sheer focus Nothing has been lost it's not too late to turn the tides in our favor and refocus our gaze toward the sun The source of light that has formed the shadows we fixate on yet fail to see fully Finding balance so we may behold the beauty of duality becoming like water to withstand the push and pull of reality The deep hollows made by hardship leave more space for love to fill our laughter resonates deeper through the caverns carved by sorrow may we cultivate a container that can hold it all
I make myself sick with secrets deceptions meant to bring me peace justifying the ways I try to cheat agonizing over lessons I should have learned a long time ago I'm lying to myself as much if not more than everyone else the jolt of exhilaration I feel when I come out unscathed pales in comparison to the wretched fear that consumes me in the moments before why do I keep trying to outwit the scales of life to prove karmic justice does not exist when I feel it in the marrow of my bones
When you believe yourself to be at a disadvantage playing fair feels like losing but winning by playing dirty doesn't feel much better What is the real prize I'm trying to obtain anyway straining and clouding my own soul for material gain It's time to reframe what it means to succeed maintaining my integrity is worth more to me than the rewards I discard it for
Seeking certainty used to be a quest I believed I would complete to find the bird of Truth and keep it in a cage to uncover when I needed a song to deliver security and sleep Certainty rises like heat waves in the distant desert dunes always disappearing when you get too close but still beckoning you forever onward across the scorched, cracked earth There is a desperation that flutters in my chest for something solid in this ever shifting sand a spot to rest, to feel safe from the overwhelming weight of the unknown I'm struggling to reconcile the irony of the only small certainty I've found a bitter powder on my tongue "nothing is certain, my love you must learn to walk blindly with a confident step" Instead of grasping one crumbling perspective after the next, flailing in a frustrating, futile dance clawing for some control in a world that flows like water I'm so afraid to float The world does not owe me an explanation I am here to experience not to understand how strange to realize I've been asking the wrong questions What does this feel like? rather than what does this mean there is some comfort in seeing I am capable of answering the first, not the second the one question that remains can I learn to let this be enough?
Somedays mistakes feel like stains on my soul a filth I can't scrub clean with good deeds Shame that saturates the once white linen of my small life no amount of bleach can undo the damage done I've always struggled with shades of grey one slight flaw and I am forever sullied and beyond redemption But the soul is not a garment that I wear or a soiled sheet that can be thrown out and replaced The soul is eternal it cannot be tarnished by earthly errors there is always room to make amends and uncover my light once more
Fear is a fire that spreads and consumes it catches quickly in the dry underbrush of a parched heart Worry is the wind casting clouds of smoke to cut off and obscure all exits its insidious growth feels unstoppable as it overwhelms me Fear is an illusion that comes from inside it deceives and distracts until we forget the truth the recipe for salvation Love is the rumble of rain in the distance the sky opening up to silence the roaring flames Gratitude is the damp soil that stops fear's expansion the dark earth on the banks of a river flowing with waters of deep joy Love is the antidote to all that ails us the soul's immune system made strong by awe and unending connection
I used to think it was a sign of weakness to be tender and loving in such a cruel world I saw my own innocent moments of vulnerability taken advantage of and wielded like weapons to be strong, I thought, must mean to harden to shut away my heart for safe keeping I spent years closing myself off, savoring cynicism scoffing at anyone who allowed themselves to be seen Now I see they are far stronger than me they were never ignorant of my pain, they knew it well but chose to lay their souls bare despite it to allow themselves to feel fully even in the face of fear A powerhouse of patience and persistence to love each moment freely and completely is the ultimate act of courage in this world when it's so much easier to hide behind hate
Protect the Innocent 