Wherever...Whatever

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

 - Dalai Lama

The purpose of our lives is to be happy. 

-Dalai Lama

It is so easy to get caught up in it all - the negativity I mean.  To focus on all that could be...if only...why can't....I am just waiting for...

For me the path to gratitude is one of returning.  Returning to what is, what is already in my life and is beautiful.  Returning my mind to positivity, calmness and hopefully, peace.  Returning to the grateFULLness when it feels all I am surrounded by is stress and negativity, selfishness and personal motives.  Returning to what is beautiful, returning, returning, returning to being thankful.  Sometimes this means letting go and losing my grip on certain situations.  I have been thinking more mindully about how I return to the path of gratitude (and thus abundance) when my mind and feelings take me somewhere else, for me, reading something inspiring and genuine, listening to calming music, positive thoughts and statements are all helpful.  I have learned, there is no quick fix, and sometimes I don't get back on the path as quickly as I would like (and I try not to give myself a hard time about this!).  Each moment presents a new chance.



The present of being present

Hot and Fresh - mmmmm

Bright and Light

It is very easy to get caught up - in all of it - good, bad, and ugly - and to miss the beauty and gift of being present.  I call it - the present of being present.  There are many gifts that can open to us when we are grateful and attending to the world around us, the big moments, the small moments - all the moments.  Sounds easy - but in practice it can be very difficult.

For me, being present can be difficult for so many reasons, fear, stress, anxiety, discomfort. . . just to name a few.  When I am capable of being present, I recieve so much in return, some of it unexpected and beautiful.  Today's pictures represent the small graces, a great cup of coffee, maybe with a friend, maybe a moment with yourself and your thoughts, the twinkle of lights, bright and vivid, unexpected yet so pleasing.  Both giving so many reasons to smile, pause and be thankful.

Here is to the present of being present.

2012

Bringing in the New Year

Pleasing the palate...and the soul....yum...

Happy New Year....2012 is now upon us...personally I have always found the pressure to make some metamorphic change at this time of the year to be a little, well...forced....and doomed.  I find summer to be a good time for me to make some changes, whether it be healthwise or spiritwise or habitwise.  The summer is less pressure, better weather, slower pace, time to breathe. 

So I made no grand plans for change to mark the turning of the calendar, just asking myself to be more mindful, breathe more deeply, slow down, think and act in a peaceful way, with kindess to myself and others at the forefront.  I am thankful for another week of vacation and the chance to just be, and if I am lucky...to sleep in!

Here is to a year filled with happiness, health and lots of laugher - not to mention magic!