MAKE THE WORLD HAPPIER

Happy Chinese New Year!

2012-01-23T09:55:00.001-05:00

It is the Year Of The Dragon. May you prosper.

New Year Resolutions

2012-01-01T10:11:00.000-05:00

Every new year people make resolutions to change aspects of themselves they believe are negative. A majority of people revert back to how they were before and feel like failures. This year I challenge you to a new resolution. I challenge you to just be yourself.
~ Aisha Elderwyn

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-12-31T10:00:00.024-05:00

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.

~T.S. Eliot

2011-12-23T00:48:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.

SNOW-FLAKES

2011-12-13T07:54:00.000-05:00

Out of the bosom of the Air,
Out of the clouds-folds of her garment shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent and soft and slow
Descends the snow.

Even as our cloudy fancies take
Suddenly shape in some divine expression,
Even as the troubled heart doth make
In the white countenance confession,
The troubled sky reveals
The grief it feels.

This is the poem of the air,
Slowly in silent syllables recorded;
This is the secret of despair,
Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,
Now whispered and revealed
To wood and field.

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

The Arts Relieve Holiday Stress

2011-12-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can leave us stressed, fatigued and even anxious or depressed. But according to studies sponsored by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's Nord-Trondelag Health Study, there are many artful ways to relieve these conditions:
Painting, dancing, playing a musical instrument or even attending a theater performance or concert may help us feel better, healthier and more upbeat.
The researchers worked with more than 50,000 participants, using questionnaires, interviews, clinical examinations, and blood and urine samples to assemble detailed health profiles. The data was controlled for chronic illness, social relations, smoking and alcohol.
What most surprised the researchers was that the study findings held true regardless of socioeconomic status; whether a truck driver or bank president, participating in the arts had a positive effect on the individual's sense of health and well-being.

How to Up Our Generosity Quotient

2011-12-10T13:41:00.001-05:00

by Lisa Marshall

Focus on someone else for a change, whether it's looking a store clerk in the eye or refraining from shouting at a referee at a sporting event. "People can become more empathetic if they just practice taking someone else's perspective," says University of Michigan researcher Sara Konrath. "When encountering a homeless person, for example, our inclination may be to not go there psychologically, because it is painful to imagine. Allow yourself to try."

Do something for nothing. "This idea that everything has to be paid back hangs over our lives," says Stephen Post, author of The Hidden Gifts of Helping. "just be generous and expect nothing in return. Pay it forward."
Don't reserve your generosity for people you know. Do something nice for someone you don't know or will never meet.
Be consistent. "Don't think you can be kind in one domain and dastardly in another," says Post.
Do something that you feel called upon to do, or that you are good at.
Slow down, take a deep breath and look around. Need abounds. Stop to help a stranger in some small way, even if you are in a hurry.
Don't help just to get healthy, impress your friends or get a tax deduction. "Motivation matters," says Konrath. "If you are volunteering just for self-interested reasons, research shows you aren't going to live any longer than someone who doesn't volunteer at all."
Volunteer for a cause you really believe in, or help a person you truly care about.

LIQUID NUTRITION Water Myths and Truths

2011-10-16T11:22:00.000-04:00

by Katherine Guthrie

Water is good for both body and soul, but you don't need to drink as much as you might think. Here's the truth about what's sufficient, plus five other myths about water.

For the past 50 years, nutritionists and other health experts have been exhorting Americans to drink more water. If the ubiquity of water bottle is anything to go by, the message has been received loud and clear. But now, updated research lets us off the hook. It turns out that much of the water craze springs from a deep well of misinformation. Our experts debunk some of the most popular water myths.

Myth:  You need eight, eight-ounce glasses of water a day to be healthy
.
Truth:   The familiar eight-by-eight rule is likely based on misinterpretation, rather than scientific certainty, says Dr Heinz Valtin, a kidney specialist textbook author and retired professor at Dartmouth Medical School, in Hanover, New Hampshire. Valtin traces the prescription to a 1945 recommendation by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council to take in, "1 milliliter for each calorie of food."
     In a study published in the American Journal of Physiology in 2002, Valtin explains that most of that allotment already comes from the foods we eat. He not only discredits the need for most people to consume this "mythical" amount of water every day, but writes that the recommendation is potentially harmful, by making people feel guilty for not drinking enough
     "The consumer ended up thinking only plain water counts," says Ann Grandjean, Ph.D., a hydration researcher and medical nutritionist with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, In Omaha. But almost all liquids---including tea, coffee and beer---count toward the daily water intake, she says.
     So how much should you be drinking? Researcher at the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, After reviewing more than 400 studies, including Valtin's, set the general daily intake for women and men at about 91 and 125 ounces, respectively. The average American receives 20 percent of this daily water intake from food. The remaining 80  percent comes from all beverages---not just water.

Myth:  Caffeinated beverages zap the body's water reserves.

Truth:   Grandjean first became interested in the reputed link between dehydration and caffeine while working as a consultant to the United States Olympic Committee. "I worked with elite athletes, and I noticed they drank a lot of caffeinated beverages without showing any sign of dehydration, she says. In 2000, she ublished a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition showing theat the body doesn't discriminate between regular and decaf beverages when it comes to hydration.

Myth: If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

Truth:   While thirst is an accurate barometer of when to imbibe, the notion that thirst signals a dehydrated body is not true, says Valtin. Thirst is triggered when the blood's concentration of solid particles rises by 2 percent. Dehydration occurs when the blood concentration rises by 5 percent. So, thirst sets in before dehydration and people who shrug off their thirst can find themselves on the path to dehydration. "Thirst is the first indicator of the body'e need for water ," cautions Dee Sandquist, a spokesperson the the American Dietetic Association. Signs to watch out for include headache, dry mouth, rapid pulse and lightheadedness.

Myth: Urine should be clear.

Truth:   Perpetually clear urine can actually be a sign of drinking too much water, which can dilute the body's electrolyted, according to Grandjean. "Healthy urine should have some color," she counsels. Certain vitamins, such as riboflavin (B2), can darken urine.

Myth:  Drinking a lot of water suppersses the appetite.

Truth:   While being adequately hydrated helps the metabolism run at its optimal level, drinking vast quantities of water won't affect the overall amount of food you eat. Because water quickly empties from the stomach, drinking water has little effect on appetite, says Barbara Rolls, director of the Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior, at Pennsylvania State University.  Eating foods that have a high water content, such as fruits, vegetables, soups and grains, can help us to feel sated.

Myth:  Bottled water is always better than tap water.

Truth:   Not necessarily. Be aware that bottled water is often just tap water. A Natural Resources Defense Council report cites government and industry finding that 2.5 percent of bottled water is plain tap water: sometimes treated, sometimes not. NSF
International certification indicates brands that meet federal safety standards.

Brew Aha

2011-09-22T18:03:00.002-04:00

Tempest in a Teapot

Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, and many drinkers prefer the convenience afforded by prepackaged individual servings. The remains, however, add up to 1,500 tons of landfill waste annually. At least there are things to do with an old tea bag vefore giving it the heave-ho, starting with some surprising natural health benefits.

   Try reusing a tea bag as a compress for bee stings, bug bites, sunburn and bruises. It will ease pain and reduce inflamation.

   Get rid of a plantar wart by pressing a wet, warmed tea bag directly onto the area for 10 to 15 minutes, then let the skin dry naturally. Repeat the treatment for a few days until the wart completely disappears.

   Run bath water over used tea bags to enjoy a soak that will leave skin incredibily soft. Green tea works best.

   Revitalize puffy, achy eyes by refrigerating the tea bags before laying them over the afflicated peepers and let the tannin in the tea go to work.

   Got razor burns? Press one tea bag against the skin to relieve the sting and stop the bleeding.

   After an accidental roll in poison ivy, dab skin with a moist tea bag to dry up the rash.

   Outdoors, tea bags have multiple uses , as well. Tear open a used bag and work the contents into the dirt of acid-loving plants like ferns and roses. The tannic acid and other nutrients will be released when plants are watered, spurring their growth. For healther potted plants, place a few brewed tea bags over the drainage hole at the bottom of the planter before potting. The tea bags will retain water and leach nutrients into the soil.
   Finally, it's good to compost any used tea bags; just remove any staples first. Speed the decomposition process and enrich the overall compost pile by pouring a few cups of strong, twice-brewed tea into the heap. The liquid tea will hasten decomposition and attract acid-producing bacteria to create an acid-rich compost.
   That's not all that tea bags can do. Visit tinyurl.com/45lpesv for more uses from facials to kitchen cleanups.

Adapted from ChasingGreen.org--
showing how ordinary people can positively impact our world every day.

HOW TO BE THE GROWN-UP WOMAN YOUR 8 YEAR OLD SELF WANTED YOU TO BE

2011-09-11T12:05:00.000-04:00

by Sarah McColl, Shine staff, on Mon Jun 14, 2010

Last night I watched my husband receive an award for his first feature film. Making movies is a dream he's had since he was a little kid, and of course, I couldn't help but think about the 8-year-old who would have been jumping up and down at something so long sought coming true

It got me thinking about those eight-year-olds in all of us––what they wanted, what they hoped for. Some psychologists suggest that the ages from 8-10 are a time when we are our most authentic selves, the last breath of our truest individuality before the indignities of middle school and high school set in. I like to imagine sitting down for lunch with my younger self and seeing if she would like me. She wrote stories about headstrong girls who loved horses and the library. And I like to think she'd be delighted to see her grown-up self a writer, and the proud owner of a red bicycle (with baskets!). So far, I think I've done her proud. Here's how to use your own eight-year old self as a compass for your current life:

1.   Stop smoking.
Smoking is bad. Every kid knows that. And little kids are kind of judgmental about their strict understanding of right and wrong. Don't do it. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it will make you die, and kids don't like death. (Word on the street is adults don't either.)

2.   Follow your own fashion rules.
I love the way little girls dress. They'll pair their favorite striped tights with their glittery maryjanes and a polka dot dress. They wear what they like, and their concept of "matching" is pretty loose. You don't need to start dressing like a crazy lady, but do let your personal preferences for color and shape win out over what "everyone else" is wearing.

3.   Go outside and play.
What we were doing for all those hours when adults instructed us to "go outside and play?" I was making "stew" from twigs, dirt, and honeysuckles (is it any real wonder that cooking is one of my adult passions?). Find room for the natural world in your daily routine, like sinking your fingers into rich garden dirt or just popping out for a walk during your lunch break.

4.   Do your homework first.
It was a drag to start in on our long division right after our afternoon snack, but this was an important lesson: By doing what had to be done first, we played guilt-free once the books were put away. Fast forward a few years and we were staying up all night before an exam trying to understand a semester of chemistry. But when we were young, we did a little bit every day. Whatever it is you want in your adult life, whether to keep your house tidier, paint, or have a wider circle of friends, do the "homework" every day

5.   Play "make believe."
I know an adult couple who scratch the imagining itch by inviting friends over to read movie screenplays over wine and cheese. You can boost your imagination by something less organized and less public simply by trying out new recipes or taking a new route to work. It's just about breaking out of your day in, day out routine and thinking outside the predictable box. A kid would turn that box into a fort; maybe you should, too.

6.   Live by your kid conscience.
Kids really have an indignant sense of right and wrong; they respect the social order that keeps life humming along civilly. They stand in line, raise their hands, say please and thank you. Unless you were the school bully, your eight-year-old self wouldn't cut someone off in traffic, stiff the waitress, or cop 'tude just because you're running late. You know in cartoons how there's an angel on someone's shoulder advising what to do? If you live your life by the rules of your younger self, chances are pretty good you'll be doing the right thing, acting with dignity, honor, and politesse. Girl Scout's honor.

7.   Do what you love.
Kids know how to have fun. They live in the moment and have recreation built into their lives. They play soccer and take ballet. They get lost in books and take time to finger paint, all because it's fun and because they love it. Consult what you loved as a kid. Maybe it still resonates with you today, or maybe you need to take up the adult version. Find time for that passion, that sense of delight and play.

8.   Believe in magic.
Kids have an infectious sense of wonder at the world. They seem equally delighted by caterpillars and Santa Claus. Can you suspend your jaded seen-it-all-on-a-reality-show attitude to marvel at a bouquet of fragrant roses or the sense that maybe, just maybe, there's something grand at work in the universe? People change the world; when you were a kid, you wanted to be part of that. Summon that eight-year-old scrappy self-confidence and remember that you wanted to be a part of making the world just a little bit of a better place.

POEMS OF SUMMER

2011-08-19T20:47:00.002-04:00

SONG OF THE BROOK

I come from haunts of coot and hern;
I make a sudden sally
And sparkle out among the fern,
To bicker down a valley.

By thirty hills I hurry down
Or slip between the ridges,
By twenty thorps, a little town,
And half a hundred bridges.

Till last by Philip's farm I flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever.

I chatter over stony ways
In little sharps and trebles,
I bubble into eddying bays,
I babble on the pebbles.

With many a curve my banks I fret
By many a field and fallow,
And many a fairy foreland set
With willow-weed and mallow.

I chatter, chatter, as I flow
To join the brimming river;
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever.

I wind about, and in and out,
With here a blossom sailing,
And here and there a lusty trout,
And here and there a grayling,

And here and there a foamy flake
Upon me, as I travel
With many a silvery waterbreak
Above the golden gravel,

And draw them all along, and flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever.

I steal by lawns, and grassy plots;
I slide by hazel covers;
I move the sweet forget-me-nots
That grow for happy lovers.
I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,
Among my skimming swallows:
I make the netted sunbeam dance
Against my sandy shallows.

I murmur under moon and stars
In brambly wildernesses;
I linger by my shingly bars'
I loiter round my cresses;

And out again I curve and flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever.

ALFRED TENNYSON

POEMS OF SUMMER

2011-08-19T19:53:00.001-04:00

THE GRASSHOPPER AND CRICKET

The poetry of earth is never dead;

When all the birds are faint with the hot sun

And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run

From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead.

That is the grasshopper's,--he takes the lead

In summer luxury,--he has never done

With his delights; for, when tired out with fun,

He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.

The poetry of earth is ceasing never.

On a lone winter evening, when the frost

Has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills

The cricket's song, in warnth increasing ever,

And seems, to one in drowsiness half lost,

The grasshopper's among some grassy hills.

John Keats

Kids Know What's Fair

2011-08-11T20:07:00.000-04:00

Despite what many grown-ups might think, toddlers have a marked sense of fairness. In a recent study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, 3-year-olds shared a small reward with their peer after they worked together to earn it, even in situations where it was easy for one child to keep all the spoils.

To learn how youngsters share, the researchers paired children to complete a task for a prize, like gummy bears or colorful stickers, piled on a board with wheels inside a transparent box. If only one child pulled on a rope, the board wouldn't move, but if both pulled together, they could bring it close enough to reach the prize though windows in the box. Some boxes had only one window, so one child could easily grab the prize and keep it, but the toddlers nearly always shared the reward with their partner. Sometimes, if one child didn't take their half of the spoils immediately, the other even pointed it out.

The insight for all of us: If we cooperate, everyone is better off.

http://www.nasrq.com/

Kids Teach Us JOY

2011-08-04T22:05:00.000-04:00

by Carolyn Rubenstein

Children daily teach us many lessons about the joys of life.

If you're not good at something, do again.
Kids often do many things badly at first. They fall of their bikes. They stumble in races. They try to hop on one foot, but can't. They sing off key. It goes on and on. Yet, they usually don't cry about their initial failures. If anything, they laugh them off. They enfoy the process of failing. And because they keep trying, they get better and eventually even good at many things.

If you feel like crying, do it.
As adults, we tend to hide our tears and try not to cry at all. This causes sadness and tension to linger longer. When kids are sad or frustrated, they scream and cry and bang their little fists and stomp their feet on the floor. Then, once the've had a good, cathartic moment, they recover with a smile and are ready to face the world again.

Make up your own dance moves.
Have you ever put on a Kidz Bop CD and watched a roomful of 4-year-olds react? It's an amazing experience. The kids jump and hop and shimmy without a care in the world as to what they look like. They don't worry about perfecting the latest dance moves, they just move their bodies in ways that feel good to them---and they enjoy every minute of it.

Hug your friends.
Kids love to hug. They offer kisses easily. They snuggle and generally express themselves easily through touch. As adults, we can learn a lot from their openness.

Wonder why, about everything.
As adults, we tend to take the world around us for granted. We are so used to things being a certain way that we no longer question them. Children, though, are more curious. They want to know: Why do flowers grow in one place and not in another? What's at the center of the Earth? Why do leaves change colors? The world delights and awes them on a daily basis. It can do the same for us too, as long as we allow ourselves to remain curious about the wonders all around us.

Carolyn Rubenstein is the author of Perseverance, a clinical psychology Ph.D. student at Harvard University, and the founding president of a nonprofit that funds scholarships for young adult cancer survivors (cccScholarships.org).

What Children Teach Us About Hope

2011-08-04T21:03:00.002-04:00

There is something about the way a young child sees the world that can make us believe in anything at all.

Children seem to believe in miracles even before they happen. They believe that if they wish for something hard enough it will come true.

Children have hope that when they blow on a dandelion or see the first star at night, their wishes will come true. Children know in their hearts that if they find a four-leaf clover they will have good luck.

They put faith in the results of blowing out all the candles, with one breath.

Don't stop believing just because there are more candles to blow out.

Source: WavesOfGratitude.blogspot.com

Ancient Indian Proverb

2011-08-02T09:30:00.003-04:00

Treat the Earth well: it was not given to you by your parents,

it was loaned to you by your children.

We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors,

we borrow it from our children.

More Cool Aid

2011-07-14T17:43:00.001-04:00

continued Remedy for Summer Bummers
by Maureen Healy

Summer bummer: Sunburn

To the rescue: Lavender essential oil
"Lavender Is the best thing to apply right after a sunburn," says Margo Marrone, author of The Organic Pharmacy. It contains linalool, a natural antiseptic that helps keep burns infection-free; and esters, which reduce pain and promote cell regeneration."
How to use: Mix 10 drops of lavender essential oil with pure aloe vera gel (or a favorite fragrance-free lotion) and apply it to affected skin as soon as you notice the burn.

Summer bummer: Muscle strains
To the rescue: Arnica
Arnica works for strains, sprains, bruises and superficial scrapes. Most people use it topically, but you can get faster results if you also ingest tablets, Zand explains.
How to use: Take three tablets orally three to five times a day for the first 24 to 48 hours; apply topically throughout the day. Note: Never apply arnica to an open wound.

Summer bummer: Bites, stings and cuts

To the rescue: Hydrogen peroxide, yarrow tincture and latex-free bandages
"First, clean the bite, sting or cut with hydrogen peroxide," advises Flint. "Then follow with a few drops of yarrow tincture, which acts as an astringent to pull the tissue together. It's safe to use on open wounds."
How to use: Douse the affected areas with peroxide, then apply six to 12 drops of yarrow tincture.

Summer bummer: Athlete's foot
To the rescue: Grapefruit seed extract
"Compounds found in the inner rind and seeds of grapefruits have shown potent anti-fungal activity," notes Marrone. "They attack the cell wall of fungi and prevent replication when applied topically."
How to use: Add 10 to 15 drops of organic grapefruit seed extract to a tablespoon of water and apply with a cotton swab to the affected areas twice daily.

healing ways

2011-07-07T16:49:00.001-04:00

COOLING AID
Remedies for Summer Bummers
by Maureen Healy

Don't let potential summer ailments sideline the fun.

Be prepared with this all-natural first-aid kit.

Summer bummer: Dehydration

To the rescue: Coconut water
When feeling the heat, reach for a tropical treat. "Pure coconut water is like natural Gatorade," says Janet Zand, an Oriental medicine doctor, certified acupuncturist and co-author of Smart Medicine for Healthier Living. "It provides plenty of electrolytes and minerals that regulate body systems and help keep fluid levels in balance."
Bonus: This natural, low-calorie beverage hydrates you without the sweeteners, preservatives and artificial flavors found in most sports drinks--making it a great post-workout thirst quencher.
How to use: Drink 11 ounces of coconut water as soon as you begin to feel parched; it will offer the same short-term benefits as drinking a liter of water and eating a banana. Note: This isn't a substitute for drinking enough H2O. "The key to staying hydrated is water, water, water,"
says Zand. "And don't wait until you're thirsty to drink it."

Summer bummer: Overheating

To the rescue: Rose water
Made by steam-distilling flowers, rose water is the go-to remedy when you're feeling overheated, says Margi Flint, a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild, founder of EarthSong, Herbal, in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and adjunct professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. "Herbs have energetic properties; and some ate neutral," she explains. "Rose water is very cooling."
Bonus: Rose water smells terrific and also makes a great facial toner.
How to use: Put a few drops of organic, food grade rose water into a cup of water and drink it; or add rose water to a spray bottle filled with regular water and spritz yourself as often as you like. You can also use rose water to create a cold compress--douse a washcloth and
put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes to make it cool to the touch--and apply it to the back of the neck or wrists.

Summer bummer: Poison Ivy

To the rescue: Homeopathic Rhus tox
Urushiol--the oily sap produced by poison ivy and its cousins, poison oak and poison sumac--triggers contact dermatitis, an itchy and oozy rash. Topical treatments can actually spread the noxious oil around; so instead, heal the rash from within. "Homeopathy works on the principle that like-cures-like,"explains Zand. "Rhus tox is homeopathic poison ivy."
How to use:Allow two to three tablets to dissolve in your mouth every two hours until symptoms are relieved.

Summer bummer: Indigestion
To the rescue: Nux vomica
If you overindulged at a summertime shindig, you might turn to the classic homeopathic cure for gluttony, "Nux vomica is good if you've eaten too many fatty foods or had too much alcohol and the result is nausea or gas," says Zand.
How to use: Dissolve five pellets in your mouth 20 minutes after eating and drinking, then repeat two to three times until symptoms are resolved.

(These are the first 4 remedies of this all-natural first aid kit, the last 4 will be continued next week. Please come back to complete the article.)

This article can be found in: natural awakenings free magazine in Sarasota, FL
learn more at nasrq.com

WE NEED GENTLE LIFE GIVING RAIN

2011-06-23T21:01:00.047-04:00

Please do not be offended if I speak only about our 'troubles' at this time.
Your weather problems are also always on our mind and in our prayers.
We have had rain possibilities predicted for a long time but without results.
Our grass is brown, the trees are dying, and we are swelltering with the
constant above 90 degree temperatures.
I posted these poems in hopes this may be a written prayer for gentle,
soaking, rain on the West Coast in Central and South Florida.

Rain
Shel Silverstein
I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

Rain is a four letter word
© Brian Tang
Whenever it rains, I feel so free
Free as a bird, rain is my life

Washing away my troubles
Quenching my sun baked soul

While others rush for cover
I stroll among the empty streets
The rain dancing upon my lips

Looking up at the gray clouds
I open my mouth to catch the rain
Laughing at the silliness of it

Whenever I am sad
The rain hides my tears,
And soothes me with
The fresh clean air

The soft pitter-patter on my window
Lulls me to sleep as it sings its lullaby

I let out a sigh
As I wave goodbye
To the departing clouds
The sun shining through

Until next time rain
For now I bid thee
Adieu

'Rain' by Mother Nature
© Catherine Defreitas

She sets up and dims the lights
Her orchestra of wind blowing through lush green trees
Builds from a whisper to a forte
Crescendo!
Beautiful lightening cast blinding light in a white dangerous rhythm
Thunder drums quietly, then BOOM!
And it stops...
To let applause ripple through the valley which she lingers
Until it stops in the early hours of the dawn
With the sun peaking over the glittering hills
Her song has finished
She slips away and hides in solitude
To write another song
To shatter earthly silence
Once again to amaze us all
And shower us with 'Rain'

WORDS OF THE HEART

2011-06-11T18:34:00.002-04:00

The butterfly that lives a day
Has lived eternity.
                            T.S. Eliot

And when love speaks, the voice of
     all the gods
Make heaven drowsy with the harmony.
                            Shakespeare

The universe hangs on a kiss.
                            Zalman Shneor

Look at every path closely
and deliberately. Try it as
many times as you think
necessary. Then ask yourself
one question ... does this path
have a heart? If it does
the path is good; if it
doesn't it is of now use.
                            Carlos Castaneda

Any time not spent on
love is wasted.
                             Tasso

Species belonging to different animal
kingdoms are in their shapes related
to the movements of the universe.
                             Louis Pasteur

Love can vanquish death.
                             Tennyson

The Royal Albatross can live more than sixty years but is very young and still sexually immature when it begins courting. The courtship is tender but polite, perhaps lasting four years. Once the birds have chosen each other they will never choose again. However, life dictates that they cannot always be together. Sometimes they have to separate for a whole year, but they always come back to the same craggy rock where they first met to mate again. Their bond is unbreakable throughout their long lives and no matter where they travel they will always find each other.

from the novel:  'random acts of heroic love'
                                      by danny scheinmann

DID YOU EVER...

2011-06-09T20:31:00.000-04:00

Did you ever have one of those days? Of course you did, and I'm sorry to say, you probably will again. What kind of day you ask ... the uncoordinated, messy days when you overslept and that started the downhill slide.

This morning I awoke late, showered and made coffee with a reasonable amount of ability. Then my brain forgot to sequence the coming events!
I dressed in my black uniform and sat down to eat my 6 ounces of peach yogurt. A slippery blob detached from the spoon and landed in the most obvious place. Hurriedly I ran to the bathroom and attempted to remove it without leaving a stain. A dampened white washcloth was my choice for stain removal. That worked well ... by creating a new exciting dimension of fuzz and peach spot!
Moving on, I brushed my teeth and noticed the spot, which was still there, gave new meaning to the words 'peach fuzz'. While trying to wipe it off with my wet hand more spots appeared with each swipe. I could not comprehend why! Finally, I realized it was from the toothpaste on my finger. Learning from the previous blunder, I washed my hands and used them, now clean and wet, to try again. Stained, soggy and frustrated I got my first clue!
It's one of THOSE DAYS.

Did the rest of the day get better you ask ... not really, but I did relax eventually and laugh at myself !
Hope your days are without frustration and filled with laughter.

Out Your ego!

2011-06-02T21:21:00.019-04:00

...and wake up to how you realy are

ego DICTATES WHO OTHERS SHOULD BE

Spirit ALLOWS OTHERS TO BE WHO THEY ARE

How often have you said things like this?

If my business partner were more organized,
     it would make my life easier.

Things would be so much better if my friend
     could just be on time.

My world would improve if my spouse
     just wouldn't watch so much TV.

I'd feel really good if my mother-in-law
     would remember my birthday.

Ego loves dictating who others should be. It morphs two of it's favorite faces---judgement and justification---into one big drama. In doing so, two things occur.
     First, it often keeps us involved in relationships that are not a true reflection of who we really are. Directing energy into the effort of 'changing' someone, or complaining about the fact that they won't 'change', keeps us attached. And being attached makes it much more difficult to see that we may need to move on. When you let people be who they are, you see things honestly and empower yourself to make a choice as to whether or not you want to be around them.
     Secondly, not offering the other person unconditional acceptance is really a reflection of our inability to offer it to ourselves. It's so much easier to find fault or ways to improve someone else's life. But that energy prevents us from focusing on ourselves---identifying what we could surrender, what we need to change to be more at peace.
     Loving someone unconditionally allows us to see the relationship and ourselves clearly. That's not always fun. The good news is that the return is worth the investment. Although it may be painful for awhile, the willingness to accept others for who they are allows us to let go of who we aren't so we can be more of who we really are.

by Staci Backauskas
     http://www.StaciB.com/

printed in: TRANSF*RMATION
                     May 2011

NO ONE CAN TAKE AWAY YOUR DREAM

2011-05-31T12:06:00.000-04:00

Actually, no one can take anything away from you, you have to give it. Sometimes it is a surrender and other times, a gift.

Many times we surrender before it is necessary. We just give up. We stop dreaming, planning, and expecting. Our excuses range from "too old to accomplish it", "not enough money", "too busy", ____________ and you fill in the blank!

When we share our dreams, hopes, love, ___________ (and again you fill in the blank) we give a gift.

Everyone has a dream. OK, so maybe when you were 4 years old you wanted to be a fire engine and that hasn't happened. That was a dream that you surrendered because you changed your mind, and gained a new perspective. (You may have been a terrible fire engine anyway!)

In most cases your dream stays in the forefront of your mind, taunting you, daring you to try. So go ahead - try, and try again. Start with small accomplisments - a 'blue print', then 'look' at it every day and 'plan'. Take it step by step. If you never see the end at least you 'went for it'. Better to die trying than to give up! Your failures, and undone 'trys' may lay the groundwork for the next person to finish.
Remember, your dream could be the next cancer cure or the greatest ice cream sundae every tasted.

GIVE THE WORLD YOUR GIFT. THE WORLD IS WAITING!

More Words of Wisdom

2011-05-23T14:20:00.006-04:00

'Justice' is not something you experience after you act a certain way,
but because you act a certain way.
'Justice' is an act, not punishment for an act.
author unknown

I choose to recreate myself anew in every single moment.
I choose to experience the grandest version of the
greatest vision I ever had about who I am.
author unknown

What I think, I create
What I create, I become
What I become, I express
What I express, I experience
What I experience, I am
What I am, I think
The circle is complete.
author unknown

INSPIRATION

2011-05-19T21:03:00.003-04:00

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
---- T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets\

The Gift of Reason
Man has received direct from God only one instrument
wherewith to know himself and to know his relation to
the universe: that instrument is reason.
---- Leo Tolstoy

Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the
world.
---- Albert Einstein