To feel the thrill of an unclouded vista
and not fear or fret about bombs
muddying the picture.
To imagine the grace that can light a heart
and not sink into despair
creeping in the dark.
To know that it ends all too soon
and not worry about the hours
spent staring at the moon.
To wonder about love and the hope it brings
and not take it for granted,
richer than kings.
To feed your mind before it slips free
and not become too sated.
Filled with awareness. How to be.
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
(Mahatma Ghandhi)
To accept with grace that what happens in this life is meant to be and to appreciate the difference between what one can control and what one can’t is key to savouring this one life we are blessed to have the good fortune to live.
As Ghandhi so perfectly encapsulates, having “an indomitable will” is central to having a positive mindset. We will all face setbacks, but how we recover from challenges – whatever shape they take – will determine our overall contentment in life. Small victories will flower when we resist and persist. The trick is to keep going and not get too downhearted, especially when the thorns of despair threaten to tear away the very foundations of our sense of wellbeing. Beyond the veil of sorrow, delight dances with whimsical intent.
How we approach the “Art of Living” is what ultimately defines us. No one can prevent us from realising our dreams and quest for fulfilment if we stay strong enough, have faith in the wonders of creativity, kindness, and imagination, and walk on with an open heart. Love is the answer.
The great American poet, Mary Oliver, once wrote “joy is not made to be a crumb”. This is a kernel of truth that every soul who embraces the magic of living knows with profound awareness. Grief is guaranteed in life, but so is joy, if we stay open, attentive, and grateful. Feast on this world, be daring, and thrive within and without.
Bright butterfly
you came to me today
with a story to share:
Be bold
believe in change
resurrect yourself
beauty is all around you.
Be joyful
be light
reach out
and connect
for in this one life
you are truly blessed.
Let grace be your guide
and follow the spirit
that resides inside.
Cradling hope
Fills the mind with freedom
Kissed by ecstasy
There comes a time when you feel the urge to truly let go. This isn’t “let go” in the sense of going completely untethered and dancing naked beneath a full moon. Though neither of those things need be considered nefarious actions. This is “let go” when you feel you have reached an equilibrium that you can jettison thoughts, ideas, people, emotions that have been troubling you. When it comes, you will know it. You will sense great waves of tenderness welling up from the pit of your stomach. You will sense a sun shining bright in the recesses of your mind. You will sense a breeze clearing away the debris that had been blocking your spirit. It is quite extraordinary. It is quite natural. It is exquisitely delicious. You will realise how nothing matters. You will also realise how everything matters. In essence, what you will realise, and this perhaps is the greatest truth that we can expose ourselves to over and over, is that once you let go, all that truly matters is this moment. Not what has gone before. Not what will come. But now. Always now. Infinity in the present moment. Awareness of grace. Awareness of serenity. Resting in love.
Respect is the cornerstone of a contented life. When we respect our partners, our loved ones, our colleagues, those we disagree with, Mother Earth, then the world will open to us in ways that we could not have imagined before. Respect is a fundamental quality that teaches us we are not alone. Rather, we discover that we are connected to one another by virtue of the fact that we are human. With respect, we nurture the seeds of gratitude; with respect, we realise the difference between healthy and unhealthy ego. With respect, everything we experience is bathed in a resplendent sheen of wonder.
Respect is a bridge to glowing exuberance.
Feral creature
at peace with Earth’s beauty –
what wisdom you preach!
If there is a purpose
to this brief span
we are fortunate to traverse
it is this:
To be mindful
of all that we think and do.
To surrender
to the beauty
that Nature displays.
To help others
as well as your self.
To live with Love
from head to toe.
To be engaged
in the language
of tenderness.
To wonder afresh
on the lips of longing.
This is the core of living.
A truly dark chapter for Europe and the world with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. To think this can happen in 2022, in a world of increasing globalisation and mutual empathy! What will the endgame be? Will Putin come to his senses and realise that there can be no winner here with his heinous acts? Will peace ever prevail as long as “unhealthy” nationalism and perverse extremist rhetoric run amok? Is mankind forever destined to live in a perpetual cycle of war and destruction?
In an nutshell, peace can never truly prevail until there is a wholehearted revolution in man’s consciousness and emotional regulation. This will happen again and again. All too easily, people are swayed by the specious lies that demagogues shout with incendiary passion. And the demagogues prey upon this vulnerability that lurks within the darker recesses of the human psyche with rapacious intent. Add to this other baser instincts such as: lust for money, unquenchable greed, unfettered envy and a false understanding of history, then you have a perfect cocktail of deadly despair.
It is only when we possess the requisite skills to take care of the darker aspects of our selves will we see our more positive aspects flourish. It is only when we step out of the bunker of fetid, bigoted thinking and absorb the torch of tolerance and togetherness, that openness of spirit shines a light upon, will we recognise our shared humanity. Perhaps, in these tenebrous days, when so much of the world feels on edge, we need to cultivate, more than ever, those civilised qualities that allow both humans and societies to prosper: love, compassion, liberty, interdependence, truth, reconciliation. In the end, it is only love and philosophy of the will, action and mind to practise good and perform joyful acts that will save us. Nothing more, nothing less.
Filed under Life, Love, Philosophy, Thoughts
Alexis
Love Life 