Pure – The Sound of Gratitude
Posted: June 30, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, compassion, cycling, exercise, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, gratitude, Grief, happiness, health, hope, kindness, life, love, marathon, meditation, motivation, natural, nature, Omaha, pain, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, sorrow, trail running, whole foods, writing, yoga, Zen 15 CommentsMy expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus-
This past Thursday I walked into a local novelty store in the Omaha Old Market. “Good afternoon – How are you?” A kind worker asked me, a little too enthusiastic for the morning I was having. Life has been dreadful so far this Summer, and facing some stressful moments at the time … I did not shy away pretending all was fine.
I muttered, “I’m OK.” She replied back while stocking gift cards in a display, “Just OK? Not awesome? It’s a beautiful day outside! Cheer up dude, you should be thankful for what you have?”
…
There was no smile on my face this particular day. Although I still had gratitude and joy in my heart. Sometimes, expressing kindness and giving thanks does not require a peppy cheerleading routine.
Daily Meditation:
The message I am sharing today is a touch different from the norm around these parts. Simply put – There are times when we are experiencing difficult moments in our lives, and its hard to be – Awesome. Sometimes, openly telling others to “cheer up” and “be thankful for what you have” is a strategy for avoiding what they may be going through in the moment, the pain, the hurting and struggle.
It’s really easy to tell someone to cheer up. Rather than taking a moment to listen to what is going on in their lives…
All of us will face difficult moments in our lives, piss poor marathon this past weekend, stress at work and whatever else. Grief is a part of life and no matter how hard we try – we will never outrun it. We don’t have to have everything going right in order to be thankful, to express ever lasting kindness, in any situation.
Clover
Posted: June 26, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Clover, Literature, nature, Omaha, Poems, Poetry, Tennessee Williams 15 Comments…
These are fragrant acres where
Evening comes long hours late
And the still unmoving air
Cools the fevered hands of Fate.
Meadows where the afternoon
Hangs suspended in a flower
And the moments of our doom
Drift upon a weightless hour.
And we who thought that surely night
Would bring us triumph or defeat
Only find the stars are white
Clover at our naked feet.
: Where Shale I Go :
Posted: June 24, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Bliss, hope, love, meditation, Mystic, passion, Ramanand, Surrender, yoga, Zen Leave a comment…
Where shall I go when all the music and festivities are in my own house? My heart is content where I am, My mind has folded its wings. The Guru has revealed that Brahman is in my heart. If I wander outside, I will see the worship of stones and others vainly seeking the Lord in the holy books. The Guru has ended all my failures and delusions. Ramanand is now lost gazing at his Master, Brahman. It was the Word of the Guru that destroyed all my millions of attachments and distractions.
– Ramanand
Seva :Revisited:
Posted: June 23, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: compassion, Depression, Generosity, love, Omaha, passion, purpose, Seva, Value, Volunteering, World Cup 8 CommentsThough a smile is little work, its effects are long lasting-
Generosity is no longer the selfless act I’ve long thought it to be … Generosity is a natural confidence builder and a natural repellent of self-hatred. Not only does generosity make us feel better about ourselves, but it actively combats feelings of competitiveness, isolation and despair. I have a hunch that many of you reading this morning are equally as competitive as I used to be, and when this “competitiveness” gets the better of you? Depression and self-doubt slowly creeps in.
“Why do I keep racing? My split times suck and there is no way I can shave six seconds of my PR!”
Do you honestly want to hear my solution to a problem that has gripped so many of us? Brace yourselves then … Volunteer.
Volunteering is simply amazing! Needless to say I do receive quite a few blank stares when I share with someone: Volunteering your time will drastically improve your performance. Here’s how: Volunteering empowers you with a sense of value and purpose, while being in a social environment. Hmm, lets read that again … Volunteering empowers you with a sense of Value and Purpose, while being in a social environment – This sounds like a fun event to participate in!
…
There is not much value lamenting a poor performance, nor is there purpose to be found pushing through to the finish, of “whatever.”
Daily Meditation:
By Cultivating generosity through volunteering, we allow ourselves the space and time needed to be more sensitive to ourselves, and to give ourselves more Value and Purpose. In addition, when we are in a giving state? We are naturally more relaxed, tuned into the beautiful world around us, and living in the present moment.
This state of being is contagious – Pay it forward.
The TL/DR version of this post: Improve your performance by volunteering.
The Swiss Family Robinson
Posted: June 19, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, freshly pressed, friends, happiness, kindness, life, love, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, passion, perspective, pilates, Poetry, Ron Padgett, running, The Swiss Family Robinson, trail running, writing Leave a comment…
I never quite understood who
the Swiss Family Robinson were.
The inversion of their name
confused me at an early age,
just as the name of Mary Baker Eddy
sounded as though she started out
as a woman and turned into
a guy named Eddy. At Walt
Disney World there is an attraction
called Swiss Family Robinson that
involves a tree house, so I assume
they lived in a tree. Why they did
I don’t know. It sounds rather
stressful to me, the fear
of falling out. I could look up
the Swiss Family Robinson
in a reference book, but
it’s interesting not to know
something that everyone else knows.
However, I would like to know if there
are many people named Robinson
in Switzerland. If there are,
I would know something that
most people don’t know.
CultFit 