Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself. I don’t remember who said this, but I wholeheartedly agree. People who are not afraid to unashamedly be themselves have a peace about them that is tangible, it feels calming to be in their presence. If you’re trying to flex your “self” muscles, to lean into … Continue reading It has to be YOU. You are the only one who can ALWAYS be there for you.
"The Serenity Prayer" remains one of my favourite pieces of wisdom because of its simplicity. These three lines recognize that the things we deal with cannot be fit into simple black and white boxes. We can't base our decisions on a simplistic recipe that always responds to everything in a predetermined way. Sometimes our best course … Continue reading When to fold and when to fight. Where do we go for that wisdom?
We stand at the beginning of a new week, a blank canvas waiting to be filled with the strokes of our choices and actions. Like a painter selecting their palette, we have the opportunity to choose the colors that will shape our experience. You get to take a moment to be deliberate about what you … Continue reading It is how you choose to respond to the things that you cannot control, that ends up as the paint on your canvas.
I love reserving the silent meditations for Sundays. And while today's Hafez quotes are great for leading us into silence, they make me hopeful for humanity as well. Hafez was a Muslim Sufi who lived in Iran during the 1300's, just after "The Crusades" when all of the Christian and Muslim world was at war … Continue reading Become like one who is awestruck and nourished listening to a golden nightingale sing.
A part of our psyche is naturally deeply invested in the survival of this flesh and blood body. We could call it 'Small-self', 'Ego', or perhaps our ‘scared parts'. Since before you were born, your sub-conscious has been recording all of the details of everything you have ever experienced. And more importantly, it’s been keeping … Continue reading Since before you were born, your sub-conscious has been recording everything you have ever experienced.
Reading through the work of Hafez, I’m always aware of how the “tongue in cheek”, almost mischievous nature of his words brings an air of playfulness to what can feel like deep and serious topics. Hafez's poetry is a delightful blend of wisdom and humor, inviting us to embrace life's playful side. His words challenge … Continue reading I am afraid that you still think you have a thousand serious moves to make.
How do you see your SELF? When you look at yourself, what do you see? Do you realize that what you see when you look at yourself is most likely to be a story that you were told over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over … Continue reading How do you even know what your name is?
Today’s conversation is about coping mechanisms, and especially the masks we find ourselves reaching for in order to feel like we're being accepted by the humans around us. A “coping mechanism” is not a moral failing, it’s just the scared part of a human trying hard to deal with what can sometimes feel like too … Continue reading It will drag you for days like a broken man behind a farting camel.
Have you ever witnessed the profound impact of simple human kindness? A small gesture, a compassionate word, or even just a silent presence can illuminate another's world in the darkest of times. It's a reminder of our inherent capacity to offer love and support without expectation of return. There is a profound beauty in this … Continue reading Look what happens with a love like that, it lights the whole sky…
Our teacher for this week is the Persian poet Hafez (another common spelling of his name is Hafiz) who’s pen name means “the memorizer, the safe keeper”. He was born in 1325 in what is now known as Iran. To this day his works are often found in the homes of Persian speakers, who learn … Continue reading Celebrate everything that you want to see more of!
YOU are your home. Until this becomes your embodied truth you will be seeking outside of you for what you can only find within. And when you finally come to this truth... you will understand that YOU are the Divine in form, and so is everyone else. "During deep meditation it is possible to dispel … Continue reading YOU are your home.
Today's message from Hermann Hesse speaks of how past, future and the whole concept of time, all come together in this present moment. Our mind struggles with this though. Our analytical mind's habit is to pull everything apart into separate components and become frazzled as we bounce around between our attachment to the past and … Continue reading When you drop from your head into your heart, even your brainwaves follow.
The world that we live in, can sometimes feel like a bit of a battleground. There’s so much happening in the world that feels immoral and unjust, that it’s easy to get caught up in the negativity, to define ourselves by what we oppose rather than what we aspire to. If you want to be … Continue reading Be a cheerleader – GIMME A YAY!
In the noisy world that we live in, is it possible to find a clear voice to listen to? Something that is clearly distinguishable from the cacophony that is permanently on full blast? On this matter, even ancient teachings which came from an arguably less noisy time, directed us to find that clear voice within … Continue reading The most intimate relationship you will ever have, is with your own inner dialogue.
In 1623 English poet John Donne wrote down the words, "No man is an island" - even in those moments that we may feel ourselves to be utterly alone, the truth is we are surrounded by other humans. Nothing is created - nothing comes to fruition - unless humans cooperate to bring it into existence. … Continue reading How we react to our differences, determines whether we make war, or find strength in our diversity.
The human condition so often finds itself gripping on tightly to what it perceives as a sense of safety, while violently resisting the things that scare it. Stretched thin - between clinging to what is fleeting, and resisting what is inevitable - leaves us with no energy to take action where we are actually effective. … Continue reading In this space of surrender the water is calm and therefore clear.
Our teacher for this week is Hermann Hesse, a Swiss/German author who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1947. I really love his work and looking into whatever the week ahead might bring, here are some thoughts that help me set up my week. Life is a tapestry into which threads will be woven … Continue reading I CHOOSE what to take seriously, and I will laugh at the rest!
Sunday mornings often carry a peculiar quietude. It's as if the world is taking a collective breath, a moment of pause before the week's relentless pace resumes. This quietude is a gentle invitation to look inward, a reminder that the most profound journeys of self-discovery begin within. "The resting place of the mind is the … Continue reading The only place the mind will ever find peace is inside the silence of the heart.
Your mind will forever produce a constant stream of thinking / feeling content like the feed on your Facebook account. Do you double click on everything in your feed? Or do you become better at knowing what serves you and what doesn't? "You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way … Continue reading Select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day.
I have seen the miraculous effect of a love like this... When a person is in a space that has been proven to be explicitly safe - the kind of space in which you are really safe to make mistakes - so safe in fact that even when you show up as the absolute 'worst' … Continue reading I have seen the miraculous effect of a love like this…
Our own resistance to being human has always intrigued me. We live in a world that celebrates the highlight reel of human existence - the achievements, the breakthroughs, the moments of pure brilliance. Yet we collectively turn away from the messy, uncomfortable, vulnerable parts of our humanity as if they were flaws to be fixed … Continue reading Is your resistance to being human dragging you down?
Today’s message from Elizabeth Gilbert is a reminder of the divinity that you are as a spiritual being. Have you discovered what resides within you? "'Om Namah Shivaya', meaning, I honor the divinity that resides within me." - Elizabeth Gilbert It's a powerful statement, a declaration of self-worth and a recognition of the sacredness of … Continue reading The universe buries strange jewels deep within you.
One of the messages that’s very often on repeat in our morning meditation, is about coming to terms with all of the things that are not within our control. Elizabeth Gilbert’s message for us today however, highlights many of the things that we really should take ownership of - "There is so much about my … Continue reading Stop pouring your energy into a “reality” that doesn’t exist.
Elizabeth Gilbert is our teacher for this week, and today’s message really is a two for one! Her wisdom is a refreshing antidote to our culture’s obsession with perfection. She reminds us that creativity, far from being the exclusive domain of artistic geniuses, is an inherent human capacity, and we can infuse everything we do … Continue reading Life is like a dropped pie sometimes.
Even though the theme of today's meditation is silence, I chose a different topic from Byron Katie's work which I'm sure you'll love! It's brilliant advice for every one of us - We live in an age of constant connection, where the lives of others are laid bare on social media platforms. It's easy to … Continue reading Don’t be up in nobody’s business.
Whether it's the thoughts and feelings of your inner-world, or the things taking place in your outer-world, there will always be so much happening over which you have absolutely no control - "I love the thoughts that my mind thinks, and also, I'm never tempted to believe them. Thoughts are like the wind or the … Continue reading The war is over.
Happy Friday! I usually prefer to share just two or three thoughts from our teacher of the week in the daily message, but every so often it's too difficult to choose, and today this is true for Byron Katie's thoughts on love, so here's a whole bunch! "I see the goodness and beauty in everyone, … Continue reading Love starts right now, by loving everything that is!
Sometimes we find ourselves navigating life as if we're adrift in a stormy sea, our emotional state tossed about by the whims of those around us. Every word, every action, becomes a potential storm, leaving us feeling powerless and overwhelmed. But what if there was another way? A way to navigate life with a sense … Continue reading I can walk through the world always at the mercy of people around me, or I can walk through the world free.
We have all had experience in our past of being shown by people around us that “how we are” is not acceptable to them, and that we need to somehow change in order to be accepted. These experiences become the foundation for the masks we wear, hiding how we really feel for the sake of … Continue reading You will stand in front of anyone as an equal, and never have the need to wear a mask again.
The power of NOW... "Being present" has such a spiritual connotation that its pure practical application is often missed. It's a shame because "being present" is simply the most effective way to apply your effort. Dealing with what this moment makes available to you right NOW, is the only place where you have any power … Continue reading When we see reality as it is, action becomes simple.
