Sharing grief

''When we experience something that causes us to feel shock and sadness, we may feel the urge to withdraw from life.

It may seem like remaining withdrawn will keep us protected from the world, but during these times it is important to reach out to those trusted and precious people who care about us the most.

Even with our best information and reasoning, we never know when someone else’s experience or perspective can give us additional information that we need.

The universe speaks to us through many channels, and when we open ourselves up to receive its messages, we also receive nurturing care from a loving partner in life’s journey.
Grief is part of the human experience, and sharing our vulnerability is what creates truly close bonds in our relationships.

Opening ourselves up in this way gets to the core of our being, past all of our defenses and prejudices. When life seems to crack the outer shell of our world, we are both raw and fresh at the same time.

It is then that we discover who is truly willing to walk with us through life.
We also see that some of those sent to us may not be the ones we expected to see.
Regardless, we learn to trust in the universe, in others, in our own strength and resilience, and in the wisdom of life itself.

Sharing grief allows us to ease our burden by letting someone else help carry it.

This helps us process our own inner thoughts and feelings through the filter of a trusted and beloved someone.
We may feel guilty or selfish, as if we are unloading on someone who has their own challenges.
Although, if we think about it, we know we would do the same for them, and their protests would seem pointless.
Remember that not sharing feelings with others denies them the opportunity to feel.

We may be the messenger sent by the universe for their benefit, and it is on this mission that we have been sent.

By sharing our hopes and fears, joys and pains with another person, we accept the universe’s gifts of wisdom and loving care. '' (Daily OM)

sea dreamer

hino ao sol

coisas pessoais

Scott Blum bombeia-me ( a meu pedido, diga-se) a caixa de e-mail com crónicas mais ou menos diárias (DailyOm) e por vezes outras mensagens de 'promoções' de música e de artefactos, assim como ocasionalmente O horóscopo de Touro . Normalmente, (dependendo da minha disposição também) vão direitinhos sem abrir para o lixo. Os dailyom normalmente leio, mas alguns não escapam ao mesmo recurso. Hoje abri uma exceção e li o que o Touro me queria dizer, para variar. Aqui vai.

''February 25, 2012


Pursuing a Solitary Path

Taurus Daily Horoscope

A strong urge to spend time alone can compel you to focus your attention on tasks and obligations that do not require you to collaborate with others today. You may feel intensely driven to withdraw from the world in order to retreat into in a peaceful secluded setting that is free from distractions. However, you can achieve a similar state of tranquility by simply making an effort to work and play alone. You may discover that you can concentrate more easily on your endeavors without others present. As you become more absorbed in your tasks today, you’ll likely enjoy your newfound ability to make independent decisions and to respond to challenges in the precise way you see fit.

In choosing to labor alone and make decisions regarding our futures autonomously, we free ourselves to be the sole arbiters of our individual destinies. Though we may choose to consult others when thorny challenges leave us stymied, we are fully responsible for carving our own paths through life and pursuing the success we crave. We can proceed as cautiously or as boldly as we wish, obligated to follow no pace but our own and beholden to no one. The pursuit of a solitary path, while oftentimes difficult, can be particularly rewarding in that it proves to us that we are capable of true independence. On our own, we needn’t ever question whether our triumphs are the result of luck or effort. Your choice to labor alone today will help you focus on your own needs and desires.''

Who Are You.... Really

Who Are You.... Really - 34 Translation(s) dotSUB

Below the surface

''February 17, 2012
Below the Surface
Finding Deep Strength

When we look back on our lives we see that we have survived many trials and often to our own amazement.

We have all faced moments in our lives when the pressure mounts beyond what we feel we can handle, and we find ourselves thinking that we do not have the strength to carry on. Sometimes we have just gotten through a major obstacle or illness only to find another one waiting for us the moment we finally catch our breath.

Sometimes we endure one loss after another, wondering when we will get a break from life’s travails.
It does not seem fair or right that life should demand more of us when we feel we have given all we can, but sometimes this is the way life works.

When we look back on our lives, we see that we have survived many trials and surmounted many obstacles, often to our own amazement.
In each of those instances, we had to break through our ideas about how much we can handle and go deeper into our hidden reserves.

The thought that we do not have the strength to handle what is before us can be likened to the hard surface of a frozen lake.
It appears to be an impenetrable fact, but when we break through it, we find that a deep well of energy and inspiration was trapped beneath that icy barrier the whole time.

Sometimes we break through by cutting a hole into our resistance with our willpower, and sometimes we melt the ice with compassion for our predicament and ourselves.

Either way, each time we break through, we reach a new understanding of the strength we store within ourselves.

When we find ourselves up against that frozen barrier of thinking we cannot handle our situation, we may find that the kindest choice is to love ourselves and our resistance too.

We can simply accept that we are overwhelmed, exhausted, and stretched, and we can offer ourselves loving kindness and compassion.

If we can extend to ourselves the unconditional warmth of a mother’s love, before we know it, the ice will begin to break. ''

(DailyOm , Scott Blum)

Fragilização

''Se estás triste, fica triste. Aproveita. Se te apetece chorar, chora. Aproveita.

Não é todos os dias que consegues alcançar esse estágio de fragilização.

E a fragilização é soberba.
Faz-te reavaliar as coisas, as relações. Faz com que te ponhas em causa.

Faz reacender a chama da sensibilidade absoluta, lágrima ao canto do olho, pronta para saltar.

E essa sensibilidade é a tua grande arma.
É com ela que vais receber as intuições, ordens cósmicas para avançar.

Sem essa sensibilidade e essa fragilização, a tua vida fica no plano mental, e o teu percurso energético
fica anulado.

Essa tristeza é bem-vinda. Faz parte do ciclo das fragilidades.
E esse ciclo tem de ser respeitado.

Há dias em que acordas bem e outros em que acordas mal.
É um ciclo alternado e dual, sem fim, onde vais trabalhando a tristeza, chorando, fazendo
os teus lutos particulares, para quando virar o ciclo e vier a alegria, esta ser
verdadeira, grandiosa, limpa e generosa.

Respeita os ciclos.

Respeita a tua tristeza assim como respeitas a tua alegria.

E fica sabendo que os homens que respeitam os ciclos são muito bem-vindos no céu.''

O LIVRO DA LUZ – Pergunte, O Céu Responde,
de Alexandra Solnado

AMOR ou Medo?

tu queres

''Tu queres, mas tens medo. Por um lado queres, por outro, tens medo.
Tens medo do risco, tens medo do mergulho rumo ao desconhecido.




O que deves fazer, então?
Primeiro que tudo: Perceber porque é que queres.
Porque é que tens necessidade de que este desejo se concretize.
É porque queres ser aceite? É para te sentires mais seguro? É para seres mais feliz? Para fazeres
desaparecer essa insatisfação?

Pensa: não há nada que venha de fora que te possa trazer felicidade plena.
O segredo é: sempre que desejares fazer algo porque te sentes mal, arranja maneira de te sentires bem.  

Arranja forma de ficares melhor.
Medita, faz terapia, vem cá acima, chora, faz qualquer coisa para internamente te sentires bem.

Depois… depois que tiveres melhorado, que te sentires equilibrado e feliz,
pensa: «Ainda quero avançar com esta questão?» Nessa altura já escolheste.
Se a resposta for negativa é porque o que tu querias era uma acção de fora
para melhorar internamente. É claro que não ia resultar, pois estavas a fugir,
não irias ao fundo da questão.

Ao obrigares-te a ficar bem com meditação, interiorização, o que quer que seja, estás a validar um dos mais altos preceitos do céu.

Tudo se cura de dentro para fora, do interior para o exterior, e não o contrário.

Se a resposta for «não», livraste-te de uma acção estéril, que não iria servir-te para nada,
a não ser para fazer-te perder tempo.

Mas se a resposta for «sim», se, apesar de já estares bem, ainda desejas
avançar, aí o caso muda de figura.

Trata-se de uma intuição.Trata-se de uma comunicação com o céu.
Trata-se de algo que confere com a tua energia original.

Podes avançar, pois por mais difícil que seja essa jornada,ela nunca te afastará do teu caminho  original, pelo contrário, irá participar no enriquecimento da tua vida interior.''

Present in the progression

''Our lives are guided by natural rhythms that are particular to each of us and cannot be altered by force of will alone.

Life itself is a journey made up of processes and events that manifest before us only to be swept away when time marches on.

Whether we envision ourselves creating a career, building a family, or developing the self, we instinctively know when the time has come for us to realize our dreams because all that is involved comes together harmoniously.

When the time is right, the passage of destiny cannot be blocked.
Yet as desperate as we are to touch these beautiful futures we have imagined, we cannot grow if we are not fully present in the evolutionary experience.

The present can be challenging, uncomfortable, and tedious, but life unfolds as it will, and the universe will wait patiently as we make our way into the unknown.

The fate that awaits us is not dependent on our pace, which was preordained before we ever appeared in human guise.

Therefore there is no reason to rush through life to reach those pinnacles of development associated with the paths we have chosen.

Enjoying and fully experiencing the journey of life is as important as achieving goals and reaching milestones.

There are lessons we can learn during those moments that seem immaterial or insignificant that we cannot learn at any other time.

Appreciating these takes patience, however, because human beings tend to focus on the fulfillment of expectations rather than the simple joys of being. 

Like many people, you have no doubt longed for a device that would give you the power to fast forward through certain periods of your existence.

Yet haste is by its very nature vastly more stressful than serene fortitude. When you feel yourself growing impatient because the pace of your development is deceptively slow, remember that everything that will occur in your life will occur in its own time.

Quelling your urge to rush will enable you to witness yourself learning, changing, and becoming stronger.

There is so much to see and do in between the events and processes that we deem definitive.

If you are patient enough to take pleasure in your existence's unfolding, the journey from one pinnacle to the next will seem to take no time at all.''

 (Daily Om, Scott Blum)

As the Earth allows the rain

''It can take great courage to really sit with our feelings, allowing ourselves to surrender to their powerful energies.

All too often we set our feelings aside, thinking we will deal with them later. If we don’t deal with them, we end up storing them in our minds and bodies and this is when anxiety and other health issues can arise.

Denying what our bodies want to feel can lead to trouble now or down the line, which is why being in the thick of our feelings, no matter how scary it seems, is really the best thing we can do for ourselves.

One of the reasons we tend to hide or push aside our feelings is that we live in a culture that has not traditionally supported emotional awareness.

However, as the connection between mind and body--our emotions and our physical health-- becomes clearer, awareness of the importance of feeling our feelings has grown.

There are many books, classes, workshops and retreats that can help us on our way to emotional intelligence.

We can also trust in our own ability to process what comes up when it comes up.

If sadness arises, we can notice its presence and welcome it, noting where in our bodies we feel it, and allowing ourselves to express it through tears or a quiet turning inward.

When we simply allow ourselves to fully feel our feelings as they come, we tend to let them go easily.

This is all we are required to do; our feelings simply want to be felt.

We often complicate the situation by applying mental energy in the form of analysis, when all we really need is to allow, as the earth allows the rain to fall upon it.

As the rain falls, the earth responds in a multitude of ways, sometimes emptying out to form a great canyon, sometimes soaking it up to nourish an infinitude of plants.

In the same way, the deeper purpose of our feelings is to transform the terrain of our inner world, sometimes creating space for more feelings to flow, sometimes providing sustenance for growth.

All we need to do is allow the process by relaxing, opening, and receiving the bounty of our emotions.  ''(Daily Om)

No wrong response

''Our view of the universe is largely determined by our experiences.

It is when we are caught off guard by the spontaneity of existence that we are most apt to respond authentically, even when our feelings do not correspond with those of the multitude.

Events that arouse strong emotions with us or are surprising in nature can be disquieting, for it often is in their aftermath that we discover how profoundly our histories have shaped us.

The differences that divide us from our peers are highlighted in our reactions when these diverge from the mainstream, and this can be highly upsetting because it forces us to confront the uniqueness of our lives.

When our response to unexpected news or startling ideas is not the same as that of the people around us, we may feel driven by a desire to dismiss our feelings as irrational or incorrect.
But reactions themselves are neither right, nor wrong.

The forces that sculpted the patterns that to a large extent dictate our development are not the same forces that shaped the development of our relatives, friends, colleagues, or neighbors.

There is no reason to believe that one person's reaction to a particular event is somehow more valid than another's.

How we respond to the constant changes taking place in the world around us is a product of our
history, a testament to our individuality, and a part of the healing process that allows us to address key elements of our past in a context we can grasp in the present. 
  
Life's pivotal events can provide you with a way to define yourself as a unique and matchless being, but you must put aside the judgments that might otherwise prevent you from gaining insight into your distinct mode of interpreting the world.

Try to internalize your feelings without categorizing or evaluating them.

When you feel unsure of the legitimacy of your reactions, remember that cultural, sociological, spiritual, and familial differences can cause two people to interpret a single event in widely dissimilar ways.

Examining your responses outside of the context provided by others can show you that your emotional complexity is something to be valued, for it has made you who you are today.
(Daily Om, Scott Blum)

Like no one is watching

''Most of us express our distinctiveness in many ways throughout our lives.

Although, as we proudly share our offbeat traits and preferences with the world, we take great pains to downplay those eccentricities we ourselves deem odd.

Instead of living lives colored by these quirky impulses, we seek out socially acceptable outlets for our peculiarities.

We may not realize that we are editing ourselves in this way because our individual societal awareness is unintentionally attuned to the attitudes of the people we encounter each day.

Over time, we have learned to suppress some of the most fun aspects of individuality.

To rediscover and embrace these buried traits, we need only ask ourselves what we would do if we knew for certain that no one would judge our choices.

Visualizing this day without judgment can help you better understand the idiosyncrasies that are an important part of who you are but seldom manifest themselves in your existence.

Perhaps you secretly dream of replacing grown-up, conservative clothing in favor of a changing array of costumes.
You may envision yourself painting your car electric-green, hugging the trees in a crowded local park, singing joyous songs as you skip through your community, or taking up an exciting hobby like fire spinning.

Try not to be surprised, however, if your imagination takes you in unexpectedly simple directions.
In your musings, you may see yourself doing things such as breaking out in dance or dying your hair a fun color.

Regardless of the nature of your suppressed peculiarities, ask yourself what is really stopping you from making them a part of your life, and then resolve to incorporate at least one into your everyday existence.

Life as we know it is so short.
Making the most of years we are granted is a matter of being ourselves even though we know that we will inevitably encounter people who disapprove of our choices.

When you shake your tail feathers like no one is watching, you will discover that there are many others who appreciate you because you are willing to let go of any inhibition. By doing this you help others know it is okay.

No one else in the world is precisely like you and, each time you revel in this simple fact, you rededicate yourself to the celebration of individuality.'' (Daily Om)

Information and inspiration

''All the major spiritual traditions serve the purpose of offering us a roadmap to guide us on our individual journeys to enlightenment.

These roadmaps are made up of moral codes, parables, and, in some cases, detailed descriptions of mystical states.

We often study the fine points of a particular ascended master’s narrative in order to better understand our own and to seek inspiration and guidance on our path.

In the same way, when we plan a road trip, we carry maps and guidebooks in an effort to understand where we are going. In both cases, though, the journey has a life of its own and maps, while helpful, can only take us so far.

There is just no comparison between looking at a line on a piece of paper and driving your own car down the road that line represents.

Some people seem well-suited to following maps, while others are always looking for new ways to get where they’re going.

In the end, the only reliable compass is within, as every great spiritual guide will tell you.

The maps and travelogues left behind by others are great blessings, full of useful information and inspiration, but they cannot take the journey for us.

When it is time to merge onto the highway or pull up anchor, we are ostensibly on our own. Strange weather patterns, closed roads, and traffic jams arise in the moment, out of nowhere, and our maps cannot tell us what to do.

Whether we take refuge in a motel by the side of the road, persevere and continue forward, or turn back altogether is entirely up to us.

Maps are based on observations from the past and we are living in the present, so we are the only true experts on our journey to enlightenment.

We may find that the road traveled by our predecessors is now closed.

We may feel called to change direction entirely so that the maps we have been carrying really no longer apply.

These are the moments when we learn to attune ourselves to our inner compass, following a map that only we can see, as we make our way into the unknown territory of our own enlightenment.'' (DailyOm)