férias

Diane Rose- a quilter

Leaving a relathionship

''One of the hardest decisions we ever make in life is leaving a long-term relationship that just isn’t working.

When attempts at repairing and working out issues aren’t working, it may be time to examine moving on.

We are emotional creatures, and when our heartstrings are tied to those of another, separating from that person can feel like an act of courage.

It is not something most of us will take lightly, and many of us will struggle with our desire to stay in a relationship that is unfulfilling simply in order to avoid that pain.

We may question whether the happiness we seek even exists, and we may wonder if we might be wiser to simply settle where we are, making the best of what we have.

On the one hand, we almost relish the idea that true happiness is not out there so that we can avoid the pain of change.

On the other hand, we feel within ourselves a yearning to fulfill our desire for relationships that are vital and healing.

Ultimately, most of us will follow this call, because deep within ourselves we know that we deserve to be happy.

We all deserve to be happy, no matter where we find ourselves in this moment, and we are all justified in moving, like plants toward the light, in the direction that leads to our greatest fulfillment.

First, though, we may need to summon the courage to move on from the relationship that appears to be holding us back.

Taking the first steps will be hard, but the happiness we find when we have freed ourselves from a situation that is draining our energy will outshine any hardship we undergo to get there.

Keeping our eyes trained on the horizon, we begin the work of disentangling ourselves from the relationship that no longer fits.

Every step brings us closer to a relationship that will work, and the freedom we need to find the happiness we deserve. ''

(Daily Om, Scott Blum)

waste land

Vik Muniz

Waste Land




'Filmed over nearly three years, WASTE LAND follows Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world's largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.
There he photographs an eclectic band of "catadores" -- self-designated pickers of recyclable materials. Muniz's initial objective was to "paint" the catadores with garbage.
However, his collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they begin to re-imagine their lives. Director Lucy Walker (DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND, BLINDSIGHT, COUNTDOWN TO ZERO) has great access to the entire process and, in the end, offers stirring evidence of the transformative power of art and the alchemy of the human spirit.'

Sitting with our sadness

''The last thing most of us want to hear or think about when we are dealing with profound feelings of sadness is that deep learning can be found in this place.

In the midst of our pain, we often feel picked on by life, or overwhelmed by the enormity of some loss, or simply too exhausted to try and examine the situation.

We may feel far too disappointed and angry to look for anything resembling a bright side to our suffering.

Still, somewhere in our hearts, we know that we will eventually emerge from the depths into the light of greater awareness.

Remembering this truth, no matter how elusive it seems, can help.

The other thing we often would rather not hear when we are dealing with intense sadness is that the only way out of it is through it.

Sitting with our sadness takes the courage to believe that we can bear the pain and the faith that we will come out the other side.

With courage, we can allow ourselves to cycle through the grieving process with full inner permission to experience it.

This is a powerful teaching that sadness has to offer us—the ability to surrender and the acceptance of change go hand in hand.

Another teaching of sadness is compassion for others who are in pain, because it is only in feeling our own pain that we can really understand and allow for someone else’s. Sadness is something we all go through, and we all learn from it and are deepened by its presence in our lives.

While our own individual experiences of sadness carry with them unique lessons, the implications of what we learn are universal.

The wisdom we gain from going through the process of feeling loss, heartbreak, or deep disappointment gives us access to the heart of humanity.''

(Daily Om, Scott Blum)

Centered and safe

''Being a sensitive person in this world can sometimes feel very draining due to the fact that we are very receptive to the energy of the people and environment around us.
Still, we want to be part of situations that involve small or large groups of people, and we would like to do it without becoming overwhelmed or exhausted.

With a few simple strategies we can entertain at home and socialize in the world without running the risk of losing ourselves in someone else’s energy or giving our energy away.

All this takes is a little time and practice, and the result—being part of social events without ending up depleted—is well worth the effort.

The whole purpose of this self-care ritual is to help keep yourself strong energetically when you are in a situation that could potentially be draining.
For example, if you are having a party, you might take some time to prepare beforehand.

Just as you spend time cleaning your home and preparing food, it is essential to prepare your inner home for the event.

This can be as simple as taking a mindful walk or a cleansing bath, or engaging in any other activity that gives you energy.

You can even just sit alone for a set period of time, tuning in to your energy and connecting to yourself so that you are less easily carried away by the energy outside of yourself.

You may employ a mantra such as “I am centered and safe in the home of myself.”

You can also charge a crystal or gemstone or any piece of jewelry with protective energy and wear it or carry it with you.

This can be helpful during the event when just seeing it or touching it can remind you that you are centered and safe.! 

Keep in mind that it is always acceptable to excuse yourself for a bathroom break or to step outside for a moment.
This can give you the time and space you need to check in with yourself and correct any energetic imbalances you detect.

Whether you are at home or out in the world, taking care of yourself in this way enables you to keep your energy strong, even as you open yourself to others. ''

(Daily Om, Scott Blum)

Recognizing happiness

''Those of us on the path of personal and spiritual growth have a tendency to analyze our unhappiness in order to find the causes and make improvements.

But it is just as important, if not more so, to analyze our happiness.

Since we have the ability to rise above and observe our emotions, we can recognize when we are feeling joyful and content.

Then we can harness the power of the moment by savoring our feelings and taking time to be grateful for them.

Recognition is the first step in creating change, therefore recognizing what it feels like to be happy is the first step toward sustaining happiness in our lives.

We can examine how joy feels in our bodies and what thoughts run through our minds in times of bliss.

Without diminishing its power, we can retrace our steps to discover what may have put us in this frame of mind, and then we can take note of the choices we’ve made while there.

We might realize that we are generally more giving and forgiving when there’s a smile on our face, or that we are more likely to laugh off small annoyances and the actions of others when they don’t resonate with our light mood.

Once we know what it feels like and can identify some of the triggers and are aware of our actions, we can recreate that happiness when we are feeling low.

Knowing that like attracts like, we can pull ourselves out of a blue mood by focusing on joy.

We might find that forcing ourselves to be giving and forgiving, even when it doesn’t seem to come naturally, helps us to reconnect with the joy that usually precedes it.

If we can identify a song, a picture, or a pet as a happiness trigger, we can use them as tools to recapture joy if we are having trouble finding it.

By focusing our energy on analyzing happiness and all that it encompasses, we feed, nurture, and attract more of it into our lives, eventually making a habit of happiness.''

(Daily Om)