beautiful world

Translating our feelings

''When new challenges and opportunities show up in our lives, we may diagnose ourselves as feeling scared when what we really feel is excited.

Often we have not been taught how to welcome the thrill of a new opportunity, and so we opt to back off, indulging our anxiety instead of awakening our courage.

One way to inspire ourselves to embrace the opportunities that come our way is to look more deeply into our feelings and see that butterflies in our stomach or a rapidly beating heart are not necessarily a sign that we are afraid.

Those very same feelings can be translated as excitement, curiosity, passion, and even love.

There is nothing wrong with being afraid as long as we do not let it stop us from doing the things that excite us.

Most of us assume that brave people are fearless, but the truth is that they are simply more comfortable with fear because they face it on a regular basis.

The more we do this, the more we feel excitement in the face of challenges rather than anxiety.

The more we cultivate our ability to move forward instead of backing off, the more we trust ourselves to be able to handle the new opportunity, whether it’s a new job, an exciting move, or a relationship.

When we feel our fear, we can remind ourselves that maybe we are actually just excited.

We can assure ourselves that this opportunity has come our way because we are meant to take it.

Framing things just a little differently can dramatically shift our mental state from one of resistance to one of openness.

We can practice this new way of seeing things by saying aloud:

I am really excited about this job interview.

I am really looking forward to going on a date with this amazing person.

I am excited to have the opportunity to do something I have never done before.

As we do this, we will feel our energy shift from fear, which paralyzes, to excitement, which empowers us to direct all that energy in the service of moving forward, growing, and learning.''

(DailyOm, Scott Blum)

Storytelling

''Ever since our ancestors could first communicate, we have gathered to share our stories.

We have passed along creation tales and tragic stories of love lost.

We have repeated accounts of real heroism and simple stories of family history.

When our forebears lived closer to the land and to each other, the practice of storytelling was imbued with ritual and occasion.
Members of the tribe would often gather around the fire to hear their genealogy recited aloud by an elder or master storyteller.

Listeners could track how their own lives, and the lives of their parents, interwove with the lives of the other tribe members, as everyone’s ancient relatives once played out similar life dramas together.
  
As a custom, some cultures’ storytellers repeat the same tale over and over because they believe that each time you hear it, you come to the story as a different person and view the plot and characters in a new light.

Hearing the story over and over is a way to gauge where you have been and where you are now on your path of personal evolution.

It also helps the younger generation learn the stories so that they can pass them to forthcoming generations.

When we hear others tell stories, we can laugh at their humorous adventures, feel the thrill of exciting encounters, see parts of ourselves in them, and learn from the challenges they face.

Though most of our formal traditions of storytelling are lost, it does not mean we have to be without. We can begin new practices in our own families of listening to one another, of honoring our own journey, and witnessing the journeys of those around us.

We can revive the fireside communal by gathering around the campfire or hearth with family and friends, sharing in stories.

By building new practices of storytelling, we give ourselves and the ones we love an opportunity to draw ever closer in our shared human experience.''

(DailyOm, Scott Blum)

Making Over Our Partners

''A relationship, in the truest sense of the word, means relating to another.

Usually when we say that we relate to someone, it is because we’ve found common ground.

But part of relating is finding ways to make ideas that seem different come together.

So often when we choose relationships, we try to fit another person into our predetermined ideal.

When they don’t fit perfectly, we may try to make them over, creating our own vision from the raw material they’ve brought.

But unless someone asks for guidance and direction, entering into a relationship with someone we want to change is dishonest.

Then our relationship becomes with someone we’ve imagined, and anytime our partner steps outside of that imaginary projection, we will be disappointed.

An honest relationship is one in which we accept each other as whole individuals, and find a way to share our life experiences together.

Then, whenever we want, we can choose as a couple to give the relationship a makeover by renewing the  way we interact.

By wanting to give another person a makeover, we are basically saying we don’t accept them for who they are.

If we take a moment to imagine the roles reversed, we can get a sense of how it would feel if our beloved only committed to us because they thought we were, or would become, someone else entirely.

In such an environment, we are not relating to each other from a real place, and we are keeping ourselves from being able to learn and grow from the different viewpoints that our partners offer.

If we feel that a change is needed in our relationship, the only makeover that we truly have the power to make is on ourselves.

By accepting our partners for exactly who they are—the ideal and the not-so-ideal—we will create an energetic shift in our relationships, and we may find ourselves really appreciating our partners for the first time.

Working from within, we determine how we relate to the people and the world around us, and when we can accept it and embrace it all, without conditions, we make every act of relating a positive one.''

(DailyOm, Scott Blum)

Dealing with disappoitment

''Whenever we do something in life with an expectation of how we’d like it to turn out, we risk experiencing disappointment.

When things don’t go the way we had envisioned, we may feel a range of emotions from slightly let down to depressed or even angry.

We might direct our feelings inward toward ourselves, or outward toward other people or the universe in general.

Whether we feel disappointed by ourselves, a friend, or life in general, disappointment is always a tough feeling to experience.

Still, it is a natural part of life, and there are many ways of dealing with it when we find ourselves in its presence.

As with any feeling, disappointment has come to us for a reason, and we don’t need to fear acknowledging it or feeling it.

The more we are able to accept how we are feeling and process it, the sooner we will move into new emotional territory.

As we sit down to allow ourselves to feel our disappointment, we might want to write about the experience of being disappointed—the situation that preceded it, what we were hoping would happen, and what did happen.

The gift of disappointment is its ability to bring us into alignment with reality so that we don’t get stuck for too long in the realm of how things might have been.

As we consider other disappointments in our life and how we have moved past them, we may even see that in some cases what happened was actually better in the long run than what we had wanted to happen.

Disappointment often leaves us feeling deflated with its message that things don’t always turn out the way we want.

The beauty of disappointment, though, is that it provides us a bridge to its other side where the acceptance of reality, wisdom, and the energy to begin again can be found.''

(Daily Om, Scott Blum)

Being present at work

''Being present at work begins before we even go to our place of employment.

It starts with our intention to bring consciousness into everything we do, including those activities we do for money.

Whether you are a secretary who files papers all day, a janitor who cleans the local high school, or a nurse caring for children, there is much to be gained by fully engaging in the tasks at hand.

When you decide to bring your presence into your work activities, you may find that the entire experience of working is filled with new energy and life.

Sometimes we believe that when we step through the doors of our workplace, we cease being ourselves and start being someone else’s employee.

Though our employer may depend on us to perform certain tasks, the truth is that we never stop being ourselves.

The commitment to being a conscious, empowered person of integrity doesn’t stop and start with a time clock.

Our decision to be present for our own lives is what weaves together all of our experiences from the moment we wake up, throughout our entire workday, and to the moment we turn off the lights at night.

Before leaving for work today, you can clear your energy and choose to step out with your best foot forward.

Setting an intention in the morning can even help you stay present as your day unfolds.

You might decide to find joy in every activity, complete all of your projects on time, or be truly helpful to your coworkers.

By being fully present, you will begin to radiate and people may begin to notice; they may even want to follow your lead.

Whether you run a company or hold a sign outside a deli, do it with pride and be the best you can be.''

(Scott Blum, DailyOm) 

changing roles

''As we bob and weave with the ebb and flow of life our roles change, but our true self remains constant.

As spiritual beings having a human experience, we go through many aspects of humanity in one lifetime.

Living in the material world of opposites, labels, and classifications, we often identify ourselves by the roles we play, forgetting that these aspects shift and change throughout our lives.

But when we anchor ourselves in the truth of our being, that core of spirit within us, we can choose to embrace the new roles as they come, knowing that they give us fresh perspective on life and a greater understanding of the lives of others.

As children, we anticipated role changes eagerly in our rush to grow up.

Though fairy tales led us to believe that “happily ever after” was a final destination, the truth is that life is a series of destinations, mere stops on a long journey filled with differing terrain.

We may need to move through a feeling of resistance as we shift from spouse to parent, leader to subordinate, caregiver to receiver, or even local to newcomer.

It can be helpful to bid a fond farewell to the role that we are leaving before we welcome the new.
This is the purpose of ceremonies in cultures throughout the world and across time.

We can choose from any in existence or create our own to help us celebrate our life shifts and embrace our new adventures.

Like actors on the stage of the world, our different roles are just costumes that we inhabit and then shed.

Each role we play gives us another perspective through which to understand ourselves and the nature of the universe.

When we take a moment to see that each change can be an adventure, a celebration, and a chance to play a new part, we may even be able to recapture the joyful anticipation of our youth as we transition from one role to the next.''

(DailyOm, Scott Blum)

floating amidst the stars

''Since the beginning of time, humans have gazed at the stars in the night sky with awe, seeking in their luminosity everything from answers to inspiration to guidance.

We have emerged from our contemplations with stories of gods and goddesses, maps of the universe, astrology, astronomy, math, and art.

We have worshipped, wondered, and even projected ourselves out into space in an attempt to understand their magical essence.

We know more now than we ever have about what those celestial lights are, how far away they reside, and what will happen to them over time, but facts and information are still no substitute for experiencing them yourself.

Gazing at the stars is no doubt one of the earliest forms of meditation practiced by human beings, and it is readily available to this day.

If you live in a city, you may have a hard time seeing the stars, but a short drive can take you far enough beyond the city lights to reveal their glory.

If you live in a rural setting, all you have to do is wait for the sun to set and the night to settle to get the show of your life, every night.

If you make a habit of it, you will begin to know the seasonal changes of the night sky, deepening your connection to the earth and the universe in which you live.

One of the best ways to stargaze is to lie down on a blanket so that your body can fully relax.
This position allows your breath to move easily through your tranquil form as you settle down into the earth, connecting your consciousness to the sky.

As you look deeply into its vastness, allowing your awareness to alternate between the pinpoints of light and the blue-black space that holds them, your breath expands and contracts your body, just as the universe expands and contracts to its own eternal rhythm.

You may feel as if you are floating amidst the stars or that they are raining down upon you.
You may feel peacefulness, joy, and connectedness, or any of a full range of emotions.

Simply continue to breathe, experiencing the wonder of this universe and your place within it.''

(DailyOm, Scott Blum)

next stop- nirvana!! ou o pensamento profundo do dia...

!a laugh a day, keeps your mind sane!

the little boy

o final, na versão original do poema de Helen Buckley (1961)

(...)

The teacher said:
"Today we are going to make a picture."
"Good!" thought the little boy.
And he waited for the teacher
To tell what to do.
But the teacher didn't say anything.
She just walked around the room.

When she came to the little boy
She asked, "Don't you want to make a picture?"
"Yes," said the lttle boy.
"What are we going to make?"
"I don't know until you make it," said the teacher.
"How shall I make it?" asked the little boy.
"Why, anyway you like," said the teacher.
"And any color?" asked the little boy.
"Any color," said the teacher.
"If everyone made the same picture,
And used the same colors,
How would I know who made what,
And which was which?"
"I don't know," said the little boy.
.And he began to make pink and orange and blue flowers.

He liked his new school,
Even if it didn't have a door
Right in from the outside!