The paradox of letting go

“The paradox of letting everything go and the mystery of its return express the deeper meaning of the word ‘sacrifice,’ a word that literally means ‘to make sacred.’ When we can trust the quiet calling of our hearts and lay our hopes, dreams and precious attachments on the altar with a willingness to let them go forever, then the whole of our beloved creation will be sanctified and returned to us in ways we never would have imagined!”

— Brenda Sutton

Rediscover the bliss of a child

Today rediscover the bliss of a child.

1. Kids are the original masters of being in the moment. Whatever has their attention has their FULL attention. They know instinctively how to focus.

2. Kids don't focus much on end results. For them it's the joy of the journey, discovery and messing about.

3. Kids have no preconceptions. They delight in the tiniest details. For them it's ‘ all new’. They have true beginner's mind.

Being Soft

“Be soft in your practice. Think of the method as a fine silvery stream, not a raging waterfall. Follow the stream, have faith in its course. It will go its own way, meandering here, trickling there. It will find the grooves, the cracks, the crevices. Just follow it. Never let it out of your sight. It will take you."
- Peter Matthiessen

Reflecting on Anger

Anger
Anger is a painful, powerful and complex emotion. When it overwhelms us, we often want to push it away, stuff it down, ignore it or forget it. Not dealing effectively with our anger only increases its potential to be destructive.
1. Our emotions are interconnected. If you suppress anger you also suppress your passion, energy and joy.
2. Traits in others that anger us are often those that we reject in ourselves.
3. When you hold on to resentment you freeze yourself in a victim’s role.
4. Anger is a signal that your rights have been violated, your needs are not being met, or that you are compromising yourself in some way. Let anger be a catalyst for you to learn more about yourself.
5. Turn the pain of your anger into energy for change with five steps: acknowledge your anger, identify its cause, determine what you can do, express your feelings, and let it go.
6. Accept your anger as an emotional fact and a tool you can use for personal transformation.
7. In the process of identifying what’s causing your anger, you determine what is and is not acceptable to you. This is vital self knowledge. Use it to guide your choices and shape your life.

Today when you pause, what do you see?

…in longing you close your eyes,
but in wonder you open them…
—Myra Shapiro in poem “Longing and Wonder” published in The Best American Poetry 1999