Short Tales

~   “Come over here, we say—to the edge, we say. I want to show you something, we say. We are afraid, they say; it’s very exciting, they say. Come to the edge, we say, use your imagination. And they come. And they look. And we push. And they fly. We to stay and die in our beds. They to go and to die howsoever, inspiring those who come after them to come to their own edge. And fly.

~   Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.  – Czech poet Rainer Maria Rilke

~   It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it (were) the only one we had. – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

~   Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain

~  In a serener Bright, In a more golden light

I see

Each little doubt and fear,

Each little discord here

Removed.  — Emily Dickenson

~  To Put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; To put the nation right in order, we must first put the family in order; To put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; We must first set our hearts right. Confucius

~  A Warrior of Light knows that certain moments repeat themselves. He often finds himself faced by the same problems and situation, and seeing these difficult situations return, he grows depressed, thinking he is incapable of making any progress in life.   “I’ve been through all this before.” He says to his heart.

“Yes, you have been through all this before.” Replies his heart. “But you have never been beyond it.”

Then the Warrior realizes that these repeated experiences have but one aim: to teach him what he does not want to learn.     Warrior of light By Paulo Coelho

~   “It is not until you have a burning yes inside of you about what is truly important that you can pleasantly, smilingly, cheerfully, say no to all of that which is urgent, but not truly important. Our deepest guilt comes from do in the opposite, implicitly saying no to the truly important and yes, yes, yes to the urgent that is not important. The more we are free from nonnecessities, the more we are free to do the more meaning full actions of our lives.”  Stephen R. Covey

~  Sufi Prayer of Light:

O God! Grant me light in my heart, Light in my grave,

Light in front of me, Light behind me

Light to my right, Light to my left,

Light above me, Light below me,

Light in my ears, Light in my eyes,

Light on my skin, Light in my hair,

Light within my flesh, Light in my blood, Light in my bones.

O God! Increase my light everywhere.

O God!   Grant me light in my heart,

Light on my tongue, Light in my eyes, Light in my ears,

Light to my right, Light to my left,

Light above me, Light below me,

Light in front of me, Light behind me,

And Light within myself, Increase my light.

 

photo of a person doing yoga on a mountain top
~   The minds job is to be busy with thought- 24/7. The problem is that we often confuse the activities of the mind with the whole truth…. A single wave of emotion can feel like the vast ocean at any given time, yet it is still only a wave, to be followed by another… Emotions are fed by thoughts that believe they are the only reality… We can be informed, even entertained, by [them] without the urgency to believe them or act on them.  Ruth King In healing rage: women making inner peace possible

~   A certain day became a presence to me; there it was, confronting me-a sky, air, light: a being. And before it started to descend from the height of noon, it leaned over and struck my shoulder as if with the flat of a sword, granting me honor and a task. The day’s blow rang out, metallic- or it was I,  a bell awakened, and what I heard was my whole self saying and singing what I knew: I can.   Denise Levertov, from Breathing the water

~   Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.   It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I  to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. You’re playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our own presence automatically liberates others.   Marianne Williamson

~   A Native American once described his own inner struggles in this manner—- Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean, the other dog is good.  The mean dog fights the good dog all of the time. When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, “ The one I feed the most.”

~   Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you will ever own!

~   On other people’s expectations: The only man who behaved sensibly was my tailor; he took my measurements anew every time he saw me. While all the rest went on with their old measurements and expected them to fit me.

~   May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

~   “Come out of the shadows and come into your own. Leave behind your armor and your shells and your veils and your protection, and emerge fresh and newly born. Today, step from behind your screens and masks. Peel away the layers upon layers of fear and emerge into a world of love and trust. Emerge in your own time, in your own way, with your chosen guides at your side. See the world through the eyes of the woman/man you were always destined to be. Like a tiny chick cracking her way out of a darkened egg, emerge. Like a radiant butterfly, like a glorious rose opening from a tightly closed bud, emerge. Out of your past and into the gift that is your present, emerge. When it’s time, when you’re ready, emerge.”  Rachel Snyder

~   Refuse to fall down. If you cannot refuse to fall down, refuse to stay down. If you cannot refuse to stay down, lift your heart toward heaven, and like a hungry beggar, ask that it be filled, and it will be filled. You may be pushed down. You may be kept from rising. But no one can keep you from lifting your heart toward heaven—only you.  It is in the midst of misery that so much becomes clear. The one who says nothing good came of this, is not yet listening.”  Clarissa Pinkola Estes

~   Imagine a woman who believes it is right and good she is a woman. A woman who honors her experience and tells her stories. Who refuses to carry the sins of others within her body and life.   Imagine a woman who trusts and respects herself. A woman who listens to her needs and desires. Who meets them with tenderness and grace.  Imagine a woman who acknowledges the past’s influence on the present. A woman who has walked through her past. Who has healed into the present.   Imagine a woman who authors her own life. A woman who exerts, initiates, and moves on her own behalf. Who refuses to surrender except to her truest self and wisest voice.  Imagine a woman who names her own gods. A woman who imagines the divine in her image and likeness. Who designs a personal spirituality to inform her daily life.  Imaging a woman in love with her own body. A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is. Who celebrates its rhythms and cycles as an exquisite resource.   Imaging a woman who honors the body of the Goddess in her changing body. A woman who celebrates the accumulation of her years and her wisdom. Who refuses to use her life-energy disguising the changes in her body and life.  Imagine a woman who values the women in her life.  A woman who sits in circles of women. Who is reminded of the truth about herself when she forgets.  Imagine yourself as this woman.”    Patricia Lynn Reilly

 

~  Desiderata

— written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s 

–Not “Found in Old St. Paul’s Church”! — see below

photo of hands parting grain
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

~   May you always be blessed with walls for the wind. A roof for the rain. A warm cup of tea by the fire. Laughter to cheer you.Those you love near you. And all that you heart might desire.  Irish Blessing

~  No matter how difficult and painful it may be, nothing sounds as good to the soul as the truth.  Martha Beck

~  Fear is the raw material from which courage is manufactured without it, we would not even know what it means to be brave.  Martha Beck

~  True freedom starts with absolute honesty. The moment you call a problem by its real name, you’re already learning how to make it less harmful. Martha Beck

~  Whatever your joy comes from, if you maximize the amount of joy you feel everyday, you are more likely to make a living at it. Martha Beck

~  Judgements that constrain your giving are the very demons that are keeping you from receiving.  Martha Beck

~  Giftedness is not what you do or how hard you work. It is who you are. You think differently. You experience life intensely. You care about injustice. You seek meaning. You appreciate and strive for the exquisite. You are painfully sensitive. You are extremely complex. You cherish integrity. Your truth-telling has gotten you in trouble. Should 98% of the population find you odd, seek the company of those who love you just the way you are. You are not broken. You do not need to be fixed. You are utterly fascinating! Trust yourself!!

“Blessed be the gifts you never notice, your health, eyes to behold the world, thoughts to countenance the unknown, memory to harvest vanished days, your heart to feel the world’s waves, your breath to breathe the nourishment of distance made intimate by earth.”     John O’Donohue