Progress

 

“Progress, of the best kind,

is comparatively slow.

Great results cannot be achieved at once;

and we must be satisfied

to advance in life as we walk,

step by step.”

-Samuel Smiles

I know why Samuel Smiles…because he’s learned that progress takes time, patience and baby steps (well maybe just small steps).  For those of us who want to make progress, but yearn to achieve it in leaps and bounds, this is a great reminder.

Slow and steady wins the race as in the story of the turtle and the hare (turtle wins the race) comes to mind when I think of the above quote.  I guess in this day and age, we are all tethered to instant gratification and the quick and easy way to success.  Gone is patience and accepting the time it takes to make something happen.  Instead of being in the step by step progression and enjoying the trip, many people abandon the task if it ‘takes too long’ in their minds.

We are all victims of this in different ways.  Media has shown us those quick fixes which make laborious steps fewer or even obsolete.  Ads to lose weight faster,  to clean your home quicker, to do your banking easier, to get the answers now and so on come at us everyday in all different ways.  Not that I’m looking to do more work or have my work take more time, but really?  What ever happened to the feeling of accomplishment, of presence in chopping vegetables or growing your own anymore?  Or in any task?

I’m just saying that there’s an awareness in being present and a centered feeling in accomplishing something all while remaining present.  Does this make sense to you?

Shine On!

xo

 

Happy Mother’s Day

To all of the Moms out there who mother, cuddle, protect and love,

To all of the children out there who are mothered, cuddled, protected and loved,

To all those who through friendship, mother their friends,

I am grateful for you.

It’s been awhile since I’ve written on my blog.  But today, I am reaching out with my heartlight to connect with each and every one of you, to let you know that I am thinking of you.  To all of you who are mothers, and to all of you who have been mothered and to all of the women who mother others, I send you peace, love and nurturing.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Shine On!

xo

Sunday Rose

That which God said to the rose,

and caused it to laugh

in full-blown beauty,

He said to my heart,

and made it a

hundred times more beautiful.

~ Rumi

Just a little inspiration on a Sunday evening.  Blessings to all of you!

I see your heartlight from here!

Shine On!

xo

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratitude for the gifts I did not see coming.

Gratitude for the connections made when I was broken.

Gratitude for this perfect moment in time.

Amen.

Shine On!

xo

You Do Not Have To Be Good

 

“You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.”
― Mary Oliver

 Inspired by:  Kathy over at Minuscule Moments of Inspiration

This poem and Kathy’s beautiful post touched my heart and I wanted to share it with you.  Mary Oliver has a way with words, doesn’t she?  I love her poetry and I am grateful to Kathy for introducing me to this particular poem.  I think we all strive to be good, to be seen as good and to be worthy.  This poem allowed me to breathe in the life of the world and settle into the family of things without sadness.  I hope you find that it helps you too. ♥

Shine On!

xo

 

July

I have lived pain, and my life can tell: I only deepen the wound of the world when I neglect to give thanks the heavy perfume of wild roses in early July and the song of crickets on summer humid nights and the rivers that run and the stars that rise and the rain that falls and all the good things that a good God gives. ~ Ann Voskamp

I know it’s the coming towards the end of July, but I found this quote last night and wanted to share it with all of you.  Ann Voskamp is the author of One Thousand Gifts:  A Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are which spent 60 weeks on the NY Times Best Seller’s List.  Although I had never heard of her before, nor have I read her books, I may be reading them soon!

Don’t neglect the perfume of wild roses, the song of crickets, the stars and rain and all that July brings.

Shine On!

xo

Sunday Shines On!

Pick up the pieces

walk this way

calm remains

on a summer’s day.

Grasses bend by the wind’s heavy hand

thoughts are a’blowing from my outstretched hand.

Bees are buzzing

words keep coming

I shall not stop the flow.

Birds are chirping

brook is gurgling

and now I feel now feel at home.

Shine On!

xo

 

 

The Invitation

by Oriah

It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.

This poem touched my heart and I just knew I had to share it with you.  How inspiring and lovely!  Please visit Oriah Mountain Dreamer.    She has even written a book about her poem ~ click on her website to get it! ♥

Shine On!

xo

 

Raindrops

“Last night
the rain
spoke to me
slowly, saying,
what joy
to come falling
out of the brisk cloud,
to be happy again
in a new way
on the earth!
That’s what it said
as it dropped,
smelling of iron,
and vanished
like a dream of the ocean
into the branches
and the grass below.
Then it was over.
The sky cleared.
I was standing
under a tree.
The tree was a tree
with happy leaves,
and I was myself,
and there were stars in the sky
that were also themselves
at the moment
at which moment
my right hand
was holding my left hand
which was holding the tree
which was filled with stars
and the soft rain –
imagine! imagine!
the long and wondrous journeys
still to be ours.”
― Mary Oliver

 Shine On!

xo

*photo by Stefan Gessert

Sky Poetry

Alone

lost in thoughts

tears flowing.

Look up I hear

and I see,

I know.

Not alone.

Heavens are here.

Air is fragrant with souls searching

Earth is a warm brownie

and the sun beats her drums.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Poem by Me.

Shine On!

xo