Cleaning Out Clutter

"A cluttered home or office could equal a cluttered mind.  In order to make room for the new, we must release the old and outworn, whether it's new thoughts or ideas or new clothes or items."  Louise Hay

I finally have energy to declutter.  Going through cupboards, discarding outdated items.  I try not to waste, so it was hard for me to see some items had gotten past me -- beyond their 'use by' date.  But, then, I chose to be gentle with myself.  The last couple years have been horrendously stressful.  No wonder a package of crackers slipped by.  Let us be gentle with ourselves.  We are doing the very best we can given our circumstances.  And, when we have the energy, let's clean out the clutter.  

Finding Light In The Sorrow

"Truly, it is in the darkness that one finds the light, so when we are in sorrow, then this light is nearest of all to us. " Meister Eckhart

Many spiritual teachers have said essentially the same thing, but I have to say -- it does not feel like the light is close when one is in sorrow.  6 months post the death of my loved one, I am still swept over by feelings of aloneness.  I think it is true that the light is near, but that does not mean I will feel it.  

Making Amends

"Even if our awareness of being hurtful comes years after delivering the hurt, the smallest word or gesture -- owning what we've done -- can reopen the heart." Mark Nepo

Face it.  Sometimes we hurt other people, mostly unintentionally, but we hurt them nevertheless.  The best solution is to make amends.  Say we are sorry and - if possible - repair whatever damage we have done.  Saying we are sorry is not really enough.  It is important to also take action for repair.  

Focus On What You Want

"Learn to become still.  And to take your attention away from what you don't want, and all the emotional charge around it, and place your attention on what you wish to experience."
Michael Bernard Beckwith

Sounds simple, right?  Actually, it is simple, and I think it is the greatest secret of happiness and success.  Stop thinking about problems and challenges and their inherent emotional charge.  Start thinking about love, peace, harmony, joy, health -- all the things you want.  It really is as simple as that.  It can become a habit.  When your mind goes to a problem or a negative emotion, stop it and go back to a mantra of love, peace, harmony, joy, health.  

How We Treat Others

"If we want more love, we become more loving on the road, standing in line and at family
bar-b-ques." Jane Beach

I love these examples!  It is easy to be loving to those who do not "get in our way", but just let someone cut us off in traffic -- are we loving then?   That is the real test.  Are we loving even in those moment that can cause frustration?  It is in those moments, as well as all others, that we create the quality of our own life.  

Listening To Our Inner Guidance

"The quieter you become, the more you can hear." Ram Dass

It is astonishing how much people can talk.  Perhaps because I have entered into a phase of life in which I am quieter, I am amazed at the extent people talk.  What if we set aside time every day to be quiet?  That means no television, cell phones, etc.  What if we are just quiet?   It is powerful.

Let's Stop Judging Ourselves

"Everything we've ever done has been an attempt to take care of ourselves the best we knew how at the time." Jane Beach

I think it is true that everything we have done has been to take care of ourselves the best we knew at the time, and I would add that everything we have ever done to or for others has been the best we knew how at the time.  So, let's stop judging ourselves.  We are human.  As long as we are learning and improving, and have the intention of the highest and best for all involved, that is enough.