Transcendence

#Happyness

What we have here on Earth

"One of the hardest lessons we have to learn in this life, and one that many persons never learn, is to see the divine, the celestial, the pure in the common, the near at hand, - to see that heaven lies about us here in this world."  

~ John Burroughs

Satisfaction Is Temporary, Gratitude Can Be Eternal

Nothing is 100%. Nothing is absolute. Nothing is everlasting. No amount of money, sex, love, fame, success, etc. can quench the desire for more. There is no real satisfaction in life – only gratitude for what is.

For Goodness Sake

It's Those Little Things

All in All

 In all the books and articles I’ve read, concepts I’ve studied, internet research I’ve conducted, and the seminars and workshops I’ve attended --- I have come to the realization that nothing Soothes the Soul or facilitates Calmness like Nature, and nothing makes us feel Good or Happy like Kindness.

Take Care of Yourself

Frugality and the Simple Life

As a kid, I learned the value and importance of savings from my parents, especially my father. We wanted for little, but lived tightly. When I was in 6th grade these air pump shoes were very popular and very expensive for the time ($80-$100). The shoes were supposed to inflate a bit when compressing this round bubble emblem and give an advantage when playing basketball. I wanted shoes like that. Not because I was athletic or anything of the sort, but because they were neat and different. My parents couldn't afford nor did I expect them to buy such shoes for me to wear for the school year. So at a discount store we happened upon a generic version of the air pumps. I wore them to school with glee and was made fun of because they had no effect like the real things. I would never have thought to tell or complain to my parents about it. I knew, understood, and respected that we were on a budget. Sharing that I was made fun of for having those knock-offs would have only embarrassed my parents --- and I knew that at a young age.

My brother however, by the age of 5 or 6 had become so spoiled that when it was my birthday my mother decided to gift him a small cheap gift. The gift she chose was a candy bar. When we were opening gifts, my brother opened his and cried out “It’s A CANDY BAR!” and a hysterical temper tantrum followed.

Nowadays, I’m in my thirties and I look around at all these man-made devices and the current generation of want and must have and the get the next best thing way of American life. I wonder if this modern life is for me. I’ve often felt like I might have been born into the world a few years or even a decade too late based on my likings. We are living unnaturally in a man-made world with trappings that imitate life and our essence. Underneath the mainstreaming of our desires we secretly and subconsciously crave simplicity, desperately.

I think back to my childhood and remember all the summers of playing on my grandparent’s farm. They were poor but completely supported themselves, self-sufficient and again wanted for nothing.  I think about my grandmother’s very simple life as a widow and I envy her way of life, in a way. She woke up before dawn, did her daily chores, made meals for family, and would write poetry while staring out the window when by herself to pass the time. Television and no other media distraction was ever a part of her life. My grandparents had a TV; they just never turned it on. I remember my grandmother saying the people on TV were silly.

How we want to live changes from decade to decade. Our wants, our needs, our expectations, our priorities all change.  Life can be many things. What I want now is the simplicity and gratitude of it.

Take A Chance

"We can't predict something grand

All we can do is take a chance

Dear wounded heart, take a chance"


From Monsters and the Moon by Jason Duncan

Law of Attraction

Use Your ImaGInatIOn

Have HOPE, TRUST, & FAITH

A Heaven of Our Own Making

Death is unfortunate. And we all want to believe in something greater and better beyond this life. We spend our lives constructing our heaven or hell; in this life and for whatever comes next. It often seems as though the old are ready or even willing to go. For they know they have exhausted all their energy, dreams, and ability to manifest any more. Those who live long lives have more time to create their heaven and rectify the hell they may have once created. Do not fear for the short lived; for children are always exhausting all resources to make heaven.

The 12 Laws of the Universe

1. Law of Divine Oneness: The Law of Divine Oneness explains how we are all connected in some way. Everything we do, say or think is connected and effects all others and this vast universe we live in.

2. The Law of Vibration: The Law of Vibration is all about how everything in this universe vibrates or moves. It also explains how each thing, sound, thought, emotion and words all have their very own vibration or frequency in which it lives.

3. The Law of Action: The Law of Action states that we must move in the direction of our dreams in order to achieve them. We must engage in some action that supports what we think about and or dream about.

4. The Law Of Correspondence: The Law of Correspondence states “as above, so below” or in other words, everything has its own corresponding counterpart.

5. The Law Of Cause And Effect: This Universal Law I’m sure you’ve heard of. Maybe you know it by another name. You know: every action has an equal or opposite reaction. Yep, that’s this law in a nutshell.

6. The Law Of Compensation: The Law of Compensation is really the Law of Cause and Effect as it relates to how we are provided with blessings based on our deeds and daily actions. You’ve heard what comes around goes around; well here it is, as a Law of Nature.

7. The Law Of Attraction: The Law of Attraction is certainly the most talked about spiritual law but, it is not the only spiritual law as you can see on this page. This Universal Law is all about how we create the things and events in our lives with the energies we create with our thoughts, words, actions, and feelings.

8. The Law of Transmutation Of Energy: This Universal Law demonstrates how all people have the ability and the power to change their current situations in life. You can do this by changing the energies that you are putting out into the world, by following and understanding these universal laws of attraction.

9. The Law of Relativity: The Law of Relativity states that all things are relative. We are all given our own roadblocks, our own personal challenges we must face in order to grow as individuals and by comparing yours to other peoples circumstances is a waste, because there situations are different, yet, relative.

10. The Law of Polarity: This law states that just like a magnet that has opposite polarities so does everything else in nature. Everything has an equal opposite such as good and evil or yes and no.

11. The Law of Rhythm: The Law of Rhythm explains how everything in the universe has its own rhythm. These rhythms are important to our very existence. These rhythms are what create the seasons. This rhythm is what the cycle of life is all about. All cycles have parts to them that we favor less and it is in how we deal with these things that are important.

12. The Law of Gender: This law simply states that there is both a feminine and a masculine principle to all things in nature. It is up to us to open ourselves up to these gender principals to create balance in our lives. Imagine this law as the law of yin and yang.

To be ComplainLess

1. Be aware. Recognize your typical paths to complaining – what (who) sparks your tendency to gripe. Minimize your exposure to them (eliminating those ’sparks’ altogether may not always be realistic or the best thing). Know that your grumbling is a complete waste of energy.
2. Be thankful. Regularly reflect on all the good in your life (people, opportunities, things). Understand and enjoy how lucky you really are. Be entitled to nothing.
3. Be patient. Pause before you begin. Nip a complaint as you feel it coming. Put a smile or thoughtful statement in its path. Blame no one. Blame nothing.
4. Be accountable. Focus on solving problems rather than having them. Set the example for others and recommit when you slip. Care for yourself and create a positive habit. 

Web of Life

Spirituality

The Rev. Ed Bacon says that like law and medicine, spirituality is a practice. "Spiritual practitioners must practice spirituality where we stop, take a breath, become still inside—that's the act of meditation and contemplation," he says. "It is the same in all of the religions. That is to be in nature, to connect with the arts and to connect with ritual," he says. "It is in moments of serenity, stillness, that we experience something much larger, transcendent, and cosmic than we are."

Be Your Own Revolution

When you're trying to motivate yourself, appreciate the fact that you're even thinking about making a change. And as you move forward, allow yourself to be good enough. Perfectionism can undo what you're trying to achieve.  

Change Your Perception: Thinking of life as unfair is only one perception, and it is not necessarily the way your life is. Realize that while you cannot control the things that happen to you, you can control how you react to them.

The Fundamentals