The Resiliency of One…

Posted on April 13, 2012 by chasingtheperfectmoment

We are not single lost souls floating out there aimlessly without goal; instead, we are like a kaleidoscope of colors, each one with its own characteristics, uniqueness and destiny. Our lives touch, shaping pieces of our world together. We are the colors of many.  (G.Brown-Chasing The Perfect Moment) 

Paul Coelho writes in his book, The Alchemist, “intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life, where the histories of all people are connected.” I believe this.

It always seems that when I’m busiest making my plans and clinging desperately to my current patterns and roadmaps of thinking, some detour lie up ahead waiting to secretly sabotage me. Fortunately for me, there is a power that has other designs in mind. The lessons it leaves behind precariously reaching down and not only shaking me by the shoulders, but shaking the way I look at life and others. Ouch! It seems like when I’m convinced of the stories I have told me about myself, my world and others- the wake-up call hits. You know-the one that leaves you standing there wondering- what just happened?

The lessons are hard to swallow at times and seem to stretch me to just the point of breaking- and suddenly- the grace kicks in. I’m enfolded in a moment that tells me I’m not alone. In that grace is where the chattering voices inside my head begin to dissolve and the barriers fall.

My life zips past so fast. My days are demanding and so is my critique. I’m stuck in a gridlock blocking the fleeting messages from deep within. Thank God, the veil lifts back periodically offering me an intuitive glimpse of evolutionary wisdom that is un-deniably just for me. Likeable to an arrow shooting through my heart appealing for my soul’s attention, I am transformed by one of those rare moments in life that change me forever. And there-everyone and everything is waiting for me.

“We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world are written by the same hand.”      Paul Coelho- The Alchemist

And, for all those bloggers out there, mothers, caregivers of loved ones, and all the beautiful people out there trying to make a difference in this world here’s a relaxing video! An “oldie” but a “goodie!”

UNDER BRIDGES THIS WEEK:   

Question: What is meant by empowering heart-based living?

Answer: The words “empowering heart-based living,” which appear on some Institute of HeartMath Web pages with IHM’s logo and often in our literature, essentially encompass our mission and vision: giving people tools to experience this healthy, coherent way of living, described as follows:   To read more visit the next page BRIDGES at: https://chasingtheperfectmoment.com/bridges/

UNDER THE ESSAY CLOSET THIS WEEK:

Resilience – By Maura

From the blog:   up close and personal

I have a 16×20” version of this photo hanging above my computer monitor. It is one of my favourite photos from my lifetime of taking photographs.

On any warm summer day, this spider web is suspended on these blades of grass: To read more visit next page, THE ESSAY CLOSET at:  https://chasingtheperfectmoment.com/the-essay-closet/

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Thriving where you’re planted…

Posted on April 10, 2012 by chasingtheperfectmoment

“I don’t see much sense in that,” said Rabbit. “No,” said Pooh humbly, “there isn’t. But there was going to be when I began it. It’s just that something happened to it along the way.”                                     Winnie the Pooh

I was walking down the street about a week ago and saw these bluebonnets growing up through the cracks in the sidewalk.  A few feet away were a garden full of them. What I found interesting however, is that the bluebonnets growing through the cracks seemed a little more vibrant, a little more alive.

I am so excited to be surrounded by so many talented and amazing people every day. I love talking to people or visiting blogs and genuinely learning about the beauty in others. You know who you are. Once in a while however,  I come across someone who seems like their world is withering or they seem to have stopped living in the moment. Do you know what I mean? We get stuck in our ruts and feel like we have to follow the same old path every day. But there is a world out there! We have to find it and live it!

Joseph Chilton Pearce, author of The Crack in the Cosmic Egg, suggests “life moves towards correcting the imbalance of mind that the development of logic has brought on.” That’s powerful. I guess this should make us appreciate those little pieces of unknown fate that drop in our laps now and then. You know the one’s that pull not just the rug out from underneath us, but the whole floor? How many of us when trying to expand the rigid confines of our mental box find that the real change comes when our comfort zones are greatly disturbed? The lines of logic sometimes have curves we don’t expect. Perspectives have to be challenged.

I have found that the times I have truly thrived were in places or through ideas I never dreamed of. The power in us exists-sometimes unbeknownst for years-waiting to burst through the cracks, and I realize through each burst that those growing alongside of me are no different. I guess that’s where the oneness comes in. I can appreciate the tears, and the hurts, but then I stop and ask myself the most important question “did I bloom today?”

Did you bloom today?

The video below is not new, but so full of life I wanted to share it again. Enjoy!

Please click on “Recent Posts” and post title to leave a comment.  OR- Follow my blog!

UNDER THE ESSAY CLOSET THIS WEEK:

“Is Our Lives A Cosmic Joke?” copyright 2012 John J. Rigo, upcoming poetry book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

April 9, 2012 by John J. Rigo, Texas’ Poet : To read more visit next page, THE ESSAY CLOSET at:  https://chasingtheperfectmoment.com/the-essay-closet/

Your best resource for spinning hardship into positive growth is The Thriving Mindset.

To read more visit the next page BRIDGES at: https://chasingtheperfectmoment.com/bridges/

 Would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment.

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Voice back by popular demand…

Posted on April 6, 2012 by chasingtheperfectmoment

First off, HAPPY EASTER!  I’m driving down the street the other day, stopped at a stop sign and see a large 7-10 foot rabbit in front of me. Honestly, I was not thinking of Easter at the moment. It can be rather scary when you don’t realize initially that it’s yet another one of those holiday yard decorations.

But, each to his own…right?

I have my own Easter blessing this year, its called rebirth, actually- to be more specific- re-birth of my voice.  Each week I’ve been sharing with you the excerpts from my book. Everybody has been kind and supportive saying how lovely the words are. But you know, something kept bugging me and I could not figure out what it was until someone-very special-approached me. She told me that she heard my beautiful words, but did not hear my voice. I realized she was right. I want to be on the journey with you, not behind the scenes. I want to hear what you have to say, and I want to know your thoughts and feelings. That means I need to come out of my obscure hiding place, and let my heart and thoughts ring forth! She may have created a monster. Thank you to my dear friend for reminding me what a blog is all about. This is for you:

My Friend the Vessel

I feel the fires within me begin to slowly burn; ah, I feel my life getting ready for yet another turn.

Around another corner up ahead something is beckoning to me; intuitively it is familiar, not really something I can hear, touch or see.

Its presence gently fulfilling, subtle and warm; its essence vague and expansive, yet without form.

“I know you” I say. “I’ve met you before.” This is not the first time you’ve knocked upon my door.

You knew me long ago, carrying me with you-whispering in my ear; you protected me, showering me with grace and letting me know you were near.

Somehow through the chasms and the many rifts; you appear to me again as a rare jewel in the mist.

I feel your heart beating with mine; as the fiery light within me begins to glow and shine.

You’ve managed again to seep through the cracks in my heart; the ones that have threatened to tear my world apart.

You have found me once again, with your mighty wisdom and love; descending upon me from heaven above.

Once again I’m freed to be the child; sassy, un-tethered, creative and wild

Unbound, I will soar to great heights once again; you’ve acted as a loving vessel, and I thank you for that my gracious friend.

HAPPY EASTER!

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Searching for Spirit…

Posted on April 1, 2012 by chasingtheperfectmoment

“The moment a little boy or girl is concerned with which is a bluejay and which is a sparrow no longer can they see the birds or hear them sing.”  (Words taken from an original quote by Eric Berne- Psychiatrist)

One of my earliest beliefs in a connection to something greater than myself was Saturday evenings with my parents at church and hearing our priest talk about the “Holy Spirit” and “Salvation.” My spirit temporarily squelched, I would leave the church confused, because based on what I was hearing, I was never going to stack up or be good enough to be friends with God. I feared this God and his “judgment” that seemed to scrutinize everything I said or did. I wanted to believe and understand what my parents believed, but I also wanted to feel accepted, loved and understood. Somehow I was not “connecting.” I feared God did not love me. I did not know God.

As I look back now, I realize that not for one moment, however disguised in creed or dogma God is, has this spiritual power left me. If anything, I have abandoned spirit countless times with a heard heart (or head) unable to comprehend God’s true nature due to my own labeling. Fortunately, throughout my life, rogue thoughts have tugged at me pulling me into nostalgic childhood memories beyond the veil of this world. Like a bridge through time, a childhood reflection transports and connects me to this “otherworldliness.” Unfortunately, all too many times, the feeling is quickly consumed by the harried thoughts of this moment, its innocent sweetness slowly dissipating. For some people, the moment is entangled in a swarm of past emotions too thick to see the jewel within the mist and the moment and re-connection is lost, sometimes forever.

As a kid, there was no question that memories of chasing fireflies, in evenings that seemed to go on eternally, or gazing at the stars were the vehicles that connected me to an aliveness within myself and an appreciation for all life. In a universe so vast and void of formed opinions, I could wonder what God looked like; the answers limitless within my mind.  In a land of imagination where no dangers existed except the dragons of my own making, I played in colorful landscapes, and sailed from the mast of trees in my oceans of make believe. I breathed in the sweet smells of flowers there for my pleasure and to shelter many a pixie or fairy stumbling into their realm. My thoughts like stepping stones from one great adventure to another; I had faith in the melodies that called to me from deep within my heart. I recognized myself in everything around me. I was powerful beyond my wildest dreams. I did not think-I just was.

What happened to those universal feelings of expansiveness in all of us where we could not tell where we ended or began?

Have we become afraid of imagination? Is imagination a child’s tool we shelve and forget about after a certain age?

I can make the choice to not look at my world as good or bad, as black or white, but yet to let it unfold in front of me in every moment. Despite the many weeds of pain or hurt that have grown in my past I can pick up the seeds of wisdom that have dropped along life’s path. The lessons that wait to illuminate my way, embrace imagination, and help me to find what I left “over the rainbow.”  It is the place where my wholeness, imagination, dreams, and work wait to be finished. It is the place where spirit is found.

 “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost, that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” (Henry David Thoreau)

Please click on “Recent Posts” and post title to leave a comment.  OR- Follow my blog!

 

THIS WEEK UNDER THE BRIDGES PAGE:

Has Your Inner Child Gone to Never Never Land?
Or Reconnecting To Your Inner Child by Robina Hearle and Sue Stothard

Reconnecting to your inner child, what does this mean? why do I need to do this? , and who is this inner child anyway? And what has Never Never land got to do with it?

Your Inner child is…to read more please visit the next page, BRIDGES at: https://chasingtheperfectmoment.com/bridges/

THIS WEEK UNDER “THE ESSAY CLOSET PAGE:

Self-publishing Interview With Joanna Penn

Joanna is an author, blogger and consultant based in London, England (although, to add to her international savvy, you should know she also spent the last 11 years living in Australia and New Zealand). To read more visit next page, THE ESSAY CLOSET at:  https://chasingtheperfectmoment.com/the-essay-closet/

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Can you Hear me?

Posted on March 25, 2012 by chasingtheperfectmoment

 

 “The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.”  ~Ralph Nichols

A friend, and neighbor, died this week. She was found dead in her kitchen at the age of 52. I’ve been told her death was a combination of drugs and alcohol. Remembering her when we moved into our house five years ago, always waving and smiling, I ask myself, what happened? The few conversations I’ve had with her left me knowing that the possibility for a friendship was there. Unfortunately that coffee we always talked about never happened. As family clears out her house and her pets are being taken away; I am left with emptiness as I see the car in her driveway that will never be driven by her again.

Yesterday I went to the grocery store. A young checkout guy, that I‘ve had enough short conversations with to know a bit about his world, said hi to me in the parking lot as I was leaving. I turned to him, always happy to see him and his excitement for what he’s currently doing, and asked how he was doing. I was surprised to find out that he was really down. He explained, in so many words, the pressures he felt because his family did not really understand his aspirations or who he is. He told me that he has no friends; the people that he meets trying to find friends that have more of a status quo. Socially, he explained, he just can’t connect. But, the thing that broke my heart was when he told me he had a breathing problem and sometimes in the night not able to breathe, or know if he would be able to catch his next breath, didn’t feel that it was all that important if he did or not. This happy guy with the big smile is carrying a deep pain that most people will never see. As sincerely as I could, I told him what I saw in him, and what I appreciated. I told him to keep going.

I wonder, behind all the smiles, just how many people struggle to get through the day. As I carry my neighbor’s memory in my heart and think about this young man who is striving to fit into a world-one not always concerned with authenticity- I ask myself, how can I help? While I may not be able to solve the world’s problems, I can reach deep into myself and pull out what is needed for others. I can connect with others in a way that lets them know I care by listening, a loving smile, or simply by being there without judgment. Sometimes it takes pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones and embracing all people. I want them to know they are a gift so precious to me, and hopefully the power in that raises their awareness of how important and understood they really are.

“Many a man would rather you heard his story than granted his request.”

— Phillip Stanhope
Earl of Chesterfield
 

 March is International Listening Awareness Month. Learn more at: http://www.listen.org/Legend

THIS WEEK UNDER BRIDGES:

 Bridging the Gap

Trevor Jenkins (Photo courtesy and story by NT News)

Before we agree to connect or commit to others and their pain and suffering-take a reality test. It’s easy..see story on this blog at: https://chasingtheperfectmoment.com/bridges/

 

THIS WEEK UNDER THE ESSAY CLOSET:

Pam’s Story

“What a wee little part of a person’s life are his acts and his words! His real life is led in his head, and is known to none but himself. All day long, the mill of his brain is grinding, and his thoughts, not those of other things, are his history. These are his life, and they are not written. Everyday would make a whole book of 80,000 words — 365 books a year. Biographies are but the clothes and buttons of the man — the biography of the man himself cannot be written.”
― Mark Twain

 Todays’ story is a small piece about my neighbor, her story, if she were here to tell it. Thanks to her loved one’s for sharing. See story on this blog at: https://chasingtheperfectmoment.com/the-essay-closet/

See you next week…

If you like what you see, please click on the “like” button below this post, or I would love to hear your comments! Please click on “leave comments” and click on topic title, Can you Hear me?. Or follow my blog!

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Searching for familiarity…

Posted on March 17, 2012 by chasingtheperfectmoment

You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.             (Jan Glidewell-Times North Suncoast Columnist)

When I experience the sights and sounds of my “perfect moment,” there is no gap of time. Smelling the sweet delights baking in our kitchen and hearing the familiar wintry sounds and bars of theme music at the beginning of the Christmas special, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” still tickles my nose and ears today as it did yesterday. For me, this magic that officially heralds in Christmas Eve, will always stir my heart.

As a kid, just hearing the opening credits of Rudolph sprang me into action. Running into our kitchen-running into my mom- I yell at the top of my voice, “Rudolph is on!” as the smell of Christmas hits me. The heavenly aroma of warm chocolate with its sweet, velvet warmth fills my nostrils and every inch of my being. Grinning, ear-to-ear, I peek into the little oven window at the dollops of colorful sprinkles and melting dough tasting the soon-to-be cookies. Suddenly distracted by the memorable snowman with the voice of Burl Ives, I run down the hall full blast bouncing into an overstuffed chair in our den. There outside the window, I catch glimpses of the colorful little Christmas bulbs blinking in the muted frost. Warm and safe, exhilarated and excited, I zoom into the TV; my mom behind me with a plate of warm cookies. As I settle into the comforting music and lyrics of the legendary sounds of Rudolph, all is right in the universe.

It amazes me how memories can inspire such vivid sights and sounds of yesterday arousing universal feelings of “home.” These are the memories that gain entry into the soul flirting with what lies deeply within.

On my own journey, searching for the familiarity of that one moment, the unconditional love, and the freedom and safety, I have periodically sacrificed reality-all for one momentary high. I hear other people share their own stories or battles about excessive drinking, eating, spending, drugs, unhealthy behavior and relationships; all quick fixes to fill the void. Before we know it, there are shadows living in our heart verses the truth of what or who was once there.

I am surrounded by beauty and prompted daily by a patient grace to experience all that is real. The connection is there. Am I listening? Do I hear the call?

“How does one become a butterfly?” she asked pensively. “You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”          (Trina Paulus, author of Hope for the Flowers) 

I ask myself, am I reaching for the best that I can be?

THIS WEEK UNDER BRIDGES:

To be or not to be…

“The hardest challenge is to be yourself in a world where everyone is trying to make you somebody else.”  (E.E. Cummings- American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright)

We come into this world with billions of neurons, little neuronal circuits in the brain that have paths connecting to other little circuits. These circuits lead to great heights, connecting us to all kinds of wondrous possibilities giving room for incredible…read more:  https://chasingtheperfectmoment.com/bridges/

THIS WEEK UNDER THE ESSAY CLOSET:

Kathryn, Katy, Clarke shares her story:

Appreciate the Present Moment, by Kathryn Clarke 

Yesterday, I heard an interview on NPR with Joan Didion. She read an excerpt of her recent book, Blue Nights,which chronicles her grief following the death of her only daughter.  In this excerpt she discussed, read more: https://chasingtheperfectmoment.com/the-essay-closet/

More Writing Resources: The Creative Penn

Joanna Penn, created her blog as a resource. Now, as one of the top 10 blogs for writers, Joanna’s site is an oasis in the world of “wanting to be published.” Read more at: https://chasingtheperfectmoment.com/the-essay-closet/

 See you next week…

If you like what you see, please click on the “like” button below this post, or I would love to hear your comments! Please click on “leave comments” below and click on topic title, Searching for Familiarity. Or follow my blog!

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What is the one “Perfect Moment” for you?

Posted on March 11, 2012 by chasingtheperfectmoment

   If you could frame one perfect moment from the past-what would that moment be? The one moment or place suspended in time that you felt, loved, safe and happier than you have ever felt before. What would it be?

For me, my perfect moment, my shining jewel, is Christmastime as a kid baking cookies with my mom. In that heart-nourishing moment, I am completely empowered, real, confident and whole. It is a perfect and magical memory that has been a safe haven in my darkest moments. It is my special place to go back to and one that I have tried to re-create for half of my life by placing building blocks of illusions one on top of the other. It is the place I escape to when I “want to go home.”

I don’t feel I’m a stranger when I say that throughout life I have experienced circumstances and events that have left me feeling crippled and disabled. Under these conditions I have fought desperately to regain a sense of self and find the free and spirited child that I left behind. Instead, as a result of these experiences, I have chased illusions in an attempt to satisfy the lies I have told myself about who I am, while deep within me, my soul has cried out for authenticity. Searching for the one time that made me feel “good” or “whole” and not confronting reality has made for some bad choices. Deaf to my soul’s callings, I have been distracted “chasing the perfect moment.”

We cling to self-images and concepts refusing to let go. We identify with the pain, anger and lies that become part of us fearing what we might find in the void. We let cultural norms and mindsets influence our destination towards self.  In continual loops, we drive down the same old roads, stuck in ruts made by habitual treads of experience and outdated thoughts. We don’t give our life a chance for renewal and rebirth. Instead, we mull around in stagnate pools of thoughts.

So how do we overcome these clinging ideologies? How do we refresh ourselves? How do we find our personal mission and meaning? Fluttering at the edges of our soul is a summoning towards greatness. It takes real courage to answer, to listen and to admit that our perspectives may be wrong. In re-examining our self created roles we must ask, do they currently serve us and others well? Holding true to your authentic self can mean leaving the layers and thought patterns behind daily. It is time to evolve and cleanse. It is time to wake up. Is the “perfect moment” possibly today? 

“What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow. Our life is the creation of our mind.”      (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

What is your “perfect moment?”

I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below, under Leave Comments, by clicking on the post title, “What is the one “Perfect Moment”…

 

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