art is amazing

The power of art is amazing. It has really been helpful for me. On the infrequent occasions when I feel pain, looking at art makes me feel better. I am able to shift my focus. I feel peaceful and stop worrying about the pain.

If you haven't tried Pinterest, I highly recommend it. They describe it as an online pin board, similar to pinning your interests to a bulletin board. There are many categories and, it seems, an infinite number of images. Some people pin recipes or crafts. I pin mostly art. I have separate boards for photography, earlier artists, abstract art, and many others. You can check out my pins at: http://www.pinterest.com/hogerfeld/

So, when I am hurting, I go browse through the over-6,000 images I have collected. There are some Impressionist paintings that immediately bring me a sense of peace. Depending on my mood, I will look at nature, children, animals or even old toys from childhood. I find Pinterest to be an excellent distraction.

Of course, creating art can be powerful, too. Expressing your emotions feels good. Though for me, when I take photos, I'm looking for something beautiful or interesting. My usual underlying message is: life is good.

For now, if you're looking for a distraction from your troubles, check out Pinterest. Have fun!

community

Tonight I met with my writing group. A few of us who live in this fabulous apartment building get together once a month and share something we have written. Then we offer comments and constructive criticism.

It's wonderful to find a group of like-minded people. One benefit to living in my building is that it is easy to reach out and find ways to interact with our neighbors. I'm very grateful to live in a building that fosters community.

For people who don't have a building full of people to meet, there's the website meetup.com. Another way to create a community of like-minded people.

The more people we meet, the more we learn. For me, life's purpose is to learn and love as much as we can.

Go forth and learn what you will!

control

When you feel like nothing is going your way and there's nothing you can do about it, think about this quote from the author of Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert:

There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under my jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, with whom I interact, with whom I share my body and life and money and energy. I can select what I read and eat and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life – whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which they speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts. – Elizabeth Gilbert

no fear of the future

Again I find spiritual words in unlikely places. I've been watching the BBC’s "The Adventures of Merlin."

Merlin is a young man who says he is scared of the future. His guardian, the physician, tells him that the future is not yet shaped. It is we who will shape it by the decisions we make and the actions we take.

We need not fear the future if we have influence over it.

Besides which, I believe Eckardt Tolle would say there's no need to fear the future because it will never get there. Everything happens in the Now.

So, if we make our present the best it can be, that is all we need.
Things that make you go hmm…

share what is in your heart

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song. - Maya Angelou

You don't have to have all the answers. Just share what is in your heart. If we each share the best of ourselves, the world will be improved.

I share my smile, my art, my positive thoughts and my listening ear when someone needs to talk. What can you share?

Mister Rogers

I don't think anyone can grow unless he's loved exactly as he is now, appreciated for what he is rather than what he will be. --Mister Rogers

Because this comes from Mr. Rogers, I would guess he's talking about children. We should try not to focus on what they will become… Teacher, lawyer, nurse, etc. or even the type of person they will become. Every child needs to know they are special and important as they are at this moment just because there is no one else in the world just like them.

If a child feels loved, he or she is bound to be a happy, well-rounded individual.

That goes for adults, also. Each of us deserves to feel loved. We can accomplish any goal when our efforts are concentrated. And our efforts are supported and encouraged by people who love us. You can never say, "I love you" too often. It is so important to tell the people in your life how much you love them just the way they are.

I have love for all of my fellow humans. I hope that feeling comes across to everyone who reads this. You are special and important just the way you are!

being one

Aha! I think I finally wrapped my head around the premise of being one with God and the universe! Another step on my spiritual journey.

Yesterday I listened to a 1981 BBC interview of Ram Dass. He is an interesting character. The description he gave somehow made a lot of sense to me.

Paraphrasing.. Many planes of awareness.
First– separate, your body and my body.
Second– psychological, your personality and my personality.
Third– astrological, Gemini, Pisces, etc.
Fourth– individual differences, when I look into your eyes I see another human being just like me but with different packaging.
Fifth– being One, when I look into your eyes I see myself looking at myself looking at myself. We are One, all in costume delighting to be the many.

Going from the many into the One back into the many, to experience individual aspects of Itself. All planes of awareness are equally important.

Now that I have written it all out, I don't feel the same certainty I did at first. Still, I'm excited to explore these ideas further. What do you think?

ideas

Pondering my philosophy. Many ideas that sometimes don't mesh.

I have been reading "What God Says" by Neale Donald Walsh. I have been listening on YouTube to Eckhart Tolle. I still listen occasionally to "Getting Into the Vortex" by Esther & Jerry Hicks, as well as have spiritual conversations with friends.

Christianity says “God, Our Father.”

NDW says God is not our parent but rather one with us.

The Vortex emphasizes being co-creators with God [or Source] of our own reality.

Tolle seems mainly about being present in the moment and having an alert awareness of our inner being, who we really are. He also describes us as usually living only in our thoughts and emotions. He encourages quieting the thoughts to access our conscious awareness.

I'm practicing connecting to my inner being but I still enjoy living in my thoughts. We shall see where these philosophical and spiritual thoughts will take me.

impression of Bright–Sided by Barbara Ehrenreich

I wondered how my philosophy would be affected by the book "Bright–Sided: How the relentless promotion of positive thinking has undermined America" by Barbara Ehrenreich. I have not changed my mind, but I have discovered ways that I will need to be specific and clear when I share my own thoughts.

One idea that I like in particular is that smiles and kind words are contagious whether in person or through social media. That's what my goal is here.

The following are the most important ideas in regard to what I hope to accomplish.

1 - Ignoring reality will cause delusions. It is important to think positively but that needs to be tempered by truth and observable facts.

2 - Our thoughts alone do not cause change. Simply visualizing our wishes does not make them come true. We must use action and effort to achieve our desires.

3 - I have often struggled with, “if all I need to do is change my thoughts, what am I doing wrong?” The author stresses that we are not to blame for our own misfortunes. A lot of “positive thinking” literature claims that we can create our own reality. I agree, but to do that we must take action and try to find ways to feel positive in spite of negative circumstances.

The book was interesting. She made a lot of good points and did have me questioning my own ideas. Questioning is good because it helps us be more certain in our own beliefs. She goes into the history of how “positive thinking”  started. She shows several ways in which it has been detrimental in our culture, but her focus is on positive thinking in the absence of realistic and critical thinking.

The only way we can make change is by thinking critically, realistically, hopefully and putting those thoughts into action. It is amazing what we can do!

delight

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. - Khalil Gibran

 

I hope that the earth is enjoying you today!

Land of Plenty

My friend, neighbor and fellow writer shared this with me and agreed to let me share it with you. Let us enjoy everything we can!

Written by Christopher Andrew Maier:

By an accident of birth, we are living in a Land of Plenty. We exist among the top 1 percent of the world who have enough to eat every single day, who have lovely warm surroundings when it is too cold, and cool, serene surroundings when it is too hot.

And political oppression is not even on our radar screen. The rest of our experience pales when faced with the real hunger, cold, debilitating heat and guns in the face that many people can not escape for lack of funds and awareness.

So “serene’ would be the operative word. We have the luxury to experience that, as well as the drugs and counseling to allow us not to suffer too much from anxieties. We [artists] also have the joy of creating with tools and materials that allow others to see into our Appreciation of Life, or our discouragement, for that matter.

The entire history of the human race has not been too sweet a trip. I think we are riding on a froth of whipped cream, far from the maddening crowd and the worst that life could be, what it is for countless billions right now, and stretching into the distant past.

a story

Give people a fact or an idea and you enlighten their minds; tell them a story and you touch their souls.~Hasidic Proverb
Here’s one of mine:

Have you ever been teased? Are you a teaser or a teasee? I am the latter. I moved from Michigan to New Jersey before kindergarten. I was shy then, and my parents had saddled me with a tricky first name. It is rare that someone can read my name and pronounce it correctly. So when my teacher called for Lizel, the kids had a good place to start with the teasing.

At recess on the black-top, a smart little boy, Joe S, dubbed me as 'Lysol' coupled with pretending to pump me like an aerosol can…pat/pssst, pat/pssst. Lining up to return from recess, Joe asked where I lived before NJ. I replied, "Battle Creek." Joe asked, "Did you fight in a ditch?" I remember not knowing what he meant. Battle and ditch had no meaning to me. I was embarrassed but I smiled along.

As an adult I remember Joe fondly, but as five-year-old I grinned and beared it. I tell this story to say that early on I learned to laugh at myself. It felt nicer to be a good sport than to hide or pout.

This idea goes along with this quote: "Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be," by Grandma Moses. We have a choice of reactions we can have when something unpleasant happens. We can find a way to smile or give in to misery. I'll choose smiling over misery every time.

uncontrollable giggles

Every now and then something strikes me so funny that I laugh until I cry and can barely catch my breath. This usually happens when I'm tired. I thought I would share the most recent thing…

Winnie was visiting and Kristin got out the book “Corduroy” which is a favorite story of mine about a bear who needs a home and someone to love.

Anyway, Winnie had on pants of that material, and I said, “Oh! what are your pants made out of? Before Winnie could answer, Mike said, “Are they made of BEARS?”

That made me laugh loudly which made Winnie look at me with surprise and curiosity; I don't think she's ever heard me laugh like that. The expression on her face was what kicked in my hysteria.

What started as a silly joke brought me uncontrollable giggles which made Winnie give an even more quizzical expression. Isn't it fun to laugh?

Philosophy in Haiku

I am always looking for new ways to think about life and spirituality. My friend, neighbor and fellow writer shared this with me and agreed to let me share it with you. Any thoughts?

Henry Francisco

Philosophy in Haiku

Entitled: THE # PATH

Being Your Ideal

The Holy Spirit Within

The Better-er Way

Organize be-ing.

Present a certain structure

As part of your day

Learn productively

What will contribute to life

As you find it now

Produce something new

From the raw material

Provided to you

Respect others' thoughts

Wander among their ideas

Mining benefits

Reason. Think things out

beyond the superficial

Expose subtleties

Conserve the vitals

That make up the life we live

Reproduce essence

Share nature's bounty

Made available to all

Who would use it well

Solve the conundrums

Besetting society

Making life better

Change from within or

Without if necessary

Leaving improvement

"O Spirit within

Help to guide my current life

To constructive ends

Building upon blocks

Already provided me

By mortal bounty

From the present day

To a worthy conclusion

Thence to my reward"

inner light

I have been working on a definition of inner light as I see it. This light is a quality of love for yourself and others coupled with mental or emotional strength; when shared with others it makes yourself and those around you feel optimistic and even happy or inspired.

Your light is not a skill or talent. It is a feeling. Your light can be expanded in different ways. Some challenges that we meet in life call us to use this feeling of love and strength. Though the struggle is not necessary. Doing kind things for others and keeping kindness in all of your daily activities can develop your light. The more you share it the brighter it will be.

Most importantly, feel it and use it in your own life. Nurturing and encouraging yourself is the best place to begin. You have this light. Look for it, feel it, and then share it!

better thoughts

A leader does not say, “Follow me.” A leader says, “I will go 1st.” – Neale Donald Walsch

So here I am. I will go 1st in seeking the positive in every situation, seeking greater spiritual understanding (how many of you have explored Source?), and practicing encouraging others to feel the light within them.

Here is an exercise from Esther and Jerry Hicks: whatever your thought is right now, reach for a better one. For instance, “being cooped up in the cold weather gets me down.” A better thought, “I'm so glad I have a roof over my head.” A next better thought, “My home is so comfortable and nicely decorated, I love it.” And another, “When I am bored at home, I could rearrange the furniture and have some fun.” The idea is to reach for better thoughts repeatedly until you feel good.

When I'm feeling down, the process is hard to get started, but when I put my mind to it, I feel better. Hope you do, too!