Inspiration for today

"My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hue,
An everlasting vision of the ever-changing view."

---Carole King

Each event of our lives contributes a rich thread to our personal tapestry. We are each weaving one unique to ourselves, but all of our tapestries are complementary to each other. We need the rich designs of others in order to create our own. Rarely do we have the foresight to understand the worth, the ultimate value of a particular circumstance at its beginning. But hindsight offers us clarity. It's productive to reflect on the many circumstances that failed to thrill us; in all cases we can now see why we needed them. As our trust in God and the goodness of all experiences grow, we'll more quickly respond with gladness when situations are fresh. No experience is meant for harm. We are coming to understand that, even though on occasion we forget. Practicing gratitude will help us more fully appreciate what has been offered us. Being grateful influences our attitude; it softens our harsh exterior and takes the threat out of most new situations.

"If I greet the day, glad to be alive, I will be gladdened by all the experiences in store for me. Each is making a necessary contribution to my wholeness."

-Casey, K. Each day a new beginning; Daily meditations for women. Hazelden Meditations, 1991.

The Law of Dharma or Purpose in Life (Chopra.com)

The Law of Dharma: Everyone has a purpose in life . . . a unique gift or special talent to give to others. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals.

I will put the Law of Dharma into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:

1. Today I will lovingly nurture the god or goddess in embryo that lies deep within my soul. I will pay attention to the spirit within me that animates both my body and my mind. I will awaken myself to this deep stillness within my heart. I will carry the consciousness of timeless, eternal Being in the midst of time-bound experience.
2. I will make a list of my unique talents. Then I will list all the things that I love to do while expressing my unique talents. When I express my unique talents and use them in the service of humanity, I lose track of time and create abundance in my life as well as in the lives of others.
3. I will ask myself daily,"How can I serve?" and "How can I help?" The answers to these questions will allow me to help and serve my fellow human beings with love.
   

"Every decision I make is a choice between a grievance and a miracle." -- Deepak Chopra

This 2 year old's got her ducks in a row. Do you?



With today's technical advancements we can produce what we could in 1948 in less than half the time. Nevertheless, free time has fallen almost 40 percent from a median of 26 hours per week to under 17 (Levey & Levey, 1998).

Quote

Choose Life! Only that and always! At whatever risk, to let life leak out, to let it wear away by the mere passage of time, to withhold giving and spending it... is to choose nothing.

--Sister Helen Kelly

Working on

I have been noticing that as responsibilities increase and the agenda becomes more cluttered, I've felt forced to neglect my meditation and mindfulness practice, as well as exercise. It took a few weeks for me to realize this, but today is the day that I get back on track. If you are noticing the same, that priorities have been a bit blurred or even slammed together, take an opportunity to evaluate. Make sure you are getting that physical activity. Getting at least 30 minutes of rigorous exercise per day has shown to decrease so many health problems including the risk for several types of cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, and contributes to a healthy sense of self and confidence. Take the time to pamper yourself and reward your successes in a healthy way, but continue to challenge yourself, prioritize, and give up trivial things that keep you from enjoying life.

rcw