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Practice kindness

Quote of the day:      So with a boundless heart Should one cherish all living beings: Radiating kindness over the entire world — Buddha, Metta Suta I stumbled upon this barn the other day in all it’s glory and couldn’t resist coming back to photograph it near sunset.  It made me happy to think of all the people who drive by and see this loving-kindness prayer every day.  It also reminded me to send out thoughts of kindness and compassion to all beings and to practice compassion for myself. I wrote recently about recognizing that I’ve been operating unconsciously Read more…

By Marilyn, ago

Another Day in Joy School

Quotes of the day:  “You have to sniff out joy. Keep your nose to the joy trail.”  – Buffy Sainte-Marie “We need Joy as we need air. We need Love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.” – Maya Angelou Another day in joy school.  I got up early and went out to Carver Park Reserve, west of the Twin Cities.  Got to the park while the dew was still wet in the grass, the light was golden, and the breeze soft and cool.  Joy!  I had no agenda and no expectations – just Read more…

By Marilyn, ago

Lost in the Woods

Quote of the day: “To be human is to be lost in the woods. None of us arrives here with clear directions on how to get from point A to point B without stumbling into the forest of confusion or catastrophe or wrongdoing.  Although they are dark and dangerous, it is in the woods that we discover our strengths.”  – Elizabeth Lesser from Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow. About three and a half months ago I was laid off from my job of 16 years as a software engineer.  After the layoff, I decide to live Read more…

By Marilyn, ago

Life is Simple

  Quote of the day: “When I think about simplifying my life, I see it as a process, rather than a thing or a destination. There is no point in time when I will say to myself, ‘Ah, I have arrived. Isn’t this grand?’ It is not something that I have accomplished. It is not even anything I can really define.” – Linda Breen Pierce in Choosing Simplicity: Real People Finding Peace and Fulfillment in a Complex World. So it is with all of life.  We never arrive. There is always room to learn and grow. Today has been full Read more…

By Marilyn, ago

Surrender to the moment

Quote of the day:  This place where you are right now, God circled on a map for you. Hafiz Another challenging week for me.  This time it wasn’t my mind that did me in. It was my body.  For some mysterious reason, my low back kicked up with huge pain last weekend and I’m still moving very carefully almost a week later.  At least I’m moving – a little (actually a very little).  And while I had planned to spend my week differently, I’ve discovered once more that I need to surrender into the moment. At first I was just Read more…

By Marilyn, ago