Reflections

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  1. D
    Deann
    3 weeks ago

    Starting the day on this site and Richard Rohr’s ( thank you Carol I think you first mentioned him), prayer and quiet early morning reflection, exercising, deep breaths, calling my mom once a week and many nights I still pray with my college age kids when they are home.

    1. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      3 weeks ago

      I miss the ritual,
      dear Deann,
      of calling my mother every day . . .
      it was a nice break for me
      and a way to connect with her. ♥

      1. Michele
        Michele
        3 weeks ago

        I miss calling my Mom everyday too.

  2. sparrow51014
    sparrow
    3 weeks ago

    Rituals
    can be wonderful experiences . . .
    I used to keep a candle burning before me on my desk
    when visiting the gratefulness forum
    and writing in my gratitude journal,
    until one day
    Pooh,
    my very large and extremely furry cat
    with a bottle brush tail
    suddenly jumped up in front of me
    and when turning around,
    his tail caught the flame.
    In an instant
    the fragrance in my room
    turned from lavender to fur on fire . . .
    I tried to grab him,
    but he was too fast for me
    and went racing out of the room.
    The saving grace in this situation
    was that although I couldn’t grab him in time
    I grabbed that bottle brush tail tightly,
    and extinguished the flames as he escaped from me.
    I am very careful with candles and cats
    ever since that day.
    It could have ended another way.

    A very dear friend in the UK
    sent me a white, alabaster light holder
    that is engraved with flowers all the way around the top.
    It sits on a dish
    and has a little battery operated ‘candle’ inside . . .
    when lit
    the light shines through all the engraving
    and is lovely to gaze at.
    I used this light now
    when I come to Gratefulness . . .
    it centers me
    and brings me home to myself.

    Another ritual I perform
    every day out in the gardens . . .
    I greet my plants, trees, and flowers,
    bow and say, ‘namaste’
    and talk to the ones I am working on . . .
    I apologize when I have to do some thinning,
    as I really don’t like to kill them,
    and tell them it is for the good of all
    that they make this sacrifice.
    I think they enjoy the touch and the companionship,
    and so do I.
    I always give special attention
    to the ones I am trimming back or uprooting to transplant
    and reassure them
    that they will feel better when I’m done.
    This
    also brings me home to myself . . .
    I am then
    both big and small
    in the Universe. ♥

    1. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      3 weeks ago

      There was no space to comment on your post,
      dear Michele,
      but I have to tell you
      how beautiful your mother’s poem about the wind
      was.
      I too,
      have feelings about the wind that way . . .
      thank you for posting it. ♥

      1. Michele
        Michele
        3 weeks ago

        Thank you Sparrow, I’m glad her poem had meaning for you.

    2. Barb C
      Barb C
      3 weeks ago

      I talk to my tomato plants as I prune off the suckers, and tell them that they will feel better later when they can put their energies into growing beautiful, delicious fruits.

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        3 weeks ago

        I knew I wasn’t the only one,
        dear Barb. 🙂

        1. Joseph
          Joseph McCann
          3 weeks ago

          I seem to speak to everything live and some things like the wind, that are maybe not live but alive with the universe and the grand plan. Burning fur or hair of any kind is a vile smell. What a scene you painted with your words, dear Sparrow. Along with some quick action on your part!

          1. sparrow51014
            sparrow
            3 weeks ago

            I do believe that the wind has a soul,
            dear Joseph,
            as does stone. 🙂
            And yes,
            burning fur, hair, and flesh
            all smell vile.

          2. Michele
            Michele
            3 weeks ago

            your response made me think of my Mom’s Wind Poem, which I will now share
            I LOVE THE WIND, by Christine Kane 11/21/00
            From the Four Corners of the Earth, the wind will rise and greet us in anticipation of its surprise
            “I Love the Wind”
            Over the ocean the Wind will go, telling the waves to say hello
            “I Love the Wind”
            The trees are next in the Winds path, swaying branch by branch as they dance
            “I Love the Wind”
            See the Wind pick up the leaf, floating around and around until it hits the ground
            “I Love the Wind”
            The Wind has kissed the lake, its ripple you can’t mistake
            “I Love the Wind”
            Listen and you can hear the Wind is talking in our ear, its very near
            “I Love the Wind”
            The Wind is swirling around me, in my hair, in my face, I feel its Grace
            “I Love the Wind”
            The day will come when my Soul will rise and the Wind and I will go for a ride
            “I Love the Wind”
            And the Wind and I will never die
            “I Love the Wind”
            So, if you love the Wind as I, my Soul will touch you as we go by
            “I Love the Wind”

  3. Ose
    Ose
    3 weeks ago

    As it was mentioned already, lightening a candle and start our morning meditation does, as does reading and replying here. Singing does and playing music, being with dear friends and for example making cooking and sharing our food almost a ritual with gratitude for all of beauty and abundance. Heartwarming contact helps letting go of panic and fear, calming down immedeately and brings back some balanace Thank you all dearly.

    1. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      3 weeks ago

      I think you have a full,
      rich life,
      dear Ose . . .
      thank you sharing a bit of it with me. ♥

  4. Charlie T
    Charlie T
    3 weeks ago

    Certainly this gratitude practice helps me to check in with myself. My stretching/yoga practice helps me to tune into and connect with my body. Therapy allows me to check in with issues and struggles and see where I’m at. And really anytime I can contemplate quietly for a bit, I seem to connect with myself. All of this requires an intentional effort and a pushing aside of all the distractions and fear of sitting with myself. I mean, who knows what I may find. 😬😁

    1. Antoinette88615
      Antoinette
      3 weeks ago

      Charlie I know what you mean about sitting with fear . Rather than push away we can see the false who is full of fear and say yes here it is again I’m full of fear . We can sit and allow the fear to come and bit by bit it becomes less and less . I’m also just like you and I would push away. It seems we are all much the same . Great job for meeting your fear and seeing it . This takes courage! 💓

    2. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      3 weeks ago

      You have a good sense of humor,
      dear Charlie . . .
      that’s already a positive on your checklist. 🙂

  5. Barb C
    Barb C
    3 weeks ago

    Riding my bike and feeling the freedom in my body.
    Walking, feeling how I move myself along, breathing in the world around me whether I’m deep in a woodsy park or in the middle of a big city.
    Reading a poem that stops me in my tracks, makes me sit for a minute and then reread.
    Leaning into a hug from my husband when I really needed it.

  6. Carol Ann Conner
    Carol Ann Conner
    3 weeks ago

    I have been singing to myself a lot lately and it has become a form of prayer for me. I can no longer perform for others because my vocal range is limited and my ability to project my voice compromised by other physical limitations but I can sing to me through me and it brings me great comfort and sends a loving energy out into the Universe and especially to anyone I’m holding in thought. Plus, it always brings me home to myself.

    Louisa May Alcott says it well, “The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.”

    I share a poem I wrote while grieving the loss of my ability to sing for others.

    My Voice by Carol Conner

    Some of us have a booming voice
    Others speak with a lilt
    A few are given the gift of song
    And must lament
    when it is gone.

    I don’t know how one ever
    fully grieves the loss
    to inspire, instill hope,
    fill hearts with
    their voice

    How I wished I had understood
    that priceless gift,
    shared it more,
    given thanks
    from my very core.

    It is like a part of me
    has been violently stripped,
    ripped from my being
    at the altar
    of wasted chances.

    Love sang to me
    through me,
    filling my aching heart
    so many times when hope
    could not be found.

    Thanks for the memories.
    Thanks for the reveries.
    The lives
    I was privileged to touch
    with my song

    The laughter,
    The tears,
    The promise,
    The fears,
    The vulnerability in each note.

    Images in the audience
    that still thrill me,
    still inspire me
    and still fill me
    with awe and gratitude.

    No longer the singer
    of the song,
    No longer the voice
    that’s forever gone
    but the music lives on, and on.

    1. Elizabeth H67151
      Elizabeth H
      3 weeks ago

      Thank you for sharing this beautiful poem, Carol. I can see how it truly would be a source of deep grief to no longer be able to share the voice that you once had. I am glad that you have the memories (and I imagine that others also still have the memories), and the joy of still being able to sing for yourself. And I agree with Sparrow that a heartfelt voice truly is still a treasure.

    2. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      3 weeks ago

      What a bittersweet poem,
      dear Carol Ann . . .
      I think though,
      that even though you can no longer sing professionally,
      a heartfelt voice,
      whether it is strong or not,
      whether it is vibrant or keeping tune or not,
      is still a precious treasure
      and those who love you
      will love your voice more now
      because it carries your life experiences with it as well
      in all of its pain and joy. ♥

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        3 weeks ago

        ps. I can’t tell you how much I believe this,
        dear Carol Ann. ♥

  7. Elizabeth H67151
    Elizabeth H
    3 weeks ago

    My morning meditation and coming to this page and answering the question/reading others’ answers.

    When I remember to think of washing dishes as a ritual, I am more present to my real self and the blessings in the moment rather than off in my head or complaining in my mind about the chore of washing dishes.

    1. L
      Loc Tran
      3 weeks ago

      Elizabeth, this site is sure a great platform for interacting with people from all walks of life.

      1. Elizabeth H67151
        Elizabeth H
        3 weeks ago

        Loc Tran, I agree!

  8. D
    Drea
    3 weeks ago

    This gratefulness practice and all of you. Walking or running. My go-to meditation/pranayama practices. Time with friends.

  9. Yram
    Yram
    3 weeks ago

    Doing a few stretches before I get out of bed. Say “thank you” for being able to move. Gathering a hot beverage. Checking the weather. Sitting in my chair with the phone checking “action for happiness” site and then this site gleaning wisdom and community.

    1. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      3 weeks ago

      I think I will check out this web site,
      dear Yram . . . ♥

  10. Ngoc Nguyen
    Ngoc Nguyen
    3 weeks ago

    I enjoy reading your practices of wisdom that bring you to your true self. For me, morning coffee, reading the Gospel, answering the daily question, and walking are my daily highlights that bring me home.

    1. L
      Loc Tran
      3 weeks ago

      My Ngoc, I always enjoy walking with you. We have many fun and great conversations.

  11. L
    Loc Tran
    3 weeks ago

    Going on the bible App to read the verse of the day daily strengthens my faith in god. And of course, I still do some of my usual practices like meditation, interacting on this site, and my zen principles with Sean Coughlin too. Except, for the last one, I moved away from Phil’s work to PM7 working on a set of Paw Mu’s advice summarized in these 7 principles.
    1. Build from the root.
    2. Detach from your ways.
    3. Take responsibility.
    4. Trust your people.
    5. Look beyond the surface.
    6. Expect nothing in return.
    7. Appreciate simpler pleasures.
    This question is a good reminder of this practice especially. To refresh, I have building from the root as my yearly goal while Sean has taking responsibility. My 2 quarterly ones for Q1 are to detach from my ways and appreciating simpler pleasures while Sean has looking beyond the surface and expecting nothing in return. Sean is more on top of things, makes less excuses, and can see the entire chestboard even better. I’ve healed faster and have continued to become even more adaptable. Both he and I are improving on our integrity and are free from agendas.
    So far, I’ve accomplished what I’ve set out to accomplish by moving away from Phil’s works. Integrity and roots are everything. As I studied Phil’s backstory from “11 Rings, the Soul of Success”, I recall his parents wanting him to be ministers. He ended up winning 11 rings as a head coach: 6 with the Bulls and 5 more with the Lakers earning the “Zen Master” nickname from fans, beat writers, and members in the NBA circle. I’m happy for him, but Phil’s executive tenure with Knicks from 2014-2017 exposed his insecurities when his Knicks were: 17-65 in 2014-15, 33-49 in 2015-16, and 31-51 in 2016-17.
    Phil was attached to his ways. During his championship years, he had MJ, Scottie Pippen, Shaq, and of course, Kobe, carry him. His personal life was less than perfect too. He was married and divorced twice. Then, going to the Lakers, he was dating the owner’s daughter, Jeannie Buss, for more than ten years. Jerry Buss was the owner at the time. Jim Buss, the son of Jerry, hired another coach in Mike D’Antoni, in 2012-13 instead of the zen master, because he saw through the personal drama and Phil’s greed. He wanted to only coach home games and have his assistant coach road games. That would confuse the players. If it were me, I’d want one voice too.
    I give Phil the benefit of the doubt for staying away from politics and that I was a rebel at one point too for awhile. On the other hand, it’s also important to acknowledge that Phil’s insecurity and coaching out of rebellion towards his parents played a pivital part in making the game impure too. The modern NBA has become: more political, less competitive, and player impowerment where players dictate where they want to be and who to play with are out of control.

  12. Patti
    sunnypatti
    3 weeks ago

    Meditation. Pranayama practices. Journaling. Being in nature. Preparing food. Movement – yoga, walking/hiking, dancing. Listening to mantras.

  13. Michele
    Michele
    3 weeks ago

    lighting candles throughout my home
    meditations/prayer
    music
    Nature

  14. Christina Rossi75270
    Christina
    3 weeks ago

    First thing readings by Richard Rohr and your readings with coffee and a glass of cold water. I return often to this site.

  15. Joseph
    Joseph McCann
    3 weeks ago

    My twice daily visits to this safe and beautiful forum, daily yoga with Lynn Rossy, daily meditation, evening tea and a good dose of spending my time out of doors. Peace, love and enjoy yourselves on this gift of another day.

    1. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      3 weeks ago

      Does your lovely wife Chreyl
      share in any of this with you,
      dear Joseph? ♥

      1. Joseph
        Joseph McCann
        3 weeks ago

        Our mutual love of the out of doors, critters, gardens and life. Cheryl grew up about 4 mile east of our place on her folks farm. We are in Ouray, Colorado right now, in a small 1893 hotel celebrating our marriage. It is very dry everywhere. Wildland fire smoke is in the air. Still grateful for the mountains and my lovely wife Cheryl. Thank you for asking dear Sparrow.

        1. sparrow51014
          sparrow
          3 weeks ago

          I was wondering about the smoke,
          dear Joseph . . .
          it sounds like you both made a good choice
          in partners.
          Enjoy your marriage celebration
          with joy and love
          and gratitude . . . ♥

        2. Michele
          Michele
          3 weeks ago

          I had to look up this town – wow!! “Switzerland of America” – very beautiful and very different than Florida.

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