|
|
"If
you try to make your circle closed and ~ Zilpha Keatley Snyder, American Children's Writer (1927-
)
|
|
THIS WEEK'S ISSUE From the Inside Out... Yes You Can!... Far Horizons... Links That Shine... Fascinating Facts... Laughing It Off... Untangling the Web... Look at That!... Our Latest Discovery... Web-Wise Update...
BE the World During a final speech in a Dale Carnegie seminar several years ago, these unexpected words emerged from my surprised lips: "While I've always considered myself a major risk taker, I now realize that I've never, ever risked ME. People would approach me cautiously because of my daunting protective wall. Today, I'm choosing to remove that barrier and open my heart." Since that moment of choice, my life has blossomed beautifully. ~ Chelle ~
|
From the Inside Out
|
|
We all experience severe heartbreak at some time in our lives. For many it happens in childhood or adolescence, the time when we are most vulnerable. A cold mother, an absent father, being different in any way from our peers and ostracized for it — these are some of the reasons for the early feeling that something is wrong, inadequate and utterly disappointing about us. For others, it happens later, when a spouse betrays our love and trust, a child is hurt, or our dream of making it big in the world is shattered. It happens — sooner or later — to everybody, yet strangely enough, we tend to believe that other people have heaps of money, great careers, excellent health, and are blessed with devoted spouses and perfect children. Even if common sense tells us that this isn´t true, we behave as if it were. We hide behind our painted faces and empty phrases, as if our wounded heart was a rare, shameful thing that had to be hidden at all costs. Even if we are the light of every party, our real self never shows up. We withdraw and disconnect while telling pretty lies in appearance, word and deed. Thus our hearts shrink and harden, and we live lonesome, inauthentic lives deep within the fortress we have built from pride and fear. From this point on, two things can happen: either we become depressed or cynical enough to believe that staying in this barren place and turning into dust is our only option, or we listen to the cries of our exiled hearts and become seekers. So let´s start the search for our true selves. In the following imaginative exercise, you will begin to restore the lost connection to your heart. You may feel some resistance reading these words. Won´t this lead to an emotional breakdown, or to an eruption of pain and anger? It depends on your intention. If you want to explore your childhood or other severe emotional trauma, there are medical and psychological professionals who are trained to guide you through that sensitive process. What we want to achieve here is to find and free our spiritual hearts. There is the heart, and there is the true heart. There is our "pink" heart, and there is our "golden" heart. There is our low heart, and there is our high heart. Qualities of the low heart: Passion, Extremes, Volatility, Attachment, Emotion. Qualities of the high heart: Compassion, Balance, Patience, Unity, Spirit, Soul. Again, our intention is to connect to the high, the spiritual heart. This may happen instantly, at the first try. If it does, it is a profound, awe-inspiring experience, and you will recognize the level of truth instantly. You will realize that there is, behind your physically sick or emotionally broken heart, a heart that is completely whole and strong and wise. However, establishing this pathway could be a much longer process. You might connect to "pieces" of your heart at a time. Perhaps you will first experience an acute awareness of your heart´s imprisonment, or your inner space may remain silent for a while. Take it easy. Whatever happens is just the right thing to happen to you at this point. EXERCISE: LISTEN TO YOUR HEART: Sit or lie down comfortably, making sure you will not be disturbed. Close your eyes. Breathe. Relax. If relaxation does not come easily to you, visualize a thick, golden liquid pooling in your head. Slowly, slowly, like molasses, it flows down into your whole body, making it slack and heavy. When you feel relaxed, shift your attention to your chest. Imagine breathing through your chest. In-out. In-out. In-out. Do this as long as you want to. When you are ready, focus your attention gently on your heart. Your high heart, your true heart, your spiritual heart. Now, and possibly for the first time, greet your true heart. Express your gratitude for its continuous, life giving service, its protection and guidance. When
you have established a connection, you might want to ask questions.
Then be quiet and listen. Listen to the voice of your heart. This
voice might express itself in words, in feelings, in images, in
sounds, or just as a "knowing". Learning to recognize
the unique voice of your heart may take time, so relax if you can´t
"get it right" at first. ~Carna Zacharias LOOKING
FOR LIFE-CHANGING BOOKS? LISTEN
TO THE MUSIC |
Far Horizons SPLENDOR IN THE MIST
Links That Shine
|
|
Fascinating
Facts
|
OUT OF 10,000 VISITORS ONLY 20
WILL OPEN THEIR HEARTS|
How come you never hear about gruntled employees? (Like 'professional' dam builders who REALLY love their work.) A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops.. On my desk I have a work station... I believe five out of four people have trouble with fractions. I don't have a solution, but I admire your problem. If a tin whistle is made out of tin (and it is), then what, exactly, is a fog horn made out of? O.K., who stopped the payment on my reality check? I believe the only time the world beats a path to my door is when I'm in the bathroom. What WAS the best thing before sliced bread? If it's zero degrees outside today and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be? Why do banks charge you a "non-sufficient funds fee" on money they already know you don't have? Why is a carrot more orange than an orange? Why are there 5 syllables in the word "monosyllabic"? Why do they call it the Department of Interior when they are in charge of everything outdoors? Tell a man that there are 400 billion stars and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint and he has to touch it. How come Superman could stop bullets with his chest, but always ducked when someone threw a gun at him? If "con" is the opposite of "pro," then what is the opposite of progress? Why is lemon juice mostly artificial ingredients but dishwashing liquid contains real lemons? Why do we put suits in a garment bag and put garments in a suitcase? Do Roman paramedics refer to IV's as "4's"? Is boneless chicken considered to be an invertebrate? Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to? Does the Little Mermaid wear an algebra? What
happens when none of your bees wax? ~Contributed
by Jean in British Columbia
|
Untangling the Web
Close Browser Windows Fast... Look at THAT! A HOWLING SUCCESS
|
|
Just for YOU ...
|
|||||||||||
|
Joyful Lifestyles: Weekly Insights Kindness is like music, art, sports or any other discipline — it can only be mastered with practice, training, and lots and lots of encouragement. That is exactly what PartnersInKindness.org is trying to promote. The following insightful list appeared recently in their "Kind Words" email (distributed weekly to over 7,000 subscribers around the world), printed with permission of Shaar Press from Zelig Pliskin's book: Kindness: Making a Difference in People's Lives: Formulas, stories, and insights: [1] "DON’T be obsessed with the people you can’t help. Focus on the people you can. You are a mortal. You, like everyone else, are limited. Obsessing about what you can’t do prevents you from thinking about things you can do.
[2] "DON’T let the lack of kindness and giving of others influence you to stop helping and giving. Some people feel resentful, “Other people aren’t helping. Why should I?” We learn from role models. Learn from those who are kind, not from those who aren’t. [3] "DON’T keep trying to help someone who truly doesn’t want your help. Some people are very independent. They could gain from accepting your help. But their need to be on their own is stronger than their wish for your help. Be aware that some people really want your help but are embarrassed about it. If you feel that is the situation, try to say things to put the person at ease.
[4] "DON’T give up too soon. Some people might think that you really won’t be able to help them so they initially tell you not to bother. If you don’t give up, both you and the other person will see that he will gain much more than he thought.
[5] "DON’T complain that other people keep asking you to do things for them. If others come to you for help, it’s an expression that they believe you are a kind person. You might not be able to meet other people’s needs right now, but by being aware of their needs, you might think of a creative solution.
[6] "DON’T tell anyone, “I had to go without this for a long time. So you also can go without it.” Other people have a right to something even if you didn’t always have it. If you don’t want to help someone, just say a polite, “No.”
[7] "DON’T be hurt if a selfish person complains that you are selfish. Some selfish people try to manipulate giving people by telling them they are selfish. Perhaps you are being selfish. Then again, perhaps not. You might want to ask objective outsiders for their opinion.
[8] "DON’T be naïve. Don’t believe every story you hear. If a story seems questionable, check it out. If you have good reason to believe that someone is lying to you, perhaps he is. But be very careful. Someone’s sad story might not at first seem true, but it could very well be that it is. A person who loves kindness would rather err on the possibility of helping someone who doesn’t need it rather than not helping someone who does.
[9] "DON’T say things that might cause someone to feel badly when you help him. Some people might say things such as, “This is so difficult for me to do. I don’t know why I agreed to do this for you.” Or, “This is the last time I’ll commit myself to do this for anyone.”
[10] "DON’T embarrass someone when you do something for him. Be careful not to say or do anything in the presence of others that would cause distress to the person you are trying to help." ~Zelig Pliskin
|
WWW.INSPIRATIONLINE.COM |
