On this Thanksgiving Day we all pause and reflect what to give thanks for and I know that for many of us the last few years has been difficult. Let’s not forget that ultimately it is blessing that we are still here and even more if we are with our families. Let’s be thankful for simple things and moments in our life, for the love we feel or felt along the way and most of all for our life. May it be a good and lasting one and may we enjoy the gifts that life gives us even though they may not last forever.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!!

Picture by XianStudio 2009

There is darkness and in against that darkness the minimal light shines, shines beyond our expectations. The moon, the stars and then comes a gentle breeze. The dew permeates nature refreshing, feeding it. The small creatures of the night sing and a whole range of unseen actions dancing through the night.

I am always fascinated with how nature resembles the changes we have to go through at times. Everything evolves, grows and changes if there is life in them. Controlling or placing plants or animals away from the environment from where they were created for can cause their death. I believe we are the same, finding the place where we can flourish and continue to grow takes a good sense who we are, what we want and a healthy way to express it. We sometimes uproot ourselves in order to survive and sometimes we do it at a high price which we are willing to pay no matter what. Sometimes it is worth it, others not. I believe that if we do it for our dreams and purpose in life it usually works out, but not at the sacrifice of it. Once we sacrifice our dreams and purpose in life we slowly begin to wither inside and even though we might be well financially it is rare that we achieve our full potential.

What is your experience?

Today I am sharing with you a beautiful message from Alexandra Starr, it made my day and I am planning to commit it to memory. Let me know what it does to you. Have a blessed Sunday.

THE CHOICE IS MINE

I choose to live by choice, not chance.

I choose to make changes, not excuses.

I choose to be motivated, not manipulated.

I choose to be useful, not used.

I choose self-esteem, not self-pity.

I choose to excel, not compete.

I choose to listen to the inner voice, not the random opinion of the crowds.

The choice is mine, and I choose to surrender to the will of the Divine Mind, for in surrender to the will of the Divine Mind, for in surrendering I am Victorious.

~Alexandra Starr.

Time have changed so many things, one of them I believe is the way we see our grandmas. I remembered when visiting or receiving grandma at our home it was always a joyous occasion. I loved the way she listened to me and the special little things she would sometimes bring me, most of them were little and very inexpensive but just to know she thought of me was enough.

Life has become a place where you live where you can survive and not where you want to be. Families used to live closed to each other throughout their life and in that process they saw each other grow up and helped one another when needed. I won’t paint a rosie picture of the whole experience because sometimes there were moments you wished they were far away but grandmas somehow made things alright.

It breaks my heart to hear of grandmas being placed in nursing homes and then forgotten by their families. I realize that life moves so rapidly that before you know it your day is all gone; between work, house work, the kids, your spouse and all the activities you are lucky to have time for yourself. The days go by and grandma waits lonely in a cold room far away from all she holds dear, thinking that today maybe is the day she gets that visit, that call and nights fall down. Another day without you. She wonders why, how and for how long she will have to endure the pain and sorrow in her heart. Better days come to mind as her tears roll down her cheeks and wonder… If the grandma happens to be Hispanic and her kids moved to the United States now she has another barrier that keeps her faraway from her family, the language. It is so sad to see parents who replace their native language for the one they are living around now and don’t take the time and effort to teach their language to their kids. When grandma comes they can’t even talk anymore and they long to get to know them.

I thank God I lived in a generation that had the blessing to enjoy grandmas and that I had the chance to be with them a lot, I knew them and they knew me. They taught me their favorite dishes and made me my favorite food. I called them when I was far away and told them how much I missed and loved them. I also wrote letters to them. I played, I cried, I laughed and I grew to be who I am because of them. I learned by their mistakes and by their advice, and I was in awe when I heard all they went through. There is not a moment I did not want to be with them, even on their death bed and I will forever love and carry them in my heart.

So what about your grandma? Your kids’ grandma? Have you taken the time to talk or visit them today? Do you know she is waiting for you and no matter how long it has been she will still love you just the same as if you were there yesterday, even though you were not?

It is an old proverb, one that reflect our most inner condition and the undeniable truth. “Look at me” we ask, when we want to know if someone is telling us the truth. At other times we see sorrow, hunger, sadness, unhappiness and desolation. We also see happiness, peace, joy, hope and love.

It is easy sometimes to force a smile and pretend that nothing is happening, but one thing we can’t hide behind is our eyes. There is no veil or wall that can cover the windows of our eyes which reflect the innermost condition of our soul. Joy, peace, and love bring about a brightness difficult to ignore, you have seen it in your eyes and on others. Then you come upon the dark, extinguished, and dull ones that really touch your heart with either fear or sadness.

What is your opinion on this proverb. Is it true that the eyes are the windows of the soul?

Have you seen the tides in action? It looks like a gigantic washer that moves in all different directions at the same time. Dangerous, powerful, capable to change the landscape where it lands. It is the same that happens to us in life when we encounter unexpected situations after navigating in tranquil waters for a very long time. Weather is unpredictable and so is our life, that is why we should be prepared and not blindsided that all is rosy and perfect on this earth. I am always amazed to see how we manage situations that throw us out of balance; some of us manage to remain, others fall and get up, and others fall and never get up again.

In this fast changing world, especially after this horrible recession, that seems to cut deeper and deeper into people’s life and well being I can see a glim of hope. Anything is bearable with love because it helps us to see the good and it gives us hope when we have those we love around to support us. We can quickly see who is a true friend and who is just with us when we are on the top to have some fun.

How hard is it to recreate ourselves? As long as we continue to fight our instinct it will be almost impossible to recreate and to find the way out to many of our life ordeals. Today I heard about a friend who in desperation to generate income followed her instinct and in a few short weeks found herself in a very new terrain, full of excitement and support. The one who felt lost just a few weeks ago is now trying to catch up with all the massive action she should take in order to make her dream come true, because by taking action a lot of doors opened at once!

It is hard to stay focused when all the crashing, moving and changing is going around us but we must try our hardest to do so. Keep in mind the ideal and not the path because at this point the logical path will have nothing to do with the one you should take. I believe that at this point in time many new paths will present itself and we will have to make the decision to take one even if we have no idea what to expect. This is a big shifting time in history where new orders are establishing themselves and we can’t resist to it or we won’t survive. Open up your mind and senses and most of all utilize your talents to move forward. I will tell you right now that it won’t be easy, but it will be worth it!!

Nobody said we need to be work shipped, honored, or adored but one thing I believe we all need to be is respected. Respected for who we are, what we hold dear and most of all respected as a human being. Everyone is entitled to that because we were created in the image of God.

When someone is disrespected normally they look for some way of retaliation and in that process they may even hurt those associated with them in order to cause even more damage. I don’t believe such behavior should go unpunished. Anyone who willfully look for ways to hurt others must be ready for the same. How could anyone in their right mind complain about the effects of a bad action without looking at how they whole thing started? With them. Now, I am not saying that I haven’t done any bad things in my life but I have tried not to do them intentionally.

Revenge is a strong word and one I don’t like to be associated with but many actions could be called revenge. Now, what I do believe in is in standing tall in the face of insults, humiliation and hurt. There comes a time when I need to stand firm on my ground and let others know that is not okay to disrespect me in any way, shape or form. Sometimes the measures that need to be taken in order for them to listen are drastic but the main thing is that they are crystal clear to the individual. If possible I would not like to remind them of the boundaries set forth in the discussion but I would not hesitate to do so if necessary. This is my modus operandi right now and it will continue to be. Passive no more.

What do you do to stand tall?

Today I woke up with this in mind, expectations. I don’t want to have any, and I want to navigate my day according to the waves I encounter along the way. I did a search on the topic on my blog because I knew I wrote about this before and what I wrote still resonates today.

Here it is one more time, tell me what you think about expectations and the best way you go about it in your life. I wish you an unexpected wonderful day!!

http://clary.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/expectations-2/

It is a daily challenge, something that I really need to concentrate on as I move along the many choices I make along the way to find a healthy balance; body, mind and spirit. Wanting to remain in the present not letting the past creep on what it could be, but at times feels like a lost battle inside. Putting myself before God -tired, humbled, opened- helps lift the burden up from my shoulders.

I yearn for silence, for solitude, for those moments when my mind is detached in such a way that is able to fly and go places I have never being and I understand in ways it was impossible before. It is a ray of light illuminating my mind, my heart and soul and then the thoughts, emotions, and words are free to flow easily. It hasn’t been the case for a long time now, I lost track of time in the middle of turmoil, noise and pain. I need to get it back somehow. I’m coming back to the original place where all seem to be so right and creativity flourished almost effortlessly. It is never in total isolation but in the sharing of like minds and thoughts that somehow sustain and inspire to create even more. It is to find that connection of the seen and unseen that completes the picture many times. I am not sure who would understand, perhaps only those who have experience or yearn to experience the same. I don’t believe it is a unique gift but it is something few touch upon because those few are the ones with enough courage to claim the space they need to experience it. It is not easy sometimes, especially when there are so many other things out of control and most of the time we want to control them. In the end the one who suffer is the one with their wings tied up.

Words are like the air I breathe, without them flowing I feel like dying. There are integral to my well being and my health, it is not good to bottle up emotions, anger and hate. A volcano can not be contained. I am afraid that is what I have done as the tremors shook deep within loosing up the soil and fragmenting what used to be solid. It is new terrain, one that I am sure in time can be even better than it was. Dreaming gives hope and refreshes the soul, it is something to look forward to even though we don’t know the way. It is taking one step at a time expecting to succeed. Not everything fall on a straight line, and everything that does not works out fine all the time, the more delightful rides sometimes are the ones on a scenic route even though it takes longer. I can’t keep starring at the many curves, turns and crossroads while I miss the view around me. I need to stop and walk slowly in order not to miss the details of what is trying to touch me and transform me.

I see an open gate, a cool fresh dawn before me and a inspiring breeze letting me know I am still alive. I close my physical eyes and open my inner vision, then I breathe in. The tension goes away and rushing through comes my long forgotten friend, inspiration. Where has it been? Why it took so long? Why did I let it go? Who said I could control my fate, or what others decide to do in the end? Who said I would never get hurt again? It was a really good try, a good run, one I thought I won but found myself instead with an empty shell. There is an ideal but never an absolute, there is always a way to find the way.