In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.
Gandhi
Truth
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A Unified Whole
This morning’s sunrise “We must also take active steps to live in harmony with the rest of creation. This means that we cannot adopt attitudes or beliefs that place us above the natural world. We cannot see ourselves as having dominion over the land, the water, or the animals. We can’t even see ourselves as being stewards of the Earth. We are only keepers of a way of life that is in harmony with the Earth. Every day, we must act in ways that acknowledge that we are part of one living system, a unified whole.”
Sherri MitchellIn case you do not know Sherri Mitchell is an Indigenous Rights attorney and the executive director of the Land Peace Foundation, an organization dedicated to the protection of Indigenous land and water rights and the Indigenous way of life. Mitchell has been actively involved with Indigenous rights in the U.S., Canada and abroad for more than 25 years. I had not heard of her before until I read this quote.
This image is an envisioned scene I’ve had for a couple of weeks. This morning nature pulled together the elements so I could have this scene. I tried something similar back on April 19th but clouds did not allow it to happen. Happy Friday!
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Let’s call it an attitude
Headed out the door too late this morning, just missing one the best red horizons I’d seen in awhile. The sun is rising earlier but I haven’t been rising earlier. Makes for missed opportunities. I did run out the Pineridge for an image of the cloud formations as they were beautiful to see but they had already lost the red and pink colors. I believe these are called mountain wave clouds.
I then ran back into town for coffee at the Bean Cycle, hadn’t been there in awhile. I would normally sit in the upstairs area where it is much quieter but they have that closed off. I quickly discovered I was not in a good emotional or spiritual state to be there. Let’s call it an attitude. Finding fault with it being too noisy and did not like the music they were playing. I did not stay long, wishing I’d stayed at the natural area. I find the natural areas are a much better place for me to start my day. Need to keep in mind the John Muir quote from my last post. 😊
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Dang, it’s cold!
Most people don’t look…
Henri Cartier-Bresson
the gaze that pierces – few have it –
what does the gaze pierce?
The question mark.It was -8 degrees at 6:30 am. That’s too dang cold. Wearing wool socks, two pair. Made a French press but it was cold before the first sip. And, it’s snowed. It may sound like I’m whining because I am. I also have an attitude! Our countries unrest doesn’t help the attitude. The thought crosses my mind to sell my condo and move south. Whining! So, about 9:30, after it had warmed up to -4 degrees, I headed to the natural area. Needed time in the sanctuary of nature as it’s therapy for this negative thinking I find myself in. I needed to gaze at the world around me rather than the four walls of my condo or the prison of my thinking. Found the parking area empty, fresh snow and shadows as the sun began to break through. I immediately began to feel better!
A friend sent me a short reading that reminded me of the value of beginning our day with gratitude. I realized that sure wasn’t how I began today. So, I restarted my day with a gratitude list in my journal. Beginning to feel even better but still cold.
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Spiritual Side of the World
“I have begun to look past reason, past the provable, in other directions. Now I think there is only one subject worth my attention and that is the precognition of the spiritual side of the world and, within this recognition, the condition of my own spiritual state. I am not talking about having faith necessarily, although one hopes to. What I mean by spirituality is not theology, but attitude.”
Mary Oliver, UpstreamI’ve mentioned before how I am experiencing more nights and mornings of disturbed sleep. Here is an example from a week ago. I awoke at 2:00 am, wide awake. I finally got up around 3:30 am and journaled for a half hour. I quietly prayed, taking in deep breaths. I finally got up, dressed and had my quiet centering prayer. Grabbed coffee then drove to Pineridge Natural Area to watch the sun rise. It was dark when I pulled up in the parking lot. I counted eight magpies perched on the branches of a barren tree and silhouetted against the predawn sky while the faint light accented the frozen reservoir. As the sun began to rise above the horizon the magpies leave their perch in search of food. I take a dozen photos but mostly just watch it all happen. Everything around me begins to brighten as the sun brings forth this new day. I watch a flock of geese fly above the horizon then divide in two groups and circle in search of fields to graze in. Nature on display. A few minutes later the sun has fully risen. Its warm rays are extending out to everything. The warmth feels good to my cold hands and feet. I’m in agreement with Mary Oliver that time in the spiritual side of the world tweaks of my attitude.
Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. 🎁
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Attitude Adjustment
A Place to Nurture Our Lives “The basic thing is that everyone wants happiness, no one wants suffering. And happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors. If your own mental attitude is correct, even if you remain in a hostile atmosphere, you feel happy.” The Dalai Lama
For some finding places where we can be near nature will nurture our attitudes. It is comforting to me to know we have places in our cities where we can find nature. I use them. Hopefully each of us have those places for our attitude adjustments.
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A Spiritual Way of Life
Spiritual Light “If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace, No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others, That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.” Alcoholics Anonymous
