My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
“The quality of our being is the basis of all our actions…The quality of our presence is the most positive element that we can contribute to the world.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
This morning’s ride to coffee found me surrounded by pink. This is looking west across the intramural fields on CSU campus just before sunrise. So glad I was present and stopped. The Old Town Mocha I had later was just what I needed to warm up.
The day that you’ve been waiting for is today; the moment that you’ve been waiting for is this very moment.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Happy Birthday to my oldest granddaughter, Abbie.
When we focus our attention on our breath,
Thich Nhat Hanh
we find out very quickly that we are a living reality,
present here and now,
sitting on this beautiful planet Earth.
Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.
Thich Nhat Hanh
I had a peaceful quiet time at home then things went downhill… When I arrived at Pineridge Natural Area there was a car sitting crossways into the area entrance. It was a young couple there to watch the predawn and sunrise, and couldn’t blame them. However, they did not move so to get in I needed to go around. There was enough room but it meant I would need to drive at the edge of the road and through a couple of potholes created during our last rain. It was all manageable. A half hour later as I left for the coffee shop they were still sitting there and the car was still running. First resentment I needed to let go of! Driving to the coffee shop someone in a new Audi wanted me to get to the coffee shop quicker than I wanted, so I let them go around me. They were sitting there waiting for me at the stoplight. Second resentment I needed to let go of! When I arrived at the coffee shop my laptop would not allow me to reach my website, however my phone could. Technology had me flustered again. Third resentment I needed to let go of. I looked at my watch, it was only 8:21 am. Sigh! On the positive side, we are expecting some much needed rain today. And, with the purpose of being a student of life and desiring to live with freedom, it seems to be starting out as a day for teaching me lessons on letting go. I did enjoy the predawn colors at the natural area (once I got in). Have a wonderful Friday!!
To be alive and walk on the Earth is a miracle, and yet most of us are running as if there was some better place to get to. There is beauty calling to us every day, every hour, but we are rarely in a position to listen.
Thich Nhat Hanh
I can easily find myself running, sometimes unaware of the direction I’m running. Often times it’s driven by fear, worry, fatigue, anger, running late, and not surprisingly, influenced by our highly driven society. I have a few of ways to slow down. One is to journal. Another is time in nature. Prayer and meditation time is another. As I think about that I realize they allow me to see more of the beauty in this world. Enjoy your Monday!
A teacher cannot give you the truth. The truth is already in you. You only need to open yourself – body, mind, and heart – so that his or her teachings will penetrate your own seeds of understanding and enlightenment. If you let the words enter you, the soil and the seeds will do the rest of the work.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Quotes have a way of sitting with me. I sometimes ponder the words, letting them sink in and take root. Sometimes I memorize them, because they truly are seeds for understanding and enlightenment. When I have been open to words of truth I can be changed by them! I am grateful for the teachers in my life who have shared words of wisdom. Have a wonderful Sunday !
When we recognize the virtues, the talent, the beauty of Mother Earth, something is born in us, some kind of connection—love is born. We want to be connected. That is the meaning of love, to be at one…. You would do anything for the benefit of the Earth, and the Earth will do anything for your well-being.
Thich Nhat Hanh