I started reading A New Earth today by Eckhart Tolle. I have found that lately the books that I can relate to the most are ones that have a profound message hidden in them. As with The Power of Now, there is an infinite wealth of enlightenment that can be gained from this book, and yet there is no way to describe it!
The book opens by describing the simple beauty of the flower; the one creation that we all love. From its rich colors to its intoxicating smells the flower is the gateway to enlightenment. The simple bloom that can be seen even amidst destruction shows that beauty can be found anywhere. . .
As Tolle states, ". . .Flowers would become for us an expression in form of that which is most high, most sacred, and ultimately formless within our selves" (pg.2). The recognition of flowers as beautiful has lead to it becoming a symbol for joy and love. Think about it for a moment, have you ever gone to an event where there were no flowers present? I can't envision such a thing. Any occasion, big or small, always has flowers and over the years we have associated them with love and joy the two basic emotions that are desirable to all. The flower, despite its momentary time on earth, reminds us of the beauty the resides in everything around us. If you have ever gotten lost in a moment while observing a flower you can't understand what I am speaking of here. The beauty of a flower transcends time and space and takes you to a place of inner peace where you can witness your own flower blooming. It is in this place that you see yourself for the first time, you realize that you are that flower and that you too can offer that sense of love and joy to all those around you!
Despite the fact that flowers have integrated into our lives, very few people have opened up to the true beauty and insight the flower has to offer. I would even go as far as saying that they are closed off from nature as well. Ever since I was a child being outdoors was the best part of the day and as I grew older I realized that it wasn't because I associated being outdoors as a time for fun and games, but it was because being outdoors was a place to observe the natural world to know that you are just one piece of the universe. Even now as I right this I am sitting on my balcony observing the beautiful lush green grass below. I encourage you to spend at least one hour of your day outdoors and feel how it energizes you. Observe a flower and see beyond its physical beauty, let it help you find your inner flower that you can share with the world. I believe that there is a flower blooming inside us all; that we all have the potential of being beacons of love and joy for not only those that we know, but for all creatures on this earth, yet only a few of us choose to show that. Don't allow your self to fall into the latter category, let your flower shine through!
With Love & Joy
Friday, April 20, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Keeping Hope Alive
Here I am, close to the end . . . 17 days till the end of the semester and 40 days till graduation. . .
I'm running a race. I start of slow pacing my self while everyone around me speeds past. I wait patiently and kept my energy up, after all this was going to be a long race and I have no option but to finish. First lap is not to bad. Second lap a breeze, the feeling that I could win really settling in and then BAM! The third lap starts and now I'm really struggling. Hurdle after hurdle are being placed on the track. I jump over some, fall on the rest, I'm lagging now. I see everyone passing me by. I begin to feel weak and overwhelmed, winning is not an option any more and completing seems hopeless. On my hands and knees I finish the third lap somehow building my momentum back up, the desire to win surging through my veins again. This is it! The home stretch, I'm so close to the finish line now, I can see the blue ribbon. I hear people cheering, this is the moment I've been waiting for. I am just an arms reach away from the finish line now and I collapse. . . I can't feel my legs, I'm screaming struggling to get up. Tears flowing from my face as I realize that I might not finish and then I wake up sweating in my bed. It was all a dream...
The anxiety and pressure of being so close to the end has taken over my life. I'm so close to being done but I feel burnt out. Drained and exhausted at the journey thus far. I know I have to keep working, to keep pushing my self but what if it is still not enough? What if I cross the blue ribbon and there is nothing waiting for me on the other side?!
I've always been a child in that I thrive off hope and wishes. Children are the purest creatures alive. They believe with all of their might that dreams can come true. They make wishes and know that someday they will come true. Unfortunately most of us grow up and realize that it's not the truth, that some wishes just never come true, but that wasn't me. I kept believing, just like a child, that my every wish would someday be fulfilled. But what if I was wrong? What if all this time I have been wishing on an airplane instead of a shooting star? What if dreams never do come true? I don't know if I'm overwhelmed with graduating or if there is some big shift happening in my life but the thought of losing my childlike hope and wishes frightens me. I don't want to grow up, I don't want to realize that my wishes may never come true. . . I just want to continue to believe that there is hope for those wishes. . . That there is HOPE for ME! At the end of the day it's been my saving grace; the thing that keeps pushing me to work harder and be better. Without it, I am lost. I just pray that I can find a way to keep it alive. . .
With Love & Peace!
I'm running a race. I start of slow pacing my self while everyone around me speeds past. I wait patiently and kept my energy up, after all this was going to be a long race and I have no option but to finish. First lap is not to bad. Second lap a breeze, the feeling that I could win really settling in and then BAM! The third lap starts and now I'm really struggling. Hurdle after hurdle are being placed on the track. I jump over some, fall on the rest, I'm lagging now. I see everyone passing me by. I begin to feel weak and overwhelmed, winning is not an option any more and completing seems hopeless. On my hands and knees I finish the third lap somehow building my momentum back up, the desire to win surging through my veins again. This is it! The home stretch, I'm so close to the finish line now, I can see the blue ribbon. I hear people cheering, this is the moment I've been waiting for. I am just an arms reach away from the finish line now and I collapse. . . I can't feel my legs, I'm screaming struggling to get up. Tears flowing from my face as I realize that I might not finish and then I wake up sweating in my bed. It was all a dream...
The anxiety and pressure of being so close to the end has taken over my life. I'm so close to being done but I feel burnt out. Drained and exhausted at the journey thus far. I know I have to keep working, to keep pushing my self but what if it is still not enough? What if I cross the blue ribbon and there is nothing waiting for me on the other side?!
I've always been a child in that I thrive off hope and wishes. Children are the purest creatures alive. They believe with all of their might that dreams can come true. They make wishes and know that someday they will come true. Unfortunately most of us grow up and realize that it's not the truth, that some wishes just never come true, but that wasn't me. I kept believing, just like a child, that my every wish would someday be fulfilled. But what if I was wrong? What if all this time I have been wishing on an airplane instead of a shooting star? What if dreams never do come true? I don't know if I'm overwhelmed with graduating or if there is some big shift happening in my life but the thought of losing my childlike hope and wishes frightens me. I don't want to grow up, I don't want to realize that my wishes may never come true. . . I just want to continue to believe that there is hope for those wishes. . . That there is HOPE for ME! At the end of the day it's been my saving grace; the thing that keeps pushing me to work harder and be better. Without it, I am lost. I just pray that I can find a way to keep it alive. . .
With Love & Peace!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)