Tuesday, September 21, 2021

It is Only with the Heart One Can See Rightly~The Little Prince


"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.
What is essential is invisible to the eye."

The Little Prince





The Art of Sitting Alongside

Sometimes you just need someone to sit alongside you~
Sometimes sitting together in silence, and sometimes 
sitting quietly as you speak what's on your mind. 

You don't need advice. 
You don't need a reply.
You don't need chatter.
You just need to feel heard and understood.
You need to feel connected in the silence of your mind.





The Better to See You My Dear

At times I've had people get upset with me 
when I'm listening to them because 
I don't look them in the eye when they're talking. 
I look down or scan my environment instead.

But as I always explain, this is how I can 
really listen and hear you. If I look you in the 
eye I get too caught up looking like I'm
listening and ultimately I end up 
studying your eye brows. 

To truly see you and hear you better
I need to 'close my eyes' and listen to 
the underneath of what you're saying~
especially if you're silent.

What is essential is invisible to the eye.




"Let us be silent so we may hear the
whispers of the Gods."

Ralph Waldo Emerson




Me: "I See You"

You: "I'm Here to be Seen"





So, if you're too tired to speak,
Sit next to me,
Because I too, 
Am fluent in silence.

R. Arnold

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Lightarted Living: The Hopeful Healing Spirits~Don't let them Fade Away

Lightarted Living: The Hopeful Healing Spirits~Don't let them Fade Away:   Healing Spirits Sometimes our spirits are tired and then they're hard to see. Sit real quiet to catch them so they can't hide away...

No matter what situation we're struggling with,
nature always shows us the way to pick ourselves up
and just get on with rebuilding our lives: Call upon
your natural strength and resiliency to do what must be done.

The Hopeful Healing Spirits~Don't let them Fade Away

 

Healing Spirits

Sometimes our spirits are tired and then they're hard to see.

Sit real quiet to catch them so they can't hide away;

And when you finally catch them hold them in your heart;

Color them bright and hold 'em tight;

Don't let them fade away.



Beth's Woods Original Photo by Lee Bryant


Don't Let them Fade Away

The other day the healing spirits in 'Beth's woods' were 
hiding from me and I got so irritated with them I had to walk away. 

The truth is, my eyes were so very tired from 
dealing with the smoky air and oppressive sky
resulting from a multitude of fires raging on the West Coast.
So I decided to give the hidden spirits a time out while 
I stepped away to refresh and soothe my tired eyes with eye drops.  

Upon returning to the spirits' world, I captured them by sitting quietly 
and waiting for them to appear. I immediately fixed them by coloring 
them bright so they couldn't hide and fade away.

 That's what we must do with the healing spirits sometimes...
color them bright so they can't hide and fade away.





Hope on the Horizon

When I saw this aerial shot of the fire above Lake Tahoe
I was compelled to find the healing spirits of the Lake
to encourage the community to hold on.
I spent many good times at Lake Tahoe in my youth,
and always enjoyed meandering up the mountain road
past the small communities along the way.
My heart goes out to all who have been in the Caldor Fire's path.

Finally the news reports on the fire were hopeful,
and a hope-filled outlook began to emerge.

No matter what situation we're struggling with,
nature always shows us the way to pick ourselves up
and just get on with rebuilding our lives: Call upon
your natural strength and resiliency to do what must be done.


Things are Looking Up

Hope is on the horizon. Look up. Hold on.

You're made of strong stuff.

While the way forward may be long,

you have the strength and courage to rebuild.

Life will come good again, Believe.



Things are Heading in the Right Direction

Hope rises. Calmer conditions prevail.

The unruly and out of control Flames are tamed.

Mother Nature gently blows hope in.

Things are heading in the right direction.

Believe.


Wishing you a Hopeful Heart and Healing Spirit to brighten your day!

Monday, September 6, 2021

Lightarted Living: Wishing You a Fresh, Bright and Cheerful Day!

Lightarted Living: Wishing You a Fresh, Bright and Cheerful Day!:  

Egg-uanimity💛

 

The perfectly balanced egg starts my day,

With its fresh, bright and cheerful center.

Poised to grace my breakfast plate,

It accepts its fate with egg-uanimity.


Lightarted Sue


E.qua.nim.i.ty 💛

emotional balance--mental calmness,

composure, and evenness of temper, 

especially in a difficult situation.

Wishing You a Fresh, Bright and Cheerful Day!

 


Egg-uanimity💛

 

The perfectly balanced egg starts my day,

With its fresh, bright and cheerful center.

Poised to grace my breakfast plate,

It accepts its fate with egg-uanimity.


Lightarted Sue


E.qua.nim.i.ty 💛

emotional balance--mental calmness,

composure, and evenness of temper, 

especially in a difficult situation.



Over Easy 


I wake slowly and slip into the day.

Eggs over easy gently lead my way.

Calmness and tranquility easily turn to equanimity.

Soon I’m feeling level-headed, poised and at peace; 

A gentle soul who lets things go and lets things be.

 

Lightarted Sue



Sunny Side Up 


The day bursts forth sunny side up;

My heart a bright yellow nourishing yolk,

Filled with creativity and possibilities to poke. 


Lightarted Sue


Soft Scrambled Egg Morning

 

It was a soft scrambled egg morning,

unfolding into a gentle and unassuming day;

The warm morning sun sent soft wisps of yellow rays 

to tenderly light our way. 


Lightarted Sue



Relax into a Slow, Gentle Simmer

 

The water boils,

You drop the egg in,

And watch as a merry dance of swirling, spinning egg begins.

 

You ponder the poaching as you turn down the heat,

And contemplate the odd instructions 

to ‘let the water relax into a slow, gentle simmer’.

 

And in that moment you decide to turn down the heat 

to let your day relax into its own slow, gentle simmer.


You begin a merry dance to greet the day

Providing a swirling and spinning uplift to your day 

with a happy heart and spirit full of fairy dust and joyful shimmers. 


Lightarted Sue






We Sing You a Morning Golden and New!

"If I had words to make a day for you,
I'd sing you a morning golden and new.
I would make this day last for all time;
Give you a night deep in moonshine."

From Movie BABE 

Monday, August 30, 2021

Lightarted Living: Wishing You a Soft Scrambled Egg Morning

Lightarted Living: Wishing You a Soft Scrambled Egg Morning: Soft Scrambled Egg Morning

It was a soft scrambled egg morning,
Unfolding into a gentle and unassuming day;
The warm morning sun sent soft wisps of yellow rays
To tenderly light our way. 

Lightarted Sue


Wishing You a Soft Scrambled Egg Morning!

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Lightarted Living: It Begins to Dawn on Her the Future is Bright, Joy...

Lightarted Living: It Begins to Dawn on Her the Future is Bright, Joy...:   THE WINDS OF CHANGE Weather or not you want to be here, The winds of change have blown you here. So CALM yourself And hold on for the ride...

A ray of hope shines down on her
and she begins to see more clearly.

It begins to dawn on her
that despite the dark cloud of changes,
a deep and peaceful sense of knowing 
her future is bright, joyful and secure
is beginning to emerge.

It Begins to Dawn on Her the Future is Bright, Joyful and Secure

 



THE WINDS OF CHANGE

Weather or not you want to be here,
The winds of change have blown you here.

So CALM yourself
And hold on for the ride.

Steady as she blows 
Is the name of the game;
Blow off some steam,
And away you go.





HOW TO WEATHER THE STORM?

ALWAYS BUILD A NEST 
IN THE EYE OF THE STORM
(said Margaret Mead's Grandmother)

CREATE INNER CALM 

An inner sense of calm and peace 
are what's needed to weather all storms.




FEATHER YOUR NEST WITH LOVE

When a new storm blows into your life causing
you to feel your heart is ripping into tiny pieces
and you're losing a grounded sense of self~
build that nest in the eye of the storm 
one feather at a time.


BREATHE

Provide yourself a secure anchor by creating a regular rhythm 
to your daily life that keeps your focus on daily self care.

Start each day putting one foot in front of the other 
while breathing deeply and slowly in and out.

Breathe 'uplift into your heart' as you inhale, and 
breathe 'calmness into your gut' as you exhale.



SIT, REST, WORK
 
When the storm overwhelms you,
limit the amount of time you think about it.

Sit, rest, and work on the problem in that order.



The Thing is to Love Life even when You have NO Stomach for It



Clean out the soiled bits of stuff sullying your nest
and replace them with clean bits of comfort and fluff. 

Distract yourself when you begin 
obsessing on details.

When overthinking threatens to overtake you,
empty your mind by engaging in physical activities~
Take the dog for a walk; 
Clean out the horse stall;
Feed the chickens;
Play with the goats;
Weed the garden;
Clean out a sock drawer;
Take out the trash.

When grief sits with you,
get together with trusted friends
to sit in silence, talk, cry, walk, laugh and eat.

A change of scenery will do you a world of good. 
When all else fails, get out of Dodge. 




SLEEP AND REFRESH

When life is storming all around you
you need to refresh your body and mind to keep
your wits about you.  Getting regular sleep and 
taking the time to refresh your spirit 
are of the upmost importance.

When you're well rested 
the whole world looks brighter. 

When you're well rested
you see the rays of hope 
shining down on you. 

When you're well rested
today looks like a good day to start over.




IT BEGINS TO DAWN ON HER

"This is a new day,
I am a new me,
All is well", 
she recites, 
As a lightness of spirit 
begins to take flight.




A RAY OF HOPE

A ray of hope shines down on her
and she begins to see more clearly.

It begins to dawn on her
that despite the dark cloud of changes,
a deep and peaceful sense of knowing 
her future is bright, joyful and secure
is beginning to emerge.




A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

A sense of well-being now freshens the air.
She deeply inhales the sweetness and
disperses the dark clouds that were fogging her mind. 

And with that renewed breath of fresh air
 the universe bursts wide open.

It begins to dawn on her~
All things seemingly good or bad
work in her favor.

Life is Good and All is Well.

No worries. She'll weather the storm.


The Dawning of a New Day

This is a new day.
You are a new you.
All is well.

Let the rays of hope shine down upon you today.




Original Photo by Chris Veloon

Monday, August 16, 2021

Lightarted Living: Playing the Game of Life when Dealt a Poor Hand

Lightarted Living: Playing the Game of Life when Dealt a Poor Hand:   " Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm ."   Winston Churchill    

You may think those who do well in life do so because they're smart or just plain lucky. While smarts or luck can help, they're not the key. Knowing how to bounce back and enthusiastically reengage in your life after a set back is. 

Playing the game of life well when you're dealt a poor hand is all about being street smart--i.e. knowing how to survive and thrive by getting back into the game after a loss. Always shake yourself off and prepare to play your next card.