Inspired

Focal Point

This is obviously a theme I’m on these days as I've just realized I wrote a post with the title “Focus” not long ago.

 

 

Although I photographed these Irises several weeks ago, I didn’t care for the composition, so didn’t post it at the time.  I haven’t had my Nikon out in awhile so as I was trolling through my files today for something I might have missed, I checked this one out again. (Maybe it improved with age?  Maybe my eye wouldn't be quite so critical?)

 

 

I did a little cropping to look at it from different aspects…first the blossoms…and then the vertical alignment of the leaves…

 

…when I noticed this…a cocoon…attached to a leaf, unnoticed until now.

I love little surprises like this and wonder how many things slip by me unnoticed everyday.  It’s impossible to see everything of course, but I find that taking the time to appreciate and enjoy the often small and sweet gifts of nature is a quick way to balance my energy and put life in perspective.

camera + time + focus = delight

(the Kate equation for contentment)

 

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.  When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.

Andsel Adams

 

Wishing all my Canadian friends a wonderful Canada Day long weekend.  My American friends…have an equally fabulous Independence Day weekend…and for the rest of you…celebrate life and enjoy!   (I'm taking my camera out with me this weekend!)

Feeling The Peace

Peace of mind is not a goal I need achieve.

It's a place inside I never want to leave.

I close my eyes, still my thoughts and then I say

I choose to live in peace today

Robert Alan

 

Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who

have been appointed or elected to do a particular job.

It lies with each of us individually.

Peace, starts within each one of us.

When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us.

When our community is in a state of peace,

it can share that peace with neighboring communities.

Dalai Lama

 

Hello my lovelies…I’m home again and regrouping once more.  The photographs above were taken in the interior where the buds and spring growth are all a little behind us here at the coast.  I liked the denseness of the first one and textural twisting and turning of the other two.

And I've been dealing with a sinus thing for the past several weeks…it comes and goes and can’t make up it’s mind whether to stick around or not…I’m intending not!

I’ve also been feeling a huge energy shift this week…as though I’ve stepped up and out of one space and into something else.  It feels  good.  It feels peaceful.  It feels like the chaos is still out there in the world but I’m not immersed and swirling around in the middle of it.  Very nice. 

Wishing you a beautiful sunny day of basking in your own personal sunshine…and thanks so much for stopping by.

Everyday Peace - Peace Everyday – Moments

The scene above looks serenely peaceful…and it was.  We walked home from town along the beach the other day, enjoying the late afternoon sunset.  It was the soft mauve of the hills in the distance that made me drop the chicken we were having for dinner, and dig out my camera.

Moments like these bring a deep sigh of contentment and relaxation of any tension present in the body. 

Moments like these are to be treasured in a world that seems recently set on overwhelm…a world almost literally cracking open. 

You don’t need a tropical beach for moments like these.  They can happen easily, anywhere and at anytime.  What beautiful moment have you been aware of in your world today?

Grateful blessings of the moment to all,

Everyday Peace – Peace Everyday: Beautiful People

“I have a friend who reads people's auras. He sees all sorts of colors like green and red and purple. He says anyone can do it. All it takes is forgetting everything you think you know and just looking. I've tried it and even though I haven't seen any colors yet, everyone I meet looks so beautiful when I stop knowing everything, that it's pretty hard to go back to the old way.”  

~ Story People

Beautiful people surround us everywhere we look and love is an expression of inner beauty.  Do we give love every day? Do we feel loved every day?  More importantly, do we love ourselves…every day?

 

If we could forget everything we think we know and look just beyond that, just think how beautiful our world would be.

I had an experience many years ago that helped me know the truth of this.  I was sitting by the waterfront at the Vancouver Public Market on my coffee break.  It was a warm, sunny spring day and as I sat on the bench watching the sun sparkle on the water, my gaze wandered over to the bustle of people sitting, standing, walking and playing nearby.  Gradually everyone’s physical bodies began to dissolve and all that was left were shapes of light.  I saw that every “light” was connected to every other light, like a web and I understood then that we’re all energy, that we are all ONE and we really are all connected…even though that’s not our everyday experience.  This lasted for several minutes and then gradually, everything faded back to “normal”.

This forever changed my perception of who I am, who we all are, and how we relate to each other.  We really aren’t who we appear to be on the surface.  We’re all incredibly beautiful, despite what the world perceives and we all have a magnificent, inextinguishable, inner light, no matter what emotional scarring our personalities project.

We are each a bright shining star. 

Blessings to each and every shining star who stops by!

(The photo’s above, of the beautiful people of Gautemala were taken two years ago while travelling there. The boys live in the village of San Pedro on Lake Atitlan and the mothers were picking coffee on a plantation near Antigua.)

Everyday Peace –Peace Everyday

Forget where you were. That story is no longer true.
Level your gaze to the trail you’re on, and even the dark won’t stop you.

Maya Stein

 

“Forget where you were.  That story is no long true”. 

What beautiful, freeing words these are. 

It’s time to let go of old stories. 

You’re no longer your past. You’re no longer a victim. 

You’re no longer the insecure and self doubting one you used to be (or thought you were).

Those days are over. 

Gone.

There’s no time now for pretending and playing small.

You’re not even fooling yourself anymore.

Stand up.  Turn around.  Look ahead.

Your beautiful, brilliant self

Shines.

"Everyday Peace and Peace Everyday" is a series of posts that focus on finding and keeping a peaceful space within, each and every day,  It's not always easy but it's always worth it!  I believe that peace will come to the world as each of us finds peace within ourselves. 

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Peaceful blessings to all of you.

Everyday Peace – Peace Everyday: Compassion

 

Last week during a very quick and hectic trip to the mainland, I stopped at a serene and beautiful Buddhist Temple for an hour of peace and reflection.  I was intrigued with a very large carved statue of the Avalokitesvara Bodisattiva …the Bodisattiva (enlightened being) of compassion. 

The “aura” surrounding this figure had ten thousand hands and ten thousand eyes and the tiniest of the hands appeared like feathers from a distance.  In each small hand, an eye was placed in the middle of the palm. In each of the larger hands the Bodisattiva holds an object such as a lotus blossom or a weapon.  The eyes, the hands and the objects he holds are symbolic of watching over humanity and protecting us from harm.  

I love the idea of a “thousand eyes and and a thousand hands” watching over and caring for me with loving compassion!

" Each of us in our own way can try to spread compassion into people’s hearts. Western civilizations these days place great importance on filling the human “brain” with knowledge, but no one seems to care about filling the human “heart” with compassion.  This is the real role of religion." 

Dalai Lama

It’s easy to be compassionate with the loveable of the world but it’s the unloveable who truly need our compassion…those who are acting out of emotional pain…the prickly ones who seem to want to push us away or even worse, push our buttons!   It’s not always easy but always worth the effort.

I was once given (by a very wise friend) a quick and easy  phrase that has helped me to deal with people who bring up feelings of hurt or anger.  When I find myself reacting internally in a negative way, I say to myself:

Thank  you (name) for showing me a part of myself that needs healing.

When I say this, I find myself feeling sincerely grateful for the experience rather than hurt or angry.  I see it as a gift and an opportunity to look within and disengage my own issues that want to react. It dissolves the emotions of victimization and puts the situation in a new and more compassionate perspective.

Compassion brings us to a stop, and for a moment we rise above ourselves.

Mason Cooley

May compassion be with you, holding you close when you are hurt or alone -- when there is rain in your heart. And may you be the warm hands and the warm eyes of compassion for your friends when they reach out to you in need.

Thanks so much for visiting,

Play well and be kind to one another.

Everyday Peace

We still have yellow daisies bravely greeting us every day in a pot on the steps.  I’ve always loved the daisy for it’s cheerful simplicity. 

Everyday Peace.

This phrase has been rolling around in my head for awhile now. 

Everyday peace…peace every day…every day…peace. 

It’s like a mantra that repeats over and over, gently reminding me to choose peace.  Every moment of every day…choose peace.  I’ve been insanely busy for the past month or so, with the final running around for the house and having Shingles on top of not one, but two sore throats has all taken a toll.  It’s been important for me to stay balanced and in a place of peace and I’ve been breathing, deep breathing, a lot.  It brings everything back to center so quickly.  I’m currently doing an online energy course and deep breathing is a huge part of it. 

Did you know that:

…It’s impossible to be stressed while breathing deeply. 

…It’s impossible to worry when breathing deeply. 

…It’s impossible to stay angry when breathing deeply.

…It’s impossible to be anxious when breathing deeply.

It feels wonderful…so calming and peaceful.  It also reduces blood pressure, insomnia and pain.  It makes me wonder why I’ve resisted it for so long. 

As part of my commitment to a peaceful life…everyday peace and peace every day…as often as possible (hopefully every week but you know how it goes!) I plan to focus a post on peace.  It may just be a photograph and a quote but knowing me I usually have too much to say to leave it at a picture. 

So you’ll be seeing my peace posts popping up on a fairly regular basis.

Play well and be kind to one another...and thank you so much for visiting.