Tarot Discussion -- Osho Transformation Tarot–Card 18 Meditation

From the OSHO Transformation Tarot – Card 18 – Meditation
Write up on the card:

Do the small things of life with a relaxed awareness. When you are eating, eat totally--chew totally, taste totally, smell totally. Touch your bread, feel the texture. Smell the bread, smell the flavor. Chew it, let it dissolve into your being, and remain conscious--and you are meditating. And then meditation is not separate from life.
Whenever meditation is separate from life, something is wrong. It becomes life-negative. Then one starts thinking of going to a monastery or to a Himalayan cave. Then one wants to escape from life, because life seems to be a distraction from meditation.
Life is not a distraction, life is an occasion for meditation.

This card was especially appropriate for me this morning.  As I have been getting busier with consulting, I am finding that I am changing my meditation times, and the length of time that I am meditating.  I am making the meditation separate from the normal acts of my life, where I can meditate at any time.  I am squeezing meditation out.

I wondered why?  I realized that my Ego was becoming more active and that it was telling me that I did not need to meditate. 

I realize that I need to move back into that flow of all things. 

I needed this card today!

Namaste

Angels Speak–Give Yourself Time

I saw this poster and I realized in a flash, all the times (pun intended) that I have said that I do not have time to do this or that.  I choose what to do with my time.  I choose how to use my time.  I choose what I want to do with my time. 
I am now choosing to say "that does not resonate with me" rather than "I don't have time".
Namaste.

Angels Speak–What Can You Achieve?

I am in a place where I can imagine the world in different ways.  However, I could not imagine the beauty of this old tree trunk that gave life to a new tree in the middle of impossible circumstances.  This is life in a glorious celebration of creativity and beauty. 
Namaste

Angels Speak - Be Yourself

 

Sometimes, we have to believe in our self, and not anyone else.  If we listen to others, we are shaped by their perceptions of the world, of us, and we become their image.  We need to be able to be true to what our scan is.  By scan, I mean our blue print. We know that no two bridges can have exactly the same blueprint because of the width of the river, the stability of the banks, and the type of river traffic that uses the river.  So too none of us can have the same blueprint.

Namaste.

Angels Speak - Do You Procrastinate?

This poster made me laugh because I have noticed that I am procrastinating more all the time.  The message is clear – I really do not want to do the task.

When I am doing things that make no sense to me, and when I do things that are mindless, I do other things.  I find things to do, I go on wild goose chases.  I find that other things interest me more. 
I am learning not to procrastinate.  I am learning to be responsible.


Namaste.

Angels Speak–Get On With It!

The Angels tell us that things are changing very quickly.  The energies of winter solstice, and the eclipse and full moon make this the time to make big changes in your life.  When you change, you will see remarkable shifts in the envrionment around you, whether at work, home, or at play with your friends.

One of the Christmas messages is the Angels think we should play more.  They do not mean frivolous, mean spirited play.  They mean the play that enriches your life and those around you.  Play with your children, your pets, or have a game of something with a friend.  Enjoy.

Namaste

Merry Christmas 2015

This Christmas, I wish you peace, love, long life, and moments of joy.  I wish you health, happiness, and strong friendships for 2016.  I wish you strength, of character and of physical strength. 

Namaste.

Angels Speak - To Be Mentally Strong

I love this! I have used it for many things – and all that see it say that they find it inspirational.  I love this poster because it gives us guidelines for living a comfortable life.  I hope that you find this helpful as holiday time can be stressful for some people.

Namaste.

Blog Posts Will Continue Using Windows Live Writer

 

I am happy to be able to continue blogging with Google and Blogger!  I can do this because Scott Hanselman and others at Microsoft created a new, open source program called OPEN LIVE WRITER.

Here is some information from Scott's blog….at http://www.hanselman.com/blog/AnnouncingOpenLiveWriterAnOpenSourceForkOfWindowsLiveWriter.aspx.

"Today is the day. An independent group of volunteers within Microsoft has successfully open sourced and forked Windows Live Writer. The fork is called Open Live Writer (also known as OLW) and it is part of the .NET Foundationand managed by this group of volunteers. Read the fantastic announcement at the .NET Foundation Blog! Download Open Live Writer now!"

Watch for catch up blogs from me.

Namaste.

Dear readers... I am sorry I have not posted for a while.  I have an issue where Blogger is now blocking my blog editing tool of choice.  

I am waiting to see if this is resolved.  If it is not, this will be the end of this blog on Blogger.  I will move it over to WordPress. 

Thank you for your emails, wondering what is happening, and for your patience.

Namaste,

Judy

"We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men….." -Herman Melville We move in and around other people each day. Some people seem very familiar although they are strangers. Others, who we know, present characteristics that make us shake our heads. We are all connected. We have minerals from the Earth as part of our body. Our blood flows red from the iron in it. We have the same basic DNA structure. We are educated from birth to be able to fend for our selves. And, the older we get, the more alone we feel. We feel the separateness of our experiences. We feel the isolation of our schedules. We feel defeated by life, at times, and then ride the crest of the wave of joy when something wonderful happens. We are unique. When we finally realize that we must connect because we are connected, we are amazed at the experience. It is good. Namaste

Nature Speaks–About Humanity

It is the way of Nature to quietly clean up after herself, and to clean up after others.  Many people are like that – they clean the crap up that others leave behind.  It may be garbage that is lying around,  or it may be the actions of others that cause destruction and mayhem and even death. 

Today, we need to decide if we the ones that litter or if we are the ones that clean.

Namaste.

Nature Speaks - Harvest

 

We are in the time of the sleeping of the seeds.  The harvest is in, and we are waiting for the spring, to sow new seeds and then move the growing period.

We are moving towards a changing way life of life.

We are seeing that corruption is being uncovered.

We are seeing new acts of kindness.

We are seeing new species as old ones disappear.

We are expanding into space to see the birth of planets and the rearrangement of the Universe.

We are self assessing and getting stronger.

Namaste

Angels Speak–Expectations and Frustration

 

A common theme that I see as I travel from client to client is a simmering frustration.  Like the poster says, the frustration comes from having an expectation that at the moment, is unrealistic.  Often, the expectation is based on having only part of the information and the rest of the information is conjecture. 

While many people maintain that expectations are just like goal setting, I disagree.  Goal setting is about setting goals for one’s self.  Expectations are often about setting goals or standards for other people – standards that may be impossible to achieve.

One needs to recognize the truth about expectations – whether the expectation is based on fact or fiction.

Namaste.

Angels Speak - More About Timing

 

“Your best work involves timing. If someone wrote the best hip hop song of all time in the Middle Ages, he had bad timing.”  -― Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert comics)

 

I was listening to a Buddhist teaching session, and the topic of timing came up again.  It seems this has been a week long topic for me.  The theme of the lesson is that when we try to choose the timing, we are trying to be in control, and usually, trying to be in control will have disastrous consequences.  If we go with the flow of everything, then timing is usually perfect and will move us to different situations for us to be successful. 

How odd it seems that we are able to move through time and space without needing to control everything!

Namaste.

Angels Speak–The Right Moment

The discussion began over coffee about the “bad luck” and “good luck” that different people seemed to be having over the month of November.  Friends and loved ones were being diagnosed with different illnesses or were dying suddenly.  People were loosing jobs, and as a consequence, loosing their homes or having to make severe changes.  The consensus seemed to be that it was all bad luck. 

Another topic was how different people seemed to be having a series of fortunate incidents happen to them.  They were in the right place at the right time, etc.  This was deemed to be good luck.  There was not any discussion about how hard some of these folks worked to get education or to master the jobs they had so that when an opportunity showed up, they would be ready. 

The discussion made me think of a quote..

“Sometimes I arrive just when God's ready to have someone click the shutter.”
― Ansel Adams (famous photographer)

I think that all timing is perfect.  We mortals simply cannot see the beauty in the design of the pattern of life.

Namaste

Angels Speak–Is the Universe Friendly?

While having conversations about many different topics with friends, for me, the most interesting discussion is about the Universe, and whether it is friendly, or not.  This seems like a very big topic.  However, as different NASA missions look at planets, we have to start wondering what life is out there.  And, will we be happy to meet the unknown life?

I think that life is a pattern of options.  So, if we have all types of friendlies and hostiles in our environment here (city, region, prov/state, country), then those patterns will also show up in the Universe, repeatedly.  We need to be prepared to deal with unfriendlies and to welcome friendlies with warmth, the way we would greet any new neighbour. 

The conversation was fast and filled with different ideas and “what ifs”.  The conclusion seems to be that it will be exciting to find out more about the Universe and who lives where.

Namaste.

Buddha Speaks - How Do You Place Your Trust

 

Recently, I have had to trust others to help me move forward in making a career change.  I have been thinking very hard about trust.  I was having trouble narrowing down what trust really was.  Then the UNIVERSE, in its great wisdom, provided me with two things to help me understand that trust has different aspects and the end result is the same.

The first “show me” that I got about trust was the poster above.  I think it is self explanatory.

The second “show me” on trust comes from the blog at Shambhala.  The blog features a short story from a book by Norman Waddell.  Here is the link. http://blog.shambhala.com/2015/11/20/placing-complete-trust-in-a-thief/  Part of the story is below.

 

Placing Complete Trust in a Thief

 

Suppose, for example, that a wealthy man mistakenly hires a master thief of the greatest skill and cunning to guard his house. After watching his granaries, treasures, and the rest of his fortune dwindle by the day, he orders the thief to seize several suspicious servants and to interrogate them around the clock until they confess. Family members are worried sick. Relations between husband and wife are severely strained. Yet their fortune goes on mysteriously shrinking. And it all happens because of the mistake the man had made in the beginning, in employing and placing his complete trust in a thief.

The lesson to be learned from this is that the very attempts to banish birth and death from your mind are, in themselves, a sure sign that birth and death is in full progress.

From The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin, translated by Norman Waddell, page 36

 

Namaste.

Buddha Speaks - Peace is in the Present

 

Tonight, our meditation is focusing on “Peace Within”.  I was lucky enough to find this poster that shows a quote from Lao Tzu speaking on peace.  I think that when we feel peace in ourselves and our surroundings, we receive a triple fold blessing.  I believe that peace keeps us young.  I mean it stops our bodies from aging.  With peace, we have time to focus our faith and to feel the calling of our spirit. 

For me, peace is:

• sitting by the fireplace with my husband, roaring fire, book in hand
• walking in the park with my dogs and hearing the trees, the water, the birds, and the breeze
• sitting in our arbour under our mountain ash tree, in the summer, being surrounded by green life and all the birds and squirrels that are in the trees
• sitting in mediation
• working in my garden
• cooking and baking

What is peace to you?

Namaste

Angels Speak - Losing Ground

 

I love this poster!  It speaks to so many things – karma, human nature, free will, politics… the list goes on.  Recently, I have seen this proverb played out in many different situations:

• In Canada, as part of the national vote for a new leader of the country, the Conservatives threw dirt at the young Liberal leader.  The Conservatives lost the election.
• In a company, the vice president threw dirt about an employee, to a potential new employer, in hopes of keeping the employee.  The potential employer did not hire the candidate, but did tell the candidate what happened.  The employee left the company because of the lack of integrity at a leadership level.  And the company lost a great employee.
• Perhaps the best example is how Volkswagen has been hoodwinking the public about emission controls.  Faith in Volkswagen and its products is extremely low.  And, Volkswagen needs to spend a lot of money to make things right.

Namaste.

Angels Speak – More on Stress

Life is always wonderful and strange.  We believe that we have control over things that will happen in our life.  Yet, what happens is often a mishmash of events that conspire to create a circumstance that is beyond our control.  We have STRESS.

A good example of circumstances beyond our control is being caught up in a traffic gridlock because of an accident.  We drive home from work, looking forward to relaxing, a good dinner, and some family time/exercise/hobby time.  Then, it seems when we are fifteen minutes from home, some idiot has an accident and involves several other cars.  The road is blocked.  The police have to sort out the events.  Traffic is halted.  If it is a highway accident and someone is killed, the tie up may be for several hours.  In this scenario, we have done nothing wrong.  We are enjoying life, and yet we are prevented from being where we want to be by someone else’s mistake.

We view this as unfair.  We see this as being punished.  We feel stress.  As the poster says, we must “let go”.  Life moves on.  And so it is.

Namaste.

Angels Speak - Where Do YOU Want To Be

 

This poster that features a quote from Eckhart Tolle is very appropriate for today.  It is a time of stress for many people in Alberta as they find they are without work.  So, although everyone wants to have time off, no one is enjoying it because they all wish they were back on the job.  BEING HERE + WANTING THERE = STRESS.

The work around for this is to be okay with being HERE and having faith that THERE will be available very soon.  This is a time of teaching patience.  It is part of our human nature to be impatient.  One theory is that humans are impatient because they have very short life spans compared to many parts of Nature.  Trees, turtles, and whales, for example, have very long lives compared to humans. 

The best way I know of to deal with stress is to breathe… breathe deeply and completely.  Here is a breathing exercise from Dr. Andrew Weil, called the Bellows Breath, that I like to use.

 

The Stimulating Breath (also called the Bellows Breath)

The Stimulating Breath is adapted from yogic breathing techniques. Its aim is to raise vital energy and increase alertness.

• Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Your breaths in and out should be equal in duration, but as short as possible. This is a noisy breathing exercise.
• Try for three in-and-out breath cycles per second. This produces a quick movement of the diaphragm, suggesting a bellows. Breathe normally after each cycle.
• Do not do for more than 15 seconds on your first try. Each time you practice the Stimulating Breath, you can increase your time by five seconds or so, until you reach a full minute.

If done properly, you may feel invigorated, comparable to the heightened awareness you feel after a good workout. You should feel the effort at the back of the neck, the diaphragm, the chest and the abdomen. Try this diaphragmatic breathing exercise the next time you need an energy boost and feel yourself reaching for a cup of coffee.

You can see other exercises from Dr. Weil at this site http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00521/three-breathing-exercises.html.

Namaste

Buddha Speaks–How Gracefully You Live

 

How we move through life is often determined by what others say about us.  For example, I have an acquaintance who is five feet tall.  Her father described her, always, as small but clumsy.  So, that is the way that she moved through life… not taking up much space, but walking into walls, or tripping over something, or breaking things.

We are all meant to move through life with grace and ease.  When we are at ease, everything is ease-y.  When we are quite emotional and stuffing our bodies full of drugs or alcohol or anger or resentment, we cannot be at ease.  Then, everything is difficult.

Namaste.

Angels Speak - Accept What Comes To You In Life

 

Living is a challenge, some days.  We can make it easier on ourselves if we accept that each moment is perfect.  When we accept, and when we stop fighting against life, we open the door to be in the flow.  Everything moves easily.

If you think that you have great roadblocks and that the world is a rotten place, then, you are not in the flow. 

Some folks ask whether disasters are part of the flow.  The answer is, “Yes!”.  What we call disasters are the natural course of Nature.  How else would it be?

Angels Speak - Nature’s Reward

Figure 1 – the quote comes from The Tricycle Community, Daily Dharma, at http://www.tricycle.com/

 

I love this quote because it reflects how I feel when I am out in the park, contemplating Nature.  I love the green, the water, the animals, the silence, and the peace.  I love that we can experience this almost out our back door. 

The way that Nature works always astonishes me.  Each time I am out and about, I see something new.  It may be the eagle’s nest that is now visible because the foliage is gone.  It might be the old heron who can no longer make his way south.  It may be the additional work that the beavers have done to their lodge.  Their work reminds me of all the renovations going on in our neighbourhood. 

It is all perfect.

Namaste

Angels Speak– Be Yourself

Life is big.  That’s the way it is meant to be.  If it was small, we would feel confined.  Because life is big, we have the chance to truly be ourselves.  We can move forward with faith.  We were created perfectly to live our life.  We do not have the capacity to comfortably live someone else’s life.  It is the same in Nature.  Each piece of Nature is unique.  Each flower, for example, is the same and is also different.  Isn’t it wonderful?

Namaste

Angels Speak - Seven Dangers

 

When we walk without mindfulness, and when we are filled with ego, we can walk to places that make no sense to us.  It is in this place without grace where we are drawn to the glimmering enchantment of wealth, pleasure, knowledge, business, science, religion, and politics. 

When we think we know what is best for others, we are waving a red flag that our ego is working over time.  We are in the trap of aloneness and “so what”.

Namaste

Buddha Speaks - Perspective

 

Sometimes, you find yourself at a point where you are going off track.  If you do, then follow the guidance on the poster above.  Better yet, print out this poster and stick it into your wallet so that you can pull it out whenever you need to hear these words on perspective. 

We have all had our moments of impatience, lack of compassion, and our selfishness.  We are human, and we need to move our thoughts to a more positive framework.

Namaste

Angels Speak - Combat Disharmony

 

The poster above comes from my book, “Earth Wisdom Meditations; 111 Contemplations for People Who Love The Earth”.  This speaks to the power that each of us has to influence the world around you by first making changes to your own life.

We think of the Universe as nebulous.  However, a small part of the Universe is in each of us.  It settles in our soul.  It makes us want to be in service, however that looks for us.  It is part of our daily prayer of life whether we think we pray, or not.

Namaste

Buddha Speaks - Born Each Morning

We are awakened each morning to a new day.  It is a day that we can use to change our habits, our outlook on life, our style of dress, and our way of communicating and interacting with people.

Free will allows us the ability to make choices.  We can choose to be compassionate with the person at work who is cranky and bullying.  Maybe this is the day to confront them in their bullying ways. 

Today is the day that we can choose the things that are the most important to us.

Namaste.

Angels Speak - Do you like me?

Life is strange.  We grow up, bound to our parents, and, for some reason, we are always looking for their approval.  The reason is that we are wired that way.  One sees the same thing with baby animals.

Then, we grow up.  We continue to look for approval from people.  We ask if someone likes us. 

If we reach maturity, we can be like the poster.  We can go into a new situation and wonder if we will like the people around us.

The change that happens over time is a miracle.

Namaste.

Angles Speak - What the World Is

The poster and quote by Byron Katie speaks to the saying that we each create our own reality.  So, if we believe that we have a dreadful life, then, we have a dreadful life! 

My favourite saying comes from the movie “A Knight’s Tale” where the father tells his son, “Change your stars and live a better life than I have.”  To me, this speaks of having a vision and following the vision.  The world changes as you change.

Namaste

Buddha Speaks - Tension

When you are always under tension, you know that something is going on. One of the environments where we often feel the most tension is at work.  In the work place, we strive to live up to some imagined set of criteria.  We put tension on ourselves.  In some cases, the tension comes from time deadlines, or from instructions that are unclear/ambiguous.  We have all felt this tension.

To move away from tension, we need to find ways to relax.  For some, listening to music accomplishes the ideal relaxation.  Others need laughter or some sort of fun.  Still others need to leave the office and go for coffee. 

There is not one right way to relax.  You simply need to find what works for you.

Namaste.

Angels Speak - Don’t Water Yourself Down

When someone says to me that I need to model or to imitate someone else, I am very disappointed.  Why don’t they see me for who I am.  I am fantastic!  I am even more fantastic when I meet you because you are fantastic! 

If people do not see how completely fantastic we are, then that is their bad luck.  We will do great things.

Namaste.

Buddha Speaks - Calm Negative Energy

 

With all that has been happening the last while, one could get caught up in the waves of negative energy that have been flowing around the country from politics, from shootings and murders, and from postings about injustices and cruelties to humans and animals.

I deal with these negativities in my own way.  I let the image come, I bless it with love and compassion for all those involved in acting out their story, and then I release it to the Angels.

This usually brings me peace. 

If I am still feeling unsettled, then I take my dogs and go for a walk in one of the parks.  Or, if I am short on time, we head out into our back yard to play a game of soccer or Frisbee.  I let the silence of our big pine trees wash over me.  I feel more serene.

Namaste.

Angels Speak - Allow Others Their Perception

 

One of my pet peeves is when other people tell me how I feel or don’t feel.  Or, they tell me what I want to do or do not want to do.  How do they know?  They do not have any way to read into my mind or feel into my body. 

I OWN my own feelings and my own thoughts.  I am an individual.  I do not follow the crowd.  I gladly allow others their own thoughts, beliefs and values.  If they break the law, that is on them. 

I have my own experiences.  I will share them with you, if you like.  I will not force them on you.

Namaste.

Angels Speak - Crying Over The Same Thing

 

Do you have a friend or a family member who has one event in their life that they will not let go of?  Do they talk about it every single time that you are together?  Does it drive you crazy?

Show them this poster.

Namaste

Angels Speak - Blessings and Curses

 

When we want to feel peace in our lives, we sometimes look at ourselves and blame our lives for being cursed.  In our perception, we have all the bad luck, all the things go wrong, and all the issues in the family.  Therefore, we must be cursed!

It is funny, isn’t it, that others look at our lives and think how lucky we are!  They see the family squabbles as wonderful because you have family, and they don't.  They see your bad luck at not getting a job as great luck because the business goes bankrupt.  They see your failure to create a painting masterpiece as a new way of creating art. 

Do you see where I am going with this?

Namaste.

Buddha Speaks - Imperfection

 

Embrace Imperfection

My practice is teaching me to embrace imperfection: to have compassion for all the ways things haven’t turned out as I’d planned, in my body and in my life; for the way things keep falling apart, and failing, and breaking down. It’s less about fixing things and more about learning to be present for exactly what is.

—Anne Cushman, "Living from the Inside Out"

There is a saying that the Universe does everything perfectly.  Those things which we find imperfect are perfect in Nature.  We are not clones of one another just as flowers, trees, animals, etc. are all individuals.  The idea of perfect is an abstract thought that people use.  The idea of imperfect is an abstract thought people use when others do not meet their expectations.  As we all know, often expectations are unrealistic.

Namaste.

Angels Speak - Good in Your Life

So many of us have so much good in our lives, that we often take some of the simple, good things for granted.  Many people, too, confuse abundance with having money.  Abundance is many things.  One’s consciousness of the many things may be lacking because it is never a focus.

Here are some of the good things in one’s life:

• love from partners, family, friends
• love from pets
• good house and neighbourhood and community and schools
• good food to eat
• good places to shop
• good religious/spiritual community
• good job/work/career
• good health and healthcare
• good parks and hiking spots

You can add to the list.  Remember that what I think is good may differ from what you think is good.  That is okay.

Namaste.

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada

While we are facing new challenges every day, today is the day that we give thanks for all that is so good in our lives and for the challenges that help us to learn and grow.

We are very grateful.

Namaste.

Angels Speak - Vibrating with Energy and Health

Fig 1 from http://www.serenitygrovecenter.com/

 

It seems that many people are feeling un-well these days.  I get calls from folks looking for an appointment simply because they do not feel right – they have no special pain, or illness, or reduction in physical movement.  They just do not “feel right” in their bodies.

This feeling happens when we get out of balance.  It may be too much stress, or too little sleep, or not the right food.  It may be none of those things.  If you are in touch with your body, you will be able to feel it come out of balance and get back in balance before some illness or injury strikes.

As the poster says, Loving yourself i is what really helps you get back in balance.

Namaste.

Tarot – Osho Card on Laziness

 

 

9 of Water: Laziness
This gentleman clearly thinks he's got it made. He sits in his big over-stuffed chair, wearing his sunglasses, shaded by his umbrella, with his pink slippers and his piña colada in his hand. He doesn't have the energy to get up and do anything because he thinks he's done it already. He hasn't yet turned to see the mirror cracking around him on his right, a sure sign that the place he thinks he's finally arrived at is about to shatter and dissolve before his very eyes.
The message this card brings is that this poolside resort is not your final destination. The journey isn't over yet, as that white bird flying into the vastness of the sky is trying to show. Your complacency might have arisen from a real sense of achievement, but now it's time to move on. No matter how fuzzy the slippers, how tasty the piña colada, there are skies upon skies still waiting to be explored.

   -from the OSHO ZEN TAROT deck

 

 

 

I was meditating and pulled this card for my focus for the meditation.  The card caused a flood of thoughts.  Some of the thoughts were quite funny! I am sharing only some of the thoughts.  (Chuckle)

• People that work hard and become successful have to work hard to stay successful.  They cannot stop forever.
• A week at the beach is my limit, then I need to do something.
• Achieving brings about the need to achieve.
• No one ever is completely safe.
• If you are going to be lazy, the beach is a good place to go.
• Success is a blessing.  Do not abuse it.
• Change is a good rest.
• A career is impossible if one is lazy.
• The beach is a place of peace if you are by yourself.
• We all want to have fun.

You can add your own comments to the list.

 

Namaste

Angels Speak - Approve of Yourself

One of the lessons that has come up for me, several times this week, is that I seem to be my own worst critic.  I received this lesson in several ways:

1. I was worrying away that I had made a mistake in an interview, and re-running the conversation.  Suddenly, I heard the words, “Let it go!”  The words were strong and clear. 

2.  I completed a task.  Thought about it for a while, and then went back and redid parts of it.  While I was doing that, I heard, “How do you know it was wrong?  Why do you second guess yourself?”

3.  I was about to go down that path noted in point 2 again today when one of my friends sent me the poster with Louise Hay’s words on it.  I was so tickled at the persistence of my Angels and the Universe in  general, that I started to laugh. 

My plan for the weekend is to think of this poster every time I start down the path of self criticism.

Namaste

Angels Speak - Make the Best of Everything

Thanks to Judy Belmont for posting this poster.

I hear people complain about an event that has upset them.  The common phrase that follows is, “I had no choice.”

Choice is not limited.  It is our thinking that is limited.  We can choose anything because we have the free will to do so.

Namaste.

Angels Speak - About Old Age

 

One of the discussions this weekend was on aging, and whether aging is changing. I think that our concepts of aging are changing.  It doesn’t matter if you are twenty-five or sixty-five. 

CBC did an interview with Canada’s oldest employee located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.  This link to the story http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/oldest-employee-gives-advice-1.3252187 may change as CBC does change links over time.  What is noteworthy about this interview is the advice he gives for living a long, productive life.

Coincidence?  Perhaps.  Tricycle is featuring an article on what is taken away in aging and what is given.  You can check out the article at http://www.tricycle.com/feature/taken-away-and-given.

The Angels say that aging is a transition much like what happens to plants that die off in the fall and are reborn in the spring.  Our Ancestors lived about half the age that we are now living.  They paved the way for this future filled with abundance and leisure time.

 

Namaste

Angels Speak - On Complaining

The Angels say that when you are complaining, you do not have peace.  When you complain, you show that you blame someone else instead of taking responsibility.  When you are stuck in the rut of complain, then you do not have time to enjoy the other good things in your life. 

Move on.  Let it go.

Namaste.

Recipe - Pumpkin Swirl Bread For A Fall Good Eat

Pumpkin Swirl Bread Recipe photo by Taste of Home

 

I have lots of frozen pumpkin from last year that I need to use up.  So I looked for an easy recipe to use up my stash of pumpkin and nuts.  I found this recipe on Taste of Home at http://www.tasteofhome.com/.  It is yummy!  Some of our family is allergic to cinnamon so I increased the amount of nutmeg and cloves. 

Try this and let me know how you like the recipe.

Namaste.

 

Pumpkin Swirl Bread

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 65 min. + cooling

MAKES: 48 servings

 

• FILLING:
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk

 

• BREAD:
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped dates

 

• OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk
• Additional chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour three 8 x 4-in. loaf pans. In a small bowl, beat filling ingredients until smooth.
2. In a large bowl, beat sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and water until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, pie spice, soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cloves; gradually beat into pumpkin mixture. Stir in walnuts, raisins and dates.
3. Pour half of the batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Spoon filling over batter. Cover filling completely with remaining batter.
4. Bake 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in bread portion comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Wrap in foil; refrigerate until serving.
5. Just before serving, if desired, in a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over bread; sprinkle with walnuts. Yield: 3 loaves (16 slices each).

Angels Speak - Covered In Light

This picture shows the view of Lake Moraine from the spot where I was meditating. You can see how the light is pouring into the area and the mini rainbows that blessed my meditation.

Some of the thoughts that drifted in and out of my consciousness were:

• Love is eternal and moves through many lifetimes. 
• Regardless of the state of the world, kindness and selflessness (as opposed to selfishness) is growing and providing hope to those who feel lost.
• Water is a precious resource that we need to keep pollution free.  As you can see, the water is pure and clear out to six or seven feet.
• We are the Universe.

 

If you want to learn more about Moraine Lake, check out this link, http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/mtn/ours-bears/gestion-management/ours-bears/moraine.aspx.

Namaste.