Blue Moon//Full Moon//Aquarius//July 31

“You are experiencing new aspects of yourself. You are giving birth to the new you. Giving birth is painful. This is real work. This is real growth. The more you love and value yourself. The more you have to give to other people…”

Lot's more here...

Note to Self//Q of P (R)

It is time that you recognize and accept your need for stable, nurturing relationships in your life. Begin to release the people in your life who find it difficult to trust anyone. The fear of failing can make a person quite changeable. Soon they develop a suspicious nature and lack any motivation - which causes them to be lazy and neglect their responsibilities. This results in nervousness and confusion - they become afraid, mistrustful of others and even begin to doubt their abilities and their value as a person.

Trust yourself - focus all your energy on utilizing your abilities to manifest beauty, health and fulfillment in specific, practical ways in the areas of your life where it is needed and necessary. Focus on your meditation, on grounding your emotions in natural things, ordinary pleasures and satisfying work.

Irresponsible vs doting. Disregard for nature vs extreme interest in and identity with environmental factors. Abuse of material items. Bad money manager. Recurrent health problems versus the health fanatic.

Questions to Answer: How are you channeling your physical resources? Who inspires your need for practical skills and nurtures your desire for knowledge? Who is reliable and trustworthy? How are you grounded in Mother Earth?

Let Me Go//

No one recalling the koan about the monk and his disciple travelling across ancient Japan. they come to some marshy ground and see a courtesan trying to get across without getting her fine clothes dirty so the old monk, without a word, picks her up and carries her across. On the other side he puts her down, bows to her and the pair continue. Hours pass until the disciple can no longer contain himself.

'Master' he says 'our order prohibits touching women and you carried that.. that.. courtesan'

'Yes' the monk replied 'but I put her down and you appear to be still carrying her'...

more, here

Note to Self//6 P(R)

Six of Pentacles (R) - If you are experiencing an unsatisfactory situation - accept your feelings. Feelings of insecurity are created when you are not recognized for the hard work that you produce or when a stable, but basically unequal and unsatisfying situation has been disrupted. Feelings of insecurity result in dissatisfaction as you begin to think that things are unfair and your prosperity is threatened.

Any relationship is based on the dynamics between those who have and those who don't. Doling out attentions, promises, "sexual favors" or finances can be a manipulative means of keeping people bound to you. You are now learning to give with no conditions, according to your ability and to receive what is freely given you - for only then will you find true stability and security in your relationships. When success is measured in terms of what you give - everyone shares in it. If success is measured in terms of what you get, you will always be chained to the need for more. Release your defensive attitude.

There is an indication that your situation - emotionally or economically dominates you - giving you very little, but just enough to keep you from looking for something else. Analyze your situation very carefully now. Does your job give small material benefits with little satisfaction or chance for improvement? Are you involved in an unhappy, yet comfortable relationship? Do you feel your situation is oppressed, yet find that you do not want to endanger what little security you do have?

In situations like these - nothing is ever truly reconciled - the situation maintains balance and just keeps going. Can you show generosity and give spontaneously or do find that you measure out what you think you can afford to loose and give only what you will not miss? Do you find that you relate easily to others - while always hold back your deepest feelings and allowing yourself to accept only limited "gifts" from others? Does the display of strong emotions embarrass or scare you? Do you find that you place an offer of help in the category of "charity" and give people only what you "think" they are able to receive - unconsciously measuring out your giving according to what other people expect from you - always trying to avoid making yourself or another person uncomfortable?

You are challenged now to give more freely - to share from the heart and stop measuring out what you feel you can afford to loose. Release this "your win is my loss" attitude. Have the courage to continue the process you have started - it will result in a freer, more equal situation. Place yourself in the position to receive and stop cutting yourself off spiritually. Success is achieved through disciplined, step-by-step procedures - remaining open and flexible to opportunities that are presented. It is attainable as a result of following that which has heart and meaning in your life. Stay in your authenticity and truth now. Organize your communication so that context and timing are all aligned and put consistent energy into your life situations.

Distortion - giving too much or too little...or receiving too much or too little. Things like bribery, use of favors for expected gain, generosity to a fault. One cannot give beyond one's means, however nobel the motivations. We can share only what we have - beyond that, we are obligating someone else's resources without their permission. Lower emotions clouding the physical.

Questions to Answer: With whom are you sharing your prosperity, resources or abilities? How and to whom are you mentor, advisor or patron? How are you sharing your wealth of money, talent and information? What do you have to give that others need? How are you managing your time? What and from whom do you receive?

OSHO//Accept Your Sadness

First be one with yourself. 
And then the second step is: be one with existence. 
The second is easy. The first has become difficult because of so much conditioning, so much education, and so many civilizing efforts. The first has become difficult.

If you have taken the first step of just accepting yourself and loving yourself as you are, moment to moment.... For example, you are sad. This moment you are sad. Your whole conditioning says to you “You should not be sad. This is bad. You should not be sad. You have to be happy.” Now the division, now the problem.

You are sad: that is the truth of this moment.

And your conditioning, your mind says, “You should not be like this, you have to be happy. Smile! What will people think of you?”

When you are sad, accept the sadness: this is you. 
Don’t say, “I am sad.” Don’t say that sadness is something separate from you. Simply say, “I am sadness. This moment, I am sadness.”

Live your sadness in total authenticity.

And you will be surprised that a miraculous door opens in your being. If you can live your sadness with no image of being happy, you become happy immediately, because the division disappears. There is no division any more. “I am sadness” and there is no question of any ideal to be anything else. So there is no effort, no conflict. “I am simply this” and there is relaxation. And in that relaxation is grace, and in that relaxation is joy. 

All psychological pain exists only because you are divided. Pain means division. and bliss means no-division. It will look paradoxical to you: if one is sad, accepting one’s sadness how can one become joyous? It will look paradoxical, but it is so. Try it.

You are the way you are: accept it with joy, with gratitude.

Suddenly a harmony will be felt. The two selves in you, the ideal self and the real self, will not be there to fight any more. They will meet and merge into one.

It is not really sadness that gives you pain. It is the interpretation that sadness is wrong that gives you pain, and that becomes a psychological problem. It is not anger that is painful; it is the idea that anger is wrong that creates psychological anxiety. It is the interpretation, not the fact. The fact is always liberating.

When there is no interpretation, all is beautiful//When all is beautiful, you are relaxed.

In that relaxation you have fallen into your own source, and that brings self-knowledge. Falling into one’s own source is what is meant by “Know thyself.” It is not a question of knowledge, it is a question of inner transformation.

And what transformation am I talking about? I am not giving you any ideal that you have to be like; I am not saying that you have to transform from what you are and become somebody else. You have simply to relax into whatsoever you are, and just see.

You then have a magic key, which unlocks all the locks.

If you accept sadness, sadness will disappear. How long can you be sad if you accept sadness? If you are capable of accepting sadness you will be capable of absorbing it in your being; it will become your depth.

Osho, Unio Mystica, Vol. 1, Talk #3

Let the Right Things In...

Stillness...

By teaching stillness we create moments

for our children to rebalance.

Stillness is a natural response

when we observe nature.

Silence falls upon us,

our breath slows,

and

our heart opens.

As we enter the frequency of nature,

we experience inner harmony.

These moments of stillness

become the pauses

within our children’s days

that allow them to momentarily reset

and once again find inner balance.

Stillness is a natural response

as we observe nature.

And for this reason,

the easiest and most natural way

to teach stillness

is by taking the time to observe

the natural world around us.

Take a moment

to think of how we find ourselves

completely still and quiet

as we watch a rabbit nibble

on a patch of grass.

As soon as the words,

‘Look over there!’ are uttered

in reference to some fauna or flora,

silence falls upon us.

We stop talking and look.

Not only does our mind become quiet,

but our body becomes still.

Why is this?

Is this simply old programming

that our modern world has not yet erased?

Or is it something deeper?

Have we awakened our primordial spirit

as we find ourselves once again

in tune with

the rhythms of the natural world?

- Ardel, K & Wilds, E. R., Teaching Mindfulness to Children & Teens, A Brighter Light in the World, 2011

Osho//8 of Water//Letting Go

In this image of lotus leaves in the early morning, we can see in the rippling of the water that one drop has just fallen. It is a precious moment, and one that is full of poignancy. In surrendering to gravity and slipping off the leaf, the drop loses its previous identity and joins the vastness of the water below. We can imagine that it must have trembled before it fell, just on the edge between the known and the unknowable.

To choose this card is a recognition that something is finished, something is completing. Whatever it is--a job, a relationship, a home you have loved, anything that might have helped you to define who you are--it is time to let go of it, allowing any sadness but not trying to hold on. Something greater is awaiting you, new dimensions are there to be discovered. You are past the point of no return now, and gravity is doing its work. Go with it--it represents liberation.

30 Things//

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.

2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on.  No, it won’t be easy.  There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems.  That’s not how we’re made.  In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.

3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.  Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.

4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  Yes, help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.

6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.

7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.

8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us.  We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.  Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.

9. Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive.  But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.

10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either.  You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.

11. Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.  Evaluate situations and take decisive action.  You cannot change what you refuse to confront.  Making progress involves risk.  Period!  You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.

12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.

13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely.  It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.  There’s no need to rush.  If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.

14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet.  Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you.  But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.

15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others are doing better than you.  Concentrate on beating your own records every day.  Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.

16. Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”

17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you.  You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough.  But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past.  You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation.  So smile!  Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.

18. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart.  You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate.  Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.”  It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.”  Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself!  And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too.  If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.

19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.

20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.  Just do what you know in your heart is right.

21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.  Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.

22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.  The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.

23. Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.

24. Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.  Don’t take the easy way out.  Do something extraordinary.

25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while.  You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well.  You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears.  The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.

26. Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life.  When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.

27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out.  But making one person smile CAN change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  So narrow your focus.

28. Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy.  One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?  Three years?  Five years?”  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.

29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.

30. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life.  Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.  Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

(http://www.lifebuzz.com/just-stop/)

Words of Wisdom//Jada Pinkett Smith

"The question why I would LET Willow cut her hair, first the LET must be challenged. This is a world where women, girls are constantly reminded that they don't belong to themselves; that their bodies are not their own, nor their power or self determination. I made a promise to endow my little girl with the power to always know that her body, spirit and her mind are HER domain... It's also a statement that claims that even little girls have the RIGHT to own themselves and should not be a slave to even their mother's deepest insecurities, hopes and desires."  (source)

Words of Wisdom...



Words of Wisdom//Kimberly Wilson

1. know that change is part of life's process. we are constantly evolving, growing, pruning, shedding. it's a good thing even though it can be painful.

2. give yourself space to truly turn within and see what is or isn't working. a few hours, a few days, a few weeks. whatever you can muster. your soul requires it. autopilot is sad and overrated.

3. sit with what comes up. listen to your gut. write about your feelings. when you have the answer, take action. don't rush the process. bask in it.

4. serve up support. indulge in self-care and offer support to those around you. nothing is permanent. the pain will lessen and the storm will pass. let's learn to ride these continuous waves sans attachment.

5. be gentle. have patience with yourself and the process. feel your feelings. be open to the journey. explore opportunities and give yourself wiggle room. you're human and doing the best you can.

for more from Kimberly, visit here

Note To Self//20 Things You Shouldn't Tolerate...

o People who bring you down
o A work environment or career field you hate
o Your own negativity
o Unnecessary miscommunication
o A disorganized living and working space
o Your own tardiness
o Pressure to fit in with the crowd
o An unhealthy body
o Fear of change
o All work and no play
o People or beauty ads that make you feel inadequate
o Not getting enough sleep
o Doing the same exact thing over and over again
o Personal greed
o A mounting pile of debt
o Dishonesty
o Infidelity
o An unsafe home
o Being unprepared
o Inaction

reposted via//mindbodygreen

Words of Wisdom//Rumi

Relationship Truths//

1.  Some relationships will be blessings, others will serve as lessons.
Either way, never regret knowing someone. Everyone you encounter teaches you something important. Some people will test you, some will use you, and some will teach you; but most importantly some will bring out the best in you.

2.  When times get tough, some people will leave you.
When you are up in life, your friends get to know who you are. When you are down in life, you get to know who your true friends are. There will be lots of people around when times are easy, but take note of who remains in your life when times get tough, especially the people who sacrifice the resources they have in their life to help you improve yours when you need it most. These people are your real friends.

3.  Life is full of fake people.
Sometimes the person you’d take a bullet for ends up being the one behind the gun. It’s so easy to believe someone when they TELL you exactly what you want to hear. But when a person SHOWS you who they really are, believe them the first time. Some people are only nice for their own convenience – the type of people who only call when they need something or come around when it’s beneficial to them. Not everyone has your best interests at heart. But sometimes you have to be tricked and mislead by the wrong lovers and friends once or twice in your life in order to find and appreciate your soul mate and real friends when they arrive.

4.  People can easily be insincere with their words.
When someone truly loves you, they don’t have to say a word. You will be able to tell simply by the way they treat you over the long-term. Remember, actions speak much louder than words. A person can say sorry a thousand times, and say “I love you” as much as they want. But if they’re not going to prove that the things they say are true, then they’re not worth listening to. Because if they can’t show it, their words are not sincere.

5.  The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve.
Don’t settle to just be someone’s downtime, spare time, part time, or sometime. If they can’t be there for you all of the time, especially when you need them most, then they’re not worth your time. Read Codependent No More.

6.  Harsh words can hurt a person more than physical pain.
Taste your own words before you spit them out. Words hurt and scar more than you think, so THINK before you speak. And remember, what you say about others also says a whole lot about YOU.

7.  A mistake is an accident. Cheating and lying are not mistakes.
They are intentional choices. Stop hiding behind the words “mistake” and “sorry” and stop putting up with those who do.

8.  Excessive jealousy doesn’t tell someone how much you love them.
 It tells them how much you dislike yourself. And no amount of love, or promises, or proof from them will ever be enough to make you feel better. For those broken pieces you carry, are pieces you must mend for yourself. Happiness is an inside job.

9.  When people get nasty with you, it’s usually best to walk away.
When someone treats you like dirt, don’t pay attention and don’t take it personally. They’re saying nothing about you and a lot about themselves. And no matter what they do or say, never drop down to their level and sling dirt back. Just know you’re better than that and walk away.

10.  People will treat you the way you let them treat you.
You can’t control them, but you can control what you tolerate. Beautiful things happen when you distance yourself from negative people. Doing so does not mean you hate them, it simply means you respect yourself. Read Boundaries.

11.  One of the most difficult tasks in life is removing someone from your heart.
But remember, no relationship is a waste of time. The wrong ones teach you the lessons that prepare you for the right ones.

12.  Resentment hurts you, not them.
Whisper a small prayer of gratitude for the people who have stuck by your side, and send a prayer of good will for those who didn’t. For should these people hear your prayers, those who have been there will know how much you appreciate them, and those who left will know that you appreciate your own happiness enough to not let resentment destroy your capacity to live with a compassionate heart.

13.  Silence and a half smile can hide a lot of pain from the world.
Pay close attention to those you care about. Sometimes when a friend says, “I’m okay,” they need you to look them in the eyes, hug them tight, and reply, “I know you’re not.”

14.  True love comes when manipulation stops.
True love comes when you care more about who the other person really is than about who you think they should become, when you dare to reveal yourself honestly, and when you dare to be open and vulnerable. It takes two to create a sincere environment where this is possible. If you haven’t found true love yet, don’t settle. There is someone out there who will share true love with you, even if it’s not the person you were initially hoping for. Read The 5 Love Languages.

15.  Even the best relationships don’t last forever.
Nobody gets through life without losing someone they love, someone they need, or something they thought was meant to be. People don’t live forever. Appreciate what you have, who loves you and who cares for you. You’ll never know how much they mean to you until the day they are no longer beside you. And remember, just because something doesn’t last forever, doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth your while.

reposted from Marc and Angel Hack Life...

Words of Wisdom//Rumi

Pearls of Wisdom