Orbs of Light

Two more orbs of light appeared in our photos on Christmas morning. We had several orbs show up in outdoor shots last summer but this is the first time they have appeared on indoor shots.

Attunement Video

Buried Treasure

I came across an old journal from 2005 and read this poem written on the last page. I didn't write the poem and I don't know who did. It resonated with me today, as I guess it did two years ago when I wrote it down.

Being is not what it seems
Nor non being
The world's existence is not the world.
Something opens our wings,
Something makes boredom and hurt disappear,
Someone fills the cup in front of us.
We taste only emptiness.
Essence is emptiness.
Everything else is accidental.
Emptiness brings peace to loving.
Everything else, disease.
In this world of trickery
Emptiness is what your soul wants.

"Emptiness is what your soul wants." is such a clear message to me. I have been clearing out and clearing out... uncovering layers of old stuff, throwing and giving things away, sorting, and packing up. Every now and then I find a buried treasure.

What the Buddha Said ... his last teaching

Be a light unto yourself, betake yourself to no external refuge. Hold fast to the Truth. Look not for refuge to anyone besides yourselves. -The Buddha

You Can Be a Light Unto Yourself...

To be aware is to watch your bodily activity, the way you walk, the way you sit, the movements of your hands: it is to hear the words you use, to observe all your thoughts, all your emotions, all your reactions. It includes awareness of the unconscious, with its traditions, its instinctual knowledge, and the immense sorrow it has accumulated—not only personal sorrow, but the sorrow of man. You have to be aware of all that; and you cannot be aware of it if you are merely judging, evaluating, saying, "This is good and that is bad, this I will keep and that I will reject," all of which only makes the mind dull, insensitive.

From awareness comes attention. Attention flows from awareness when in that awareness there is no choice, no personal choosing, no experiencing... but merely observing. And, to observe, you must have in the mind a great deal of space. A mind that is caught in ambition, greed, envy, in the pursuit of pleasure and self-fulfillment, with its inevitable sorrow, pain, despair, and anguish—such a mind has no space in which to observe, to attend. It is crowded with its own desires, going round and round in its own backwaters of reaction. You cannot attend if your mind is not highly sensitive, sharp, reasonable, logical, sane, and healthy, without the slightest shadow of neuroticism. The mind has to explore every corner of itself, leaving no spot uncovered, because if there is a single dark corner of one's mind which one is afraid to explore, from that springs illusion...

It is only in the state of attention that you can be a light unto yourself, and then every action of your daily life springs from that light—every action—whether you are doing your job, cooking, going for a walk, mending clothes, or what you will. This whole process is meditation... J. Krishnamurti


http://www.teosofia.com/meditation.html

Be A Happiness Fool

Latest research seems to point to optimism as being the attitude of winners. In the long run, and no matter what happens to you it is always better to face life with a positive attitude. Two people can experience the same event in two entirely different ways with entirely different effects on their bodies and minds. So the rule of thumb is positive self-talk. No matter what happens tell yourself why this is a good thing, and watch your life transform.
Positive self-talk is known to positively affects your heart and other body functions. Apparently we are easily fooled, and in this case it is really great to be a happiness fool.
These are some of the things that bring me happiness:
companionship & communication
feeling healthy
natural beauty
creating art
children
dogs
making my home nice
spirit
having enough money, food, shelter, clothes etc. and some to share
serendipity & synchronicity ( when the universe talks back to me)
learning and discovery

What makes you happy? Here's a quote I love:

Happiness cannot be found through great effort and willpower, but is already present, in open relaxation and letting go. Don’t strain yourself, there is nothing to do or undo. Whatever momentarily arises in the body-mind has No real importance at all, has little reality whatsoever. Why identify with, and become attached to it, passing judgment upon it and ourselves? Far better to simply let the entire game happen on its own, springing up and falling back like waves, without changing or manipulating anything and notice how everything vanishes and reappears, magically, again and again, time without end. Only our searching for happiness prevents us from seeing it. It is like a vivid rainbow which you pursue without ever catching, or a dog chasing its own tail. Although peace and happiness do not exist as an actual thing or place, it is always available and accompanies you every instant. Don’t believe in the reality of good and bad experiences; they are like today’s ephemeral weather, like rainbows in the sky. Wanting to grasp the ungraspable, you exhaust yourself in vain. as soon as you open and relax this tight fist of grasping, infinite space is there open, inviting and comfortable. Make use of this spaciousness, this freedom and natural ease. Don’t search any further looking for the great awakened elephant, who is already resting quietly at home in front of your own hearth. Nothing to do or undo, nothing to force, nothing to want, and nothing missing. Emaho! Marvelous! Everything happens by itself. Lama Gendun Rinpoche

A Guide to Successful Manifesting

1) Set Goals and have Clear Intentions
Start with goals that are relatively easy to reach, ones that do not challenge your belief systems too much, thereby causing little resistance. It is good to stretch a little, in terms of your beliefs as to what is possible, but don't go too far when you first start with the process of creative manifesting and visualization

2) Create a Clear Picture / Vivid Idea
It is very important to be very specific about your wishes and desires. It is also important to let go of the specifics of how it will come to you. For example, if you want a new home, do not give a moment's thought to how the money will come to pay for the home, simply create a clear picture of your new home and allow the Universe to sort out the details.

3) Frequent Focus/Discipline
The more you visualize, the more real it will become. Call upon your natural skills of discipline and make your manifesting a part of your daily routine

4) Focus on having, not on lack
Do not give any thought, power or energy to the thought of not having what you want.

5) Challenge your feelings
When feelings of "I can't have this", "I am not worthy" or "This is impossible" come, simply stop yourself in your tracks and ask "How do I want to feel?" or "What thought do I wish to have", then get back on track with thinking along the lines of having.

6) Inner Work
Make it a part of your life to work on your inner negative images and beliefs concerning yourself. Use regular mediation to re-program your beliefs, seek out therapists, counselors and workshops that can assist you to change your inner dialogue. Manifesting can take you on to a path of deep inner healing.

7) Make Manifesting a daily part of your life
You are already expending a lot of thought energy towards lack, and creating conditions that don't suit you. Simply use that energy consciously to create your hearts desire.

8) Contact Soul
Spend time sitting with yourself and ask your inner being or Soul to be with you. The more you do this, the more you will be infused with the natural creative abundance of your Soul.

9) Do not use Manifesting to manipulate others
If you are looking for a life partner, do not use manifesting techniques for getting a specific person to love you. Simply make a clear request to the Universe for your ideal love, and allow the Universe to take care of the details.

10) Practice Generosity and Gratitude
The more you appreciate what you have, the more open you will be to receive more. Acts of generosity will affirm your belief in unlimited abundance.

From: http://www.choosingprosperity.com