I have lived through many lives.

     Some of them my own.
And, now, I am not who I was.

Although some principle of being abides.     
     From which I struggle not to stray.
And, now, I’ve evolved to where…

Lost momentarily, my thoughts swarm,

Spinning around me in a whirlwind of confusing imagery.

I clear my mind, envisioning a peaceful brook,

As clear as glass, and as gentle as a caress.

My thoughts calm and dissipate,

Leaving me focused inwardly, outwardly. 

As I traveled this life’s journey,

I have uncovered and explored many alternate paths.

Some with ease, and some without.

However, I came upon the big old oak tree.

I knew my journey would take a new course.

And at that point, I found a long, lonely road.

Although I was alone, I was not lonely.

Yet I wandered and searched upon that lonely road.

And at the end of that road, there I found a friend.

I did not realize it at that moment,

However, that friend had been waiting for me.

She had been waiting a long time.

Fresh running water

     Caresses high rock outcroppings

          Tumbling to the parched earth below.

Temporary pools of water form

     Mirroring the moonlight

        Then shattering like glass as a cloudburst passes overhead.

No animal sounds can be heard

     As the earth drinks deeply

          Absorbing the cold beauty of the hard rain.

Occasional stars shine dimly through the passing clouds

     Too small to provide any light,

          Unquenchable as they burn with the intensity of the sun.

Here, on this cold, high desert floor

     I await the passing of the needed storm

          Tomorrow’s sunlight will renew the annual cycle of life.

So, too, my cycle unfolds

     Cool then warm, boisterous then quiet,

            Finally, plateauing as the high desert absorbs the sun.

         

For those of you who have followed this blog, I created a new blog devoted to the construction of and living in my new tiny home, aka The Pod. You can follow my efforts here: http://livingtiny-thepod.blogspot.com/ 

When you slow down, and breathe deeply,
     your imagination opens up to the world around you.

Seeing with freshen vision,
     colors brighten, contrasts appear, and minutest details stimulate your thoughts.

Time passes quickly,
     although each moment appears to last infinitely.

Choosing a more mindful path,
     leads to a calming stillness and blissful serenity.

Being aware of the beauty that exists in everyday occurrences,
     helps us realize that it was always so.

The capacity to observe, to inquire and to love,
     exists in each of us.

Freeing ourselves from self-imposed day-to-day drudgery, if only for a few moments,
     centers our thoughts on what is most important.

I’m watching us in my mind’s eye,
     Bound together like thunder and lightning,
          Seeking to get away from the world and into secret places.
The day we first met shuffles a deck of memories,
      Repeats random pictures of you talking in my head,
          Rinses my heart in a rush of blood which feeds happy memories.

So I remember the way, 
     The way you’re not afraid to be you,
          To feel okay if incomplete.
The way you let me into your life,
     Not controlling the highs and the lows,
          Your fate (our fate) forever hanging in a game of toss.

The way you read between the lines,
     Take the wildest guesses and know without knowing
          What I really mean to say to you.

From Zen Presence: Ideas for Meaningful Living
http://zenpresence.com/2013/02/instantly-improve-your-life-with-one.html 

This is no gimmick.  If you take the following action, I promise you that it will improve your life and it doesn't require you to enter life-long counselling, to participate in some 30 day challenge, or hire a life coach. It will take is a little bit of courage and some reflecting.

Here it is - 

To the greatest extent possible, separate yourself from any person, place, or thing that is bringing you down, is disruptive for you, unsupportive of you, or otherwise harmful to your well being or self esteem.  The disgruntled co-worker, the nay-sayer, the jerk next door.....even the condescending relative.  These negative people are like vampires and will suck the life out of you.  If it is a co-worker or relative then it may be tough.  Deal with them only when necessary to accomplish a task.  It doesn't matter who it is - you have to be tough.  You may have to leave them, block them, or ignore them.  You must not let these people destroy your joy - your passion for life.

I know that this will be hard to do - I've been there.  I've had to cut some close family members out of my life because they were always negative.  I tried but I couldn't help them, they only brought those around them down.  It hurt and I hated to do it but in the end it became necessary.  You can't stop negative people from being negative but you can stop them from destroying everything positive and beautiful in you.  In the end you owe it to the others in your life and you owe it to yourself.

This purging applies to negative habits and routines as well.  Do a self inventory and determine which practices add value and which detract from your life.  Eliminate the negative immediately and entirely.  No mercy here.  Eliminating negative actions is just as important as eliminating the negative people in your life.  On some level you will judge yourself for doing things that are not good for you and this is terrible for your self esteem.

Once you've eliminated or limited contact with the negative influences in your life you will feel your energy returning.  It will be like recovering from a chronic illness.  Your creative juices will begin to flow and you will feel the joy for life that you are meant to have.  

As a symbolic gesture, remove something from your home that you are not particularly fond of and replace it with something bright and positive.  Use your new 'thing' as a reminder and in the same manner, replace the negative influences in your life with creative, positive, and uplifting influences.  You have the power of choice.  You can improve your life.

We define our lives
      by what we've experienced...is that true?

Are there other ways to engage?

Can we imagine
       a new color...is that possible?
                                                  Through illumination.

Can I see the world
      from a new perspective?
                                                  And, never pictured before.

How do I puruse my path
      without having to follow?
                                                 Not those footprints I see before me.

I will be
     innovative,
          adventurous,
               creative,
                    expressive.
                                                 All on my own.