Shonna

My next goal...

2012-03-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

...is to be mortgage-free and rent-free.

Earthmark

2012-03-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

What is easy and what is right

2012-03-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

“Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.”
~ Albus Dumbledore

I like this, from the perspectives of both the individual and the collective societal level :)

Give yourself permission, we have one chance here on Earth!

2012-02-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

Give yourself permission today to forget about how you will make Money, or what you Do in the Future to "make it". Because right now, in between each heartbeat & breath, there is an invitation... just waiting to be noticed. It's the moment by moment opportunity for you to let go of being everything the world expects you to be, so that your absolutely free to BE & DO anything. Dreams can only live, when you give yourself over to them fully & w.o. regret, & in total dedication to growing the dreamseed into a blossoming everyday reality.

~DreamingBear Baraka Kanaan

Lift

2012-02-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

once the sun comes out

my mood lifts

like the afternoon fog

Glimpse of Light

2012-02-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

Some things seem too painful to bear

Stuck with these feelings that take me nowhere

Forced to acknowledge the storm within

that comes rolling in time and again

Holding on to things I can't control

Causing darkness to invade my soul

Try to protect my fragile ego

Finding it difficult to let go

not sure where I'm going

Not sure where I've been

A glimpse of light

I can see at the end

Wounded within

pain shared by all

What have we done

how much farther can we fall

How it keeps it's grip on me

like an unseen force

feeding on my vulnerability

Covered wounds

always underneath

foregoing the healing

the exploration of truth

I listen quietly

in hope to find

all the light

that resides deep inside

Corruption of Capitalism

2012-02-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

“Give a Man a Gun and he Can Rob a Bank. Give a Man a Bank and he Can Rob the World.”

Secret Destinations

2012-02-13T12:14:00.001-07:00

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.
--Martin Buber

Cancer

2012-02-08T12:25:00.003-07:00

The topic of cancer has been coming up a lot in my circles recently. It seems someone I know is either fighting it, a family member is, or someone is struggling with the loss of a loved one to cancer. I've noticed that my parents' and grandparents' generations seem to be struggling a lot with the disease right now. My mother and I had a conversation about my grandfather, who died of colon cancer at the age of 55. That is how old my mother is now, and I'm sure the disease would have taken her by now as well, had she not been proactively fighting it and preventing it for the last 15 years. I'm really starting to see a trend and am wondering what is causing so many people to be fighting cancer right now. I'm convinced it has a lot to do with our way of living in this country, our diet, and environmental/pollution factors. We could be doing so much better, and if we were, I think this disease would start to lessen its grip on us.

While this isn't a fun topic to discuss, it is real and it is a disease that is effecting almost all of us. It could even effect us, and it is better to acknowledge that than deny it. Prevention is key and so is going to the doctor on a regular basis and getting tested if there are concerns. That has saved my mom and I'm sure it would have saved my grandfather as well, but he waited too long. Working out, eating right, meditating and reducing stress aren't just about feeling good and looking good. They are about staying healthy and helping our bodies fight the constant amount of threats that enter into them on a daily basis. I would like to be here a lot longer and I want my loved ones to be here too.

Cancer fighting foods:
http://www.jonbarron.org/alternative-cancer/bl080918/natural-health-blog-broccoli
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/features/top-cancer-fighting-foods?
http://www.cancure.org/cancer_fighting_foods.htm

The power of the mind and one's attitude is more powerful than most of us realize:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/women-use-mind-power-to-fight-cancer-721093.html

Gift

2012-02-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

"The true miracle is not walking on water or walking in air, but simply walking on this earth."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

Before the Storm

2012-02-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

The birds are all so busy

searching everywhere for food

Their internal awareness tells them

to prepare for the storm

The same one we are aware of

only through our high tech computers

The humans hoard anxiously

while the birds

although focused

are at peace and singing

Half Truth

2012-02-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

“We should not pretend to understand the world only by the intellect; we apprehend it just as much by feeling. Therefore, the judgment of the intellect is, at best, only the half of truth, and must, if it be honest, also come to an understanding of its inadequacy.”

~Carl Jung

Fire

2012-01-31T23:34:00.000-07:00

2012 marks the beginning of a Fire year in Dagara Cosmology.

The following is an excerpt from The Healing Wisdom of Africa by Malidoma Some

Fire is the original element of origin, the one that was present at the beginning. Its primal nature is combustion, warmth, vision, and feeling. Its position in the wheel is the south, the underworld, and its color is red. It is the state to which everything eventually returns, the state of the ancestors coming from the underworld below us. Fire opens the doorway to the Spirit World and allows our psyche to commune with other life present, past, and future. Fire is like a connecting rod, an open channel. In fact, fire is our psyche, the spirit part of us that knows what has always been. It is our ability to act, emote, and intuit. A person on fire is craving a connection. In this person, fire is translated as restlessness, a great deal of emotion, and strong dream experience.

If a person or culture forgets its crucial relationship with other worlds, that is, with the ancestors, a fire is ignited that becomes a destructive force in society. When that happens, a person or a culture suddenly perceives almost everything in terms of fire. Fire becomes equated with power, speed, hierarchy, and value. All this is symptomatic of a culture in combustion. When one's culture is burning, it is impossible to sit still and keep focused. Like a ball of fire moving at high speed, a culture on fire is fascinated with speed. This speed shows up as horsepower on the surface, but deep within it is orchestrated by combustion. The burning within is symptomatic of some kind of crisis that drives people to remain endlessly "on fire."

From an indigenous point of view, Westerners are sacrificing much to fires that rage out of control. Just as fire consumes everything in its path, so consumers in the West sacrifice the life of Spirit for an endless pursuit of material goods. Material consumption does not provide care for the soul. It is as if misaligned inner fire is encouraged and supported in modern culture, something necessary to boost production and consumption. When adequately programmed through advertising and the media, people want to accumulate items because such items are regarded as an opportunity for fulfillment. Driven by an internal fire that cannot be quenched, the modern consumer is like a greyhound racing for fulfillment. The goal becomes not so much to reach a destination as to stay in your lane and keep running. When this inner fire is not connected to its source, it drives people to race endlessly after things that do not matter.

To begin making their peace with fire, Westerners must notice the common symptoms of fire in their milieu. In the modern world, being out of alignment with fire translates into pollution of one sort or another. It is as if to be civilized, one must infect the air, leak oil into the waters, and seek to move faster today than we did yesterday. Once we understand this as symptomatic of a state of disconnection, then it becomes possible to seek reconnection and reconciliation with the past. Changing our intentions from consumption, as an out-of-control fire, to connection, like a fire that warms and soothes, will bring fire in Western culture under control to a very great extent.

The piece that really hit home for me today is the following: Just as fire consumes everything in its path, so consumers in the West sacrifice the life of Spirit for an endless pursuit of material goods. Material consumption does not provide care for the soul. It is as if misaligned inner fire is encouraged and supported in modern culture, something necessary to boost production and consumption.

Presence/Wellness

2012-01-31T16:50:00.000-07:00

The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.

--Abraham Maslow

Enemy

2012-01-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

GMOs

2012-01-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

Why do humans think it's beneficial to f*ck with nature? Of course the argument for GMOs is rooted in so many other problems within our society. Even more reason to grow my own food, if I can find seeds that aren't modified...I could see us potentially wiping out all of the "natural" food on the entire Earth....

http://grist.org/industrial-agriculture/2012-01-10-new-research-next-generation-of-gmos-could-be-dangerous/

Rebellion

2012-01-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”

~Albert Camus

Cures

2012-01-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.

~Irish Proverb

Expansion

2012-01-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

"The creation of a more peaceful and happier society has to begin from the level of the individual, and from there it can expand to one's family, to one's neighborhood, to one's community and so on."

~Dalai Lama

Quotes for the New Year

2012-01-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

A new year is unfolding--like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within.

- Unknown

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential.

- Ellen Goodman

Transforming Our Economic System

2012-01-02T15:31:00.003-07:00

By Julie Auger, organizational systems graduate, Saybrook University

http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/01/transforming-economic-system-egocentric-domination-ecocentric-real-wealth/

Reflections for the new year

2012-01-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

What did I learn in the past year?

What was one of my happiest moments?

What was one of my most challenging moments?

What new connections did I make that I value?

What old connections did I deepen and how?

If this last year was a book with a title what would that title be?

How do I want to grow in the New Year?

What do I hope to let go of?

What do I want to learn?

What are some of my fears?

What are some my dreams?

What goals do I want to achieve or challenges do I want to overcome?

What are some ways I can honor and care for myself and the world around me?

If I could title the coming year I would call it “The Year of __________________”

*Some of these questions were taken from a post by Ray Greenberg.

Chances

2011-12-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

"If you're never scared or embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take any chances."

- Julia Sorel

Insignificant

2011-12-30T12:03:00.001-07:00

"When made frustrated and fretful by small cares, look up at the sky, the stars, and see how insignificant our troubles really are."

- Unknown

Worry...

2011-12-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength''

-Corrie Ten Boom

It begins with imagination

2011-12-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

Imagine from R Smittenaar on Vimeo.

Two Options

2011-12-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

But the love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth, the earth which bore us and sustains us, the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need — if only we had the eyes to see. Original sin, the true original sin, is the blind destruction for the sake of greed of this natural paradise which lies all around us--if only we were worthy of it. ~Edward Abbey

It seems to me there are only two options, silently allow the endless destruction to continue or do something about it. We each have gifts, we each have a voice, it's time to use them...or passively enjoy the soulless, man-made world that is being creating around us...when the Earth suffers, we suffer, even on the most subtle psychological levels...there is no reason we can't all enjoy a healthy and happy environment and life on this planet, we have an amazing amount of knowledge and resources, but we sure are having problems letting go of archaic ways of thinking and taking ourselves to that place. I truly don't understand it.

Day vs Life

2011-12-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

I came across this and realized how important it is for me to remember it. Personally, when I have a bad day, I can fall into a spiraling mood of frustration that begins to permeate all my thoughts and situations. It can spread like wildfire for no reason. Just because one thing or a few things aren't how I want them, or they don't go as planned, or a day causes me frustration, anger or sadness, there's no reason to let that invade the rest of me. There are always many things to be thankful for, to enjoy and be happy for. It's especially important for me to remember this when I am having a "bad day."

Happy Solstice

2011-12-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.noaa.gov/features/02_monitoring/snowflakes.html

December 21, 2011

9-15 inches of snow predicted in the canyon this Solstice.

Decided to take a few shots of the beautiful snowflakes as they just started to fall today.

Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together. ~Vesta Kelly

Nature is full of genius, full of the divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand.

~Henry David Thoreau

Winter Reflections

2011-12-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

"The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued."

by Robert Frost (1923)

Now is the time to honor the winter season that is upon us. Her cold and dark gives us the opportunity to face challenge, to persevere, to look inward, focus on the mind and honor nature's most difficult aspects. While not so true with today's modern conveniences, winter used to be a time of survival and overcoming difficulty and challenge. Through our obstacles, we learn, grow and evolve. I remind myself to honor this, remembering my ancestors who survived through winter with little other than their own determination, will and strength. I choose to honor this within myself, spiritually, physically, emotionally and mentally. I see winter as a time to reflect, to stimulate the mind, body and soul with warmth and growth. A time to reflect inward and give thanks, a time to honor and respect nature and realize that balance is essential to survive and thrive. For the winter snow brings the source of life as spring and summer thaws her frozen crystals.

Below are some wintry photos from my time living in the Colorado mountains

The sun travels low on the horizon

I'm taken deep inside

shades of white and grey pervade

until the sun fills the skies so wide

a silence like no other

from the blanket of snow below

fills the air and brings a peace

that only the soul can know

underneath the layers of snow

awaits a beautiful world

*********************************************************************************

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

~ Anne Bradstreet

And this is what I wait for every year. One of the most beautiful places on Earth. The colorful flowers, the deep green grass, and the serenely flowing waterfalls do something to my soul that no other place can do. All thanks to the nine months of snow that hold this Alpine regions in it's grip for so long. Once it melts, it feeds the Earth and she supplies one of the most spectacular places of beauty and grandeur...

“Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.”

~Yoko Ono

Pause

2011-12-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

Life is a luminous pause between two great mysteries, which themselves are one.
~ Carl Jung

Web of Miracles

2011-12-15T11:48:00.002-07:00

We All Need to Work to Preserve Our Wonderful World

2011-12-13T11:32:00.001-07:00

Matrix

2011-12-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

Our present urgency is to recover a sense of the primacy of the Universe as our fundamental context, and the primacy of the Earth as the matrix from which life has emerged and on which life depends. Recovering this sense is essential to establishing the framework for mutually enhancing human-Earth relations for the flourishing of life on the planet.

~Thomas Berry

Within

2011-12-11T12:11:00.001-07:00

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.

~Albert Camus

Heart and Mind

2011-12-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

Achievements

2011-12-02T15:52:00.000-07:00

Energizing Emptiness

2011-11-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

"The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have."

~Norman Vincent Peale

Insanity

2011-11-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

Black Friday violence and insanity:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/26/us-usa-retail-violence-idUSTRE7AO15H20111126

Watching the videos on the news last night was frustrating, heartbreaking and embarrassing. I'm ashamed of the behavior of my fellow humans. How did we get to a place where an electronic device is more important than human life? I simply can't believe a shopper would pepper spray others to get past them and that someone can get shot in a parking lot over material items. I also don't understand why these stores don't just give out numbers to those in line, develop a lottery, or come up with some better system then letting people mob each other in their stores. It's so archaic, we can do better than that.

It is behavior like this that makes me lose hope that our society will ever evolve. I don't understand it. We have lost our compassion towards others and we have forgotten what is truly meaningful in life. Not only that, most people don't even know or care that all of the electronics we buy have a huge impact on our Earth and natural resources. No one gives a fuck and it's just sad.

Duane Elgin said it nicely in his article, "Why We Need to Believe in a Living Universe." We have come to see our universe as dead. We've given life and value to things that don't even matter and have forgotten about those things that really do. In a world where every strand is intimately connected in a web of life, we are only harming ourselves with ignorance. As a part of that web, I can't help but feel that loss of connection and insanity in myself. We can do so much better than this, and it's frustrating that we are seemingly stuck in an adolescent stage of human development.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/duane-elgin/living-universe_b_862220.html

Each One of Us Can Make a Difference

2011-11-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

"...if each one of us were to contribute a single drop of clean water toward protecting the environment, imagine how pure this vast ocean could eventually be." ~GYALWANG KARMAPA

My View on Black Friday

2011-11-24T22:35:00.000-07:00

The problems of today...

2011-11-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

"The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them." - Albert Einstein

Hazy Afternoon

2011-11-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

Trapped in a fog

inside and out

The skies filled with our disregard

The sun only shines

on the other side

Forever gone unless we evolve

False Romance

2011-11-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

By Matthew Lamar Mills at Peace in Thought:

http://walking-contradiciton.blogspot.com/2011/11/false-romance.html

The Story of Stuff

2011-11-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

All of Annie Leonard's "Stories" are awesome. This one is particularly good for the upcoming holidays, when so much unnecessary (and often unwanted) consumption happens...

http://www.storyofstuff.org/

More Dumb Human Entertainment

2011-11-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.grist.org/list/2011-11-16-las-vegas-new-water-park-is-literally-the-dumbest-thing-ever

There are multiple layers of things wrong with this. I dream of a day when humans evolve enough to entertain themselves in ways that don't completely desecrate the planet...

Biomimicry

2011-11-11T12:35:00.000-07:00

Biomimicry or biomimetics is the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems.

Very cool example of putting nature's wisdom to work:
http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/airdrop-design-pulls-water-air-to-irrigate-deserts.html

Blossom

2011-11-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

- Marcel Proust

Heartbeat

2011-11-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.

~Joseph Campbell

"Transform Yourself, Transform the World"

2011-11-06T11:34:00.001-07:00

Zen poet Thich Nhat Hahn was asked, ‘What do we need to do to save our world?’ His questioners expected him to identify the best strategies to pursue in social and environmental action, but Thich Nhat Hanh’s answer was this: ‘What we most need to do is to hear within us the sounds of the Earth crying.’ (Macy, 1998, p. 91)*

If you feel sadness, frustration, guilt and anger from what is happening to our planet, allow yourself to feel it. Doing so not only helps us heal, it also has the potential to heal the planet as well. We won't fight or care for something that we don't have feelings for. When we repress our feelings, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to evolve and heal. In my opinion, this is one the deep roots of our environmental crisis. Not only have we lost our connection to our Mother Earth, we often repress the feelings we have about the destruction of our home.

Our way of life has simply disconnected us. Most people don't think about where their water comes from when they turn on the faucet, where their food is coming from, where electricity is coming from and what powers it, or where all the pollution and garbage is going and its chemical effects on the entire Earth system. Learning all of this information is difficult, it can make us feel guilty and ashamed of our actions. We can't ignore it either, which is actually the more destructive of the two options. If we allow ourselves to feel emotion towards these things, it will most likely be what pushes us to change. Once we realize that we are part of the problem, a problem that we care deeply about, then we will become called to act and to change our own behaviors.

We have a lot of things going against us, but that just means we need to fight harder. "In American culture, we are conditioned to try to keep a smiling face and remain chipper at all costs. A lack of optimism somehow indicates a lack of competence. Feelings of despair are treated reductionistically as a function of personal maladjustment. This doubles the burden individuals carry. Not only do they feel bad about their world, but they feel bad about feeling bad." ~Joanna Macy

Allowing ourselves to go into our deepest emotions is very powerful. It's a place many of us don't like to explore. However, going there fosters a movement of emotion within us. When we allow ourselves to stir things up, the emotions begin to shift. They begin to teach us, if we pay close attention. The exploration of pain, sadness and anger is necessary for healing and transformation. If we don't begin a paradigm shift with evolution of the self, where else does it begin? The key is to allow that transformation to take place at the individual level and then take that a step further and do something about it. Each person has their own gifts, not everyone has to be an activist, find your own unique gift and give it to our planet.

http://www.personaltransformation.com/Macy.html

*Macy, J. & Brown, M. (1998). Coming back to life: Practices to reconnect our lives, our
world. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers.

If You Want to be a Writer, then Write!

2011-11-05T11:06:00.001-06:00

Writing is not easy. I should know, I've been trying to write a book for over five years now. I know the wild things very well. Too well. It's time to dust off the words I've written so far and get moving again. This was very inspirational for me to read: http://www.introvertedchurch.com/2011/11/i-know-where-wild-things-are.html

Manifestation

2011-11-04T13:10:00.000-06:00

The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character;
So watch the thought and its ways with care,
... And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings...
As the shadow follows the body, as we think, so we become.

— The Dhammapada
(Sayings of the Buddha)

Entertainment

2011-11-02T11:51:00.000-06:00

The things our society does in the name of "entertainment." Sigh...

http://www.grist.org/list/2011-10-31-treatment-of-circus-elephants-worse-than-you-ever-imagined

Bailout

2011-10-30T11:46:00.000-06:00

Radiance of a Rising Sun

2011-10-29T13:58:00.000-06:00

The daggers of ice

start to tumble

In a destructive

collision

Destroying

themselves

and what lies

in their path

Leaving behind

a surface once covered

Exposed to take in

what is given

Retreat

2011-10-29T13:08:00.000-06:00

Facets of life are calling me

I don't want to feel them right now

My teachers once said

don't separate

the spiritual

from the mundane

I still could care less

There's a reason

for retreats

My whole life

could use one

right now

MLK

2011-10-27T16:55:00.000-06:00

Create Your Own Myth

2011-10-24T23:18:00.001-06:00

"Do not be satisfied with the stories that come before you. Unfold your own myth."

-Rumi-

Being Grateful to My 'Setbacks' and 'Troubles.'

2011-10-19T16:07:00.000-06:00

Web of Life

2011-10-18T11:29:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever ~ Kerri Russell

Small Stone #5

2011-10-16T12:16:00.001-06:00

Waves above

mirror ocean below

yet moves from west to east

the freedom of the sky

Small Stone #4

2011-10-16T12:15:00.000-06:00

The moonlight blankets

everything

as if it knows the pain

shooting star reminds me

that all will be okay

Small Stone #3

2011-10-16T12:12:00.000-06:00

Colors bursting forth

in their final days

last of days to play

before the rain washes them away

Small Stone #2

2011-10-16T12:09:00.000-06:00

Innocence in eyes

happiness in soul

energy in body

that slowly fades away

Small Stone #1

2011-10-16T12:07:00.000-06:00

I've decided to start posting my small stones here. No titles or images will accompany them, simply because one of the magical things about them is that the reader can interpret them in any way. Therefore, I don't want to give away any secrets as to what I was referring to when writing them. Here's the first:

The sky azure

no words

bathed in solar rays

soaking in, my cheeks

a sensual array

Writing - Small Stones

2011-10-16T11:44:00.003-06:00

Small stones are a way of incorporating both writing and awareness. Writing small stones is a lovely way to bring presence into our experiences through writing. They are short pieces that reflect a moment in time. They can be very enriching, and they certainly do not have to reflect only peaceful and happy moments, they can reflect any experience. I like to see them as a flow of words describing the present moment, rather than a poem. Once you try to structure them or analyze them, they begin to lose their magic. They are not meant to be critiqued or changed (although they can be polished), let them reflect the moment, in that moment, and let it create itself. More information about writing small stones can be found here.

People, things and love...

2011-10-15T13:55:00.001-06:00

Money

2011-10-12T12:53:00.000-06:00

"Only After the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten."

~Cree Indian Prophecy

Love and money should properly have nothing to do with each other.

~John Saul

Pioneer Ridge - Ottumwa, Iowa

2011-10-09T23:44:00.000-06:00

Daily Reminder

2011-10-04T12:16:00.000-06:00

Don't let little things steal your joy

~Joel Osteen

I Want My Country Back - Greg Brown

2011-10-04T01:47:00.001-06:00

I'm getting ready to visit the Iowa countryside where I grew up.

I'm seeing visions of a time when I used to sit with my great grandparents and the rest of our family and listen to stories from the Great Depression and what it was like to live on cornmeal and all the different things you could make out of it...what it was like to make less than a dollar a day...what it was like to depend on others for survival...My great grandparents were amazing people and I was lucky enough to be in their presence all the way through most of my 20's. They were married for over 65 years and I've never since witnessed a true love quite like theirs. I learned so much from them, most notably, how to live simple, laugh, love, watch wildlife and play music. I remember fishing with grandpa on the river at the cabin and how he would pay me a quarter for every grasshopper I could catch and bring to him. Great grandpa Brown brought the guitar and harmonica out at every family gathering. He would play and sing for hours. In those moments of music, nothing else mattered, grandpa's music was like a spell, bringing you entirely into the moment, and that moment only. Every song told a story of what life was like so long ago, and many were quite humorous as well. How I miss those days. I will never forget his voice. Greg Brown carries on a piece of what I experienced growing up. Our families overlap and his songs, his voice and even his demeanor at times are so reflective of grandpa. Listening to him brings me right back to the old, warm living room where my great grandparents lived, listening to grandpa sing. It's amazing how much Greg sounds like him...

One of the coolest things is that one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Jack Johnson, is also a Greg Brown fan and has covered Greg's song "Spring Wind." I've only been able to find the entire song (Jack's version) for streaming: http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/06/18/jack-johnson-spring-wind/

A part of it is incorporated here:

When I stumbled across this years ago, I had no idea Jack Johnson was a Greg Brown fan. It's significant to me because Greg often sings about life in Iowa and a time when things were so much more simple. A time when our relatives played music for hours within the vast expanses of midwest farmland. That a touch of that has been incorporated into Jack Johnson's music is completely awesome to me, and it's almost like a touch of Grandpa and our other relatives are up on stage with Jack when he sings that song, the roots of which came from the prairies of Iowa and the music that was shared together as a family.

Never Say Never

2011-10-04T00:25:00.000-06:00

May You Be Blessed Movie - Virtual Therapy for the Soul

2011-10-01T13:50:00.000-06:00

May You Be Blessed Movie - Virtual Therapy for the Soul

Occupy Wall Street

2011-09-29T23:25:00.000-06:00

https://occupywallst.org/

http://occupytogether.org/

I posted these links with a few words about capitalism today on my Facebook page. It started an interesting conversation. First, I must say that I value everyone's opinion greatly, even if it is different from my own. Any argument that any one makes is a learning experience for me. I think it's funny that I got accused of being a Marxist and a Socialist. Or, then again, maybe that was simply my own perception. But here's what I had to say...

I need to live on a planet where there are no social, economic and political systems because it is all flawed in my opinion. Maybe on this planet, I would be considered a Socialist or a Marxist. I would just like to live in a place where everyone’s basic needs are met and if you want more than your basic needs, you work for it. I’m not going to go march on Wall Street, but I admire the people who are voicing their opinions and exercising their right to try and live how they want to live. In my opinion, we all have a right to live how we want. We all have one life and we should have the freedom to live this existence how we would like. It’s just too bad that there are so many of us on this planet that it isn’t possible to live that way without being forced into some kind of system or intentionally or unintentionally hindering the way in which others would like to live. People who believe in capitalism and want to live in a capitalist society should be free to do so, but I should also be free not to.

I'm tired of working my ass off only to put money in some rich banker's pocket, and the only thing I can do is totally change my lifestyle and live as far removed from the aspects of the system that I don't believe in. I just feel that human beings have so much good and potential in them and that we can do better than we have been in regards to how we relate to each other and the Earth. I just don't like seeing all the unnecessary stress, violence and suffering that people go through just because of the mighty dollar. I enjoy seeing people fight for what they believe in, which is why I posted this in the first place. :) "Be the change you want to see in the world"

Quest

2011-09-29T12:41:00.000-06:00

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
~Carl Sagan

I Imagine Change

2011-09-29T11:25:00.000-06:00

Speaks for itself...

Rising Above

2011-09-26T10:13:00.000-06:00

To succeed, we must fail

To live, we must die

We must understand patience
and also realize that waiting can be wasteful

Balance is necessary

We get what we give

The Universe wants us to succeed

in our own personal quests

We must live with intention

passion

and action

"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies within us while we live."

~Norman Cousins

"No one rises above who he or she has been without first having fallen down. The best time — in fact, the only time — to make a real change in your life is in the moment of seeing the need for it. He who hesitates always gets lost in the hundred reasons why tomorrow is a better day to get started!"

~Guy Finley

"The Peace you long for also longs for you."

~Guy Finley

Earth and Soul

2011-09-25T10:27:00.000-06:00

As the Earth turns

darkness and light unfold

akin to the inner landscape of the soul

The highest latitudes

at times are given

continuous night and day

A further reflection
of the soul's winding travels
through canvas of color and gray

Sometimes feeling
never ending sunlight

or eternal endless night

Yet it waxes and wanes

day after day
and will always change

Poetry (guest post)

2011-09-22T21:51:00.000-06:00

Poetry is one of the greatest reflections of the human soul. It speaks from great depths. It reveals the shared struggles and emotions of humanity. Sometimes a reader may understand exactly what the writer is expressing and other times the reader may find a whole different/personal meaning to the words that someone else has written; both are beautiful. Reading what other people are willing to share has enriched my own inner landscape of thought and emotion, most notably when the writer speaks from deep within the depths of the soul, truth, and heart. The following are poems written by Matthew Lamar Mills that I felt were worth sharing; good stuff.

Exhalation

From within I see all that was me/ now, without, excess worries and doubt/ Detached from the ground/ I am no longer bound/ free from the old/ a new story to be told/ Sitting, listening, waiting with wonder/ beneath this oak my mind aches with hunger/ "How, where, and why!," with a smile my heart does cry/ As my love of freedom grows, my spirits patience dies/ Never before with one breath, have I tasted freedom so strong/ not a watch in this world could tell how I've waited so long/ So bright are these hues/ these shades of life/ erased are the days of worries and strife/ Not erased/ only dull/ for the point is now moot and gray/ blurred by the orange-red sun of this new mornings day/ Breathe in deep and exhale the release/ repeat as the body flows with peace/ Thoughts not of the past or future or how/ only focus on this moment/here and now.

The Dove of Peace

Heaven sent is this Dove so white,

Its feathers stirring through the air so light.

It lands atop a tree with a gentle touch,

Giving all that it sees the gift of loves luck.

From tree top to roof it flies for miles,

Leaving in its gentle wake joy filled smiles.

It is known throughout as the Herald of Peace,

When its presence is seen all hatred does cease.

The years pass on and the world changes tone,

The anger of the people in time has grown.

This Dove flies still but few take notice,

In this world so cold it feels but homeless.

In all of its life it has never seen despair,

Sad and lonely the people do not care.

It wonders in its heart how to make amends,

How to these people may Heavens light descend?

And then it came the cure to their hate,

A way to bring them back to Heaven’s pure Gate.

The Dove soars up high to the peak of the clouds,

Giving its life the remove this Dark hung shroud.

As its feathers fall its body does vanish,

Once again color fills this transparent canvas.

Its feathers molt falling so light,

Giving shine to this hate filled night.

All around the world this showing is seen,

As snow crowds the ground light and love team.

“It’s just frozen water,” is what some say,

For others that know, it is the Dove of Peace that made this day.

Though not all is right, peace is given to some,

The newest to this world, that to Hate are too young.

On these days still in the coldest of frost,

The Dove flies high to show hope is not lost.

As the night winds down, I listen for a noise; a whisper, a sound, a quiet spoken voice. Nothing to break this silence, this cacophony of endless nothing; uncertain of this change, waiting, searching for something.

Once more into transition, as I sit and wait still I listen; to be told of my path, hoping that this is my final mission. How I want to be done. To end this battle fought of one. So hard to keep pace, when my shadow is the one that I race.

Yet, still I continue, listening and waiting in wonder, for the day shall come when I cast this dark veil asunder. And stand triumphant in peace, steeled for another battle that shall not come to pass. Stronger than the wall that hides my worn, tattered past.

So, until then I listen, for the sound of that quiet spoken voice.

Equinox

2011-09-22T13:21:00.000-06:00

Near Aspen/Maroon Bells, 2010

Happy September Equinox!! Today every location on Earth experiences an equal 12 hours of sunlight and darkness.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/fall-autumnal-equinox_2011-09-15

Thank You

2011-09-21T23:32:00.000-06:00

Thank you Earth for being my home

Thank you to the force, being, energy that created this magnificent home for us

For all the amazing wonders, beauty and beings

This is what keeps me going

When the Earth and Universe speak

It keeps me pushing forward

Striving for better things

Making a difference

And having hope...

Living vs Existing

2011-09-15T12:03:00.000-06:00

"Are you living or just existing?"
-Tyler Perry

This is a question that is good for all of us to ask ourselves from time to time. Sometimes we get wrapped up in things and we end up existing, rather than living fully. It happens; to everyone. Asking this question can be a great practice, of course, not just asking it, but answering it honestly and doing something about it if you feel you are only existing and not living. We only get one chance here, in this life, on this planet, with the people we love, in this body, with this mind. Time is precious and we never know when we will no longer be here. I know I'd rather spend it living. It takes work, determination and persistence.

What the world needs...

2011-09-14T14:33:00.000-06:00

Trail descending to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The rim and the river are two very distinct and magical biomes

Grand Canyon - 11/2009

Don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

~Howard Thurman

Video for Attrition System

2011-09-12T10:59:00.000-06:00

And here is the video for Attrition System (The Combustion Mechanism). Ascend beyond the ills of society and remember what an amazing universe we live in, aside from all the bullshit of society~ Focus on and strive toward the beauty, toward peace, love and change...

Attrition

2011-09-11T15:25:00.000-06:00

Chief and I went for a walk yesterday in the mountains. On our way back, a train passed by that was carrying an impressive number of military tanks. I couldn't help but wonder where they were going, what they would be used for. I couldn't help but ask myself why we live in a way that requires this type of destructive machinery. How did we get to a place of such global unrest, hatred and mistrust in our fellow humans? I just don't understand why our world can't be more of a peaceful place. Are humans destined to always strive for power, control and domination (of each other, the Earth, etc)? It seems by now we would have evolved enough to live in a more intelligent, civil and peaceful way. But we have not. Living in our society brings a lot of unnecessary stress and unhappiness. Those with all the money they could ever need are not the happiest people on the planet, we are missing so much more to life. I long for a day when the way we live at the present is completely altered forever, even if that means great suffering and death to precede. We have a lot of things all wrong, and the more time goes by, the more I lose hope that we can dig our way out and begin living life in a way that is in harmony with each other and our planet.

It is very easy for me to become hopeless, to hate other humans and to give up the idea that things can ever be better and that I can live more in harmony with others and with the Earth. It is very hard to let go of my negative attitude. However, negativity only breeds into more and more negativity and the energy and strength to make a change begins to diminish. If people, each one of us, don't begin to realize what an absurd world we live in and do something to make a difference and foster change, nothing will ever change for the better. We can't give up.

I have to go back through the memories of my mind and remember the awesome people I have met and worked with who see through the absurdity and are doing things to make a difference. We can't give up hope and become complacent. Then the "broken system" wins. I have to inspire myself with those people, organizations and countries who have done things to make a difference and live differently. While I understand that our technological advances were meant to make life easier for us, it seems to me that we have gotten to a point way beyond that to where our technology and materialism is now controlling us. Regardless of the reasons, our culture is sick, unbalanced and has its priorities confused. Life begins to feel like a battle, more than it should be. Sure, life is difficult, no matter what. Things happen in life that are painful, that are challenging. But why make the suffering and challenges more numerous than they need to be? I got sucked in to the endless hours of working simply to pay for a roof over my head and I'm so done. There is no reason any human should have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a roof over their head. Home ownership and mortgages are a joke. It is more than a challenge to get out, but I will and I will live differently. I will get out of the system as much as possible and I will not give up, even though at times I feel there is no other choice. I live this life once and I refuse to be a slave to a sick and unhealthy system.

All of my beliefs surrounding this brought rise to "Attrition System," which later became lyrics for my band's song. I have to constantly remind myself of the good in this world, the beauty, and the miracles that surround us everyday and in the process of life itself. Without it, I simply would have no hope. I have to take time to understand and admire a raindrop, a rainbow, a galaxy, a flower, the whole miracle of nature and the universe. Otherwise, I would be completely caught up in man-made reality, with no regard for the amazing things that take place around us and within us in every moment. I would be clueless and no longer care; a victim of the system.

Attrition System

A gradual diminution in number or strength because of constant stress (www.thefreedictionary.com)

The act of weakening or exhausting by constant harassment, abuse, or attack <a war of attrition> (Merriam-Webster)

Amazing how we've come to this
All the perfect conditions
All the pieces fit
And yet we take for granted
what a miracle it is

Beyond the self
Our world slowly fading
Beyond our world
Evolution lost its way

How could it be, this Ontology
Superficial reality?
Based on power and greed

Complicating what is simple
Ignoring the larger picture
It leads
To disruption, conflict, dysfunction
On our way to
Destruction

Beyond all time
Existence brought
Beyond all thought
A part we forgot

How could it be, this Ontology
Superficial reality?
Based on power and greed

With this loss of sanity
Wake up
Ask yourself what really matters

Survival of the system
based on attrition
Detachment pervades
Self-obsession invades
Ask yourself what really matters

Beyond the self
Seem to waste it all away
Beyond our thought
Lost before consciousness

How could it be, this Ontology
Superficial reality?
Based on power and greed

Survival of the system
based on attrition
Gains from our loses
Detachment pervades
Self-obsession invades
We forgot we are part
of a larger whole

Diminished morality
loss of sanity
wake up
ask yourself what really matters

A larger design slowly fades
In our own evolution
we lost the way
a grand disruption invades

to the miracle this existence brought
We seem to waste it all away
What a shame
Is there still time to make a change?

Cool Weather Facts

2011-08-31T01:40:00.000-06:00

According to my textbook, Physical Geography, by McKnight and Hess:

At any given moment there are approximately 2000 storms on Earth, producing around 6000 flashes of lightning every minute, or more than 8.5 million bolts in one day.

An average hurricane releases as much energy in one day as that which is generated by all electric utility plants in the US in one year.

The Long Astronomical Perspective

2011-08-29T20:54:00.000-06:00

My First Good Laugh of the Day

2011-08-23T10:45:00.000-06:00

This is great, especially the little bit after the actual story:

http://fortheloveofpetesteele.blogspot.com/2011/08/vampires-take-your-tonsils-out.html

Servant and Gift

2011-08-16T17:29:00.000-06:00

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.

~Albert Einstein

It's Time to Wake Up

2011-08-02T11:44:00.000-06:00

Our busy lives of consumerism and chasing the magical man-made dollar are having a huge toll on our souls and our one and only home, our planet Earth and all of her creatures. The things that our society values are meaningless and harmful to the human spirit and the spirit of the Earth. One small example is how our disposable way of living is having a negative impact across the globe. Our trash and bits of plastic are being spread through the ocean to faraway places where it is polluting beaches and killing animals. We don't see it, out of sight, out of mind, but it is happening nonetheless.

http://www.epa.gov/gmpo/edresources/debris_t.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrAShtolieg&feature=related

A documentary is now being produced to illustrate how damaging our careless actions are and how it is effecting Midway Island and the Albatross population there. All of life is interconnected and we need to start understanding this at a deeper level then we ever have before. Eventually, unless major paradigm shifts occur, we will begin harming ourselves through the interconnected nature of life itself. In fact, I'd say we already have...

Since we live in a world of consumerism, one of the most powerful ways we can make a difference is in what we consume, what we buy. Take time to think about what you purchase. Do you really need it? Is there a way to achieve the same goal through a less disposable option? It may take a slight shift in our thinking patterns and habits, but that is a small and easily achievable thing to do in light of what our habitual patterns and desire for convenience is doing to the environment around us.

Midway

We are at a mid-way place. On a remote and isolated island in the middle of the Pacific, twelve-hundred miles northwest of Hawaii.

This is a moment in time, a chance to witness and understand our role in an astonishing environmental tragedy. This is a place that provides context. Here, reflected in the beauty of the Albatross, is an unfolding horror. Yet it is a horror in which we see our own lives, a snapshot of our impact on the planet that challenges us to consider how to move forward.

Join us, on a breathtaking and emotional journey, into the heart of the Pacific, and into the heart of ourselves.
Production of the feature film “Midway” continues through 2011.

Please visit: http://www.midwayjourney.com/

Knowledge

2011-08-01T11:01:00.000-06:00

A love affair with knowledge will never end in heartbreak.

- Michael Garrett Marino

Moonbeam

2011-07-19T10:37:00.000-06:00

Moon lit silver linings

Gentle distant lightning

Journey through the atmosphere

Illuminating cloud and sky

Softly traveled moonbeams

tap the earth below

sparkling star

between outlined clouds

luminescent glow

infiltrates the senses

permeates the soul

gift from the heavens above

nondual

perfect love

Your Life

2011-07-18T11:35:00.000-06:00

Your life has an effect on this earth and without you here, this world would truly not be the same.

~Patrick Mathews

For those who want the most in life and are willing to listen (and for you, Em)

2011-07-17T12:49:00.000-06:00

Life can be difficult, challenging and painful. It can also be magical, wonderful, amazing and brilliant. It is my belief that the difficulties we face have a purpose. They have something to teach us. They have something to give us which will help (or make) us grow and understand. I'm a firm believer that if you ask for guidance and information, you will receive it. However, you must clear the mind and set out an intention in order for it to happen. I believe we receive messages and guidance all the time, but we often fail to recognize it as such or are too busy or preoccupied to hear or see it. I ran into a post from Melissa Van Rossum this week that explains this very well:

Intuitive information or divine guidance comes in many and varied forms to us each and every day. The problem in receiving it, however, is several-fold. First, we’re busy. Too busy. We’re busier than we’ve ever been and we continue to look for ways to be more effective with the time we have. Our minds are often overloaded and focused on other things such as goals, deadlines, kids, spouses, issues from the past, dreams of the future, and all the things that we don’t want in our lives. Rarely is our attention in the present simply noticing and listening without distraction. We need to make time to listen...The simple art of being and thus being aware, is rare indeed...When your mind is crowded, busy and distracted, your creativity and intuitive abilities suffer. Creativity and the receiving of guidance thrives upon the natural ebb and flow of life. There is a time to strive forward and a time to rest and receive. If you’re regularly distracted, you’re sending the message to the Universe that you’re not interested in receiving any information. And so you don’t. The Universe will always honor your intentions and desires...Begin to listen and watch – your thoughts and feelings. Listen more closely, allow your awareness to open. Become receptive. Let the Universe know that you are willing to hear what you need to hear. See what you need to see. Change what you need to change.

This came at just the right time for me. Do I feel lost, confused, alone, not sure which way to go, what to do in life, strapped down by certain aspects of our society that absolutely suck and are absurd? Definitely. But I also know there is much more to life and I'm determined to make the most of this short time I have here. If you listen, the Universe will guide you, if that is what you truly want. From this day forward, I'm going to try my best to make an extra effort to ask where I need to go and what I need to do to best fill my life's destiny, overcome my challenges and enjoy peace and happiness. This requires me to slow down a bit, figure out what is most important, prioritize and stop and listen. I'm sure it will also require the painful experience of letting go of old patterns, thoughts, beliefs and sources of comfort. A death of self, if you will. Is it easy? No. Is it a necessary part of life? Yes, if you want to grow and live life to the fullest. What is worthwhile does not come easily. The more darkness we process within our selves, the more room there will be for light. Our society has mostly lost it's connection to "spirit" to "nature" and to that which is "sacred." This has had a tremendous toll on the human spirit. No wonder so many people feel lost, alone, confused and dissatisfied. Yet, we can still access this wisdom and magic of the Universe if we tell her we are ready and we believe...

Traffic In the Sky

2011-07-15T00:43:00.000-06:00

There's traffic in the sky
And it doesn't seem to be getting much better
There's kids playing games on the pavement
Drawing waves on the pavement
Shadows of the planes on the pavement
Its enough to make me cry
But that don't seem like it would make it feel better
Maybe its a dream and if I scream
It will burst at the seams
This whole place will fall to pieces
And then they'd say...

Well how could we have known?
I'll tell them it's not so hard to tell
If you keep on adding stones
Soon the water will be lost in the well

Puzzle pieces in the ground
But no one ever seems to be digging
Instead they're looking up towards the heavens
With their eyes on the heavens
There are shadows on the way to the heavens
It's enough to make me cry
But that don't seem like it would make it feel better
The answers could be found
We could learn from digging down
But no one ever seems to be digging
Instead they'll say...

Well how could we have known?
I'll tell them it's not so hard to tell
If you keep on adding stones
Soon the water will be lost in the well

Words of wisdom all around
But no one ever seems to listen
They're talking about their plans on paper
Building up from the pavement
There are shadows from the scrapers on the pavement
It's enough to make me sigh
But that don't seem like it would make it feel better
The words are still around
But the words are only sounds
And no one ever seems to listen
Instead they'll say

Well how could we have known?
I'll tell them it's not so hard to tell
If you keep on adding stones
Soon the water will be lost in the well

Utopia

2011-07-15T00:37:00.000-06:00

Within the dream of my Utopian world:

Everyone would have their basic needs met; clean water to drink, food to eat and shelter over their heads, none of which would need to be paid for. Why have we turned our basic needs into something to be purchased?

Mother Earth and humankind would live in harmony.

There would be peace and no wars.

Money would not exist and thus people would not steal from one another nor harm each other.

Humans would die, not at each others own hands, but rather as a result of the natural order of things. When any species becomes overpopulated, they become much more vulnerable and prone to disease and illness. People would be mindful of and prevent overpopulation.

People could do the work they love and not worry about making enough money to put food on the table or a roof over their head.

Health care would be universal.

No one would pay for an education.

Art and creativity would be encouraged.

People would live and thrive within localized communities.

People would help each other.

People would work together.

People would learn from their mistakes and strive to make the world a better place for all.

City lights would not block out the heavens.

All food would be organic.

All life would be considered sacred.

“All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.” – Henry David Thoreau

Arctic Light and Aurora

2011-07-03T23:36:00.000-06:00

The Arctic Light from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

The Aurora from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

Aphelion

2011-07-03T22:28:00.000-06:00

View of the sky from atop Mt. Bierstadt, July 3, 2011

July 4th marks the day that the Earth is farthest from the sun in it's orbit around the great star.

Fracking

2011-07-01T23:00:00.000-06:00

A small, yet important victory:
http://www.grist.org/list/2011-07-01-worlds-first-fracking-bans-come-through-in-france-and-new-jersey