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Thoughts I had for reflection during meditation and prayer:

*

it would seem rather ridiculous

for a butterfly to fly

cocoon in hand

for the remainder of its lifespan

*

somehow

whenever i'm in nature

i manage to get god all over me

*

my prayers have only two words

thank and you

its not like a list for santa

it's about gratitude

because when we have gratitude

our needs are met

*

suffering is a gift

if you open the box

the right way

*

when we try to remove people from our lives
in an effort to "be more positive"
we totally miss the point
the people we have difficulty with
are a reflection of work that remains
to be completed within ourselves
they will only return in a different form
until we learn this
study these people intimately
to find our commonalities
until another person arrives
to reveal another area that needs work
*
delicate seedlings
push through the earth for light
how much effort are you willing to give
*
in the emptiness
is a fullness
like helium in a balloon
*
on our beds
we all stared at album cover mandalas
to find our way through problems
while chanting along
to the sounds that reached
and healed the soul
*
failure is just
a try at something
you now know you can't do
*
chaos in the air
yet my garden does its garden stuff each day
*
an easy way
to change your view of people
is always be the first to smile
*
there's nothing to inner peace
if there's no effort
effort disturbs the peace
*
when we get caught up
in our own struggles
our vision narrows
and we feel separated
but when we understand
and practice compassion
we understand others around us
are going through their own
and we are no longer alone
*
just as some of our ancestors
have interesting life stories
that get told through generations
be sure to leave one behind
*
in order to find that contentment
we all desperately crave
it is found not in the outside world
it comes in quiet thoughts after rising
courageously humble
from the deepest of despair
after throwing our arms into the air
to the gods
to the universe
to your higher self
whatever we want to call it
and fully liberating ourselves
to the powers that be
not a giving up
more a surrender of all you believe
and hold true
this becomes like
a computer reboot and upgrade
*

i try to have ocd_like qualities

when it comes to finding my center

the point at which i feel content

too little contentment

becomes anger frustration blame

too much contentment

brings boastfulness selfishness

each time i pick up my phone

i check in on myself for a second

and adjust accordingly
*

making peace with
whatever is tearing at you
isn't as easy as saying
i forgive this or that
it's the development of
an intimate relationship
with someone you don't like
but walking away
with a firm handshake
*
being mindful is like
being an animal in the wild
being fully aware of everything
at all times
but not out of fear
in loving kindness
*
what causes most of us the most unhappiness
i believe is the unrealistic belief
that we are supposed to be happy all the time
things will always go our way
that everyone else is happy all the time
life doesn't work that way
the struggle is the farmland
the mountains are the good times
there's always that distance between the two
look at the good days as the bonus
not the given and pay them more attention
and even unhappiness
is not necessarily a bad thing
it's a great motivator to drive
those couple extra miles to get closer
to the mountains
try not to react to the unhappiness
try to respond
*
meditation
is the art of making
ones focus
pointy
how powerful is that
*
it's not about getting through it
it's about getting through
the lesson
*
let the world
do as it may
and i'll do the same
in my own way
*
i'm finding
the path has many hills
ups and downs
times of answers
times of questions
think of the questioning
as preparation for answers
*
the world is out to get you
to try every positive
option out there
*
there's always an excuse
if you want one
*
there will always be
rocks on our path
just step over them
no thought
no hesitation
just step
*
inner peace
comes from understanding
the inner piece
*

learning to view things as they are

without all the competing filters

leaves an emptiness

that becomes wholeness

a feeling of fullness

causing the hunger

to become satisfaction

overflowing 

*

zen buddhism was not a path
i set out to follow
it was a title for what
i was organically doing
to straighten out my life
and make it more enjoyable
*
when we allow the light within us
to shine proudly
we grant permission
for others to do the same
in what may be enormous acts of courage
*
unpleasantness
is best left
for the young
*
just be
and let others
just be their own version
*
it's a choice of
living an uncompassionate life
or living a compassionate life
and where we fit on that spectrum
the more the uncompassionate
the seeing a life as full of curses
the more the compassionate
the seeing a life as full of gifts
make that choice
*
any positive change in our lives
is never a small change
it is life changing
*
i can't expect to lead an extraordinary life
if i'm not willing to take
the extraordinary steps to get there
*

some feel the need
to be superman or superwoman
hungry for glory and approval
my belly is full from remaining on the ground
i'll sit and enjoy your acrobatics

*

when once you
successfully climb yourself
out of the pit of darkness
you want to reach your hand down
to as many people as possible
*
creating the conditions
for happiness to come and visit for a while
has to become a priority
like making sure there's enough
food for the kids
everything is gently balanced upon it
*
some times the road ahead
seems extra bumpy
because we're holding
too tightly to the steering wheel
*
i think it's selfish
to expect the universe
to adjust to our fleeting emotions
instead of us adjusting
to the flow of the universe
*
the roads don't cause our accidents
it is how we drive
*
there are times on a spiritual journey
no matter how far we traveled
that we have to return to the beginning
to put in our pocket
things we didn't think we'd need
*
the best way
to add peace to the world
is by adding peace
to ourselves
*
peace and happiness are not things that
have to be searched or waited for
we have them time to time
the search is for what unimportant things
we prioritized as more important
*
when we stop trying to become
everything for everyone
and return to the essence of ourselves
we become everything for everyone
*
we attach a number of fleeting
descriptions to ourselves
i am depressed i am happy
i am this i am that
in a way telling the brain
this is a permanent state
given the right conditions
anything like this can change
the constant is the i am
so more accurately it is
i am experiencing depression
i am experiencing being happy
avoid permanently attaching
any kind of descriptor
i am
*
happiness is a present
lovingly hidden
for us to find
somewhere between
the heart and mind
*
surf the wave
of the now
*
i have only but myself to teach
and if i do that well
others will learn
*
peace is
at life's pace
*
trying to be something i'm not
will guarantee with certainty
i'll never be good enough
*
the difficult part isn't
finding answers in our lives
it is the admitting of
what is uncovered in the process
*
i believe there is a longing in each of us
no matter how fierce the soul
to rest our head gently
upon a loving mother's lap
hair slowly stroked
fully comforted
knowing all is cared for all is ok
*
when we can see
the everything in something
great wisdom is spoken through
the everyday objects surrounding us
to help guide us throughout the day
*
i think of mindfulness
as being in traffic
attempting to pass
checking all around you
so you can make it safely home
*
life is like the children's game
duck duck goose
sometimes you get tapped on the head
sometimes it's good
sometimes it's not
it's just a tap on the head
it's not a punishment
our job is to get up and run with it
so we're not out of the game
*
rain helps things grow
*
when i look back at
where I was and where i am now
i  feel almost feel obligated to let you know
there is hope and there are options
it involves being brutally honest
with ourselves and our situations
maybe for the first time in our lives
and be willing to arise
from the comfort of uncomfortability
learning to view things as they are
holding tightly to each step forward
*
the hard part isn't
finding answers in our lives
it is the admitting of
what is uncovered in the process
*
if we were created
in the image of god
we should be creating
instead of destroying
*
begin seeing
that the difficult people in your life
are having a tougher time than you
and that it is so filling their inside
that it is spilling to the surface
remember you at some time
were that difficult person
how did you wish to be treated?
*
as we slowly remove
our emotional baggage
we begin to have
what i call pure emotional experience
joy without doubt
anger without hatred
love without selfishness
*
so much of the time
anger is the macho side
of sadness
*
if i don't lie
if I don't gossip
if I don't talk badly about others
wanting only the best for everyone
how drastically my stress is released
*
i think as long as we move forward
in whatever form that may be
however slow we go
we will be ok
even step backs
if we acknowledge them as such
and move forward
we will be ok
the danger is the stopping
so move forward
in whatever form that may be
*
never allow your ego
to get bigger than
the people who
helped you get there
*
when we pray or meditate
we have to be careful
that our wishes
are not louder
than the answers
*
shine brightly
when the road darkens
and you will find your way
*
today
i'm working on today
tomorrow
i'll work on tomorrow
*
expectations are like
throwing a life preserver into the sea
just inches away from
where it was supposed to be
*
pretty much all we need in life
is to do as little harm
to ourselves and others
through our thoughts
through our words
through our actions
to the best of our current ability
*

*
as we slowly
age out of competition
new experience bows before us
and let's us through
like royalty
*
thank you to
the days i didn't think
i would make it through
you lead me to this place
*
when i have gratitude
on my mind
i always have peace and happiness
*
being free from attachments
is about releasing unrealistic emotions
we have toward someone or something
and instead appreciate it for what it is
not in poverty but in richness of life
*
maybe compassion
isn't always about understanding
maybe being ok with it is enough
*
i think
when we can make
the hum of the world disappear
whether in prayer meditation
fixing your car playing ball
our own hum gets a turn to be soloist
*
when we can see
the everything in something
great wisdom is spoken through
the everyday objects surrounding us
to help guide us throughout the day
*
a life without
a period of
feeling broken
confused
lost
is like life lite
*
everything is always changing
alternating between good and bad
when we embrace this
and things are bad
we always know the good returns
*
to have peace on the outside
there must be peace on the inside
to have peace on the inside
there must be forgiveness
*
we can't walk away
from things in the past
we can't undo
but we can learn how to
walk away gracefully
*
frustration
is the belief that
everybodys brain should work
exactly like our own
and that everyone
should be on our time schedule
*
we are much more elastic
than we think we are
in times of upheaval
we are like a rubber band
that can stretch through those times
much further than we thought
as long as we hold on
to the rubber band and not let go
how many times have we said
i can't take it anymore
but yet here we are.
*
work toward
being an example of
hope for humanity
for the people we pass
throughout the day
this is an enormous act of compassion
just being decent
ourselves
*
not becoming attached
does not mean being stoic
its more about keeping
your gum in your mouth
without getting it stuck
all over over your hands
*
being creative
in our own way
is essential to our happiness
use that creativity
at every opportunity
*
simply by making a
chronological playlist
of songs that really meant something to us
at different ages
can give us a fairly accurate
barometer of how we have
or how we tend to flow emotionally
*
it's not even a matter
of dancing to another drummer
it is dancing to your own drum
and inviting others to join in for a bit
*
the world around me
customizes itself
according to my attitude
*
making peace with
whatever is tearing at you
isn't as easy as saying
i forgive this or that
it's the development of
an intimate relationship
with someone you don't like
and walking away
with a firm handshake
*
the best gift we can give
to family and friends
is the gift of them not having
to worry about us
*
if we worry when
we need our focus
worry takes up memory
and will naturally
make it more difficult
like an overloaded laptop
with too many windows open
*
there is nothing.
to become
but to
be
*
sometimes
we need to be able to
hold down a relationship
with ourselves
before we involve anyone else
*
some people enjoy painting by numbers
i prefer to rough sketch my ideas
prior to painting what i envision
like i do with who i am
and what my world looks like
*
learn the art of
unbecoming
*
i don't belong to this town
i belong to the universe
*
it is paying attention in each circumstance
looking for what our senses are experiencing
is our reaction appropriate for the situation
or is it being colored by something from our past
*
dear ego
i want to thank you
for the experiences
you brought to me
the good and the shakey
you helped bring me to this point
where your services
are no longer needed
due to automation
*
when the tension
created by the distance
between who we are
and who we want to be
disappears
a large load is lifted
*
as i travel along
the winter trees
appear to me
as lungs naked of skin
breathing out
as i breathe in
*
forgiveness won't make something go away
but it will loosen its grip
*
many times i feel like i opened a box
that i now can't close
don't want to close
don't know what
to do with
*
maybe all you need for spiritual movement
is to ask
am i spiritual in my thoughts and actions
when no one is around
if yes you will have further advances
in their own time
if not that's probably why you're stuck
*
if i have the ability
to create sadness in my life
it is only logical
that i can create happiness
*
in thinking we have dealt with our issues fully
even a seemingly empty pitcher
has some residue on the inside
*
i suffered from domestic abuse
from my ego for most of my life
now that he is dead
i finally have the freedom i deserve
*
god let's me dig holes
that only i can dig myself out of
*
each of our lives there is a theme
that all our difficulties stem from
a riddle that needs to be solved
find that theme and solve it
then you will be presented with a new theme
this is growth this is life
it is not a punishment
*
see the big picture
but live in the small
*
instead of sitting back to observe
how we each and the world work
we eagerly jump into the pool of life
without knowing how to swim
getting our noses filled with water
wondering why we keep going under
*
we are
swimming in magic
*
i have left behind any need
to live large in any form on any scale
there is no greater power than being
a small but integral part of the big picture
*
the fear that is felt on the outside world
is caused by the fear deep inside
wash it clean and heal and it disappears
*
i can never expect to reap
the full benefits of anything
with a half assed attempt
whether it be love or religion or peace
*
we seem to prepare
for everything
except our happiness
upon which everything depends
*
i am not the situation i  am in
i am its oberver
and as the observer
i have control over
how i wish to respond
or not to respond at all
*
breathe as the ocean
sending the new to the shore
and the old out to sea
*
instead of setting goals for myself
of being career successful
i instead focus on my funeral
will there be a scrambling to find anyone
to say good things about me
or will they be lined out the door
*
happiness will come to visit
if first you prepare a room
*
im like a potted plant on a windowsill
that needs to be turned every now and then
to get the full view of the sun
*
i'm in the earth
and of the sky
forever asking why
until the final lullaby
*
it's only a dream
until you finally do it
then it becomes reality
a simple process really
*
if God gave me a job eval today it would probably say
good job
especially how you've
learned to direct your ship
over the last couple years
try not to get ahead of yourself
it's just a matter of doing the time
and opening the mind
move forever forward
what would yours say
*
the impossible happens
every day all around us
behind our backs
like giggling elves
while we have our heads turned
distracted by silliness
*
i have answers
to the questions i had
but not to the questions
i now have
*
i believe there are like ten patterns
that everything imitates
once we understand
each universal pattern
we can use them to help us
understand the more complex
*
when we become

what we were

hoping to find 

*
it seems almost blasphemy
to peek into the great mysteries
like an over anxious child
when i have yet to master the mundane
*
when we are vulnerable
i think we are the most interesting
and most beautiful
but it is so hidden and closely guarded
imagine if everyone we passed
was their most interesting
and most beautiful
*
in my mind
i go on thought walks
ive gone everywhere
but these walks
always return me home
where my thoughts belong
*
with work and focus
even the most cluttered
and overgrown vacant lot
can become a beautiful garden
the same with us
*
if we are well rounded
we'll tend not to poke people
with our rough edges
*
don't forget to stop
at all the beautiful tourist attractions
along the way on your spiritual journey
*
anybody can believe they are awakened
when life is good
but how do we act
when life is caving in around us
are we still awakened
or do we fall into our old ways?
that is where we really are
*
meditation can be like sitting patiently
outside an office day after day
for an expert on everything
i want to know
to poke his or her head out
and answer my questions
*
maybe those beautiful feelings
i get when when i help others
are a small glimpse of the larger feelings
i will experience after living
a helpful lifetime
*
children will forever dance in pride
despite the warnings and wisdom of adults
just as adults will do the same
of those of great teachers and things more powerful
*
my emotions are expressed in three ways:
as a solid (physically)
as a liquid (tears)
as a gas (voice)
*
when i can see the world
without the filter of my issues
i am able to do the best i can
in all situations
not based on competition or fear
i am not expected to anything more in my lifetime
*
when i can honestly say
i'm a pretty good version of myself
the need to become something
off in our futures disappears
then happiness pokes its head in
and stays a while
*
meditation is like tuning the brain
to the right station
eliminating the static
revealing the beautiful music
*
it takes extra effort
to deep dig down to the root
but once it is gone
it is gone
*
the acceptance
and openness
in receiving
the full experience of life
*
when i comfort others
the point of touch
goes in both directions

*

dirty dishes are negative experiences

the sink is meditation and prayer

the dish rack is our mind

the cabinet is compassion and forgiveness 

*
bow humbly

as the plants

in their baptisms

*
life will continue to be life
despite how desperately
i struggle to make it
something different
*
i lived enough today

and if i am blessed

ill be able to do it again
*
every aspect of my life

is borrowed 

not owned
*
when i began admitting

i do the same or similar things

that test my patience in others

and began being able to view

this as witness

my compassion inflated
*
mindfulness isn't
washing dishes
mindfulness is
giving the dishes a bath
*
each of us are
beautifully perfect beings
beneath layer upon layer
of outdated protective outerwear
get naked
it feels good
*
my spiritual development
is only as good as
my response to the worst
of situations
*
every now and then
we get a shopping cart
with a bad wheel
but we know we need
to push forward
to get what we came here to get
*
anger
in voice and actions
naturally fades
during the growing
relationship with god
*
peace
is an inside job