November 7, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: That which I seek from without is already within. En♥, -me!

Jean Houston said while speaking with Oprah Winfrey about her response to people who regard her as a guru, "...But in my definition, guru is spelled: G, U R U." Classic! The same sentiment is echoed in the self-love and empowerment anthem, "The Greatest Love of All" when Whitney Houston sings, "Everybody's searching for a hero. People need someone to look up to. I never found anyone who fulfilled my needs. A lonely place to be, and so I learned to depend on me." There are those of us who put a lot of effort into finding the perfect teacher, source of wisdom, love, guidance, and encouragement. We search outside of ourselves for someone (or something) to show us the way. And it almost seems like just when we get comfortable with trusting the instructional bird that our ignorance and excitement have convinced us that we have secured, it flies away. We're left lonely and looking for a new guide to come and accompany us on our path. The truth and beauty is in comprehending that while we are searching for our one pre-appointed bird to show up and stay in our hand for the entire journey, we actually have two birds waiting to awaken in the bushes of our own soul. We already have (and are) what we are looking to receive.

From The Passenger's Side, 12/16/12, 1:15:46 PM
Today’s Truth and Beauty^TM

November 6, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: Abundance is the promise of the ability to give. En♥, -me!

I once heard someone say, "I give out of my abundance," and that got me to thinking about the biblical imagery in Psalms 23:5 of the cup that runneth over. When water is continuously poured into a cup that is already filled to capacity, the cup can (1) allow someone to drink from its abundance, (2) allow its abundance to be poured into another cup, or (3) allow its abundance to spill over onto another surface. Either alternative grants that the abundance is regifted, whether intentionally or not. Similarly, we can compare our own physical and metaphysical abundance to that of the cup. The truth and beauty is in knowing that we are continually filled from an infinite source; and, though we may be able to receive it, by design, we certainly don't have the room to contain ALL that we receive. There is definite assurance in our resources, so we can follow that compulsion to give and share with peace of mind.

From My Cocoon, 12/13/12, 2:13:24 PM
Today’s Truth and Beauty^TM

November 5, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: The time is now. En♥, -me!

We spend a lot of our energy on our concern for time. We live in an age where time is truly of essence to nearly everyone and everything. Convenience has become synonymous with less time, and we seem to be so consumed with the idea of "maximizing" our days (waking hours) that while completing one task, we literally count the minutes to the next and figure out how many minutes that task will take us to complete. Just as Brooks professed in "The Shawshank Redemption," "The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry." Because of our fascination with time, we neglect to enjoy the present; we are so fixated on the past and the future. As such, despite our efforts, many of us still come up short on accomplishing our goals and fulfilling the true desires of our hearts. The truth and beauty is in recognizing that whether we feel like we are peering down the road behind us or the road ahead of us, we can only be where we are, which is here, NOW. Look around, and carpe momentum (seize the moment)! The time to get started is now; and, the next time someone asks, "What time is it?," offer the honest reply, "Now!"

"You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future." – Unknown

From My Cocoon, 12/13/12, 1:37:20 PM
Today’s Truth and Beauty^TM

November 4, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: Your story may be the very story that alters someone else's story for the better. Run, tell yours. En♥, -me!

Take a moment and remember all of the personal stories that have been shared with you via verbal communication (speeches, television, individual or group conversation, discussion with acquaintances or strangers), non-verbal communication (music and song, dance, sculptures), visual communication (photographs, drawings, symbols), or written communication (books and blogs, letters, emails, text messages, status updates, posts, tweets). Now, think about where you would be without the impact of those who were bold enough to share their truth with you directly or indirectly. The truth and beauty lies in understanding that just as someone else's story has been the source of our smile, motivation, inspirational quotes, re-tweets, life advice, and entertainment, so may our stories be the same for someone else. We may not be fond of every intimate detail, but every story we've witnessed didn't necessarily come from an unnerved source. Privacy is one thing, but let us reconsider before we decide to toss our tales into the cave of secrecy. Our courage to share may save more than ourselves.

From My Cocoon, 12/13/12, 1:00:03 PM
Today’s Truth and Beauty^TM

November 3, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: Keep up the good play. En♥, -me!

While it is certainly understandable to encourage ourselves and others to "Keep up the good work," when was the last time we offered, "Keep up the good play?" The sheer essence of balance is the equilibrium of integrated parts; and, the truth and beauty is in knowing the importance of practicing and improving our recreation just as much as we do our work. I believe it was James Howell that expressed the same sentiment as, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Take the time to play today; it's your responsibility.

From My Cocoon, 12/13/12, 12:20:31 PM

Today’s Truth and Beauty^TM

November 2, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: May the goodness of your day be easily obtainable and sustainable. En♥, -me!

The majority of us wake up desiring our days to be as favorable as effortlessly possible. The truth and beauty comes in realizing that the virtue of our own daily experiences is increased by simply wishing the same for someone else.

From My Cocoon, 12/13/12, 12:02:43 PM

Today’s Truth and Beauty^TM

Today's Truth and Beauty

Today’s Truth and Beauty^TM is a product of my ever-evolving meditation practice.  To borrow a concept from the song Killing Me Softly, this is me finding my own letters and reading each one out loud.  As I receive the daily combination of words and pictures that express the truth and beauty of my soul, I will post them to this blog and the Today’s Truth and Beauty Facebook Page as a means of communicating them to whomever among the masses has been designated to receive them as well.

I began sharing Today’s Truth and Beauty^TM (TT&B) with family and friends in November 2012, and it has since taken a life of its own.  As I’ve worked to streamline the ideas and keep up with the vision, I have had to remind myself of a lesson I learned from Gretchen Rubin’s book The Happiness Project, (that she learned from studying Voltaire) “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”   As such, though each TT&B’s message and picture is posted daily to Today’s Truth and Beauty Facebook Page, a brief description of each TT&B will be posted to this personal blog space weekly.  Please bear with me while I catch up on posting the TT&B descriptions from November 2^nd.  The words and pictures are from my heart.  So, wherever you are in your journey, whatever circumstances have guided you here, I am eternally grateful for your presence; and, it is always my prayer that while you are in this space, Whatcha See is Whatcha Get! 

If these words and / or pictures shine an ounce of light onto your path, please do us all a favor and pass them on. Why?  Because it’s time to start talking to the world.  We need us!

En♥,

– me!