By Thy Grace....

Grace is something we feel, not always visibly seen with the physical eye. We say grace before food to say thank you for the abundance of food in our life, but what if we say grace before everything we do? what if Grace is a part of us no matter where we are in life. This time of the year is always bittersweet for me. It reminds me of a loss I had many years ago that sits with me everyday, but in that too I find grace - I find grace for being where I am today. I find grace for being able to move past many emotions and still survive. Ironic because while so many of us were celebrating life and gratitude, many years ago we were mourning a loss. But it was Grace that taught me to celebrate the loss and use that as a way of living and getting past it. It was Grace that pushed me to always remember that kindness, love, and service is what gets us far in life not misery, sadness and anger. So thanks to Grace I learned to honor both life and death. You see it was also a time of joy - thanksgiving was being celebrated and it was the beginning of the holiday season in the U.S.  The time of togetherness, spreading cheer and reminding ourselves of the good in life. That too is Grace. grace is all around us, we just have to catch it, breathe it, hold it and never let it go. You see, it never lets us go, it is us who lets go of grace - when we feel we don't need it anymore. We always need Grace. It is what keeps hope alive. Grace is what helps us believe in miracles -it helps us survive the loss of a loved one, it helps us beat a sickness, it helps us put food on the table, it helps us forgive those that have hurt us deeply and last but not least it is our feeling of expanding love. I say thanks to thee again and again for thy Grace.   So wherever you, whomever you are with, however you are celebrating this thanksgiving weekend, try to practice one thing - Grace. We all need it, so instead of holding on to it just for yourself, extend it to others - you don't know where it will lead you.  

There is too much sadness around us and suffering, we all have and are part of that process in some way or the other.  As we move into a new season let us each try to contribute in our way to more hope.  That has been my word for 2015 - Grace has led me to believe in HOPE, and without HOPE we cannot survive.  Look for it and you shall find it. It is there waiting for it to be seen.  Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Journal Prompt:  Grace is a five letter word.  With this word think of synonyms that define Grace, Write down at least 4-5 words without stopping. After you are done, begin writing non stop for five minutes with the following lines:  BY THY GRACE.........

Happy Journaling! 

 

 

Lead me unto Light!

The Hindu festival of Diwali is one my most favorite times of the year. It brings back warm memories of my grandmothers making mouth watering sweets, lots of cleaning of our homes, and anxiously waiting for the big day - celebrating with families and friends and preparing sweets and goodies to give away to loved ones. It is something that I hoped to continue as I get older, and pass down as memories for my son. It is a time of happiness. It is a time of storytelling. It is a time of prayer. As I get older I have found that the rituals get less and less with me, but my focus is more so the significance of this holiday. 
But what is the story behind Diwali that is so special?  It is two fold - It is welcoming the Goddess of Wealth into the homes and wish for a prosperous New Year.  Wealth is not just measured by material -it is spiritual, physical and mental wealth - and on this day we offer prayers and light "diyas" to welcome her.  It is also the story of good triumphing over evil. The story associated with it is that of a prince named Ram who was exiled to the forest for 14 years with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana. During that time, in the forest, Sita gets kidnapped by this evil king called Ravana and Ram begins his search for Sita. King Ravana was in Lanka, but in order to find him, he enlists the help of a monkey king/god named Hanuman. It is a wonderful story because it shows the determination of Ram on finding Sita, , it shows courage on the part of Hanuman to undertake this task of finding Sita single handedly, and it shows how with Right Action, Clarity, and Love, one eventually is able to defeat "evil.  Diwali is celebrated because the city of Ayodhya was celebrating its Prince's return and they decorated every street, every corner with rows and rows of lights. You see, although the Prince was exiled, the city was very sad without its prince - there was darkness all around- and so the light symbolized the joy he was bringing back. Although he was the rightful heir to the throne, he had to go through his journey to get to return back home. And he went through his journey without complaining, without resentment, without bitterness or anger. He simply moved with his duty treating all alike and fulfilling his duty to the best he can.

The story of Diwali teaches us that and much more - our trials and tribulations are many but how we respond to it is what is important, not the final outcome. These stories have remained with us since childhood and by hearing and reading these stories over and over again, it taught me to remove the negativity in my life. Only if we are able to remove the negativity within ourselves, and by that I mean the doubts, the insecurities, the ignorance in our lives, can we have clarity. There could be a row of lights in front of us and we would be unmoved by it, because we are clouded by ignorance - but we must begin to remove the ignorance and negativity within us so that we can see the light. 

Light is light -it does not go away it is always there , but we must be willing to see it and only we can make ourselves see it.   So on this day before Diwali, I want to wish each of you happiness, joy, prosperity and clarity - I hope you gain a glimpse of the light in you - because it is only when you begin to see your light you can spread light and be a beacon of light for those around.

Journal Prompt:
Use the word clarity and light in a poem. see what comes up.
Feel free to share!

Happy Journaling!

The Colors of Fall

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The colors of fall are simply breathtaking. I look outside the window and see leaves that were once green turn into shades or rust, reds, oranges, yellows. It has been a very gradual change in color. Not a sudden overnight. But this weekend the leaves seem to have been in full bloom. I walked out the house this morning and began to see leaves falling softly onto the ground. The sound of "crunch, crunch, crunch" as our shoes walk over the fallen leaves, and I realized we are in full fall season. The beauty of this season are the colors- there is something about the colors that makes me want to connect to the earth more. I thought to myself as I left my home, "i really need to enjoy this before it is over." This is one season that doesn't last long - before you know it, the leaves will be on the ground and winter will begin to descend upon us. This led me to another thought: this season is very much like life - we don't appreciate the beauty that is right before our eyes- only when it is gone do we see how much we miss it. I myself have been preoccupied with work these past couple of months to forget to just take a moment and enjoy what is around me. Having had to get back on my feet from this ankle surgery and get back into a routine of walking/work/walking/home, etc the routine of life has seeped into every part of my body - which i know is not me.  There is nothing wrong with routine and stability, but when the spark is gone then you know there is a problem. And what I have felt for a very long time just came to the forefront - the spark for my routine has gone and so i need to get it back.  Like someone said to me "we don't want you to lose your fire." The leaves sparked that fire this morning and hopefully it will get me to enjoy this beautiful season a little bit longer. Hopefully I will not look back and say, " i wish i could have done this...," but instead i will say, " i'm so glad i was able to catch this, or I'm so glad that i was able to do this.

Each season brings a meaning.  The turning of the leaves is the beginning of change, a new season, a new time. It is also a time of shifting perspective and regaining feeling grounded. The connection to the earth must keep me grounded so I can be fully present and by being fully present i am able to always feel the fire in me. The earth is a beautiful place. We see beauty before us everyday and we must learn to appreciate the beauty we see in us, around us, above us and below us.

Journaling Prompt: Make a list of things you like to do during the Fall and go out and do it. Look around you and notice the colors. Catch one that captures your eye and just stare at it for be with it for a while. If you can, write for five minutes after that experience. See what comes up for you.

Happy Journaling!

Shake the World

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"In a gentle way you can shake the world." -Mahatma Gandhi-





Shaking the world with your words - utter words of truth

shake the world with your actions - perform acts of love
shake the world with kindness - spread it where ever you go
shake the world with your wisdom - share it even if that inner voice is telling you "no."
shake the world with your gifts - you have them, find them and let them come through you.
shake the world with your silence - sometimes that is needed in order for things to change.
shake the world with a "no" - that may be the only answer that is needed to save you. 
shake the world with a "yes" because it could lead you to new directions.
shake the world with your hands - let us shake each other hands rather than fight with one another.
shake the world with joy - because when sorrow hits you it can stay with you a long time
shake the world with music- and as we sing,or as we listen to the music we find peace inside 
shake the world with your feet - let them press on the ground, let them dance on the floor, let them kick the balls, and last but not least, let them run -for it is in our feet that we can feel grounded. 
shake the world with a little bit of color - creativity can go a long way.
gently, let us shake this world - let us make it less violent, more hopeful, and more joyful.
What do you want to shake the world with? 

 Happy Journaling!

Purpose

He was born with a purpose - he just didn't know what it was. Yet every moment of his life was special. He was told that his life was precious and that his birth was a very special one. He was made to feel loved.  It is a very special gift that has been bestowed on us, and we must not waste it. He was also told that the obstacles on his path were just a simple reminder of once again of who he was and what his purpose was. He remembered these words as he moved on through the various life stages.  But he never actively sought out finding out his true purpose. He was of the understanding that it would come to him simply - he didn't have to actively find it. So He grew up, he went to college, he got a job, he had a girlfriend -perhaps several -and eventually got married. He kept moving, he was working, and kept moving in a forward direction. His was a simple life -he didn't ask for much. He didn't have many needs. But he traveled. He made time to see the world. See a new country opened up his eyes, made him richer, made him bolder, and taught him how to appreciate diversity. He saw the beauty in the mundane. He went deeper into the world of books. Books took him to a faraway land.  He would get lost for hours in them. Books were his escape. They gave him a new world when he couldn't travel. To him life was moving in the right direction.

Then one day he watched the sunset from his porch. The sun was setting, the sky was a deep purple with shades of pink. Something he had never seen before. He kept staring at it, just mesmerized. He couldn't speak. Tears streamed down his cheeks, it was almost as if the sky was calling out to him. He felt the tears and didn't understand what was triggering that -yet there was a pull. A pull towards the deep deep expansive sky.  It was vast, never ending, infinite. He couldn't fathom how he was such a minute part of this vastness. Who was he? He began to ask himself, and then he remembered his mother's message to him - "never forget you are born with a purpose - you are not just an ordinary person, you are special".  He thought to himself - this is special - this moment watching the  sunset is special. My everyday life is special. This now is special.
The question he wondered -am I living in accordance with my true purpose? And the answer was "yes." His purpose was not defined by his job or his status. His true purpose was identified by who he was as a person - his actions, his passions and what made him live.  It was a gentle reminder again to not get entangled in the drama or complexities of life. We have a choice to make it complicated or simple, sad or happy, relaxed or anxious - and we must use the guide of our purpose when making these choices.

Journal Prompt: What choices are you making for your self? Are they aligned with who you truly are? Make an inventory of who you are and do a check in....

Happy Journaling!

Hope

I watched The Amazing Spider Man yesterday with my son. Last year he couldnt watch it because it was too scary. Yesterday I was surprised he wanted to watch it with me. I paused for a moment, and acknowledged that to him - " you've grown, do you see that/'  He looks at me and says "yes." I'm not a big super hero person but for some reason yesterday I was drawn into the plot. Good Vs. Evil, truth vs. untruth, and following your purpose-passion. The quote from the movie that struck me was a speech at the end of the movie, " No matter how [bad] it gets or how lost you feel, you must promise me that you will hold on to hope." Hope -it gives us so much to look forward too - for without it we live in darkness. Yes we must hold onto hope because it makes the present moment less difficult to bare. Hope brings back energy because with hope we can begin dreaming. I can't imagine life without hope - i would be crushed. And perhaps that quote at the end of the movie struck me because it brought me back to when things are bad - we have a choice -to look upward or downward - we need to go through the feelings, but we must not get stuck in our darkness - our darkness will lead us into an abyss that will have us drowning. So in every circumstance we must choose hope. We must never forget that. We must always remember!

Journal Prompt:  What is your favorite HOPE quote? If you don't have one, look for one. Keep that with you -keep it at work, write it down in your journal, memorize it. So that when you are down, and there are dark days, you can go back to it and remember - that Hope is Alive!

Happy Journaling!
 

End of Summer....

The summer has officially ended. I say "officially"  because today my son has gone back to school -and although it is 90 degrees outside, going back to school signals the beginning of fall and back to routine and scheduling.  This is how i define my summer ending.  It is based on the school calendar.  And just like a child who loves to be off from an academic break for the summer, as a parent, it was absolutely delicious to be able to take a break from the craziness of school and academic demands. Summer was about fun - letting him have a break of pure camp fun and days of sometimes doing nothing, and lots of ice cream! And as a parent i am somewhat grieving the end of summer. Although i had a regular working schedule and i wasn't off from work, it was nice to be able to come home and not worry about tomorrow's homework, or any school related matters or projects and enjoy the evening - whether it was our weekly night of watching Master Chef together, or playing some sort of card game together or even just enjoying the evening together and not rushing because of the big word "school."  Perhaps the sadness comes from the together time we shared and that i just played too and now part of me has to go back to a routine - not only for my sake but for his sake especially as we get back to a school calendar. There is something about summer that creates so much joy in us - and as we approach the end of it, I can't help but acknowledge the loss I am feeling.  It is like saying goodbye to a friend that we won't see for a very long time, and even though we know we will see them again, it just won't be the same without them. And that's exactly how i feel today.  Just like with everything else, feelings are like clouds floating - they too shall pass. Just like seasons change and with every new season there is beauty, i know that with fall coming and with school beginning i will begin to appreciate the uniqueness of each season -but for now, i must say summer I will miss thee! and as Dr. Seuss said, " Don't cry, because it is over, SMILE, because it happened." and yes it did happen and i'm glad for it. Thank you Summer I enjoyed you!

Journal Prompt: What do you love most about summer?