Nothing is Ordinary

I happened to be driving home a few mornings ago, around 5:30am, so I seized a rare opportunity to catch the early sunrise.  I noticed, for the first time, a layer of thick white mist or fog hovering over the grass on the farmlands stretching across both sides of this rural road that I drive almost every day.  Of course, I stopped and took a slew of pictures!  It is amazing how photography has opened my eyes to every day little things that I ordinarily miss because I am too busy or preoccupied with thought to notice. 

We function on autopilot so much of the time, unaware of our surroundings, blind to the beauty that exists all around us.  We drive familiar roads mindlessly, by rote, with our minds on everything but what we are experiencing in the present moment.  We are always hurrying to the next destination, using travel as a means to an end, to get from point A to point B. Our minds are always focused on the next task we have to complete, as if life consisted of a series of endless To-Do lists, with items being continually checked off, yet we never catch up with life.  Then eventually life catches up with you, and there is no time left to complete the most important list, your bucket list, the one listing all the experiences you wanted to enjoy just as soon as you "got caught up" in the race of life. 

Lately, I find myself practicing mindfulness daily, ever since I got my iphone and discovered the art of iphoneography.  It is like seeing for the first time!   I have rediscovered the world around me, and guess what?      

Nothing is Ordinary!                                

If we pay attention to details, to the little things, as well as the connections that exist throughout nature and between nature and humanity, we see the Harmony of the Universe, and our role as co-creators of our life and world.  And it is amazing!   Every moment is a spiritual awakening if you stay mindful. And every moment is an opportunity to find beauty as well as create it! 

Thank you to my cyberworld fam for sharing my journey of discovery. I Love y'all! 💜 Shine on! ☀️ Namasté 🙏

© Lisa Pearlman 5/4/14

The Waterfall

Water flows rhythmically to and from source...Just as our breath flows in and out so effortlessly...a simple exchange of energy, a seemingly infinite process that knows no beginning or end...gentle reciprocity, unhurried and unattached to any outcome or destination... comfortable silences speak volumes... revealing a wealth of natural beauty and serenity borne out of patience and simplicity, and untouched by human greed or motive. Such is the infinite flow of chi connecting all humanity, the animal kingdom, nature and Universe and returning all life that is, was and will be, back to Source. 

© Words by Lisa Pearlman 5/10/13

Photo courtesy of Philomina Minj on Google+ 

Legacy of Love

Live each day like it's your last...it just might be! Your lifetime of choices become your legacy, regardless of the amount of material or length of time you amass during your temporary human experience.

Be authentic in all your actions and interactions...Follow your heart but do so mindfully...Choose Compassion over Apathy...Be Kind to yourself and others...Love Unconditionally...Be Fully Present for all of Life's experiences, accepting all without attaching meaning or preference to any one in particular - Life is a series of sequential moments, each one unique and fleeting; as one passes, another silently follows...Practice Equanimity and Humility in all situations, with the knowledge that This Too Shall Pass...
Above all else, Always DO YOU! Make Choices that enable your experience of Manifest Happiness and lessen your experience of Suffering. YOU are the only one who can choose and control your Thoughts, Attitudes, Feelings and Actions. YOU are the Reality Architect - YOU create your personal Reality!

If you choose wisely and live your life authentically...mindfully...humbly, then there will never be a reason for regret. Do not postpone matters of the heart -they are of the utmost importance...do not leave positive sentiment or loving words unsaid, as you may not get another chance to convey them...do not express negative, hurtful sentiment or criticism as you may never get a chance to apologize...Words wield power...they can never be retracted once uttered...they linger in the mind and heart like a moldy scent...their effects echo for eternity, a repetitive loop of cutting edge sound replayed in one's memory like a broken record.

It's ultimately your choice...why not start creating a Legacy of Love today?

© Lisa Pearlman 1/21/13

A Few Deep Thoughts on Life

And this too shall pass…
Life is constantly in flux, moving, changing…flow with it…surf the waves, let them shape you but not define you…swim with the ebb and flow of experiences…
The minute you dwell on any one experience, whether good or bad, you get stuck…attachment throws you out of sync with the transitional flow of life…life is a series of moments, do not cling to any one moment just as you do not hold on to any one breath, otherwise you will miss the next breath that comes around, or the next moment. You would literally die if you lingered on one particular breath, interrupting your life flow, your chi, your energy flow, thereby hindering the next breath necessary for life to continue. Be present NOW, focus on each breath or each moment as it occurs, then let it go immediately as you mindfully welcome the next one, fresh and new, as if it were your first, your last, your only…

© Lisa Pearlman 10/15/12
(Words and Photo by Lisa Pearlman)

Awakening

Purple Flowers

Blowing gently in the wind, His Majesty's jewels now blossom with aliveness... Nature's silky Seeds of Love, when planted and nurtured, magically morph into Purple Perfection.

© Lisa Pearlman 9/21/12 (words & video by Lisa Pearlman)

Does Meditation Have a Place in Education?

Recently I read an article in the Huffington Post about introducing the practice of Meditation into the schools. I think this measure would be the single most important step taken in education to ensure our children enter adulthood as well-adjusted, compassionate, enlightened beings, equipped to face the challenges of a turbulent, fast-paced, rapidly changing world and its uncertain future. Especially with the prevalence of bullying and peer pressure in the schools, negativity is infecting the hearts and minds of today’s youth, tomorrow’s leaders. Meditation is a positive activity that will enable students to rise above the negativity and accept experience for what it is: temporary, fleeting, impermanent…while their essence or core remains calm, grounded and undisturbed. Rather than reacting emotionally they will learn to pause, reflect and respond mindfully. They will become stronger, healthier individuals, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Meditation is not religious or patriotic in any way…it does not represent any socio-economic class, subsection of society or cultural group…it is accessible by and available to everyone equally.

© Lisa Pearlman 8/30/12

(photo credit unknown source on web)

Where is the Love?

If we don't slow down or stop for a minute, love will seem to pass us by, but in reality it is we who are passing up love in our mad pursuit to do, have and accumulate "things." Love is not a "thing" you can ever possess or stock up on for later. Love is to be felt and appreciated in the Now, in between moments, in the silent gaps between words, the quiet spaces between spontaneous thoughts. The LOVE is always there, you just need to slow down and open your heart to receive it.

© Lisa Pearlman 2012

Our Inbox Will Never Be Empty

There is no catching up in life. Our inbox will never be empty! We hurry to get things done...only to free up time to get more things done...so we can finish...get caught up...stay ahead of the game...So we can do even more! We are like robots, mindlessly doing, doing, doing...when was the last time you took 5 minutes to just BE...while doing absolutely nothing? We are human BEings, not human DOings...so what happens if we never get caught up and we die with unpaid bills, unwashed laundry, unanswered email? It's time we celebrate our consciousness and be mindful of this moment! Right Now! STOP multi-tasking for a minute and just BE. Just perceive and breathe in life!

© Lisa Pearlman (words and photo)

Suffering Optional: The Power of Thoughts

Life is all about choices. In every moment that I live and breathe consciously, I have options. So why do I needlessly suffer? My empathy and sensitivity allow me (compel me?) to feel the pain and suffering of the world; friends, family, strangers, animals…I develop attachments; I take on and internalize their suffering as my own. I suffer for and with them; my heart aches as if it is connected to their hearts. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, as if I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. So is my “gift” a blessing or a curse? The Law of Attraction says It is neither. I have learned that my suffering is a choice. My choice. Suffering is a state of mind, an option, a chosen emotional response to reality, based on attachment to preferred or desired outcomes. I want what I want, which may not be compatible with WHAT IS. I am my own worst enemy, creating and focusing my attention on thoughts that become “barriers” to my productivity and success. Obsessive thoughts threaten my sanity, health and happiness. If I am lost in my thoughts, I lack Awareness of the present moment. I am essentially in a state of Mindlessness, existing, going thru the motions of living. Most thoughts focus on the past (reminiscing, memories, regrets) or the future (planning, worrying, what ifs), which don’t exist in the NOW. Thoughts create actions, or inaction. Thoughts are powerful…I better be aware and choose my thoughts carefully…be mindful…hmmmm

Hey! Guess what? I get it! NOW is all we really have, isn’t it? This moment is happening right NOW so may as well be in it, right? Here’s my plan…first and foremost I’M DOING ME! I am practicing Mindfulness through meditation and positive affirmations. I am learning to focus my attention on what is happening NOW, choosing positive thoughts, maintaining present moment Awareness. I am making progress, taking baby steps to gain control of my life. I am working on acceptance of WHAT IS, rather than aiming for perfection. I am practicing patience (that elusive virtue trying to live life one moment at a time, slowing down to experience life as it unfolds. Living life on life’s terms. I AM…forever a work in Progress…as we all are…as life is. Perfection is illusory…a lie…but Progress is REAL!
Keep it Real y’all! Thanks for listening to/reading my ramblings on "Blog This!"