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+ 

You Are Not Your Mind

"Emancipate Yourself From Mental Slavery...only We Can Free Our Minds" ~ Bob Marley

We are all spiritual beings inhabiting human bodies, conditioned by our environment, culture, upbringing and experience. We are, indeed, born free, with a "clean slate"...but the minute we are of form in the world, we become a slave to our surroundings, enslaved by the "matrix" we are unwittingly immersed in from the moment of birth, the paradigms imprinted in our minds, conditioned by way of language, cultural mores, family values, blind patriotism, religious beliefs...our whole identity and moral code is shaped by our external environment, while our internal environment is equipped with all the answers we could ever want or need. To deprogram our paradigms, we must listen from within and allow our inner voice to guide us. We must cultivate mindfulness, an unbiased awareness that transcends not only the world around us, but also our absorbent sponge-like minds. Transcendental Awareness essentially removes the sponge, the perceptual filters that organize all the incoming stimuli into manageable compartments, freeing the mind from the constraints of self, leaving only an open receptacle, both full and empty at once, vibrating with cosmic energy. This energy within is in harmony with the Universe's energy, also referred to as Source, Chi or God. When your energy is in alignment with the Universal Flow of Energy, all potentialities exist as viable possibilities, and all polarities merge into one unified point of singularity.

© Lisa Pearlman 4/6/13

photo created by Lisa Pearlman on Kindle Fire HD via Geometrics app

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

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

Be Inspired

BE INSPIRED & YOU will INSPIRE others!
Dream Big -- Live Loud -- Love With Abandon

Mistakes Along the Way

Don't look back on mistakes with regret. Acknowledge them with gratitude for they were the stepping stones that paved your way to greater knowledge and understanding. They helped you to move on to new horizons and create a better YOU! © Lisa Pearlman 1/7/12

Life is a Rainbow

Life without Passion is like a Rainbow without Colors. Add some color to your life…try something new…stand up and shout out for what you believe in…show your True Colors loudly and proudly…just as a variety of colors make the rainbow beautiful, so does diversity make life beautiful! Accept all and Embrace all as One! ONE WORLD…ONE LOVE!

Dare to Dream...Realize the Dream...Live the Dream

Dreams are realities waiting to manifest...focus all your attention and intention on your dreams, and they will manifest in your life! The very nature of the Universal Law of Attraction guarantees it! And the grace of God wills it! If it is meant to be, and you allow it to manifest, then it will be. In fact, it already IS. And you already ARE. You just need to open your heart and your arms and embrace the miracle that is YOU!
Peace ... OneLove ... Namasté ... Lisa

The "Real Life" Social Network

The Game of LIFE is the "be all and end all" of social networks...Don't be afraid to use that "Unfollow" or "Unfriend" button...run that "Flush" app regularly to eliminate any toxins building up before they sap your positive energy or overwhelm you with negative energy. If those methods are too subtle, there's always that passive-aggressive "Block" feature that keeps all resistant negative ions at bay. You design and manage all your online networks effectively... Doesn't it make sense to apply these same principles to "real life"?
You are in the driver's seat of your life...create the life you want and surround yourself with the people who support or complement your blueprint for life.

(Below is a quote by Rev Run, formerly of Run DMC @RevRunWisdom on Twitter)

Life is a Rainbow

What’s at the end of your Rainbow? Follow it and find out…it’s all about the journey and the colors along the way…the end destination might be the pot of gold but its value is unstable as it is determined by man…but the colors that pave the way reflect the real beauty and magic…divine, pristine, untouched by and untouchablegc. to man. But remember, for such pristine beauty and vibrant color to manifest, it must first rain. However, no matter how much or how long it rains, light always follows...the sun eventually shines through to light the way to another day.

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!"