Encouragement | life: acoustic & amplified

Archive for the category “Encouragement”

21 May 2016

your poetry is just ‘eh’

I googled it

what was the history?

the meaning?

my ability to write,

along with me,

had just been put into this container – a paper bag

that I couldn’t write my way out of???

It felt like a throw down challenge.

how difficult is this challenge?

and, by golly,

how did I get into the this giant paper bag?

armed only with pen,

quite obviously

a silly decision.

Why didn’t I think to bring scissors?

chocolate?

If I had chocolate

I wouldn’t really mind being in this paper bag

I should have seen this coming

been prepared…

just in case I can’t figure out

how to write myself out.

Of course,

I didn’t really intend to get stuck here

in a paper bag –

it just somehow happened.

I got caught in a cross-fire

of two people

with razor-sharp writing skills.

(are they better than mine –

or do we all just have our own voice?

hmmmm)

maybe I’ll just stay in this bag

and take a nap.

it’s pretty comfy here.

Oh nice, I have an orange in my pocket.

I can write myself out later

I’ve never found myself in a paper bag before –

think I’ll just enjoy the novelty of the adventure

before I go home for dinner.

🎁

Posted in attitude, awareness, beauty, Becoming Yourself, beloved, Choice, courage, determination, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, inspiration, Letting Go, Life, Love, mystery, Patience, People, perceptions, Poetry, Purpose, Reality | Leave a comment

17 May 2016

It won’t matter that 10,000 doors might be slammed in your face because when door number 10,001 flies open, revealing pathways of jade and gardens of love, with flowers dancing, fountains sparkling, friends blushing, moonbeams glowing, and abundance abounding, you’ll completely forget about all the other doors.
Happens every day,

The Universe

LOVE seeing this quote of mine as inspirational art!!! Soooo grateful to John Cool-Sign! Check out his Etsy store, thatcoolsign, for all the yummy stuff!!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/thatCoolSign?ref=search_shop_redirect&show_panel=true

Posted in action, Adventure, attitude, awareness, commitment, confidence, connection, Dreams, Encouragement, find art at pinterest, inspiration, risk, strength, Trust, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment

16 May 2016

have a little faith…speak a lotta truth…

The opposite of joy is not sorrow. It is unbelief.
❤️

–Leslie Weatherhead

Truthfulness.
Being honest with someone else really just means opening up to share out of our own self-honesty, being transparent about our own experience, the deepest within us, in a way that creates the space for the other to also feel safe exposing the vulnerability within themselves.
When truth is more important to us than fear of loss, we discover our wings.
When we are no longer afraid of change, of losing what we think we have, or the fulfillment we imagine to be sourced outside of us, and are willing to risk it all for our heart’s knowing, for the uncompromising integrity in that, the relief is surprisingly immediate.
Though it may involve facing the hurt of disillusionment, the fall of pride, the surfacing of old wounds, that is simply a part of the rebirth offered by a radical commitment to self-honesty.
The self-respect and confidence that emerges out of such an honoring, the willingness to offer up the surface dance to a deeper wisdom, makes it possible to gaze into the eyes and soul of another, with no need of approval, or fear of rejection, and no shame in being fully seen. True self-honesty diffuses self-judgement, and therefore any need for defensiveness. It reveals our innocence. We can finally just be ourselves.
And, maybe for the first time, without any subtle need of them, without any emotional dependency, we really truly see the one in front of us. We meet the naked beauty of the other, as never before, on equal ground. When we aren’t hiding from ourselves, we no longer need to hide from the world, which will always reflect back to us what we are avoiding. In this way, life is in continuous support of our liberation.
Free from the subconsious pressure of hope and expectation born of fantasy, of projected values and assumptions, free from the inner conflict of unexpressed gut feelings, it becomes so easy to give, to receive, to experience the fulfillment of true connection. Unconditional presence. Real love. The joy of that is far greater than any birthing pains.
Be honest to your heart, and give that a voice in your relationships. You’ll never regret it.

– Joshua Isrealievitch

Posted in attitude, awareness, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Blessing, Change, Choice, confidence, connection, courage, determination, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Letting Go, Life, Love, power, Prayer | Leave a comment

13 May 2016

(slowly) happy birthday to Me…

Midnight poem

The clock has crossed the finish line

of yesterday

and begun this beautiful new day

This very minute everything begins new

I start this day soft,

in the darkness,

adjusting to the new date,

this particular date,

the date of my birth –

51 years ago now –

this year is passing quickly

I am living in this now,

in this wow!

It’s all happening!

No more filling time

No more empty spaces

No more waiting for…

I breathe my gratitude,

float away on a smiling cloud

as I drift back to sleep

🎂

I am a recovering addict- addicted to artifice, disguise, misidentification, distraction, substitute gratifications, materialism, being right, winning every silly battle. Now I want to be a re-uncovering addict- addicted to baring my naked soul for all to see, particularly me. I want to see straight through my armor to the essential being quivering below. Nothing to hide, no place to hide it.

💞

– Jeff Brown

I hereby break all contracts I made unconsciously & consciously before I knew the depth of my own Spirit; the silent ones, the ones I inherited, passed down & accepted as my own from generation to generation.
I hereby severe all ties with that which holds me down & back, unable to see the glimmer of what I know to be true, whether by my own creation or by expectations tied like weights around my ankles by others lost in the sea of their own confused hearts.
I hereby reclaim my right to choose how my story unfolds, armed with creativity, a heart made of gold & reverent humility.
I hereby fully accept all of this living & what-is-yet-to-come with brash integrity & loving determination.
I hereby swear to use my superpowers for the love of all beings & I return anything that no longer serves my Higher & Lower Self (& the ones Caught-in-Between) with gratitude & consciousness.
I do this all with love, from the great source of it found in my very own beating heart.

❤️

– Bryonie Wise

Posted in attitude, awareness, beauty, Becoming Yourself, beloved, Blessing, courage, determination, Encouragement, find art at pinterest, forgiveness, Freedom, Gratitude, Poetry, soul and spirit, transformation, Trust, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment

10 May 2016

preparation = always ready

WAITING TO GO ON
…It must be

we are waiting

for the perfect moment.
It must be

under all the struggle

we want to go on.
It must be,

that deep down,

we are creatures

getting ready

for when we are needed.
It must be that waiting

for the listening ear

or the appreciative word,

for the right

woman or the right man

or the right moment

just to ourselves,
we are getting ready

just to be ready
and nothing else.
Like this moment

just before the guests arrive

working

alone in the kitchen

sensing a deep

down symmetry

in every blessed thing.
The way

that everything

unbeknownst

to us

is preparing

to meet us too.
Just on the other

side of the door

someone

is about to knock

and our life

is just

about to change
and finally

after all these

years rehearsing,

behind

the curtain,
we might

just be

ready

to go on.
…

From ‘Waiting to Go On’ by David Whyte

The piano,

not played,

is still a piano –

patiently waiting

the music lies quietly

still inside

ready

not going anywhere else

not making itself heard

not anxious

or demanding

all it takes is the right hand

to touch the keys

to fall in love

and the song begins

the strings within

warm to life

always ready to play

💞

Posted in action, attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Choice, connection, courage, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Gratitude, Letting Go, Life, Love, music, mystery, soul and spirit, transformation, Trust, truth, Uncategorized, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment

06 May 2016

make the most of it

Setting priorities is a difficult process…
No, it’s not!

That’s just what I keep saying.

But, it’s really very simple –

Just this…
What is the most important thing(s) in my life?
How do I reorganize my life around

the most important thing(s)?
Am I willing to do the work focused on that/those?
Those questions are on me.

The answers are very clear,

very simple.
YES!
Ok, then…

Get busy

make your music happen

Focus

Work

Do it!

This is it!

Set your sites…

Now…

Go…

💃🏻

Posted in action, Adventure, attitude, awareness, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Career, Choice, confidence, connection, courage, create, Encouragement, find art at pinterest, focus, fun, grace, Happiness, inspiration, Joy, laugh, Letting Go, Life, Love, Miracles, music | Leave a comment

04 May 2016

suddenly

simple

yet so very complex

the layers of this human experience

energy

emotional

baggage

layers

fears

behavior

we struggle with virtues

our humanity

our ego

our need to be accepted

with family dynamics

childhood evils

haunt us

like fairytales

we create stories

we sabotage our own living

trying to heal

to find acceptance

to be loved

to figure out our path

to untangle our pain

our bad choices

the choices of others

our destructive relationships

suddenly after an eternity

a lightening bolt hits

clarity comes

we see why

we let go

we forgive

as fall into a deep pool

of peace

where we begin again

from this place

to build new stories

and make new dreams

this will be our new platform of learning

until it happens again

and again

and so our story unfolds

always leading us towards our best selves

if we will just be open

and do the hard work

of surrender

of resilience

of continuing

of allowing ourselves

of becoming ourselves

knowing we are

strong

and we are each

beloved

❤️

our happiness

was when the

lights were

out

the whole city

in darkness

& we drove north

to our friend’s

yellow apt.

where she had

power & we

could work

later we stayed

in the darkened  apt.

you sick

in bed & me

writing ambitiously

by candle light

in thin blue  books

your neighbor had

a generator &

after a while

we had a little

bit of light

I walked the

dog & you

were still

a little bit  sick

we sat on a stoop

one day

in the  late afternoon

we had very little  money.

enough for

a strong cappuccino

which we shared

sitting there

&  suddenly

the  city was lit.
🌃

our happiness by Eileen Myles

Posted in action, attitude, awareness, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beliefs, beloved, Change, Choice, courage, determination, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, healing, Letting Go, Life, Love, Miracles, moment, mystery | Leave a comment

03 May 2016

smiling’s my favorite…

Days the weather sits

in the endless sky,

the clouds drifting by.
The winter’s snow,

summer’s heat,

same street.
Nothing changes

but the faces, the people,

all the things they do
‘spite of heaven and hell

or city hall—

Nothing’s wiser than a moment.
No one’s chance

is simply changed by wishing,

right or wrong.
What you do is how you get along.

What you did is all it ever means.

😂

Place to Be by Robert Creeley

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. – Maya Angelou

😘
Oh yes, this is my motto!!

These four things for the rest of my life:

Passion

Compassion

Humor

Style

Maya is my friend

She knows me well

We are soul connected in so many ways

Thank you, my sister

For your words

Your journey

Your passion

Your choices

I am ever grateful for your teaching

I will do my best to live

the same way you did

within the space I have been given

So my song

will be transformed from

breaking free from my cages

and I will sing my personal song

of freedom

🎼

Don’t leave home without your sense of humor. Don’t come home without it either.

– Robert Moss

Posted in attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, beloved, Choice, connection, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, fun, laugh, Letting Go, Life, Love, music, mystery, Passion, Poetry, Reality | Leave a comment

28 Apr 2016

risk it all

We are here essentially to risk ourselves in the world. We are a form of invitation to others and to otherness, we are meant to hazard ourselves for the right thing, for the right woman or the right man, for a son or a daughter, for the right work or for a gift given against all the odds. And in all this continual risking the most profound courage may be found in the radical and simple willingness to allow ourselves to be happy along the way…

😄

LONGING by David Whyte

It’s not how we leave one’s life.

How we go off the air.

You never know do you.

You think you’re ready

for anything;

then it happens, and you’re not.

You’re really not.

The genesis of an ending, nothing but a feeling,

a slow movement,

the dusting of furniture

with a remnant of the revenant’s shirt.

Seeing the candles sink in their sockets;

we turn away,

yet the music never quits.

The fire kisses our face.

O phthsis, o lotharian dead eye,

no longer will you gaze on the baize of the billiard table.

No more shooting butter dishes out of the sky.

Scattering light.

Between snatches of poetry and penitence

you left the brumal wood of men and women.

Snow drove the butterflies home.

You must know how it goes,

known all along what to expect,

sooner or later …

the faded cadence of anonymity.

Frankly, my dear, frankly, my dear, frankly

💞

Only the Crossing Counts by C. D. Wright

Well I won’t back down, no I won’t back down

You could stand me up at the gates of hell

But I won’t back down
Gonna stand my ground, won’t be turned around

And I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down

Gonna stand my ground and I won’t back down
[Chorus:]

Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out

Hey I will stand my ground

And I won’t back down
Well I know what’s right, I got just one life

In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around

But I’ll stand my ground and I won’t back down
Hey baby there ain’t no easy way out

Hey I will stand my ground

And I won’t back down

No, I won’t back down

http://youtu.be/k2h9HPZhqHE

This day maybe be rough and bloody and heartbreaking but it is here and it is now and it is bursting with untold potential and possibility and our response to it is of utmost, urgent importance.

– Rob Bell