Monday, December 29, 2008

CelebraZine 29Dec08

He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only
human institution which rejects progress
is the cemetery
. --Harold Wilson

If Everyone Cared -- Nickelback

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died...

John Wolfe presents Evoking Change through Uplifting Action at The Wind of Change

When we take any action, it not only has a direct impact on that which we are acting upon, but it also has an impact upon unknown or unseen (to us) variables....


Many thanks to those featured today, for the work they do to better our world!!!!

This concludes today's posting of CelebraZine (eZine to Celebrate What's Right in the World), a 'running blog carnival' (of posts both found and shared with me) that uplift and inspire.... an inspiration of sayings, video, audio (music and speech), images, poetry--anything and everything that feeds the positive in heart, spirit, and mind.

Our focus dictates what we see, which reinforces our focus, further confining the possibility of what we will see.

May you be blessed by these offerings reminding us of the beauty, wonder, and sacredness in the world around us and within us.

Celebrate yourself!

Be a part of the expression of celebration. Submit your submission (containing text, image, video, and audio, poetry, quotes, etc.) anytime for the daily installments of CelebraZine, a 'running blog carnival' of What's Right in the World.

Note: Even if you are not the blogger of the work you'd like to suggest, but have noticed someone's work that you think should be included in a Celebration of What's Right in the World, --empowering people and spirit--please point out the work to us.

Blessings, dear ones,

CG

C.G. Walters primarily writes fiction that focuses on the multidimensionality of our loves and our lives. Autographed/signed copies of his current novel, Sacred Vow, are available from the author– or purchase from Amazon as ebook, paperback, or Kindle version

Receive new editions of Into the Mist through a reader http://feeds.feedburner.com/IntoTheMist

Please join me as a friend at any of my other favorite hangouts: Facebook, Gaia, Myspace, StumbleUpon, Friendfeed, Twitter, Plurk, or Digg

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Bushwacking Meditation

“…we have not even to risk the adventure alone;
for the heroes of all time have gone before us;
the labyrinth is thoroughly known;
we have only to follow the thread
of the hero-path…”

Joseph Campbell-Hero With a Thousand Face

Almost every time I strap on my gear (40+ pounds) and step out into my trek up the mountain, my knees, my back, and even my heart seem to groan at the prospects of several hours of hard climbing upwards, and then who knows how many hours of roaming around before the (physically more) demanding (on all but heart and lungs) work of descending. But I go, because soon my mind and body will come into harmony with the effort, and the benefit to my spirit carries the physical.

Primarily, I walk alone. A psychic once told my wife that I 'leave it all behind' when I go up the mountain. What I know is that I most often achieve an altered state of mind that will gradually drop away over weeks, if I do not go up again. Science has proven exercise's many benefits to physical and mental health (being even better than prozac/zoloft

I went bushwacking (choosing not to follow any defined hiking trail) up a ridge along the Black Mountains.

I started with a walk up White Oak Creek....

(This particular section is called Butt Slide.)

Then I picked up the Locust Creek 'fire road'...

....to take me to my point of real departure.

In fact, I was not really concerned where the walk would lead me, except for the journey within. I can be assured that a walk anywhere in this mountain area will introduce me to many outer beauties along the way.

In my bushwacking, I attempt to avoid using the machete and long-handled hatchet that I bring along. They are are only situations when cutting is unavoidable. Mostly I follow the easiest path the mountain will allow, while achieving my intention.

Bushwacking is much harder on my body, mind, and my equipment than longer, faster walks. Quite often you spend periods of time dragging myself through the the limb clusters,--gabbing like fingers, trying to pull me downward, make me stay and become one of their own-- various sawbrier species cutting me to shreds, and the "Laurel Hells" (tightly interwoven clusters of Mountain Laurel or Rhododendron).

Mostly I go where the mountain invites me. Sometimes an area merely tolerates my passing. I have found only one place that consistently will not endure my intrusion. The first time I stumbled into it, I was very tired--at the end of a long, hard walk. Suddenly, I felt a deep sense of foreboding, and a depleting collapse of my psychology and my strength. As much as I did not feel that I had the strength to go back up-hill and walk around, I did so. I could feel the increasing confusion/fear setting in on me and had no question about the solution.

The next time I dropped into that place, I had walked around the area, and had a reasonably long walk. On my return, I came down feeling quite strong and in good spirits. As soon as I entered that area (speculating it was my exhaustion that caused my problem before), I felt all my mental, physical, and spiritual resources start to drain. I lingered long enough to analyze just what I was feeling, and then hustled my way back up the hill--to make my way around the area.

My third attempt to visit--experimenting on whether it was location or something in the location on that day that caused my sense of threat--I had been hiking regularly for a while that season, and felt (foolishly) 'in control' as I entered the area. Just as the two times before, it was almost as if the area was circled by a very distinct line of demarcation. In the span of a few steps I again felt an undeniable, quick change in psychology. I worked with my mind to put off the sense of confusion and fear, but could tell that I would not win this fight. After standing in the area as long as I could without feeling that I would be so depleted that I would be in danger, I quickly went back up hill.

Once out of there, my psychology and my strength returned to what is was before entering the area, and I continued on a long walk.

Now, in my bushwacking (or maybe it's just a mountain walkabout), I am thankful for whatever path I encounter to open the thickets before me. Sometimes they are wide--an old logging road, perhaps...

....sometimes I follow where the water comes down the mountain...

...walk fallen trees over thickets...

Sometimes I walk dry creek beds (rock hopping is rough on the feet, ankles and knees)...

....wet creek beds (rather treacherous--slippery)

But however I get there, the beauty that I encounter--before and behind my eyes--keeps me putting on that gear and heading out, despite the grumbling of mind and body at the beginning of each trip..

Blessings all,,

CG

C.G. Walters primarily writes fiction that focuses on the multidimensionality of our loves and our lives. Autographed/signed copies of his current novel,Sacred Vow,are available from the author– or purchase from Amazon as ebook , paperback, or Kindle version

Receive new editions of Into the Mist through a readerhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/IntoTheMist

Please join me as a friend at any of my other favorite hangouts: Facebook, Gaia, Myspace, StumbleUpon, Friendfeed, Twitter, Plurk, or Digg

Friday, December 26, 2008

CelebraZine 26Dec08

But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a [person] and the life [they] lead? --Albert Camus

photo by cindy47452

Ross G presents Get excited about life! posted at Will it change you: portal for personal growth. Ross also loves seeing people who are enthusiastic and passionate about life!

I learned that the richness of life is found in adventure. . . . It develops self-reliance and independence. Life then teems with excitement. There is stagnation only in security.--William Orville Douglas

photo by McBeth

Many thanks to those featured today, for the work they do to better our world!

This concludes today's posting of CelebraZine (eZine to Celebrate What's Right in the World), a 'running blog carnival' (of posts both found and shared with me) that uplift and inspire.... an inspiration of sayings, video, audio (music and speech), images, poetry--anything and everything that feeds the positive in heart, spirit, and mind.

Our focus dictates what we see, which reinforces our focus, further confining the possibility of what we will see.

May you be blessed by these offerings reminding us of the beauty, wonder, and sacredness in the world around us and within us.

Celebrate yourself!

Be a part of the expression of celebration. .

Submit your submission (containing text, image, video, and audio, poetry, quotes, etc.) anytime for the daily installments of CelebraZine, a 'running blog carnival' of What's Right in the World.

Note: Even if you are not the blogger of the work you'd like to suggest, but have noticed someone's work that you think should be included in a Celebration of What's Right in the World, --empowering people and spirit--please point out the work to us.

Blessings, dear ones,

CG

C.G. Walters primarily writes fiction that focuses on the multidimensionality of our loves and our lives. Autographed/signed copies of his current novel, Sacred Vow, are available from the author– or purchase from Amazon as ebook , paperback, or Kindle version

Receive new editions of Into the Mist through a reader http://feeds.feedburner.com/IntoTheMist

Please join me as a friend at any of my other favorite hangouts: Facebook, Gaia, Myspace, StumbleUpon, Friendfeed, Twitter, Plurk , or Digg

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

CelebraZine 24Dec08

We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection. --HH the Dalai Lama

Works of BAD! Kitty, Heather Brown-Truman

(video by dvdpro)


Alex Blackwell presents What Would You Say Today? at The Bridgemaker

What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Blue Moon Garden by BAD! Kitty, Heather Brown-Truman


Ali Hale presents 10 Ways to Instantly Build Self Confidence at The Change Blog

Here are ten secrets to boosting your self-confidence in just a few seconds…


Many thanks to those featured today, for the work they do to better our world!

This concludes today's posting of CelebraZine (eZine to Celebrate What's Right in the World), a 'running blog carnival' (of posts both found and shared with me) that uplift and inspire.... an inspiration of sayings, video, audio (music and speech), images, poetry--anything and everything that feeds the positive in heart, spirit, and mind.

Our focus dictates what we see, which reinforces our focus, further confining the possibility of what we will see.

May you be blessed by these offerings reminding us of the beauty, wonder, and sacredness in the world around us and within us.

Celebrate yourself!

Be a part of the expression of celebration. .

Submit your submission (containing text, image, video, and audio, poetry, quotes, etc.) anytime for the daily installments of CelebraZine, a 'running blog carnival' of What's Right in the World.

Note: Even if you are not the blogger of the work you'd like to suggest, but have noticed someone's work that you think should be included in a Celebration of What's Right in the World, --empowering people and spirit--please point out the work to us.

Blessings, dear ones,

CG

C.G. Walters primarily writes fiction that focuses on the multidimensionality of our loves and our lives. Autographed/signed copies of his current novel, Sacred Vow, are available from the author– or purchase from Amazon as ebook , paperback, or Kindle version

Receive new editions of Into the Mist through a reader http://feeds.feedburner.com/IntoTheMist

Please join me as a friend at any of my other favorite hangouts: Facebook, Gaia, Myspace, StumbleUpon, Friendfeed, Twitter, Plurk, or Digg

Monday, December 22, 2008

CelebraZine 22Dec08

Everyone takes the limits of his own vision for the limits of the world.-- Arthur Schopenhauer

 

Blessings for the World's Servers by butterflygris at Humanity Healing Network

Poem: "Only Breath", by Rumi

 

Samme presents Great Resources for Women's Rights Issues...including Top 10 Videos In Women's Rights

 

This is What a Feminist Looks Like

 

Many thanks to those featured today, for the work they do to better our world!!!!

This  concludes today's posting of CelebraZine (eZine to Celebrate What's Right in the World), a 'running blog carnival' (of posts both found and shared with me) that uplift and inspire.... an inspiration of sayings, video, audio (music and speech), images, poetry--anything and everything that feeds the positive in heart, spirit, and mind.
    

Our focus dictates what we see, which reinforces our focus, further confining the possibility of what we will see. 

May you be blessed by these offerings reminding us of the beauty, wonder, and sacredness in the world around us and within us.

Celebrate yourself!               

Be a part of the expression of celebration. .

Submit your submission (containing text, image, video, and audio, poetry,  quotes, etc.) anytime for the daily installments of CelebraZine, a 'running blog carnival' of What's Right  in the World.     

 

Note: Even if you are not the blogger of the work you'd like to suggest, but have noticed someone's work that you think should be included in a Celebration of What's Right in the World, --empowering people and spirit--please point out the work to us.

Blessings, dear ones,

CG

C.G. Walters  primarily writes fiction that focuses on the multidimensionality of our loves  and our lives. Autographed/signed copies of his current novel, Sacred Vow, are available from the author– or purchase from Amazon as  ebook paperback, or Kindle version

Receive new editions of Into the Mist through a reader  http://feeds.feedburner.com/IntoTheMist
 

Please join me as a friend at any of my other favorite hangouts: Facebook, Gaia, Myspace, StumbleUpon, Friendfeed, Twitter, Plurk, or Digg

 

Friday, December 19, 2008

CelebraZine 19Dec08

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve. --Albert Schweitzer

photo by Robbie G1

Bryan Flournoy interviews Radio Host, Vaishali at Making It All Click. Fasten your love seat belts, because Vaishali is hitting the air and print waves. Move over Howard Stern, Vaishali, the Spiritual Wild Child has arrived, and is exposing the world to her full frontal naked truths. "Big, double D truths" as Vaishali likes...

photo by Mr.Tea

Myrko presents The 10 Most Inspirational Quotes by The Buddha at AwakeBlogger. "Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."

This concludes today's posting of CelebraZine (eZine to Celebrate What's Right in the World), a 'running blog carnival' (of posts both found and shared with me) that uplift and inspire.... an inspiration of sayings, video, audio (music and speech), images, poetry--anything and everything that feeds the positive in heart, spirit, and mind.

Our focus dictates what we see, which reinforces our focus, further confining the possibility of what we will see.

May you be blessed by these offerings reminding us of the beauty, wonder, and sacredness in the world around us and within us.

Celebrate yourself!


Be a part of the expression of celebration. .

Submit your submission (containing text, image, video, and audio, poetry, quotes, etc.) anytime for the daily installments of CelebraZine, a 'running blog carnival' of What's Right in the World.

Note: Even if you are not the blogger of the work you'd like to suggest, but have noticed someone's work that you think should be included in a Celebration of What's Right in the World, --empowering people and spirit--please point out the work to us.

Blessings, dear ones,

CG

C.G. Walters primarily writes fiction that focuses on the multidimensionality of our loves and our lives.

Autographed/signed copies of his current novel, Sacred Vow, are available from the author– or purchase from Amazon as ebook , paperback, or Kindle version


Receive new editions of Into the Mist through a reader http://feeds.feedburner.com/IntoTheMist


Please join me as a friend at any of my other favorite hangouts: Facebook, Gaia, Myspace, StumbleUpon, Friendfeed, Twitter, Plurk, or Digg

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

CelebraZine 17Dec08

Laugh at yourself, but don't ever aim your doubt at yourself. --Alan Alda

photo by cdedbdme

Razvan Dobre presents How To Live A Better Life - 13 Ways To Live A Better Life Today! posted at RazvanDobre.com Blog. Every day is a piece of this puzzle called life and it's great when we succeed in placing a piece right were it should be.

I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize.
The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.

-- Lao Tzu

Alex Blackwell presents Seven Powerful Techniques to Ignite the Fire Inside posted at The BridgeMaker. “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.” -Hegel

This concludes today's posting of CelebraZine (eZine to Celebrate What's Right in the World), a 'running blog carnival' (of posts both found and shared with me) that uplift and inspire.... an inspiration of sayings, video, audio (music and speech), images, poetry--anything and everything that feeds the positive in heart, spirit, and mind.

Our focus dictates what we see, which reinforces our focus, further confining the possibility of what we will see.

May you be blessed by these offerings reminding us of the beauty, wonder, and sacredness in the world around us and within us.

Celebrate yourself!


Be a part of the expression of celebration. .

Submit your submission (containing text, image, video, and audio, poetry, quotes, etc.) anytime for the daily installments of CelebraZine, a 'running blog carnival' of What's Right in the World.

Note: Even if you are not the blogger of the work you'd like to suggest, but have noticed someone's work that you think should be included in a Celebration of What's Right in the World, --empowering people and spirit--please point out the work to us.


Blessings, dear ones,

CG

C.G. Walters primarily writes fiction that focuses on the multidimensionality of our loves and our lives.

Autographed/signed copies of his current novel, Sacred Vow, are available from the author– or purchase from Amazon as ebook , paperback, or Kindle version


Receive new editions of Into the Mist through a reader http://feeds.feedburner.com/IntoTheMist

Please join me as a friend at any of my other favorite hangouts: Facebook, Gaia, Myspace, StumbleUpon, Friendfeed, Twitter, Plurk, or Digg

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Walking on Water: Unlearning our limitations

photo by alicepopkorn

Someone may be “walking on water” not because they have learned a great secret, but rather that they have not 'learned' that they cannot do such a thing. Sometimes the correction for a situation is not to do something more, but primarily to stop what we have being doing; rather than learning something new, relinquish limiting information that you have acquired along the way.

Knowledge is gained by daily increment,
Tao is gained by daily loss
Verse 48: Tao Te Ching


Some would assert that except in certain medically or psychologically induced conditions unlearning our limitations is a hopeless fantasy. But isn't the effect of a Zen koan a bit of “un-learning”? In such things exposed via a koan, the conscious mind is provided ‘enough rope to hang itself' so that the wisdom beyond and before the dubious learning can come forward. When the blaring flaw in any held/learned concept is exposed, the accepted reality of it crumbles.

One might argue that the purpose of a Zen koan is redirection of the mind. It is generally a question unanswerable in the context of the logical mind—something like, “what is the sound of one hand clapping?” The logical mind will grapple with such a question until it exhausts itself. At that point, with it defenses—the infallible fortress of reason—down, the mind is open for a new perspective…thinking outside the box, as it is sometimes called.

The most common example of unlearning is being confronted with undeniable qualities of an individual, situation, or thing that are in direct conflict with a prejudice we hold. When our perception is so challenged, we are left with either denial—recede deeper into our delusion—or redefinition, releasing the “education” we had on that subject before.

At this point there is a subtle but powerful difference in the path we choose. Redefinition can be by amending the existing belief, or by completely releasing the old belief and making a new definition. Outwardly the result of the two options will initially appear the same. With either, one would cease to carry on choices that would be immediate evidence of the previously held prejudice. However, with amendment of a false belief, we are building atop a bad foundation. There is always room for the implicit justification of the amendment—the object of my prejudice is no longer bad ‘because’…The implication here is that—even if it is at the subconscious level—the prejudice is not justified now, but could possibly have been justified at one time. As if a change in the one abused by your prejudice is the reason for the amendment.

“Argue your limitations and sure enough they become yours.”
Illusions by Richard Bach


Consider how much of what we “cannot” do may actually be what we will not allow ourselves to be able to do because we have accepted some a bit of self-definition imposed on us by another or by a particular experience. The problem in investing in such a definition of self is that we often do not do our “fact checking” before allowing the experience to become a self-creating, self-perpetuating truth.

If the source of information was another person, were we at that time so perceptive as to know the motivation of the person’s assessment? If not, how can we sufficiently validate the value of their input as to warrant incorporating it into our very definition of self—the pattern that will define our experience of life? Perhaps they were intentionally malicious, or maybe they were an ally, but factors in their own life at that time clouded their perception.

“Truth told with bad intent beats all the lies you can ever invent.” Wm. Blake

Sometimes the person from whom we have incorporated the limiting belief truly was acting out of love for us, but they were the possessor of a limiting belief. Their intention was for our best interest as they saw it, but could offer no more than they were capable of perceiving. If this limiting perception comes from an incontestable source of support—parent, teacher, role model, or spouse—it becomes a particularly complex structure of overcome. In order to free ourselves from this limiting perception at the same time we are seeking to redefine our abilities, we must also accept that our supporter is fallible, that from even our allies may come limiting directives—even though unintentionally.

The more cornerstones of our definition of self or reality that we are attempting to break simultaneously, the more internal resistance we will encounter. Structures like relationships, self-definition, society, etc favor stability and generally have mechanisms to maintain that permanence. Abrupt or extensive change is responded to by personal psychological countermeasures to sure up the existing structure or deterrent reactions to stave of further assault. It is much like a spyware or virus software ‘overreacting’ to your desired efforts to access a particular website or program that you know does not pose any threat. The structural program is designed to respond categorically, not to a specific item or attempt.

So, how do we unlearn….become less? It is our great blessing that our nature has a self-righting ability, a spiritual gyroscope, except when our spirit, mind, and/or heart has become extremely damaged—and such scenarios take exceptional mechanisms for correction like reincarnation, contact with divine individuals, etc.

Anything that takes you out of your head, your ego, out of thought, will bring you to a place often referred to as your center. This place of your truest definition of self existed before and beyond any accepted limitations. It remains forever with you even if doubted and never visited. This slate of your definition of self is never written upon or marred by your experience. It is what you were in the beginning and what you remain outside the illusion of collected belief.

There are methods and structures of considerable effort that can take you to this place, but it is just as effective to just let go—though this path is not right for everyone and extremely hard for some. In methods, the most common is probably meditation, which runs the gamut of techniques from very intricate combinations of breath, chant and ritual, to just watching the rain fall. In the methods of a less defined nature, it might be as simple as laughing with a young child, lingering on coming out of a much needed nap, or even what some might consider a chore like washing the dishes or mowing the lawn. It is not the activity that makes the difference, but the state of mind…anything that draws you into giving yourself to it whole-heartedly, without thought.

Time spent in such states initiates the self-righting of any host of damages to body, mind, heart, spirit. Such are multiply blessed activities, a joy in and of themselves, boons to health and spirit, as well as one of the most effective methods of releasing ourselves from the bonds of self limitation.

Copyright 2007 CG Walters

This is my truth. Only you can determine if there is any value in it for you.


C.G. Walters primarily writes fiction that focuses on the multidimensionality of our loves and our lives.

Autographed/signed copies of his current novel, Sacred Vow, are available from the author--or purchase from Amazon as ebook, paperback, or Kindle version


Receive new editions of Into the Mist through a reader http://feeds.feedburner.com/IntoTheMist


Please join me as a friend at any of my other favorite hangouts:
Facebook, Gaia, Myspace, StumbleUpon, Friendfeed, Twitter, Plurk, or Digg