The other day, I was at Borders (yes, I read books, occasionally, but most of the time I just like shopping for them) and I happened upon a book entitled, "Milk, Eggs, Vodka: Grocery Lists Lost and Found." The author, Bill Keaggy, went around scrounging parking lots and shopping baskets at supermarkets, in search of other people's grocery lists... to determine something about their lives. He also has an overwhelmingly-popular website, grocerylists.org, where people can submit images of others' grocery lists. Let's take a look, shall we...

hmmm... a life. Check aisle 14... the ice cream isle. Of course. Keep looking? Oh, okay.

Who knew advances in dairy products had come so far?

w/ red stripper shoes. That's all that needs to be said about that.

Who knew 3rd grade was optional? Oh, and make sure you buy the ROST-BEFE-, PRETSILS, HARE SOPE, KRAKERS, and don't forget the BURD FUDE.

Well, obviously.

Much, much more at grocerylists.org.

I think that this applies to all aspects of life, and- that being said- I have a lot of work to do.

So that you will know what I'm talking about, I'll break it down:

"to lose itself"= chaos

"to find itself"= absolute

In the past I would have thought of myself as anything but chaotic, but that was because I did not truly recognize what cause was. I thought of chaos as the complete absence of reasoning, judgment, deliberation. But this is not accurate, as exemplified by chaos theory. Chaos is, rather, the complete absence of absolutes. I have no absolutes, so this makes me very chaotic. So as things stand, I am taking the path of the Negative Essence, by which I would never find peace or satisfaction.

Therefore "to lose itself in order to find itself, that is the way of spirit" means:

For the spirit to satisfy its potential (and thus find peace), it must continually balance between absolutes and the lack thereof. This might be the key to the true "synthesis" between the Id and Ego (Negative and Positive Essences), after all, Id= chaos, and SuperEgo= absolute. This is where the SuperEgo comes in, but first I'd like to point out of couple of things:

First, in previous posts, and notably Agony, I mistook the SuperEgo as being the Ego- so much of the time "Ego" is mentioned (particularly in Agony) "SuperEgo" is what should be said. One of Freud's sucessors, Carl Jung, further refined Freud's philosophy by adding a divide recognizing the Personal Unconscious, and the Collective Unconscious. I made the mistake of using "Ego" to refer to the Personal Unconscious, assuming the SuperEgo to be the Collective Unconscious.

Second, the synthesis is actually produced by the Ego- emphasis on produced. From what I gather, the Id, Ego, and SuperEgo are reflection of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Please note that when I use these terms, they are not to be interpreted as being in compliance with standard Christian beliefs.

Warning: TANGENT-- While I believe that my beliefs are drawing closer and closer to those of Christianity, they will probably never be compatible; In fact, if my writing is appealing to others, I might even develop a cult :P. No seriously though, One of the things of my top ten "world domination" is to completely reinterpret the Bible. Actually, in the plan is to the possibility of several interpretations for each phrase, verse, passage, chapter, theme, book, etc. However, utilizing a wiki system, released under the Creative Commons License, it would definitely be doable. After all, The Bible is the most popular book, and the Bible itself infers that it should be interpreted democratically (2nd Peter 1:20-21 -- see http://www.twopaths.com/faq_BibleTrue.htm for more info) End TANGENT --

But basically, my main point is that, for several reasons, it's a very bad thing that I have no absolutes. To be honest, at the time I first starting writing this post (a few months ago!) I was very confused (hence the time delay) and so really it would be pointless to cover exactly why it's a bad thing, because it would be best to cover that extensively in posts prepared for it. For now I'll go with an analogy- Neon Genesis Evangelion. Towards the end of the original series (i.e. the Human Instrumentality project) the main character (which BTW I identify with so much it's scary) Shinji explores the significance of limits.

Without limits we would be completely free, but we wouldn't know what to do. Everything would be one big blob, we ourself could not distinguish ourselves from it- life itself could not exist without absolutes. By creating limits, we are able to better understand and interact with our surroundings, but there is an inevitable price for that, which is imprisonment.

This is why I believe that an infinite God cannot exist- in order for God to recognize himself, to understand himself, and to recognize and interact with his creation, there must be limits- otherwise he would not be able to distinguish himself from anything else. As I first began to understand while writing this post, our souls likely also inhabit us so that they could better interact with themselves, and creation, also being infinite otherwise.

It could just be one soul, perceived as many- there are (ironically) an infinite amount of possibilities as to how the soul(s) interact with us, or "possess" us. Perhaps God is finite so as to interact with himself and his creation, and souls are the offspring of his thought.

Well, once again I've gone off in a tangent- I'll go into more detail on this (hopefully soon) in future posts.

Lately, I've hit a valley, which has been the cause of my recent insomnia.   A thought came to me the other day when I was conversing with a friend about the subject:  when do we really sit back and appreciate the good things that we do everyday, either for ourselves or for others? We all have a natural tendency to see and pick out the flaws within both,  the good often being taken for granted.  Personally, I have what some may consider a character flaw that gets in the way:

Growing up, like most everyone else in LA, my family also tuned into the Lakers-Celtics game on CBS on Sunday mornings. During a Magic Johnson segment that came on at halftime of one of the games, my mother blurted "What makes Magic so unique is that he's successful, but yet remains so humble".  I took that to heart growing up, and to this day, I honestly believe it to be a quality worth striving for.  Thus, I have a natural tendency to downplay my accomplishments and just let them speak for themselves.  I undervalue what I'm doing and what I have, because I really don't believe I do or have much (apart from my Louis laptop bag and wallet, but that's a reflection of taste).  While it could be considered a bad thing i.e. could limit opportunities or be construed as an extension of low self-esteem, the reason why I stick to it is because there's a sense of validation that comes when you know you're being true to yourself.  Despite all the second guessing,  you know you're being you, and there really isn't a substitute for self-realization, (Maslow got it right, dammit).

Yet still, we should sit back once in a while and admire what others appreciate about ourselves, or we should stand in the spotlight and gather the applause.  Validation comes in many different forms, but looking inside and complimenting ourselves is sometimes the best way to scale a cliff or trudge through a ravine.  That is, along as what we think is actually true and not a delusion ...

I just realized that I have yet to meet a girl named "Tanya" who wasn't cute.

And I hope never to meet an ugly "Tanya". What a waste of a pretty name if the girl wasn't drop dead bootyliciously gorgeous.

Addendum edit:

The same also holds true for all girls I know with the following names:

1. Nikki
2. Marla
3. Diane
4. Celine
5. Kaken

Aku sendiri bingung. Pilihanraya P44 begitu memberi kesan kepada aku.

Jadi untuk membuatkan tarikh 26 Ogos 2008 (tarikh kemenangan DSAI, insyaAllah) tersemat dalam blog aku, aku pun terus bercadang untuk menerbitkan blog aku pd tarikh ini.

Lagipun ini masa senggangku apabila aku tadi ditinggalkan kawan aku yang mahu pergi membeli buah-buahan.

Jadi perbualan kami terhenti dan aku cuba beralih ke tugasan aku yang tidak usai2 lagi. Aku tidak mampu berfikir. Situasi esok yang bermain-main di fikiran aku.

Maka dari situlah aku datang ke dunia blogging ini as a profound blogger.hak3.. Sure ada yang tak puas hati ni.

Jumud. Huh!

As you can tell, this blog probably isn't going to be helpful to people. But it is about me. And that is what I think is important. And yes, I know I am not the smartest person on the planet, probably not even the smartest person in the room, even when I am sitting by myself. But I am smart enough to be honest enough to know that what interests me most is me.
And if you do not like it. Tough.

:P

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To grab audience attention and be remembered, start the presentation with a bang, not a limp, "Thanks, it's nice to be here." The first (and last) 30 seconds have the most impact on the audience. Save any greetings and gratitude until they've already grabbed the audience with a powerful opening. And don't end with a whimper. Remember that last words linger. Unfortunately, many speakers close with, "Are there any questions?" Wrong! Instead, say, "Before I close, are there any questions?" Answer them. Then close on a high note.

2. Get the Inside Scoop.

Attendees at one of my seminars, "How to Be a Coach to Your Client," want to know how they can personalize and add excitement and color to the speeches they craft for others. How, they ask, can they get those invaluable inside stories? I suggested they do what I do--interview the speaker's client's colleagues and family members. These people are familiar with the "stories" the speaker often tells, stories that have already been honed to what I call the "Hollywood model" (characters, dialogue, dramatic lesson learned). What insights and amusing stories can they share? Advise your members to ask others for input that can provide color and energy to a presentation.

3. Try Inside-Out Speaking.

Don't write speeches for people to read. Instead, sit down with them, in person or on the phone, and ask them questions. I do this, pulling out of them their ideas, stories, life experiences, philosophies, and examples through questions. Then my job is to help them organize, wordsmith, and deliver these comments with more drama.

Although the client and I often end up with a script that can then be edited and tightened, the words grow out of our conversations. I call this "inside-out" speaking. My work represents a cleaned-up conversation; one the speaker is going to have with the audience. Of course, a script is not a conversation, but if it sounds conversational, it is far more appealing and much easier to deliver directly to the audience without reading it word for word. Emotional contact is impossible without eye contact.

4. Provide Five Magic Moments.

How are great speeches like classic Hollywood movies? Movie promoters say that a successful film has to have five magic moments for each viewer, though not necessarily the same five. When it does, people will talk about it and add enough energy to a paid advertising campaign to make it a hit.

Be sure each presentation has five great moments--dramatic, humorous, profound, or poignant--that the audience can relive in their minds later and repeat to their friends.

5. Avoid Borrowed Stories.

I urge you to create vivid, personal stories for their presentations. Imagine how I once felt, sitting in an audience of 18,000 people, listening to Barbara Bush describe a great story she had read in Chicken Soup for the Soul--my own story which made the point, "What you do speaks louder than what you say." (Yes, I know Ralph Waldo Emerson said it first.) Did Barbara Bush mention it was my story? No.

But even if she had mentioned my name, I think she missed a huge opportunity with her speech. Back then; I imagined her sitting in bed at the White House, going through stacks of books with a highlighter pen for things to talk about. Since then, I've realized that a speechwriter did the research and wrote her words. My point? I'm not upset she didn't credit me. Just disappointed that someone with Barbara Bush's incredible life experiences did not share them. I am sure she had much more interesting recent topics and perceptions than reporting on something someone said to me many years ago. That's how audiences will feel if your members repeat things they've read instead of experienced

Regards,

Jyoti

Reference - Citehr

Likewise for jewelry. It's not that I don't spoil myself or like the finer things but... spas and five-star hotels are more my weakness than flashy fashions or gems.

Usually.

When I was married, I came to love the sparkly diamond. I missed it when it was gone. But it, much like I probably was to my then inlaws, was a curiousity. I never fully understood or recognized it. It wasn't fully me. People would tell me it was big or it was a particular cut and I would stare back, "mmm?" I had no words, no expertise in this arena.

pink by Peter on flickr

So it was a surprise that this time around, I've been dreaming diamonds. Pink diamonds. Pink like the color, not of the sunset but of the glassy sea in the twilight of the shore. I didn't even know such a thing existed (till, blush, I looked it up and found it). I've dreamed the platinum antique setting - delicate, wiry, dreamed the bliss of it on my finger and the serenity of real, profound joy.

There is some sadness in joy, my wise friend "A" told me on that other long-ago wedding day. And behind this glassy pink sea is sorrow, too. I am sorry that I didn't know how to love like this before, sorry that I didn't know that than, or know at least enough to say I wasn't ready. I am sad that gold and big didn't ever fit me right, though I wanted desparately to meld with that ring.

I mourn the lives we didn't create together, the one that flickered in shared laughs, late-night talks and true, real friendship. And I hope, deep in the core of my being that you are finding your own glassy pink sea and that it is smooth and sparkly and sacred. I hope it suits you and brings you the surprising joy my dreams of pink diamond oceans have brought me. Mine is a joy of lessons learned, rock-solid friendships, love hard found and yet as comfortable as that warm sea, as ancient and as deep.

Thank you.

I have been, off and on, extremely anxious these past few months, likely due to delving too far into the secrets of my spiritual self. I'm disturbing the spiritually dead, proverbially speaking, and it's not someone else either- it's my dead self. Well of course this is all speculation, but in either case- as far as I'm concerned, I've willingly asked for a glimpse of Hell, and now I'm agonizing over whether it was really worth it.

I began this journey of self-exploration at first just to turn the nothing I was into something in the future; then, once I realized that it was not that simple, I began seeking out what that nothing was, because you cannot do anything you know nothing about, because even nothing is something

Well, all that abstract talk is just me being melodramatic...eventually, I found that the more I discovered about myself through this inference-based reasoning, the more I was able to improve upon myself. I started with internal change (opinions, morals, perspectives), and eventually harnessed these changes into habits/etc., to the point my transformation could not go unnoticed by those who "knew" me. But noooooo...that wasn't good enough for me. I had to find the unfindable answers, relying on the forbidden intuition that I should never have had- well perhaps I've just being "played" by myself- this illusion of soul-torture that I've forced upon myself due to expecting something.

But really, the possibilities are endless, so why doubt my doubts when I can "suspend judgement" on those matters- and focus my attentions on these far more engrossing and apparently irresistable obsessions. But, as you may have noted, these obsessions have really done a number on me. Why is it that I must have such depressing, such inevitably hopeless obsessions.

Now that I know that we all are motivated by the desire to run away from ourselves- or more accurately, we won't be happy unless we do everything to run away from ourselves. No- that's not even accurate. I mean "our other self" - might be our "Ego", might be our "soul" or "spirit" or "psyche"- well, it's arguable that all those words mean the same thing anyway. Perhaps- and this is most definitely the case, we are running away from something far bigger that that. But really, is that even possible, or does it even make any sense, considering at this point it's all just semantics.

Actually, I wouldn't even be able to write this post had it not been for the spontaneous impulses (that's redundant BTW) of my brother- by which I was able to clear my head sufficiently to actually think straight for the first time in 2 days. Now for some revised definitions "for the road":

Sin: Self- you know, the "other self". like I said, all semantics...

Agony: Seeing self, or a reflection/glimpse thereof- for what we really are, an eternally tortured self.

Hell: In "God's" presence we see the ugliness that we really are:

desperate, hateful, dependent, miserable, melancholic, masochistic/sadistic, vengeful, malicious, lonely, obsessed, perverted, greedy, lustful, irrate. All scum that is depicable and distasteful.

As to how such a hellish curse was eternally forced upon us, there are many possibilities, but this is my theory: Balance has always existed- it is the true God. But "in reality", Balance is only rules- just as Pythagoras's numbers did not create anything, but only organized what already existed. We, our "original" self- also existed, and were thus governed by Balance. But to gain self-awareness, our soul- as I'll call the "original self", had to pay an equal price- that is after all necessary to maintain Balance. The "Adam and Eve" story of Genesis 2-3, is IMO, a story that originally took, or more accurately, takes place outside time and a space- humans would not exist if "original self" did not become "original sin. Update: Time did exist- since it is a fundamental necessity of balance.

There are many Bible verses which support this interpretation, in several books, both the old testament and new. Although I really don't have motivation or time (b/f going 2 bed) to cite specific verses (although I probably would have if I didn't spend so much time procrastinating on Uncyclopedia- it's way to funny for my own good! see side-panel links for reference!)-

In Genesis, Isaiah, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastics, Revelation- just to name a few...

In the account of Jesus's death (found on all 4 gospels, though only a couple in sufficient detail), Jesus dies for our sake- taking the sin of the world upon himself.

I pity those millions (Billions unless it's "all for show") of Christians that completely misinterpret the Bible- it's not like I'm even close to accurate (obviously!) but at least I'm on the right track. Honestly though, how can anyone take what they call "God's Word" at face-value. It's sickening how simple people can be about things so far beyond themselves- what an insult to God!

Back to Jesus: In taking the sin upon himself- I strongly believe that this refers to the evolution of man. See, before man- there was just animals- no self-awareness.

To further understand- I'll shed some more light on my theories regarding the Soul:

The Soul is running away from itself- in denial, just as we are. That is because, in order to create life, death needed to be created. To create ecstasy, despair needed to be created. This was the price of Balance. The soul took upon itself those ugly qualities (the ones listed halfway through what I've written so far) so that it might give birth to the positives. The Soul did this so that it could have meaning, and because it was inevitable- it was in its nature to bestow benevolence. This soul is our God, and is always a part of us....Okay, for the time being ending creepy mystical mutterings...

Naturally, the Soul could not bear this state of being (hell), so it thrust itself into its creation, and became ignorant. The soul enjoyed bliss in this ignorance- animals, plants, and all life at that time, had naught but instincts, and thus had no reason to find the Soul. This is not unfeasible, as most humans today have the gift of self-awareness but do not use it, leaving it dormant.

But, in accordance with Balance, the Soul innately struggled to correct the imperfection of its beasts, and these struggles took on the form of evolution, with its battle-scars taking on the form of mutation, and its confusion was mirrored in natural chaos. As the struggle became exponentially intense, a split occurred within the Soul- this was also a necessity of balance. The struggle had reached a level so great that it threatened to destroy Balance, and an innate failsafe defense mechanism was activated within Balance, resulting in the first miracle. This miracle, having split the Soul into two, formed what I will call the "Thesis" and "Antithesis". Both the Thesis and Antithesis seek to be reunited under a Synthesis- but, in accordance with balance, this is not possible because that desire is neutralized with an equal and opposite force.

*Please note: Contrary to Augustine's theory that God exists outside time, my account, assuming "God" to be "the creator", exists within time-- Balance always exists, therefore time does. Even though God has always existed, he did within time, because Balance is also eternal. My "God" is also not infinite, and is bound by the laws of Balance.

The desire for synthesis is mirrored in our own lives to this day, because it is necessary for Balance. One might ask the question, is there then the possibility that there is also imbalance?- But if the answer was yes, that would be a moot paradox, so I wouldn't bother. (see Illogical)

Also, these events are somewhat reflected in the story of Cain and Abel.

Eventually, amid the struggles between the negative and positive that is the Soul, life evolved into increasingly complex organisms. But, in accordance with Balance, existence must be sustained by non-existence- thus, As many who are born must die. Because the animals were reproducing and flourishing, more were being born than were dying.

*Please note- keep in mind that although the Thesis and Antithesis are fighting, neither are self-aware of it, as their self-awareness is dormant within now-primitive life. Their subconsciousness's are dualing, and they are only aware of the effects, in the forms of chaos and mutation.

*Also- these circumstances are reflected in the story of Noah's Ark, particularly Gen. 6:1-7.

Now Balance was approaching the failsafe point, and- aware that the Soul had self-awareness, corrected the deficit by calling out the Soul (Antithesis and Thesis) to make a choice: allow the creation to be destroyed (which would be the second miracle), or make another sacrifice to correct the Balance in their stead. Because the Soul was now two different beings, the choice would have to be made separately. This decision could have been the long-awaited Synthesis, because both the Negative and Positive desired for life to continue flourishing. But Synthesis did not come to be.

The Positive Essence decided to sacrifice its self-awareness eternally, taking the form of Heaven or, more accurately, Nirvana.

The Negative Essence decided to keep it's self-awareness, but eternally resigned its right to ignorance, forever tormented to the ends permitted by Balance- its unhappiness mirroring the happiness of life, and vice versa. Thus, in order for life to be happy, it must be unhappy- we essentially depend on the unhappiness of the negative essence. It took the form of Hell or, more accurately, Samsara.

*Please note that there is a big difference between ignorance and self-awareness. The Positive Essence did not become ignorant by losing its self-awareness- if fact, if I understand Buddhism philosophy correctly, losing self-awareness is essential for losing all ignorance.

*As you probably already guessed, the Positive Essence's sacrifice was mirrored through the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha.

*Also note- The irony: Buddha discovered that the cause of human suffering was ignorance, but this is only one type of truth, which is derived from the Positive essence. Just as our well-being mirrors Samsara, our self-awareness mirrors the Positive Soul's lack thereof. Thus, because the Positive Soul is statically in a state of Nirvana, Balance must correct our ignorance with suffering, in accordance with Nirvana's complete lack of ignorance. On the other hand our ignorance can also grant us happiness, as ignorance makes our creator (the Negative side) unhappy. In other words, two negatives, when multiplied, make a positive. See here: God hates being ignored. Why do you think this commandment takes top spot on the 10?

*The Negative Essence was mirrored long before the Positive Essence did (Hinduism), but the effects were not fully realized until the life of Jesus. Because of the complications caused by the division of the Essences, and the sacrifices thereof, many miracles occurred up until the time of Jesus, and echoed until long after, in accordance. The effects of the Positive Essence need no be mirrored long, because it actually returned to its original self- essentially rendering it's role in the creation of life nonexistent. The original miracle through Which Nirvana's choice was reflected, was told in the allegory of Jacob and Esau (Gen. 25:30-34). Just as Esau gave up his birthright, Nirvana did as well. Key here is verse 34: ..."thus Esau despised his birthright." This mirrors the notion that Nirvana did not want it's birthright, because self-awareness actually held it captive, thus being more a hindrance than help.

(Just a thought)

Mirroring how Samsara took every kind of agony possible upon itself, Jesus took every sin upon himself. The Negative Essence became Samsara, taking Hell upon itself so that we might live- thus, the balance, at least for the time being, was complete.

Now all that remains is our choice. Because we were made in the Image of the Soul, we have self-consciousness. However, our self-consciousness is incomplete- metaphorically speaking, half complete. This is why we have two selfs. One of our selves has self-awareness, the other does not. That is because we are based upon and depend on two different Essences, of one Soul- one Essence has self-consciousness; the other does not. These two different selfs take the form of the Id and Ego.

The Id is the self-consciousless persona, derived from Nirvana

The Ego is the self-conscious persona, derived from Samsara

thus, Balance is achieved, and all that is left is for us to make the choice:

The Antithesis, the Thesis, or the Synthesis?

If we choose the Antithesis, Nirvana is achieved, ultimately

If we choose the Thesis, We will maintain self-awareness, but perpetually share with the happiness and unhappiness of the Samsara. Unfortunately, to correct the Imbalance required for us to live, we must ultimately suffer, as the suffering must outweigh happiness to compensate for life. This will continue, until we either choose Nirvana, or the third choice- the Synthesis:

Not a true Synthesis, but: We run away from our true selves, gaining ignorance through bliss, and pleasure through Denial. This is, unfortunately, the choice of the vast majority of the world. Although it is clearly the best choice for us, it is the greatest sin one can possibly commit, as we are gaining pleasure as the direct consequence of God's suffering. That is because by ignoring God we are doing that which makes him suffer most, and thus gain the greatest pleasure from it.

To end with a few verses that best reflect that last paragraph:

Mark 8- "34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life^[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" If you really think about it, you'll be taken off-guard at how closely these words match up to this post! ps.- this is probably the most on-the-spot biblical re-translation I've ever done on the spot in my life- guess I showed that Redneck/Asshole!

As artist we take moments in time and tie them into individuality, otherwise life goes by as a constant stream of events one blending into the next without detail. As artist we are privilege to express those individual moments and return the luster of their details capturing them to be appreciated by others as the jewels they truly are.
It is the common ordinary moments that tell the details of our lives, of who we are of where we come from and where we are going. What an honor and a privilege to creatively immortalize those moments for others.
Today turn the common into the profound by pausing and appreciating it.

Colbert, inspiration for Ben & Jerry's AmeriCone Dream, continued dousing dreams. "You know that song, 'We are the world. We are the children?' " he said. "That is a lie. We are the world, we adults. On behalf of adults, I am begging you to leave the world alone. We have worked long and hard to make things comfortable for ourselves. And we don't appreciate it when some new generation comes along and starts touching all our stuff."

Oh how often I've had people try to pull that in every congregation I've ever been part of! It's so nice to see someone creatively (not to mention intelligently) lampooning it! The last comment quoted in the article is actually profound challenge to believers everywhere, one that might have to make an appearance in my sermon on Sunday, given that the title is, "Following Jesus, Literally."

Jesus, who "only took the job to please his Dad," said that to be a savior "you had to take up your cross and follow him," Colbert said. "Well, to me, it's easier to take up your remote control and follow me."

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The kids are out of school today (school doesn't let out till mid June here) and I have them convinced that even the school district realizes that Mommy's Birthday is a holiday, one of my better ideas. After that we got the kids all ready, and Hubby took us all out for breakfast.  So much nicer than having all 3 kids beg for something different, and hubby want yet another breakfast.

After we got home I went and hit the local Starbucks for a Mocha for hubby, black tea for me, and all the coffee grounds I could find. We are still gathering coffee grounds and spreading them on the grass to keep cats away. It is really working, but it takes a LOT of coffee grounds to cover a 1/3 acre lot. Plus, it is really good for the grass too.

I also managed to get a nap in this morning, before hubby went to work, it was so nice. The girls are watching TV in the other room, while the baby is napping. I think I may read and knit my afternoon away. and considering little pizza's for dinner. hmm...

Truest Gift...

What I talk about is something that is simple and yet profound. Some might find it too simple, but that doesn’t mean it is not important. I talk about the simplicity of breath and the coming and going of each day in your life. I remind people that each day that comes is one of the most valuable gifts they will ever receive. Incomparable.

For a lot of people that makes sense, and yet it doesn’t make sense. We know each day is important, but that’s not the way we accept it. The importance of a day is based upon what we have accomplished. Our life has been placed on a scale, and the weights that measure it have been given to us by this world. Everything is judged by failure or success. Yet we have been given a precious gift.

We have anniversaries and birthdays, and we give each other presents. But would you give a gorilla something precious like a diamond ring? Why not? A gorilla has fingers just like you, but a gorilla would never understand its value. Give a gorilla a diamond ring, and he will try to taste it, find it unappetizing, and probably throw it away.

Are we like a gorilla that has been handed the diamond ring of life? In many ways, we do the same thing—taste it and say, “My life is no good. I’ve got to do this. I’ve got to accomplish this. I’ve got to climb this. I’ve got to be there. I’ve got to have this title. I’ve got to have this and that in my life.” And what is forgotten is the value of existence, the value of this breath coming every moment and blessing us. This is the blessing. But we don’t know how to accept it.

We make everything conditional in our lives: “You’re a good son or daughter if you do this, this, and this. You’re a good wife or good husband if you do this, this, and this. And you’re a good friend if you do this, this, and this.” But breath has no conditions. When we are given breath, we are not told, “I’ll give you this breath if you do this and this.” It is given freely, without judgment.

When you look in the mirror, the face you are looking at is not asking for judgment; it is asking for admiration. It is asking for acceptance—acceptance of this life, acceptance of this breath, acceptance of the simple thirst of this heart.

The joy that you look for, that you search for every day, is searching for you—to embrace you, to accept you, and to fulfill you. I’m here to tell you that the peace you are looking for is inside of you.

Discover this life you’ve been living. Discover it the way it is meant to be lived—in joy, in gratitude, in beauty. Discover the potential of each day. Discover the rhythm as the sun shines on the horizon, light comes, and awakening happens; and then comes the sunset and sleep—everything is erased and another day begins. Discover that.

That’s what this existence is all about. That’s what peace is all about, because peace is not in yesterday and peace is not in tomorrow, but peace is today. Tomorrow is anticipation. Yesterday is just memories. And today is the gift. The truest gift. The most important gift.

Maharaji

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With thanks to Richard Ford, ‘The Lay of the Land.’ A single sentence to inspire a voice. A solitary voice to speak for the mind. A solitary voice to sing for the heart. A solitary voice to comfort the soul.

Events never happen in isolation, they interweave the unique stories of individuals inhabiting the same moment in time.    

The Cardigans are one of those bands that once was, but is no more. That happens a lot. "Lovefool" is that pop-rock type of song that keeps in your mind. Driving up to the mall with my parents with this on the radio always made me gaze outside the car window. After finding this song once again, I still appreciate the up-lifting feel of it. The song itself is fun to sing along to and I'll be trying to learn to play a section of it on my bass when I finally get some real free time. I just love it so much.

This song is by Sixpence None the Richer. The grand song here is called "Kiss Me". The reasoning I love these songs are beyond even me. I can't quite explain as to why, but I am just so inticed by everything in this song. The guitar is just so awesome which has so much to offer if given a chance. It's not so much the lyrics, but the general feel of these past two song's that make it so great.

No Doubt is one of my favourite bands ever. So many glorious songs, but this really is their best. "Don't Speak" is one of those songs that I remember listening to when the sun began to set. The casual sunday drive would always have this song playing along with sundown. I just love the song to death because of its beautiful vocals and the sync of the entire band...just to put it out there, Gwen's solo bit hasn't really proved all that successful in my opinion and was better off in No Doubt.

These next two are the only 90's videos I actually remember seeing as I grew up. This is Soundgarden playing "Black Hole Sun". In my opinion, it is one of the BEST rock songs ever to grace the earth. The video is kinda of wierd, with all the strange folk. But once you get past all of that, the video is just so immersive. The whole lighting effects make it one of the best videos out there despite its age. There is nothing you can change about this song to make it better. Just about perfect....almost

People always claim to have a favourite song of all time, but then 3 months down the road it's some other song. "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve is not only the best 90's song, but the best song there has ever been. It is beyond all other songs that I listen to. Above Kanye's, Pearl Jam's, and Boston's songs rolled into one (molded together to something good, not a pile of mush...heh, mush). Not only is it the BEST song ever, but the BEST video ever made. A simple concept of a guy walking down a street, only they made it so compelling, profound, and resilliant that it just sticks in my mind to this date. I love this song to death for everything in it. The drums, the violins, guitar, vocals. The lyrics are some of the best of any song. I can relate to it so much and find myself singing it everytime I hear it. I loved it as a child and I'll still love it 30 yrs. from now.

Profound things happen here.

At any rate...The other day i was listening to someone who was talking about being a good listener.  What they said wasn't complex, but it was profound.

Have you ever been listening to someone talk and then you start to think about what you are going to say in reply to what they are saying.  We all do it, instead of listening to what they are saying we are already talking back in our head.  Whether they are talking with us for advice or just as a friend.  So often we focus on what we are going to say rather than what the person talking is saying.  Next time you are in a conversation listen, without thinking about what you are going to say.  You never know, the person may actually say something important.