“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” ~ Rumi
I got this necklace at an Etsy shop like this one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/123470947/the-wound-is-the-place-where-the-light?
& this: https://www.etsy.com/search/handmade/jewelry?includes%5B0%5D=tags&q=rumi+quote
For $15.00
“This girl is a woman now
She’s found out what it’s all about
And she’s learning learning learning to live…” ~ Gary Puckett & the Union Gap
“The wound is the place where the light enters you. ” ~ Rumi
“Surviving meant being born over and over.” ~ Erica Jong
Adversity can crush our spirit – or strengthen it – it is our choice.
Yeah, this post isn’t about reincarnation in the sense of the rebirth of a soul or spirit after biological death. But it is about death and rebirth in a sense.
This post is more directed at women but men and anyone who identifies as both/none can read and learn too! The message is definitely not exclusive to women. The book I’m reading is mostly geared towards women. But the lesson goes for anyone.
I’m reading Sarah Ban Breathnach ‘s “Something More – Excavating Your Authentic Self.”
I absolutely love her writing style. It’s so warm and gentle but so strong and passionate.
In this book, in a section called, “Near-Life Experiences,” she writes
“Every day we experience death. The death of dreams, misconceptions, illusions. The death of vibrancy and enthusiasm. The death of hope. The death of courage. The death of confidence. The death of faith. The death of trust. More often than any of us ever expect, life stuns us with the sudden wrenching away of a loved one, a devastating diagnosis, a conversation that begins with the chilling words “There’s Something I’ve got to tell you.
We feel as if life is over, and we are right. Life as we knew it is over.”
Sarah Ban Breathnach writes about when her marriage ended and when her health was threatened. She writes
“In each instance, when I regained consciousness months later, I was someone else. I died to myself, and a stronger, wiser, and more passionate woman was resurrected in my place. Although this woman answered to my name, she was profoundly different. “
This woman was in a serious accident, years ago, in a fast -food restaurant with her toddler daughter when a large ceiling panel fell off and crashed into her. She fell unconscious onto the table. No one else was hurt. She suffered a severe concussion, was bedridden, confused, and disoriented for months and disabled for a year and a half. For a few months her senses did not function properly. She had to stay in bed constantly in the dark because her injuries rendered her extremely sensitive to light. She was inarticulate and couldn’t speak coherently. She felt imprisoned in her own body, neither alive nor dead but having a “near -life experience.”
She shares a quote by Eudora Welty, “the fantasies of dying could be no stranger than the fantasies of living. Surviving is perhaps the strangest fantasy of them all.”
And here is, what I see, as the most beautiful part of Sarah Ban Breathnach’s story.
When she was bedridden in the dark she had nothing to do but tell herself stories in her head. She writes this,
“In order to get through this purgatory, I would lie in the dark and tell myself stories – discombobulated sagas, to be sure – as I wove in and out of wakefulness. Clara Pinkola Estes believes that ‘Stories are medicine.’ They certainly became my homeopathic remedies. Although I had been a journalist for ten years, I had never thought of myself as a storyteller. But snatches of stories-fairy tales I’d heard as a child, adventures I’d lived as a young woman- would float to the top of my distress and hang in midair until I retrieved one and recast it as a personal parable. Each starred my own romantic heroine, an extraordinary woman who triumphed over her travails with courage, grace, and grit – a person who bore no resemblance to me at all. This woman was beautiful and radiant, with a strong, healthy, and vibrant aura. Her eyes sparkled and she laughed uproariously . She was mysterious, magnetic, accomplished, powerful, irresistible, confident, smart, sassy, funny, and sexy. She was passionate. She possessed verve, but more important, she reflected, even in the worst situations, the essential characteristic of all romantic heroines – repose of the soul. I couldn’t remember having an imaginary friend as a child, but now I did and I adored her company.
I looked forward to my alter ego ‘s daily dose of diva-gation- her wandering, straying, but always pulling through with pluck to live and love again.”
After this ordeal was over, Sarah Ban Breathnach realized that this beautiful, passionate, strong woman in her waking dreams is in fact herself. Her authentic self.
The self she always knew deep, deep inside she can be. The self she already was then but buried beneath layers of social demands and pressures, the stresses of everyday life, denial, feelings of unworthiness….She had to learn this and practice acknowledging it but eventually she came to know that she is a strong, wise woman of love, passion, and strength. This woman and this wisdom were born of pain and horror but she was there all along waiting for the birth of herself.
It’s true that every single day parts of us die so new parts can be born. Even our skin and cells physically die and give way to new ones.
Death hurts. Not just the biological death of someone we love or the death of a relationship but even the death of minor details in our lives or the death of certain ways of thinking can hurt. Something we once believed and no longer believe. The death of certain opinions, the death of an illusion.
The death of certain ways of living.
Even the death of something unpleasant can hurt at first. A job you always wanted to leave and finally do get to leave it. It can hurt because you’re pushed out of your comfort zone, something you have known for so long. It hurts. Even though it’s what you wanted.
When hope dies, when faith dies, and we fall, when we have setbacks and seem to fail, we can let this all guide us, push us forward to something bigger and better, we make room for new things, better things, more beautiful things to fall into place.
We can allow our pain, struggles, challenges, failures, setbacks, relapses, and unpleasant experiences to strengthen us, make us wiser, better, enlightened, empowered, and more empathetic and compassionate to others and ourselves. We can take our pain and struggles as challenges to come up with creative ways to better ourselves and use them to our advantage.
So, girls think of the woman you long to be, the one you would love to know, be friends with, be in the company of, the woman you KNOW you CAN be and deep inside ARE already her.
Materialize her. Realize her.
Think of the best girl friend you would love to know or one you have already if you’re that blessed or the the kind of mother you want to be if you want to be one and would love to have for yourself, the kind of sister you would adore, the professor you would look up to in college, the counselor you would love to talk to, the neighbor you would love to chat with on the street, the girl of your dreams….
What do you love about her? Why do you adore her? What traits does this beautiful woman possess and display? What virtues does she embody? What surrounds her? What dwells within her? What does she do? What do you see in her? What ways does she have about her? What goals does she have? What does she dream about at night? What daydreams occupy her mind? How does she feel? How does she love?
If you can dream her, you can be her.
You can recreate yourself into the you that you want to be. You can strengthen and play up the things you already love about yourself and develop the things you want but do not yet possess.
“Act like a lady, think like a boss.”
“She believed she could so she did.”
“She stood in the storm and when the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails.” ~ Elizabeth Edwards
“She always had that about her, that look of otherness, of eyes that see things much too far, and of thoughts that wander off the edge of the world. ” ~ Joanne Harris
“Girls compete with each other, women empower one another.”
Don’t deny your needs and desires. Don’t repress yourself. Let your opinions be heard. Don’t feel threatened by an opinion which opposes yours. If you know what someone says is or may be correct and you are wrong, admit it, at least to yourself. Let it shake you up and then change your views. If you know in your heart of hearts that you are correct then let your opinion be as loud as the opposing one. Don’t let anyone make you squirm or back down. Stand tall. Stand proud. Stand.
It’s ok to be wrong and it’s ok to give in and see the other side and admit it.
It’s ok to build yourself up.
To call yourself beautiful.
To love you.
To cherish you.
Do what makes you happy no matter what, don’t let anyone dull your sparkle or get in your way. Be true. Be you.
Take care of yourself, tend to your needs, be selfish occasionally when you have to be for your own mental/emotional/psychological/spiritual & physical health. Say no when you must. Say yes to you.
Buy yourself flowers.
Laugh loudly. Live passionately. Love fiercely.
Reflect and think about who you want to be, write in a journal, meditate, list qualities you wish to posses or strengthen and ones you want to abandon.
And if you’re not a woman, this can still apply to you. It applies to all humans. We can all work to be a better version of ourselves.
Each moment we fall apart, we are made new. Born again. And again. And again. And again…..a new dawn comes to life. The sun rises again. Morning has awakened.
Crumble. So you can stand again but even stronger.
“Oh yes, I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything .”~ Helen Reddy
“You can bend but never break me
‘Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
‘Cause you’ve deepened the conviction in my soul” ~ Helen Reddy
“I’m not a one in a million kind of girl, I’m that once in a lifetime kind of woman.”
“Well I won’t back down, no I won’t back down
You can stand me up at the gates of Hell
But I won’t back down
No I’ll 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.” ~ Tom Petty
Let your pain make you better, not bitter.
“Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens.” ~ LeeAnn Womack
Xoxo Kim
But that’s alright.
You are your own light.
“Create the things you wished existed.”
Is there anything you wish to see more of in this world or around you, more love, or more positivity, specific kinds of blog posts, more encouraging people, more beauty and light….?
We can’t control other people but we can empower ourselves and make positive choices to put more of what we want to see out into the world.
I think sometimes we wait for other people to move first and we search for people to look up to, people who will do what we want to see, write what we want to read, say what we want to hear, and we search for things we can’t seem to find at that moment then get disappointed or frustrated or heartbroken when we don’t find it.
I know sometimes I get a numb feeling or just feeling gloomy or stagnant and wish someone would appear with some beauty and light or message of hope for me or put some feeling into me and I search the Internet or books and can’t seem to find anything on that occasion that fulfills my longing.
But the truth is while it’s great to have someone special come along with a sweet uplifting message of love and hope, that won’t always happen. Sometimes we’ll be lonely and feeling empty or glum.
But the great thing is, we have an abundance of inspiration inside us already and all we have to do is tap into it and share with others.
We don’t have to wait for someone else to put beauty in our lives. It’s up to us to create beauty in the ugliest moments and bring about light in our darkest hours.
If you want to read something positive about a certain topic or want to read a certain opinion and don’t find it when you search, why not write it yourself? Want to read a list of wonders or amazing things? Create your own list!
Do you want to read something raw and honest and deep? Write something raw and honest and deep and share it with the world.
Need someone in your life who is loving, passionate, and strong? While you’re waiting, be that person yourself. Work on yourself and create yourself and strengthen yourself into the you that you would love to know.
Want a loyal, forgiving friend who loves unconditionally? Be that kind of friend. Be that kind of person to the world.
Listen to your heart, listen to the song within. Listen to your own deep inner wisdom. It may be quiet and gentle but it’s there. Deep inside, you know what you need.
Whatever it is, realize it.
You have a plentitude of life, inspiration, and love within you that you can bask in, share, and bless people with.
So whatever you want to see existing, create it.
I have been listening to the beautiful song by Jack Wagner, “All I Need” and these lovely words jump out at me:
“No stars are out tonight but we’re shining our own light.
And it’s never felt so right.”
When there are no stars in your sky, shine your own light.
If you want, check out the song here:
Non mobile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cLYRsHfPkQ&sns=fb
Mobile:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9cLYRsHfPkQ&app=m
“I wondered why someone did not do something. Then I realized I am someone.” ~ Unknown
😀
Xoxo Kim
(my little man, Emmy. He’s nine months old!
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” ~ John Michael Holmes
Hello lovelies,
I haven’t been doing much lately but laying in bed with my little dog and sharing inspirational quotes and pics on Facebook and reading old plays and books. I can’t put much serious thought into anything.
I recently suffered a head injury and it’s really affecting me. I never got it checked out, professionally. It doesn’t seem like an emergency and I have no way to pay for medical treatment.
I walked into a bar on my bed in the dark one early morning and I drifted unconscious for a few moments, I think. It was a hard blow. I.cant remember much about it. The pain is getting worse and so is my.distorted thinking. And my.senses and memory are a bit hazy. It got hit on one side but the pain is now through my. Whole head.
I’m also dizzy & confused off and on. And light-headed and my speech gets a bit slurred. My body feels sickly now and seems like I keep faltering to the right side which is the side that got hit.
But none of it is constantly unbearable. So that’s good! 😀
I’m so thankful it did not trigger my tmj pain condition. That tends to happen when my face or head gets hit/touched certain ways.
I still have to work.a.couple hours some.nights at the store but it’s sloww so it’s not too hard.
It feels like i.just want to lay in bed and sleep, it’s making me so exhausted and i.get over 12 hours of sleeep a lot now. It doesn’t help.
I have been thinking about loneliness and healing. I noticed sweet, simple memories help me.when I’m lonely. And I. Was thinking about the importance of living in the moment and creating new pleasant memories.
I have been having frequent flash backs just out of the blue, of things that happened previously. It’s sweet and pleasant to remember something happy that happened.
I was also thinking of someee other things that help ease loneliness.
1.) Helping people in any way, even simple ways like smiling at people, making eye contact, sharing inspiring quotes & pictures.
I often feel deeply connected with people and feel at One with all that is. I love this feeling. But I also tend to feel lonely sometimes and it can get severe, a kind of choking loneliness that feels it will never go and it doesn’t matter how many people are near me. It’s like a barrier nothing can break through. But it always goes eventually.
2.) Remember feelings come and go and can be delusional. Just because we feel very lonely doesn’t mean we are really alone or that no one likes us or we really have no one. There’s always hope.
3.) certain songs and quotes
4.) making plans for the future
5.) distractions, books, fun, healing activities, arts and crafts, writing
6.) if you’re physically alone and feeling lonely, use your physical alone-ness to do interesting things you can’t do as well with people around,reflect, ponder certain questions, learn new skills,meditate, read something you always wanted to read,listen to music …instead of dwelling on your loneliness or unhappiness being physically alone. As much as I love being around people, I realize it’s also good to be alone now and then so I can catch up on stuff I can’t do around people because it would be rude or they will disrupt me.
7.) reach out to people, write a message to someone you know or someone you meet online. Send someone a compliment or idea or feedback on a blog, fb status….
8.) pay close attention to your pets if you have them.
9.) Remember occasional loneliness is ok. And humans are social creatures. Parts of us need contact with people, we need friends to fulfill us in certain ways.
10.) learn to love your own company, think positive thoughts about yourself, focus on your good qualities, laugh out loud, don’t deny yourself pleasure
11.) Remember not to put your happiness on hold for “better” things to occur. Live now.
12.) Smile. 😀
My phone has been acting up. Soon I will be doing a master reset and lose all my files to see if that works and if not a new one is in order!
Luckily it’s insured! ;-D
Smile, loves,it gets better!!
“Those raindrops are fallin’ on my head, they keep fallin’
So I just did me some talkin’ to the sun
And I said I didn’t like the way he got things done
Sleepin’ on the job
Those raindrops are fallin’ on my head, they keep fallin’
But there’s one thing I know
The blues they send to meet me won’t defeat me
It won’t be long till happiness steps up to greet me” ~ BJ Thomas
Xoxo Kim 😀
“While there is time let’s go out and feel everything” ~ Steve Winwood
I have been meditating more regularly than usual and have been doing more gratitude meditations, usually at night before sleep.
It has a serious, positive effect on me. Not just while I’m meditating but all day when I wake up. Even with less sleep I feel more energized, more alive, more awake, and aware. And more grateful.
During my meditations, I have been overwhelmed with powerful emotions coming over me, flooding into my consciousness. One emotion which has been so strong is grief. Grief over my dog who died in April this year of old age, grief over broken friendships, grief over people who died, grief over the years I “lost” to depression, grief over people I once knew and let slip away, grief over years gone away, into the light of yesterday…
I’m not exactly sure why this is. I know meditation has the tendency to bring about strong emotions which we have pent up inside, emotions we repress or deny. But I haven’t been denying my grief for the most part. I have grieved so hard over my losses, not denying them. But grief over a loss, especially a permanent one, is not easy for me to handle. There sometimes comes a point where my grief reaches a pinnacle so great, it’s too painful to bear so I do try to repress it, not deny it but just push it aside. Maybe my meditation practices are bringing to the surface of my consciousness, the remnants of initial grief I kept locked away.
It’s possible to repress things or have thoughts or feelings without even realizing at a conscious level. The experience of my grief flooding back to me during meditation is not bad, it’s good. It allows me to experience and release. It is painful though.
Also, I have been gaining some fascinating and deep insights about creativity, beauty, open-mindedness, and seeing various things in different ways, at different angles. I feel even more empathetic and compassionate than ever. More creative and enlightened, like the beginning of some awakening that’s difficult to put into words.
Everyday I acknowledge gratitude and being alive. Sometimes I just think of things I’m thankful to have and the fact that I’m alive. On other occasions I actually feel gratitude seeping into me at a deep level, flooding the cells of my body, tingling and sinking into the marrow of my bones, just flooding over me.
And I feel so alive, absolutely fully alive.
Sometimes this feeling comes on out of nowhere, other moments I can tap into it intentionally. And other occasions I feel ungrateful and not appreciative. Or numb, trudging around in a sense of stagnant drudgery.
I don’t have to just be happy to feel so alive. I have felt this in moments of grief and pain, anger, and heartbreak. Life is full of happiness and joy and also pain and heartache. So if we’re alive and fully receptive, we will experience it all. And it’s beautiful to feel so utterly alive.
I want to pull in and embrace every emotion and feeling that comes to me, snatch it up and hold it close while I can, even the painful ones, as they are an indication of life. So life-affirming.
I want to feel everything while I can.
I want to take full advantage of the gift of life, my blessing of being alive and conscious.
Since practicing these meditations more regularly I have been feeling the deep gratitude feeling more frequently each day, not just acknowledging things I have to be grateful for, but the feeling of gratitude living and breathing, dwelling in my cells, venturing through my veins and each artery, and each breath of my heart. The gratitude and life that breathes in me. The gratitude that floods my existence, caresses my very essence.
It’s so different than the depression & despair that generally consumed me for years.
How often do you truly feel alive? So alive that you can feel every sensation in your body and notice every thing outside of you? All the colors, feelings, textures, lights…of your external environment, the tingling in your toes and fingertips…so alive on a deeper level than what we usually feel everyday..
Even in monotonous moments and routine environments?
“I will live while I can, I will have my ever after” ~ Steve Winwood
“We go so fast, why don’t we make it last
Life is glowing inside you and me
Please take my hand, right here where I stand
Won’t you come out and dance with me
Come see with me, oh, come see” ~ Steve Winwood
One very interesting thing is I have been feeling somewhat distracted during meditation the last few nights. I usually do not have this problem too often but I have been, lately, so I have been doing, let’s say, “half-assed” jobs at meditating and still seeing incredible results. So imagine what I’m capable of when I get over my distraction and give it my all!
I have been struggling for a few days with not feeling very grateful as much as I possibly can. I have been having annoying technology problems with my phone that won’t allow me to do things that I do every day. Also, I just found out a man I have known for some years and talked to frequently, recently died, of a possible drug overdose and I am so sad. He was so friendly and outgoing and kind. He struggled off and on with alcohol and other drug addiction and attempted to get help on multiple occasions. But we lost this battle and it’s devastating. And my heart goes out to everyone impacted by this tragic loss.
And to everyone affected in any way by any kind of addiction. It is a devastating and heartbreaking struggle.
It’s often easy to feel and express gratitude when things are going well. But what about when it seems that everything is going wrong, all wrong, when we have a heavy heart, a broken heart, when the world seems to be crumbling on top of us? When we lose and lose again, sinking so low it feels we can’t go lower, then we do? That may be when we need gratitude the most. Maybe we won’t feel it purely but we can feel and express it to some degree if we try and practice.
It is possible to feel a slither of gratitude even in the midst of pain and anger. And that slither can be enough to keep us going.
I wrote this.
(Much of it is inspired by
Mobile: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0R52DePavMo
Comp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R52DePavMo
which is created by Angela Carole Brown and is a brief meditation video for gratitude affirmations.)
I live in gratitude.
I breathe gratitude.
I am grateful everyday that I live and breathe.
Every day that I have a creative idea, a revelation, learn something new, and am able to let go of old limiting beliefs, I am grateful.
Every day that I face my fears or overcome obstacles, I am grateful.
Every moment that I am given awareness of the simplest of beauties, the opportunity to experience profound joy, and feel genuine happiness, I am grateful.
Every day that I stumble upon hidden treasures, I am grateful.
Every moment that I am enlightened and discover insights, I am grateful.
Every day that my heart feels compassion, understanding, patience, and peace, I am grateful.
Every day that I act upon love and compassion, I am grateful.
Every day that I Encounter and engage with another living being, I am grateful.
Every day that I am
Hugged, kissed, and loved, I am grateful.
Everyday that I
Laugh or make someone laugh
Inspire and am inspired
Hear of someone’s life being saved
Change someone’s life or someone changes mine, I am grateful
Every day I love, live, and breathe, I am grateful.
Every day my heart pumps, I am grateful.
Every day I witness, hear about, receive, or engage in an act of kindness, I am grateful.
Ever day my heart is overwhelmed in anger, pain, frustration, negativity, bitterness, and grief, I am grateful
Every moment that I act out in anger, I am grateful
Every moment that my heart is broken, I am grateful.
Each challenge, painful situation, every loss, setback, and failure provides opportunity to learn, to evolve, to get stronger, to become more aware, more compassionate of myself and others, to develop deeper empathy and I am grateful.
Everyday that that I am
Humbled by a mistake, a thing learned, a person who teaches me…I am grateful.
Everyday I am faced with
Seemingly unbearable pain, and struggles
I am grateful
Every day for Lessons learned, I am grateful
Every day that
I am Strengthened by pain, I am grateful
Every day for moments of
Quiet and reflection, I am grateful
Every day for stillness and calm within, without, I am grateful.
Every single day,
At every single moment
I am grateful.
Forever grateful.
Thank you
This is Angela Carole Brown’s page.
http://www.angelacarolebrown.com/GLOBALYOGA.htm
Please check out her gratitude meditation youtube video. It’s so beautiful.
This is only seven minutes and forty-three seconds long.
Mobile:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0R52DePavMo
Non mobile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R52DePavMo
It’s so inspirational and when practiced everyday can be life changing for the better!
She explains how gratitude even for unpleasant experiences is the way to go. A life with some pain and challenges is better than an “effortless ” life, as she says. Because we become stronger, wiser, more empathetic and compassionate, and learn many valuable lessons.
“You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.” — Sarah Ban Breathnach
Much love & gratitude to you all!
And thank you for reading! 😀
Xoxo Kim
“We must live while we can and we’ll drink our cup of laughter
The finer things keep shining through
The way my soul gets lost in you
The finer things I feel in me
The golden dance life could be
I’ve been sad and have walked bitter streets alone
Come morning, there’s a good wind to blow me home
So time is a river rolling into nowhere
I will live while I can, I will have my ever after
The finer things keep shining through
The way my soul gets lost in you
The finer things I feel in me
The golden dance life could be” ~Steve Winwood
I downloaded a book on my Kindle for free and it’s all short inspirational stories. This one touches me deeply so I looked it up online and decided to share it here. It’s about a child with a learning disability and his dad and a moment that impacted them for life. It’s based on a true story but I notice that there are slightly different versions of it but all basically the same with the exact same message and ending. Some versions have more of a religious or spiritual tinge and some are more secular, all are heartwarming. This one is closest to the one in the Kindle book.
“In Brooklyn, New York, Chush is a school that caters to children with learning disabilities. Some children remain in Chush for their entire school career while others can transfer into conventional schools. At a Chush fund-raising dinner the father of a Chush child delivered a speech that will always be remembered by all who attended.
After extolling the school and it’s dedicated staff he cried out, “When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shaya, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?”
The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father’s anguish and stilled by the piercing query. “I believe,” the father answered, “that when a child like Shaya comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.”
He then told the following story about his son Shaya:
One afternoon, Shaya and his father walked past a park where some boys whom Shaya knew were playing baseball. Shaya asked, “Do you think they will let me play?”
Shaya’s father knew that his son was not at all athletic and that most boys would not want him on their team. But Shaya’s father also understood that if his son was chosen to play it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging. Shaya’s father approached one of the boys in the field and asked if Shaya could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his team mates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said “We are losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning.”
Shaya’s father was ecstatic as Shaya smiled broadly. Shaya was told to put on a glove and go out to play short centre field. In the bottom of the eighth inning Shaya’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the bottom of the ninth inning Shaya’s team scored again and now, with two outs and the bases loaded with the potential winning run on base, Shaya was scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let Shaya bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shaya was given the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because Shaya didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, let alone hit with it.
However, as Shaya stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shaya should at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shaya swung clumsily and missed. One of Shaya’s team mates came up to Shaya and together they held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shaya. As the pitch came in, Shaya and his team mate swung at the ball and together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shaya would have been out and that would have ended the game.
Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, “Shaya, run to first. Run to first.” Never in his life had Shaya run to first. He scampered down the baseline wide eyed and startled. By the time he reached first base the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who would tag out the still-running Shaya.
But the right fielder understood what the pitcher’s intentions were so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head. Everyone yelled, “Run to second, run to second.” Shaya ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shaya reached second base the opposing short stop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base and shouted, “Run to third.” As Shaya rounded third the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming, “Shaya run home.” Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero as he had just hit a “grand slam” and won the game for his team.
“That day,” said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world
“. “
{from “Echoes of the Maggid (1999) by Rabbi Paysach Krohn, told to him by Shaya’s father}
I absolutely love this beautiful story. Both teams who were opposing each other in the game came together as One to encourage, support, include, and bring love to a little boy and his dad who needed it so much. They chose to be selfless and care more about a person than their game. Beautiful!
I believe we should all show love like this to our fellow sentient beings. We should empower one another, support, encourage, and nourish people’s strengths, point out the beauty and goodness in each other, focus on the positive.
Much love to you all.
Xoxo Kim 🙂
I am so humbled and so honored that I have been nominated for the Most Influential Blogger Award by the Lovely Dr. Rex!!
Please go visit her wonderful blog here:
Ty!
I would have posted this sooner but there’s something very weird going on with my phone’s Internet! But I found a way around it!
Here is the Nominations post with the rules & nominees :
http://hrexach.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/most-influential-blogger-award/
The rules of this award are:
1. Add the award logo to your blog.
2. Answer the following questions.
3. And pass the award on to 10 other blogs and let them know.
Questions:
1) What makes you happiest?
2) Do you love the Oceans or Mountains more?
3) What has been a special moment in 2013?
4) What’s your favorite quote?
5) Do you like yourself?
6) Do you stay up till midnight on New Year?
7) Something you wish could be done ASAP?
8) What was your favorite class when still at school?
9) What musical instrument have you tried to play?
10) Anything you had wished to have learned earlier?
11) Do you like to do Crafts, Drawing
And here are my answers!! 😀
1) What makes you happiest?
I Don’t have just one thing but one thing that makes me happiest is connecting with people. Reading, writing, music, walking…also makes me very happy! 😀
2) Do you love the Oceans or Mountains more?
I like both but I have more experience with the Oceans. I find Oceans to be very healing.
3) What has been a special moment in 2013?
I have various “special moments” often. I don’t really consider any moment more special than any others but some stand out more, seeming more joyous or profound. One moment which stands out now in my memory is the moment I was able to laugh again, a deep, belly laugh, like I frequently have, after my dog died. I am someone who is very easily amused laughing loudly and often and even when I’m sad I can be amused. But in April 2013 my dog died of old age. We had her for twelve years and she was fourteen years old. After this sad loss, I felt like I wasn’t completely myself for nearly four months. I felt no very deep emotions other than sadness and grief. I couldn’t laugh like I usually do. But one night in my room almost four months later, I was listening to Jimmy Buffett songs and was able to laugh like that again. It restored my hope, helping me realize that things can always get better even after severe sadness, pain, and loss. Another poignant moment worth mentioning is in October, this year, when I was able to say I haven’t had a serious/semi-serious suicidal thought in one year, which is the longest I have been able to go without those in nearly fourteen years. I felt all kinds of emotions, happy, grief, sad, almost despair, awe, pain, confusion, just a strange combination of emotions.
4) What’s your favorite quote?
There’s is a great question! There’s no way I can choose just one but here’s one I love:
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
Leo Buscaglia
5) Do you like yourself?
Yeah!
6) Do you stay up till midnight on New Year?
Every year. Always have and always will!
7) Something you wish could be done ASAP?
Educate and persuade people to be more compassionate, tolerant, and accepting of each other and animals. To be able to accept and cherish diversity and not reject each other over differences and mistakes, to see each other as a person with needs, desires, dreams, and interests.
8) What was your favorite class when still at school?
In high school I loved the horticulture classes! In college, Philosophy & Psychology usually.
9) What musical instrument have you tried to play?
Piano and guitar but it was a no go. Lol!
10) Anything you had wished to have learned earlier?
There probably are some things but I can’t really think of any at the moment. But it’s better to learn late than never! 🙂
11) Do you like to do Crafts, Drawing
Or painting? I love to do all those things even though I’m not the best at them. I especially love crafts things with cutting and gluing on paper!
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I believe we should be proud of all our accomplishments, big and small, alike.
Accomplishments such as kicking a bad habit, healing or recovering an addiction, quitting old detrimental ways…are still great accomplishments even though some people think they are not because they believe those things shouldn’t have been started in the first place.
I subscribed to this page:
http://www.inspiregreatnessnow.com/Free/day1_okJuK.shtml
And the man who the page belongs to said he is grateful he no longer cheats on women who he is in a relationship with. He wrote that it may seem like a bizarre thing to be thankful for but it was a very destructive part of his life at one point and he finally stopped. Now his life is better.
I don’t see that as a bizarre thing to be proud of or grateful for. It takes strength and courage to admit to a problem or being wrong then working to change it and also to share with others.
Everyone makes mistakes. As I have said, no one is perfect in everyone’s eyes. No matter who you are or how amazing you are, someone out there somewhere, thinks or would think, if you met the person and the person knows about it, that something you do, say, think, or feel or something you previously did, thought, felt or said is/was wrong. Someone will see flaws in you.
It seems as if we often tend to negatively judge people based on the seriousness of the consequences of their actions instead of the morality of the actual action, I guess you can say.
For example, people often severely criticize people who take drugs and get addicted. The fact that someone takes recreational drugs and gets addicted may have serious, devastating consequences but it says nothing about the character of the person or the person’s general morals. Some people never take drugs but are just very unkind people who want to drag others down and go out of their way to hurt people merely for the thrill. And many people who do take illicit drugs or have previously taken them are great people with beautiful personalities who would never go all out to hurt people just for the thrill.
A couple months ago someone told a lie involving me at work. I forgive the person and believe it was a mistake and not typical of her. Not a mistake as if she wasn’t aware of what she was doing, she knew, and she had malicious intentions, although I have no idea why because we always had a good relationship with each other. But I view this as a mistake, something she should not have done but she did. This could have cost me my job.
But I don’t view this as something that defines her personality or character. It was a mistake, a wrongdoing, a negative act but I choose to look at her as the whole person she is and not as a horrible person based on one vicious act.
People have advised me to feel bitter towards her, to seek revenge, to see her as a horrible individual. But I choose to move forward with an open heart, forgive her, and “forget.”
She did not admit she was wrong and she lies to the bitter end but I don’t believe her lying now has to do with being malicious towards me any longer. I think it now has to do with her not wanting to admit she was wrong, feeling as if that’s a weakness on her part. She has to lie to back up the main lie so as not to confess that she was initially wrong. So even if she’s sorry, she won’t say it because that would be admitting she was wrong.
However, she did express guilt in other ways and seemed to be trying to make up for it by being extra kind and helpful. That, in my opinion, is better than an empty “I’m sorry” anyway.
For months I have been angrier than I have ever been, some moments, to the point of fury and it was seeping into every aspect of my life, not just work. I would forgive then go back to holding a grudge off and on but I finally let go, for myself and for her. I don’t want to be angry. She doesn’t want me to be angry. And it’s done now.
So, my message here is that mistakes you have made and will make, usually say nothing about who you are as a whole person and even if you aren’t as great as you can be, there’s always the possibility for change. You may have to work hard. It may be awkward and feel uncomfortable now and then but it’s worth it.
And when you accomplish something great like realizing you were wrong and you change your ways or work on yourself for the better that is something to be proud of yourself for no matter what others say.
I have difficulty deleting apps, songs, pictures, and other files off my phone, even ones I never, ever use or even care about. I always have this fear like “What if I change my mind and delete it and can’t get it back again?!” or “What if later I would come to really want this stuff on my phone and I forget all about it and never know to put it back on?!”. Lol things like that. So because of this, I can’t put on new stuff or take new pics.
But two nights ago, yesterday, and today I overcame my limiting fears and decided to go on a deleting spree, deleting everything I don’t use. Some things I wrote down just in case I may want it again.
I let my reasoning prevail over emotion. Now is what matters and now I really need more space on my phone. And I probably will never want those apps and the truth is I can install most of them again if I want later.
This may seem like a trivial thing to be proud of but I must say, I’m proud! Lol. For me, that’s an accomplishment.
Also, I’m a slob. It’s true. I leave empty soda bottles and candy wrappers around my house and my mom gets so mad. That’s not something I should do ever. But I do. So when I actually avoid doing that on my own without being told, I feel a sense of accomplishment.
I hope you will go easy on yourself. Forgive. Learn. Move forward. Be honest & open with yourself.
Lol My message here now is that you should be proud and thankful for all of your accomplishments no matter how trivial or important they seem to you or to others. Every little thing you do that contributes in some way, big or small, to a better you, a better world, a better environment, a better relationship, or a better anything is worth being proud of and grateful for. Even the simplest things.
And this will get you in the habit of seeing the good in you and acknowledging and celebrating your positive aspects and successes. I believe this can lead to a happier life.
What are you holding onto that you should be letting go of?
What should you forgive yourself for?
What would happen inside you if you admit that you were wrong? Admit to yourself? To others?
Why are you holding on to self resentment?
How about you make the decision to let go now?
Xoxo Kim
Here is a continuation of my Nature Walk Post. We visited a beautiful playground which is dedicated to a little boy Named Jake and has a sign welcoming everyone, both children and adults, to play and have fun.
I love it there! To see the pure, raw joy on the kids’ faces as they play is just amazing. So cute!! 😀
Everyone is allowed to dedicate a brick on the walkway and write what they want to whoever they want. So many people wrote inspirational messages which I just had to take pics of. My inner photographer ran wild!
This sentence reads: “At Wegmans we believe that good people working towards a common goal can accomplish anything they set out to do.”
Yes, I completely agree! We should all work together for a better world for everyone.
Enjoy the sunshine.
Have fun. Be happy. Laugh a lot.
Sure thing! 😉 :-p
Larry ❤ Karen
I don’t know Larry & Karen but their love inspires me. My mom asked me why I would want a pic of this beautiful tribute to the love of people I don’t even know. I don’t know them but I know they are each someone. Like I am someone. Someones who care enough to have their love written in stone. This much I know. And it’s enough for me. Hats Off To you Larry & Karen!! ❤
Always have somethin’ sweet to say! 😀
Love to play.
Play safe. Take turns. Be kind.
Couldn’t have Said it better myself!
🙂
Yes, always create happy memories. In years to come, we can look back and smile, laugh, and cry at the sweet memories.
😀
Have a great day.
I wish you a great one everyday!
Always smile.
Always. 😀 🙂
Your smile can make you happy, brighten someone else’s day, and someone may just be falling in love with it.
On the swings at Jake’s playground.
“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million” ~ Walt Streightiff
We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.
Let your inner child out to run wild.
I love the playground. Babies and kids were running wild with joy & laughter and it was the sweetest thing. Everyone was so friendly. A mamma and daddy were pushing their little boy and girl on the swings. They were so sweet.
And we saw a beautiful young family all dressed up with two beautiful little, identical twin girls who were wearing the exact same red shirt and black skirt and looked just like their mamma. The mom and dad got a pic taken together and looked so in love. My heart just melted.
I’m a sap! Lol
tree huggin’ girlie right here! Lol
;-D
Xoxo Kim
P.s. I hope you’re having a beautiful night or day!
So every so often I see those “Life Lately” posts on blogs and I love reading them so much. I love people and knowing what’s going on with them even when I don’t know them personally. I decided to incorporate one of those into this post! Yay! Lol ;-D
Lately…
Listening to: my taste in music never changes. Ever. Same as it ever was. Oldies, country, sappy love songs, inspirational/uplifting . Also I just downloaded many more meditation mp3’s. And some are just creepy and had to be deleted. So yeah. No way. And I recently created a Playlist on my phone of nothing but uplifting songs to inspire and help me. One song constantly on my heart is LeeAnn Womack’s “I Hope You Dance.” I can’t get enough of that song or quite explain how deeply it speaks to me. It’s one of my greatest resources that helps me with my suicidal/low/depressive moods. And there’s another song I have been listening to by Rodney Atkins “If You’re Going Through Hell.” It’s about holding on no matter how much it hurts and keep on going. He sings about being in darkness and just when we feel as if we can’t get any lower, we sink to a new level of despair and desperation and it seems like everyone is out to get us, things are bad and go to worse seeming as if they can’t get worse. Then they do.
But we just keep going, going, and going and there are people who care and want to help. And eventually things start looking up.
And some Alice Cooper lyrics
“We talk about this whole stupid world and still come out laughing ha ha
We never make any sense but hell that never mattered
But we’ll make it through our blackest hour we’re living proof” ~ Alice Cooper (“Department of Youth lyrics)
Watching: again. Something that never changes. I do not watch TV. But I love when my dad watches “King of Queens” at night! I love that show and even have the theme song on my phone.
Reading : Sarah Ban Breathnach ‘s “Something More” and just loving it. She has this great “arts & crafts” idea I’m doing and I have some creative ideas swirling around in my head.
I have a blank page notebook and on the cover it reads, “think positive you are master of your own destiny.”. On the blank pages I’m writing positive quotes and song lyrics and gluing pretty pictures, quotes, and words out of magazines. It will be my creative book of positivity! 😀
Two nights ago I found a meditation mp3 to increase serotonin in the brain and yesterday I meditated to it. It’s supposed to be sending an unconscious positive message to the brain. I do not know what on god’s green earth it was saying to me but when I came out of the meditation I was sickly and achy. ???!!??
Whaaattt??!! Huh?! Yeah, serious headache and just a weird all around feeling. Never again. Delete. Lol. I don’t know what’s going with this thing but I feel injured by it.
There’s a lawsuit right there! Lol jk! Not really! I’m not money hungry and I know the person who created it has good intentions.
Also, my phone’s auto correct. It’s just getting to me. It’s like a setting got changed and it’s over correcting. It’s spelling things wrong and changing the versions of words to the same word but a different version. And my memory card is full and I can’t take new pictures!! Blahhh!! Now I have to save up for a new memory card! And taking pictures is my life! Well, a big part of it! But it’s all good! My phone really is an excellent phone. I am blessed.
Loving: this Fall weather! I love Fall. And it’s finally beginning to feel like Fall and not Summer. I love Philadelphia.
Also, I’m loving writing here, helping myself and others. It’s so great to have something positive to focus on.
And the positivity creativity book I have been working on. I have been feeling creative tendencies attempting to break through. I don’t know why. But I’m so inspired to write. Poetically. Draw. Arts & crafts. Dream even things I know will never materialize. I have this closed minded thing about me where I tend to not dream of things I think can never occur. That’s a big creative block and just dumb so I’m working on that! Nothing is impossible really (except for things that literally are.) . I have no special creative talents and I occasionally get creative energy bursts and do all “creative” stuff I’m terrible at then I quit. But it’s good and fun to draw, write, paint, play… whether or not we’re good at it. So I’m going to make it part of my everyday routine to get my creative juices flowing.
I even have a creative meditation mp3 designed to help us tap into our creative side and enhance creativity.
It’s at meditationoasis.com
http://www.meditationoasis.com/
Here: http://www.meditationoasis.com/podcast/listen-to-podcast/
#29
They have some for free and some to buy. This one is currently available at no cost.
I would like to encourage anyone interested to get a notebook like I have and make it a fun positive creative notebook. Write things like quotes, song lyrics, and words which inspire you. Draw & glue pictures. All you need is markers, crayons, or colored pencils, magazines, scissors, glue, pens, a notebook, any arts and crafts stuff and your brain! It’s fun to do and you can look at it later to inspire yourself!
This beautiful quote is out of LeeAnn Womack’s wonderful song “I Hope You Dance.”. This song and this line have always helped me so much and always will. When I feel like giving up as if I’m about to succumb to depression/suicidal thoughts & urges, this often helps pull me back or keep me grounded.
“When you come close to sellin’ out, reconsider.” ~ LeeAnn Womack
Thanks!
Xoxo Kim
