A Poets View

Serenity

Greet the day
Serene in essence
Clothed in light
Warmed in heart
Bound in spirit

enlightened

By: Joanne Olivieri

I used my own poetry today because it captures the core of inspiration.  Inspiration or “in-spirit” comes from within us.  When we are inspired we are in touch with our spirit.  It is important to be observant of the world around us.  What may seem like the least little thing to us may be the greatest source of inspiration.

Wayne Dyer in one of his lectures speaks about a bird landing on him while he was walking along a beach.  This one incident inspired not only a book but a lecture series.  Below you will find a fantastic book on how to attain inner peace by Dr. Wayne Dyer.

Living in a cosmopolitan city it is easy to get caught up in the urban hustle and bustle.  However even within a city setting your observations of the situations around you can touch your spirit.

Something as innocuous as a blackbird flitting about rummaging for food can inspire an epic poem or short story.  I know it has for me.  It doesn’t matter whether you are an artist or writer or just someone who likes to walk for exercise, the important thing is that you observe the world around you because it is in observance that we become inspired.  My friend over at Observations at today.com has a wonderful post on this subject.

By observing and really listening to nature and the world around us we allow ourselves to become free, open and at one with nature’s essence.  So, when you hear the phrase “take time to stop and smell the roses” do just that.

How do you become inspired?

1.  Take a walk in nature.  Just listen to the quiet and experience the natural setting.

2.  Immerse yourself in what you love to do.  Focus on it as if there were nothing else around you.  Become what you are doing.

3.  Observe your surroundings.  Even if you are just in your living room watching tv, look around and observe everything in your presence.  Trust me, there is inspiration in everything.

a series of haiku/senryu examples

summer rains
the urban pavement
a concrete ski slope

orange sunset
a tequila sunrise
at last call

beach bonfire
his alcohol breath
fuels the flames

sunbathing
she burns toast
for breakfast

morning sun rises
across eastern skies
an orange smoothie

desert summer
sans humidity
her hot flash lingers

cumulus clouds
pattern the sky
cotton candy

moonlight stroll
a spider
webs his way through darkness

hot air balloons
his speech goes in one ear
and out the other

summer night
crickets scatting jazz tunes
my ear wax gone

midsummer’s dream
fantasies
in high definition

sunrise menuet
he hits the snooze button
and sleeps in

high tide -
low tide
the yin yang of it all

The true way to render ourselves happy is to love our work and find in it our pleasure.

Francoise de Motteville:

Work is an integral part of life.  We have to work in order to make money so that we can take care of our families.  As a result many take on jobs they dislike merely because they may pay well and we think we need to make more and more money in order to be happy.

When we were born and made our debut on this earth, our talents and creativity debuted as well.  Our passions were inherent within our soul when we were born.  This is why we all gravitate to different hobbies as we grow.  To ignore our passions and work at something we dislike is to ignore ourselves.  We cannot keep passions dormant.  They must be set free because they are at the very core of our being.

As mentioned earlier, though we need to make money in order to live we need to find a way to make money at what we love doing.  That is a very difficult task.  We need to find a job that is in sync with our creative spirit.  If we are lucky enough to be able to make a living with what we love to do then we are living our true authentic self.

As a writer, I certainly do not make a living at what I love doing but I still need to write everyday.  If all I worked was a regular job and did not employ my creative talents to what I love, I would be miserable.  Miserable, because I would not be doing what I love to do.

Here are some suggestions

1. Take time each day to do what you enjoy.  Whether it’s reading, working out, writing or watching movies, it really doesn’t matter what it is, the important thing is that you do it each day.  After a while you will realize that what you love to do can be your life’s work whether paid or not.  Your imagination and the universe will supply you with the ideas you need to realize your dream of making a living with your passions.

2. When you decide to do what you love stay focused on your vision.  Stay away from a negative thought process which allows your ego to  say “you are making the wrong choice.”  Do not allow others to manipulate you into thinking you are wrong in doing what you love to do.  Remember it comes from your heart and your heart is never wrong.

3. If you are unable to make a living on what you love to do, then find a job that is in sync with your passions.  If you play guitar but cannot make a decent living as a musician, then teach guitar to students.  Work in a music shop.  Play your guitar in your neighborhood for tips.  It is just a matter or using your imagination and being focused on what you love to do.

4. When you are inspired everything else falls into place.  When you are doing what you are meant to do, the universe takes over and allows you to fulfill your dreams. 

Photo courtesy of www.joelchua.com

I decided to write about this topic today after seeing the Nightline debate on this same subject.  Deepak Chopra as well as a couple of other ministers and an ex prostitute were debating the existence of Satan.

The prostitute claimed that she heard voices telling her to do evil and that she knew that these voices were not in her head.  She also claimed that she was a drug addict at the time.  She believes that Satan was directing her evil acts.  While I do believe she heard voices I do not believe they were the voices of Satan.

Deepak Chopra took the stance that Satan is a non existent myth and that we all have the capacity for good and evil.  I have to agree with him on this particular statement.  I do not believe there is a Satan.  Because we have the power of choice and free will we also have the power to go against what our heart tells us and as a result listen to our ego which can steer us in the wrong direction.

There was another minister who believes that Satan is an angel who fell out of grace from God and this fallen angel is in fact the devil or Satan.  Many people do believe this to be true.  I absolutely do not believe this scenario.  It was also stated that in order for you to believe in God you must believe in Satan.  That was the most ridiculous statement made on that show and the perfect example of how the ego works.

I remember years ago going to see the movie the Exorcist when it was first released.  I was not a child at the time yet that movie scared the daylights out of me.  In fact, it still does.  I cannot watch that movie at all.  The special effects, the rotation of the head and everything else just made me cringe in fear.  I’ve asked myself many times why that movie had such an effect on me.  My answer was quite simple.  It was scary enough to make me question my beliefs about Satan.

My belief is that we all have racing thoughts which at times can be evil because we all have an ego and free will.  When we or someone does something evil it is out of fear, rejection, loneliness etc… The list goes on and on.  I truly believe that if we understand that our ego is the “evil” within us and that we should learn to think and act with our heart then those voices and racing thoughts will no longer exist.

I am very curious as to your thoughts on this subject.

In solitude, where we are least alone

Lord Byron

Within our society, solitude is looked upon as anti social or strange.  We think that we must constantly be surrounded by people engaging in a busy lifestyle.  However, the opposite is true.  

In order to connect with our deepest feelings and energies we must find time for solitude.  It is where we can connect with our inner most thoughts and ideas.  When we are in the midst of family, friends and activities, we lose that deep connection to our spirit.  

As the quote portrays, we are least alone in solitude.  We gather our thoughts and energies in one limitless continuum and experience the birth of our passions.   Our passions being the path to our authentic self can only be directed through solitude and meditation.

So many of us spend day after day being busy with school, work and so many activities that we fail to nourish our spirit through solitude.  We think we have to be busy all the time because that is what society tells us we should be doing.

Just as a flower needs quiet time to bloom and grow among nature’s palate, so do we need that quiet time to nurture our spirit.

How do we find solitude?

1. We find solitude in nature.  We find it anywhere we can be alone with our thoughts and ideas.

2. Look within.  You will find that deep within your soul are energies waiting to be born.  They can only be set free when we find the quiet time to acknowledge them.

3. Set some activities aside.  Make time for yourself and allow your passions to run wild.

Home is where the heart is…

My thought for today is focused on being happy and at peace with where you live and what you have.  Depending on our salaries and these days lending institutions determines where we can afford to live, work and play.

Our homes reflect who we are and what values we hold.  Being thankful for the fact that we do have somewhere to “hang our hat” is what is important.  There are so many homeless people living on the streets all over this country and the world that we should be thankful on a daily basis for what we have.

It doesn’t matter if you live in a mansion, an apartment or a room in a downstairs basement.  The fact is you are sheltered from the elements and have a place to sleep.  I see people in my neighborhood all the time sleeping in doorways and on park benches out in Golden Gate Park.  I often wonder while I’m snuggling in for the night on a rainy and cold evening where these people are and if they are warm enough to sleep.

On the other side of the spectrum I also know people who are never satisfied.  They have to have more room or more things to display in their homes in order to keep up with their neighbors.  I can never understand why.  If all you care about is having more and more to compete with everyone else you will never have enough.

What I am trying to convey today is be thankful for what you do have.  Help those who are less fortunate.  Though money can buy you “things” it can never buy you happiness.

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.”

Buddha

When we dream we dream in images.  When we are awake we see images.  We are human with visual capacities that have no boundaries.  We visualize the future and what we want it to be.  We see through our mind’s eye what we want to become and where we want to be.  We all have wishes, hopes and dreams which will come to fruition when we allow what we visualize to fly freely with limitless intention.

We’ve all heard the old lines “When you wish upon a star.”  No truer words than these have ever been spoken.  When you cast your wishes and dreams to the universe they become energy which is cast back to you in the form of opportunities.  What you desire and wish, you can create.  You can be anything you want as long as you believe you can achieve your dreams.

Here are a few suggestions

1. Wish for anything you want.  Refuse to limit yourself out of fear.  You can create what you want by simply believing in yourself.

2. Send your wishes out to the universe.  You can do this by praying, saying your wishes out loud and visualizing them in your mind or simply writing them down in your journal and visualizing them on paper.  Ask and you shall receive.

3. Use affirmations.  Eliminate doubt in your words.  Use phrases like I will or I shall.  Don’t ask but affirm.

4. Keep your visualizations in your mind.  By seeing them you will begin to create what you want.

Blue Turtle Crossing which is created and lovingly produced by my friend and fellow writer Colleen Breuning is an eclectic mix of poetry and art by some of the most talented artists around.

Colleen’s photography graces the home page with a myriad slideshow containing photos from her travels and personal life.  She is an excellent photographer and one who I greatly admire.  She is also an outstanding writer and poet.  She is one of the most creative artists I have ever known.

Each poet within Blue Turtle Crossing has a page of their own to display their own unique creative talents along with links to their works around the Internet.  The ezine is very well styled and produced.  I urge all of you to take a look around and enjoy the inspirational works of art.  Visit Blue Turtle Crossing.

Hello all,

Thank you.
Jo aka jodapoet

I’m happy to report that my inner child is still ageless.
James Broughton

Though our bodies or outer shells may age, our inner self never ages.  It is infinite and therefore time does not apply.  We live in a society where age is taboo.  Plastic surgeons are always in business and making money like there is no tomorrow.  Why? Because we all think that we need to look younger in order to feel young.  Absolutely not true.

When we strive to look younger all the time, it is an endless journey.  We will always need more botox or more face or eye lifts.  We will never be happy.

You could be twenty years old and be a couch potato or 60 years old and walking everyday.  It’s what you feel inside and what you do with that passion that determines your age.

I’m not saying to ignore your body at all.  You should eat healthy, get some physical and mental exercise each day, however the need for those wrinkle creams are a product of your ego - not your inner self.

Here are some suggestions

1. Force yourself to be active.  You don’t have to run marathons but make yourself do something each day.  Even if it is taking a walk around your block, it is enough to get the juices flowing.

2. Do not label yourself.  If you say “I’m getting old” or “I can’t do that because I’m too old” you are limiting yourself into the confines of judgment from ego.  Living in this negative genre will surely age you before your time.

3. Take baby steps.  Each day try and do something that helps your outside shell and inner self.  Take a walk and listen to the serenity of nature.

4. Challenge yourself.  Take up a new hobby and immerse yourself in your passions.

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.  ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Have you ever noticed that when you are kind to someone the joy you feel is immeasurable?  Just smiling and saying hello to someone on the street can not only put a smile on their face but allow you to share your heart with someone.

There are those who would be kind in order to get something from you and sometimes it is difficult to tell whether they are being genuine or have their own agenda.  The sure fire way to tell is how do you feel when they are kind to you.  If you feel a sense of joy and love within your heart then they are being genuine.  If your intuition kicks in and you find yourself asking, why are they being so nice, then you’ve already answered your question.

Just think if we were all kind to each other what a different world this would be.  There would not be wars, there would not be violence and there would not be anyone hurt or angered.  As humans we sometimes choose not to be kind and that is the problem.  Our choices are made with our egos rather than our hearts. Be kind and act from your heart.

Here are a few suggestions

1. Each day smile and say hello to a stranger.  It may not seem like much but it will make both of you feel significant and boundless joy.

2. When you answer your phone, smile.  I know this seems weird but a friend of mine told me this and she does this each time she answers her phone.  Why? because the smile is felt by the other person.  

3. Do a random act of kindness.  It could be donating to a cause or it could be helping a friend with groceries or simply taking the time to let someone know you care.  Do it everyday without fail and you’ll see the difference it makes.

Photo courtesy of www.impactlab.com

What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.  ~Yiddish Proverb

We always heard growing up that laughter is the best medicine. That is so true.  No matter your mood, laughter can always pick you up and get you right back on your feet.  I love the Yiddish Proverb as well.  Soap cleanses our body and laughter cleanses our soul.

Laughter is also infectious.  Did you ever notice that when someone is laughing, whether you know what they are laughing about or not, you find yourself joining in on the fun.  It reduces stress, it increases endorphins and just makes you feel better.

Tears of joy can cleanse your soul or spirit to a degree of bliss.  When you hear good news or are happy about something a family member or friend has accomplished - this is when your tears of joy come directly from your heart.  Love and laughter go hand in hand.

This is all brings to mind the Neil Sedaka song - Laughter in The Rain. The first line lyrics “oh, I hear laughter in the rain, walking hand in hand with the one I love.” What a beautiful and true sentiment.

Here are some suggestions to get yourself laughing more often.

1. The obvious are sitcoms and comedies.  Try and watch them a couple of times a week. Don’t be shy either - laugh out loud.

2. Watch children at play.  They are in a constant state of laughter as they interact.  Reach down and find your inner child.  Be less serious and controlled.

3. Laugh each day.  Find something to laugh about even if it is laughing at yourself.

4. Play games.  Play cards.  Do things that you enjoy.

5. Let yourself go crazy once in a while.  You’re at jazz concert,  everyone is listening intently, you love the music,  so,  get up and dance.  Who cares what people think.

Every time we choose safety, we reinforce fear

Cheri Huber

Back in 2005 when I took my first trip to Hong Kong, it had been the first time in decades that I had been on a plane.  The thought of flying 14 hours on a plane had me scared to death.  I got on the plane and I was okay until I heard the engines and I immediately began to feel my heart race and I began to breathe heavily.  Then the plane took off and I calmed down.  From that moment on I have never again been afraid to fly.  I’m not crazy about a 14 hour flight but I am no long in fear of flying.

Fear is merely a judgment.  We are afraid of the dark because it is judgment that we make out of a perception of what we think the dark night holds.  It is based on no logical reasoning whatsoever.  It is merely our perception.

We are sometimes afraid to tell someone we love them because of our perception that we think they will not love us back.  That is a judgment and nothing more.  When you live your life in fear you are not only making judgments about everyone and everything but you cannot move on with your life.  You are confined to a prison you have created out of judgment and perception.

How to overcome your fears?

1. Being fearful is not understanding.  You have to understand that fear is perception and nothing more.

2. We all have fear of failure.  Failure does not exist. As humans we judge failure based on our own perceptions.  Example:  If you want to begin a career in dance yet you are afraid to try it because you don’t think you are good enough or could ever do it,  you are merely making a judgment on what you perceive it to be.  You cannot fail at anything if you remember that judging yourself is confining yourself to a prison and as result you can never move on with your life.
 

Well I just spent over two hours cleaning up my computer from a Trojan virus I got while dropping EC.  I decided I would keep dropping until their changes go into effect next week.  Normally I have the same people drop on me everyday.  So, I’m dropping and came across a blog/website that was geared towards banking who dropped on me.  As soon as I dropped on the page all hell broke loose.  Warnings of a spyware threat, virus warnings etc… It was like a hurricane hit my computer.

So, I ran my anti spyware and found 34 threats.  My virus protection came up with 34 trojan infections.  Long story short I got it all cleaned and it’s running okay now.

One thing I want to point out here is just imagine when EC begins allowing everyone imaginable to buy ads on your blog.  These types of viruses can spread like wildfire.

Second, I just answered my own question in regards to my last post on EC.  There is no way in “heck” I want to go through this again so as far as staying with EC even if Today.com comes up with some type of compromise, I seriously doubt I’ll stay with EC. 

By now I’m sure all of you have heard about the changes taking place at Entrecard.  I know my buddy Lynne over at A Malaysian Abroad has already written an article in regards to these changes and is a must read for all of you bloggers out there.

When I first began blogging about six months ago Entrecard was my main source of traffic.  Now it counts for about a third of my traffic.  However I do still enjoy using the program.  I’ve gained many readers and friends using EC and I enjoy reading and commenting on all the blogs.  As a result I am not happy about the changes.

The main point for me is that we will no longer have control over who advertises on our blogs unless we want to pay to reject non relevant ads.  I think that is really ridiculous.  I also don’t know if Today.com and EC will be able to compromise on this situation.

I also do not like the fact that we were all only given a week’s notice on this change.  EC acts like they are doing us all a favor giving us a week. It is very disheartening.

The other point and question I have for all of you is since this is only a week away is it worth it to drop, accept ads and advertise right now?  I really am stumped on this.  Your thoughts?

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”
Alexander Graham Bell

Living in the past is and should be the biggest regret of all.  We all make mistakes and do things or not do things out of fear and rejection.  As a result we all have regrets.  However if we live in the past and allow those regrets to burden us we inevitably will be unable to move forward with our lives and most importantly, unable to see those open doors.

When you feel something in your heart, something you want to try or say, if you do not act on those feelings of the heart you are setting yourself up for regret.  Living in fear or rejection means living in a confined world of which we have been conditioned by our past.  The past is gone and we cannot change it.  We can only learn from our mistakes and move on.  By doing so we will have less regrets if any at all.

Regrets suffocate our spirit.  And remember our spirits are limitless.  Regrets should be buried with the past.  

How are some suggestions

1. Visualize yourself as an older person looking back at yourself today.  How do you feel when you look back?  Are you full of regrets or did you follow your heart?

2. Don’t listen to others.  Listen to yourself and what your heart tells you.

3. Try and see how you would feel in advance of some situation.  If you for example are invited to go somewhere and are contemplating not going ask yourself how will I feel if I don’t go - then ask how will I feel if I do go.  Don’t listen to your head but listen to your heart and your answer will come.  Since you listened to your heart, you will have no regrets.

I used to live in a room full of mirrors; all I could see was me. I take my spirit and I crash my mirrors, now the whole world is here for me to see.
Jimi Hendrix

This quote by Jimi Hendrix is simple yet telling.  It speaks of the ego versus the spirit.

When we are wrapped up within the confines of our ego, our spirit becomes dormant.  As a result we are unable to see the world around us.  We only see ourselves and therefore become shallow and closed off to the rest of the world.  The “all about me” attitude permeates our mind and we are no longer in tune with our inner self.

The spirit is the core of our being.  It lies within the deepest caverns of our soul and mind.  It is our emotions and passions.  It houses our authentic self.  Without soul or spirit we would be ego driven robots unable to feel or care about anyone but ourselves.  I know you are saying that there are many people like this.  However these people have not yet attuned to their spirit.

The spirit is boundless and infinite.  It is the epitome of freedom and freedom of choice.  Having no boundaries it has no sense of time and space.  It is completely open and free.  Since this spirit is our inner most sanctum we in turn have boundless freedom with possibilities that are endless.

How do we reach our spirit?

1. Allow yourself silence and solitude each day.  Whether it be 5 minutes or 5 hours it really doesn’t matter.  You need to look within, be grateful for what you have and reflect upon the joys in your life.

2. Listen to your heart and not your head.  Your heart is the essence of your spirit.  Your feelings will never steer you in the wrong direction. 

The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hillside’s dew-pearled;
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in His heaven -
All’s right with the world!

~Robert Browning

I love this poem by Robert Browning.  It epitomizes perfection. It speaks of new birth.  The birth of Spring, the birth of dawn.  It shows how the universe is in order and on a divine path.  The earth and nature are perfection.  As humans, we manipulate the earth and it’s bounty by our ego driven acts. Rather than looking at the earth and the gifts it has bestowed upon us we are constantly looking for more and striving to be that perfect person.  We look for situations and outside sources to make us feel perfect.  We look without rather than within.  Rather than seeing the earth in awe, we see it as awful.

Each day the earth rotates, the sun rises, the sun sets, the stars glisten and the flowers bloom. These daily earthly rituals are perfection yet we only see the imperfections.  Being out in nature will refresh your senses and allow you to see the perfection within you.  Our roots are grounded in nature so if nature is perfection, so are we.  We do not need the outside sources to become perfect.  We already are perfect.

Here are some suggestions

1. Give yourself a few minutes each day to experience the perfection around you.  Get outside and just see, listen and feel nature.  Breathe it and allow it to permeate your senses.  This will bring a sense of gratitude for the earth in which we live.

2. See yourself as perfection.  You are connected to nature.  It is inside you and therefore divine.

A Psalm of Life by
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
“Life is but an empty dream!”
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And thing are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
“Dust thou art, to dust returnest,”
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle;
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act – act in the living Present!
Heart within and God o’erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

When thinking of quotations to include with this post on enthusiasm this poem was the first to come to mind.  Normally I only post a portion of a poem or quotation but in this case I wanted you to view the entire work.

The message is clear within the imagery.  Longfellow suffered throughout his life yet never allowed himself to dwell in the past.  He was always following his passions and working with enthusiasm and vigor.

It speaks of the soul or spirit being our true self.  We all have spirits and unfortunately for some of us our spirits lay dormant.  Rather than going within to find our true calling or passions we live in the past hoping that the future will bring us to a better place.  By living in this manner, we lose not only precious time but we also lose ourselves.

We need to live in the moment, in the present, in the now.  The past is gone and the future unknown therefore the present is all we have and all we must live.  Spring is here when flowers blossom and dew kissed leaves warm upon the sun’s kiss. We too are blossoming when we reach in and allow our spirits to fly.

How do we live enthusiastically?

1. Whenever participating in any activity imagine it is both your first and last time.  By approaching the activity, no matter what it is as if you have never before or ever will experience it again, it allows you to see the situation refreshed with a new look.

2. Do not define yourself.  Rather say to yourself I am going to let my enthusiasm show and not let it slumber into oblivion.

3.  Participate in life.  Don’t sit on the sidelines watching the world go by.  As Longfellow says “be up and doing.”

My dear friend and fellow writer, Colleen Breuning has created another beautifully designed poetic audio and photo montage titled Intertwine.  This creation is a sensual and traditionally styled pantoum written and performed by Colleen.  You can visit her website at Blue Turtle Crossing for more information on Colleen, her writings, photography and video creations.  Enjoy!