Day 317: The Value of Our Senses

I was sitting here this morning with my eyes closed, praying for something of value to write about. In the silence of my sacred space, I was suddenly in tune with the sound of trickling water running through the pipes of our water heater. Keeping my eyes closed, it took me back to a place in the California mountains where we went as a family. It was not only a happy place for me but a place that awakened my sense to a level so high that I felt connected to everything around me. There are times like today when a simple sound like my trickling water pipes has a way of triggering a memory that is ready to offer me a deeper view into my life.

As I reflect on my past happy place, I want to lift my arms and breathe in the clean, fresh mountain air. Then drop them slowly downward as I push my breath outward, blowing away all the stuff that no longer serves my better good. Breathing in and out slowly, deeply until my energy is renewed. I hear the melting snow dripping down the sides of the mountains into the trickling stream I played in as a child. I always wanted to follow the path of its direction, but my feet would get too cold to go very far. There was much to learn in the stillness of the flow. I watch myself from a place of distance in time, sitting by the edge of the water. My childlike curiosity was mesmerized by the sound of the water as it trickled across the smooth stony flow of its path. The water was crystal clear and clean enough for me to sip from the cup of my hand. It was as refreshing as the air was to breathe in. When I step into the stream, I interrupt its flow and dirty its clarity, but I can’t stop where it needs to go. It finds its way around me, and as I continue to stand still, the clarity of the stream comes back into view. I become a part of the flow of life in my place of stillness. And realize the value of our senses is best found in the stillness of the experience.

Reflection: Today, I spent my day in the quiet stillness of those mountains learning many things about how to practice what my senses have yet to teach me. Mainly how to get out of the way and listen.

Day 315: The Value of Our Dogs

Every once in a while a Dog comes into your life and change everything.

I dedicate this post to my dear friend, Denise, who had to put her little “Foxy” dog to rest today.

What’s not to value about owning a pet? They love us unconditionally, protect us, keep us healthy by getting us outside, exercising, and socializing with others. According to Vanderbilt University, dogs can even decrease levels of human loneliness and give humans a sense of purpose as they care for their animal companions. And get this according to a new study they found that people really do love dogs more than other humans. I would have to say I love my husband more than my dog, but if anything ever happened to Tom, my Lucy dog would definitely be my go-to companion.

Humans are more empathetic to dogs than other human beings. Only a baby human elicited more sympathy than an adult dog from study participants. This is because we see dogs as part of the family, rather than just pets.

But keeping all that in mind and the fact we as humans usually outlive our pets by many years we tend to have to deal with the loss of them a lot more, and that is a painful process to go through feeling the loss is like losing a member of our family.

Reflection: “If I could be half the person my dog is, I’d be twice the human I am.” ~Charles Yu

Day 294: The Value of Beauty

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

~Margaret Wolfe Hungerford

“Have I told you how beautiful you are today?” my husband asks me. Most of the time, I want to turn around and see if he is looking at someone else.

“I look terrible! How can you say that?”

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” he says to me. I wish I could see what he sees in me. I need to work harder at seeing my inner beauty. I need to get the world and my ego’s opinions out of my way.

John O’Donohue says, “Beauty is the illumination of your soul.” I love that thought because our soul is the seed of God planted within us, and if I am nurturing, caring, and loving what it creates in me, then I am expressing the beauty and light of God.

A good question to ask me as I look for my inner beauty; is how I can expect to find it if all I do is contemplate on my unloveliness? How can I see the beauty all around me if all I see are the unloving things going on in the world? And where does the unloveliness come from? The media, negative people, old tapes from my past, my own thought-provoking attitudes?

It is true that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” And the beauty of beauty is that it can be seen whenever we choose to behold it.

Reflection: Today, I want to practice bringing the loveliness of life’s beauty within me so that I can nurture, water, and cultivate the cravings of my soul.

Day 285: The Value of Vitality

“Your health is what you make of it. Everything you think or do adds to the vitality, energy, and spirit you possess or takes away from it.”

~Ann Wigmore

What’s the difference between being healthy and vitality? Carey Phillips from the “Well into Life” Blog writes that, “Heath is a state of being free from illness or injury; vitality is a state of being strong and active, living in the space of exuberance and liveliness with passion for the things we are doing and the people we are doing them with.”*

Now that’s what I’m looking for, vitality! Of course, we need to make sure we are living a healthy lifestyle. But Phillips goes on to remind us, “That it is vital for us to spend time in the wondrous moments of life that fill us up with energy and unconditional happiness so that we can glow with a light that attracts more truly satisfying experiences, enriched with love, fun, and joy.”We often take ourselves and the responsibilities we have so seriously. But when we are vital, we embody the best of our true selves and incorporate that into everything else.

So how can we increase our vitality daily? One of the ways is by living and practicing our core values and knowing our purpose, and creating a balance between what we want to do and need to do—having a solid spiritual practice that feeds your heart and soul. Touching base with nature. Having family, friendships, and community ties, with those who enjoy you as much as you do them. These are just a few examples of my own.

Reflection: There is a lot of good information to read about vitality. As I research the subject, it makes me think that maybe vitality is what I’ve been missing all along in my quest to find a better, healthier way to live. I don’t want to simply feel healthy; I also want to feel the vitality that my life offers. It makes me feel silly like a kid, and I kind of feel like asking myself, “Hey, Connie, you wanna come out and play?”

* https://wellintolife.com/health-vs-vitality-feeling-fully-alive/

Day 283: The Value of Justice

“Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually also recognize the voice of justice.”

~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

The value of justice to me began with the teaching of Jesus when he said, “love your neighbors as yourselves, treat one another as you would have done onto you.” The value of justice begins with me, but it is not about me and what I want. It is only justifiable when it’s all-inclusive. The purpose of justice is to provide fair treatment to all individuals without exception regarding their personal rights according to the law of the land in which they reside. As we say in the pledge of allegiance, “One nation under God with liberty (freedom) and justice for all,” it’s not about what I think I am worthy of; it’s about what we are all worthy of as a just and righteous nation that looks out for the better good of each other. You can only value justice when you know how it applies to you as well. I used to have a plack in my bedroom that read, “What would Jesus do.” it would trigger my own conscience about the controversy going on in my head. How would someone as good righteous as Jesus justify this or that problem? He often sat with those who were considered unjust so he could listen and offer his justifiable insight. What they did with it was up to them, but Jesus demonstrates that he put into action something to help create a better good. We are all called to stand up for what is right and good. Isn’t that what the value of justice stands for?

Reflection: William Penn reminds us that “right is right even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.”

Day 282: The Value of Authenticity

“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we are supposed to be and embarrassing who we are.”

~Brene Brown

I was in my forties when I began to discover who I was. I thought it was one of the most exciting yet challenging times in my life as I let go of the need to be like everyone else. It opened a space of freedom inside where I could put all the treasured things I discovered about myself during this time. I wasn’t just a daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, or co-worker; I was Connie.

Authenticity doesn’t start at any particular stage of our life. We are authentic from the day we are born. Part of our purpose in life is discovering who we are. Once we know this, we can contribute the best part of our unique, authentic selves to help create…what? Love! Authenticity is our unique way of expressing the love from which we are made. “It is freedom from the illusion of fear and the alignment with love.” unknown

Reflection: “The authentic self is our soul made visible.” ~Sarah Ban Breathnach. Of all the outfits I could put on myself, there is nothing more beautiful to express who I am than the vision of my soul.

Day 237: The Value of Beliefs

“It is done onto you as you believe.”

Matthew 9:29

Our beliefs are as personal and unique as we are. It’s easier to be around people who believe the same as we do. Conflicts and wars have been created between different beliefs. But what makes one belief better than the other? Who is to say what is right and what is wrong? The Bible, which is believed to be the word of God, says, “It is done onto you as you believe.” Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your character. Your character becomes your destiny.”

We become what we believe. But what happens if we open the door that leads us to a different perspective on our beliefs? Beliefs can hold us back from learning more or leave us open to a deeper understanding. I don’t believe that the word of God begins and ends with the Bible. It’s only the beginning of what God has to reveal. That’s my belief, and it’s opened many doors of spiritual growth for me. My faith has grown because I stopped believing in the fear that held me back. I don’t fear because I turn to the spirit of God that directs me toward the better good for myself and what I can do for others. Love is my compass, and the things I value are my foundation. That’s the power of belief; it can hold us tightly in place or set us free to discover what life has to teach us.

Reflection: I am who I am because of what I believe, but I am grateful for an open heart that allows me to respect the differences I have between others. I have lots of different people in my life, and each adds another element of quilty that challenges my beliefs and helps me keeps them in check.

Day 202: The Value of Gift-Giving

“Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have.”

~Jim Rohn

I love to give gifts, and I love reciving them, but I’ve gotten caught up in the lazy easy way of just giving money. Sometimes it feels like we are passing money back and forth between each other. How thoughtful is that kind of giving? As I talked about yesterday, I want to add more value to the things I do for others and the way I live my life. The value of gift-giving is not the gift itself but the thought that goes into it. It makes me stop and think…how well do I really know the people in my life. What’s their favorite candy or their favorite color? Do they like jewelry, clothes, games, or books. Is there someplace special they’d like to eat or a play they want to see. How about miniature golf or regular golf or a trip to the movies theater. Some people don’t want gifts they prefer you give them the money instead of wasting it on something they won’t use. Still taking the time to think about the person you are giving to, there’s always a little something personal you can add that says you put more thought into them, and maybe that holds more value than the money you give them as well.

I do think the value of gift-giving is a personal thing to each of us. There is no right or wrong way, only your unique way. When I take the time to put my thoughtful hat on, I often turn to the Golden Rule as my guide; To treat others the same way I enjoy being treated.

Reflection: There is something special that happens when you give from your heart. Is there any better feeling than watching someone’s face light up because you made them feel special?

Day 94: The Value of Rising Above

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” -John 15:13

Everything that Jesus taught was about rising above the situation and occasion. Being the better person that we were created to be. He was the true example of how to live our lives right up to his death then proving what faith reveals when you believe what the power of God can do in your life…Jesus rises above the impossible even after death.

I’m not going to write down all the lessons Jesus taught that tell us how to rise above the divisiveness going on in our county today. But it’s all in the New Testament. Back in the time that Jesus lived, that divisiveness was not so different from today. He had great soul-searching advice on how to rise above our differences. Every once in a while it’s good to be reminded of the same power of God that we have within us that allows us to see the truth that sets us free and gives us the courage to rise above the situation.

Reflection: I am grateful for all the ways God has worked through my life. Through the innocent child-like faith I had growing up. The things I learned later through the church that gave me a foundation, the things I learned through the Bible, and now the deeper faith that has taught me that there is so much more to learn than any one religion alone can satisfy. Rising above is what we are all called to do. Through his undying love and friendship, Jesus shows us the way.

HAPPY EASTER!

Day 81: The value of Kindness

True kindness comes from the heart and soul. One random act of kindness however big or small adds to the better good for all the world. A simple act of kindness creates a spark that ignites a light inside the giver as well as the receiver. And the worth within the value is understood for the kindness that it is.

There are big acts of kindness like the one our friend Denise did for us recently. For 25 years she has faithfully made us the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal of corn beef and cabbage. This year due to the pandemic we couldn’t get-together so she decided to make it for us anyway. She packed 9 meals. Made four deliveries and one was picked up. Between the planning, the two different desserts, the soda bread, scones, dipping sauce, peeled potatoes and carrots, cabbage, and corn beef, the process from beginning to end took three days. And you know where the real loving-kindness comes from? Her joy of cooking. Not only were our bellies full, but our hearts were filled with the love that went into it.

We all can show kindness in some way. Even the small things we do for each other can feel big to the receiver. Like simply telling someone that you were thinking about them today. Wow! How cool is it to know that you were important enough to someone that you came into their thoughts?

Random acts of kindness big or small feel just as powerful when put into action. Here are a few I found through the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

• Smile at someone you pass by
• Give old towels and blankets to animal shelters.
• Help create a more positive world by creating positives posts online.
• Make up a care package for someone in need.
• Reply to a post you enjoy and share the love.
• Gift an inspiration book.
• Clean your house for no one else but you.
• Send a thank-you note
• Buy the coffee for the person waiting in line behind you.
• Have a judgment-free day where you turn negative thoughts into positive ones.
• Send a handwritten letter or postcard to someone.
• Walk outside a bike instead of driving.

Reflection: And after all the giving you do…don’t forget…to find ways…to be kind to you, too!