At a full moon meditation a few nights ago, I got the message to stay in the ecstatic state I was in directly after being released from my job for as long as possible. Part of what helps me find my way back to that space is gratitude. Sunday (which used to be a primary workday for me) I was in gratitude all day, as I was able to participate in events, both scheduled and non-scheduled which, if I had still been working, would have been impossible for me to experience, from an artist reception to a Playback Theatre event, from dinner alone at a favorite barbecue joint, to the full moon meditation. Even though I would have been off of work in time for the meditation group, I probably would not have gone, as the work (and workplace) sapped my energy physically, mentally, and spiritually. I am so grateful to have this time to rest, recuperate, and rejuvenate as I walk through my lifeâs labyrinth on the way to whatever else lies on my path.
Posts Tagged ‘gratitude’
Time for Gratitude, Time for Rest
Jeff Bridges Singing – Like it, love it, is the best response
For most of my life I would watch with resentment stars in one genre use their money and prestige to become stars in another genre: Shirley MacLaine with Out on a Limb, Gwenyth Paltrow with her food/cookbooks, and now, Jeff Bridges, beginning a singing career. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of these people as actors, perhaps Jeff Bridges most of all; I thought he was fabulous in Crazy Heart, where his singing worked for me, but listening to bits and pieces of his new album leave me uninspired, and I initially went to resentment: Why does he get to do his heart’s desire, just because of his fame and fortune? But, if Abraham and others are to be believed, fame and fortune have nothing to do with it, and anyone else, star or not, doing what they love most in life, greases the skids for the rest of us to do the same, while our resentment only slows us down. So. . .YOU GO, JEFF!! (And everybody else.) Check out Jeff singing “Fallin’ and Flyin'” at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMdBQfgTQn0
Bridging gaps
Inspiration
On the drive into town this morning I heard a the Bach Cello Suite #1 in G by Yo Yo Ma, and I was reminded of the first time I ever heard him play this piece. It was part of a program which aired on PBS called The Music Garden, about an imagined music garden in the middle of Boston where, instead of Muzak, ou would encounter various pieces of classical music, each evoking or heightening a different mood, as you strolled through the garden. It reminds me of the beauty of the labyrinth.
Yo Yo Ma playing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZn_VBgkPNY
A link to the makers of the film: http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/mgd.html
A Magical Thanksgiving
It began with a late afternoon car ride down to Charlotte. As I approached the city, traffic came to a near standstill and I began calculating how much time I had left to get to my flight; if we continued at our current pace, I would miss it for sure. “Let go, relax, and trust,” said my inner voice, and within moments we were moving swiftly. As I approached the extended stay parking area, I was informed that my usual lots (1,2, and 3, which charge $4/day) were closed. Now what? I could feel panic rising up. “Let go, relax, and trust,” came again, and then there was a sign which directed me to lot #4, where I was charged a mere $10 for the entire 10 days I would be gone. At the terminal, I put my bag on the scale and watched the numbers climb: 25, 33, 38, 47. . . 50! I breathed a sigh of relief and headed to my gate, where I sat as our boarding time came and went, then our flight time came and went. I only had 55 minutes between touchdown and take off in Detroit, and I usually had to go from 1 concourse to another.. “Let go, relax, and trust.” I have a pass to the Sky Club; I’ll have food, drink, and a comfy place to sleep if necessary. When I deplaned, I discovered that my next flight was just finishing boarding at the very next gate. During both flights, I had free wifi, so I was able to handle those last minute e-mails I hadn’t gotten to at home. I landed in Madison and was taken to my friends’ house where the Nutcracker Sweet tea I had asked for was waiting for me. “A client just happened to gift me with me it, so I didn’t have to buy it,” she said, smiling. And the magic, and gratitude, just keep coming, including the sighting of a pair of bald eagles just a few hundred feet from me. I hope you all had as magical a Thanksgiving as I and my friends did.
