Sundays With Buddha

  



Week Four

Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.
                                                                                     
                                                                                                      --Buddha

I picked this quote because my son is graduating high school this Sunday and this is wisdom that I have tried to instill in him his entire life.

I resist the urge to look up a quote, such as this one, to read someone else’s interpretation. I think it defies the purpose of working through this journal. I believe you are to find your own meaning and adapt it to your own life, making it useful to you in this modern age. Most of these lessons seem pretty straight forward to me, while others are a bit more perplexing, so these are just my interpretations. Maybe they will trigger something in you that you can apply to your own life.

That being said, my interpretation of this quote is something I have taught my son, and have been working towards for myself, for many years. The Buddha’s lessons are all about Peace and Happiness. Through his enlightened wisdom he offers you examples of how to begin to reach these states. As you will see, he does not ask you to perform great feats of overpowering another, but the greatest feat of overpowering: that of yourself. Only with producing harmony within yourself can you become harmonious with another.

One of the ways to this harmonious state is to become happy with your state of being. How do you become happy with your state of being? I believe this quote tells you one major way to gain the happiness that you seek.

I have been searching for mine for some time. I know I have found it in writing, but it is scary to feel I must give everything else up to pursue it; I have a full time job. But, I realize, I am giving myself to it. These lessons are but a tool to self-discovery. As I have said before, nothing happens overnight. Everything takes work, but if it’s work towards something you love, it doesn’t feel like work at all. And I don’t feel I have to give up my steady job to pursue it, either. I have done a lot of trial and error ‘work’ to find what I feel is my true purpose, and now I am giving myself to it. That, in and of itself, may be a bit of trial and error. But I don’t mind, because I am passionate about it.

When you take the time to center upon yourself and really search for what makes you happy, that is “discovering your work.” Taking the time to center upon yourself and really search out what it is that you feel your “work” or ultimate purpose is, is that  “work” with which you should “…then with all your heart to give yourself to it”, meaning, once you’ve discovered what your work or purpose is, you give yourself to it, wholeheartedly.

So, how does this pertain to my son's graduation today?

 

I have always taught him to never get himself stuck in a career or job just to make money or survive. I’ve always told him to pursue what makes him happy, what he’s passionate about. He has the full understanding that, in this society, one needs an income. But it is not necessary to give yourself over to “the almighty dollar.”

He is fortunate enough to be just at the threshold of his life, to have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. If doing what you love means making less money, you adapt your life to need less. If you don’t become attached to all the possessions that many believe give you status and happiness you don’t miss these things. If you do the type of work on yourself that gains you the understanding that happiness does not come from without, but within, then most likely the inherent release of attachment to things will follow.

This means that you can pursue things that make you happy and enjoy all the things you have, but stay unattached so that you can let them go if they all go away, and not be destroyed by their loss and absence, as the things aren’t what you should ever rely on for your happiness (but that’s a whole other quote to explore).

I don't think our generation always fully realizes how the world is changing for our youth that is heading out into the work force. There are many University graduates left with high student loans and no jobs in the corporate world. Most of these graduates were following a set of "rules" laid down by a society that they have grown out of, for wanting to do the "right thing". I am not saying that these kids are wrong in what they picked, as long as they are happy and truly passionate about their 'work'.  But I have been hearing a lot more lately of people leaving their jobs in pursuit of a more passion driven path. Sometimes out of necessity due to becoming unemployed, or because they just couldn't take the dread of going through the monotony any longer. If everyone was afforded this opportunity, can you imagine how much happier this world would be to live in? 

 While my son is going to college, he picked where as well as his major and minor.  He is a musician and has already produced several pieces of music, starting at just 16. He is interested in music production and education and I support him in that because it is his passion, his gift and is what makes him happy.

I had a conversation with someone at work who told me there was no money in music, production or otherwise. Not a musician himself, mind you, but someone who probably meant well enough. But if we always give in to other people's opinions and let naysayers sway our decisions, we may not have all of the wonderful discoveries and inventions we are now blessed with. 

 

I taught my son not to pay attention to what others may try to discourage him from. Never let someone else crush your dreams or tell you that you 'can't'. It's also not always all about the money. You can't put a price tag on your passion. If you make yourself happy, you will be in a state of being that will bring to you all that you need. Richness is being happy with you, and what you do. If your work ends up touching another in the process, all the better.

 

 These are lessons that I wish I had been taught earlier in my own life, to live passionately and not get stuck doing what is perceived as the 'right thing'. But I am working on the change I need to live from my own heart. Change is always available to you. There are no stone walls built around you. Your path is paved by the bricks that you lay. 

So, you may wonder if he thinks this career path will make him wealthy. He doesn’t ever talk about that, really, except for the richness of his life by following his passion. He knows the trade-off for living your passion is possibly the under abundance of money in the bank. He just wants to make music and teach others how to do the same. He wants to encourage other youth to follow their dreams and believe in themselves, too. That dreaming big and going for it is not unattainable, when you believe in yourself.

 

Boy, that's rich.

He’s done his work, he’s discovered his work and you better believe he’s given himself to it…wholeheartedly.

And I couldn’t be more proud.  

 

Thanks for being with me today.

Namaste,

Nanette

Mother's Day without mom

  

You never get too old for your mother’s death to crush you. All supposed wrongdoing and arguments go far away.

You never get too old to need your mother back, to wish anything else in exchange to have her to call, to talk to.

You never get too old to want to wrap up in your mothers robe and be comforted by it. To lay your head on her lap and feel her hand on your hair.

You never get too old to feel sad or lonely or scared and want the presence of your mother to make it all feel better again.

You especially feel the loss of these emotions if you had separated so far from them while she was still living. When they are ripped away from you so suddenly, that's when you might feel that loss the greatest.

I truly realized the meaning of, "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" in this past year. I didn't think this Mother's Day would be as hard as it was; much harder than last year. I suppose it's because I have 'settled' in to the realization of her death and have had time to let it sink in, unlike last year when I was still so overwhelmed and keeping my mind busy with all that there was to do to prepare for life without her.

All I could think about yesterday was what I could have been doing with her for Mother's Day. How much fun we could have had and all the different things she liked to do.

She was no ordinary lady. We could have done so much. I imagine how much fun it would have been to go to our usual haunt, St. Charles for quiche and iced tea and some shopping, but with our cameras this time. How much fun she would have had taking pictures together of the flowers and buildings and walking the Katy Trail along the river, then having a glass of wine on the veranda of one of the many wineries along Historic Main Street. Then, if we weren't too tired, we could have even taken in a movie.

 

While she was alive, I didn't know how I would feel if she were to live closer to us, but now I wish she had, at least in the last few years.

But I didn't know this was going to happen.

That's why it is important to try to set differences aside, now. Cherish what you have. Decide what's most important, being right or being love.

There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish I had done something different. Now is your chance, don't let it pass you by.

Make your life something to be proud of, not something to regret.

My best wishes to you,

Nanette

Sundays With Buddha

Week Three

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

                                                                                                                      --Buddha



I strongly believe that thoughts are things. If we constantly think negative downtrodden thoughts, we will become negative, downtrodden people. I realize there is a lot to ‘worry’ about in this world now. We all have our troubles. There are things we just must have to survive even the tiniest bit in this society. So, short of packing up the family  and going off on a mission of solitude and poverty, we must have money and materials. And find some sort of way to make that money to attain those materials. With the lifestyles that we have grown accustomed to, comes responsibilities that we sometimes fear we can’t keep up with. When those troubled time arise, we put ourselves through torture with our maddening, incessant thoughts.

How will I pay this bill? How am I going to make the house payment AND the car payment? What about the leak in the roof? You can torture yourself in to a frenzy with your thoughts. You can create illness or greatness, calm or chaos. It feels impossible to shut off the mad carousel of your thoughts, which ultimately become feelings, like a switch. But, I think this is necessary to regain our sanity. When your thoughts are out of control, how do you feel? When you are overwhelmed with whatever it is that is troubling you, how do you feel?

Trapped, weighed down, lost, scared, sad, depressed, confused, moody, hateful, maybe?

How do those feelings make you act?  Much of the same, right?

Now, imagine the pleasure of taking control of these thoughts. Knowing that they hold no power over you, but what you allow them to have. Thoughts are indeed things, and may feel like they have a mind of their own at times, but they don’t, not if you don’t let them. You have power over your thoughts, and what you allow into your space, not the other way around.

I, as much as anyone, know how difficult it is to maintain a positive outlook when things seem to be traveling in the opposite direction that you believe they should. You may not always want to think positive when you're feeling low, but it really does help.

Maybe you could go and do something to take your mind off what's troubling you and clear your head. Take a walk and get some fresh air to get away from it so you can focus on something else and calm the dreary thoughts in your head.

When you create for yourself  space in your mind it gives you room to work things out. Then maybe you'll feel like switching from negative thoughts to a more positive thought process.

So, if you can distance yourself from this thinking and take that walk to put things into perspective a little better, you come back more prepared to organize those overwhelming tasks into attainable goals.

Gaining control makes you feel a whole lot better, right? When you accomplish each goal successfully you may think, "I can do this. I am strong enough."

What happens when you think this way?

You become this way.

It seems unattainable, like waking up one day and deciding to become someone else. But why is that so far-fetched?  Deciding doesn’t have to mean you must change everything right at that moment. Deciding is the first step. There are many more to conquer after that. Patience is the key. There is no right or wrong way to move ahead in your change. You simply decide on what you want to change and you set forth a plan in motion. Our downfall comes from trying to be perfect all the time so as not to “disappoint” anyone, including ourselves. We often judge ourselves more harshly than anyone else ever would. That constant judgment also spoils the mind.

Nothing happens overnight, short of Divine Miracles (which have been known to happen from time to time, just so you know), but with habit forming encouragement, this can surely become a practiced way of life and you will begin to realize that what is happening for you is a miracle in itself.

If everyone took the time to cherish themselves in this way, and changed their thinking, we would love ourselves more, paving the way to loving each other more.

Wow...what a world we would live in.

 Here’s a breakdown of the quote into sections and a little of what I think each verse means.

We are what we think.

The power of thought is not to be underestimated. Whatever we think, we tend to believe as truth. What we believe as truth, we live out in our everyday existence as truth. By living this ‘truth’ everyday, we become what we believe to be true.

All that we are arises from our thoughts.

Whatever ‘truth’ has grown from our thoughts, we form as our reality; who and what we are, what we think, and our deepest and dearest beliefs. All of this bloomed from one tiny seed, one little kernel of thought. We nurtured it with more thought. And it grew. And we fed it more, thinking it into fruition. We grew a life with as many abundant branches as a tree, just by our thoughts.

With our thoughts, we make the world.

If we can nurture and grow this great tree of life for ourselves with our thoughts, and each of us does so, we end up with a forest.

I have read and seen examples of how thought can affect the world, both negatively and positively. The first flying machine was imagined into reality with a thought. Scores of music were written by first imagining the sound. Wars were waged, lost and won by dwelling upon the thoughts of tactics.  Cities were built, stories were written and technologies invented…all starting with a single thought.

Why, then, is it so hard to imagine the world becoming a better place to live if we are able to harness our thoughts? We can think ourselves back off the ledge of overactive thinking just as well as we got ourselves there to begin with. You can reverse the negative cycle of the thinking process easier than you think.

Think.

That word again, like an entity unto itself, wreaking havoc or creating beauty, all beginning within your mind. It’s your choice. They are your thoughts. We are each our own creator. We are reflections of divine love.

When you are standing at the waters edge of your mind, what will reflect out of you?

Sundays With Buddha

   Week Two


“By your own folly you will be brought as low as your worst enemy wishes.”

                                                                                                                                            --Buddha

Because of your own lack of foresight or poorly thought-out actions, you will stoop to your enemy’s level--just as they wish.

In a case such as the recent bombing at the Boston Marathon (and the Sandyhook Elementary School shooting and the Aurora Movie Theater shooting) it is understandable to be filled with confusion, anger and even hatred. Prejudice arises for those that are associated with these acts of violence, further separating "us" from "them".

What I believe this quote warns of in a situation such as this is the danger of the inability to let go of the anger in the aftermath.

There is a lot to be said for the heroics and undeniable bravery displayed by those that unselfishly put themselves in harm’s way for the sake of another. It is lifesaving in more than the obvious way. These acts of selfless bravery and caring that we are fortunate enough to witness during even the darkest of times are lifesaving for our Spirit’s, as well. It is important that we keep these acts in the forefront of our minds and let the good in these situations overcome the bad.

I don’t think it’s wrong to feel human emotion, but harmful to dwell upon the negative that others spread; for when you do, you are "by your own folly" allowing yourself to be "brought as low as your worst enemy wishes."

One who causes pain and suffering should not be feared. Building your life around that fear and letting a change occur in you based on the evil men do is exactly what they want; to control you with your own fear and hatred. This is the very purpose of "acts of terror."

Misery loves company. There are people out there who are unhappy and want you to be just as unhappy with them. It validates their feelings; makes those feelings ‘acceptable’ so they will do anything to “bring you to their level”. This, of course, can be avoided in both major and minor instances. In minor instances, such as being around people that just want to make you unhappy like them or feed off of your sympathy for their own perceived misery, you can remedy that situation fairly easily. Removing yourself from the situation or changing the conversation to something more positive is sometimes all it takes.

In a more major instance, such as the tragedies mentioned earlier, it takes a little more work within yourself to get to the point where you can actually let go of the fear and hatred you may harbor towards another. While these feelings are understandable, having them make a home in you, coiled and ready to strike, will eventually make you become your feelings, as you will be thinking on them often, and what we think we become.

By succumbing to your distaste for another, you are ultimately hurting yourself. When you dwell upon unpleasant feelings of dislike, distaste, annoyance, detest, and even hatred you start a seed of contention inside that you eventually might not even realize is there. It just slowly grows there, feeding off of your negativity like a parasite, becoming a part of you that you accept as truth. This “brings you as low as your ‘worst enemy’ wishes”. Forgetting the compassion that is inherent in your being is your “folly”, for “nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.”(Buddha)

We, more often than not, do more harm to ourselves than anyone else ever could. By letting our negative emotions run rampant we are causing ourselves harm worse than our enemies, by far.

What I think we are to take away from this wisdom of the Buddha is that, unchecked, our imaginations can run away with us, in the worst way. With practice and gentle reminders to ourselves, without judgment or scolding, we can eventually overcome the cycle of unconscious thinking that we have become so accustomed to. In doing so, it makes seeing the positive in any given situation clearer.

I am not saying to forget the sadness and remorse that comes with terrible acts. None of these things should be forgotten. On the contrary, they must be remembered, talked about and learned from. But it is just as important to celebrate the good that may have come from an act of violence as it is to remember the fallen from that act. I think it changes us as beings to remember our“being-ness”. How uplifting to know we can overcome such tragedies and rely on each other to hold out our hand to raise someone else up so they can do the same for the next?

How beautiful that we can look back, even with heartache, and realize how we have overcome such obstacles in this world and how this world seems to be changing for the better because of our actions, even as these things continue to occur. With our continued commitment to being proactive in this way and shining light onto the darkness we will surely get to the point where we are the darkness of this world's demise instead of it being ours.

Thank you for spending time with me today... 

Namaste,

Nanette

Sundays With Buddha

Week One


"As a mother would risk her life to protect her child, her only child, even so should one cultivate a limitless heart with regard to all beings."

                                                                                                           --Buddha

I wanted to begin the project with this quote because it resonates so deeply with me, and since I am using my son’s birthday as the jumping-off point to this project, it seems the appropriate choice.

I have always been powerfully attached and bound by the cord of love to my only child, my son, willing to do anything to protect him and keep him from any harm. This also drove me to teach him the life lessons he needed to learn to become the citizen, human, and man that he could be proud to be. One of those lessons is love and compassion for others--human and non-human beings, alike.

He has always shown great compassion for others since he was very small. I raised him in a household that values life of all kinds. I always taught him that an ant’s life is no less significant than my own, and that we must never be cruel to anything we perceive as "smaller" or "beneath" us, for all life is precious and created equal. Whether or not he continues to grow into this person is up to him, all we can do as parents is to offer our example and encouragement.

And this is how we live still, to this day. I feed the slugs bits of banana, I rescue worms from the dredging rains, and we always brake for squirrels and birds. While this is nonsense to many, I cannot fathom not living this way. The way to a kinder world is to begin with your own heart.

Though I have always felt a strong endearment towards animals and other creatures of nature, I have not always felt this passionately about people. I believe this is because animals, insects and nature have an innocence about them; a purity due to the missing judgment and selfishness that humans seem to cultivate so well. But the more I grow as a person, the more I learn about why we do the things we do, and that has helped me break down my own barriers and judgments towards other people.

Now, I don't expect you to run out tonight and feed the slugs like you feed the birds, but you don't have to pour salt on them, either. That is all I'm talking about. There are humane ways to deal with things, like the snails in your garden, without going out of your way to teach your children to find glee in the morbid curiosity of what happens to a slug when you douse it in salt. There is necessity, like keeping bugs out of your house, and there is total disregard for other forms of life.

I had the worse problem with this. I was on the opposite spectrum. I often had total disregard for human life, especially when someone had a disparaging attitude toward everything around them. Never mind that I was mirroring their bad attitude. We've all been treated badly. I know I've had my share of unfair treatment. I know that all of the anger and resentment was building up inside of me tarnishing my view of people, as people are what have hurt me in the past. If you've ever been attacked by a swarm of bees, you just might be resentful and afraid of bees.

But, like I said, as I have grown, I have come to realize that we do things that we cannot help. Either we are unconscious of our actions because they are so ingrained in us that we don't know any better, or we just don't know where to begin the change. I am at least grateful I was given a compassionate heart that I could grow to be more accepting and loving toward my fellow human being, accepting them and loving them for who and what they are. Not always easy, and I am by far not always able to pull it off, but at least it's a start. I admit my shortcomings, and work on it the best I can, every day. It is not weak to admit weakness. It is strength. 

So, what are these words from The Buddha supposed to mean...?

At first glance, this quote seems to be about a mothers love for her child, strong and true, and, it is. But the deeper meaning is the beauty of the quote. A mother’s deep love for her child is the example used to describe how we should all extend our love for one another, as well as "all beings". I believe the Buddha is not just speaking about other 'human' beings, though we should have an open mind and open heart towards all mankind, whatever their differences from us may be. I would like to say that tolerance is a virtue that we, as human beings, should be extending towards one another, but I don't like to use the term "tolerance", as, to me, it implies that I am somehow above that which I must tolerate. I much rather like the term "compassion", as we should all extend compassion for each other’s thoughts, beliefs and feelings. We should hope to be as dominoes triggering a chain reaction from our acts of love and understanding "in regard to all beings".

 As I said, I don't believe this is reserved for humans, alone, but for any being that retains the light of life within it. We are to treat all beings that share this planet with the respect, compassion, and love that we would "our only child". Through this type of compassion for one another and all things, we can certainly start to become the change we wish to experience in this world.

That's worth a bit of banana to me.



Thank you for spending this time with me today.

Namaste,

Nanette
 

New Weekly Forum--Sundays with Buddha

Hi there!

I hope this post finds you well.

 I have been having a little trouble staying motivated lately. I know we all go through this from time to time, but I've really been struggling. I have been "losing' myself a bit lately, it seems, and I want to get out of that rut. I just needed to find a way. I took some time off from writing and socializing just to be with my thoughts and feelings and, while it gave me a break to just be with myself, I realized I am not at my best when I am isolated and not sharing with others.

I find that if I am not practicing what I believe in on a daily basis, I falter and sort of  lose sight of what is important to me. Things like kindness, non-judgement, compassion, loving thoughts and feelings toward myself and others. It doesn't leave me completely, I don't think it ever really could, but I become less mindful of these attributes that are so very important to me to have and to share.

That's why I am so grateful to forums, web sites, books, and magazines that I can read and participate in to keep that part of me awakened. But, I realized that, when I write and share of myself, that is when I am at my strongest. I write every once in a while. I submit articles to blogs. But I need to really concentrate on my own blog, as well.

So, this is how I intend to do it.

A few weeks ago on a nice weekend out with my husband, Noah, I picked up this journal titled "The Sayings of Buddha." It has over 50 pages and 100 quotes from the Buddha sharing his great wisdom. One quote on each blank lined page for you to journal on. I haven't started writing in it yet; I was waiting for whatever I needed to do with this book to make itself known to me, as I knew it would. I was reading through the quotes one night at work and it did just that.

I realized that if I could read a quote and write about my feelings on what it meant to me just on the blank pages provided, I could have a lesson at least every week for almost two years, or twice a week for one year.

So, that's it. I will provide a lesson each week (maybe two) for at least a year on the teachings of the Buddha and what they mean to me and how I will adapt those lessons into my life. It will provide me with something that I must focus on, and to rely upon myself to be mindful, as I can think on each lesson through the week and post them each Sunday.

I picked Sunday because that is when we are likely to be most at peace and rest and have the time to sit down with some tea or a cup of coffee sometime throughout the day and share some "Sundays With Buddha."

My first post will be this Sunday, April 28th, a day before my son's 18th birthday; a day that changed my life for the better, forever.

I truly hope you will join me on my journey of contemplation of the words of the Buddha. In them, there are amazing lessons of peace and love. This does not mean you have to be any certain religion or not. You may wonder if I am Buddhist. I would reply that it is not in me to be religious or to practice one 'religion'. I prefer to study and practice spirituality and philosophy. If there is a philosophy that resonates with me, it could come from any religion or culture, but if it is what resonates with me, that is the philosophy that I would adopt for my life. This may not be for everyone. Religion has always been a 'touchy' subject in this world. I prefer unity in peace and love rather than separation through who's right or wrong. There are many teachings of Christ that I follow, as well. Everyone has something to learn from someone else.

I just think it's time to be open to learning from each other. And since Buddha was a teacher and I find his words to be a loving embrace, and for all of mankind to learn from, that is what I chose for my path to peace.

I am honored that you might join me,

Namaste,

Nanette

A New Post at Tiny Buddha

I have a new article posted on Tiny Buddha (tinybuddha.com). If you head over there you will find a lot of great posts by some really great people. Thanks for taking the time to read my personal blogs and my submissions at Tiny Buddha.

Have a wonderful week!

Nanette

Coming back from a little time for myself...

Hello, everyone,

I have to apologize for being so absent this last month or so. I've been on a bit of a solitude mission. I haven't been writing on my blogs because I've been taking time to myself to deal with the month of March, as it was a full month. March 1st was my moms birthday. It would have been her 70th. And March 30th was the one year anniversary of her death.

I spent this time away just taking pictures and doing some other things with other hobbies that have been a little more introspective giving me time to be alone with my thoughts and feelings and giving me the time to not have to think of the right things to say or do. I did, however, write another article for Tiny Buddha back in February reflecting upon my relationship with my mother and my family, and that will be published soon. I will share that link with you as soon as it is available.

I know it is still important to share myself with you, even, or maybe especially, in times of distress, but I also know it was important to do what I needed to do. My message to you, the lesson I learned, was that it's okay to take a break from things. You don't have to do everything at once. You don't have to strive to please everyone all the time. If you are at peace with what you are doing, it will show and the people around you will understand. Just as when you are miserable, that shows on your outside, as well.

Of course, I was worried that I wasn't holding up my "end of the bargain" and giving all that I have in my two blogs. Disappearing without any explanation is rude. But sometimes we can't please everyone all of the time. We have to do something that is best for ourselves, at times.

And that is perfectly okay. Don't judge yourself. Be kind and gentle with yourself and everything will come out exactly as it should.

The time that I took for myself to get things kind of organized in my mind and in my house and with my feelings helped me to get prepared for the difficult weeks that I had to face. Even though it has been a year since I lost her, I still miss my mom so much it seem impossible to bear. None of us can believe it has been a year, already. And in June, my husband and his grandmother will start to go through their mourning process for his mother all over again, as well.

I know now that I am able to take the time to reflect on what I needed to and I accomplished a lot in that time that I took that I wasn't racking my brain trying to do too many things at once. If you give yourself the opportunity, you will always find something new to worry about.

So, practice not giving in to those opportunities. Again, be kind to yourself. Be gentle with yourself, and know that you are doing things perfectly as they should be done. Know that you are perfect just the way that you are and you'll be guided perfectly by your highest self, all you have to do is just quiet yourself and listen for it.

I realize for some, even this causes a bit of anxiety. Fear that you may not be 'doing it right'. You may think, "How do I hear it? What do I do to hear it? How can I even listen for it?"

You can learn from others how to calm and center yourself to receive the wisdom that is rightfully yours. There is a wealth of information out there from like minded people who are all seeking the same peace that you are. There are online forums, books, blogs...but most of all, you just have to believe that you hold everything inside you that you need to figure it all out.

You just have to believe in yourself, for inside you, you will find that which you call God, whatever that may, or may not, be for you. The Universe created you to be perfect and that is what you need to believe that you are. You are not a mistake and you are worth being treated well. By others. By yourself.

Wishing you all the wonderfulness you deserve,

Nanette
   

Social Media: to Tweet or not to Tweet?

I recently made quite a few connections via Twitter after my last submission to tiny buddha was posted. It brought a bit more traffic to this blog and I made a few new friends.

I thank God, I thank the All, the Source, the Universe, the Tao, whatever you want to call it...I thank It every day for this love that I am starting to feel, and this connection that I'm actually starting to really have with everyone, especially the readers of the tiny buddha site that have followed me here.

You've made connections with me and it just shows me that I'm being heard and that I'm making a difference. And you need to know, you are also making a difference. You made a difference in me, and therefore, I'm inspired to make more of myself and to let more of myself out and to hopefully touch more people. It's a beautiful chain reaction that only in my wildest dreams could I ever hope has a domino effect around the world.

I know it could take a lifetime, but it is happening, this wonderful change in the world. So many things have happened to become the catalyst for a change in the human race. Some people thought it was going to be something pertaining to December 21, 2012. Some people though it was back thirteen years ago at the start of the new millennium and that it's been gradually culminating since then. Who knows? But what I do know is that we certainly do seem to be in that New Era of Enlightenment.

The Spiritual movement has really blossomed with more people speaking out about their spiritual beliefs. There have been more books and information made available, as well as more people open to seeking it. There are also more barriers being dissolved between the separation of religion and spirituality, as well as between people themselves.

There's more of a connection; more wonderful things happening. Even though there are stories of tragedies being portrayed in the news, especially things that have happened just recently, there are still more wonderful stories of hope and love being shared equally as often. This is evident thanks to our increased use of social media these days.

There are two sides of the spectrum with our rapidly growing technology that we have. On one side you can see, not just teenagers and young adults, but 30 year old moms and 50 year old business men with their attention buried in their phones and devices. And it seems like they've got such a disconnect from everyone and everything around them, and most of them do, because they're addicted to their social media or jobs or what have you. It sort of puts me on the fence about whether the advancements in this technological age are a good thing or not, especially since I feel I'm guilty of this, too, just by simply participating in it.

I tend to try and see it as a wonderful thing because I'm able to connect with so many people. I'm able to link up to so many things, between Twitter and my blog(s), Facebook and now with being welcomed into the community of guest contributors at tinybuddha.com.

 I've met so many fantastic and wonderful people that have given me such loving comments on the three post that I have submitted there, two people in particular just after my latest post that I met who commented and then followed me on Twitter and shared with me how much my words touched them or how much they enjoyed the post. One of those people even graciously shared my blog on several of their Twitter accounts and on their Facebook group page.

I can't express my gratitude enough and it wouldn't have been possible at all without the use of social media, let alone the Internet, giving me the ability to connect with Lori Deshene at tiny buddha and submit posts to her. I see inspiration every day on her site. I also find inspiration on Facebook, believe it or not, and we share with hundreds of people everyday on Twitter that share their stories and wonderful insights to inspire and enlighten.

Because you get to choose who you follow on Twitter (and Facebook), you get to choose what type of "brand" you let in and listen to. A lot of the people that I follow are all positive thinkers and doers in some way, and while I realize many of them are trying to 'sell' their services, if that goes along with their business ventures, what better way to advertise, I guess, as long as you stay personal and real, striving for that connection with your fellow human being and not just shopping yourself around. I need that positivity in my life so that's what I follow, plus a few things that I'm just interested in. It is meant to be fun, after all!

I don't have a long friends list on Facebook, and I choose it to be that way. I realize a longer list can mean greater promotion, but I don't want to superficially friend someone to make my friends list longer just to 'preach'. I genuinely care about who I'm connecting with, and a shorter friends list makes for a shorter news feed enabling me to hopefully not miss as much as I would if it were running a continuous "ticker-tape" of peoples lives I hardly know. I'm certainly not criticizing, here. Nor do I want to sound insensitive or pompous. I'm merely illustrating the way I use social media that keeps me from becoming overwhelmed with it in this electronically saturated world.

Even though I don't have a huge FB friends list, there are constantly posts being shared of meaningful, positive, beautiful stories by the friends that I do have. I see a change in people I've know for years, just as they are seeing these changes in me. It's very exciting for me to be able to witness this transformation in humanity right in my own "back yard".

I would like to become more affluent on Twitter, I just never participated much there because I didn't feel comfortable just "plugging" my blogs all of the time. Being a bit of a newbie, that seemed to be all that I was doing when I would send tweets. I know that you should be sharing a bit of your personality and insight to your life there, so I try to do that. It is also a fantastic forum to use to get the word out on many important issues I'm passionate about. But, it just seems Twitter is a constant to have to keep up with and I never thought of myself as that type of "in your face" promoter. I guess there is a fine line between solicitation and self-promotion.

 I don't want people to get tired of me or think all I'm interested in is self-promotion. If or when I say something I want it to have inspiration and meaning, not be a random auto generated regurgitation without any real semblance of my true feelings. Again, I'm not criticizing. This is just how I feel about it.

I see the advancements in Twitter technology, and I may just not be there yet. I checked out SocialOomph and Tweet Deck and it seems doable for me in the near future...when I can prioritize a way to do it without seeming remote. I always want a personal touch to my connection with you. I'm uncomfortable with mass produced, automatic Tweets that I am not thinking about at the time. I want to post when I want to post and I post what I am truly passionate about. And for now, I'm good with that.

 Maybe I'll get the hang of utilizing these 'convienience' features soon. I suppose if I am setting tweets to generate for me they will be something I really want to say, so what's the difference whether I'm actually typing it then or I typed it a week ago? It's still my sentiment, right? Another thing I'm on the fence about, I guess. For now, I will do what makes me comfortable, and what keeps me connected to all of you. Human interaction is very important to me.

Maybe that's why I don't participate in Twitter as much because it just feels so manic to me at times. As if you have to keep up with it every second. I can see that from the Tweets I receive; it certainly seems to take a lot of time and work. I do realize that that's most likely why auto Tweets and Direct Messaging was invented; to do the work for you.  So, I have to find a balance. I have to find when convenience works for me and when it doesn't.

I just wish to see that with everyone else; to see them participate in it only when it's appropriate. But, I also don't want to see everyone disconnected from each other because they're more inclined to have their attentions in their devices than to have actual interaction with the human being that they're in the company of. It is discouraging when you see people on their phones in their car or at the table with a friend during dinner or drinks or walking in the mall, where they seem constantly "checked out". So, maybe that is the positive side of auto Tweets/Messaging. To afford you the time away from it that you need so that you have more actual face-time with people in your life.

I know it may seem that people would rather read about a positive story on Facebook or Twitter than to actually create that story themselves, and that it seems that we're getting to that point where we are too wrapped up and forgetting to put the devices down, but I think the novelty of our "magical toys" may be wearing off. I believe, we will start to realize that we need to utilize these as "tools" instead of "partners". Hopefully sooner, rather than later.

So to stay connected with each other, to share inspiration, this technology explosion is great. It's how I see the positive changes going on in the world. I get to see what people are thinking and feeling when I read the things that are being posted on Facebook or Twitter of amazing stories of love and gratitude. And, fortunately, I've been seeing a lot of that.

I guess, all in all it really is about balance. Being mindful and giving our full attention to others as well as ourselves helps us to stay present in all that we do. And making sure that what you are doing is goal oriented in a positive way and aligned with your true, authentic, Highest self is key to a happy life. If you are striving to be in alignment with that, you can't go wrong.

Here's a beautiful quote by Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh:

"The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers."  

Thanks for reading today,

And as always, I wish you all the wonderfulness you deserve,

Nanette

Sweet Serendipity

I had been struggling with my topics for a new post here on this blog, writing and re-writing, taking way too much time to get even one simple post up, for what seems like forever. Every time I thought I knew what I wanted to write about, those thoughts would change as I encountered a new experience. Just when I would start to get frustrated at not having a solid topic to concentrate on, I remembered that that is how the Universe works: Ever changing and leading us in the direction we are meant to go. Putting the absolute right people and situations in our path to give us the experiences we need to grow.

I recently met some fantastic people via tiny buddha, here on my own blog, and on Twitter. I am so grateful that I finally found the courage to share myself with people and open myself up to receive them and their own wisdom.

How gracious they were with their encouragement and generous spirits. It reminded me of the true reason I started opening myself up to everyone. It has been my goal and dream to share the many experiences in my 3-plus decades of life that I have struggled with or watched my family and friends struggle with, and have been made stronger by. I just wanted to share with people that they were not alone in their struggles, and that they were not "bad" or "wrong" in some way. That life is meant to be lived beautifully and that they deserve that life as much as anyone else.

I didn't quite know what I wanted to say for this post or how I wanted to say it, I just wanted to somehow express my "filled to the brim" gratitude for the connections I've made over the last few months.
Then something made me go back to the first two posts I submitted and read through the comments. I hadn't read through them in a while, and I needed the inspiration from the many great people who opened their own lives and emotions to me and everyone else reading.

What I found was bittersweet. Two new comments were waiting for me. They were both very  honestly emotional, though they were two totally different experiences. These women got something out of my story that touched them enough that they shared their own stories--one of hope, one of triumph--with everyone else, thus continuing the cycle of encouragement and connection between us all.

I feel like I am on cloud 9 after reading all of the comments there, on top of all the other great connections I've made over the last few weeks.
I love that we are all connecting with each other. This Awakening--it is happening--right now. All around us. Everyone is a part of it, whether you realize it or not. What a bright spark in your awareness there will be when you come to realize this.

All of this made me think, once again, of the tug-of-war I've been having since my mom passed about the work I am doing at the moment. I have a good job. One that any number of people would envy having, I suppose. I am grateful for this job that has sustained my family for 15 years, providing us with much needed medical benefits and good pay. I am now able to appreciate the connections I make with the people I interact with every day. I now realize that this career has always been a part of the plan to condition me for my highest calling, but I am still not as fulfilled as I feel I should be.

There are so many politically based things that go on in the health care setting, especially in hospitals. I am feeling more and more restrained by nonsensical rules and expectations. I feel itchy with the need to break away from it and do what makes me happy. But, at this point, I am still very reluctant to fully entertain the notion of leaving my job. How do we pay the bills in the interim? I have already learned about not asking the Universe the "How", "Why" or "When" and just putting your dream into your imagination and living from the feeling that it is already yours, but I am not so spontaneous as to take that much of a leap of faith.

So, I wait.

I won't wait forever. But I won't become destitute, either. I am trying to listen to my inner self. It seems to be telling me to GO! I seem to be getting signs every time I turn around to leave what is making me miserable and follow my heart. But I, like most of you, am so very cautious. This is a big deal!

I know I am on the right path that I am supposed to be on. I recognize that I've had the right people and situations placed in that path to encourage me to carry on as I am. Even though I am not as happy as I feel I could be in this job, I am making the most of what I've got until that big push I feel the Universe is urging me towards comes into perfect clarity. I have perfect, unwavering faith that the answers will come, and I will realize them. I will know when to hold steadfastly, and when to carry forth.

I'm sure I am still living my calling because I have met and interacted with all of you. I am certain that this new way of life is working for me because I am just happy with how things are right now. I have patience where I would have been in a great hurry years ago for my destiny to unfold. Instead, and thanks to all of you, I can see my destiny being fulfilled and that's enough for me.

I am happy enough with that.