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Welcome to April!
Spring has arrived! We have officially stepped over the threshold into this new season, even though I'm looking out my window at a gray, rainy day. My faithful daffodil bulbs have produced their annual display of cheery yellow flowers to prove to me that brighter days are just around the corner. New buds are appearing on all my shrubs and trees. I'm eagerly awaiting the explosion of green that will soon be upon us in the Pacific Northwest.
I'm amazed at how quickly things can change. Last month I spent 3 weeks in the Middle East. I was in Israel and Palestine, where I've been traveling at least twice a year for the past 11 years. While I was there, I took a drive from Jerusalem up north to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee. Spring has definitely arrived there. The rolling hills are a thousand different shades of green.
I stayed in the north for a couple days before returning to Jerusalem. When I made the return drive, I was amazed to see the hills had suddenly burst into blazing fields of red, yellow and purple! Within 2 days time, the wildflowers had quite suddenly come into bloom! In the blink of an eye, the landscape transformed into something entirely new! It was beautiful when I drove through the area before, but now I felt like I was driving through a painting!
Our lives can also change suddenly, without warning. Sometimes the changes are positive, wonderful happenings and sometimes they are frightening and challenging.
"This too shall pass" is one of my favorite sayings. I use it during tough times to remind myself that all things and experiences are temporary in this life. I also use it in good times to remind me to savor and appreciate what is happening, because the happy, amazing things are also impermanent.
As you watch the landscape of your life twist, turn, change and transform from day to day (and sometimes from moment to moment), remember that everything has it's season and it's purpose. Everything comes for a season, and then passes away. When we accept this truth and work with it, rather than struggle against it, we can relax into this thing called life and enjoy it all the more!
Happy Spring! |
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~ Inspiration for the Path ~
"Let each become all he was created capable of becoming."
~ Thomas Carlyle
"Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense
and persistence, is the quality that most
frequently makes for success."
~ Dale Carnegie
"Nothing is so contagious as an example.
We never do great good or great evil without bringing about more of the same on the part of others."
~ Francois del La Rochefoucauld
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Ebb & Flow
Leaning in to the Rhythm of Life
I'm about to experience one of 'those' birthdays that can be a bit emotionally... challenging. "Milestone birthdays" have a tendency to make us reflect on our lives and where we are in the pursuit of our dreams and aspirations. Many life events, in addition to 'milestone' birthdays can cause us to evaluate our progress and our current life course.
If we have one of these at a great time in our lives we're apt to feel very positive about where we are heading. If, on the other hand, we come to self reflection at a difficult time in our life, we might feel a bit more pessimistic about our future.
The truth is, that our lives are filled with ups and downs... good times and bad. A snapshot at any given point in time does not give the full picture of where we've been and where we are going. That would be like expecting one piece of a jigsaw puzzle held out in isolation to reveal the entire picture to us.
Life is a series of ebbs and flows. Just like the tide comes in and the tide goes out, we are in an ever changing dance with the process of life. Nothing lasts forever. The sand castle we spend all day building at the beach will be washed away with the next inflow of the tide. That doesn't mean it wasn't worth building!
I remember playing with some children at the ocean years ago. I was helping them to create a 'miniature world' out of shells and sticks and things we found on the beach. They were having a ball, and were very excited about the little scene we were creating. Then... it happened. The tide started to come in. The first wave that hit our 'world' was met with gasps of horror from the kids. I knew we might have a 'melt down' if I didn't act quickly. I asked the children, "Hey! How many waves do you think it will take to knock down our tree here?" Suddenly, it became a game to see how many waves it would take to wash away various aspects of our world! Something that looked like it was going to be painful turned out to be fun. What a concept! We could always build another 'world' another day.
In fact, I'm going to spend a few days at the beach this month to celebrate my birthday. I'm going to make a point of using a stick to write some of my current challenges in the sand... and watch the tide wash them away! After that I'll build a 'miniature world' to remind myself that every moment brings the chance for something new to emerge in my life!
We can't fight the tide and win. Nor can we prevail in a battle against the natural processes of life on this earth. We certainly can waste a lot of energy trying! I speak from experience on that one!
Things begin and things end. Possessions come and they go. Life is a constant process of new growth and old things passing away.
Embrace the ebb and flow that is... LIFE! | |
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Inspired Path® Living Blog
Each week day, I use my blog to share my thoughts and spiritual perspective on the events going on in the world - both close by and around the globe.
Through my blog I seek to inspire, uplift and stimulate ever widening and deepening perspectives on life and how to best live it. I invite you to check it out!
www.inspiredpath.blogspot.com | |
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Inspirational Song
A World of Peace - J D Martin
Music is a huge part of my personal and spiritual growth process. I use music every single day for motivation, inspiration, and as a tonic when I need comfort and encouragement.
I remember the first time I heard JD Martin sing. It was at the Center for Spiritual Living in Seattle Washington. I've been a huge fan ever since. I love JD's voice and his spirit infused music. This particular song is close to my heart because it is about conflict. JD encourages us to look within ourselves for the roots of conflict in our greater world. Peace truly does begin within each one of us. We can't ever expect to see it in our world if we don't have it in our own hearts. Furthermore, we can't ask others in this world to make peace, when we aren't willing to clean up our own lives!
This song, World of Peace, is from an album that I dearly love. I've given away more copies of this album than any other in my life! It is so filled with goodness that I have gifted it to many people all around the world.
Here is an excerpt from the song:
In the middle of the night
I fumble for the light
Stumble to the 'frigerator
I can't sleep
These bills are getting deep
And lately I've been feuding with the neighbor
Clock says 3 AM
I turn on CNN
Listen to the commentator
Talking 'bout the land of Palestine
Well these problems of mine
Don't seem so complicated
Here in the darkness of the longest night
I think about how it could be
I wanna wake up in the morning light
Living in a world.....a world of peace
You can listen to the song on the following website:
Link to listen to "A World of Peace"
JD Martin, Nola & Jan Garrett |
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Nola's Movie Pick
Castaway
Movies are one of my favorite ways to relax and inspire myself! Many movies have profound messages for us, embedded within the stories they tell.
Castaway is the movie I've selected to share with you this month. It tells the story of a Federal Express executive, living the high life of success and happiness who's life is radically altered as the result of a tragic plane crash. Chuck Noland (played by Tom Hanks) reluctantly leaves his fiance at Christmas time for what appears to be a typical business trip. Chuck and Kelly (his girlfriend) are both successful and busy professionals who find it necessary to pull out their schedules in order to coordinate their time together. They are not unlike many of us in today's world.
During the flight, something goes horribly wrong and the plane crashes into the ocean. Noland is the only survivor of the crash and after a terrifying experience washes ashore on a deserted island. The time obsessed Fed-Ex employee suddenly finds himself in an alien world, where time means nothing and survival is anything but guaranteed. Noland goes through many agonizing days and nights as he attempts to survive and make sense of what has happened to him. Solving problems one day at a time, facing his inner fears and very real challenges changes him at depth. He endures much anguish as he navigates his new and strange life.
Noland spends more than 4 years on the island before finally collecting enough materials to make himself a raft. He decides to make one final attempt to get himself back to his old world. He is successful in his endeavors and re-enters what is left of his life.
Returning to his old life proves impossible. Time has moved on in his absence. He was given up for dead. Kelly has married another man and has a daughter. Noland himself is so altered by his experience that he can no longer look at life the same way. He sets off to craft a new life for himself that incorporates his extraordinary experience.
What I love most about this movie is that it challenges us to think about what we consider to be important and 'essential' in our lives. So much of what we think is essential is totally irrelevant! Perhaps we can learn from Chuck Noland's remarkable experience, and not have to go through anything so traumatic to learn the lessons he himself learned. Reflecting on our life and what really matters is something we can do anytime any where. We don't need to have our world turned upside down in order to take this on!
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As spring unfolds around you this month, let it life and nourish your spirit. I wish for you a time of renewed energy, enthusiasm and growth.
Grow! Grow! Grow! |
Nola Drazdoff
Inspired Path, Inc. |
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April 2009
