Gratitude

I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all for for being a part of this page.  It is an honor to have you all here and I appreciate each and every one of you.  I am thankful that you share my posts with others and that you invite your friends to join us here.  Thank you for allowing me to share.

Quotes

You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink. ~ G. K. Chesterton  

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~ Marcel Proust 

You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you. ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach  

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. ~ Albert Einstein 

Take full account of the excellencies which you possess, and in gratitude remember how you would hanker after them, if you had them not. ~ Marcus Aurelius  

Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted–a paved road or a washing machine? If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul. ~ Rabbi Harold Kushner 

When we become more fully aware that our success is due in large measure to the loyalty, helpfulness, and encouragement we have received from others, our desire grows to pass on similar gifts. Gratitude spurs us on to prove ourselves worthy of what others have done for us. The spirit of gratitude is a powerful energizer. ~ Wilferd A. Peterson 

Sankalpa

I learned a new word today. The Sanskrit word sankalpa. It means resolve, intention, will, purpose, and/or determination.

From the Sanskrit Glossary ~ Sankalpa: “Will; purpose; determination.” A solemn vow or declaration of purpose to perform any ritual observance. Most commonly, sankalpa names the mental and verbal preparation made by a temple priest as he begins rites of worship. During the sankalpa, he proclaims to the three worlds what he is about to do. He intones the name of the Deity, the type of ritual he is about to perform and the present time and place according to precise astrological notations. Once the sankalpa is made, he is bound to complete the ceremony.

From the Yoga Journal ~ POSITIVE POWER A Sanskrit word, sankalpa means "will, purpose, or determination." To make a sankalpa is to set an intention—it's like a New Year's resolution with a yogic twist. While a resolution often zeros in on a perceived negative aspect of ourselves (as in, "I want to lose weight, so no more chocolate chip cookies or ice cream or cheese"), a sankalpa explores what's behind the thought or feeling ("I crave chocolate chip cookies or ice cream or cheese when I'm feeling stressed or sad. I will set an intention to become conscious of this craving and allow my feelings to arise and pass, rather than fill up on fats"). ~ check out the link the full post on this topic is great.

This post at 5 Seed was the inspiration for this post.  Check out her other blog A Green Spell.

P.S. When I started this blog my intent was to post at least once a week. Its now been a bit over two since my last post. There is no excuse . . . just a seemingly ongoing quest to find Balance between the things I "have" to do and the things I "want" to do. If you all have any tips on finding Balance I'd love to hear them.

Life Flows with Ease

Quote:

To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease, and lightness. This state is then no longer dependent upon things being in a certain way, good or bad. It seems almost paradoxical, yet when your inner dependency on form is gone, the general conditions of your life, the outer forms, tend to improve greatly. Things, people, or conditions that you thought you needed for your happiness now come to you with no struggle or effort on your part, and you are free to enjoy and appreciate them - while they last. All those things, of course, will still pass away, cycles will come and go, but with dependency gone there is no fear of loss anymore. Life flows with ease. ~ Eckhart Tolle

We cannot be present and run our story-line at the same time.  ~ Pema Chodron

Blogs:
From Quest for Balance - Life Beyond Computers
From Confident Writing - 10 things to Start, and One Thing to Stop
From Good Life Zen - Want to Improve Your Relationships? Listen up!

That's all for now . . . Hope you all are having a great week.

Peace in your heart

Quotes: 
May you have warmth in your igloo, oil in your lamp, and peace in your heart! ~ Eskimo proverb

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live. ~ Flora Whittemore

The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it. ~ Marcus Aurelius

My daughter posted this as her status ~ "When you're struggling with something, look at all the people around you and realize that every single person you see is struggling with something, and to them, it's just as hard as what you're going through." -Nicolas Sparks (Dear John...such a good book =])


Other Blogs:
From the Positivity Blog ~ 11 Quick and simple ways to spread positivity around you today  
From the Positivity Blog ~ How to do Something Even When you Don't Feel Like it 

Sorry post is a bit short this week. Started a new journey and still working on finding a balance between all the things I do. Hope you have a Great week!

Namaste

Videos:
Namaste 


Blog Posts:
From Be an Original - How to sabotage goals with 47 simple words.
From Be an Original - Saints and ordinary people. (the prayer in this post is moving)
From Daily OM - Pausing to Drink.

Quotes:
The first step toward planetary healing is to walk toward the beauty in thee-to see the beauty in your own heart, to forgive those ideas and correct those thought forms that obscure the true wisdom fire in your mind. ~ Dhyani Ywahoo

Each time we give away, or let go of, a limiting idea, there is more space for an empowering idea to come to mind. Try thinking: I have value, therefore I can do something of value because I am valuable. ~ Diane Mariechild from Open Mind: Women's Daily Inspiration for Becoming Mindful

We are all on a search – a search for more meaning in our lives. Through choosing to enrich other people’s lives, you add meaning to both their life and your own. ~ Rajesh Setty from  What Matters Now - Seth Godin download free here. It is a compilation of words of wisdom on topics ranging from fear to education. I'm about 1/2 way through myself and am enjoying it. A quick read at 82 pages.

Articles:
From the Jan 2010 Agni Newsletter ~ Harness the Power of Intention

I hope this post finds you all well and having a GREAT week.