The little things

In my last video I said I re-potted my Bonsai tree.  Here he is before the repot he has a much larger home now and is really happy!

I've had some time over the past few days to journal..

I adore how the colours came out on this one - and even the girl's funky blue hair!  I ended up painting the flowers hot pink after this was taken but this is to gives you the idea...

Years ago I fell in love with this idea, 

"The Secret to Life..... 

All you have to do is be happy.

Do you know how to do that?

Just be happy!"

This paper was in my window for years.  I decided to put it into the journal.  Funny enough the dog was not originally in this piece.  

While I was working out I peaked over to see it and there he was!  After I finished the mass sweat (yes I'm still doing Jillian Michaels cardio) I had to add him in.

Silly Google flipped the picture again...

Then I was searching the internet for a perfect quote to add to this page as it had so much extra space and I came across Donna Downey's upcoming art class and it had this quote on it... "Always believe something wonderful is about to happen."  I loved it so much I had to score it!  I've added it here and onto another project I may share later but for now here's the journal page.

It was still empty so then I added the little Book of Life... this was so fun!

I must say I think we will look back at life someday and realize it is all about the little things and how happy they make us feel.  As you know by now all you have to do is be happy!  LOL

Thanks for dropping in!

Tam

xo

PS.  I got a kick out of a Napoleon Hill video I was watching while making this art.  He said to take 5 minutes every morning and have a good belly laugh.  He said something along the lines of "be sure you aren't in the company of others" as you do this!  LOL 

PPS.  May you have a good belly laugh today!

Metta and a grudge

This week while teaching meditation we explored "Metta".  Metta is a term which means loving kindness.  During the process of Metta we sent love to our loved ones, friends, work colleagues and those in general who help make our lives easier.

Then we sent love to someone we had a grievance with... ouch....much more challenging.

Some of the students when it was over shared they couldn't believe they were still holding onto this "________" (fill in the blank but realistically we're talking grudges here... fear, anger, disappointment... whatever it may be) for so many years.

Face it you may still be upset with "So and so"  for doing/not doing/overdoing "that thing" and have been for the past 8+ years.  Yeah, admit it, they still really tick you off! 

Here's the thing.  ______(so & so)________ hasn't given you a second  thought in all of those years!

Guess Buddha was onto something when he said, "Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."

Rather than clearing the toxic emotions, you've held them, you're still getting burned up by them like a boomerang nothing has cleared.


......dang enlightenment!


Here's a process I've used for years to let people and grudges go. 

Maybe it'll work for you to?

Take a moment and focus on your physical heart or the essence of the heart center (anahatha) located at the center of the chest.

Begin to send your breathe into this space.

Imagine you are breathing from this heart center (not so much from the lungs, but rather the heart).

Allow yourself to expand love, kindness and compassion from this space.

Imagine you are a vessel sending love out to the planet, bathe the planet and all sentient beings with your love, your compassion.

Think of the one you need to release and say these (or similar words), "I forgive you, I release you, I let you go."

Remember to send these same feelings to yourself.
Much love,
Tam

"If you're compassion doesn't include yourself it is incomplete." ~Buddha

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” ~Rumi

PS.  You may have to chant these words like a mantra a million times before it takes, but trust it will. 

"I forgive you.  I release you.  I let you go."

PPS.  Oh and when you say "I forgive you" let it be to yourself first for not letting this go before now!  And while you are at it don't be hard on yourself you are human after all!

 

 

 

 

Self Compassion

It's really funny how connected everything is.  Be it the bunny showing up last week showing lessons to slow down or the zany dreams I've been having that are all about making more conscious choices. 

The dream I had last night reminded me of the years when feelings of depression won out over any other emotion.  The bottom of the barrel, the end of the line; you know these mind states.  We all have had them at some point.  Some of us have them more often than others.  To be honest I still have those days; gladly they don't last as long as they used to. 

During those years when depression won 95 % of the time I didn't know I had a choice.

I didn't realize it. 

Thankfully I got over those years alive (quite seriously).

So this morning when I read over on FB  "If your compassion doesn't include yourself, it is incomplete." ~Buddha

I had to laugh.  Yep.. there you go.  The messages are all over the place and I am not alone in the lessons.

People have to realize that for most it is our attitude that will shift or change our experience.  And once we turn off this suffering button we can reach heights we never imagined possible. 

We have to realize it.

We have to remind ourselves, "We are safe.  It is safe to show up more fully in my life."

It doesn't matter if no one else 'gets' it.  It only matters if you, yourself are willing to overcome your 'perceived' pain.  I say that because it really is all an illusion.

We can wake up today and make a different decision.  We can decide in this moment in time, in the here and now we can choose to be happy.  We can choose to be free from suffering. We can choose to allow the compassion we gift others to enter ourselves. 

We need it.  Come on, turn off your suffering button, deactivate the dang thing and let's stop the suffering together.

We are divinely loved & guided - all we need to do is remember.
Namaste,
Tammy

PS.  "We should learn to ask, "What's not wrong?" and be in touch with that. There are so many elements in the world and within our bodies, feelings, perceptions, and consciousness that are wholesome, refreshing, and healing. If we block ourselves, if we stay in the prison of our sorrow, we will not be in touch with these healing elements."
 ~Thich Nhat Hanh