Stand tall and proud

Sink your roots into the earth

Be content with your natural beauty

Go out on a limb

Drink plenty of water

Remember your roots and

Enjoy the view …

What’s the best advice you’ve seen … on a T-shirt or elsewhere?

The other day, while meditating, I happened to be thinking about the people of Haiti and their current strife with not having access to food and being hungry.  A thought popped into my head about a very easy way to help which was tied to my past experiences and teachings with the Blackfeet & the Lakota.  Let me explain . . .

At certain times in any one’s life, we all face uncertaintees and “forks in the road”, and we search out to find answers to those pressing questions and situatoins.  One of the ways that native americans go about finding their truth is to do a Hunbleceya, or what is commonly known as a Vision Quest.  This vision quest involves being put up on a sacred mountain, with no water and no food, from anywhere to 1 to 4 days.  There, amongst other things,  they will pray to Creator for guidance.

I have been blessed to be a helper at some of these Vision Quests.  A helper would help in any way they could for the person going through the Vision Quest, with the excpeption of making physical and eye contact with that person.  Ways to help included prayer, drinking water (very important) and . . . eating.  Yes, I said drinking and eating.  Since the person going through the Vision Quest was not allowed to eat or drink, in order to provide that person with the strength to go through 4 enduring days, the helpers were instructed to eat and drink for that person.  This involved being very present when eating and drinking, and to eat and drink with the intent of nourishing the Vision Quester. 

Many times when a person came down from the mountain, he/she would ask “Who was eating strawberries?  They were delicious!  Thank you!”  It is all about our intent and being present when eating and drinking.  So I ask all of you, when you eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner in the coming days, center yourself and ask your guides to send the nourishing energies of the food that you are eating, and the liquids that you are drinking, to the people and animals of Haiti.  Be very present when eating with the intent and the knowledge that this occurring. 

I know that this may not fill the hunger and thirst void completely for those starving in Haiti, but it may very well be enough to have them hold on until the food supplies can get to them.  So if you are not in the position to send money, clothing or food, or if you are not an experienced healer to send energy healing, you can still send love and nourishment.  Just food for thought . . . pun intended  

I love this concept … simplicity at it’s best.   http://www.smithmag.net/  Some examples: 

Carpe diem-college motto, lifelong challenge
Lost my way.  Found it.  Again.
I leaped.  No net.  Flew Instead.
Escaped terror, worked hard, found love.
In times of stress, I regress.
Planned for success.  Prepared for detours.

Off the top of my head, mine would be:   intrepid gypsy … lessons learned … graceful surrender

I would love to hear what yours would be!!! Please share …

Play Is Powerful

Think of how your body responds when someone says to you “Let’s play.”  You smile and sense a heightened awareness of the “now” as it transforms whatever you are doing to another level.   Play is magical and takes us back to innocence, with the limitless  potential for laughter and joy.  It awakens all of our senses and reduces the mundane in our lives, even if just for a while.  Try to incorporate play in everything you do … the time will fly by as you experience freedom and expansion in your day.  Smile more.  Go with the flow.  Be spontaneous.  Take a risk.  Get out of your comfort zone.  Breathe deeply.  Be grateful you are alive!  Know that every day, in every way, you are getting better and better!!!

There was once a king who decided that if he knew who the most important people to be with were, and what the most important thing to do was, and when the best time to do each thing was, that he would certainly be the finest king ever to rule the land.
Although he had asked his advisers, none had been able to give him a good answer to these questions.

At last he decided to ask the advice of a wise hermit.
The king dressed in the clothes of a commoner and set out for the forest.
When he neared the hermit’s hut, he ordered his knights to stay back at a distance, and he rode the last section of trail alone.

The king found the hermit digging in his garden.
The old man greeted him but continued digging.
The king told the hermit that he had come to find answers to his three questions.
The hermit listened but gave no answer and continued working.
The king observed that the hermit was frail and elderly and that the work was very difficult for him.
The king offered to take over the digging, and the hermit allowed it.

The king dug for one hour.
Then he repeated the question, but the hermit did not answer.
He worked again for another hour, and then repeated his questions with the same results.
This continued for a few more hours until the sun began to sink low in the sky.
Finally the king got discouraged. “I came to you for answers wise man. If you have none, tell me and I will return home.”

Just them someone came running up the path.
They turned to see a man with his hands pressed to his stomach and blood flowing from between them.
He dropped to the ground at the king’s feet.

The king and the hermit knelt down and began tending to the man.
The king washed and bandaged the man’s wounds.
The blood continued to flow so he had to change the bandages.
The king also helped the hermit to get fresh water, and to help the man to drink.

Finally the man slept and did not wake until the next morning.
The king too slept upon the ground, waking often to watch over the man.
In the morning the man woke up and looked at the king.

“Forgive me,” he said to the king.

“You have nothing to forgive me for,” the king answered.

“Oh, but I do,” he said. “You were my enemy, and I had sworn to take revenge on you for killing my brother and taking my land. I knew that you were coming here today and I decided to kill you on the trail. But when you did not return for many hours I left my hideout to find you. Your guards recognized me and wounded me. I escaped them but I would have bled to death if you had not cared for me. I meant to kill you but now you have saved my life. If I live I shall gladly serve you for the rest of my days.”

The king was so happy to have been reconciled with an old enemy that he immediately forgave him and promised to return his land.
Then the king called for his knights to carry the man back to his castle to be cared for by his own doctor.

After the wounded man had gone, the king asked the hermit once more if he would not give him the answer to his question.

“Your questions have already been answered.” the hermit replied.

“But how?” the king answered, perplexed.

“How?” repeated the hermit.

“If you had not taken pity on my weakness yesterday and helped me instead of returning home, that man would have ambushed and killed you on the trail. Therefore, the most important time was when you were digging my garden beds; and I was the most important person; and the most important thing to do was
to do good for me. Later, when the man came running to us, the most important thing to do was to care for him. If you had not bound up his wounds he would have died without making peace with you. Therefore the most important person was that man, and what you did was the most important thing and the right time was the time when you were doing it. ”

“You see, the most important time is always the present moment. It is the only time that is important because it is the only time that we have control over. The past we can only look back on and wish that we had done differently. The future we can only imagine. The most important person is always the one you are with in the present moment, and the only important deed is the deed that does what is best for others.”

- Author Unknown -