BLESSINGS AND LOVE FOR A WONDERFUL WEEK!!
Tag Archives: Work
Finding Comfort ~ Repost
“Never underestimate how much assistance, how much satisfaction, how much comfort, how much soul and transcendence there might be in a well-made taco and a cold bottle of beer.” ~ Tom Robbins
“The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” ~ Maya Angelou
“As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful. They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness — just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breath it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us strength; the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is warm.” ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder
“Dream about things that envelop your being like a comfortable blanket.” ~ T. Devour
from The Desk of MarDrag:
I had a long, busy, activity filled day the other day and when I finally completed everything and could take a break and a breather, I looked to find some relaxation and comfort. So I gathered an ice cold bottle of water, a snack, and a chocolate and climbed the stairs to my loft, where all my treasures, books, and my desk are located. Also in this lovely space is my favorite purple reading chair. It is an indulgence of plush material and sits deep. It has a matching ottoman perfect for resting tired feet. I keep a small table next to the chair, which is positioned in the middle of the loft, and I placed my food and beverage there. I lit a stick of incense, lit several candles, and turned to my chair. I sat down, deliberately scooting into its depths to find the exact right position, pushing and plumping the cushions with my body to fit it most comfortably. I propped my feet upon the ottoman, and took several long, deep, core breaths. This…I thought…is absolute Comfort.
This…I also thought…is what we need to strive to find a few moments for ourselves every day. I know, it is difficult to find the time. And some would say they cannot find Comfort in their life right now, that there is too much turbulence.
But…there are those simple, quiet things, as simple as a favorite chair, that can make those moments of Comfort for us. And it is those moments when we allow ourselves some Comfort that keep us going, nurtured, and replenished.
So, whatever Comfort means to you…allow yourself to find it among the stressful minutes of your day. Comfort can come in many ways or from many things or people…it matters not where it comes from…but that it comes to be a natural part of our lives, our days. Especially now, gather Comfort to you and give yourself that gift. It makes such a difference…and you deserve it!
And…may you find a bit of Comfort from your visit here. Know that Love and Warmth are wrapped around you with every click to the blog!
Blessings!
The Power of Monday!
Go out into the world today and know this…
HAVE A GOOD AND POWERFUL MONDAY!!
BLESSINGS!
All pictures and quotes courtesy of Google Images and credited where possible.
The Hero ~ Repost
I posted this blog a couple of years ago and it seems it is more relevant today than ever before. Take this into your day and believe in You!! Blessings!
~~~~~~
I was doing my daily peruse of news articles and blogs today and found myself reading so many pieces written about people who are turning out not to be the people we thought they were. Many people, from government representatives to business executives, charity organizers to community do gooders, organization creators to major name athletes, and even well liked characters on our favorite reality tv shows. One commenter on a blog wrote the well-known line, “how the mighty have fallen”.
And I got to thinking…as I stood under a hot shower later…how so many of our “heroes” these days disappoint us. And, can we hold anyone up to be a hero anymore? It used to be…in the “olden days” (LOL!), that there were those people, in many different walks of life, who did out of the ordinary things, and were dubbed our “heroes”. We all looked up to them, especially young people, and looked to them for the standard by which good behavior would measure. And we aspired to be like them.
In this current technological age we live in, where the finest and most hidden details of a person’s life can be found out in a “hot minute”, the term “hero” struggles, because even the best of people can be brought down by just one moment in their lives. And those that try to show themselves as good people or “heroes”, but are really not, are also found out quickly…and we are disappointed.
Now, I know the importance of having people to look up to that do great things with their lives, and make important contributions of great magnitude in the world…and I know there are still many people that fit that description, but we seem to put more attention on the fallen heroes than the ones that have risen. And the ones that have risen are still human too, and are not infallible, just like the rest of us.
So where do we look for the best example of a hero to hold up? We look within.
I am reminded of the lyrics to a Mariah Carey song from many years ago that was one of my favorite songs ever:
“And then a hero comes along, With the strength to carry on; And you cast your fears aside, And you know you can survive; So when you feel like hope is gone, Look inside you and be strong; And you’ll finally see the truth, That a hero lies in you.”
You have a hero within you…..the one that gets up every morning and faces with day with courage, as best you can, and walks through your day doing all manner of important things to care for yourself, your family, your job, other people…making your mark on the world no matter how big or small. You bravely face this world full of things to be worried and frightened of….and you carry on anyway. You find the strength to march through it all, and the courage to say, I will not be defeated….if even just for today.
YOU are the Real Heroes! So, be your own Hero, and hold yourself up in great esteem.
Blessings!
Monday Bucket List!
A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about doing a “Daily Bucket List” to help keep our focus on our own lives, worlds, possibilities, and actions to help us through this difficult time. So today…I am posting my “Monday Bucket List”. What is on your “Daily Bucket List” today? Whatever it is, I hope it makes you happy and positive because that will help the world too. Blessings!
#1 ~ Repeat my mantra when negative or worrying thoughts take over my mind: “No more fight, Peace, Love, and Light” over and over until I have Peace of Mind.
#2 ~ Focus my thoughts to send out Positive Energy to the everyone and the world instead of angry, negative energy.
#3 ~ Tell a joke to make people laugh and feel good.
Wishing you all a wonderful, Peaceful Monday full of Love and good thoughts!
Blessings!
Stay Steady And……
Tomorrow is a big day and no matter where you land on the political scope…it is going to be intense and unsettling. So I want to remind us all that…though we may not be able to control what is happening…we CAN still have control of our own worlds, thoughts, actions, and feelings.
We can’t allow all the hype to penetrate so deep that we forget it is our response to it all that makes us miserable or ok.
Even though we may feel we are being sucked into the negative wave…remember…
We can panic and become worried and uncertain when things do not “look” like we think they should and it unsettles our peace of mind…
But we can’t wait for everything to be perfect in order to be at Peace…So…
The one thing we can all have command of is our thoughts, actions, and response to what is happening…so let us make a good choice for ourselves and…
Let us make a conscious choice to “view out there” while we stay Steady, Strong, Positive, and Peaceful within ourselves and our lives and worlds. Remember that things are changing rapidly moment to moment…and that means anything can happen. Let’s make that a Positive thing!
BLESSINGS!
All images are from Google Images with credit to quoters where possible.
For Your Monday
YOU ALL HAVE AN INNER LIGHT…WHETHER YOU FEEL IT, KNOW IT, OR USE IT…IT IS STILL THERE AND TAKES A SPECIAL PLACE IN THIS WORLD. WE NEED YOUR SPECIAL LIGHT…YOUR UNIQUE SELF…SHINE IT BRIGHT.
My wish is for you to start today knowing and feeling this and take it into your week to make it a great one. Blessings and Love To All!
A Message for the New Year
Well, here we are, on the brink of closing one year and welcoming a new one. This year, 2016, has been a full year to say the least, a tumultuous one, full of a great many ups and downs. We end 2016 in a bit of confusion and uncertainty. What do we put behind us and let go of? What should we anticipate, look forward to, expect…in the New Year and 2017?
I had been pondering this…and then I heard a song from many years ago by the folk singer Cat Stevens, from such a different time and culture so long past. But the words struck me…hard…as the perfect message to go forward into a New Year…a year that we are all wondering how to feel about.
The song is titled: “If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out”, Cat Stevens 1972
I recommend listening to it, it has a great melody…but it is the words that will keep you going through the transition into the New Year and beyond it. Because, I want to suggest that we not allow the circumstances we may be facing to keep us from living our own personal authentic lives as we wish…in Happiness, Love, Compassion, and Unity. It can be easy to let the energy and negativity envelop us and lead us to feelings of hopelessness or defeat or thinking that it has to affect us. But it doesn’t…if we don’t allow it.
Here is the first stanza of the song…
“Well, if you want to sing out, sing out
And if you want to be free, be free
‘Cause there’s a million things to be
You know that there are” Cat Stevens, 1972
So…what if we believe this…and do it? What if we choose to be Free…of anything that isn’t what we want in our own personal space? This isn’t to say we don’t deal with what is going on. It just means we do not allow it to pierce the circle of Love, Happiness, Peace, and Light that we draw around us and our loved ones. Don’t let the negativity get under your skin and win by entering and disturbing your life. YOU have a right to have the life and energy around you that you want, not what is dictated by circumstances that, for now, cannot be changed.
“Well, if you want to say yes, say yes
And if you want to say no, say no
‘Cause there’s a million ways to go
You know that there are”
“And if you want to be me, be me
And if you want to be you, be you
‘Cause there’s a million things to do
You know that there are” Cat Stevens, 1972
THERE ARE A MILLION THINGS TO DO, A MILLION WAYS TO BE, SO MANY CHOICES TO FULFILL US AND KEEP US HAPPY AND CONTENT…AS WE SHOULD BE. THIS IS OUR LIFE. THE WAY NEGATIVITY WINS IS IF WE STOP LIVING OUR TRUE AUTHENTIC LIVES BECAUSE OF IT.
SO BE YOU…AND BE HOW YOU WANT TO BE IN YOUR LIFE…DREAM UP A MILLION DIFFERENT WAYS TO BE HAPPY, DO GOOD, SHINE, AND ENCOURAGE AND HELP OTHERS TO SHINE. LET THIS SONG BE A MANTRA TO REMIND US THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT AND THE POWER TO BE FREE AND MAKE OUR OWN CHOICES ABOUT HOW WE LIVE. IN OUR OWN SPACE, IN OUR OWN LIGHT.
So if you want to Be Free…
BLESSINGS AND LOVE TO ALL!
We Made it!
The packages have been opened…the food cooked and eaten…and the messes made and cleaned…or some at least!
This is how I picture Santa the day after…
And how most of us are feeling this morning…
So I send you all a burst of energy…
And wish for you a smooth, happy start to the week!
BLESSINGS!
Monday Message~Dolphin~Breath of Life~Repost
As I sat this morning and meditated on this week’s message, I had the urge to seek one from the animal kingdom. So I took to my “Animal Medicine Cards” and book, “The Discovery of Power Through The Ways of Animals” by Jamie Sams and David Carson and asked what they would tell my readers this morning. The card I pulled was the Dolphin. Here is what it had to say:
Dolphin: “Breathe, Take In Life Force, Accept The Gift of Usable Energy, Touch The Invisible”
Message (paraphrased): “Dolphin speaks to us of the breath of life, the only thing that humans can not go without for more than a few minutes. We can live without water and food for days, but oxygen is the source of our sustenance. Within the breath we encounter the rhythm of energy that all life emits. In changing the rate or rhythmic texture of our breath, we find an easy way to connect with Divine energy as well as with our own personal rhythms.
Dolphin is the keeper of the sacred breath of life, and teaches us how to release emotions through breath. Dolphin creates rhythm, swimming through the water and breathing before submerging, then holding its breath for the duration of underwater travel. As Dolphin comes above water again, it blows its breath out in a manner resembling the popping of a cork. We can use this same technique to pull the stopper on our tensions and create total relaxation.
Dolphin teaches us how to use life force through our breath. It revitalizes each cell and organ, and breaks limits and dimensions of physical reality so that we can enter “soul time”. Dolphin knows that all communication is pattern and rhythm and became a carrier of messages. And that breath is the communication with the rhythms of nature.
Be mindful of your body rhythms and patterns of energy. Breathe and know that you are whole.”
from The Desk of MarDrag:
As Dolphin says, breath is the sustenance of our lives, and of nature. By becoming aware of the rhythm of our breath, we can tap into our own personal rhythms and change or adjust them. We can also release tension and emotions that have built up because of stress or worry.
By consciously paying attention to our breath, we can help our minds and bodies to release and relax. Haven’t we all been told when we are upset to “just breathe” in order to calm down or relax? And it works. But we do not have to wait until we are upset to use that technique.
As the message indicates…sometimes we feel we are “just trying to keep our heads above water”…and that if we submerge, we will be overwhelmed. But Dolphin shows us that we can survive those times of traveling underwater…and emerge again, able to release the tension and stress that difficult times create. And we can release it all, through our breath. It is the Life Force that sustains us, that connects us to our inner life force and feeds our cells the precious oxygen they need to flourish and thrive. When we breathe deep, we are nurturing our mind, body and spirit…in one breath.
Deep breathing can also take us through those moments when we would react to life’s difficulties in a negative way. It can help us take that pause we need before we react, and it can infuse us with clarity and calm so that we can have that moment to assess the situation before reacting.
Breath is the elixir of Life. So feed your soul and take a few moments each day to close your eyes, breathe deeply…take the breath all the way down past your chest and into your belly, your core. Hold it for a few seconds, then let it go, like the pop of a Dolphin breath, and release your tension. See it flowing out of you as you exhale. Do this several times and feel your body and mind relax as well as promoting the blood flow through your cells. There is also the element of connecting to Divine Energy with prolonged deeper breathing.
So, no matter how, when, where or why you do it…take those few minutes daily to breathe life into your mind, body, and soul and tap into the rhythms of your unique being. Feel that deeper connection to Self as your breath flows through you. And be as the Dolphin…go with the flow.
Blessings!
From the Desk of MarDrag 