Archive for September, 2009


Remembering My Oneness With Nature

Filed Under: Nature by Suzanne — 3 Comments
September 28, 2009

I watched an amazing show last night on PBS television.  It was entitled, “National Parks”, by Ken Burns.    This show was about how America saved  our natural wilderness though the National Park System and preserved it for us and all future generations to come.

It reminded me that as I fill my days with all of the priorities and things that “must be done”, I must also include time to be in nature.   In watching this show, I realized how much I really miss being in nature and how much it warms and expands my heart.

The following are two quotes by John Muir:

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”

“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.“

These quotes call to my heart and I find that they are so true.  I am such a short ride to majestic views of nature.  I can’t believe how easy it is to get so caught up in life’s busy work, that I haven’t found the time to just go there and feed my soul.

If my heart made the same rumbling sounds that my stomach does when it is empty maybe I would have noticed more.  Or is it that my heart is making sounds, even loud sounds, but I am just not listening.  Sometimes I may not be focused on what really matters or what I really need.

I am in the process of cleaning and clearing out my home to create more space in my life.  Maybe I also need to create more time or shift my priorities to include spending time in nature.  It feels like I am in the process of re-balancing or realigning my life.  I am feeling the need to remember the broader scope of “Who I Am”.

When I am in nature I reconnect to my oneness with all of nature.  I become a part of nature again and it renews my spirit.

I am closing with two additional quotes by John Muir:

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”

 “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”

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Living in Simplicity

Filed Under: General by Suzanne — Leave a comment
September 21, 2009

One of my goals after reading the book “Soul of Money”, by Lynne Twist, was to simplify my life.   I have decided that I will start by clearing all of the unnecessary “stuff” from my home, all of those things that I no longer use and have been just collecting dust.

I started in my kitchen and I am now loving the feeling that when I open my cupboards, there is so much space.  I even have some shelves that have nothing on them.  I can’t believe how many things I have been holding onto that I don’t use.  I am gifting many of these things to others and also Goodwill, etc.

I feel very engaged in the process of sharing and recycling these things to places where they are desired and needed and not merely sitting on my shelves.  I have even found things that I really do need but have been buried for so long that I had forgotten that they were there.  I am discovering hidden treasures in my own home.

I have now almost completed two rooms and am looking forward to doing the others.  I thought that this would be a chore but it has actually been a very freeing experience.  As I free up room in my house, I am also freeing up room in my spirit, freeing myself of old attachments that no longer serve my needs.

One of the many side effects of this process has been how much easier it has been to keep my home clean.  I guess there is much less cleaning of space rather than things.

It has also been so much more relaxing to walk into these two rooms.  It feels like I can breathe better and am refreshed as I experience the space surrounding me.  Now I will also be very cautious whenever I shop and bring into this space only what I really need.

Life is a gift and when we are living in simplicity, we can truly experience it’s full presence.  There is room to feel and know what really matters to us because that is what appears and shines forth when all of our unused things are removed.

With all my new space, there has come more brightness and light.  Maybe what is actually creating this image is the lightness and brightness of my own heart shinning where there is now room to shine.

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Integrity and Money

Filed Under: Money by Suzanne — 3 Comments
September 15, 2009

I just finished reading “Soul of Money” by Lynne Twist.  I am still trying to internalize all that was said.  It is obvious by our current economic situation all over the world that some new approach to being with our money is not only justified but imperative.  Her touching book transforms our entire relationship with money and takes it to a deeper and more personal level.

This book is not only about money but about how we are currently living our lives.  It is about directing the money that flows through our lives, our checking accounts or in our wallets.  Are we directing our money in alignment with our values, our highest intentions, what we wish to see in the world?

Ms. Twist spoke about when her granddaughter was born and she was going shopping in celebration of the event.  She was going to buy all of those things most grandmothers love to buy and of course in excess because of her excitement and joy.

Her son reminded his mother that they were living with the “Soul of Money” principles and only purchasing what their daughter needed and from manufactures that were in alignment with their values; for example, manufacturers that did not use child labor practices.  He had the names of those brands that he wanted to support and the stores that carried them.

What a beautiful expression of sharing our gifts of money in support of our highest values.  I am beginning to review exactly where I spend my money now.  I am observing from where my purchases come, and also asking the question, “Do I really need this item?”.

As I look at where I have been directing the flow of my money, I can see that it has often been spent on what I want rather then what I need.  I am truly living in “sufficiency”.   I have all that I need and more.

Thank you, Lynne Twist, for writing such an inspirational book and bringing the soul back into our money.    It is amazing that when we reflect on all that we have, how much appreciation we feel.  The “Soul of Money” has enabled us to bring our spirit and integrity back into our money and our lives.

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Living In the Present

Filed Under: Harambee by Suzanne — Leave a comment
September 2, 2009

“Every man’s life lies within the present; for the past is spent and done with, and the future is uncertain.”
~ Marcus Aurelius

I was recently reminded of this reality when I read a blog yesterday.  How much of our time do we spend concerned with the past or worrying about what our future holds in the wake of such turmoil and apparent chaos?

It is important that in our anxiety about what lies ahead, we don’t lose sight of where we are right now.  Are there any actions that we need to be taking ?  Most importantly, are we sharing the gifts we hold in our hearts with those around us?  Are we acknowledging each other, and are we giving and receiving the love and light that is within us?

These are all the things that are in our present, here and now.  None of us knows what lies ahead, but we can remain focused on who we really are and experience and enjoy our own humanity.  If we can act together, focusing on peace and sharing our love, maybe we can actually change the course of history and help determine our own future.

We can only control our own actions, but by setting an example of peaceful co-existence, by shining our lights in the darkness, we can change the world.  Imagine all of us shining our lights together and the illumination we could create.  This is the Harambee Movement.

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