really big life thoughts

Sometimes things seem to just hit you. Like, the seemingly obvious little things in life just jump right out and scream, "Well, duh. I've been here the whole time. My name is cliche and actually, I couldn't be more truthful." 

This has been happening to me a lot lately. Epitomes and revelations all up in my existence for months now. It's really, truly, mind-blowingly awesome. 

Here are some examples... the fact that:  

1. Life is really... real. And awesome

2. We are all going to die, and maybe tomorrow. 

3. A person should seize the day, Carpe the shit out of every diem. 

4. Everyone should stop playing games. Games are dumb and waste time. Just be yourself.

5. We are Infinite and really can do anything! (see older post, here) 

6. Love the people around you, speak with kindness and from your heart always.

7. We are blessed beyond belief and should try to keep in mind others whom are suffering in ways we cannot imagine. 

8. ...Does YOLO count?*

You know. Big life realizations. 

aaaaaand then common sense things like...

1. Tip your server well.

2. No matter how hard you deny it, it's always ridiculously fun to pretend you're in college again. 

3. Shut the fridge door when you're deciding what to drink. Do you know how much energy is wasted in the time it takes to decide such things? Some people don't even have fridges.

Okay, so that last one is actually a personal pet peeve of mine. And I've been known to get a little harsh on a person when they're just standing in front of a fridge with the door open! 

When in Haiti, I spent time with the Livesay family. They are absolutely wonderful, hearts of gold, fulfilling God's mission in a crazy way... all while raising five children, two of whom are adopted lil Haitian peanuts, in the middle of crazy Port-Au-Prince. Troy, the father, has been known to hear the fridge door opening from a completely different room in the house and yell, "Shut the door until you know what you're getting!" 

(Part of this is because Haiti's electricity and power system is positively ridiculous and most days the entire city's power unit goes down when overwhelmed... about four times per day. But he's totally right.... we need to consciously stop wasting so much energy.) 

But then, this morning I had an "Oh my goodness, I am a total hypocrite" moment. I realized that while 'suggesting' to others to make less of an impact on our Mother Earth, while signing petitions and protesting for rain forests and yelling at my mom to shut the fridge door, I totally brush my teeth in the shower every day! Instead of brushing in the sink, using water only when I need to rinse and spit, I have been using gallons of water from the shower head while selfishly brushing my teeth for two whole minutes!! Do you know how hard it is for me to understand why I never thought about this before?! I almost lost it... On myself. 

Then I realized that beating myself up, or anyone else for that matter, is not speaking with kindness from your heart (List One of Big Life Realizations above..) and could potentially just make matters worse. 

So instead of beating myself up, I decided to learn from my years of being a hypocritical-energy-waster and move forward. Today is a new day. And there will be no more brushing my teeth in the shower. 

That's it. That's my really big life thought of the day... 

Please remember that YOLO'ing in a smarter, more loving and selfless, less environmental impact-y, conscious sort of way is much, much cooler. Just sayin'.

Now that you're tired of my ranting, here's a picture of some whacky fruit. I guarantee getting a glimpse of banana's snuggling will make your life a whole lot better: 

the moon will always remind you to be the buddha. 

...all things are possible

It is amazing what starts to happen  

when we realize our potential and acknowledge that 

we really can do anything. 

We are limitless, 

our lives become so powerful and enriched 

when we understand our full potential and purposes.

he who finds OM in his heart

"Awakening from this dream, he was overwhelmed by a feeling of great sadness. It seemed to him that he had spent his life in a worthless and senseless manner; he retained nothing vital, nothing in any way precious or worth while. He stood alone, like a shipwrecked man on the shore.

..

When had he really been happy? When had he really experienced joy?

...

Then he had felt in his heart: "A path lies before you which you are called to follow. The gods await you." 

And again as a youth when his continually soaring goal had propelled him in and out of the crowds of similar seekers, when he had striven hard to understand the Brahmin's teachings, when every freshly acquired knowledge only engendered a new thirst, then again, in the midst of his thirst, in the midst of his efforts, he had thought: Onwards, onwards, this is your path. 

He had heard this voice when he had left his home and chosen the life of the Samanas, and again when he had left the Samanas and gone to the Perfect One, and also when he left him for the unknown.

How long was it now since he had heard this voice, since he had soared to any heights?

How flat and desolate his path had been! How many long years he had spent without any lofty goal, without any thirst, without any exaltation, content with small pleasures and yet never really satisfied! 

Without knowing it, he had endeavored and longed all these years to be like all these other people, like these children, and yet his life had been much more retched and poorer than theirs, for their aims were not his, nor their sorrows his. 

This whole world of the Kamaswami people had been a game to him, a dance, a comedy which one watches.

...

Were they not playing a game that had no end? Was it necessary to live for it?

...

Then Siddhartha knew that the game was finished, that he could play it no longer. A shudder passed through his body; he felt as if something had died."


[Currently reading Siddhartha and having my mind blown every other sentence. Even as a seeker, this book is much more than most things I have come across. So simple and true, yet complex and thought-provoking. I would encourage a read if you so wish, my lovelies] 

may you always seek. may you always find. may you always summon a courage from the strength & joy within, for strength & joy within are an unbroken string leading to the heavens. 

life is written by: you

be present : in adventure

this is on my mind today...

Juxtaposed perfectly with...

how does one balance two such ideas? 

how do you completely immerse yourself in where you are in your current state, 

yet dream big and be spontaneous? 

how does one keep their game face and productive hat on whilst 

whimsically dreaming with their head in the clouds? 

oh brain, how i love to hate you sometimes. 

intuitive impulsiveness

-or- 

irresponsible determination 

question of the day (?)

this is an edit to this post (aug 21st):

today, i've realized that the two are really one in the same. there is no better way to 'be all there' than to be spontaneous and truly live moment to moment. 

oh how lovely it is to love life deeply. 

be impulsive.

as long as it doesn't put others in harm's way. 

do what it is makes you truly happy. let your soul sing the song it's meant to sing. 

may you break free from whatever it is you think you're supposed to be doing... 

feel this world deeply in your bones. and smile with God.