Finding Happiness

            

When we meditate, we relate to that unsettling, ineffable commodity: the present. We train in letting go of thoughts and feelings as they arise, and settle back into the present: that gap between two concepts—past and future—that don’t actually exist. We’re simply being, here and now. - Pamela Gayle White, "The Pursuit of Happiness"

I always find it amazing when life intersects with synchronicity or magic.  Yesterday, I was writing about happiness.  And today, my guidance is that we need to focus on happiness in order to shift.  The quote that I have noted above was in my mailbox today.  

I read this over and over and decided that what the message was, for me, said “If you are focused on the now moment, then you do not have time to think of the past and you will not have a need to feel unhappy.”  

What this also said to me was that most people are either unhappy about the past or unhappy about the future.  To stay in the present means to be mindful of what focus your thoughts take.  It is very difficult to focus on love and and happiness when someone has just yelled at you or cut you off in traffic….. or, done whatever.

Be happy,

Judy 

Love Is A Choice!

Today, let us talk about love, or not to love.  A friend of mine was telling me a story about her issue with her boyfriend – she loves him, and loves him very much.  She would love the love to be unconditional.  However, he does things or has habits that are very contradictory to her belief and values system.  The hardest thing, for her, is that when she says that an action that he does is not agreeable to her, he immediately tells her why she is wrong and how right his action is – in other words, she must totally allow him to do what is right for him, and she has no rights.  This, I tell her, is imbalance.  Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and, the balance of how to integrate both person’s needs is the beauty and challenge of relationships.  If one person is not allowed to have rights, then it is time to move on – in political terms, there is a dictatorship.  

Then, one of my friends sent me this story.  I thought that I would share it with you.  

Love and blessings,

Judy

Don't Hope... Choose!

While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk about -the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere two feet away from me. Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jet way, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. 

He stopped right next to me to greet his family. First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other's face, I heard the father say, "It's so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!" His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied softly, "Me, too, Dad!" 

Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son's face in his hands said, "You're already quite the young man. I love you very much, Zach!" They too hugged a most loving, tender hug. 

While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half) was squirming excitedly in her mother's arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. 

The man said, "Hi, baby girl!" as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment. 

After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, "I've saved the best for last!" and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. 

He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed. "I love you so much!" They stared at each other's eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't possibly be. 

I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm's length away from me. 

I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, "Wow! How long have you two been married?" "Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those." he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face. "Well then, how long have you been away?" I asked the man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile."Two whole days!" 

Two days? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he'd been gone for at least several weeks - if not months. I know my expression betrayed me, I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!" 

The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, "Don't hope, friend... decide!" Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, "God bless!" With that, he and his family turned and strode away together. 

I was still watching that exceptional man and his special family walk just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked, "What'cha looking at?" Without hesitating, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, "My future!" 

- Author Unknown

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Badger on Teaching

 

One of the other interesting animals that popped in for my meditation was Badger.  Badger had lots to say about teaching.

• Everyone has a responsibility to teach the young.  This is not a job to be delegated to one or two beings.
• Those that are delegated to teach should not choose the path.  Instead, those around them should observe that they are good teachers and support them in the role of teaching.
• Teachers should be well paid because they are teaching the future.
• Teachers should teach what is the common understanding and the common courtesies of the community.  
• Truth is limited by the interpretation.  It is better to let students discover the truth on their own.
• Mother Earth and Nature will help in the teaching of the truth.  Trust this resource.
• When one teaches, they should be in a place of ONENESS with the Universe and with Mother Earth.

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To learn more wisdom from Badger, see the previous posts noted below:

https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2023/12/when-badger-appears-to-you.html

https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2024/06/badger-away.html

Blessings,

Judy

Tea Time

‘Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.’ ~Thich Nhat Hanh

This wonderful quote reminded me that I often drink my tea on the run.  Tea, food, friends, and family, are some of the things and people that we need to take more time with.   

Blessings,

Judy

Living In The Past

I have many card decks.  Periodically, I pull a card for the day, or the week, or even for the month.  I pulled the card for today, Osho card #5, Clinging To the Past, for January 2025.

Below is the explanation for the card.  May you find some information int the explanation that helps you with something that you are facing.

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The Osho Card for today

These tenses--past, present and future--are not the tenses of time; they are tenses of the mind. That which is no longer before the mind becomes the past. That which is before the mind is the present. And that which is going to be before the mind is the future. Past is that which is no longer before you. Future is that which is not yet before you. And present is that which is before you and is slipping out of your sight. Soon it will be past.... If you don't cling to the past...because clinging to the past is absolute stupidity.  …..

The figure pictured in this card is so preoccupied with clutching her box of memories that she has turned her back on the sparkling champagne glass of blessings available here and now. Her nostalgia for the past really makes her a 'blockhead', and a beggar besides, as we can see from her patched and ragged clothes. She needn't be a beggar, of course--but she is not available to taste the pleasures that offer themselves in the present. It's time to face up to the fact that the past is gone, and any effort to repeat it is a sure way to stay stuck in old blueprints that you would have already outgrown if you hadn't been so busy clinging to what you have already been through. Take a deep breath, put the box down, tie it up in a pretty ribbon if you must, and bid it a fond and reverent farewell. Life is passing you by, and you're in danger of becoming an old fossil before your time!

--Osho The Great Zen Master Ta Hui Chapter 10

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Blessings,

Judy 

January 1 2025

This is the year that many things will change.  We are now in the future that we were told would never come.  

A time of truth is coming in to being.  Lies, cheats, bribes, wrong doing, and all kinds of untruthful and harmful ways of acting will be exposed.  Some events are already exposed. 

As we stand here, be thankful for all that we have – food, clothes, housing, and technology that allows to communicate across the world in minutes. Every time that we are grateful and give thanks for what we have, we create a positive environment that benefits everyone.

Blessings to each of you!

 

Judy

New Year’s Day - January 1 2024

 

It is here!  The New Year!  2024! 

We all look forward to a wonderful, fresh start when a new year rolls around.  What are you looking for?  Improved health?  A new job?  Better relationships with family and friends?  A trip to a faraway place?

These are all wonderful goals.  Before you look to the future, take a few minutes to think about what things did not go well in 2023.  See if you can decipher why those events went from perfect to chaos.  Remember to take responsibility if you had a role in why things did not go according to plan.  If the fault was another person or group of people, maybe look at whether you need to have them in your life.  We all need to shed the things and people that do not serve our life.

I suggest that you add a couple of things to your goals.  These are:

-regular exercise

-meditation at least once a week or more

-deciding to put healthy, wholesome food into your body

-being loving everyday

I do wish each of you a fantastic 2024!  I believe that for all the wars and corruption in our politics around the world, that 2024 will be a positive year for all people, if the person lets it be.

Happy New Year!

Many blessings,

Judy

Buffalo’s Guidance

                                          

I sit quietly and fall into my meditation.

Snort, and pawing, and more snorting.  I know that Buffalo has arrived.  As ever, he comes in with his big head shaking a greeting, and his snorts telling me that he is well.  He settles in for a visit.

Buffalo has visited before and provided a view of the future, where things are just a bit wilder, and where animals each have their own power.  

Today, Buffalo is talking about restoring balance to the plains and mountains, and indeed, to the world.  Buffalo says that keeping the animals locked up is not the answer to restoring balance.  Nor is conservation of animals the way to go.  Some species need to die down before they can evolve to the next thing that they were meant to be.  And, in some cases, that species is no longer required as a training place for souls.  A new, improved (isn’t that what marketers say?) animal is waiting to be activated by soul groups.  

Buffalo says that the challenge that faces humans is not that the other species are dying; the challenge is that perhaps the human race has reached its pinnacle and needs to die off.  Buffalo says that his kind is pushing for more freedom, much like humans have been for a very long time.  He complains that fences are too much control, although he understands the need to keep animals off roads and railway tracks.

He shook his head and gave me a lick, and told me he needed to get back to the others, and he was gone.

Blessings

Judy

A Pinto Horse Visits in Dream Time

Last night, a beautiful, pinto horse trotted into my dreams.  I was having some difficulty with something big attacking me.  I cannot remember exactly what was going on.  I do remember that the minute this big horse showed up, everything changed!

I ended up sitting on a rock, and Pinto was alternately grazing and talking to me.  The message was that we had an agreement of some sort.   The agreement was that he would pop in and set things right when they were looking bad for me because I had done the same thing for him at some future date.

The idea of “future date” really intrigued me.  He looked at me and said that it was difficult to explain the concept of the time of “no time” when my current structure was based on the concept of past, present, and future.  He tried to show me the idea of time based on possibilities and that one can go anywhere based on the possibility.  

He said that he always knew where I was because of  our connection.  

And then he winked out!

Many blessings,

Judy