"As you believe, so you become.
As you become, so you believe."
- Unknown
My Beliefs on Living
Here is where I'll put my philosophies of life. They'll change of course, as life goes on, but overall; the more things change...the more they stay the same. This site will be filled without notice, since I never know when the Muses will strike me. Look for...small notes, renovations, recantations, and maybe...the occasional apology. Goddess Bless!!
 Stand in the rain
Have you ever stood in the summer rains and gotten drenched? On purpose? It feels just like taking a shower. Now, imagine how good for you the rain feels, all the vitamins and nutrients of the sun and earth streaming onto your body...cleansing your mind and soul. While out there, collect some of the rain water to water your indoor plants or make tea or coffee. The pH of this wonderful liquid will make your plants perk up, and your heart sing.
Take time for yourself
When was the last time you took an hour out of the day for yourself? Can you even remember when the last time was? This has nothing to do with selfishness, but with refreshing your body and spirit. We try so hard to please others that we forget to please ourselves. Use this hour to do your favorite thing...like a long hot bath, needlework, football, comicbooks...whatever. By refreshing your mind and soul, you will find you can handle the stressers of life better, and feel better while doing so. Even if your hour consists of nothing but sitting on the couch with NO NOISE!!!, you give yourself time to catch up with what is going on around you. You will be at peace and able to reflect that peace to the others around you.
Blow the fuzz from a dandelion
Remember the hot days of your youthful summers? Remember finding the white dandelions and making a wish before you blew the seeds into the air? Do it again! Reclaim your summers. Yes, I know you have to work, so do I, but on your way back to your car look for the distinctive fuzzy head of the dandelion and PICK IT! Blow the fuzz while you are walking back to your car. See if your evenings don't seem...well...not so bad
Let a child tell a story.
Sit down with your child or niece/nephew/neighbor and let them tell you a story. Be prepared to laugh and cry, and learn a new appreciation for the concept of "Saint". Children have the most wonderful imagination, it is such a shame that we adults make them lose it. Ah well. That reminds me...did you hear the story about the purple, spotted, green colored flying cat? Me neither, but my daughter is dying to tell me about it!
Wear Your Watch on the Other Wrist No...really! Did you know that your mind can get bored? Did you know that it can get in a "rut" just like you, and needs to learn all the time in order to be effective? Huh, well, now you know. It's really easy to "wake" up your mind. Wear your watch on your other hand, drive home using a different route, read a book with harder words. Basicly, do something different today that makes your brain think. Just little things really. Trust me, your brain will thank you for it!
Open a Box of New Crayons If you want to recapture part of the joy of childhood, just open a brand new box of crayons. There is nothing like the feel, smell, and look of these never used wax sticks. Something about them....when we open a box, we get this silly grin on our faces, and an urge to draw something....anything...and that something usually ends up being the exact same stuff we drew as children...houses, birds, dogs, family. Find a project to do with them, melt them, break them in half (they have a wonderful "snap" when they break), or just go find a real child and have some fun. You'll feel better, and your children will thank you.
Think for Yourself! It is very easy to jump on the proverbial bandwagon. Just look around! Everywhere you look, the media throws a cultural "image" into your face. Soon it becomes easier to just "go with the flow" so to speak. Well...STOP IT!!! We have amazing brains, capable of thinking, creating, and just plain living. What if Galileo hadn't thought for himself, and just took the churches word for it that the earth was the center of the universe? Would we have science as we know it today? Look at the religious right, see how they try to think for their members. Freedom of will stolen away because it was not exercised. Use your mind. Look around and decide for yourself what you like, what foods to eat, how to live, what to read.....Please don't become one of the mindless zombies that want their thinking done for them.
VOTE!! Don't complain about the government if you won't vote in it. Did you know that many countries punish non-voters with hefty fines, and/or jail time? We have such a great country, that it is such a tragic shame we don't become more involved with it. Candidates are being nominated for the Presidential elections, so take a look-see at what is being offered. Look into what their issues are. See if you can stomach them, or if you agree with what the candidate is saying. Remember that a politician is trying to get elected and will say whatever the public wants to hear....so listen for what is NOT being said. Welfare cuts, budgets, education, taxes, military, foreign policy, domestic policy. It all affects/effects you, so GET INFORMED!! If all else, at least vote for your congressman/woman. State policies will hit you faster then national.
Smell the Roses
Do you know how to smell? No, not that stinky smell, but how to use your nose smell? Do you know what a lily smells like, or honeysickle, or Pine trees, or Fresh air? Smell is a basic function of our lives, but so often it is pushed into our subconscious backgrounds. Smells can trigger happy thoughts, like the smell of chocolate chip cookies right out of Grandmothers oven, or the smell of your new car. I recomend going out and creating some new smell memories. Do you pass flowers on your way to work? Smell 'em. Slice a lemon. Smell it. Do you like your shampoo? Maybe it's the smell you really like. Let your nose be your guide!
Look up
Did you ever notice that as we walk...we look down? We don't want to chance looking into another persons face (it's that society politeness thing), or make any sort of eye contact that might encourage conversation. We can recall what sidewalk we were walking on, but not our environment. I recomend looking up. Notice the trees and the flowers (it's spring time you know). See the green world around you. What color is the sky today? Is it pale blue, white-blue or vibrant blue? I looked up one day, and realized that the horizon gradiated from pale overhead to a vibrant blue on the horizon. And I would never have seen this if I had focused on the ground. Look around for the local wildlife. Over here we have squirrils, chipmunks, and robins in abundance. Watch the breeze move the grass and trees. You can only enjoy spring if you look up to see it!!
Take a walk
Don't let stress ruin your day. Take a walk. In your neighborhood, at the local YMCA, at the local mall, or on that dusty treadmill in the corner. Besides being **gasp** good for you, it's a great way to reduce stress. Hard to believe, huh? It took some doing, but I looked at my busy schedule and found an empty hour, and instead of watching tv, I take a walk... Did you notice that spring (i'm writing this in may...) is here? Nice warm breezes, green buds, and DANDILIONS!! Spring and summer are not the same without those pretty yellow flowers. Every year, I just have to pick about a billion of them..don't worry gardeners...there are plenty more where those came from(hehehehehe). I use my walk to release my mind of all the problems of my day. Instead of worrying about bills, and what not, I concentrate on vacations, pets, dreams, hopes, and sometimes...nothing at all. It's amazing how refreshing you feel afterwards. I have more energy, and my mind is clearer. Sometimes ideas for poetry or art or spells come to me, and I make sure to write them down. Try it sometime. It is SOOOO worth it.
Laugh a littleLearn a new joke. Subscribe to a joke service (if you are a net surfer). Life is too short to live it full of doom and gloom. So many wonderful things are all around us, that sometimes we need to stop and look at them. Laughter doesn't just mean find the funny parts of life (although, Goddess knows, there are plenty of them!!), it also means find the JOY that comes from being alive. Smell the flowers, and all that. Look around yourself. Are you at work? Why do you work there? Find something new about your job that you never realized existed. Now, laugh about it! Feel the joy of learning something new. Are you at home? Move a piece of furnature to a new spot. Now laugh about how good it looks. We have been given the okay about crying our emotions, how about...Laughing them? It takes more muscles to frown than to smile you know. Let's enjoy life.
Observe the living world When you think about it...we have no manual about how to live. Sure, we get advice and plenty of it!...but nothing that we can grasp and hold in our hands. Unless you take care of something else besides yourself. Do you have pets? Their lives are much shorter than ours, but they seem to be able to fill every moment with "something". And I think that something is LIFE!! They don't preach it, mourn it, or analyze it: they just LIVE IT!! Watch a dog when the owner comes home, it's like his best friend has just come to visit. And cats...well, they show their love in their own way. We have gerbils. I never thought I would love them the way I do but...I watch them play, eat, and climb, and I realize that I take my life WAY too seriously. I mean, I need to play and climb too. Many witches plant their own magickal gardens, and I think this is a good idea, but I have a black thumb. Plants see me coming and die on the spot (it's less painful for them that way). However, I am starting small and just growing a couple of flowered plants( I was assured they are very hardy...I hope so, they are going to need it!!) and can't wait to see them in full bloom. I also recomend a bird feeder. But PLEASE!! If you are not going to feed the hungry birds ALL YEAR 'ROUND do not do this!! I know the winter is cold, and it is annoying to fill the feeder, but think how the birds will feel if they go hungry!! Anyway...I climb off my soapbox...Listen to the birds sing. Watch them eat. And watch them fly away.
Go to the Library How can you expect to cast a spell if you have no knowledge? Go to the library and check out what they have. Read the daily newspaper (to keep the local news in check), and read the national news. Everything affects/effects everything. Become informed about your world. Study Africa. So many of our wonderful animals are becoming extict that soon the only place we will be able to see them is in our local library. Sad really. Every day learn something new. Research your hobby. Find out its history, or strive to become the most knowledgeable person on the subject. I really recomend checking out the classical tapes/CD's. Music has been around for thousands of generations, and with good reason. It is used to soothe us, help us worship, and helps to convey personal messages. Start at the top, and work your way down. I recomend listening to all types of music...jazz, blues, contemporary, classical, country....etc. Know your craft is one thing I always keep in mind. Never stop learning.
To flip through the pages of my BOS faster...
|
Brightest of Blessings