Spiritually Speaking
I painted today.
It’s a paint or die type stream of consciousness painting as process painting…
Today the working title is
A fish out of water catches a lightning bolt in his mouth.
So.
I’m inspired.
I came to the astounding conclusion that my life is just up to me and God-in-me. It’s a personal thing. We can work this ‘life on earth’ thing out just between the two of us. In our own way. In our own time. I don’t need help. I don’t need anything. I don’t need anybody. This is a me and creator spirit thing.
And at the same time…
Other people are valuable in my life.
Their support is great.
Their love is important.
Their acceptance is precious.
And so…
I painted today, and it was good.
Note: This was written back in 2004, and I cannot find the painting, so I substituted a different one. The one I used is from my short lived “Fire In The Belly” project. Looks like I’ll have to make another one, maybe even a series of “fish out of water” paintings!
I have been rooting around in some very old emails, and found this mantra that I made up for myself back in 2004. I like it, and thought I’d share it here:
My internal work begins.
There is no better.
It is what it is.
It doesn’t matter what happens…
It doesn’t matter what happens…
It doesn’t matter what happens…
All is well.
All is well.
All is well.
All is well.
All is well.
All is well.
If I say it often enough I will begin to believe it.
I found this in an email that my daughter forwarded to me way back in 2006. It’s a little bit sugary sweet for my taste, but I decided to share it here anyway.Also, it’s probably made the rounds on the internet uncountable times, and I guess I don’t care about that either. So here it is:
Subject: A NICE STORY…AND LOTS OF THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.
“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.
She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…”
“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me. After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends.. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went.
She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.
At! The end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.”
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with Regrets.”
She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.” She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.
When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they’ll really enjoy it!
These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.
- REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
- We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.
- God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
This morning I found three little snail shells. And then later I was working on Feathers and Bones, and followed a link in a post about “leaving a trail” which brought me back to snails again… so I must be working on some Snail Medicine. Here’s that post from all those years ago:
Three days in a row snails have unexpectedly shown up for me. So, I thought it might be beneficial and interesting to find out what that might mean if it was indeed an “omen” or a “message” of some sort.
Here’s the scoop on snails:
Snails are found in gardens, ponds and even the sea. Their soft bodies are protected by hard shells which they use as a defense. When disturbed or alarmed the snail withdraws or pulls itself back into its shell. It also retreats into itself and seals the entrance in dry weather to protect its body from drying up. Those with this medicine know how to retreat when danger is present as well as seal themselves off from others. This can be beneficial as long as the individual does not become too much of a recluse and inhibit their communication and interaction with others. Knowing when to retreat and when to act is an important teaching for those with this totem.
The snail creates a slime trail to travel on so it is easier to move over different surfaces and textures. They remind us to take the easiest path to reach our destination. When snail appears in your life ask yourself if you are taking a harder path than is necessary. Because snail retreats into its shell during adverse weather conditions those with this medicine have the ability to build walls around themselves and withdraw until a situation improves. Snail medicine people have clear perceptions and need to learn to honor those abilities in all situations.
Both male and female the snail can produce sperm and eggs at the same time. Because of this duality those with this totem have a tendency towards identity conflicts in their younger years. This conflict triggers issues of self esteem and confusion. Fortunately as the person gets older their male and female characteristics align and begin to work together in a complimentary way.
Most active at night or on cloudy days the snail uses all of its senses equally and simultaneously. Those with this totem often find they seldom have one intuitive gift more pronounced than another as all psychic abilities are utilized in any given situation.
The snail understands the value of slow movement and teaches us how to use that movement to our advantage. It holds the teachings of patience, perseverance and respect. It asks us to be mobile and fluidic as we move through life, always aware of how our actions or lack of them affect others. The trail we leave behind holds the history of who and what we are. When snail enters your life your reputation is under review. Past situations come to the surface to be healed or balanced in some way. Snail asks us to “make right whatever we have wronged.” In this way spiritual growth is attained.
This is so interesting!
- When I was in Texas, I told my sister that I believed myself to be moving into a period of isolation.
- If you could only see my house… a “slime trail” if I ever saw one.
- “When snail appears in your life ask yourself if you are taking a harder path than is necessary.” Me? Take something simple and make it complicated and difficult? LOL!!
- Self esteem issues and confusion… that sounds familiar!
- Well, we know I’m not psychic! But the bit about using all senses equally is true.
- “Your reputation is under review”.. true enough. My yearly review at work is coming up next week.
- Past situations come up to be healed… OMG that sounds “interesting” and “uncomfortable”! Frightening even… makes me want to retreat into my shell for sure!
- I don’t even want to get into the “make right wherever we have wronged”… Yikes!
- The bit about slow and fluid movement reminds me very much of that snake swimming in the lake at Powell Gardens the other day … interesting.
- This blog IS one of the trails I leave behind and will, eventually, hold a history of who and what I am.
So, I’m a Snail Person! Who knew? I wonder if it means I should be avoiding salt and beer like the plague…
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I think it's time to go shopping... maybe even buy some really cool stuff at my online shops!!
