" Cosmic ... "

“ ... I put these things aside for years

'Til laughter took the place of tears

It's like I was asleep yet now I'm here

I'm here ... 

I put these things aside for years

'Til laughter took the place of tears

It's like I was asleep yet now I'm here

I'm here

I'm here (it's cosmic) ... “

~ Kylie Minogue ~ Cosmic ~

***

For those that believe in the concept of karma, believe that our loved ones appear in our life due to karmic debt.  At least that is the Buddhist view.

“At present, we are closely linked with our parents and our children.  We feel great affection for them and have incredible aspirations for them.  When they suffer, or anything undesirable happens to them, we are more upset than we would be if such things had happened to us personally.  All this is simply the repayment of debts for the harm we have done each other in past lives.”- Patrul Rinpoche

Imagine ... the person you love in this moment, may have been someone you loathed in a previous life.  And they may become your rival in the next life.  As my teacher explains to us, this is the cosmic joke.  The endless cycle of attachment and aversion that eventually causes suffering for everyone involved.  And if you aren’t sure, observe how children turn on their parents and how your greatest love can become your ex-partner.

Equanimity ... loving all sentient beings equally.  It is about boundless love, which has the power to heal and transform.  And you begin by consciously expressing your love to your special ones ... and spreading this outward to those in your life.  

A practice, with a sense of humour that helps to deal with life on life's terms.  Personally, I am finding that a sense of humour is essential.  It keeps me from taking myself too seriously.  It helps me realize it is a cosmic joke and not a serious affair.  When we get serious, we are praised, respected and honoured.  But are we having any fun?

A sense of humour seems to be far more sacred than some other practices.  It requires a presence of mind, and the ability to stay present.  When you laugh like like a child you are ego less.

And so the cosmic joke continues ... there seems to be nothing more valuable than laughter.  Laughter brings you to the earth.  Laughter bring you to reality as it is.  Life as it is should be enough of a reason to laugh ... ridiculous and beautiful, absurd and wonderful ... all sorts of things together ... a great cosmic joke.

www.walkstrong.ca

" Go On ... "

Just go on

There are still so many things

I wanna to say to you

But go on, Just go on

The moment that we start ...

What is the purpose of my life

If it doesn't ever do

With learning to let it go ...

You can do the same

It's the least you can do ...

So go on, Just go on ...

The moment that we start

~ Jack Johnson ~ Go On ~

When faced with life’s painful challenges, we often wonder if there is an end in sight.  Coping requires emotional endurance ... “the ability to keep an ordeal of indefinite length from sapping your emotional health”.  And sometimes you need someone to help you when saying “this too shall pass?” isn’t enough.  Thankfully, that help is present in my life from my friend Ally.

Our loving walks and talks cover a wide range of topics.  And recently we discussed the significance of emotional endurance ... how sometimes you lose the ability to take life's ups and downs in stride emotionally.  Staying strong for a long journey takes work and some days it is far from easy.  We talked about how it was important to focus on the positive, but it was okay to not always feel positive ...

Many can relate to emotional spectrum aka mood swings, ranging from curiosity to exhaustion, excitement to fear, light heartiness to sadness.  We all have “something” going on in our lives.  Every day is different, requires adjustments and quick thinking.  

So how do you cope and keep going on?  Here are some things I am now practicing ...

• write down every concern you have, sort them and focus your attention on those that matter most and those you can do something about
• give yourself credit for your efforts, especially when the ultimate goal is far away
• seek the good wherever you can find it and cultivate a habit of gratitude
• practice a sense of humor and focus on a positive future and the willingness to grow

You don’t have to pretend that you never have a bad day and you don’t have to be judged for having one.  Solutions are rarely immediate and perfect and sometimes we need to slog along in the swamp ... and just keep going on ...

We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough ~ Helen Keller