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One of the more difficult to comprehend lessons of life is to understand how we are all connected to each other and to nature in general. We tend to think of ourselves as independent beings. In fact, we often take pride in our independence, don’t we?

A good way to think about our interconnectedness, is to do something as simple as picking up a leaf and studying it.

Try it! Just pick up a leaf and really look at it. Think of this leaf as an object in and of itself. Look at its shape. Check out its color. Notice the way it feels in your hand. Look at the veins in the leaf — can you see how delicate they are? Isn’t it beautiful? What about the stem of the leaf? Think about how it was once connected to the branch of the tree before it fell.

We know the leaf was connected to the tree — but have you ever thought about what purpose this leaf fulfilled in the system of nature? This small, seemingly insignificant object has absorbed the energy of the sun, some carbon dioxide, and some rain — and turned all those elements into nourishment for the tree. This little leaf moved this energy into the tree limbs and sent it down into the trunk and eventually into the roots. The roots then drew nourishment from the earth and sent that energy back up into the tree and in the process has brought into being the oxygen that so many living beings require for life.

All those living beings that inhale the oxygen the leaf and its tree have provided, in turn exhale the carbon dioxide that, along with the sun and the rain, feed the leaf and the tree.

This little leaf shows us the cycle of life itself. The person who exhales the carbon dioxide, the clouds that produce the rain, the sun that gives light, the leaf that transforms all these things into sustenance for a tree — not one of these could survive without being part of this cycle. Every living being is dependent upon other living things for its survival.

It’s my hope that this example of the cycle of life — the interconnectedness of all beings — will encourage you to take care of yourself and to take care of Earth and its nature. As the quote above says, “What is natural and right is respect for the system, not killing the system.”

We need each other — we can’t survive and thrive without each other.

Shanti ….
~~~ DBL-R

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Technorati Tags: inner self, dreams, spiritual energy, inner balance, enlightenment, destiny, manifestation, patience, tolerance, acceptance, body balance, life cycle, beginnings, endings, positive thinking, ego, silence, consciousness, staying grounded, cycle of life

We live in this crazy, hectic, stressful world. Staying grounded can be a difficult thing to do. It’s so tempting — actually — it’s easy — to just allow ourselves to get swallowed up in it all and find that we’ve become a part of the problem.

It sure does happen to me — especially at this time of year. I was looking for something to talk to you about when I came across the following in a text file I had on my computer. The author of these great tips showed as “Anonymous”, but whoever it was, sure did have some wonderful ideas about how to stay reasonably grounded when we are so wrapped up in busyness. I know these tips made me stop and think — hopefully they’ll be of some help to you as well.

Here they are ….

Ten Tips To Stay Grounded

1. Live simply and live deliberately. By choosing not to get caught up in the details of this fast-paced world, you are doing your part to slow down the speed of life. You will also discover that you have more time to enjoy being alive.

2. Stay in touch with yourself. Soul searching, meditation, and journaling are just a few of the many activities you can take part in to stay aware and learn as much as you can about your emotions, reactions, likes, dislikes, dreams, and fears. Having a solid sense of self gives you a firm foundation for living in this world.

3. Support or teach others as often as you can. This can help you form connections with people while also giving you an opportunity to make the world a better place.

4. Consciously choose what you will allow into your being. The media bombards us with visions of hate, war, and pain. Be judicious about what you read, watch, and listen to.

5. Acknowledge the beauty that resides around you. Whether you live in a sprawling metropolis or a stereotypical suburb, there are natural and man-made wonders just waiting to be discovered by you.

6. Nurture your ties to your tribe. If you don’t have one, create a community that you can belong to. Modern life can be isolating. When you have a tribe, you have a circle that you are a part of. Its members - loved ones, friends, or neighbors - can be a source of support, caring, guidance, and companionship.

7. See the larger picture. Remember that the way you choose to live is not the only way to live. Widen your perspective by exploring other modes of being through research, travel, and discussion.

8. Embrace the challenges that life presents to you, and challenge yourself often. After a time, even the most exciting jobs or lifestyles can seem routine. Never stop assimilating new knowledge about whatever you are doing, and your life will never seem dull.

9. Move your body. In this busy world, it can be easy to live a sedentary life. Movement reacquaints us with our bodies and connects us to the earth in a visceral way. It also restores our vitality.

10. Make time for stillness, silence, and solitude. The world can be noisy, and we are subject to all kinds of noises nearly every waking hour. We are also often “on the go” and unable to relax. Being alone in a peaceful place and making time for quiet can help you stay in touch with yourself.

And, here’s a couple more that make good sense ….

Shanti ….
~~~ DBL-R

P.S. Here’s a website I thought you would be interested in. Learn more about your inner wisdom by using the 90-Day Manifesting Program. You can get your copy of this program — and any of the other guided manifesting meditations at my Enlightened Beings E-Store. Here’s what one person had to say about this …

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Technorati Tags: inner self, dreams, spiritual energy, inner balance, enlightenment, destiny, manifestation, patience, tolerance, acceptance, body balance, life cycle, beginnings, endings, positive thinking, ego, silence, consciousness, staying grounded

There is a famous story that I like to share around this time of year. Since the story is related to food — and the sharing of food, it seems appropriate to share it with you as my Thanksgiving message to all of you who read this blog. I am extremely thankful for every one of you.

The Story of Stone Soup

If you’ve heard this story before, you’ll probably realize that there are many variations that have been passed down over the years. This is how I heard it originally….

The story takes place in a small town that is suffering a severe famine. The weather has been awful, the crops have all failed, and the people are hungry.

One day a traveler comes into the town. The townspeople are not pleasant to the traveler — they want him to move on for fear that they’ll be expected to feed him. They make it very clear to him that there is no food to be found in their town, and that he should just move on to another town.

The traveler explains to the leaders of the town that he doesn’t need any food. In fact, he tells them, he was planning to make a soup to be shared with everyone in the town. The villagers begin to come into the town square and watch suspiciously as the traveler builds a fire and fills a large cauldron with water. The traveler does not speak any further to the villagers as he waits for the water to begin to boil.

Once the water is vigorously boiling, the traveler, with great ceremony, reaches into his cloth bag and pulls out a stone. He wipes the stone with great care before dropping it into the cauldron of boiling water. He makes quite a show of sniffing his boiling brew and comments several times about how delicious his stone soup is.

Needless to say, the townspeople begin to show more interest in what he’s doing despite their suspicions. As they draw closer to the cauldron, the traveler mentions that the soup would taste a bit better with a little cabbage in it. As he continues to stir his brew, one of the villagers brings him a cabbage to share, which the traveler drops into the stone soup.

This same thing repeats itself many times with the traveler mentioning different vegetables each time. Soon the soup has cabbage, carrots, onions, beets, and many other vegetables until there is plenty to feed all the people in the town.

Isn’t that a great story?

As you can guess, the story talks about the natural human tendency to horde when times are tough. When the money supply is low and it’s hard to have enough, we tend to pull back and put so much of our energy into self-preservation. We isolate ourselves and shut out others. As the story of stone soup reveals, in doing so, we often deprive ourselves and everyone else of a feast.

The metaphor goes beyond just food. Often we find ourselves hoarding ideas, love, our own talents and abilities. When we do this we think we’ll be richer if we keep these things to ourselves. But what is really happening is that we’re making the world around us, and ourselves, poorer in the long run.

The traveler was able to see that the townspeople were holding back, and he had the genius to draw them out and inspire them to give, thus creating a spread that none of them could have created alone.

Since what we all do has an effect on all those around us, we should learn to share our gifts, and in so doing, inspire others to do the same. The rewards are many for all concerned.

There is a good chance that I won’t be back to write again until after this coming weekend. Until then, I wish you all a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving.

Shanti ….
~~~ DBL-R