How do you bring yourselves back to that calm grounded quietness, free from frenzy around you?
Submitted by ytc on Wed, 02/18/2009 - 09:07A sharpshooter friend of mine wrote to me this morning, explaining how he wishes only to associate with those who are willing to improve themselves in the craft and not waste time chitchatting on the topic of his specialty.
It's true that there's no quick way to improve, but to do the improving by ourselves. He can only help us improve when we put in sufficient time and energy into learning the skill.
That letter reminded me of how guilty I am of wanting to be ready for this unusual time in gardening, herb-studies, self-defense, networking with peaceniks (!), writing / faxing / phoning legislators, reading all the books on topics of the time, classics and exotic past, becoming a good tolerable mother-in-law (for our son) and not go overboard as a first time grandmother (via our daughter) . . . all at once. . . I do forget to walk each walk firmly and to quietly absorb the details. To transform myself.
I am grateful that he reminded me of what a craftsmanship is about. The joy which only comes after the suspended deliberate attention to the details. To come to think about it, simplifying my life WAS another "goal" and dream for some time now. I totally forgot about that until I read his letter. The good friend keeps me grounded and sober. I will now try to calm down from this whimsical agitated state of mind, soul and body.
My solution is to start going to my daily holy mass. Funny how I get lost in noisy daily chit-chats as soon as I become "too busy" for the grand ritual of receiving the eucharist. That's how I (physically) get in touch of the source of all matters. A very powerful reminder for me that I came from ash and I will return to ash. . . and everything in between is a resplendent gift . . . sustained by THAT within and around me.
My question to you is "How do you bring yourselves back to that calm grounded quietness, free from all the frenzy around you? How do you refresh and renew yourselves and gain that welling sense that life is good all the time and is worth fighting for freedom in spite of the dreadful and atrocious news we are bombarded with everyday?
For the love and hope of liberty. (Liberty to make mistakes and wasteful turns to ultimately come to senses!)
-y
A glass of delicious Austrailian wine and some
Stephane Grapelli's jazz violin from the 30's when I cook.
And some Moody Blues and Pierre Bensusan when I want to relax.
Stephane Grappelli's jazz violin. . .
Anisha,
I just placed an order for Stephane G's audio CD. Jazz from the 30's would place us in the mood of the Great Depression. We would be able to listen into how they consoled each other as they survived through the hardship.
-y
These Feds and their grateful slaves and minions can do what
they want. Their Rome will burn and all is imploding now. All who partake in their mass robbery and murder will have to pay with their own conscience and souls.
It doesn't matter how many immoral, unethical man-made laws they continue to pass. It doesn't matter if they continue to trash our sacred Constitution and Declaration.
The only real laws anyway are those of this Universe that are Divine. They are all fools to think they can get away with what they are doing.
But that doesn't mean we shouldn't celebrate and dance and have a good time even if all we have to eat may be rice and dandelion greens!
It is a great time to celebrate. In fact we may wish to make this our new 'revolution'. We could be the 'good time' revolution. Give them their due. Do everything we can to celebrate the 'end' of their world. We want no part of it and will be glad to see it all go the way of the dinosaur!
I personally look forward to this crisis because it means good things are going to come out of all this at the end of it all. How old is Mr. David Rockefeller anyway?
I see its no use to proselytize anymore especially to those who make themselves deaf to reason and common sense. I am no longer mad. I feel cured of it because I really do see this as a part of a big process of maturation of this country. Once everyone experiences the consequences of all the unwise choices, we will soon all be on the same page together. No more divide and conquer. They will all get it sooner or later.
I will continue to support all the wonderful educational organizations that have sprung up and out of our movement. I have faith the our youth will understand this because it is 'understandable'.
If no one shows up at these upcoming Republican conventions. So what. Not meant to be. I called three other people who got elected delegates last year to come with us and show up at the conventions and use their votes to elect RP candidates. I was told by all three they came only to 'elect' RP as president that was all. Not interested. Hate the Republicans. Want nothing to do with them. Leave me alone. Don't call me again. OK. I get it. I am no longer bent outta shape. I will relax and continue to enjoy my pottery, help good smart people buy cheap real estate, make some pottery here and there and listen to good music and nothing can take away all the beauty I see all around me everywhere.
Let is all die away, I say. Let it all die. We'll all be there to re-build this world when the storm dies away.
simple
I listen to Stefan Molyneux's podcasts.
"simple"?
I came across a few of his (Stefan M's) podcasts and rarely had the time or desire to sit through the programs.
http://mises.org/Community/forums/t/1182.aspx has a thread on his "militant atheism", comparison with "Ayn Rand", his penchant for "psycho-analysis", "free-market anarchism" and such from a year ago.
I guess I would rather spend my limited free hours engaged in other activities than critiquing his offerings. But then, if he is effective in promoting "secular ethics that basically proves the non-aggression principle", I wish him success. We need all brands of freedom lovers to converge and work towards liberty.
-y
Museums by day
wine by night. Learning, constantly learning, and the relaxing absorption of materials............I am trying to find the calm before the storm. Exploring and finding all that there is to remember before it's all gone. I had a friend once who said art is more long lasting than gold. I quite believe it.
Colchester, New London County, Connecticut
Exploring and finding all that there is to remember before . . .
"Exploring and finding all that there is to remember before it's all gone."
. . . just as the medieval Irish monks kept the classical knowledge alive through the western european dark ages? -y
Prayer & faith in Christ
Detective Krum Investigates:
http://victory1project.wordpress.com/
http://v1-p.com/
Detective Krum Investigates:
http://victory1project.wordpress.com/
Easy.
Womanizing and Scotch.
Sounds fun
You sound like a fun guy!
B&B ain't bad either.
A cannibal...
A cannibal goes into a butcher shop to buy something nice for dinner. The owner greeted him and told him to look around. The cannibal began to inspect the meat case and noticed the market specialized in brain.
Upon further inspection he noticed a marked disparity between the costs of brain meats. A carpenter's brain sells for $1.50 per pound. A plumber's brain sells for $2.25 per pound. He noticed with alarm that a politician's brain sells for $375.00 a pound. With not a little curiosity he asked the owner why the huge difference in price between the similar meats.
The owner responded with a deadpan look on his face, "Do you realize how many politicians it takes to get a pound of brains?"
Need a laugh now and then? 650 jokes online:
http://www.svpvril.com/Jokes/index.html
http://www.svpwiki.com/
Many thanks for sending 650 jokes to us, dalesvp!
Right when news and discussions on bailouts, AIG, O's compulsory national service, FEMA updates and such started to spin my head . . . a loud LAUGH jump started my normal breathing, again ;-))
being grounded and finding peace
I play and laugh with my GWP pup and tend to my 4 Horses and 1 Donkey, and Look at the beautiful landscape surrounding me where I live, which is in the central Idaho mountains. This is such a peaceful place to live, I thank Mother nature everyday for its beauty! Of course a glass of wine and music only adds to the moment. I visit with my children on a daily basis and they are wonderful people. The world can be so unkind at times. Peace!!!
"Central Idaho. . .
. . . is a tapestry of national forests, rivers and some of the most out-of-this-world topography to be found on the continent." (Go Northwest travel guide) Sure sounds beautiful and peaceful. I hope many of us can emulate your lifestyle and warm family bonds! Do you have many Ron Paul supporters there?
Many thanks for giving us the glimpse of your Idaho mountain scenes!
-y
Laugh a lot!
CALMNESS IN OUR LIVES
I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives.
By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace . Dr Phil proclaimed, 'The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished.
So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a package of Oreo's, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos, and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now.
http://www.svpwiki.com/
Aaaah THAT's a funny good one, dalesvp.
. . . and I can totally relate to that therapy. I'll throw Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry in my regimen, though. . .
Liberty-Belle!
Now that you have more "free time", have you started working on your oil paintings?!? Are the "three huge blank canvases" of yours finally receiving your undivided attention?
-y
ytc, this is one of the most enlightened posts in a long time
and I'm glad this is posted once again. I contributed a few weeks ago scroll down.
In the mid 80's when I was immersed there for a couple years in the grassroots Libertarian movement in London, Canada, when we were busy getting 'The Freedom Party' established, I noticed just how much 'stuff' I was bombarded with then and how I burned out.
I was young then and did not have a spiritual practice or path yet then. So my health and spirit shut down for a while until I recovered. That was when I quit the movement. Not philosophically, but physically, I just couldn't do it.
Do you know what happened. This episode in fact led me to go to the local health food store.
I had a doctor appointment and was so exhausted, and just so sick with allergies then. She wanted to give me one of those allergy shots and I actually listened to myself and said no, thanks. Next thing I know I am wandering downtown and I find a health food store. I tell her what I am suffering like. She listened and seemed to know just what it was I could use.
I bought capsules that had montmoronite green clay, wild cherry bark, and mullein. That was all, people.
My other friend who suffered from this and depression as well, took these and she too got in a good way.
I took these religiously and during the week I noticed I was really clearing up and feeling so much better. That was when I quit smoking and a friend told me about the food co-op to buy organic foods. I completely changed my diet and habits, and from then on I truly got clearer and clearer in body and mind.
I was a full time artist then and worked both at an art shop and in my studio. My work was just prolific during this period. The visions came so well and distinct. My shows sold out and I had commissions then.
Well it was a few years later after I had my two children and our family only shopped at the co-op and only used herbs to treat symptoms, we noticed we were signing petitions back then to keep the government from banning our herbs and messing with our organic foods!
Well, sadly, that is when I discovered the company that made our capsules couldn't do it any more because of government regs making it impossible to jump their hoops.
Since I live in the States now, and I and my family are voting citizens, I feel like I am in the belly of the beast. Because it is here in United States where these 'globalist' things have been taking place.
I love this country and that for which it stands philosophically. I know that sooner or later we will all be living in a 'free' country after the dark period is finished. We must all just hang in there through this messy time. But once this parasitical system is collapsed, it will be for the highest good of all.
What I do is...
I find peace in God, and Jesus. I am not trying to push my beliefs on you, but what I do is ask God for help with this burden we all bear.....and I ask him everyday for strength to get me through all this. Ask and ye shall receive! At the end of the day, I feel good about all I accomplished in the day, and in knowing that I am never alone.
Anyway, that is what I do....
God bless you!
"Live for nothing, or Die for something" ~ Rambo
"Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:22)
So good to hear. . .
So good to hear that you find peace in God and Jesus, Americandodo!
How fortunate that we somehow learned how to converse with and dwell in God and Jesus. Meditating and contemplating on the early community life around Jesus, the apostles, his mother and other disciples brings me peace as well.
As Goodbytes mentions in his March 13th post on this thread "We have to be sure to find ways to balance our awareness of the many issues and problems by connecting with the true goodness, grace and bounty in life". . . to keep our political efforts to regain Freedom energized and wholesomely integrated in our daily way of life. There are MANY traditions to tap into for such source of goodness, grace and bounty in life.
That, IMHO, is the best way to inoculate ourselves from getting totally consumed in the greed / money-game, or succumbing to fear.
Abundant blessings to you, too.
-y
When I read and re-read the 'teachings' of Jesus and
especially when I discovered the 'Gospel of Thomas' that is now fully translated from the early Coptic language, I have my great 'craft work' cut out for my soul.
Google this and read the 113 sayings of Jesus. Take note these were not 'messed' with in any way and are purely his teachings without manipulation.
Compare these sayings from Thomas, with his sayings in the books of John and Matthew and you will all be amazed.
These sayings from Thomas are jewels that we may take into our own lives and transform ourselves into a fully conscious/enlightened, human beings.
The early Christian church elite purposely removed many writings from what then became 'the Bible'. These are called the 'Apocryphal' books. Those that were discarded by the Church. When you read these you will see why they discarded them. These in fact held the key to our empowerment!!!!!
As I have studied these sayings since last fall, I realize just how much these sayings and our movement are in fact in harmony!
Jesus was teaching us to be 'free' from slavery in its myriad forms, not just from others having power over us, but being slaves to our lower carnal selves, and how we could transmute this.
But once free, we are totally responsible to keep it that way.
Anisha, what a wealth of info!
Your note on the 'Gospel of Thomas' brings me back to late '70s when I devoured it. . . but now I don't remember the details clearly. I have to revisit it when I return from my errands tonight. In those days my interest was sparked by a paper which attempted to connect that gospel, as taught in east India, with Shinran / Honen (Jodo sect of) Buddhism (12 / 13 cent on), which was brought back to Japan by a buddhist student who traveled deep into eastern China. . .
Isn't it fascinating to see ideas traveling through their own lives, morphing each time they are translated (Coptic, Greek, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese. . . and, of course, English), but still retaining the power to inspire and move people to act?
More later!
-y
p.s. Your other post touches upon my concern of emotionally burnt up, exhausted young activists I meet from time to time. More later on that, too!
Serenity
Last week I was by a creek and there was this huge rock covered with moss, (thankfully no tics or chiggers) I spent a few minutes hugging it for some unknown reason it was very peaceful.
Hugging my grandson is the greatest. My kids still hug me, too.
A young boy was in my store the other day with his mom, he really smelling all the herbs, soaps and candles and hugged me when he left.
So for me I guess its hugs. All you can get.
moss-covered rock and hugs. . .
FreedomPundit,
I can almost feel that soft cool pleasant squishiness of the moss-covered rock you hugged in the midst of the bubbling sound of the creek last week. Thanks for sharing that moment with us!
-y
This is guaranteed to bring
This is guaranteed to bring you back to that sweet spot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cnRXmMn2Ag
http://www.svpwiki.com/
. . . sweet spot
What a sweet little cutie in that spot light! Thanks for the link, dalesvp.
-y
Thanks, y. Little Connie
Thanks, y. Little Connie shows Love melts all hearts. She brought peace and quiet to an entire audience who sat enthralled. So much force expended around the world creating its own opposite violence in resistance but Love has no opposite. "Unless you become as children..." and if we should become as children in sweet innocence the violence of the world would stop.
http://www.svpwiki.com/
Knowing that the system will collapse around me.
Preparing myself for that collapse.
http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/
http://lpuk.blogspot.com/
http://northwestlibertarians.blogspot.com/
UK Libertarian Party!
(Pardon me for these ignorant questions, but I wish to know. . . )
Do you actually have a large enough membership to function as a political party in UK? Or are these blog sites more or less the intellectual extension of the US libertarian movement?
-y
(We think this video from your country is superbly made.)
Super Rich: The Greed Game
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3305522889894137433...
Turn off the computer - get into the SUNSHINE!
You pose a great question as so many of us struggle with this same issue. My friends who are the most ignorant or who otherwise bury their heads in the sand tend to be the happiest - but that's not the conscious way I choose to live. Perhaps better to know the truth about the world we live in while also practicing the art of detachment as the world will surely unfold as it's supposed to. Not an easy thing to manage but maybe that's one of the greatest lessons of living in these interesting times...
Falling into the fear trap is just a downward spiral. We have to be sure to find ways to balance our awareness of the many issues and problems by connecting with the true goodness, grace and bounty in life. It helps to have a structured routine, making sure to set aside some quality time EVERYDAY for:
-Prayer/meditation/contemplation. Turn all of the problems over to God.
-Exercise (a natural stress reliever)
-Doing or practicing anything that you LOVE is a great way to disengage the mind and helps connect with the Divine.
-Giving back to life by doing one small thing for another everyday, without expectation of reward or return is also a marvelous way of taking our mind off of our problems.
-Tending to a garden (for me) has an absolutely therapeutic effect.
-Spending time with a pet that gives you unconditional love.
The mind tends to spin and often gets in the way of true happiness. Instead of concerning yourself with only the problems (many of which we have little or no control over), spend more time on uplifting yourself (and the whole world will be uplifted as a result).
Note to Self: Time to take your own advice, turn off the computer and get out into the SUNSHINE!