The A to Z Blogging Challenge is over! Thank you to everyone who visited this site, made comments, and led me to their own blogs. I’ve loved meeting new friends, learning things about old ones, and being challenged to find the material for these posts. I’m thrilled to have had visitors from more than a dozen countries and wish everyone the best for a good life!
If you are interested in reading more about my experiences with Nature, please check out (and follow) my ecotherapy site: www.HealingNatureCT.com.
If you’d like to hear more about fiction I’m writing, it’s www.BethLapin.com.
I’ve learned a lot from you all — here’s to a wonderful year.
Beth
eijkhout.net
Messages:
» Seek clarity » Trust sureness of path » Maintain individuality within a herd
When we listen deeply and focus, without our ego or daily distractions, we reach down to our core and find clarity. We know what we need to do, even if we aren’t certain exactly how to get there.
When we are in this place, we experience a sense of peace and calm that confirms we are on the right path. We may feel an inner glow, expansiveness, and a sense of overflowing love.
When we are there, we are comfortable with ourselves, and we perceive other’s differences with equanimity. We aren’t thwarted by someone’s negativity or pressure to conform. We are living from the inside out, a place that is truly home.
When you’ve acted from this place, what have been the results?
Cherry and I were ready to start hiking again! This time, we decided to focus on trails in Haddam, her hometown. We used www.haddamtrails.org as our guide.
It turns out there were thirteen trails in town, of which we’d already hiked one as part of the Mattabessett Trail. There also were three in Cockaponset and we’d tried some of that already.
AnimalsandEnglish.com
Messages:*
» Connect with ancient wisdom » Act from higher being and understanding
In our haste to modernize and keep up with all forms of science and electronic wizardry, we often dismiss our ancestors’ truths. Many medicines have been developed from plants and animals previously used in remedies. In days past, people were highly observant of nature and cause/effect. They also were more likely to listen to inner voices and dreams that connected them to a wider wisdom.
Ancient animals, living largely undisturbed, remind us of that universal wisdom and the value of living from a place of connection with all living beings. If we examine an orange and look deeply, we see that everyone on Earth played some small part of getting that orange to us. We are all linked, we all share our space here, and our actions can reflect and respect this relationship.
When we get [to the other side], we’ll discover all of the gifts we’ve been given to share
Have been with us since life’s beginning and we never noticed they were there
~Pat Humphries
*http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm303042.html
Albertan1956.blogspot.com
[In the spirit of providing daily commentary, I’m adding digraphs, those two letters that unite to consistently form a single sound, to my A to Z posts.]
Messages:
» Help others on their paths » Display elegance » Live wisely » Represent the lightStark whiteness, accented with black wing tips. Grace and elegance of large creatures that wing their way across the skies. Almost extinct, brought back through major breeding efforts that included leading them on migration routes using ultra-light craft.
But what message do they send, in addition to resilience? Young whoopers, raised in captivity to ensure success, are released in small groups near adult wild cranes. The young cranes learn their migration route by following these older cranes south in the fall.
We have the opportunity to serve as role models, to help others find their way, as we wander through this play called life. Our guidance can be gentle and subtle, understanding that our way might not be ideal for another. But for those who wish to follow our path, we can guide with light and wisdom.
Have you mentored another? Would you do it again?
Wikipedia
Messages:
» Communicate clearly » Learn languages
The clarion call of the wood thrush belies its plain appearance that blends in with its surroundings. Amidst the brown leaves on the forest floor, this bird is invisible until it announces its presence. In a rich and complex song, the clear bell tones contrast with the thrush’s reclusive nature.
An example of one who speaks only when it has something to say and then does it with grace and clarity, the thrush’s emphasis is on communication. Not a flashy dresser, the drab brown bird instead offers us one of the most beautiful bird songs.
Interestingly, the wood thrush can sing two notes at once, which encourages us to listen with concentration. Similar to learning a new language, when sounds are unique and unfamiliar, we may struggle to catch subtle nuances. In trying to imitate, our tongues twist in unfamiliar shapes, we push air to different locations in our mouths, and we implement a variety of other modifications to produce sounds we never heard as youngsters. But success is worthwhile, if we can learn to communicate with others using their own words.
Have you ever struggled to replicate words in a language that isn’t yours? Or marveled at the facility of young children in learning new sounds?
otsuka-nettaigyo.com
Messages:*
» Look beyond the external to see what’s realTransparency is a current buzzword for openness, particularly related to government and business dealings. With nothing to hide, companies can focus on goals and minimize corruption.
Transferring that concept to our personal interactions, another buzzword, WYSIWYG, comes to mind. I am who I am, I am what you see, with no hidden agendas or dark secrets.
Truly, deep inside of every human being is a human being, with feelings and thoughts developed from actions and interactions over the course of a lifetime. If we are completely honest, we know that all our posturing and ego-acting is an effort to compensate for what we consider to be our deficiencies. Really, most people would prefer our true self instead of the façade. And actually, our true self, our real soul, is the one to share. When we are comfortable with that self, we will discover that what it does, says, and feels is perfect.
Have you ever felt you could truly see from another’s point of view?
* Lapin
