Happiness

Basilica Notre-Dame

So this afternoon I took a walk after completing work for the day.

It was warmer today than yesterday and great for wandering around and "Going with the Flow."

I went past the Basilica with the throngs of tourist outside and the horses and carriages that were on hand for people wanting to see the sites of Vieux-Montreal this way as they do in cities throughout the world.

It was noisier today than usual with part of the road blocked by workmen investigating a large deep hole and traffic therefor being directed by a work-woman unlucky enough to have drawn the short straw on this particular task.  The area in front of the cathedral is currently dug up for renovations.

Traffic was bumper to bumper when all of a sudden one car decided to blow its horn and didn't stop blowing it.  The car was a VW Beetle driven by a woman with a Bischon Frisse dog on her lap.  (Poor little hound.)  She was clearly upset by not being able to progress as fast as normal on this street (rue Francis Xavier) nor did it bother her that her anger could probably be heard inside Notre-Dame, but everyone else could see the problem that lay ahead and was minding their time until they got past the road-works and could head to wherever they were going as per normal on a Friday afternoon.


Clearly this woman was someone who needed to practice meditation to help her to remain calm when the world around her was in crazy mode or not going according to expectations.

Meditation has other advantages though.

True, it reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and helps fight infection.  But practitioners don't necessarily walk around in a Zen-like state, unless they want to.

The happiness that meditators feel can, and usually does, overflow when music plays, jokes are told, and there's enough space to get up and dance.
It's a happy and upbeat way to live, of seeing the best in life, the funny side of life, and making the most of every moment.

The happiness inside means that you live life to its fullest with energy and vitality.

There are appropriate moments to be quiet and introspective, but just as we have night and day, man and woman, we also have times when it's perfectly alright to laugh out loud for long moments, to get up and dance spontaneously, and share the wealth of your happiness with others.

I hope that all your days are noisy...
with laughter, not with horn-blowing.

Love and laugh often.

Inner Happiness

Vendor making dragon's breath

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too, can become great.

Mark Twain

Today I had some free time from work and took a walk into the Quartier Chinois which is situated off the rue Saint-Urbain and only a five minute walk from the Basilica Notre-Dame and the hotel that I always stay in.
It’s really only a few streets but has small shops filled with trinkets, shawls, and food that range from cakes and cookies to all day buffets; not the metropolis that San Francisco has.

The photograph above shows a local vendor making a special type of sugar and nut candy called Dragon’s Breath. It is whipped and spun by hand and folded many times to make this delicious treat. The spun sugar is on the inside and represents the breath of the dragon.

Dragons must be lovely creatures to have such sweet breath!

Walking and exploring places that are not my everyday stomping ground provides opportunities for gathering thoughts, a walking meditation, repeating affirmations, and meeting strangers. I love to explore and meet the world and have travelled to many wonderful places and learned a lot as I did this.

A common thread I have found is that people are fundamentally the same. Once cultural and religious differences are stripped away it becomes obvious that we are all seeking the same things: shelter, safety, and most of all love.

While fears of reality exist, they are an illusion that prevents many of us from exploring and seeing the potential that lies in places, other people, and ourselves.

This fear is a like a dragon that’s burning away your opinions and hopes, and destroying your potential through its fiery breath.

Yet dragons don’t exist except in our imaginations.

When you listen to other people and in turn listen to and make yourself heard, you will find that you are not alone in your thoughts and aspirations.

All too often, we take circumstances and people around us for granted and it’s not until we are left alone or without, that we discover, too late, what we’ve lost. We don’t appreciate the value of time and our experiences and interactions with people we see every day, nor the importance of making new connections, new experiences, and pursuing our dreams.

After all, you make an impact on other people just as they affect you, one way or another.

So what is your reality?
Is it made out of fear, or imposed upon you by small minds?

Self-discovery is an endeavor that continues throughout a lifetime. While our knowledge of ourselves and our world is limited, you can dampen the fiery dragon’s breath permanently and render it harmless through a regular meditation practice, repeating positive affirmations, and making decisions based on love, cooperation, and prosperity instead of anxiety, uncertainty, or even anger.

Let the only fire in your world lie beneath your ambitions and your hopes and dreams

Don’t let ANYONE keep you from being great.

Peace and many blessings.

MEDITATION ON LIGHT

Governor’s Garden of the Chateau Ramezey Museum

When life-throws you a curve-ball and you’re faced with challenges that you didn’t expect, are you able to remain totally present and calm?

When you don’t have all the facts, can you simultaneously integrate your intuitive knowledge to monitor all that is happening around you?

When faced with an important deadline, can you be in the present?

Light
Finding the right balance between your thoughts and actions enables you to pursue a more satisfied life through control of mental behavior patterns, and it’s no secret that meditation is the easiest way to acquire the ability to stay in the moment and relinquish attachment to unnecessary thoughts.

No matter who you are, being able to take a few moments to clear your head of clutter will bring balance to your thoughts. This also helps you with your creative ideas as well as keeping you stress-free and healthy.

There’s not a lot wrong with that.

Unfortunately, letting go of the conscious mind and those pesky thoughts that interfere with clear thinking and harmonious emotions is a challenge.

Meditation illuminates those areas in your personal life that need to examine in order to be in the present moment whenever you choose, regardless of what is happening around you.

Circumstances fluctuate. Nothing stays the same, but the one constant is your ability to be in the powerful state of peace.

Inner Light
The inner light that reveals itself during meditation happens for several reasons including connecting to the source of all peace and to reveal that which needs more deliberate attention. When you pay attention to what the light of meditation is showing you, you can heed what you are seeing and direct your responses accordingly.

People and events impact us and conversely when we bring our awareness to any situation quantum physics states that we change what is happening by the fact that we are paying attention to what is going on. It’s an interesting fact and fits in with what is known about the subtle energy of meditation.

Therefore we need to be mindful of what we perceive and how we impact other people,
This depends upon being ever present in the here and now, and paying attention to what we are thinking, doing, and experiencing.

Unconsciously, there is uncertainty that what is occurring is for the best. Hesitation in making a smooth transition from your current way of living and shining a light on your hopes and dreams is normal.

Personal questions to consider:
What makes you react to situations and other people the way that you do?
What feelings do you hide within you?
What can you reveal more of?

Meditation helps you to clear away tension and stored up anxieties whenever you come across an obstacle that grinds you to a halt.

Practice carrying the light of meditation with you in all that you do. Walking in the light does not take the decision making process out of your hands.
Let it reveal what is possible in your life.

Ask yourself questions such as who is in your life? Why are they here? What do they have to teach you and what do you have to teach them?
What inspires you?

Light shines on the natural and artificial arrangements that mark each of our lives, just as it alters the images in the photographs that accompany today’s posting.

Be present in all that happens, whether it’s a relationship or a new experience and trust that what is discovered will be filled with opportunity and possibilities.