Tunnel vision...

Some say life is a journey. Some say the present moment is all there is. Are they both true?

We seem to have been born with a concept of time. We remember things that happened to us before now and we understand that there is a time beyond right now.

It seems that the more we focus on the future while remembering past failures and hurts, the smaller the light at the end of the tunnel gets. And if that light at the end, in the future, is all that matters then the present is only a means to an end. An end that will fix all that's seems wrong now.

What about now? What about enjoying this part of the journey right here? Would that create a future on it's own? And would it re-color the past?

When the present is all there is and the journey becomes a fun expression of all that's possible within each moment, there is nowhere to get to.

Each moment on this journey is a choice, an expression, a way to do it all, be it all and let it all go...

copyright Yvonne Falk '10 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Labels...

In our language we seem to have labels and names for everything. We grow up learning the label for tree, for sky, for cat, for house. And before we had a name for it, what was it to us? What was the thing we call a stick?

I've watched young children explore their environment. I see them pick things up and look at them in a fascinated way. It may only be a leaf or small rock, but to them it seems to be the most wonderful thing they've ever seen.

When we get older, there seems to be less interest in the common items around them. The world becomes more defined. There are labels for all these things. No one else seems to think they are all that interesting, so why should we? It seems that's when things become boring.

And yet, the magic is still potentially there. Just because we have a name for something, does that mean we really know what it is? There are trees, and then there are the wonderful, dynamic, growing, swaying, multifaceted things we call trees. The function, purpose and energy of this entity is so much more than it's name.

It is very useful to be able to talk about things in our environment. To quickly communicate. And sometimes, we seem to confuse the label for what something truly is, which in my experience, is unknowable.

Next time you look at a tree or a rock or even a stick, imagine seeing it for the first time. No label, no judgment. Just experience it. Notice every little thing about it. The magic starts to come back, the wonder and curiosity.

copyright Yvonne Falk 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Pollen From Our Centers...

Flowers simply are. They bloom and fade. They open to allow all in. They simply are.

Flowers propagate through pollination. They attract bees and other creatures to come get covered in pollen. Then that creature moves on to another flower, and another.

If our heart are like flowers, and we open them to allow all in, are we spreading the pollen of love?

If we simply relax into the state of openness, what is possible? The flowers seem to get a lot done without trying. By simply opening...

Unfolding...

What if the process of life is about unfolding? About opening up more and more?

And if your first reaction is "It's not always safe to be open." or something similar, I would ask you to follow that reaction back to it's root.

Reactions are rooted in belief. How I perceive my environment is a result of my beliefs. Beliefs can be so ingrained that they seem like facts or simply the way things are. Especially when we all believe the same thing.

Back to unfolding. Unfolding, as with this fern, is a natural part of growth. As this fern shoot matures it opens wider and wider to take in all the benefits of the environment.

Now what if this fern shoot was scared to open? It would impair the function of the fern. What if all the fern shoots were scared to open? The fern would be stunted and be limited in it's capacity to live.

So how do beliefs and perceptions stunt our growth as people? How does fear of opening impair our full capacity to experience life?

Become aware of the root beliefs and be willing to choose a different belief. Identify habits and actions in line with this belief and practice life from there. Be willing to open up wider and wider to receive the abundance and wisdom in and all around us. Grow...

copyright Yvonne Falk 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED