Dead Horses

Hello from my heart to yours....

"If the horse dies, get off."    — Kinky Friedman

Yep... this "Life" trail ride that I'm on is causing me to have a momentary lapse of insanity... one of my "worlds" is experiencing chaos... I'm moving forward always... or at least I try to.. but the lassos are flying through the air trying to catch me and take me back to the past... I write this blessing with specific people in mind... Oh, yeah... I know.. not behavior very becoming of me, but after all, you don't all really believe that I am headed to Sainthood, do you?

and so, again I say, "If the horse dies, get off."

So often, we hold on to the past as if we're saddled to it, somehow missing the fact that it's like a dead horse... Not going anywhere at all... It can't bring you to the present, so it most certainly won't carry you into the future.... if you insist on riding it anyway, at some point, you need to understand, it will begin to stink... and stink badly.... 

Let's not diminish the sadness of leaving the dead horse and the past behind you though... as Anatole France said, “All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.” .. but you can do it... if you have faith, hope and love in your heart, you can get off the horse, say a prayer for it (and yourself)... and then, go on and find a new horse to ride... the trail ride is long... new adventures await you... don't be afraid ... you know there is always an outstretched hand along the way... and a rope to pull your new horse if it doesn't want to budge... and please, please, please... allow those people from your past, who have gotten off of their dead horses, to move forward into the future... chances are, you may actually see them again along the way ... 

So... anyway, may you always remember that the only place the past belongs is in the past... Value yourself and get off the dead horse immediately before you start stinking as well... you are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to the world... be the blessed person God intends you to be and love yourself with dignity...... 

May your afternoon be blessed with all things good,
Elena

You Are My World

Hello from my heart to yours....

girl: I love you.

boy: I love you, too.

girl: Prove it. Scream it to the world.

boy: (whispers in her ear) I love you.

girl: Why'd you whisper it to me?

boy: Because you are my world.

This was the first post on my Facebook wall this morning.... and it just melted my heart... yeah, it's pretty sappy... and almost unbelievable, I mean what boy is so sensitive?  LOL... I'm kidding, of course, I do actually know some pretty sensitive guys... beginning with my daddy.. sometimes you just want to vomit when you hear him talking to my Ma.. "Chinita...pajaritos volando para ti", he'll say... my brothers, on the other hand, are outwardly kind of harsh and almost sarcastic when they say, "Sweetie...." or "Hunny...." but they do love ... and do say it every once in awhile.. my sisters, on the other hand,  say "I love you" in almost every paragraph they speak... I guess girls are just like that...   

Anyway, what I think I loved so much about the little conversation, between the girl and the boy, is the tenderness of it... and the melancholy that came over me... I like melancholy by the way... I like to feel that deep sadness, but it doesn't last long at all for me.. it's usually just momentary... that feeling is what helps me see how blessed I am really ... I agree... a little strange... but this was my momentary melancholic thought, "I'm not anyone's "world" like that"... and as I reflect on it, I don't think I've ever been really... hmmm? .... I wonder, too... is anyone really anyone's "world" ? ... 

Conclusion to my reflection: ABSOLUTELY... we are all in one another's "world" in one way or another.. simply because we have so many world's.. the romantic world, the family world, the work world, the school world, the social world, the church or temple world, etc... not everyone is in all of our worlds, but all our "worlds" make up one big glorious world...

When we were growing up, we were not an "I love you" people.. at least, my family and friends weren't..our actions expressed love.. we lived happily and easy and carefree... as adults, when we sit around reminiscing, the love reflects in the way the stories are told.. and when someone says, "wow, I have always loved you" .. you know it's true.. of course, sometimes "I love you" is thrown around by some people and you think, "oh, no you don't" lol... but then again, maybe they do in their own way...

I do love... sooooo many people ..and if I say "I love you", you can be certain that I do.. sure, for those who are not used to it, they may find it strange that I display affection so openly... but most people warm up to it and give into the love.. there are, also, those "love" friends.. the ones you grow up with like brothers and sisters or cousins.. the ones you now always say and text and email and write on their Facebook walls.. "I love you"...but when love changes, you aren't so sure if you should say it anymore.. I've been on both sides of that situation.. AWKWARD... if you're the one who has crossed that friendship love line, "anxious" doesn't begin to describe it.. if you're the one on the receiving end of the love confession and you haven't crossed over as well, you feel so horrible because the "friendship" world is almost crushed... that whole, "if you love someone, tell them" can go terribly wrong in the "romantic" world...

Oh Mr. Tangent... why do you do this to me? ... Hello? .. back to the "world" .. every time I read something that touches my heart this way, I try it on Giorgio (since children usually tell you like it is) ... so, when I woke him this morning, I said, "Wake up my sweet warrior because I love you.. you are my world.." he stirred and stretched and finally spoke... "Mama, you are my world, too" woo hoo! I am someone's world after all...

That is what made me realize that "You are my world" doesn't have to be a statement said only in the romantic sense... although, if you haven't told the person you love those words lately, today might be a good day to whisper it in their ear, wouldn't it?

and yes.. I am wrapping it up.. I'm sure many of you haven't even read this far.. lol... 

May you all love so abundantly that all your worlds collide into one huge LOVE WORLD... You are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to the world.. May your afternoon be blessed with all things good,

YOU ARE MY WORLD and I love you!

Elena

Miracles and Blessings

Hello from my heart to yours...

“Miracles happen to those who believe in them.”  Bernard Berenson, Art critic

With Thanksgiving behind us, we now enter into the "miracle" holidays of December ... first, on December 8th, my Buddhists friends will celebrate "Bodhi Day", which commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautauma (Shakyamuni) experienced enlightenment miracles... then on December 20th, my Jewish friends begin to celebrate Hanukkah, which is when the menorah miraculously burned for 8 nights with only oil enough for one night... it is the triumph of light over darkness, purity over adulteration and spirituality over materiality... and on December 25th, my Christian friends celebrate the miraculous birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ... This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet, "The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold! A virgin will be with child and will bear a son, and she shall call his name “God with us”" (Mtt 1:18-25)....

I thought that the best way, to prepare for all these "miracles" we believe in, is to go over the "5 steps to Blessing" as they were given to me years ago by the "Blessings Experiment" .... because... "Some wish blessings, others pray for them. Some send blessings and they become one."  Joyce C. Lock  

Go out and BLESS the world!

 

B - BREATHE

Take a deep, cleansing breath as a way of easing any tension that may be present. As you inhale, mentally affirm "I am so blessed" and with your exhalation mentally affirm "I am a blessing to the world."

L - LOOK & LISTEN

Look within and listen to what your inner being is trying to tell you.  Be self-aware and feel the love inside of you rising up to bless others.

E - ELEVATE THINKING

No matter what your feelings and emotions may be telling you, you have the ability to ride your mental elevator up to a better state of mind. ... basically, leave all negative thoughts in the basement.

S - STEP INTO WILLINGNESS

Be willing to let your blessing, your desire, or your new way of thinking become your reality. Be willing, also, to forgive every erroneous thought and unconditionally love everyone and everything involved.

S - SAY THANK YOU!

Don't wait until you see the blessing or desire fulfilled to express gratitude for it. Gratitude connects what we want to what we receive and allows it to flow more freely into our lives...

Use this process when blessing others and yourself, and use it, too, any time you wish to move from a negative emotion to a positive one, or anytime you feel your vibration lowering. It works as an instant mood-lifter.... Always remember that you are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to me.... because YOU are a miracle!!!

May your day be filled with all things good,

With Love,

Elena

and I say "Thank YOU"

Hello from my heart to yours....

 

"Thanksgiving is nothing if not a glad and reverent lifting of the heart to God in honor and praise for His goodness." 

                           Robert Casper Lintner

On this day before Thanksgiving, give thanks again for the gift that YOU are and the life that you lead.  It is hard to be a "spiritual being having a human experience" ... it's hard to bring love into spaces where there is very little... to share truth with hearts that are filled with fear.... and to trust in God even when you do not always have a tangible reason to do so - but these, my blessed friends, are lessons in the mastery of love. It takes fortitude to keep going in times when fear runs so freely around us.. but when you have faith... and when you practice loving kindness... and when you are truthful with yourselves and others...  you will find an abundance of love ... a love that goes way beyond the roof over your head and the food on your table... you will find the abundance of God's love within you... lift up your hearts and give thanks for the love..... 

 

And I want to give thanks for all of you this Thanksgiving.... You inspire me, you challenge me daily as I search within myself to find words to share, and you make me want to always grow and better myself  through the sharing of inspirations... and when I think the words just aren't there to write a blessing, you bless me with a reply and give me just the courage I need to do it again the next morning.... and I thank you all for that. We are all brothers and sisters in this journey called life.  Every single one of us experiences the same lessons in different ways, the same emotions at different times, and the same hopes and dreams for the people on earth.  You are the abundance in my life and I am blessed to be connected with you all even if we have never physically met.  It is because of people like you that I believe our world is heading towards a grand and glorious existence... a joyous and blessed world full of love.
May God bless you all with good things and may you have a blessed Thanksgiving Day,

With love and sincerity... thank you from my heart to yours... I love YOU... 

Elena

 

And lastly, I'd like to leave you with a prayer written by my great friend, Rod McKuen

A THANKSGIVING PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT PRAY

To those who cannot pray. To those who cannot walk upon the ground. To those who cannot see and those who cannot hear the world around them. To those who cannot speak. To those in misery and discomfort. To those poor of means or poor of spirit to those who feel oppressed or put upon. To those who have not yet found a God or someone they can pray to or someone with whom to pray.

Oh Lord, for these our sisters and our brothers who do not pray and will not pray, we ask that you provide enough wisdom and compassion in all of us to pray for them . . . and for ourselves that we find better ways of caring for and helping one another..
- RM 11/21/98. Adapted from "A Prayer For Our Special Brothers & Sisters" , 1980

Give Thanks

Hello from my heart to yours....

God has two dwellings; one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart.                                                               
                                                         ~Izaak Walton

I read this morning that the "soul" is the essence of humanity’s being; it is who we are... and the "spirit" is the aspect of humanity that connects with God.... on this Tuesday before Thanksgiving, let us continue to give thanks... take some time today to give thanks for who you are...the beautiful and bright soul that is YOU ... give thanks for the ability to connect with God through Faith, Hope, Reverence, Prayer and Worship.... give thanks for your body for it is the temple of your soul....  give thanks for all those who have served your growth, both in joyful and painful ways, for they have made you who you are today...  give thanks for the abundance of God's love that you find within your very own heart for this is the only true and everlasting security.. give thanks for what you do have, and for the dreams that you wish to create... give thanks that God dwells in your meek and thankful heart.... give thanks... 

May you be able to recognize the blessing that you are to the world... you are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to me.... and I give thanks that YOU are part of my journey through life... 

May your afternoon be filled with all things good,
Elena

p.s. don't forget it is Monday again.... 

Thanks from the Heart

Hello from my heart to yours... 

"He who thanks but with the lips, Thanks but in part; The full, the true Thanksgiving... comes from the heart." 

               ~J.A. Shedd, Alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Vermont, 1868 

And so once again I say, "Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday." .... Everyone in the United States is preparing for the holiday regardless of their religious affiliation... Everyone will give thanks.... whether it be to God or to some other Divine Higher power or the Universe.. it is of no consequence really on Thanksgiving Day because this fact remains... it is the only day whereby the people of our Nation.. the country that we love.. will come together to give thanks, in one way or another, for all their blessings.... 

In the days to come, let us give thanks and praise for the cherished blessings that we are.... It is through our willingness to choose love instead of hate, faith instead of fear, and to find abundance where others see only lack, that we bring God's light into the world. We are the cornocopia of life my friends.... We are the ones who are willing to fill our cups and then spill them over into the world.... It takes courage to be human.. but it takes even more courage to have faith, hope and love in your hearts for all to see ...

May you be able to spill your love in the true meaning of Thanksgiving because you are loved beyond measure and have so much love in your hearts to give.... ... Please do not forget that it is Monday, the day we start anew to live and give thanks for all the days we are given that are filled with blessings.... 

May your day be filled with all things good and with an abundance of love, 

With love,

Elena 

"It is Monday. My heart is filled with gratitude and love. I am so blessed and I am a blessing to others. I start this day anew to be a living example of the love and gratitude that God has blessed me with by giving thanks for all that I have. And I will repeat this tomorrow... and the day after... and the day after that... as if everyday were Monday."

Gratitude Monday's and "Thank You"

Hello from my heart to yours.... 

 

Thanksgiving comes to us out of the prehistoric dimness, universal to all ages and all faiths.  At whatever straws we must grasp, there is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings. 

 

                                                                                                                                                ~J. Robert Moskin

 

Last week I said, "I'm going to start a diet on Monday so that I can enjoy the Thanksgiving weekend... eating and drinking.. without having to worry about it.."  Well, of course that didn't happen... It's something we all do really.. whether it be a diet or a chore or a new project, we all like to say, "I'll start on Monday." Course, I have never understood why Monday has been designated as the day of the week to start anew, but if we really do, then it's okay.. it's when Monday becomes an excuse for not doing something that the problem arises.

In just a week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving... an American holiday.. to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general... I love this holiday because all religions in the United States celebrate it... it's all about being thankful.. unfortunately, not many of us "thank" freely and often... it takes a holiday, like Thanksgiving, to bring families together to give "thanks" ... many people suddenly realize God exists and there is a long "thankful prayer" before the feast.. it's wonderful, but a little sad that it isn't on a daily basis.... 

 

From the time we are little children, our parents, grandparents, teachers, etc. are teaching us to say "Thank You."  For some reason though, we grow up and forget those simple little words of gratitude.  These days people simply expect too much from others and take their acts of kindness for granted.  Of course, we're not supposed to do things for others anticipating and demanding a "thank you" either, but wouldn't it be nice if we just expressed gratitude every once in awhile....  It's really not that difficult to make someone's day.

 

So, in anticipation of Thanksgiving next week, I thought it would be great if we spent the weekend thinking about how we can give thanks for all the blessings that we have in our lives... let's start by saying "Thank You" to as many people as we can ... our loved ones, our co-workers, our friends, the cashier at Winn-Dixie, the mail deliverer, etc..... we don't need a specific reason to say "Thank You" really.. let's also try to make a list or two... write down your individual blessings.. sit together as a family and compile one.. maybe even make one with your co-workers... and then, when Monday comes, we can start the day with this affirmation:

 

"It is Monday. My heart is filled with gratitude and love. I am so blessed and I am a blessing to others.  I start this day anew to be a living example of the love and gratitude that God has blessed me with by giving thanks for all that I have.  And I will repeat this tomorrow... and the day after... and the day after that... as if everyday were Monday." 

 

Because we are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to the world and thus should be grateful always for that...... 

May your weekend be filled with all things good,

With Love,

Elena