Human and Spiritual

AA wrote: Wie immer, liebe Sabina, tust Du den Finger auf den wunden Punkt. Aber sanft und heilsam.
Ich danke Dir dafür.

Human and Spiritual

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.*

Teilhard de Chardin

This quote made me stop and reflect over being human and being spiritual. We are so caught up in our everyday human lives, in our work, in our personal situations, in our plans and projects that we often sadly neglect the spiritual side of our existence. When was the last time you meditated, prayed, or turned inwards to critically examine your values and priorities?

In our society most of us are caught up in everyday life, but still we can create little islands of calm and peace, where we – best regularly, but at least every now and then – tend to our spiritual needs.

Do you set off enough time for silence, meditation and introspection…? Do you, from time to time, bring your values to mind and reset your intentions? Do you embrace the unknown when you feel a new impulse, an uplifting thought, an insight that you have never acted upon before?

Of course it is essential to take care of the needs we have as humans, but we also need to tend to our spiritual needs. Not as another “must” on the list, but out of the realization that we have these needs too, even if we tend to forget about them.

*Nous ne sommes pas des êtres humains vivant une expérience spirituelle, nous sommes des êtres spirituels vivant une expérience humaine.

The Hospitality of Relationship

The Hospitality of Relationship

Truly, the most we can ask of others is for their guidance and comfort on the way – without imposition, design or thought of reward. This is the hospitality of relationship: for family to help us manifest who we are in the world, for friends to bring us to thresholds of realness, for loved ones to encourage us to cross barriers of our own making into moments of full aliveness.

                                                 Mark Nepo: The Book of Awakening

In the course of our lives we’ve all had relationships that weren’t really “true”. Perhaps the other person tried to shape us after his (or her) own ideals, perhaps he followed his own agenda, or focused only on his own gain - or perhaps it was the other way round… After breaking up from these relationships there is always a huge relief and we never understand why we didn’t do it long before.

A “true” relationship - a real friendship - with somebody is one of the most precious things in life and it always helps us grow. May we take good care of these nourishing relationships. May we do our very best to be true friends to the people in our lives - and may we never forget to show them how important they are to us. 

You Are Who You Want to Be

AA wrote: Keep your posts coming...they really help me reframe how I look at things.

You Are Who You Want to Be

Forget about enlightenment.

Sit down wherever you are

And listen to the wind singing in your veins.

                                           John Welwood

There was a time when I eagerly wanted to be a poet. I wanted to celebrate the beauty of life in words that opened the eyes of others and made its mystery shine. One day I realized, that I was a poet all along. You don’t necessarily have to write poetry to be a poet, or to go and live among the poorest in India to be like Mother Teresa - you can find your own ways to express your dreams …

Sit down wherever you are, and listen to the wind in your veins. The deepest wish you hold for yourself, that quality you so badly want have – realize that you already have it. That quality may still be like a rough diamond, you just have to dig it out and polish it. It is the task of a lifetime to explore our gifts and make them shine.

What quality are you admiring and striving for?

Welcome, New Year!

AA wrote: Yes:) I think I should take some time and make some NYR...

Very very good idea :)

BB wrote: Gar keine:-))) Vielleicht habe ich das einmal im Leben probiert. Ist nichts für mich. 
CC wrote: Ich habe mir vorgenommen, etwas "ruhiger" zu werden: anderen mehr zuhören, nicht mehr zu allem was sagen, mich nicht selbst nicht mehr unter Druck setzen, alles möglichst perfekt zu machen... 😉Das kommt Dir sicher bekannt vor!
DD wrote: My new resolution for 2018 is to improve my knitting by following the models in the beautiful book i received for Christmas ! I still resolve to do some yoga, and as you said i don’t put my aim to high… better twice the week that nothing …
EE wrote:Det är välgörande med drömmar eller nyårslöfte. Ja, mitt nyårslöfte har jag redan nämt: att samla pengar till ett boende Köpenhamn - även om jag inte
benämner det som ett nyårslöfte. Lycka till med ditt! Jag vet att du lyckas.

Welcome, New Year!

And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.
                      Rainer Maria Rilke

Millions of New Year’s resolutions are made and broken every year, but some are kept. Several years ago I resolved to massage my feet every night and I still do, to the great benefit not only of these two faithful companions.

This year I resolve to do a back training program twice a week. The ideal would be “every day”, but knowing myself I keep a lower profile here ;-) That’s the trick with New Year’s resolutions: don’t put your aims too high; it’s better to reach a lower goal than none at all…

What resolution did you make for 2018? By sharing your resolution with others you might feel more pressure to keep it! :-)

A very Happy New Year to all of you!