Category Archives: Inspired

power pause

Posted on by
Reply

Deep breath in to the tippy top, holding briefly and a strong exhale out the mouth. Allow a sigh. One more time – inhale and exhale. Now, just breathe normally noticing the rush of air coming in and going out. Just noticing. At the beginning of a practice, meditation students  are often instructed to silently ask themselves three simple questions.

Now, in your mind, as you breathe ask yourself,  ‘who am I?’ breathing in and out, ‘who am I?’ very gently offering the question – breathing in and breathing out. Next question, ‘what do I want?’ And, again breathing in and breathing out, ‘what do I want?’. Ever so easy, ever so natural ask yourself ‘what is my dharma/purpose? What is my purpose/how may I serve?’ And then, let the questions go, breathing in and breathing out. Inhale in the luscious air, savoring it and then exhaling out what no longer serves you.

How easy is that? Very! Now you have launched your practice for the day. Enjoy the peace of natural breath for a few minutes more. Make the best of the rest of your day and watch what comes. ‘Seek (the good stuff) and ye shall find.’ It’s only natural.

Crumple Zones

Posted on by
Reply

I loved my car. It was a 2001 Audi A8, 4.2 liter, the perfect green with Luxury all the way. I bought it used with only 25,000 miles on it. All-Wheel Drive, Triptronic transmission, with a salvage title; it was in near perfect condition. The guys at work called it a ‘swimmer’ because it was taken from the edge of an insurance-designated flooded lot.

I was thrilled to be driving a car like this and enjoyed much long distance travel. In detailing the interior, deep inside a crevasse I found a paper placard. Carrying a literal watermark, it was rippled dry as a bone. It indicated that this car very likely transported dignitary types in Washington DC. For the first few months I would find some new feature that would delight to no end. The car had every state of the art option available that year and a few custom features as well. The original book value, new in 2001, was well over $65,000. Man oh man, could that thing cruise!

…

Sometimes it’s the things you don’t see that make all the difference. The side impact was severe. What would normally have been an extremely violent and likely deadly situation was diffused, literally, by crumple zones – custom crumple zones. We live in a space in time here on Earth. I’m discovering that in life we are surrounded by crumple zones.  Time is the biggest crumple zone of all. If you follow my ramblings here at TCA  you can only imagine the condition of ‘my second toe’ had it not been for crumple zones. ‘Improvement is steady’ in crumple zones.  Now, I’m ready – for all the great features of my Audi with the size and height of my pick-up truck – cream colored please.

Appreciation/Update

Posted on by
4
To my Lovely TCA Readers and Followers
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you – I am beyond thrilled and highly grateful for your interest and support in this work with no name. Thank you for enduring the many edits, glitches and overall learning curve as TCA continues to polish and take shape. It’s like doing summer reading in preparation for the new school year.
Staying with my self-bestowed birthday gift of ‘putting myself out there’ I notice myself reverting to old patterns. What I love about that is the noticing part because by noticing I can change my mind. I love directing my focus. I like deciding.
I love the idea of joining the list of HuffPost Bloggers. I can see my titles on the NewYorkTimes best-seller list. I hear my quasi mentor Louise Hay saying to me, ‘Welcome to the HayHouse community!’  And, I can feel once again, that big beautiful bear hug that only Dr. Wayne Dyer provides (and if you’ve ever had one, you know what I’m talkin’ about). How’s that for putting myself out there? It’s all about the journey and I’m realizing ‘HEY, THIS IS REALLY FUN!’
Thank you, pioneering friends for helping me plant the seeds of who knows what. May this work serve in ways that universally enhances all life experience. It’s only natural.
With Appreciation,
I Am, the Closet Academic

Happiness Is Absolutely Safe

Posted on by
Reply
Post #1:  Writing on a Whim
‘Improvement is steady’ had been my main mantra for the past several years. It is amazing how powerfully it has served me. Life breezes along and the direction of thought is the steering wheel. Improvement from what you may ask. Improvement from how I feel now. I’m a happy person most of the time. It is fun to beat the drum of happiness. Happiness has momentum. Allowing happiness into life comes with a feeling of exhilaration.  It’s only natural.
Shifting of thought becomes self evident. Once we’re used to feeling good the only work left to do is to feel even better. Practice being mindful of your train of thought and consciously steer toward the better and better feeling. This leads to even more happiness. Like the folding of a sheet of paper 45 times and reaching the moon, the exponential effect, even with any temporary contrast, is way more than palpable; it is divine.
When we commune within for just a few minutes a day, it is like tasting a spoonful of the most delicious delectable you’ve ever had. Go for it! Happiness is absolutely safe.