Author: Kennedy Farr

Follow Love Through to a Successful Forward Pass

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“The choice to follow love through to its completion is the choice to seek completion within ourselves. The point at which we shut down on others is the point at which we shut down on life. We heal as we heal others, and we heal others by extending our perceptions past their weaknesses. Until we have seen someone’s darkness, we don’t really know who that person is. Until we have forgiven someone’s darkness, we don’t really know what love is. Forgiving others is the only way to forgive ourselves, and forgiveness is our greatest need.”

 — Marianne Williamson–

Wowza.  This is so perfectly stated.  I have very few words to add to this.  I hope that your day is blessed with experiencing completion within yourself.  That you feel doors opening before you.  That you feel healing.  That you are bathed in light that allows for love to bloom into the most fragrant of blossoms.

I googled the definition of the word completion, and I especially like the reference to football, of all things . . .

completion:  a successful forward pass

Wow!  When I think of  following love through on a trajectory that is akin to a successful forward pass, this makes me feel very happy.  I pause; I deliberate; I throw with intention, a prayer, and a receiver in sight; I pray that my pass is caught . . . and . . . touchdown!  (or a first down, depending on where you are at on the playing field)

Now I am not a football aficionado, but I know enough about it to understand the yahoo! moment when an intended pass is received by one’s teammate.  Cheering, jumping, high fives, pats on the butt ensue.  Time for a little celebrating.

The choice to follow love through . . . Take the risk to go deep.  Pass with intention.  Pay attention.  Line up with the pass.  Engage.  Reach.  Reach further and farther.  Do your best.  Pray.  Connect.  Celebrate!

 

Apparently Seemingly Magic

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music magicWhat’s your magic?

Google’s [define: magic] is as follows: mag·ic: the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural force

I read this definition, and I am certainly not very wow-ed by it.  The use of the word apparently does something that diminishes what I believe magic to be.  I believe that magic is powerful and lovely and serendipitous.  And very real.  It just sort of happens and, when it does, I want to be paying attention.  If my course of events are about to be influenced by a mysterious force, I want my awareness of the experience to go beyond apparently.  

Merriam-Webster defines magic as such: an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source.

I like the use of the word extraordinary here.  Still, that reference of seemingly.  The magic happened or it didn’t?  Perhaps because magic cannot be proven in tangible, measurable, and quantifiable ways, the concept of magic is an ethereal explanation to We have no idea what just happened.  It just happened.  

Perhaps it is the best that we can come up with . . . a word to explain the feeling we have when we have just bumped up against a tangible and vivid part of the Universe.  Magic does influence the course of events and it does cultivate mindfulness in meaningful ways.  It is mysterious and there is some element of supernatural force involved.

But I am a word nerd and I wonder about the words apparently and seemingly.  I experienced magic or I didn’t, right?  Something along the lines of the question “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”   This question is one of those mindbenders that has no right or wrong answer.  As good students of philosophy say, “It depends.”   It is seemingly some sort of separate reality to be wondered about by those of us who apparently take the time to think about stuff like this.  The tree did fall and it surely caused some ruckus.  By my way of thinking, the tree did make a sound.   The tree went down. WhooshCrackleBoom.  By my way of reckoning, I don’t need to be there to acknowledge the end Boom.  And my serendipitous brush with magic need not be quantified, recorded, or heard.

So I try to put things in perspective.  Along the lines of the tree in the forest: If magic happens and no one acknowledges it or makes a connection with it, will the course of events in this thing called life be influenced?  I don’t know.  I really don’t know how we can know this other than to wonder about and embrace the apparently and seemingly factors in life.  Being a linguist, I am a huge fan of “the fuzzy concept” — one by which a concept can vary considerably based on context, rather than being immutable and fixed.  It is easy to understand why I chose the path of linguist over grammarian.
So, what’s your magic?  What’s your mojo?  Mine?  Maybe it is music.  Or maybe it is something else.  I really don’t know because there are too many trees falling around me in a forest that I am not completely aware of.  I am dancing my way through windfalls that apparently fell while I was seemingly not paying attention.  But I am now.  Truly.  I am paying attention.  What’s your magic?

A love letter to Monday . . .

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dear mondayDear Monday,

Thank you for being my day . . . my promise of another fantastic and glorious day.  Spring is transitioning into early summer.  The days are warmer, the daylight hours are growing longer, the sunshine is less fickle, the birds are singing in full chorus in the forest, the sunsets have been magnificent.  There are so. many. things. to feel ecstatic about.  Life is truly very good.

In music, a loop is a section of music that is repeated over and over.  You can record short tracks on top of each other that repeat continuously — making some music that is incredibly rich in texture — all because of the gift of repetition.

Being human, we measure moments of life into time.  We measure the minutes into an hour, the hours into a day, the days into a week.  We call you, Monday, the beginning of the work-week loop — the reminder that we must don our work duds and head back into the proverbial salt mines.  But this isn’t true.  Not even remotely true.

Life knows no true sense of repetition.  Monday, you are a brand new Loop in Time.   You are unique and wild and replete with opportunity.  What could possibly be ordinary about you, Monday?

Monday, I am thinking about how this very talented musician, Bryson Andres, uses the Loop to his musical advantage by layering his skill, talent, and passion to create an incredible sound that would ordinarily require a small orchestra to create.  Like this music, I want to create a sensation of beauty and excitement and joy that repeats seamlessly into my life — creating new dimensions that expand my Loop . . . on toward and beyond next Monday.

Thank you, Monday, for being my wake-up call to engage my Loop Pedal.

and another if you are up for some more beautiful Monday music . . .

 

Higher Ground

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higher groundThis is such an awesome video with a very happy and uplifting message.  Plus the collaboration that went into making this recording is an example to me.  It encourages me to go beyond what I perceive to be the self-imposed borders in my life and reach out for creativity and talent and inspiration from others — even strangers.  Collaboration is the Higher Ground for growing  my dreams and expanding my ideas.

Appreciation . . . so elemental

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i think you are wonderfulAppreciation:  I think you are w-o-n-de-r-f-u-l.  When I tell you that I appreciate you, I am telling you that I value you.  Value you.  It is something that is so simple and elemental and primitive.  And easy.  And fun!  Oh, my — how much fun appreciation is.  It says: I love this about you!

Appreciation says thank you on the deepest of levels.  Thank you for being YOU.  It creates mega dimensions to life and to love and to laughter and bliss and to universal Truth.  How great is this?  It is absolutely amazing.

Google’s “define: appreciation” reveals: “the recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something.”  So beautiful.  Recognizing and enjoying the good qualities of someone or something.

Appreciation: I see you.  I think you are amazing.

Appreciating you is a privilege.  When I appreciate you, you — without even knowing it — encourage me to be aware of how great life is.

Is there someone you appreciate?  Please, tell him or her today.  It will rock your world.  Isn’t that the way of following your heart?

Appreciation: I love sharing with you.  I love who you are.

I appreciate you.

A Mighty Wilderness

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We wake up in the morning.  We breathe and love and laugh and cry and live and eat.  Do jumping jacks and shower.  We take out the trash.  We slip a love note into our loved one’s lunch bag.  We bustle about and head to work.  We give money to the person with the sign at the freeway entrance.  We whip out our credit card and air lift a wriggling worm across the vastness of a warming sidewalk into a flower bed after a heavy rain.  (Okay, that was a true confession — I rescue worms!)  We tell the barista that we like her earrings while waiting for our coffee.  We call our brother to tell him that yes, starting his new business in this economy is a good idea.  We hug a student who is struggling with finances.  We laugh with a colleague over coffee.  Life is good.

We move beyond the familiar and engage on some small level that tells us that we are connecting.  How we do this is coincidental and mysterious.  It is all so seemingly random — at least it is for me.   I rarely set out each morning with the knowledge that I am going to change the world.  But I do.  We all do.  With small baby steps, we reach across the unknown and discover someone else’s uniqueness in this mighty wilderness.

By joining hands in the darkness, we all make the path a bit easier to navigate.  We can warn each other about a deep dip in the trail, an exposed tree root that would send us flying off the path, an abrupt switchback.  We can hold low branches aside until the other passes and we can call out a nettles warning.  We, together, can sing a marching song from our childhood and shine our lights and guide each other into a more friendly part of the forest.

This sometimes requires me stepping outside my comfort zone.  I can’t count the times I have thought, I can’t believe that I just did that.  It’s surprising , actually.  Intuitive offers of help, advice, money, food.  Sometimes unwanted and misunderstood?  Yes.  But that is how the moments play out. I try to remind myself that we will all find our way in the darkness if we just take the risk of being misunderstood.  Of  joining hands in this mighty wilderness.

 

why gratitude?

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gratitude. chopraGratitude.  Georg Simmel calls it “the moral memory of mankind.”  Gratitude feels good.  It frees us from moments that try to put us in a muddle.  It expresses joy from the inside out.  It pays attention.  It is a honeybee of movement and purpose and sweetness.  It feeds hope.  It places a necklace of sweet violets around our hearts.  It is fun.  It is the stuffing inside our childhood teddy bear.  It kicks butt on gloom and doom.  It elevates our awareness of happiness.  It deals our cosmic poker hand aces.  It laughs at the absurd and opens itself to the unlikely.  It is a lot of things that just plain feel good.  It is inspiring and edifying.  How great it is to feel gratitude.

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“Why gratitude?”  Indeed.  What a great question.  The words of wisdom in this image are so beautiful.  Universe.  Mindfulness.  Everyday.  Precious Jewel.  Joy.  Recognize.  Thankful.  Harvest.  Alive.  Moments.  Hearts.  Conscious.  Treasure.

Just reading these words makes me feel good.  And feeling these words is a true gift.  Makes me want to get up and dance. Pet the dog.  Appreciate the clean, running water from the tap.  Feel the love of my family. Enjoy a good belly laugh to the point of snorting.  So many things.  For all of them, I feel gratitude.

Please, take a few moments to enjoy this brief and very beautiful and inspiring and touching and elevating piece on gratitude below.  I try to watch it at least once a week.  Moreso if my mojo seems to have stopped working unexpectedly.  It is my hope that you have a very beautiful day filled with appreciation and gratitude.

Moving Art: Gratitude

Why gratitude?    “. . . it could be beautiful.”  

universe     mindfulness     everyday     precious jewel     joy     recognize     thankful     harvest     alive     moments     hearts     conscious     treasure     happy     healthy     blessed

Skipping in Place

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I was thinking last night about how stuck we feel when we realize we are in a negative place.  Stuck like a needle in a skip on vinyl.  

We feel that there is no hope for forward movement, and we can hear the inevitability that it is we who are going to have to make the skip stop. Sometimes we hope that the scratch is sufficiently insignificant such that we can wait out the monotony . . . when all we need do is pick up the needle and move it to the next track.  I sometimes “kick myself” after realizing that I have invested time into something that is, in all actuality, cancelling out forward movement and quality of  life.  But maybe this is part of life’s learning, and I should be easier on myself.  

Regret is an emotion wasted.  It is the groove that is holding the skip in place.  By being present and freeing ourselves from being stuck, we are renewed with the energy that fuels our happiness in the present and our dreams for the future.  By taking action and removing that needle, we allow self-forgiveness for those What was I thinking? moments.  Time to move on.  Time to put on a new album and move to a new rhythm.unstuck-2

Life is brimming with gifts and treasures and happiness.  The discovery of this abundance is the best part of life for me, like opening a box that is filled with exactly my heart’s desire.  Perhaps bumping up against those not-so-positve places is not the villain after all . . . knowing that I have the strength and the courage to get up from my spot of stagnant acceptance, pick up the needle, place it on its holder, remove the album, pick a new album, reset the needle.  And enjoy.  Sigh.  It wasn’t that hard, truly.  Time to move on to a better-feeling place and dance to some new music.

Who knew that being brave could be so liberating?  Certainly not a unique concept for those who regularly beard the lion in the den before breakfast . . . but definitely something to consider when feeling stuck in a groove that shows no promise of movement.  Move the needle or change the vinyl.  Take a chance.  You never know what wonderful thing might happen.

“F” is for Flexibility

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As evidenced by this awesome sign, whoever is running the Flying F. understands the concept of Flexibility.  I like his or her panache.

I have been told that the fishing business is a tough one.  Dangerous, risky, daring.  It requires that rare combination of luck and knowledge and intuition and quick intelligence.  But this sign is a brave testimony to being flexible.  To exploring options.  To not being afraid of announcing major changes.  To being comfortable with not entirely whiting the old options out — love the duct tape!  Brilliant!  To being transparent.  To not caring about aesthetics or what some perfectionist might fuss over.  I don’t know.  I just like what this sign says.  It says to stay flexible and ride the waves.  Roll with the tide.  Pay attention to the weather.  Be appreciative of what is available.  Make lemonade if all you’ve got are spot prawns.  Be open.  Be closed.  Sell Crab.  Or not.  Out of shrimp?  Sell prawns.  Live or Cooked? Be Flexible.

Try Something New: Enforced Restfulness

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My Try Something New today: contentment in enforced restfulness.

If you light a lamp quote

The story of my past few days has allowed for some enforced restfulness.  What I have learned is that as much as I say I want a peaceful and quiet and tranquil life in the midst of my self-made chaos . . . there is another part of me that craves the hub-bub, the drama, the go-go-go, the challenges at work, the randomness of just wandering with no projected outcomes, the movement that gives me inspiration to create and to laugh and to love.

This enforced restfulness has given me time to just be with me.  And it has been nice.  And it has also been not so nice.  The nice parts have given me an opportunity to observe and take note of what runs through my mind when I am not thinking of what I am going to do next.  I am just being in the Now.  Just chilling and petting the cat and figuring out inversions on the  piano and stir-frying onions and garlic with asparagus and having long conversations on the phone with my sisters . . . this sort of thing.  I have been focusing on the simple and important things that get nudged aside or that get squeezed into the day.

The thing that has been rather bittersweet has been realizing truly how little time I create for being with me.  I find that I often am so busy projecting my light outward, I don’t replenish the source of this light within.  Again, not necessarily a bad thing . . . but  the words of my mum come to mind: Moderation in everything.  I think I have been putting too much time into outward and not into inward.

In high school art class, I was given a calligraphy assignment.  I was to find a proverb or quote and write it using the calligraphy style of my choice.  Wanting it to be perfect and vintage-y, I procrastinated and I remember spending more time ultimately looking for a short quote that would satisfy the assignment than I did practicing my lettering.   The quote was short, but compelling.  I knew it had a lot to say, even though I wasn’t quite certain what it exactly meant at the time.  It reads: “Contentment is the absence of selfish ambition.”  Quite the dose of profundity in only seven words.  No wonder it befuddled my teen-aged mind.  It still sort of does.

What this enforced restfulness has done is it has slowed me to a place of seeking contentment.  By replenishing, I have refilled the lamp, trimmed the wick, and polished up the chimney.  How is my little light going to shine if I don’t take the time to fill the lamp?

I also know that this time to myself has created deep appreciation for all of those people who shine their light my way — for their “absence of selfish ambition” — for sharing who they are with me so selflessly.

Am I committed to take more time to just think and to be and to not be doing all of the time?  Yes. Am I ready to resume my days at the speed of light?  Yes.   But this has been good.  Good for realizing that I am paying attention and wanting a life with a balance of contentment that generates and receives light and that puts a smile back into my soul and that not just enforces restfulness but embraces it as well.