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Where is the Love?

/ Kennedy Farr / Leave a comment

One world.  One truth.  Love.  Peace.  Vision.  Values of humanity.  Fairness and equality.  Unity. “If you never know truth, you never know love.”

UNITY.  In mathematics, the word unity is defined as “the number one.”  When we create and experience Unity, we are experiencing life as one whole.  One truth.  One love.  We have joined together as 1.

Where is the love?  It is within us to give and share.  Freely.  It is outside of us to accept.  It is all around to embrace and to join with another and create 1.

How awesome is this?  To have the freedom to create unity with another? toaster oven

Respect

/ Kennedy Farr / 1 Comment

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Every time I hear these two songs roll up on my iPod, I feel good.  It is such a great feeling when you respect yourself and respect others.  Google’s “define: respect” is as follows:

RESPECT: (verb) admire (someone or something) deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements.

What a gift it is to freely and openly exchange respect with others.   toaster oven

 

 

 

 

Just say Yes. Take a chance.

/ Kennedy Farr / 2 Comments

take a riskThis quote speaks directly to my heart.

I think of the times in my life when I have simply said Yes.  No lists of pros and cons. No SWOT or Force Field analysis.  No seeking of advice from another person.  No flipping of coins or swaying of the amulet.  Just pure trust in pure dumb luck.

I am thinking of those times when I didn’t doubt.  When I sidestepped land mines of fear.  When I took the labyrinth of detours with neither complaint nor concern.  When I let go of my attachment to an anticipated outcome.  Moments when I looked fate in the eye and said, “Pleased to meet you.  Tell me more.  Show me more.  This is awesome!”

honey-beeHappy chances of serendipity.  When I allow myself to love.  To fall in love.  To be myself.  To trust.  To embrace the promptings of my intuition.

These moments are enormous beyond wonder.  They are the moments when life is richly rewarded with the most unexpected of gifts.  Amazing and beautiful gifts.  In retrospect, these moments surprise me because they are the times when I surprised myself . . . when I allowed me to be true to my own self with no interference.

Being willing to take a chance that is True to Self is one of life’s richest rewards.  It is like reading a thick novel with a heroine you can admire.  She is someone who is willing to take chances and to live a life of no regret . . . someone who is willing to trust herself.  Although she has flaws, you cheer her on precisely because of her flaws.  She doesn’t let her less-than-stellar experiences and choices hold her back from fulfillment.  Who doesn’t want her to find her bliss in the final chapter?  I certainly do.

It feels so great — magical really — to take those humbling chances and live a life of no regret.  Many times we question our common sense, our motives, our resources.  We wonder if we are ever going to be truly happy or feel whole.  And then it happens.  toaster oven

We receive the reward of taking a chance.  Life is magnified when this happens.  We still see our own flaws but they are diminished by the courage it took to take the chance that would propel us out of darkness into light.

History is being written in the finest of ways.  There are happy endings.  They do exist.  Life may not appear to be perfect on the outside.  But a life of no regret as a result of taking chances?  It is perfection.

Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is one of those epic poems that has spoken different things to me at different times in my life:

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth . . .”

These days, I read these words, and I no longer see me standing at the trailhead as a solitary traveler.  And I am not standing in one place to ponder in long-I stood mode — as I once might have.  I am discovering the beauty of the African proverb: “If you want to travel fast, travel alone. If you want to travel far, travel together.”

suitcasesI want to “travel far” . . . be the path well-traveled or wildly untrammeled.  Be there a light backpack or a fabulous amount of luggage.  It’s all good . . . to be traveling far and taking chances with no regrets. To saying Yes.

If you give a little love . . .

/ Kennedy Farr / 4 Comments

“Well if you are (what you love)
And you do (what you love)
I will always be the sun and moon to you toaster oven
And if you share (with your heart)
Yeah, you give (with your heart)
What you share with the world is what it keeps of you”

Wow.  I love this this song.  And the video.  It reminds me to love and to share and to give.  And then do it some more.  I am inspired to get out my paintbrush and paint some love of my own today.  Such a great message: Pay Attention.  Do What I Am Inspired to  Do.  Be proactive.  Be Loving . . . “Because life is fleeting.”  The small difference we make in a person’s life has an enormous ripple effect.  Share the love.

“What you share with the world is what it keeps of you.”

bigstock-Zen-stones-in-water-27418907

What makes you come alive?

/ Kennedy Farr / Leave a comment

Working hard: What does this mean?  Does a successful life require that we work hard?

I think so.  When I read any Working Hard quotes from the famous movers and shakers, I can read the sincerity in their words.  They believe that they have achieved what success that they have because they worked hard.  But the one thing I am also reading in their words is their devotion to and passion for their work.  [Truly, there are an equally amazing number of quotes linking passion to success.]  These famous and accomplished people all seem committed to high standards, long hours, and the personal sacrifices that reflect their passion for their life work.  And they are having fun while they are working hard.  A great combination in anything: a good sweat while having fun.

057When I saw la Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris for the first time, to describe the experience avec le mot incroyable is a huge and holy understatement. I returned to it several afternoons — just roaming around and absorbing the grandeur.  It took over 100 years to build and the architects, sculptors, and builders remain anonymous.  Wow.  The history of this cathédrale’s construction, destruction, plunder, rebuilding, and ongoing maintenance is amazing.  Its delicacy has survived because of a commitment and vision to preserve its story and its testimony to Passion . . . keeping the beauty and the spirit of Notre Dame de Paris alive.

We are inspired by the most monumental of things.  Edifices.  Sacrifices.  Generosity.  Selflessness.  Grace under pressure.  We notice the grandeur and the beauty and the passion in others’ work, and we are sometimes intimidated by what appears to be overwhelming effort, vision, and success. We question if we could ever create something so amazing or be someone who is considered to be a laureate.

From a young age, we are taught to set noble standards and high expectations.  But what of the infinitesimally small things?  The tiny little gestures that vaporize upon expression yet mean so much in the moment?

Some days seem to require much from us and other days seem to require less.  These less-demanding days, I am content to shake my feathers and take a look around and see what opportunities of need are around me.  Simple things like leaving a sticky note with a positive message for a stranger to discover on campus or bringing someone coffee or telling someone that they look so nice today in salmon pink.  Little tiny things.  Do they make a difference?  I don’t know.  A smile in return is a huge reward for recognizing another’s uniqueness . . . his or her potential for coming alive.

quote. what makes you come alive“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs . . .” This quote summarizes so much simple genius.  Very inspiring: Go do that which makes me come alive.  How could I not want to Work Hard?  It’s a privilege to Come Alive.

What makes you come alive?  Today, what is that one bit of inspiration that makes your day turn from cloudy gray to sunny blue?

Tell that special someone that you love him. toaster oven Listen to that friend who is going through a tough time.  Maybe write or draw or paint or play some music or shoot some hoops or bake some chocolate chip cookies.  Maybe take the time to look out over the water at the sunset and thank the heavens for the message of hope and affirmation. Maybe laugh until your sides hurt.  Focus.  Never underestimate the power of a smile.  Work it, shake it, bust a move.  Re-direct a challenge.  Discover your passion.  Re-define success.  Believe in miracles.  Work hard.  Come alive.

 

 

 

 

Into the Blue

/ Kennedy Farr / 2 Comments

what you focus on growsWHAT YOU FOCUS ON GROWS

I was feeling both convicted and uplifted by this thought this past week.  I got sidetracked by some healing worries that were robbing me of being in the moment.  I was gently reminded by someone that I was worrying and getting away from my self.  It’s true.  I was losing my way.  These were such good and loving words in a time in which I was feeling stressed — and fearful.  I love that this person cared enough to steer me back to my inner self.  To that place that lets me rest in the present moment.  All will be well.  All is well.

The power of the mind (and the heart and the soul and the spirit) never cease to inspire me into a state of wonder.  When I focus on positive things, amazing things happen.  When I focus on negative outcomes . . . I don’t feel like me.  I feel like I am being held captive by my own mis-directional thoughts.  When I no longer allow myself to be a captive, I choose to focus on those thoughts that will allow growth, healing, laughter, and love in my life.  This is SO much better.

Marianne Williamson writes in A Return to Love: “The more we learn about the light within us, the easier it ultimately becomes to forgive ourselves for the fact we’re not perfect yet.”  Perfection is one of those elusive concepts that is undefinable.  We instinctively aim toward Perfection, yet we don’t know what it looks like or where it lies.  It’s like hunting phantoms that skirt our perimeters of awareness.  We think we would know how it would feel if we “attained” it, but I am not so sure.  I think we would keep thinking that we weren’t quite there yet.  Like there is some extra super-duper level of perfect that exceeds 100%.

What all of this leads me to conclude is that Now is Perfect.  I will never experience more Perfection in my life than that which lies in this very moment.  Perfect is neither an A in French Phonology nor graduating magna cum laude with cords, pins, and honors.  It is not a promotion at work, and it isn’t a marriage proposal in Paris.  It isn’t slipping easily into your skinny jeans, and it isn’t pulling a pan of sky-high cream puffs out of the oven.

honey-beePerfection.  It is Now.  That was then, this is Now.  Life blooms into the most beautiful of moments when we least expect them to.  For this, I am immensely grateful.

blo0dyros3.deviantart.com

blo0dyros3.deviantart.com

Marianne Williamson: “A spiritual teacher from India once pointed out that there is no such thing as a gray sky.  The sky is always blue.  Sometimes, however, gray clouds come and cover the blue sky.  We then think the sky is gray.  It is the same with our minds.  We’re always perfect.  We can’t not be.  Our fearful patterns, our dysfunctional habits, take hold within our minds and cover our perfections.  Temporarily.  That is all.”

Whew.  All will be well.  All is well.  I’ve got this.  I can relax into the grey-sky moments, knowing that there is blue sky behind the clouds.  There is going to be that sunset that pierces the clouds with a radiance that inspires wonder and affirms love.  True love that douses fear with its fire.

When I remain in a loving state, I am in blue-sky country.  In blue-sky country, I feel myself re-adjusting my focus — the aim of my life’s trajectory . . . no longer toward Perfection but toward Love.  I might not always experience Perfection — in the sense of my physical humanity and the interactions that my day encounters.  But I can certainly extend the reach of my capacity to Love — which grows its own brilliant Perfection.  It is such a great feeling to reach through and part that curtain of Grey and get a glimpse of Blue.  I feel so. much. love and appreciation for those in my life who inspire me to extend my reach into the Blue.  I thank them with my love and devotion.  I feel so blessed.   toaster oven

I can pick up the phone.  Write that letter.  Express my love in action and in word.  Tell my Sweetheart: I Love You.  Completely lose myself in laughter with my Best Friend.  Encourage the special people in my life who are wondering what’s goin’ on.  Make new pathways to those who no longer feel close.  Be spontaneous in accepting the unexpected.  Show my doubts to the door.  Grow more Love.  Remember that the Grey is just a temporary veil that can and will alter its course.  Blue Sky is always there.  Is here.  “What you focus on grows”: I am focusing on Blue Sky.  It feels Perfect.

open-door

 

Growth from Complete Destruction

/ Kennedy Farr / 4 Comments

seed crack growthThis is a very powerful quote.  I read this and wonder.  And think about my life.  I think about those times in my life that I would not exactly call fun.  Those times when I have felt confused, fearful, upset, angry, hurt, crushed.  None of these adjectives are new to any one concerning life, love, change, and growth. We are constantly metamorphosing within.  We present what might appear to be our “same self” to others, but we alone gauge the amount of growth that is occurring within.  And without.  There is simply so much dichotomy in life.

In botany, dichotomy is defined as “repeated branching into two equal parts.”  This allows me to look at moments of “complete destruction” as the balancing of another part.  The beautiful part that shows of promise and hope.  The Yin and the Yang.  The Passive and the Vigor.  The Interiority and the Exteriority.  The Earth and the Sky.  The Dense and the Rarefied.  The Diffuse and the Focused.  The Peanut Butter and the Jelly.  Matter and Energy.  Life balances this way, and I strive to be aware of the constant changes that are keeping me alive and growing and loving and learning and in love.  The unexpected blessings that remind me to believe in guided spontaneity.  What a gift it is when I listen to those inner voices that lovingly guide me to my bliss. Wow!      toaster oven

SproutsInception.  Origination.  Germination.  All indicate the origin of change, development, and growth.  As this quote states: “To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.”  Today, I feel the balance that my experiences have created, especially during those times when I have felt like my “insides are coming out.”  Today, life feels beautiful — rendering yesterday’s testa as the reminder to grow in appreciation.  Appreciation.   Such a great thing to balance the teeter-totter of growth and “destruction.”

Oh, how I so want to be mindful of choosing grace under pressure.  Growth rewards us with gratefulness.  Deep and abiding gratitude for today.  For right now.  We are so lucky that we have the opportunity to grow and to become something new.

“If you cannot plant a garden, sow one seed.

If you cannot feed all the hungry, fill one need.

The seed you sow may someday bloom and spread

And your loaf supply a multitude with bread.”

— source unknown

vintageprintables.blogspot.com

vintageprintables.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

Try Something New: That Which Is

/ Kennedy Farr / Leave a comment

I read the quote below from the back of a book printed by Bell Tower Books.  It speaks of such beauty and reminds me to celebrate Now.  To accept the present moment.  To remain focused on That Which Is.

“The pure sound of the bell summons us into the present moment.

“The timeless ring of truth is expressed in many different voices, each one magnifying and illuminating the sacred.

“The clarity of its song resonates within us and calls us away from those things which often distract us — that which was, that which might be — to That Which Is.” — Bell Tower Books

Magnifique, non?

And while I am thinking about life and bells and ringing in the truth, I thought of these Leonard Cohen lyrics from “Anthem”:

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.

What a great reminder that even though things might not appear to be “perfect,” I still want to be a’ringin’ on the bell.  And the cracks?  Those things in life that give us pause to question?  “That’s how the light gets in.”

This thought is of enormous comfort and encouragement to me.  When we don’t try to camouflage the cracks by stuffing them with “stuff” and distractions and placebos — measures we take to disguise That Which Is — and we choose to allow the light to enter, we acknowledge our vulnerabilities, our humanity, our humility.  It speaks of allowing and it speaks of embracing.

We hear that nothing is perfect, that we should lower our expectations, that we shouldn’t always expect perfection.  That there “is a crack in everything.”  Maybe when we consciously and graciously expose our cracked bells to the light and share our vulnerability, we are creating moments of perfection that are inimitable by anyone else on the planet.

This may sound idealistic as I do protest when life is not lining up just so.  I freely admit: I do like my Days of Perfection.  But.  Then I think of my Sweetheart, my family, my friends, my colleagues, my random dance partners, my students, my pets, my neighbors, my doctors, my family who is no longer here on the planet with me . . . the list is long when I take the time to appreciate the immense support of my faltering, cracked, light-exposing humanity.

Life.  It is beyond amazing.  It is sacred and spiritual and appreciated in ways I cannot express.  I understand that these words have been spoken, sung, written before.  People have devoted their lives to ringing their bells and expressing the wonders of being alive.   Every day truly is a gift.toaster oven

There is so much going on behind the scenes in the bell tower that I am unaware of.  Good stuff that I don’t notice or appreciate.  There are those certain and special days when I get a glimpse of the magnanimous machinery that is moving to keep the planet spinning.  It is humbling in the best of ways.

My goal today: Embrace That Which Is.  Appreciate the larger picture.  Ring a bell and say thank you.  Say I love you more often today.  Smile more.  Write a real letter.  Tell a stranger that they are awesome.  Do not be embarrassed by snorting when I laugh.  [Okay, now I am really laughing out loud! :)]   Dance for the security cameras.  Leave a goofy voice mail message for someone.  Dress up in a costume with my best-est friends and make a video.  Be happy in That Which Is.

 

Good advice from Nicky-Jack

/ Kennedy Farr / 2 Comments

Quote from Source Unknown:

“Name: Nicky-Jack Marshall (Aged 96)

Subject: Knitting

Comment: Well firstly I like to add flour to my palms as this gives a great grip on the needles. Also it’s best to keep your cat away from the wool!”

I dearly wish I could remember from where I got this excerpt so I could credit the source. [If it is you, please, let me know, and I will re-post with your reference.]  This is knitting advice from Nicky-Jack Marshall.  She provides us with tips to get a great grip on knitting needles.

And Nicky-Jack helps us to guard against prowling felines who mess up your knitting.  We all know what kind of cat she is talking about.  As you are gently jerking away at the ball of yarn at your feet, the cat pounces, and YOW!  There go those talons into your thin-skinned ankle that is the backdrop for that dancing, fuzzy string of yarn.  Nicky-Jack knows what to do to keep your Zen while knitting.  This woman is one to whom we might want to listen.

I love this woman, and I have never even met her.  In an age where people buybuybuy the best and the most beautiful supplies and tools in order to prepare to take on a new interest or hobby, Nicky-Jack just gets out her bin of flour and gets a great grip on those needles.  Cheap, clean, available.  She gives the cat a toss outside, and sits to knit.  So beautiful.toaster oven

The simplicity of this is what I want my life to reflect.  To hell with the fancy needles, the row counters, the tips for the needles to keep errant stitches from bustin’ a move off your needles in transit. Like Nicky-Jack would say: just flour up those mitts and commence to knittin’.

There is so much wisdom in simplicity.  I have dyed fleece with chemical- and natural-dyes, made my own mordants, hunted lichen in the woods, saved onion skins, spun wool, dog, rabbit, and goat.  I have plied skeins of yarn, niddy-noddied them, balanced them, and knitted with them.  I have felted wool and spun cotton.  I have made a silk cap out of a worm’s cocoon.  All of this cool stuff while Nicky-Jack was producing the goods.

I do believe that my productivity sometimes gets sidetracked by process and the hunt for technique, variety, nuance, and research.  I have experimented with dye baths of lichen and with Kool-Aid.  And I have done quite a bit of knitting.  But if I transfer her wisdom to other areas of my life, I feel pretty convicted.

Like Nicky-Jack’s needles, it’s time to dust up my chi and get a grip on that which is important to me.  On that which I hope to prioritize because it makes me happy on the inside and on the outside.  No one wants to be the teacup that looks happy on the outside but unhappy on the inside.   Dust up my my mandolin, my laptop’s keyboard, my fiddle, my running shoes, my piano, my sometimes-overwhelming research project . . . and toss that cat of distraction that is such a convenient excuse that disallows creativity and flow.