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The History of the Soul

/ Kennedy Farr / Leave a comment

Profound words fromYeats’ The Speckled Bird:

“We will change all things if we can make the imagination sacred.  But all the images and impulses of the imagination, just in so far as they are shaped and ordered in beauty and in peace, must become sacred.  To do this they must be associated deliberately and directly with the history of the soul.”

Making the imagination sacred . . . deliberately and directly with the history of the soul.  These are some very very beautiful words.  When I read them, I feel engulfed by an unexpected blessing.  Such is the power of words and such is the power of aligning with the history of the soul.  The soul is old. And it has so much to share and to convey.  When I listen to my soul, I feel nurtured, guided, blessed, encouraged. And also questioned and mildly chastised in the ways of an old friend who knows my predilection to possibly  not advocate for myself or revert to unhealthy patterns.  How do you thank your own soul for being faithful and true to course? It is pretty amazing how we unerringly know that which is best for our own respective sense of Sacred.  This is very large stuff.  Maybe it is time to stop and appreciate our own selves for shaping and ordering Sacred into our days.

I LOVE Yeats’ words.  I have the power to change all things if I honor Imagination.  What a beautiful and risky and wild and easy choice.  When I allow for Sacred, all things are possible.  I want to fling open the door and welcome Imagination into my life.  Offer it the seat of honor at the head of the table.  I want to be mindful that it is best shaped and ordered in beauty and in peace.  What an amazing thing to be mindful of cultivating: beauty and peace.

I am reminded to honor my history while shaping and ordering with intention.  This is all such an enormous thing to realize when we discover that we have created such a moment by simply being ourselves.  By being transparent with others.  By laughing until our sides hurt.  By loving another with an easiness that transcends any sort of explanation.  By being willing to share our Sacred.

All while shaping and ordering and imagining a moment of bliss and generosity that will be included in our brief history.

It’s Monday. Do you want to be happy?

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Happy-Monday-Are-you-happyIt’s Monday.  Yippee!  Are you happy?  No?  Do you want to be happy?  No?  Keep doing whatever you’re doing.  Pretty simple, right?  But if you aren’t happy and you want to be happy, change something.  Try something new.  Anything.

That change can be tiny and infinitesimal.  It can be a baby step in relation to the Universe.  But Change Something.  You will not regret it.

Why?  Because the influence of Change, like the weather, is akin to the microscopic disturbance of a butterfly wing. A simple flutter has the potential to determine if it is going to rain on your outdoor wedding day six weeks hence.  You never know.  Weather and life and Change all have a beautifully fickle nature about them.  Surprises abound.

While climate may depend on the broad and long and predictable haul, the weather is changeable.  Its fluctuations are hard to predict.  The weather can produce a different result in the immediate.

Your plans might change as a result of the weather.  You may decide that a picnic is not in your best interest if there is a 90% chance of rain.  But you never know.  There goes a rabble of butterflies winging by, and you are out the door with your picnic basket, trying to decide which beach to lunch at.

Thank goodness for the seemingly impetuous nature of butterflies.  While some may consider their flight to be a contribution to chaos, others may embrace the short term atmospheric changes as beautiful.  Predictable climate patterns may merge and alter the atmosphere’s balance, but the short term, day-to-day atmospheric changes are what we live in.   Climate is shaped by unseen global forces that create patterns — all of which are great to analyze, but chaotic disturbances affected by a butterfly migration are what add interest to another Monday.  Nature is a miracle, and I am going to roll with the butterfly-generated chaos every time. I’ll choose a miracle any time.

Are you happy?  I am.  I love Mondays.  Is there a pattern to the calendar and our work week?  Yes.  Do I want to abandon my post and join a kaleidoscope of gypsy butterflies that are winging by?  Most definitely.  Still, I am a bit of a homing pigeon, and I know where I want to light at journey’s end.  With my sweetheart and my loved ones while listening to the stories of their Mondays that are always so magnificent and interesting, even when they do not believe that they are.

I love Mondays.  Mondays: they re-define another shot at another week of happiness and bliss and appreciation.  How could we not love them?

Life.  Metamorphosis.  Change.  Growth.  Struggle.  Movement.  Hope.  Rebirth.  Flight.  Freedom.  Happy Monday.

 

 

Temptation

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“The problem with temptation is that you may not get another chance.” — Laurence J. Peter

L-O-V-E this quote.  We all know those times when it is just so tempting to allow ourselves the permission to react to a lack of politesse.  To snap and zap.  To allow all of our righteous irreverence to percolate to the surface and bubble over.  All delightfully justifiably so.  Not only is this oh-so-easy to allow, it can be inordinately fun.  Irreverence can be such a balm in the absence of etiquette.   And there is nothing like a good laugh with someone who loves you to heal the soul.

Sometimes it is good to gain perspective and to be good to our own selves.  Pause.  Laugh.  Embrace.  Seek those who love you dearly.  Give in to the temptation of irreverence.  Have a good laugh.  Know that you are very much loved.  Remember that what rude people think is none of your business.  Let the Wookie win.  Embrace reality.  Cultivate reality.  Know that someone loves you.  Laugh and have a great time.   Give in to the luxury of temptation.  You may not get another chance.  toaster oven

 

 

 

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

/ Kennedy Farr / 2 Comments

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.

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

/ Kennedy Farr / 2 Comments

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

/ Kennedy Farr / 2 Comments

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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.