Greatness

It’s not the old time religion
which inspires me.
It is the old time wisdom
passed down from generations
which does, like what my Bubby
taught me about greatness.
Greatness, she would say,
is not about being great, but
about being humble,
ordinary, and
ignorant.

She would remind me
that I was great simply because
I am me. and she was great
simply because she was her.
Our greatness came because
we were all of who
we were created to be.

She taught me that what I viewed as ordinary,
others saw as
unique and different.
Where I thought I was ignorant
Others saw me as intelligent.
What made me great,
she would say,
is that I was humble
and gave thanks for
being the ordinary
and ignorant person
I was created to be

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Love Heals

Sadly, I am so often reminded
we live in a world where we are
taught to see divisions.
This is what fear and hatred do
they divide
They build walls and construct barriers
which divide us from one another
and keep the systems in place;
systems which divide and conquer.

Love heals.
Love teaches us to see
the whole
Love unifies.
Love builds bridges which
enable us to meet,
talk,
discuss,
and understand.
Love enables us to transform the world
one person,
one relationship,
one community
at a time.

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Hospitality

There is a peace which surpasses understanding
when we open our hearts to strangers.
We want to draw a line between us and them.
We would rather turn away or disconnect,
then build a bridge.
We are focused on walls which separate,
then bridges that connect.

Hospitality is about building bridges.
It is about living in a way which opens us up
which challenges us to act out of love.
It is about taking the risk
and finding joy in the unknown.
It is about finding positive energy
where we sought not to look.

Hospitality
is about love,
light,
positive energy,
joy,
courage, and
love.
Hospitality is
intentional
and radical.
It is about seeing
the Divine
in the stranger
and the strange.

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Unrewarded Motivation

Different things motivate
different people.
Some of us want things
tangible rewards
and some of us want time
with those we love and
deeper relationships.
But what motivates us
when we will never see
the reward
or not be told of how
we rewarded others.

We know how to act when
we know what to expect,
what we will receive,
how we will be recognized, or
how we will be rewarded.
However, what motivates us
when we release those expectations.
When we act knowing we may not be
recognized or rewarded.

Unrewarded motivations are about us
being present in the experience
of what we are doing,
of what we are creating, and
of what we are experiencing
in the process.
We may never know the rewards of
our actions
but we can find peace and joy
in knowing that the fruits
of our work
are touching others.

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Silliness

The message came again
take time
and be silly
because
silliness
is a blessing.

Silly
has its roots in
being blessed.
When I am
silly I am
blessing others.

Silliness
allows me to
help others and
experience the Ultimate
in ways which
transform,
lighten,
and help us
see the humor in the
one we take all too
seriously.

Be silly.
Be sacred.
Be blessed.

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Consistency Compounds

Consistency compounds,
this message rings in my head.
It reminds me to be consistent
in the performance of my
spiritual practices.
So every day I take time to think
and reflect on
my  thought for the day
and then I write in my gratitude journal,
inspiration journal,
and intention journal

It is no longer something
I think about doing,
it is something I just do.
It is like breathing
or brushing my teeth.
It no longer is about me
being intentional about doing it.
It is about me feeling
like I am missing something
when I do not.

Consistency compounds in my life.
The blessings compound
the growth compounds.
the understanding compounds
and the testimony I offer to others
compounds.

There is a blessing in the
repetition.
The doing the same thing
over and over,
but knowing the blessings
of consistently working
at being more in tune with
the Ultimate
continues to help me
grow and evolve.
All because
consistency compounds

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Fantasy

We all fantasize,
but how many of us
fantasize
about being of greater service
to the one we call our Higher Power

What do you fantasize about?
Is it about fighting for equality
amongst all of humanity?
Or is it about working to bring about
world peace?
Perhaps it is about practicing patience
or compassion with all of humanity.
Perhaps it is about promoting
healing and wholeness

May we open
our heart, mind, and soul to
fantasizing about
making it on earth
as it is in Heaven
or at least
as we fantasize
it to be.

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Brave

I want to hear you be brave,
Sara Bareilles sang.
I want us to silence
the voices of fear,
the voices which tell us
what we cannot do and
that encourage us to fail.

When we release the fear
that has tortured us
and kept the sunlight
from shining through us.
What if we stopped listening
to the insecure part of self
and were brave.

Brave is about
staring down the enemy
and finding our way out
of the lies and the chains
which keep us in cages of fear.

Brave is about
breaking the silence
and speaking our truth
and letting the world
experience us for the fullness
of who we are.

Brave is about
not caring what others think
when we step out in faith
and express ourselves
to the fullness of who we are.

Brave is about
amazing ourselves
when we release the fear
and speak the words
which have been fighting to
be spoken and heard

Brave is about
us being the spiritual warriors
we were created to be;
the artists of our life
who know how to paint
the life
we were created to live.
If just for today
be brave.

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Blame

It is so easy
to point the finger at others
and blame them
for the condition
of my life, however
it is not their fault.

When I blame others,
it means I am giving away
my power,
my honesty,
my integrity
and my spiritual wealth.

it means I am giving away
the opportunities for me to grow,
to evolve,
to transform
and to take responsibility
for my own life

I may not be able to change
the legacy I inherited,
however, I can create the life
I choose to live.
I begin by taking responsibility
and not blaming others

What I have done
or not done in my life
is about me
not you.
What you have done
in your life is about you.
How I respond to it
and what I do with it is about me

if I do not like my life
then I cannot blame you.
I have to accept
responsibility
and then be responsible
for doing what I can
to transform my dreams
and my realities

So when I hear myself blaming others
I need to stop and
focus on my own life
and begin to be the change
I want to see in my life
and in my world.

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Inspirations

Every month,
every day
someone leaves us
to live in a different space.
Friends, family members, and furbabies
have died before us

The older we get,
the more we experience people
 leaving before us, and
leaving us behind.

I miss those who have gone,
but in their own ways
they live on.
They exist in our memories.
Their spirits exist in our remembering them.
Their wisdom and lessons taught
continue to inspire us
in this day and those to come.

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Like the Earth

I look at the earth
for inspiration.
it revolves,
it grows,
it transforms
and it keeps on going.
It never stops.

I can be like the earth.
I can grow
evolve,
transform
persevere,
and be persistent.

I can have my seasons of
spring,
summer,
fall, and
winter.
I grow,
I play,
I change
and I rest.

I am like the earth.
it effects me and
is effected by me.
We have the power
to energize ourselves
and celebrate the
beauty in which we were created
by the Creator

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Apologizing

i woke up this morning
thinking about the person
who said I was nagging her
even though it was not my intent.
Sometimes we hurt people
whether we intend to or not.
Regardless the damage is the same.

Today I apologize because
I regret anytime I hurt someone
intentionally or not.
I apologize to all those I have hurt
and never knew I hurt.
I apologize for anything
and everything I have done
which has bought about
harm to anyone in my life.

I apologize to myself
for all the times I did not treat
my mind, body or soul
with the utmost respect.
I apologize to myself for the times
I did not stand up and speak out
when others were trying to harm me
I apologize to the world
for all the times I did not cry,
did not pray
and did not contribute to the healing
over global atrocities

if you are reading this
and I have hurt you
or you have been hurt
I apologize and pray
for your healing

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in the Silence

It is quiet in my home,
or so it seems.
All but me are sleeping,
and I can hear the sound
of my fingers on the keyboard.
However, it is when I stop
and listen
that I hear the sounds
which allude me when I am
not listening.

I sit in silence and
I begin to hear
the symphony
which can only play
in the silence.
It is when I hear the vibrations
which come from the percussions
in my home.
it is when I hear the tones of the brass
brass
the sounds of the strings, and
the magic of the woodwinds.

it is when I hear the elements
of air as they wash over my home.
it is when I hear the
snow melting off my roof.
it is when I hear the sound
of the furnace sending heat
through my home.
it is in the silence that I hear
the plants and trees singing
a song of their own as they
dance with the environment.

it is in the silence
that I hear all things
the tones,
the chords,
the harmony
and the music of creation.

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Starting the Day

The message keeps coming
Start your day by
giving to God and then
God will give the day to you.

How do you start your day?
Do you start by having
time with God?
Time for your spiritual practice,
spiritual discipline,
devotion,
prayer, or
meditation.

Do you tithe your time to God
before spending the
rest of your time or
do you squeeze God
in at the end?

Start your day by
spending time with God
then know that the time
will be given to you
to accomplish all you
need that day.

I start my day by giving thanks
for my blessings,
for that which inspires me
and that which I intend to manifest.
How do you start your day?

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Finding the Sacred

The sacred is everywhere in our lives.
It is in the ordinary moments,
people,
places
and things.

The sacred can be found in
our daily life,
in the simple things we do like
brushing our teeth,
going to the bathroom,
eating an orange,
running water,
walking down the hallway,
or just breathing.

The sacred can be found in
our neighbors,
friends,
family,
colleagues,
team mates,
acquaintances, and
strangers.

The sacred can be found in
our backyard,
our neighborhood,
parks,
malls,
garbage cans,
and the cracks in the sidewalk.

The sacred can be found in
our thoughts,
our feelings,
our visions, and
our creations.

We can find the sacred
when we open our senses
and allow ourselves to see,
feel,
hear,
taste,
touch,
smell, and
experience it
in everyday life.

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Together

You know who you are.
You are the one who pesters me
and works to get on my last nerve.
You are the one who tries to get my attention
in the least positive of ways.
You are the one who works to
irritate me,
annoy me,
and grate on me.

I want you to know
I know you are hurting.
I know you are in need of
love and compassion.
I know you need me to
show you compassion and grace
because not only are you hurting,
but like me you are a child of the Creator.

So each time you try to get on my nerves,
I am going to wrap you in love.
I am going to be the
balm for your wounds.
I am going to show you
new ways of getting the

attention you need and deserve.

Together we will grow and heal.
Together we develop character.
Together we will make this world
a more loving place
for all in need of healing.

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How to get to Carnegie Hall

Getting to Carnegie Hall

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Practice, practice, practice.
This is how we should approach
our spiritual practices.
Practice, practice, practice.

Like anything one must practice at
an instrument,
a craft, or
a spiritual practice
the way to master it is easy.
Practice, practice, practice.

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Namaste

Namaste
I salute the God in you.
I bow before you
with my hands folded
as if in prayer.
I recognize that meeting you
is meeting the God in you.
I recognize that you meeting me
is meeting the God in me.
So we bow in prayer
and give thanks
for the opportunity
to meet God
in each other.
Namaste.

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Looking In, Not Out

I have long been taught
to look for the Divine
in the world.
I have looked for the Divine in
people,
places,
and things.

What if instead of looking
for the Divine in what is
outside, we looked for the
outside in us.
What if I looked for that person
in me,
that place
in me,
that thing
in me.

What if I looked for
the sky in me,
the sea in me,
the trash in me,
the homeless in me,
the flower in me,
the artwork in me?
What would I see
in me?

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Simple Things

Sometimes it is the simple things in life
that bring us joy.
like the smell of freshly mowed grass,
or waking up to a pot of freshly brewed coffee,
or when a friend surprises me with one of my favorite treats
or when I get a paratransit reservation

it is not just the big things that bring us joy;
it’s also the simple things.
It’s the smells, sounds, tastes, textures, and experiences
which put a smile in our hearts and souls.

It’s the little things which bring us joy.
So today focus on doing something simple for yourself
and others
and do something simple
to bring joy in to your life and theirs.

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