ms. sun! so good to see your post!

you just started something inside me i have to think about......

cause when i first read 'listening' i was thinking of listening to a friend.
when i'm REALLY listening, i totally leave me and just soak them in.
i notice their movements when they talk, their tones, i try to hear everything from
every angle. i try to be totally present.

i can easily go to what i do for a friend.
but for my own self???
not so easy.

i usually go ask myself something and then let go and let myself be led.
that'd be my answer right now.
but this really has me thinking.......

gonna compare the two things in my head and see what i come up with.
THANK YOU for the food for thought.........

anyone else? i'm curious to see what you get here..........

I stumbled on listening to myself when I started to write poetry. Assume the position: eyes closed, fingers on the keyboard. Now go find the words that feel just like you feel, back then, now, whenever.

Otherwise, I find accessing that core of inner knowing difficult. So many layers of scar tissue.

As I think about it, though, I do know who I am, now, more than before. Hmmmm.

 

Sheri,
I love what you wrote, and listening is a good term.  I find that I have increased awareness of beauty around me and the little things that used to pass me by, like the song of a bird or the sound of the wind rustling the trees.  But it's more than that for me - it's a spiritual listening and being open to the message the universe might be trying to send me.  I've become more attuned to the idea of mysticism and as Terri can attest, I've had some powerful experiences in the form of visions as well as awareness of spirits encircling me. No, I am not delusional.  It's an attentive sort of listening, being really quiet and open to things that are otherworldy.

A few years back I was near death while on chemo. I went to bed one night, not knowing if I'd wake up or not.  I asked god (the universe, whatever your term is, but I like god) to help me and asked to feel comfort.  Shortly after I fell asleep, I woke up and felt a presence - I knew it was my guardian angel and it felt like two other spirits were with her. She was very birdlike, with white feathers and she laid down beside me, encircling her wings around me.  I never felt so much love and protection and fell back to sleep knowing my plea had been heard and answered in a very meaningful way.  The next day I was feeling the need to walk to the water's edge. We live on a lake, but I'd been far too sick to walk even that far.  But I felt a tug and gingerly walked down.  There in the midst of the beach grass was a feather. It was the largest white feather I've ever seen to this day.  It's about 18 inches long and snow white.  I knew it was left by my angel.  I brought the feather home and felt compelled to paint a picture of the angel - she was so real.  So I did just that - I am NOT a good artist, but I was inspired and painted a picture that captured her intensity and beauty just right.  On her face was the look of someone with a job to do, intent on doing that job well.  She has been beside me ever since.  I KNOW I would not have seen her had I not been open...listening...for that sign from god.  People simply do not take time to just be.  They run around in harried fashion and miss out on all of this beauty.  If someone says they haven't had a mystical experience, I feel it's because they are not listening.  It takes practice, and was hard for me as I had formerly been on that treadmill of never ending tasks of life. Thanks for starting this thread.  It resonates with me.  Keep listening. Oh, and the writing!  Yes, that is something I do as well - poetry mostly, but sometimes not - just writing out my feelings.  It's another way of inviting the mystical mysteries into our lives  Peace to you.

Listening, to me, is a sacred act. to Hear not just words, it goes beyond language, but to feel other.

Sue,

Hello Lisa! Hello Sun Woman!
Thank you for your words. I too believe that listening is a sacred act.  I listen to musical frequencies, to words unspoken, to the universe.   I listen and reflect back to the speaker so I can be sure.  Did I really listen?
Catharine

Hi Sue, gorgeous truth, blessings to you!
Catharine

Rumi!!! OMG...Rumi!!! I forgot that Rumi has some very insightful thoughts on forgiveness.

Andrew Harvey.... Sacred Activism!! ...my old HeartYoga teachings!!!

 I've got to get back to some basics from Rumi!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACNqMmaZEDk&feature=related

Thank you for the reminder!

 

 

 

 

 

It's been a long time since I've posted to the forum here, but as I was reading these threads I wanted to share some words from Rachel Naomi Remen who is a wise medical doctor/healer...and I quote:

"Listening creates a holy silence.  When you listen generously to people, they can hear the truth in themselves, often for the first time.  And in the silence of listening, you can know yourself in everyone.  Eventually, you may be able to hear, in everyone and beyond everyone, the unseen singing softly to itself and you."   (An excerpt from "The Last Ghost Dance" by Brooke Medicine Eagle...)

This quote changed my life.  In more ways than I can possibly share, but suffice it to say, that in taking these words into my heart's core...it changed the way I look at others, self, and helped me to open myself up to greater things.  If that isn't spiritual or mystical I don't know what is...and... it brought me to a greater understanding of The Source, Creator, The Blessed Universe, whatever way one chooses to connect with a Higher Power.

I very much enjoyed reading everyone's views on Listening!  Bless You All!

May Peace Prevail on Earth..

Akasa

akasa! i'm printing that out RIGHT NOW! woe!! i LOVE that! i love rachel naomi remen. i truly would like to have her to dinner. seriously. what a gorgeous soul she must have.....

Akasa~

Sister of my heart! I am smiling fro deep within!

I have part of that quote on a bowl that I made and eat my oatmeal out of every morning. It resonated with me so much!

How wonderful that you and I both found a resonance in that wisdom.

Oh I love how you shine!

I am so blessed to know you!

(hugs!)

peace on the path

This is real fun Terri. Most fun I've had in a while. Why didn't I know about these forums and all these amazing souls who visit here.

 

:)

Ahhhh...I love it when souls resonate!  :)   Ter, Sorrow...Kindred Sisters on the Path...I'm so blessed to have you in my life.  It's been a rough day emotionally and you guys just brightened it up!

Radiant Blessings to You Both!!!

(((Hugs and Smooches)))

Akasa~

You been riding those emotional waves today too? Love, I have wanted to find a really big surf board and just SCREAM "KOWABUNGA" at the top of my lungs today...

wouldn't the neighbors be bemused..

~snort~

instead I am sitting in silence. I had a lovely solstice fire, sat in deep quiet and just focused on my breath.

in and out

in and out

and all is peace

and love is good..

((((HUGS))))

I'm picturing that solstice fire in my mind and breathing with you. Thanks for the visual and the air.

Wow!!!! I kept one short!!!!! OMG! I kept one short!!! =D>

lol! susie....you don't have to!!!  :)

I know I'm a bit late getting back over here but yeah...I've been riding the emotional roller coaster...

Sorrow...that sounds good, a fire.  Wish I could have one here.  Instead I light my candles and imagine and intend.  :)

Thanks Ter for the encouragement ... I will share.!  Just not sure where to post it to?  LOL

I'm going to hunt down a place to put my 'stuff' in.

Hope everyone is fairing well today!

(((Big Hugs to All)))

Peace Out!

akasa~

sister of my heart, Been thinking about you..

Glad you poked in today.

It was an added bonus to my day!

Sending you a big hug 

and much love!

:-bd

I had a dream

http://www.youtube.com/embed/0aQslMHDYCs

 

absolutely lovin' this thread.... you ladies never cease to amaze me.

Susie...we haven't met yet, but I'd like to thank you for the outstanding video...

It spoke deeply to my soul!

Radiant Blessings to You!

Akasa

I am honored to meet you Akasa and I'm so glad that you watched the video.....all of these secrets, they're so obvious, yet so elusive.... What was the one piece that spoke most to you? That's not fair I suppose, because the entire video is brilliant and powerful. I get chills...... and when the Supreme Silence sets in in the mountain scene....whoa....that literally takes my breath away...just being in that silence ~ truly Sacred Silence....  Gald you were touched...Now you need to run over to Butterfly Woman and join us on this most awesome road trip.

ooohhhh we gotta screech the car to a stop and pick up akasa and gypsy if they're not in there yet!!  :)

Jymi,    There's a little doll shop up the road a couple of miles.....I think they sell coffee and teas so I'm sure they have a rest room for Ms. Ter and I could use a pee stop too. I have weak bladder ever since Ter drove up over that curb a while back and bounced us all up to heaven and back. I sure hope whoever's car this is doesn't mind if we return it with a scratch or two. Now can we please turn the radio back up - I love the Moody Blues..... and May May...quit bogartin all the carrot sticks. And mayyybeee, we'll run in to Gypsy at the doll store..... Mayybeee, she'll want to take a break and go flying with us for a while.

Susie...I loved every precious second of it.  All of it.

It speaks to every fibre in my being...

I'm waiting outside at the curb...have to bring some

Stevie Ray Vaughn...when the car is rockin',

don't come a knockin'...ha ha ha ha ha!  Of course

we have to stop off and the edge of nowhere and take in the

the incredible view so we can all oooh and ahhh!

Let's fly!   :)

Oops!  I meant to say...at the edge of nowhere!

Crikey!

It's MONDAY!  :)

Let's do this thing!!  We've got Stevie Ray, we got Satriani, we have the Pretenders :) we've got a liitle bit of everything...heck - we've got XM!! (Extraordinary Meaningfulness) so we can play it however we choose.  Thing is Akasa.... you're gonna have to be watchin and be ready, cuz Jymi is flyin and although she'll slow way down when she sees you waiting at the curb....I wouldn't call what she does stopping - it's more like a hiccup...it's real quick. But we'll all have our arms out and our hands will be reaching for yours and we'll get you in this car one way or another. We've just got to focus.....We've got to get Jymi to focus!  Close your eyes really super tight.... squeeze them closed  hard and focus with every fiber of your being, with every bit of intention you can muster.... now think it in your mind's eye and send that thinking to Jymi.....there you go.... now keep doing that and I'll be doing it with you. We'll get there Akasa, we're coming....Come on Jymi, slow down and focus with us already....

lol! the car visual is sooooo fun!

Well, now here's the thing...I'm a Grandma with a cane and an oxygen tank so you all better do a slooooow rooool!  I'll just stick out the rounded end of my cane and somebody grab it!!!  I'll hang on tight!

I'm with you Ter...no talkin' when Stevie is on!  Course I'll be singin' at the top of my lungs cuz it's hard not to?  Oh!  I just got a Kings of Leon CD too..they remind me of The Allman Brothers...maybe I'm datin' myself a little here, ha ha ha!

Jymy...slow and roll puhleeze!?

I'm bringing home made fudge....in my reticule, lol, a Granny Bag!  :)

Now I've got to go and find Satriani...never heard of 'em!

home made fudge! home made fudge!

Ter...you have me laughing here...do you like creamy or nutty fudge? I can bring both kinds?

My favorite Stevie songs are "Mary had a little lamb'...and Lovestruck Baby...I really just love all of his songs? I don't think he ever did a bad one!
'Change it' rocks too! :)

i haven't indulged in fudge in YEARS! i'm a big sugar fiend and i try to curb it, ya know?

Tooth for a tooth.....eye for an eye......... makes the whole world toothless and blind, if your Caught in the Crossfire.

Especially if it's the crossfire of some of that VooDoo Chile.... excuse me.....

Ok, so Akasa is bringing tons of fudge...... creamy and nutty. (The fudge...not Akasa)

I'm in for about ten pans of rice crispy treats, cuz I don't feel like baking.....and I'm gonna bring some pizza, just to take the edge off of the sweets. Oooh... and some of those long red licorice ropes..... We need drinks, we're gonna need some finger foods, everybody's bringing a few cds....anything else that anyone can think of?

So, now what I'd like to know is..... where are we going?....not that I have anywhere I need to be or anything.....I'm just curious where this car is headed. Are we gonna need a new set of shocks on this baby?....And should I pack a bag?

I'm thinking that I'd like to go somewhere warm, but I'm game for anywhere.....do you guys have any ideas?b-(  We've gotta lot of miles between us all, so you all pick, be writing your maps and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.    :)) Singing loud and proud!!!

 

   

how about the california coast? all up and down it? i'd love to see that!!! just wandering and talking and thinking and oooohin and ahhhhing over the beauty all around!! whattya think??? i bring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every time i'm on a trip......those and the vegetarian chick patties....i'll bring those too!!! and carrot sticks! you can't properly think and converse without swinging a carrot stick around........

How about the entire West coast?  The real beauty is along Oregon and Washington coast lines.I love peanut butter and jelly, Ter.....will you bring like a gazillion of those?

ohmygosh, YES! to both! i TOTALLY want to go to oregon and washington! more than california!! helloooooo??! YES! i vote yes. and i vote yest to a gazillion peanut butter and jelly! comin' up!  :)

Wow , This had better be a bus, and not a car, what with all the partying passengers and the tons of food.

Guess we will just need to throw pennies on the map and see where it takes us..

I would just bet that we can trade in this Thunderbird for a big old bus or we can take my beater of a motor home. Her name is Ester....Ester Fester, and she can fit all of us. She's a big old girl and a gas hog, but she is very comfortable and fun to be with. Some of her better attributes are her "food and cocktail center" complete with a margarita blender, her large capacity fridge and seperate shower/ tub and toilet facilities for those times when you need to go, but just don't want to take the time to stop. She has been well smudged and is full of peaceful fun. Ester also comes with her own companion traveler who I have named Tony. Tony is a little chipmunk who likes to keep building nests in Ester's engine compartment. He doesn't eat much and isn't allowed inside Ester, so I let him stay and ride.

Either way...... May May is right; we're not gonna be able to fit all of us and a gazillion PB&Js in that Thunderbird. You got a map May May? I've got a whole shoe full of lucky pennies....

MayMay?  You out there MayMay? We're gonna need you to bring your big map of the Universe and if you have some bits and pieces of paint....we could use that too. Brushes!! We'll need brushes. Can you bring some of those and mostly MayMay.... can you just bring you and your creativity?

i thought may may was shoved in the back seat eating fudge with me??

Last time I saw her was at.......the rest stop in Colorado...................uh oh..............ummmm, can we turn around and go back to the rest stop? Oh  man.....she is going be wondering where we went. Although, she did have all of the fudge with her  when I saw her, so she;s probably doing ok.   What are we gonna tell her? She's gonna want to know how we could have gotten so far down the road and not realized that she wasn't in this big old bus.....come to think of it............ I haven't seen anybody here for a while Ter, except you and I.....

:-ss

Now where did you come from Dan? You been hiding out? We've got lots of work to do to get this bus graphically groovy ..... and you're hiding out eating? What are we gonna do with Dan Ter?

Slow down on the PB&js Dan.....and clean up all those crumbs you're getting everywhere. :O

Now come over here and let me give you a hug!!

laughin'.........i like a trip with a lotta good food! :)

The dream catchers are up.....cupboards and fridge are full.....got a full tank of gas....... Pearl Jam's rocking on the radio.... and our driver is MIA, we've left half of our travelers at a rest stop 100s of miles away, the fudge is gone, half of the gazillion PB&Js are already eaten..... I am not in charge of this fiasco.....I refuse to take responsibility for any of this....but it sure is fun.

lol! this sounds a lot like my family trips we use to take with the kids!!

I didn't get left at the rest stop. I just had a moment and the need to wander took me. Just remember that not all who wander are lost! 

You can jam to whoever you want to May May. We're just glad you wandered back. Thank you so much for the beautiful butterflies all over this bus.  Smores? Did you hear that Ter? May May's got smore fixins. And we have a real nice fire pit and lots of dry wood, so let's do this thing. Maybe the rest will catch up eventually. Love you guys~