Archive for December, 2008

I gotta be me…

December 30th, 2008 by Elizabeth

Introducing Miss Pebbles LaPrade. My friend, my furry kid, my hero.

Pebbles has always had a tongue that is just too big to fit all the way in her mouth. So, unwittingly, she has set herself up for people to laugh and point at her saying, “Look at her tongue!” But does she care? Heck no! (She recently confessed that the oddity of it has gotten her way more biscuits than your average dog…) Her loving of life has never been hampered by her unique look. She hasn’t lost a bit of sleep wondering how she can cover up this distinguishable feature. In fact, she has most certainly concluded that this is what makes her so special.

Applying the “Pebbles Principle”, wouldn’t it be great if we just didn’t care so much about what we look like? No more, “Oh wait! My lipstick just isn’t right!” or “Oh! I wish my nose was more perfect!” Sometimes I think we get too caught up in our presentations to the world and then miss out on being present and in the now; just enjoying what IS.

But I think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel: I just got back from the grocery store without a stitch of makeup on…

The Joy Of Emotions

December 1st, 2008 by Elizabeth

Have you ever wondered what could actually be going on behind big, beautiful clouds on a dimly lit afternoon? Perhaps you could find sun, storm, wind, rain, or even the chill of snow.  There is so much going on with them; so much brilliant activity. How interesting to think that we are like those clouds and the brilliant activity underneath is our emotions.  As incredible and as masterful as they are,  they can color even the brightest of days.

So there you are, just zipping along on your road of bliss, and suddenly this boulder falls out of the sky right at your feet and you are covered by the dust of the impact. This is sometimes the way I see a sudden rise of an emotion; triggered by a thought, a word from another, or even a recalling of a past, present, or future incident.  These emotions of ours are so powerful, they can change the way we see our most present world.

But I will share with you a trick that I discovered long ago, from a dear friend in Florida. It is totally fine that that boulder has fallen from the sky and landed at your feet (sometimes even feeling as though it has landed on your head…). It is there for a reason; to serve, to teach, to clear, to bring love.  And the suddenness of it all never ceases to amaze me. So it is my belief that we should be prepared. Be ready to just WATCH and LOOK and LISTEN to what it is telling us. What does it feel like? Is it pain, sorrow, grief, guilt, shame, anger, sadness? Do you see it as a color? Where in your body do you feel it? The minute we begin to honor that which has arisen, it will fall away and dissolve into that which it came from. It is the amazing art of being present with whatever arises. That is the cornerstone of vipissana meditation, and for me has helped to create an understanding of something that for so many years has made no sense. It seems that so many of us are wandering through our lives thinking we are reacting to what is in front of us when, often times, we are reacting to that which we feel arising within us. This can then lead to unfortunate mistakes in relationships, spoken untruths, and choices that arise from a lack of understanding of what is really going on for us as we project what is innocently coming up within onto the innocent bystander without.

Emotions can blanket us or they can free us. Taking time to respect them and study them and know them intimately has become an essential practice in my life.  And I will say that this understanding has led to a knowing  of freedom and love that seems so completely necessary for me to fully live this incredible life I have been gifted. Oh, it is not always easy, and sometimes the road seems to be quite treacherous. But loving the pain and whatever arises allows me to see the delightful, precious gemstones speckling my glorious path.  And the more I observe the arisings, the more clearly I can see the jewels.