A Cat's Paw

Gentle little cats paw
dry and warm as it touches your face.
Delicate little cat paw pushing at your cheek

Look at me.
Don't take me for granted.
Look at me and connect

This moment
This NOW is all that is real
I am with you, feel my touch
The warmth, the pressure

Look into my big dark eyes and wonder
Smile as you read my thoughts

I love you
You are the best in all the world

This moment
This NOW is forever

Art

in the moment of the now
i feel an aching sweetness touching the delicate fiber of my soul
a wave of emotion unlocks and releases
set free by a hand unknown
i touch the soul of another
through the creation of their hand
a window to their soul
they are brave to expose their vision so freely to others
the beauty and honesty of their mind touches me
inspires me
through this moment, their talented gifts
i connect with them
though i know them not
have met them not
will meet them never

What separates animal from intelligent is the ability to appreciate art. To have your soul touched by sound--or the sight of something--the touch of a surface--

Home is where the cat is. How true.

Be not afraid of the outdoors. There is beauty and wonder in life. See the magic that happens around you every day.

Little baby bunnies remind you that life is constantly renewing, constantly expanding, constantly hopping right under your nose.

Happy Birthday Dougal. That's a very handsome collar. (Glad I don't have one!)

Can people tell when you lie?

A recent encounter at the household has begged the question, can people tell if you are lying to them? I have hazarded a guess that the answer is no.

Waxing or Waning . . . the berry still ripens.

Socrates Club--Wednesday Discussion

Is it wrong to desire that life's trials and tribulations wane instead of wax?

As you grow older you accumulate more trouble. It sticks to you and grows like the moon waxing to fullness.

Is it wrong to desire a waning period? When the troubles disappear and fall by the way side? Discarded wax--no longer needed.

Is a sliver of moon--with less troubles and tribulations, better than a full moon shining brightly that has a full dose of trouble and pain?

These are things to think on.

Do not fear your gifts.

Sometimes it's hard to hear nice things about yourself. Sometimes it's hard to remind yourself of the good things you've got going for yourself. Being humble is one thing--but forgetting that you are a unique and valuable person, that you have special gifts and talents--is a cowardly way to ignore your talents. It isn't humble . . . it's fearful. Acknowledge your gifts and you will acknowledge that you need to use them. Deny your gifts--and you can be stuck in the mud and blame others for expecting too much out of you. Deny your gifts and you can wallow in feeling worthless and useless and wasted.

It isn't humble to waste your gifts.

Take time to figure out what your gifts and talents are. Don't be afraid of them. Don't be afraid of what you might be called upon to do with those talents. They are your gifts. Your unique gifts. Treasure them. No one can take them away from you.


What are your top strengths? (www.reflectivehappiness.com)

Judgment, critical thinking and open mindedness: Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who I am. I don't jump to conclusions, I rely only on solid evidence to make my decisions--I'm also able to change my mind.

Creativity, ingenuity, and originality: Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who I am. I am never content with doing something the convetional way if a better way is possible.

Honesty, authenticity and genuineness. I am an honest person, not only by speaking the truth, but by living my life in a genuine and authentic way. I am down to earth and without pretense. I am a "real" person.

Love of learning: I love learning new things, whether in a class or on my own. I loved school, reading and museums, anywhere and everywhere there is an opportunity to learn.

Leadership: I excel at the tasks of leadership: encouraging a roup to get things done and preserving hrmoney within the group by making everyone feel included. I do a good job organizing activities and seeing that they happen.

It is hard to admit these are my strengths. It makes me uncomfortable to say them outloud. But this is who I am. These are some of my talents and gifts. I need to acknowledge them and . . . I need to use them.

What about you?

You have to experiment a bit with being whole-hearted. Much of what we do in life is done without full attention, or without real commitment to the activity or process.

Appreciate the Novelties of Life

When you are young you are learning how to survive. You prioritize important things and exclude trivial, novel experiences--you're intentionally learning so you when you do something frivilous, you feel a little guilt--and go back to trying to learn how to survive.

As you get older--the power of novelty reveals itself. Novel experiences invigorate our minds, our bodies, our heart and our souls. New things stimulate our brains--build new connective pathways--and help us take on more things.

When we are young we use 1/2 our brains at a time. When we are older we can use both sides of the brain at the same time. Wisdom is revealing itself.

In the United States there is a cult of "Youth". It is worshiped. It is force fed by TV, movies, books, magazines. Everyone wants to be young, look youthful . . . be a child.

This is a serious misalignment with those wanting a path to wisdom. It isn't a 20 year old rock star who will help you find wisdom, peace of mind or joy. What do they know? Nothing. They just have cameras and reporters stuck in their faces--so we have an opportunity to read their incredibly self-centered egotistical, dog wagging mindless babble.

Life is a huge playground in which an active brain can engage and be altered by every expereience. If you want to be wise, you need to open yourself to new experiences.

I think this is why people like having children so much. Because they can view every day mundane experiences through their child's eyes and it is richer, deeper, more exciting . . . than what we allow it to be as adults . . .

But it doesn't have to be that way.

We all have the power to see life in it's richest, deepest, most intriciate and most simple forms. We don't need children as an excuse to slow down and experience the novel, the frivilous, the NEW. What we need is a willingness of spirit to be open.

This is adventure. Life is an adventure. Or it can be a trial . . . a burden to get through . . . a packing list of every hurt, wrong, grievance and injustice that comes your way . . .

Wallowing in that kind of . . . garbage . . . only makes you stink.

If you don't like your life, if it makes you sad and angry and frustrated . . . you need to change something. Sometimes it is just your own mind--your own expectations.

Why do people think they have been promised fame, fortune, gardeners, chauffers, gourmet chefs and the adulation of an adoring public? Why are they hurt and disappointed when they don't have them?

Life is so much more than that . . . It is richer--without all that clutter . . . it is peaceful--without all that harassement . . . it has more meaning.

Much of life can be a cat toy. It doesn't have to come in a box labeled "cat toy" for a wise cat to figure out it's real purpose.