the skin on my face stretches all the way back to my neck...

The sea's only gifts are harsh blows, and occasionally, the chance to feel strong. Now, I don't know much about the sea, but I do know that that's the way it is here. I also know how important it is not necessarily to be strong-- but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once-- to find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.

Source: Monologue from the movie "Into the Wild"

Not Embarrassed To Be Alive

The discovery of magic can happen only when we transcend our embarrassment about being alive, when we have the bravery to proclaim the goodness and dignity of human life, without either hesitation or arrogance. Then magic can descend onto our existence. The world is filled with power and wisdom, which we can have, so to speak. In some sense, we have them already.

Source: “Sacred World,” in Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, page 132

something for me to ponder on...

You could begin to notice whenever you find yourself blaming others or justifying yourself. If you spent the rest of your life just noticing that and letting it be a way to uncover the silliness of the human condition—the tragic yet comic drama that we all continually buy into—you could develop a lot of wisdom and a lot of kindness as well as a great sense of humor

Pema Chodron

Source: The Wisdom of No Escape: And the Path of Loving-kindness, page 36

Focus

If

A Christmas Carol

"It is required of every man," the ghost returned, "that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide; and, if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death."

"Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead," said Scrooge. "But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!"

"Scrooge went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted the children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows; and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed that any walk -- that anything -- could give him so much happiness."

Source: Shared from "A Christmas Carol", by Charles Dickens

To see the world through the mind...

"Then, how much does the disposition of every human being depend upon their innate constitution and their early surroundings; the comfort or discomfort of the homes in which they have been brought up; their inherited characteristics; and the examples, good or bad, to which they have been exposed through life! Regard for such considerations should teach charity and forbearance to all men.

At the same time, life will always be to a large extent what we ourselves make it. Each mind makes its own little world. The cheerful mind makes it pleasant, and the discontented mind makes it miserable. "My mind to me a kingdom is," applies alike to the peasant as to the monarch. The one may be in his heart a king, as the other may be a slave. Life is for the most part but the mirror of our own individual selves. Our mind gives to all situations, to all fortunes, high or low, their real characters. To the good, the world is good; to the bad, it is bad. If our views of life be elevated—if we regard it as a sphere of useful effort, of high living and high thinking, of working for others' good as well as our own—it will be joyful, hopeful, and blessed. If, on the contrary, we regard it merely as affording opportunities for self-seeking, pleasure, and aggrandisement, it will be full of toil, anxiety, and disappointment.

There is much in life that, while in this state, we can never comprehend. There is, indeed, a great deal of mystery in life—much that we see "as in a glass darkly." But though we may not apprehend the full meaning of the discipline of trial through which the best have to pass, we must have faith in the completeness of the design of which our little individual lives form a part."

Source: Text shared from the book "Character", by Samuel Smiles (Chapter XII - The Discipline of Experience).

...

Run

Deep calls to deep

The depth in life, I think, can be experienced through an acceptance of the mysterious way in which it unfolds.

Mind of a Seal

Pain is a sign of weakness leaving the body.

-TC Cummings

The pain is to be understood as constructive pain, not destructive pain. For example, if I run a really long distance on a particular day, it takes 3-4 days for my muscles to recover. In these 3-4 days, the experience of pain is present, but this is constructive pain because my muscles grow stronger in this time. On the other hand, I can take a needle and prick myself repeatedly, I will still experience pain. This is not the pain we wish to subject ourselves through; it is classified as destructive pain.

The idea conveyed by the quote can be extended into the spiritual, intellectual, and emotional arenas of our lives as well.

One of my religions' life

If I were to write the creed for my life, it would not be very different from the one below.

My Creed

- Edgar Albert Guest

To live as gently as I can;

To be, no matter where, a person;

To take what comes of good or ill

And cling to faith and honor still;

To do my best, and let that stand

The record of my brain and hand;

And then, should failure come to me,

Still work and hope for victory.

To have no secret place wherein

I stoop unseen to shame or sin;

To be the same when I'm alone

As when my every deed is known;

To live undaunted, unafraid

Of any step that I have made;

To be without pretense or sham

Exactly what men think I am.

To leave some simple mark behind

To keep my having lived in mind;

If enmity to aught I show.

To be an honest, generous foe,

To play my little part, nor whine

That greater honors are not mine.

This, I believe, is all I need

For my philosophy and creed.

Hopefully, soon I will be inspired to write my own. Until then my soul will dance through the words in the lines above.

Evolution

Was self-indulging a little this morning. Went back to reading my posts from 2009 (the year I started this blog), through 2010, to the present year. It was truly a humbling and inspiring (yeah, unusual as it may sound, I am inspired by me) experience. So many things have changed; my writing skills, the language, the presentation, and the content focus, just to name a few. This person I am, called Jennifer, has evolved and continues to. Wouldn't do justice to the depth of the experience if I call it a change; it is a transformation of being. A transformation happens, when we realize its not possible to go back to being the person who was, but its only possible to become the person who will be. And there is no telling for certain what will be. The song "Que Sera Sera" comes to mind as I type out this post. Here are a few lines:

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

Even though there is no telling for certain what will be, I do believe that we get a vague idea from signs, divine interventions if you will, which we notice from time to time. I don't think that these signs are chance happenings. To believe it as a chance happening, would be to undermine its spiritual nature. When we get more in tune with our real, vulnerable selves, life becomes the experience of living and observing. The time lapse between an event happening, and the realization how it was for the best, becomes noticeably smaller. You feel guided from the depths of being. :) . Well, enough said. Let's engage in "the living".

Love... 

13.1

Participated in the MetroPCS White Rock Half Marathon, which happened this (12/04/2011) morning. It is the first of many more to come. I finished in 2:21:22. 

Woke up early this morning with second thoughts about going to the event. Well, obviously the ego was searching for excuses to not have me go. What better excuse than the weather outside; it was cold and wet. On doing a lil' soul-searching my mind became enlightened by an insight shared by Denis Waitley - "The jungle (or weather) is neutral, it is our attitude that determines how we experience it." That was enough, I was going.

Would like to thank one of the crowd-supporters' for her sign. It read as, "Unless you puke, faint or die, there is no excuse for stopping." Really cracked me up and so I waved at her. She waved back. I let the soul-connection sink in as I kept going. This was somewhere around the 5th mile. By the 8th mile, I noticed the voices in my head, asking me to stop, get stronger. Those words from the sign kept me going. Sometimes when there is immense energy involved in a certain endeavor, it seems like strong expressions do serve as being helpful motivators.

The next running event for me will be the Austin 1020, 10 mile run. My training goal will be to improve speed. Run on! :)