I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤
Photo, “Lowland, Denmark” by Hettie.
“They know all of our triggers and when and where to push them. They teach us how to forgive and how to overcome fear, anger, and frustration, and all of the other barriers that we’ve constructed to love. Our families often teach us the greatest lessons about love with both their presence and their absence, their kindness and their cruelty, and even when that love has to be offered from a distance.”
–Sherri Mitchell, Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change.
I made this video nine years ago, and it is still the first thing I look at almost every day. If I have one prayer, it is this beautiful and timeless Prayer of Saint Francis. Also “Thank you.” And an occasional, “HELP!”
“Here are the two best prayers I know: ‘Help me, help me, help me’ and ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.” -Anne Lamott
♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.
I love this quote from The Results Book by Wally Minto. I found him by way of a beautiful soul, Heather Noёl, during her free 60-day eCourse, The Giving Game. If you want a huge shot of inspiration and light in your life on a daily basis for two months straight, I highly recommend her course. This quote spoke to my heart. Worry is natural when things go wrong. I have learned that worry only drains strength from my days and adds nothing.
“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Jesus, in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, New Testament
A Persian poet named Hafiz who lived in the 14th Century wrote about worry. You’ve probably seen many of his quotes on this site. He is one of the most quoted poets of the 21st Century. His writing is filled with love and light and understanding. Even though he lived so long ago, his wisdom always feels fresh, and it proves to me that our hearts are connected through space and time. Our human lives are so different now than they were 800 years ago, but we all share common emotions – love, fear, and worry. Wisdom can be found everywhere if we search for it.
“For I have learned that every heart will get
What it prays for
Most.”
♡. under1000skies
☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.
“Dear God,” she prayed, “let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry…have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere – be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost.” Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
I love this quote because it celebrates being alive and present in every moment. My beautiful friend and soul-sister Liz Stevens (Liz Stevens Illustrations) painted this lovely scene of a young woman doing just that. Perhaps preparing for a dance, or starting a new class. Alive and joyful to be so.
A Story from the Street
As promised, I’ll share stories about what it’s like to live on the street where life expectancy was reported to be about 30 years less than average. Millions of Americans are one paycheck away from the street according to this January 2018 report.
Jerome Murdough, 56, a homeless Marine veteran, was arrested for trespass in New York because he was found sleeping in a public housing stairwell on a cold night. The New York Times reported that one week later, Jerome died of hyperthermia in a jail cell heated to over 100 degrees.
Mr. Murdough’s death provoked outrage among the city’s elected officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, and focused media attention on the conditions at Rikers Island, where inmates frequently endure severe abuse and neglect.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi
How Can I Help?
Asking today for healing, light and love to be sent to any homeless Marine vets you may know. If you know none, perhaps you could send your intentions to any homeless person who might need healing (which is pretty much every single one, in one way or another).
Thank you so much. ♥
Healing Intentions
These stories of the street are not brought to you the way news is. They are brought to bring your awareness to a person who has experienced hardship in homelessness and to ask you to open your heart and send good thoughts or prayers or whatever you believe in.
There is a beautiful Hawaiian tradition called ho’o’pono pono which was used over a course of time to heal every inmate in a mental hospital for the criminally insane. Joe Vitale, after a skeptical journey into what he thought was an urban legend, wrote extensively about this powerful tool. It’s really easy to use and takes very little time compared to more traditional healing meditations.
Since about mid-2010 I’ve been doing healing meditations for anyone needing it at Noon EST for an hour a day when I can. I’ve been inconsistent but it still is, and always will be, my favorite thing to do at mid-day break. So, if you aren’t busy, please join me for a few minutes. I’ll see you on the “innernet” as my beautiful friend and mentor Nipun Mehta calls meditation. =)
I hope you have a beautiful weekend.
♡. under1000skies ☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative☼
We are photographers, writers, artists & advocates serving and connecting homeless creatives
I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡ Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤
Painting “My Prayer” by Niki Flow. Shantideva was an Indian Buddhist monk who lived in the 8th Century. This prayer spoke to my heart. I’m not a holy Buddhist monk, but I can do small acts where I am with great love, too, one beautiful day at a time. ♥.
This will be made into note cards for our stationary store, under1000skies.com and will be included in Rx-for-Healing – the Power of Color and Opposites. For me, this quote would go under the tab, “Awakened” to be read whenever I feel the opposite: asleep, numb, addicted, closed-minded, judgemental (etc.).
♡. under1000skies We are photographers, writers, artists & advocates serving and connecting homeless creatives.
Sky photo, digital art by Niki Flow. Dancer silhouette by Mohamed Hassan, Pixabay.
