Monday, June 16, 2008

We are all flowers

We are all flowers
Current mood: blissful
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Adapted from "Touching Peace" by Thich Nhat Hanh, zen master, poet and peace advocate. (My responses follow in paranthesis).

Even though we were born as flowers, after a lifetime of worries and anxiety, we may not be fresh anymore. To become fresh again, practice this verse "breathing in, I see myself as a flower, breathing out I feel fresh" Breathe in Flower, Breathe out Fresh. Practicing this verse we water our flower and in just five or ten seconds if we do it right, if we do it mindfully (i.e. BELIEVE IT TO YOUR CORE) every cell in our body will smile and we will restore our flowerness. With mindful breathing we can be fresh.

Young people who have not yet suffered much are still beautiful flowers, the kind of flowers that can be a source of joy for anyone at anytime. We too have a flower to offer.

(Okay folks, the following is the part that had me crying tears of...I don't know how else to describe it other than "relief"):

A flower does not have to do anything to be of service, it only has to be a flower. That is enough. A human being, if she is a true human being, is enough to make the whole world rejoice.

(For so long I have felt I always had to do MORE, be MORE, give MORE but deep inside I also knew I didn't have to do anything other than just be me. To be validated in that belief is incredibly humbling and empowering at the same time!)

So practice your breathing and recover your flowerness. You do it for all of us. Your freshness and joy bring us peace.

(I always try to be nice to be near, for that is so much more than anything I can do or so or give. Of course we all have our off days, if I'm ever been unpleasant or bitchy- I probably haven't been watered lately!)