Dear Straight from the Hearter,

Have you noticed there never seems to be enough time to do all there is to do?

This hunger for time has become progressively heightened lately. So much so, that I decided to give myself the gift of 48 hours of silence. I want you to know that "silence" is not something I usually run to, in fact, I avoid it like the plague, staying perennially busy with my all of my projects, relationships and never-ending lists of things to be done. 

But my soul was screaming, "STOP ALREADY!" and I knew it was time to listen. I had to stop the human DOINGingness and experience human BEINGingness. So, I turned everything OFF. Yes, everything! No computer, TV, newspaper, telephone, music...no contact with the outside world. Just me with nothing I had TO DO. Yikes! What was I going to do with all of this time!

The first thing I realized was how illusionary time is. Have you ever noticed that sometimes it seems like we have none, days speed by like moments. And at other times moments can feel like days. 

It took about a day to adjust before I amazingly started to see my life with fresh eyes, in new and creative ways, opening to things I hadn’t noticed before. I felt myself become PRESENT in my own life. And life became more precious to me. All of life. Love began to fill the spaces inside that only stress previously occupied. And that was only the first day! 

Fear less, hope more Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Hate less, love more; And all good things are yours. Anonymous

I wonder why it’s so hard to make time for OUR lives. To take the time needed to relax and reconnect with ourselves and each other. Many of put this high on our "to do lists" only to watch our good intentions swallowed up by the business of our daily responsibilities. Have you noticed that the more you try to keep up the pace and get ahead of your obligations, the more there isto do! When we continually put our renewal time on the back burner, our lives can become one monotonous, stressful day after another. Notice where your attention and focus goes. Do you want to see, feel, and do things differently? What are you waiting for? What would you want to change if you had the opportunity to live the life you want to live NOW? The challenge is in creating the space that allows you to set these changes into motion. Start by taking some time for yourself. This link will take you to an exercise which can help you to redefine your time priorities.

My wish for you is expressed in the following prayer by Edward Searl...

Sheri

May you find in the year - with its full cycle of seasons Time enough for you; Time enough to laugh when you are happy, to cry when you are sad. Time enough to strive and succeed, to rest and be renewed; Time enough to discover deeply, to give freely; Time enough to love selflessly, to be loved satisfyingly; Time enough for you to be your essential self And to enter eternity by living fully in the moment - One with self. One with others. One with life itself. "A Place of Your Own" by Edward Searl

 

Straight from the Heart Shows  With Related Topics: (Click on Author's Name to find out about these shows and more.) A Day of Rest Wayne Muller On the Path to Enlightenment Rabbi David Cooper Rules for Being Human Cherie Carter Scott The Spiritual Laws of Yoga Deepak Chopra Rituals to Feed Your Soul Barbara Biziou Practical Buddhism Lama Surya Das The Eleventh Insight James Redfield Yoga for Everyday Use Diana Lang Taking Charge of Your Life Cheryl Richardson Creating Joy Suzanne Falter Barns Creating A Soul Mandala Paul Heussenstamm Dreaming Connie Kaplan Meditation Made Real Easy Lorin Roche Sensuous Meditaion Camille Maurine & Lorin Roche Letting Go Guy Finley Simply Relaxing Fred Miller

BOOKS  If you are interested in this topic here's some books and authors you might like: "Entering the Sacred Mountain: Exploring the Mystical Practices of Judaism, Buddhism and Sufism" MORE INFO "A Heart of Stillness: A Complete Guide to Learning the Art of Meditation." MORE INFO "Renewing Your Soul: A Guided Retreat for the Sabbath and Other Days of Rest MORE INFO "Silence, Simplicity & Solitude: A Complete Guide to Spiritual Retreat." MORE INFO Rabbi David Cooper "A Gradual Awakening" MORE INFO "Guided Meditations, Explorations and Healings" MORE INFO Steven Levine "How to Calm Down Even If You're Absolutely, Totally Nuts: A Simple Guide to Relaxation" MORE INFO Fred Miller "Creating A Life of Joy: A Meditative Guide" MORE INFO "The Joy of Meditating: A Beginner's Guide to the Art of Meditation" MORE INFO "The Celestine Meditations: A Guide to Meditating Based on the Celestine Phophecies" MORE INFO Salle Merrill Redfield "Meditation Made Easy" MORE INFO "Meditation Secrets for Women: Discovering Your Passion, Pleasure and Inner Peace" MORE INFO Meditation 24/7 (Book & CD Set) MORE INFO Lorin Roche, Ph.D. & Camille Maurine "Awakening to the Sacred: Creating A Spiritual Life from Scratch" MORE INFO "Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World" MORE INFO Lama Surya Das "Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart: A Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness" MORE INFO "Thoughts Without a Thinker: Psychotherapy from a Buddhist Perspective." MORE INFO Mark Epstein, M.D. "The Ten Challenges: Spiritual Lessons from the Ten Commandments for Creating Meaning, Growth, and Richness Every Day of Your Life."  MORE INFO Leonard Felder "Hymns to an Unknown God: Awakening the Spirit in Everyday Life" MORE INFO Sam Keen "Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life" MORE INFO Thomas Moore "Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest" MORE INFO Wayne Muller "The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth" MORE INFO "Futher Along The Road Less Traveled: The Unending Journey Towards Spiritual Growth" MORE INFO Scott Peck "Conversations With God: An Uncommon Dialogue  Vol 1" MORE INFO "Conversations With God: An Uncommon Dialogue  Vol 2" MORE INFO "Conversations With God: An Uncommon Dialogue  Vol 3" MORE INFO Neale Donald Walsch "Illuminata:A Return to Prayer" MORE INFO Marianne Williamson "A Woman's Comfort Book: A Self Nurturing Guide for Restoring Balance in Your Life" MORE INFO Jennifer Louden "The Woman's Book of Dreams: Dreaming As A Spiritual Practice" MORE INFO Connie Cockrell Kaplan