Friday, December 31, 2010

New by Dean Solon

sitting...with a heart opening, your new heart.
with a mind opening, your new mind.
with all that has manifested and that has mattered dissipating as the year ends...
as the bubbles blown through the child's wand float past and away, bursting into nothingness...
new heart, new mind, new eyes to see with awe and splendor a new world, a new way, a new life, mystery and surprise unfolding, a new year beginning...

sitting...with a wish and with intention, that the coming year, for you, be the best one yet, the best one ever.
with feeling and an understanding:  the coming year, for you, the best one yet.

sitting...with a wish, that the coming year for all your significant others, for all who are near and dear to you, be the best one yet, the best one ever.
with feeling and an understanding:  the coming year, for all your beloveds, the best one yet.

sitting...with a holiday wish of wishes, a new year's wish of all wishes, that all 6.8 billion human beings, all 6.8 billion of us on planet earth, each and every one of us, have the best year yet, the best year ever.
you, in the light that shines and in the warmth that penetrates, with a feeling and an understanding:  the coming year, for all beings living and breathing on this planet, the best year yet.

the best year yet.

why not?

Friday, December 24, 2010

'Twas The Night Before Christmas by Dean Solon

life as sacred.  living as sacred.  breathing as sacred.  feeling as sacred.  experiencing as sacred.  consciousness as sacred.  meditation as  sacred.  participation and activity as sacred.  communication as sacred.  work as sacred.  play as sacred.  the profane, as sacred.  the sacred, as sacred.

the mountains and the valleys, the rivers and streams...sacred.  the oceans and the deserts...sacred.  the trees and the grass and the flowers...sacred.  the animals who share the planet with us human animals...sacred.  the water we drink and the food we eat...sacred.  the sky above and the ground beneath our feet...sacred.

christmas...sacred.  Jesus, and His Mother, Mary...sacred.  christianity...sacred.  judaism, from which christianity was born...sacred.  islam, which was preceded by judaism and christianity and which gives great respect to Jesus and to the Prophets before Him...sacred.
all the wisdom traditions...sacred.

the caves and the cities...sacred.

all of the planets and stars in all of the near-infinitude of space...sacred.

you...sacred.

each and every being who is living now, who has lived in the past, and who will live in the future, each and every being who is loving now, who has loved in the past, and who will love in the future...sacred.


may the holiday season be happy, safe, and sacred.
may the holidays be holy days.         

Sunday, December 19, 2010

'Twas The Light Before Christmas by Dean Solon

...a light unto the world...

this is IT.
you are IT.
all of this is IT,
including you.

...sitting...feeling...experiencing...breathing...
breathing in breathing out...
letting go of an awareness, if any, of wishing to be somewhere other than here, of wishing to be some when  other than now, of wishing to be someone other than who you are ...
breathing in breathing out...
that this is where you are...here,
that this is who you are...and you are all right,
you are perfectly all right.

...sitting with this...

Saturday, December 11, 2010

How to Find Meaningful Connections

By Jeff Katowitz, LMFT
       Are you single, married, have children or in committed relationship? Many have shared sentiments regarding lacking connections in their lives even though they are surrounded by a significant other or children and friends. “Community” has been a word that people often reference these days in terms of not feeling a part of group - longing to feel a part of something larger than their immediate family, aspiring to discover a ritual and place to share and convene with others. 
     While many turn to religious groups and organizations to feel that sense of belonging  and enjoy a structure that is consistent and comfortable for them, others look to create more intimate and smaller groups that do not necessarily have spiritual affiliations but provide them with a sense of connection with others who are like-minded and share similar desires, interests and passions. 
     An essential ingredient in establishing and maintaining positive relationships with others includes surrounding yourself with individuals who may share similar passions and interests and more importantly those who make you feel alive and accepted when in their presence. When you attempt to join, associate, explore and discover new people ask yourself, “Do I feel embraced by a person or group of individuals? Are these people showing interest in my ideas, who I am, what brings me happiness?”
   These initial moments of contact whether verbal or non-verbal are essential in the development and sustaining meaningful relationships. Many of you may know what it feels like to be in the presence of another when there are negative and uncomfortable reactions going off in your body. Learn to understand what this means if you are feeling anxious, tired and uncomfortable - this may be a good indicator that the people in your presence may not be healthy for you.
    The more you begin to reflect and explore the feelings, emotions and responses that arise inside you in any given moment, the more you will begin to gravitate towards and maintain healthy and joyous relationships with others. You have the choice and ability to distance and move away from relationships where you don’t feel connected and alive. Begin making those life-changing decisions today and find those new people who will embrace and accept you - and create those new communities where the love you give will be shown to you in return.
Jeff Katowitz, LMFT is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist providing individual, couples, family counseling, and parent coordinating. Specialties include adolescent development, separation, divorce, adoption, and blended families. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Jeffrey at 215-307-0055 or email him at jpkatowitz@verizon.net.  Read more on our blog [Insert link to: http://resiliency.blogspot.com/2010/10/families-and-divorce.html]

Thursday, December 9, 2010

What the Recession Can Teach Us About Ourselves

- by Jeff Katowitz, LMFT
 
 
What a mess we are in - 2010. Families are complaining about debt, poor decisions, if they could only go back they would have done things differently. They worry about their job security and their ability to make ends meet. Will they be able stay in their home? Should they down-size? Have they been living beyond their means? These are many of the questions that I have been hearing lately. What is significant and perhaps more difficult to examine is how did they get here and what can they learn from their actions?
Embedded in the fear, doubt and frustration is an opportunity. This is a time for families to make real changes. Unfortunately, many are forced into making them sooner than they could have ever imagined. But if real changes are to occur and be maintained, individuals and families may feel less pressured as a result of a shift in life style – from one that is overwhelming to one that is more manageable.  Many find it hard to make concrete changes in their behavior, fearing that they will have to make sacrifices,  and they struggle with the perception of a future that somehow appears to be defined as "losing something."
 
It may benefit each of us to take a little inventory or our daily behaviors, particularly how we spend our money. Begin to question your spending habits. Is it necessary to buy that cup of coffee on our way to work or the matching pair of shoes that we convince ourselves we need to go with a particular outfit? The bottom line is the bottom line, and when we get close to either not having money or begin a process of creating more debt for ourselves, this is where we get into problems. One habit that may be constructive moving forward is to ask yourself a simple question when feeling the urge to purchase something that we desire - "Do I need it or do I want it?" If you simply want something but it is not something that is essential in terms of your daily living, then this item should not be purchased. It's that simple. Just walk right past it when you see that thing that you "have to have" and say to yourself that you have plenty of time to purchase this item but, at this juncture, you’re fine waiting. At a time where it is more practical and appropriate, you will make the purchase. 

      By taking little steps, mini revisions and subtle changes in our daily lives can yield significant outcomes that result in making us feel better. Now imagine stringing together moments and perhaps consecutive days of healthy decisions and truly being able to find contentment and gratitude for what we have.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Passing Clouds In The Big Sky by Dean Solon

what is separating us from present-moment awareness?
what is separating us from being AWAKE?

residuals of attaching, inclinations to distracting,
accumulations of sanskaras (karmic material),
motes in the eyes, passing clouds in the Big Sky,
lightly placed impediments and lightly held illusions
separating you from enlightenment in this lifetime,
in THIS moment.

stuff unreleased,
to be released...
at your convenience, of your choosing.

wisdom and compassion
living in and through you,
never more than a wake-up-Call away.