“The mountains are calling and I must go.” ~ John Muir Glacier Bay National Park was one of the highlights of our Alaska visit. It’s designated a World Heritage Site. We were able to see tidewater glaciers, get close up to inlets carved by the ice, and just bask in the silence and the peace of this wilderness experience. It’s easy to become camera-happy here and take the same or similar views over and over again. ...
[caption id=“attachment_4000” align=“alignnone” width=“4320”] Our first view of Alaska as we approached Anchorage. Taken on the aircraft.[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3998” align=“alignnone” width=“3648”] “You can fall in love at first sight with a place as with a person.” ― Alec Waugh[/caption] As a first-time visitor to Alaska, I’m happy to say that it was love at first sight. I had seen pictures of Alaska that showed its natural, rugged beauty. Nothing had prepared me for how unspoilt it really is though. My husband and I began our Alaska adventure on May 27th travelling on Holland America’s " MS Noordam." ...
“It is spring time now! While the world looks for a new war to fight, you look for a cherry blossom to watch! Let the stupid seek the violence; you seek the elegance!” ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan Many people flocked to High Park this last week to revel in the beauty of this year’s spectacle of cherry blossoms. I’m sure war or anything close to it was far away from the minds of these nature lovers. They were moved physically to get there and moved within themselves by the beauty they felt there. Nature’s beauty has the power to hold us captive by just being present to it. However, some weren’t happy to just see this beauty. Through the magic of photography, they wanted to take some of it away. I was one of those present. ...
Previously published in Medium on May 5/2018 “There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.” ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross I like what Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has to say about mistakes, coincidences, and the events of our lives. As one who’s beat myself up over and over again with regard to the mistakes I’ve made, it’s very freeing. However, it’s a process. We don’t start out with the wisdom to view the mishaps, tragedies, and events we wish never happened, as blessings. ...
We don’t just fight for survival, we fight for meaning and self-worth. (Dan Pedersen) I was struck by the above quote found in mail I received in my inbox today from Medium. The title of the post was “Why We Fight” and came from the Personal Growth area of Medium. As one who is constantly baffled and confused about the whole question of life’s meaning, this got me thinking. I believe I’ve changed my views and thinking around this topic many times during my life. Since I’m a learning, growing human being, I believe that’s perfectly alright. ...
I was reading an entry from “The Book of Awakening,” by Mark Nepo one morning recently and came across the word Ubuntu. It wasn’t one I had heard before and was fascinated to discover its meaning. Ubunt_u-I am because you are , you are because I am…_ (A Deep African Way of Being) In only the way that Mark Nepo can, his short entry on this topic moved me to want to find out more about this philosophy. Ubuntu has its origins in Africa. It comes from the Nguni Bantu phrase “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”, which roughly translated means “humanity towards others.” Most religions, cultures, countries and peoples throughout the ages have always advocated for oneness, brotherhood, interconnectedness, and respect among peoples - human decency. ...
“A little while alone in your room will prove more valuable than anything else that could ever be given you.” ~ Rumi There was a time in my life when I didn’t enjoy being alone. As a child, I always wanted to have playmates. Later on, as an adolescent, I wanted to have friends, go places, and be part of several activities that were going on. It seems that at every stage of my younger life I felt lonely if I wasn’t in the company of other people. It seemed as though I was afraid of alone time. ...
Image taken in Chapters/Indigo Bookstore, Toronto It seems that everyone I meet is always “hustling.” I myself was part of this hustle and bustle for many years. Life hasn’t changed much. I had thought that with all the new technological advances, people would have more time to spend on other pursuits. But, much of what I read in books and see in the news and even stories on Medium are about goal setting, working harder and longer hours, productivity, and achieving success. ...
I took this image in a Chapters/Indigo bookstore in Toronto, Canada Normally we do not like to think about death. We would rather think about life. Why reflect on death? When you start preparing for death you soon realize that you must look into your life now… and come to face the truth of your self. Death is like a mirror in which the true meaning of life is reflected. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche ...
Growth is the only evidence of life. John Henry Newman I watched a Masterclass online for the first time last night. It was given by Robin Sharma who is an author, coach, motivational speaker, and leadership expert to many big companies. I clicked on Conscious Life News at around 6:30 p.m. in my mail and learned about this online class there. It was the last day to watch for free and I became interested because it said: “Robin Sharma says that the #1 purpose of life is to GROW!” I saw there were only two sessions left and I decided to watch the 9 p.m. which was the last one. ...