You'll feel better if you:

"God dwells within you... as you."

I don't need from you a waterfall of careless praise
And I don't need a trophy for all the games I played
But all I want is your eyes
In the morning as we wait for a short while

And I don't need you to catch my wandering mind
And I don't expect a southern girl to know the northern lights
And all I want is your eyes
In the morning as we wait for a short while

And I do need the wind across my pale face
And I do need the fern to unfurl in the spring
And I do need the grass to sway
Yes, I do need to know my place

And all I want is your eyes
In the morning as we wait for a short while

Winter

Winter is just around the corner and I'm going to embrace it completely this year. Last year I basically just bundled up and blocked out every moment I was caught outside in the gustery, ice cold air. This time around I'd like to see the beauty in winter like I saw the beauty in autumn. The contrasts in scenery are phenomenal. Colors that ranged from vivid red to bright yellow to burnt orange, slowly fade to thin, black, baron stems connected to thick trunks dipped in rich, white, spilt milk, everywhere you turn. I'll take a trip somewhere the trees stretch tall into the sky, rather than buildings, pick up all my hobbies steadily, drink hot green tea to keep warm. There's no reason to stop living life as fully as you did when it was warmer out. Winter can be a perfect time for introspection and self-betterment. I can't wait.

Joanna Newsom fits beautifully with the coming of winter:

"Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you."

-Lao Tzu

If you bring forth what is within you, 

what you bring forth will save you. 

If you do not bring forth what is within you, 
what you do not bring forth will destroy you.

Trust the universe.

On the train ride home from work tonight, while instrumental artwork dripped from my head-phones, I noticed a little girl sitting with her mom. Her little sister sat in the chairs next to them, she had I <3 Jesus barrettes in her braids. Their mother was speaking to a man, maybe their father. I couldn't hear her, but I could make out the word "fuck" numerous times. The girl was maybe 9 and seemed comfortable with her mother's crude language. I felt sad for the little girl. Little kids are so pure and I felt sad that her young mind was being shoveled with such harsh words. Her face was blank, empty, but she sat staring and I caught her glance. I smiled at her, fully expecting no response, and then her face lit up so bright, like a light bulb in a dark room. It was the highlight of my night. Human connections might be the only reason we roam this globe. And they can be found anywhere, anytime of day, as long as you're present.

Everything you touch burns, when you're full of flames.

Autumn teaches us that death is natural and not something to be feared. The quiet leaves live their quiet lives and when they die they silently change colors. It's surreal and beautiful and I couldn't be more grateful for this wonderful season. To show my appreciation, I've been laying beneath the trees a lot lately. A sea of fallen leaves surround me as I lay and watch the wind whisper away a few more lives. It's strange that something can be the most beautiful it's ever been in it's last few moments of life. Even stranger still, is that watching their transformation leaves me feeling more alive than ever.

You'll figure it out.

This too will pass.

Less is More

Saw this list on 'A Brief Guide To Life' from Zenhabits.com and liked it so much I thought I'd share.

"less TV, more reading
less shopping, more outdoors
less clutter, more space
less rush, more slowness
less consuming, more creating
less junk, more real food
less busywork, more impact
less driving, more walking
less noise, more solitude
less focus on the future, more on the present
less work, more play
less worry, more smiles
breathe"

www.zenhabits.com

Today I'm grateful for:

A good cup of coffee without cream or sugar.

The Killers- "Believe Me Natalie," coming on my shuffle. Brought me right back to 2004.

My kitten, Lovesparkles, in constant awe of the outside world through my sunny blue sky windows.

Don't look back, don't look forward, there's only this moment.

Clock Time vs. Psychological Time

"If you set yourself a goal and work toward it, you are using clock time. You are aware of where you want to go, but you honor and give your fullest attention to the step that you are taking at this moment. If you then become excessively focused on the goal, perhaps because you are seeking happiness, fulfillment, or a more complete sense of self in it, the Now is no longer honored. It becomes reduced to a mere stepping stone to the future, with no intrinsic value. Clock time then turns into psychological time. Your life's journey is no longer an adventure, just an obsessive need to arrive, to attain, to "make it." You no longer see or smell the flowers by the wayside either, nor are you aware of the beauty and the miracle of life that unfolds all around you when you are present in the now."

-From the Power Of Now; A Guide To Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

musical magic

Fleeting Moments Of White Magic

Scatter me across the ocean so I can be set free and I'll float like a feather on the tips of the cold mountain waves and light up like a star with somewhere to go, snowflakes dust my cheeks like jewels, remind me I'm not far from where I came from, dripping with potential, I'll catch fire despite the spell.

Let's meditate and create and flower this beautiful life with all the magic we have burning deep inside us. The flame never goes out but can always grow.

On throwing caution to the wind:

"If you spend your time trying to figure out what's "best" for you, your choices will be cautious, your decisions will take forever, and your journey will be launched on a sea of expectations. If you're not careful, you'll drown in your expectations."

Remember

"Rather than hold on tightly to what you have, or to fear about what is coming next, try to practice feeling relaxed and peaceful, by holding on loosely and with non-attachment to what is currently abundant in your life, and by feeling gratitude for the gifts you possess. Be willing to accept change and stay open to possibilities you had not contemplated."

Florence + The Machine

Highly inspiring photographs by Sofia Ajram