Sending out love

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."-- Melody Beattie

When life comes at us from all angles, hitting us with demands from this direction and that, we have a choice. We can ride the edge of the wheel and become part of that turmoil and chaos, or we can move towards the center and breathe into our own stillness - our heart center.

From there, we can know our next step. We then can move from the still point, the calm center. This is what mandala does for me. It brings me to that still point, quiet, peaceful, my heart center, and I make a choice from there.

My response, rather than reaction, comes from the question of "what will help me to grow?.. what best serves my higher Self?"

I move from the self-centered reaction of "what about me!?" to how can I be of service to you, a compassionate and more whole response. I move from the centered Self, and carry my gifts, my purpose out into the world.

It is a constant movement - inside to outside- back and forth- a balance of give and take.

I would like to take away your pain and give you joy. I would like to come from a point of compassion and gratitude all the time, but it is a journey. One that has me coming and going.

How joyous it is when this flow comes between us, sharing the journey of give and take. How wonderful when we are in balance.

When there are obstacles and turmoil, I move back inside.. into the center of mandala, heart center, and find the deep gratitude that awaits there for me... So much kindness. So much love that I can focus on... and then the rest disappears.

Namaste'

Center of it all...

Opening up.

Blossoming.

When open,

what do you find in the center of it all..

Love.

Follow it's direction.

No matter which way you turn,

it is there.

One needs to just open up

to find it.

It is in the center of everything.

Namaste'

I found this quote on the internet today and it fits with my feeling today about this mandala:

We have a treasure within us that we will never lose, but we will not find it by searching outside. We have to look within.
– Amma

Seeds

Finally, getting back to some blogging and more importantly, to mandala making. Since the show, my priorities seemed to have been misplaced or maybe I just needed to venture into other areas.

What I notice is I get cranky when I don't create. Giving is good, but there needs to be a balance that I more often than not tend to forget.. or maybe it's just saying that "no" word that is hard to do. I tried sneaking in some moments and created some cards for a show that's coming up, but it wasn't exactly the same, but even that went by the wayside.

I don't find the same calmness that comes with mandalas. They are more centering. Like the breath, the more focused I become on them, the calmer I become. As I become calm, I get more clear on what I need for myself and for others.

Each new moon I notice that the seeds I plant always have to do with this.. giving myself the time to do art.

Along with this, I found a book, "How Yoga Works"... and more messages of the same, planting seeds. Each thought is another seed. Whether positive or negative, loving or hurtful, it is a seed we plant and eventually reap the results. Plant positive and loving seeds and see the benefits.

If I am cranky and irritable and speak to others in an unkind, critical voice, I am sure to see that return back to me. That is not what I wish... so keeping this in mind, it is better for me and for you and for the betterment of mankind if I do my art.

So, if you see me on the street, getting short with you or someone else.. just pat me on the back and say," go home and make mandalas".

Thank you for your kindness :-)