Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Life is simple - thinking is complicated. ~Peter Cajander

Collection of innards
Collage 2006
9.5" x 11"
Mixed media on canvas board




Speaking out loud:




I am the ultimate witness. I see many things. Sometimes I want to run away from all these things. I think it’s too hard, it will never change, never, never, never change. It’s too much because I see all the small, little things that go unobserved. The little looks in the eyes, or the sarcastic tone that comes up between people. I pick up on all of it and I say, “Oh so sad,” because unfortunately they do not even realize it themselves. They are living their lives in complete reactivity. They are not really living life but being lived by life.






So this is why meditation is very important. It leads you to become a witness in the physical world so that you can perfect your character. Then you can be of service to the world by being a creature who is acting in love, compassion and kindness in the world all the time. Try it. Step out of yourselves in public and just witness; see what you see of yourself. Learn from it and challenge yourself to be a greater person today than you were yesterday by behaving from a place of complete conscious awareness and not ignorance.
Swami Sai Premananda


***


In the private sanctuary of one's own conscience lies that spirit, that determination to cast off the old person and to measure up to the stature of true potential.
Thomas S. Monson (1927 - )


***


How do you eat an elephant?


One heaping helping at a time.


Heather


5 comments:

Sweet and Salty said...

That first quote was very insightful. I do catch myself or others being "reactive" to life's situation and wonder about it sometimes. Thing is, it's hard to stay on top of it all the time. (smile)

Cynthia said...

You know it's funny - I had to learn how to be sarcastic and now I'm trying to unlearn it. When I was younger it seemed to keep up and fit in I wanted to be "in" and there seemed to be an underlying skepticism in all the cool kids. Having a kid has brought back the magic for me - they see so innocently and purely. Or maybe I'm just growing up...

Love the collage!

PennyBlue said...

Reminds me of a book I'm reading, Eat Pray Love. You might want to check it out! I see we're getting into collages....very nice and thought provoking. Much like your posts! Happy Thursday BK!

Heather said...

Thanks Pavel and Cynthia! It is hard to live in the moment all the time. It can even be exhausting at times. I have found that it is worth the stress and strain if I just live outloud in whatever moment I happen to be in. That's either a place I need to work on, or understand better, or (knock on wood) enjoy because it feels good and right, in order to continue to see improvement in my personal being. I don't want perfection, just the best I can be at all times, good and bad. So...somedays my best isn't so great, somedays I freaking shine. It is hard I admit it...with a whole heart.

Blue! Thanks! I've been doing collage forever...not alot in the last year, but it is a main stay in my work. I love collage. Yours always inspire me to new heights!

I am just filling space where I usually show the newest work...I am not sharing right now, because I am learning something new and don't want any feedback just yet on it...so I was looking around the studio...what can I put up and share...and these older collages came to mind...so they are the filler, so to speak.

Enough from me alreadY!
Bye :)

San said...

I dig your elephant koan, Heather.