Fall

I can feel it in the air, that slight shift and change that brings us ever closer to the equinox.  I love that feeling of balance, the coolness that tinges the night air and that beautiful cerulean blue sky that becomes enhanced by big white puffy clouds.  The Summer is always fun and entertaining but I much prefer the Fall.  I relax a little more for some reason and the sleep in the cooler temps?  Well, it's just delicious to say the least.  When I look around and see the leaves on the trees turning, changing and beginning to fall away, I'm always mindful of those things I have finally learned and can now let go of having grown a little wiser for my efforts.  Maybe that is the real source behind that relaxing sense of completion.

The seasons are markers to me.  Much like in business, when we review the quarter's progress, so too do I engage in the same activities concerning my life.  I review my challenges and goals and consider my accomplishments--those planned as well as those unanticipated.  Life to me is no longer about filling my home with things that do not benefit the wisdom of lessons learned.  I am by far more interested in learning to understand and hold compassion for others as I make my way through this life.  That is the bigger challenge and it is infinitely more rewarding.  We cannot take with us the things we've collected while we've squandered our days and hours in pursuit of a feeling.  We can, however, take with us all of the love and understanding we have gained in our lifetimes.  When our bodies give up our souls, we remain very conscious and in that consciousness we are quite curious about what we've done - did we make it - did we do all the things we intended to do for the sake of the experience and learning?  We quickly then turn to love, did we give it enough, did we forgive and understand enough and did we leave a wake of love and serenity behind us?

When we know these things it gives us great pause to consider how we will live as we are, in fact, living and breathing.  Life is so very beautiful when you have your focus gently placed on those things that truly matter.  To deviate only causes you to lose your place and forgo your own progress but you can always find another way to learn because your consciousness never dies.  This place provides a great opportunity for experiencing from a very limited set of facets but there are more dimensions to our existence that we can reach into at any time. 

So, I've gone a bit of track.  But that's okay, I love letting my mind and heart roam where ever it wishes.  I appreciate every single day in every season I am alive.  Don't get me wrong.  But I'm happiest when I see representative change in the seasons.  It inspires in me hope.  It inspires in me the desire to enrich my own experience and to live in a way that I might leave some measure of peace behind me when the winter of my life finally comes.  I don't fear the hereafter.  I fear living lost in a world of superficiality and materialism.  I don't begrudge having nice things or making light connections - I just want the rich depths of meaning in life to continue to grow exponentially.  I will not fail in seeking that which I most desire.  I don't have it in me to fail.  Blessings of love, acceptance and understanding dear ones.

(c) 2012 Jaie Hart (photo and words)

Soft and Bright

There was a beautiful softness to the energy today.  I can't explain it but felt it so strongly from the moment I opened my eyes and it's with me still this evening.  Along with the softness of this energy another perception emerged, one of everything coming into view seeming brighter than normal from the sun in the sky, to the colors and even the contrasts over every single thing in sight.  How is it possible that everything light was brighter and anything dark was deeper as if to beautifully contrast just for something new to take in?  I realize that nothing in this world has really changed other than my perception.  This is not tied to any new or amazing spiritual truth as I can assure you that I've had none lately. In fact, my days of late have been quite run-of-the mill ordinary in every respect.  Well, everything but my perspectives.  Images come into and out of focus as I go through the day and the energy I feel from within this vessel shifts and changes often.  I don't understand how I've never noticed it before and figure that it must have always been like this and I just never noticed.  Perhaps my mind was so burdened with pain or the scourge of lessons as yet unlearned that I was never able to see or feel what has been there all along.  I really can't say.  I wish I better understood because I like the feeling of today.  There was no heaviness underfoot, in the air or deep within me.  All was light and flowing, moving as if perfectly timed within this infinite universe of endless possibilities.  Earlier while outside in the sun I stood there just taking in the same view I've seen for years but today it was definitely different.  I correct myself right here and now as I realize very clearly in this moment that the view has not changed.  It is I who have changed and gained the ability to shift my perspective.

It's a beautiful thing, I think.  At least it feels beautiful.  I still have with me this sense of completion as if I'm still waiting for something big and wonderful about to start to rise up over the next horizons. I guess that's hope in action as I've somehow learned to never give up hope for a brighter tomorrow.  It was likely those thoughts yesterday that delivered to me the gift of today.  Today was surely a gift.  Even now, the light is so bright it's hard to focus.  I just want to get lost in it and enjoy the sheer dreamy beauty of it.  But alas, no, I have domestic goddess duties to attend to and well, my writing time is over.  Before I get back to them I must get outside for a few moment and soak up the sun's last fiery rays while this beautiful breeze blows the rest of the cobwebs from my mind.  I love it when I arrive at a moment where I don't think I could feel a greater sense of bliss than I do in this moment and yet I smile knowing that I will be surprised often in my life as so often I have been on this topic in times past.  My life is so simple that some would call it routine and boring but to me, I have the most beautiful life and I love it so much.  I pray that you find a moment in the sun to drink in it's delicious rays, feel the breeze blow love into your heart and smile for no other reason than you have the ability to.  ~Blessings.

(c) 6/12 Jaie Hart (photo - see bottom of photo for copyright info).