I didn’t really mean for the painting to come out so pristine-ish (note the perfectly rounded left tree). However, I’ve grown to love the fairytale quality – a place of perfection where nothing can go wrong.
Fairytale Endings
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Tag Archives: happiness
Make it Your Goal
If out of nowhere you smell chicken soup
do you conjure up the memory of someone trying to make you feel better?
If you lay on the grass,
do you see your childhood friends beside you, giggling as a puppy licks your toes?
If you hear the coo of the mourning dove
are you transported back into the bed at your grandparent’s house laying peacefully under the quilted covers?
When you see a child squeal with happiness
are you remembering unwrapping your stuffed purple and pink cow that special Christmas Eve?
Memories are precious
Our goal is to have many more good ones than bad.
via Conjure
image from Pixabay
Turning Your Brain into an Athlete
Unless we train that heady organ of ours, it remains on autopilot and could lead us down a destructive course. The subconscious parts of our brain automatically guides our behavior. Sometimes, we can’t let go of negative thinking or past negative experiences.
So, if that happens, it’s time to make obstinate brain pull over, make it sit in the passenger seat and force it to listen.
(Brains are stubborn and stuck in their ways so try to be patient as you pull out the new script you have written. Read it aloud.)
You: Brain, here’s what’s about to happen and I need you to go along with me. After all, you can’t get along without me just as I can’t get along without you. So, every time you try to cover me in self-doubt, I’m not going to listen. Instead, I’m going to concentrate on all the things right with me. I’m going to force us to think positively and compassionately.”
Brain (frowning): You want to break my patterns? I like my patterns and I’ve done nothing wrong.
You: I didn’t say any of this is your fault. I’m just telling you how we are going to proceed from here on. Here. Lift these barbells. We are going to make new patterns. And to make these new patterns, sometimes we are going to be very still and very quiet. You listening?
Brain (huffing): No comment.
You: I’m going to show you a picture. Tell me what you see.
Brain (forming a smile): Different on the outside, same on the in? We talking about compassion now?
You: At’a girl. (boy)
Brain (nodding slowly so no jarring occurs): Can we start training now?
photo credit
photo 2 credit
related article on meditation and the brain here:
Daily Word Prompt: Athletic
Internal Lies
Why, the mighty serpent,
lay coiled beneath the sea?
Malicious, angry, frightened
of an aimless destiny.
That breath of ire, that binding twist
all internal lies
The whip of tongue, the slash of swords –
veiled in mocked disguise.
How then, perchance, to come alive
in apathetic scales
To lighter states, to softer heart –
what happiness entails.
Unleash the truth and let it soar
to surface, past the churning
through honest waves of grace be found
a myriad of yearning.
daily post prompt: Mighty
photo credit
Carolyn Dennis-Willingham 