Meaningful Monday – Suffering

On June 11, 2018 By WendyIn Chronic Illness, HLAA, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Pain, Quotes10 Comments

“Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching,

and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be.

I have been bent and broken, but

—I hope—

Into a better shape.”

~ Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“There is the solitude of suffering,

when you go through darkness that is

lonely, intense, and terrible.

Words become powerless to express your pain;

what others hear from your words is

so distant and different from what you are actually suffering.”

~ John O’Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

“We must look deeply in order to understand

the needs, aspirations, and suffering

of the person we love.

This is the ground of real love”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

*photo by W. Holcombe. Baby Opuntia (prickly pear) Cactus. Please do not use without permission.

I did things a little differently this week, the not all of the quotes would be considered “mindful”, but I felt they were more meaningful this week.

Mindfulness Monday: to be in the moment*

On June 4, 2018June 4, 2018 By LorraineIn Mindfulness, Quotes23 Comments

“In this moment, there is plenty of time. In this moment, you are precisely as you should be. In this moment, there is infinite possibility.”

Victoria Moran

“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.”

Mother Teresa

“Welcome to the present moment. Here. Now. The only moment there ever is.”

Eckhart Tolle

* Wendy is settling into her new life in Tucson and asked me to fill in for her today. When she gets the chance, she’ll post about her adventures.

This week, I’m returning to the simple principal of mindfulness (as Wendy has taught me): be in the moment.

Mindfulness Monday – Travel

On May 28, 2018May 28, 2018 By WendyIn Chronic Illness, Mindfulness9 Comments

“Everything I was I carry with me.

Everything I will be lies waiting on the road ahead.”

~ Majian

“Wherever you go

There you are”

~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

“We travel,

Some of us forever,

To seek other states,

Other lives, other souls.”

~ Anais Nin

* Photos are from the road traveling from North Carolina to Arizona, We aren’t there yet, we’re in New Mexico should be in Tucson this afternoon.

Safe travels.

Mindfulness Monday – Pain

On May 14, 2018 By WendyIn Chronic Illness, Mindfulness, Quotes13 Comments

“Pain can change you,

but that doesn’t mean

it has to be a bad change.

Take that pain and

turn it into wisdom.

~Dalai Lama

“To diminish the suffering of pain,

We need to make a crucial distinction

Between pain of pain,

And the pain we create

By our thoughts about the pain.

Fear, anger, guilt, loneliness and helplessness

Are all mental and emotional responses

That can intensify pain.”

~Howard Cutler

“Pain is not wrong.

reacting to pain as wrong initiates

the trance of unworthiness.

The moment we believe something is wrong,

our world shrinks and

we lose ourselves in the effort

to combat the pain.”

~Tara Brach

Mindfulness Monday – Eckhart Tolle

On April 30, 2018 By WendyIn Chronic Illness, Mindfulness, Quotes9 Comments

“Be the silent watcher of your thoughts and behavior.

You are beneath the thinker.

You are the stillness beneath the mental noise.

You are the love and joy beneath the pain.”

~ Eckhart Tolle

“In today’s rush,

we all think too much-

seek too much-

want too much-

and forget about the joy

of just being.”

~Eckhart Tolle

“The ultimate truth of

who you are is not

I am this or

I am that, but

I AM”

~Eckhart Tolle

*image by and of W. Holcombe. do not use without permission

Mindfulness Monday – Beauty

On April 9, 2018 By WendyIn Chronic Illness, Mindfulness, Quotes4 Comments

“In every bend of time

there is some surprise,

joy and beauty.

Mindfulness is the

light to discover it.”

~ Amit Ray

“Beauty surrounds us.”

~ Rumi

“Because of your smile,

you make life more beautiful.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

“Everything has beauty,

but not everyone sees it.”

~ Confucius

* As I was walking into the doctor’s office, I saw this flower; it was all alone in the middle of a parking lot, sharing it’s beauty. I had to share it with you.

photo by Wendy Holcombe. Please do not use without permission.

Mindfulness Monday – Grow

On April 2, 2018April 2, 2018 By WendyIn Chronic Illness, Mindfulness, Quotes8 Comments

quote grow

“If we’re growing,

we’re always going to be

our of our comfort zone.”

~ John Maxwell

“The deeper you go,

the more you grow.”

~ Suzanne Heyn

“It’s tempting to try and

blossom before we’re ready.

Only forced plants grow that way.

Treat yourself more organically,

allow life to unfold.

~Kelly Martin

Mindfulness Monday – Byron Katie

On March 26, 2018 By WendyIn Chronic Illness, Mindfulness, Quotes3 Comments

“It’s not your job

to like me –

It’s mine.”

~ Byron Katie

“It’s not the problem

that causes

our suffering;

it’s our thinking

about the problem.”

~ Byron Katie

“The world is what

you believe it to be,

and it changes as you change.”

~ Byron Katie

“When you discover that all

happiness is inside you,

the wanting

and needing

are over.”

~ Byron Katie

Mindfulness Monday – Shadow

On March 19, 2018 By WendyIn Chronic Illness, Mindfulness, Quotes3 Comments

“Don’t chase after your thoughts

as a shadow follows it’s object.

Find joy and peace in this very moment.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

“Put your thoughts to sleep,

do not let them cast a shadow

over the moon of your heart.

Let go of thinking.

~ Rumi

“If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts,

happiness follows them

like a never-departing shadow'”

~ Buddha

Mindfulness Monday – change

On March 12, 2018March 11, 2018 By WendyIn Chronic Illness, Mindfulness, Quotes5 Comments

“Some changes look negative on the surface

but you will soon realize that space is being created

in your life for something new to emerge.”

~ Eckhart Tolle

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.

Don’t resist them;

that only creates sorrow.

Let reality be reality.

Let things flow naturally forward

in whatever way they like.”

~ Lao Tzu

**photo by W. Holcombe. Tulip Magnolia in my backyard, the beginning of Spring 2018

Share this:

Share this:

“Everything I was I carry with me.

Everything I will be lies waiting on the road ahead.”

~ Majian

“Wherever you go

There you are”

~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

“We travel,

Some of us forever,

To seek other states,

Other lives, other souls.”

~ Anais Nin

Share this:

“Pain can change you,

but that doesn’t mean

it has to be a bad change.

Take that pain and

turn it into wisdom.

~Dalai Lama

“To diminish the suffering of pain,

We need to make a crucial distinction

Between pain of pain,

And the pain we create

By our thoughts about the pain.

Fear, anger, guilt, loneliness and helplessness

Are all mental and emotional responses

That can intensify pain.”

~Howard Cutler

“Pain is not wrong.

reacting to pain as wrong initiates

the trance of unworthiness.

The moment we believe something is wrong,

our world shrinks and

we lose ourselves in the effort

to combat the pain.”

~Tara Brach

Share this:

“Be the silent watcher of your thoughts and behavior.

You are beneath the thinker.

You are the stillness beneath the mental noise.

You are the love and joy beneath the pain.”

~ Eckhart Tolle

“In today’s rush,

we all think too much-

seek too much-

want too much-

and forget about the joy

of just being.”

~Eckhart Tolle

“The ultimate truth of

who you are is not

I am this or

I am that, but

I AM”

~Eckhart Tolle

Share this:

“In every bend of time

there is some surprise,

joy and beauty.

Mindfulness is the

light to discover it.”

~ Amit Ray

“Beauty surrounds us.”

~ Rumi

“Because of your smile,

you make life more beautiful.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

“Everything has beauty,

but not everyone sees it.”

~ Confucius

Share this:

“If we’re growing,

we’re always going to be

our of our comfort zone.”

~ John Maxwell

“The deeper you go,

the more you grow.”

~ Suzanne Heyn

“It’s tempting to try and