If we allow ourselves to be vulnerable,
will the dragon win?
No.
If we can accept our insecurities and fears,
we have a far greater chance at authentic
and happy lives,
and so does the dragon!
Thoughts on vulnerability, inspired by a TED talk by Brené Brown.
Dragon found at Barberville Roadside Yard Art and Produce, Pierson, Florida.
Glistening in the sun's rays,
this branch flew out like some prehistoric bird,
threatening the serenity of an easy afternoon
on the clear water of an ageless spring.
Are there two sides to the Irish mythology –
leprechauns playing jokes on folks while faeries dance in circles
beneath enchanted trees,
and
the deep sadness that you hear in her ballads and songs?
Here's hoping for a balance between the joys and sorrows
on this St. Patty's Day
and the rest of your tomorrows.
Irish angel in a garden in St. Augustine, Florida.
And giving it…
To the northern folks who are reading this, the birds are heading your way, high up in the sky, so it won't be long before springtime is here.
Dreaming about sailing again…
Alexander Springs, with metal boat from Barberville Roadside Yard Art and Produce.
There are paths taken,
and paths not taken.
It doesn't pay to have regrets.
Each life is so unique, yours, mine,
that it can only be lived by a you or a me.
There is no other way.
No one will ever get the whole story of your life except you.
It's how it is.
So, relax,
trust, and enjoy.
Path not taken, in old St. Augustine.
If you meditate on your own impermanence,
you might be more compelled to live in the present moment.
After all, yesterday is but a memory drifting away,
and tomorrow a dream to be.
This places you squarely in the here and now –
the only true reality.
It is difficult to get there and harder to stay,
but when you manage it,
you find
freedom,
wonder,
and
love.
Yes, love – not in the past,
not in the future,
but right here, right now,
in
you.
Figures in a shop window on St. George Street, St. Augustine, Florida.
On a walk through old St. Augustine,
this lovely surprise was swaying on the end of a long arching stem,
powered by large round green sails –
up and down and 'round and 'round,
in the gentle breeze.
Miniature daffodils
looking all grown up (in close up).
Your mother's favorite flower.
Even
after
all this time
the sun never says to the earth,
"You owe me."
Look
what happens
with a love like that –
it lights the whole
world.
Hafiz
Poem by Shams-ud-din Muhammad Hafiz (c.1320-1389), the most beloved poet of Persia,
from the Penguin publication, Love Poems From God, Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West.
Copyright © 2002 Daniel Ladinsky and used with his permission.
Sunset at St. Augustine Beach, Florida.
Gleanings From Living Long
Lainesblog Thinking Out Loud 