The Living Room

Counsel

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Michaela

Do exactly what you would do if you felt most secure

Meister Eckhart (b 1260 d 1328)

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This place that I go

Posted on December 7, 2010 by dreamfable

There’s this place that I go way down deep inside.

I go there for my solace, and when I want to hide.
From deep within me I can think, and ponder all I see.

And no one else can come there, it’s just a place for me.

I can think the things I want to think and no one else will know

I can see the world in colors that have a special glow.

I see the things I want to see, and never have to hurry.

‘Cuz no one else can come inside,

So, I don’t have to worry

The world looks like I want it to, from way down deep inside.

And best of all, I have a friend whom I can ask inside.

I don’t have to change this place when in his company.

‘Cuz the only friend I asked inside is just the same as me.

He understands the things I think, and likes the things I do.

He likes my shades of yellow, and all the colors blue.

He likes the softness that I have, hidden deep inside.

He likes to come inside to see, this place I go to hide.

He props his feet up comfortably, and never makes a mess.

He sits inside my hiding place and never causes stress.

He comes to take his solace here within my special place.

And when it’s time for him to leave,

A smile’s upon his face.

I ask him to this special place that’s hidden deep within.

‘Cuz he’s my dearest, kindest soul,

My counterpart, my friend.

We share a special knowledge here, that no one else can find.

And I invited him inside this special place of mine.

He didn’t try to change my thoughts,

or colors that I see.

He took comfort in this place of mine,

because it’s really me.

I wouldn’t have invited him if trust I did not feel.

For hidden deep within this place is all I have, it’s real.

— Cougar Wisdom —

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Little wonders

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Michaela

Arctic sea star

From the census of marine life

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Being Happy

Posted on December 6, 2010 by marita

“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” ~Unknown

4 Comments

Under the sea

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Michaela

Life in the ocean

A census of marine life made direct observations of 120,000 marine species. A plenitude of wonders.

Watch the slide show

Posted in Photographs | 3 Comments

Politics is a process

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Michaela

Radiant, but easy on the eye

Politics (from Greek πολιτικος, [politikós]: «citizen»), is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. And while there is nothing wrong with creating a platform for engaging the individual in the decisions that ultimately affect them, we also have to see and acknowledge that we have allowed this process to be hijacked and abused to ultimately serve the interest of a few. Politics have become synonymous with greed, but it would be a mistake to think that this manifestation of power seeking is unrelated to any of us. I am a firm believer in democracy and – ultimately – politics in the original sense. But I have become very weary about the manipulation and systemic division that is going on in even the most powerful or successful countries regarding obfuscating what is true. And I have understood that the only one to do something about it, is myself. And the answer is not in resistance, or ignorance – but my own personal transformation.

To serve as an example .

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Posted in Doing not-doing | Tagged The Tao te Ching | Leave a comment

On addiction

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Michaela

What lies beneath

More and more I am coming to the conclusion that the mechanism of addiction is at the core of all our suffering. It is what is keeping us in the world of illusion and it prevents us from seeing what is true. It is what misleads us into believing a misperception and to continue to hold on to it. This is what is meant with ignorance – to turn a blind eye to who we really are and to ignore the need to transform.

To rather stay in the state of illusion and tremendous suffering is the hallmark of addiction.

I sometimes get to speak about addiction and I often use the following allegory: the German word for addiction is “Sucht” – a word that sounds as if it was derived from the verb “suchen” – to seek, but the etymological roots are actually in the verb “siechen” – to waste away of a disease. To me the above includes all we need to know to describe an addiction – wasting away while seeking for redemption in all the wrong places.

So let us explore the mechanism of addiction, in particular how this is related to the illusion of separation and inasmuch it can be both, an obstacle but also a trigger for awakening.

Continue reading →

Posted in Michaela on Medicine, The Sacred Disease | Tagged Compulsive behavior, emotions and disease, Health, letting go, Living Truth, surrender, truth | 6 Comments

Dolce far niente

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Michaela

The sweetness of doing nothing.

The sweetness of life

This is the quintessential Italian receipt for being happy. Just do nothing. Sit, look, smell, taste, hear, touch – and breath. This is not being lazy, this is just being totally immersed in what is really important in this life – living in this moment.Let us always remember that when we seem to be pulled away by the stream of our thoughts and what appears to be so much more important right now. Only by mastering the dolce far niente we will find the narrow door to what really matters.

This post is dedicated to Catrin, because she wonders if the dolce far niente is really for her. 🙂

Posted in The Window Seat | Tagged doing non doing, Dolce for niente | 1 Comment

Perdere l’amore

Posted on December 6, 2010 by dreamfable

English is a nice language for a conversation. When it comes to music however, I believe, it can not compete with French, Spanish and Italian. With these languages passion, amore and life itself expresses it’s self in a way that one can only surrender to it.

Perdere l’amore

E adesso andate via
voglio restare solo
con la malinconia
volare nel suo cielo
non chiesi mai chi eri
perchè scegliesti me
me che fino ad ieri
credevo fossi un re

Perdere l’amore
quando si fa sera
quando tra i capelli
un pò d’argento li colora
rischi di impazzire
può scoppiarti il cuore
perdere una donna
e avere voglia di morire

Lasciami gridare
rinnegare il cielo
prendere a sassate
tutti i sogni ancora in volo
li farò cadere ad uno ad uno
spezzerò le ali del destino
e ti avrò vicino

Comunque ti capisco
e ammetto che sbagliavo
facevo le tue scelte
chissà che pretendevo
e adesso che rimane
di tutto il tempo insieme
un uomo troppo solo
che ancora ti vuol bene

Perdere l’amore
quando si fa sera
quando sopra al viso
c’è una ruga che non c’era
provi a ragionare
fai l’indifferente
fino a che ti accorgi
che non sei servito a niente

E vorresti urlare
soffocare il cielo
sbattere la testa
mille volte contro il muro
respirare forte il suo cuscino
dire è tutta colpa del destino
se non ti ho vicino

Perdere l’amore
maledetta sera
e raccogli i cocci
di una vita immaginaria
pensi che domani
è un giorno nuovo
ma ripeti non me l’aspettavo
non me l’aspettavo

Prendere a sassate
tutti i sogni ancora in volo
li farò cadere ad uno ad uno
spezzerò le ali del destino
e ti avrò vicino

Losing (the) love

And now go away
I want to be alone
with the sadness
flying in its own sky
I’ve never asked who you were
why did you choose me
me, who until yesterday
I thought I were a king

Losing the love
when night comes
when the hair
gets a silver shade
you risk going mad
your heart can break out
losing a woman
and wanting to die

Let me shout
and disown the sky
throwing stones at
all my dreams still flying
I will make them fall [down] one by one
I will break the wings of destiny
and I’ll have you near

Anyway, I understand you
and I admit I was wrong
I was making the choices for you
who knows what was I pretending
and now what’s left
of all the time we spent together
a very lonely man
who is still loving you

Losing the love
when night comes
when on your face
there’s a wrinkle that didn’t exist before
you try to reason
pretending to be indifferent
till you realize
that you were of no use

And you’d like to scream
and suffocate the sky
hitting your head
against the wall a thousand times
strongly breathing her pillow
blaming the destiny
for not having you near

Losing the love
damned night
and you pick up the pieces
of an imaginary life
you think that tomorrow
it’s a new day
but you keep on repeating: “I didn’t expect this!”
“I didn’t expect this!”

Throwing stones
at all the dreams still flying
I will make them fall one by one
will break the wings of destiny
and I’ll have you near

Posted in The Armchair | 5 Comments

A´tini al-Nay (Give me the flute)

Posted on December 5, 2010 by dreamfable

Little can move my soul so much as music.
So if Michaela allows me too…

A´tini al-Nay, written by Khalil Gibran and song by Fairouz, “Ambassador to the Stars” and “Neighbor to the Moon”. One of the first Arabic songs I heard. No words can describe how much I love this song.