September 1, 2010 by Roldan Smith
for Griffin Matthew Payne, 09/01/10
What is Friendship?
A pat on the back?
A shake of a hand?
A kiss on the cheek?
A hug?
A smile?
A holding of the heart?
Perchance it’s all or none of these.
It’s you who must decide.
It’s what you desire.
How to address a close bond between two people
who share… who laugh… who cry…
without a worry or a doubtful thought
to those who are looking upon it from the outside.
To have a friend is to have trust and communication
and care for the other’s well being.
Where questions are fine and encouraged and good.
Friendships may have limits… in the beginning…
yet grow and e x p a n d
with the expansion of the Selves
in their own course of time.
And then again, maybe I’m wrong…
But, for me… True Friendship is rare,
And all that I have, I am willing to share.
Thank you for receiving, returning
and exploring the full mystery of it with me…
again.
(originally composed 11/30/92 -A.llen O.wen)
Posted in By Roldan F. Smith, Poetic Prose | Tagged friendship, love, truth, sharing, roldan smith, on common ground, on-common-ground.com, communication, wonder, the soul's journey, griffin payne | Leave a Comment »
August 21, 2010 by Roldan Smith
Without a Net: Living Life with Trust via the DailyOM.com
Living life without a net can be just what we need to step outside of ourselves and make the choices we need most.
As we create the life of our dreams, we often reach a crossroads where the choices seem to involve the risk of facing the unknown versus the safety and comfort of all that we have come to trust. We may feel like a tightrope walker, carefully teetering along the narrow path to our goals, sometimes feeling that we are doing so without a net. Knowing we have some backup may help us work up the courage to take those first steps, until we are secure in knowing that we have the skills to work without one. But when we live our lives from a place of balance and trust in the universe, we may not see our source of support, but we can know that it is there.
If we refuse to act only if we can see the safety net, we may be allowing the net to become a trap as it creates a barrier between us and the freedom to pursue our goals. Change is inherent in life, so even what we have learned to trust can surprise us at any moment. Remove fear from the equation and then, without even wondering what is going on below, we can devote our full attention to the dream that awaits us.
We attract support into our lives when we are willing to make those first tentative steps, trusting that the universe will provide exactly what we need. In that process we can decide that whatever comes from our actions is only for our highest and best experience of growth. It may come in the form of a soft landing, an unexpected rescue or an eye-opening experience gleaned only from the process of falling. So rather than allowing our lives to be dictated by fear of the unknown, or trying to avoid falling, we can appreciate that sometimes we experience life fully when we are willing to trust and fall. And in doing so, we may just find that we have the wings to fly.
When we believe that there is a reason for everything, we are stepping out with the safety net of the universe, and we know we will make the best from whatever comes our way.
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August 13, 2010 by Roldan Smith
A Matter of Priorities: Letting Go of the Little Stuff
via the DailyOM.com
When we stop worrying about unimportant matters we can devote more to what is truly important.
We experience numerous disappointments each and every day. Our expectations go unmet, our plans are blocked by circumstance, our wishes go unfulfilled, and we discover that our lives are subject to a myriad of forces beyond our conscious control. In some cases, our response is powerful because we must invest ourselves and our resources to overcome genuine hardship. In others, our reactions are far more passionate than our circumstances likely warrant. The tension that permeates our bodies and minds when we are late for an event, interrupted at work, or sitting in traffic is not inappropriate, but it can interfere with our well-being in profound ways. When we stop worrying about relatively unimportant matters, we can be at peace and devote so much more of ourselves to what is truly important.
The small frustrations and irritations wield such power over us because they rob us of the illusion of control. But every problem is a potential teacher—a confusing situation is an opportunity to practice mindfulness, and difficult people provide us with opportunities to display compassion. There is a natural human tendency to invest copious amounts of emotional energy in minor dilemmas and frustrations in order to avoid confronting those more complex issues that are largely outside the realm of our control. The intensity of our response provides us with a temporary sense of personal power that helps us cope with challenges that might otherwise overwhelm us. But it is only when we let the little stuff go that we discover that the big stuff is not really so devastating after all.
In the stress of a singularly tense incident, differentiating between an inconsequential annoyance and a legitimate challenge can seem a monumental task. Ask yourself whether the emotions you are feeling will be as vivid in a year, a day, or even an hour. As focused as you are on this moment in time, your reward for letting go of your emotional investment may be the very happiness and harmony of being whose loss you are lamenting. Needless aggravation is seldom worth the cost it exacts. You cannot distance yourself from life’s inconsistencies, irritations, and upheavals, but you can relinquish your desire for perfect order and gain peace of mind in the process.
Posted in Blog Share, Forgivenes, Health & Healing, humanity | Leave a Comment »
