Responsibility

Read The Room

January 29, 2024 / / GAYA, Life and Living, Living in the NOW, Responsibility

Things become so twisted when someone assumes what you’re thinking and then they act on their ‘clairvoyance’, not the truth!

I was in a phone conversation the other day, and nearing the end the other party said something like “you seem annoyed with me so I’ll just go”, and I said “okay”, and we hung up. The fact is, I wasn’t annoyed at all, I was somewhat confused with how the conversation was going and I had just asked for some clarification to what was said, and then came the above response.

Someone had assumed, or ‘read my tone’, or whatever, and put the disconnect on me.  This wasn’t about me! A simple question as to whether or not I was annoyed would have settled the whole thing.

I remember learning many years ago that the easiest way to know I am shifting blame is when my words have a “YOU” in them, i.e., “I think that You…”, or “You should….”, “I’m upset because You….”.,,or case in point “You seem annoyed…”.

If I come from the place of “I feel”, i.e., “I don’t feel heard”, “I feel I’m being placated”, “I feel I’m being treated rudely”, I am owning how I feel, but not blaming another for feeling that way.  The long and the short of it is that if I feel the way I do it is because of whatever reaction I’m having to what someone else is doing or saying.  It’s my trigger! I’m the one who has to settle my feelings within myself and figure it out. Only I can give me my peace.

Knowing myself is a big deal!  I’m responsible for how I perceive others’ words, events, anything. If I question something, I know I can ask to get an affirmation of my own understanding, or I can get a correction.  The final assessment is still up to me and it is I who lives with that and trusting myself.

Being comfortable with myself is a big deal!  I have no intention to be unkind or rude to anyone.  If someone has an axe to grind they’ll have to grind it on their own grinding stone.

In life I have to sift the wheat from the chaff. In so doing,  It’s a part of loving myself and taking good care of myself. It’s a part of keeping my own standards of peace and happiness. It’s about trusting myself and my own intuition. It’s about believing myself. It’s about upholding my integrity.

“To Thine Own Self Be True.” Blessed Be.  To All Be Blessed.

Actions speak louder than words.   ~Gaya

 

 

No Time Like The Present…If Not NOW, When?

June 24, 2022 / / GAYA, Intention, It's all in the Energy, NOW, Peace and Understanding, Presence, Responsibility, Silence, True Freedom, Truth to Self

Even at 85, I still think about where I am going in my life, and when I ask the questions I have to answer to myself!  There never is a time in our lives when we can just skip on…without responsibility.

How I try to polish myself, to improve my way of thinking and doing, to the end of more joy and peace in my life is reflected by the ‘outside’ of my life.  There’s no fooling anyone, in particular myself!

When life serves us well, it is evidenced by how each day unfolds.  I know  my ‘countenance’.  I know by how my newly acquired canine friend responds/reacts to me.  I know by how well I get to sleep at night.  I know by how many times I sit in gratitude and amazement when I take the time to take my own inventory.

Life is personal in every single way.  There isn’t a mask I could wear which would hide the truth about me.  There isn’t an excuse I might utter that erases what IS.

When I decided to dig to my authenticity it became my path to freedom.  When I came to the place that I could slowly lift the veils of deception, and emerge in plain view, I realized the sun continued to shine just as brightly on me!   I was able to see where I wanted to begin the work of changing myself and in this process, Life became more meaningful.

Whatever goes on around me is the ultimate predictor. When I participate in Life, I realize how well I am taking care of myself and my responsibilities which I have chosen to assume.  I am realizing more and more that I am becoming the Observer.  It’s an internal experience.  Opinions don’t matter, Inner Peace matters.

Life always comes back to NOW.  It is all there is… NOW.  I recall my coined phrase of long ago, “Everything is as unimportant as it is Important.” There are no degrees of honesty. It’s a continuous deep dig!

Blessed Be.  To All Be Blessed.  Stay Safe. Be Well.

Allowance…~  Gaya

 

Sometimes PEACE can be deafening!

July 31, 2021 / / Authenticity, Conscious Awareness, Faith and Trust, GAYA, Honoring Intention, Humility, Peace and Understanding, Presence, Responsibility, Truth to Self

These days, I’m going for peace, and serenity and equanimity.  One might think this is easy, but it really isn’t!

I live alone and am left to my own devices.  I can choose not to turn on the TV or radio.  I don’t have to say a word to anyone…I can go about my business and shun the world if I wish.  BUT, this isn’t the kind of peace I’m speaking about.  I want peace within the world in which I live.

Peace of mind requires an overall viewpoint of acceptance.  It requires generous thinking…it is living a life of allowance. Of course, dealing with responsibilities in life creates a certain amount of effort, it requires me to change what is.  It requires me to think about what I can do to pre-empt chaos.  This is as simple as changing the oil in my car to avoid engine trouble, for example.  It’s the same thing when it comes to people.  My demeanor dictates  my surroundings.  I am free to do and say that which maintains the space around me. I try to put the best construction on everything without judgment.  If peace is foremost on my mind, then I don’t want to ruffle the waters. I want smooth sailing… I don’t have to go anywhere near the water.

We say, we are in the world, not of  the world.  I can be a contributor to this world I’m in, beginning at my own doorstep.  Peace and calm is a construct of holding oneself in composure.  It’s a posture. It can’t be achieved in arrogance.  In fact, if it is not authentic, it deflates and causes chaos within my mind!

Peace is not achieved easily…it takes time and practice and knowing myself.  It is almost a skill.  I’ve found everything and everyone around me are my ‘peace testers’.  Funny, isn’t it!?  As long as I am given to ‘triggers’ or any kind of dissatisfaction, I am totally aware I always have work to do.  I love this position.  It keeps me humble at the same time I am in such earnest in achieving my intent.

It’s keeping the thoughts at bay.   I say to myself, “New thought, or No thought!”  This works for me.  It tones down the noise in my head which the Ego wants me to tolerate and keep me confused and in unrest.  Isn’t it wonderful we have the capacity to overrule, or override our minds.  We have great personal power.  When we come from the heart, this power exceeds all.  It’s clean and loving and totally well-intended.  What’s outside does not have to enter inside.  We have the keys to that doorway.

There is a Peace of God.

Blessed Be.  To All Be Blessed.  Stay safe.  Be Well.

Have Faith in your connection to that which created you.  This connection

leads and supports you on your Forever Path.  ~  Gaya

 

IT’S WHAT I DO THAT COUNTS!

June 24, 2021 / / Awareness, GAYA, Generosity, Intention, Our Essence, Responsibility

I’ve said for years, “Life is a Two-Way Street.”  But lately, I’m discovering that this may not be!

I’ve said if my friends don’t stay in contact with me on a regular basis, why should I always be the one to initiate  contact? BECAUSE IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD!  BECAUSE I WANT THEM TO KNOW I CARE ABOUT THEM! I think these are actions of being considerate, showing interest and kindness.  It has nothing to do with ‘having skin in the game’, but it has all to do with showing up in life…after all, whatever is part of my life, mind and spirit, is my responsibility, and no one else’s.  It’s part of me tending my life’s garden.

It’s my ego which tells me, ‘even Steven’…if I called last time, you call next time.  You show me how much you care for me!  REALLY?  Is this how it goes?  I think what I do in this life and how I tend my garden is more about how much I put into it…how much I make myself known, with no thought to any return.  It’s like any other altruistic act…one ought not be looking for recompense when one does something selfless.  Selfless actions are full of self!

It’s not up to me to analyze the whys and wherefores of another’s behavior; however, it is every bit my responsibility to know why I do something.  Life is about feeling good about what I’m up to, there’s no tit for tat.  There’s no rhyme or reason to it either.  Life is spontaneous in the moment, in the NOW.  Whatever approaches us and confronts us is what we deal with to the best of our ability.  Mindfulness is very important because it suggests we have the ability to think before we act.

We’re told to stop and smell the roses.  These days I’m telling myself stop and pick a colorful bouquet!  This wonderment…the kaleidoscope of life…offers itself whenever an opportunity to make a kind and helpful gesture comes before us. When I take the time to make something more beautiful, even when it comes down to dusting off a table or polishing some brass or silver.  I, too, provide the fragrance and taste to life by virtue of my attitude and energy which I exude at any given time.  Am I  jolly and optimistic and friendly, or am I  grouchy, soar-voiced and disengaging?  IT’S ALL UP TO ME!   It’s very important that I’m concerned about how I present myself, not what someone else presents to me.  THAT’S ON THEM!

Knowing myself is so very important.  The more autonomous and confident I am, the more freeing my life is.  I owe nothing to no one.  I am free to give of myself at my own will, in the quantity of my own choosing for my own sake.

Blessed Be.  To All Be Well.  Always be safe and stay well.  May you feel happy, may you feel healthy, may you feel safe, and may you feel at ease.

You give yourself endless Peace, Joy and Happiness by virtue of what you 

think of yourself and what you can give to others.   Gaya

I Hold The Magic Wand.

August 27, 2020 / / Authenticity, Conscious Awareness, Don't be held back, Freedom, GAYA, Living in the NOW, Manifesting our goals and dreams, Presence, Responsibility, Self-fulfillment, Self-Realization

I feel the urge, I feel the surge, and I emerge!  … Again and Again and Again!  I think this is the process of how I continue living and doing whatever I set out to do in my life each moment, each hour, and so it goes, on and on.

I’ve learned that living Life isn’t just cut and dried!   It can’t be just a series of habits and repeat performances.  There is always the mundane,  so it’s up to me to hit my ‘refresh’ button!

REFRESH...I love this word!

I don’t ever want to be a ‘stick-in-the-mud’.  I don’t ever want anyone to say to me, “Awe, you’re no fun”, or “Live a Little!” But, I’ve never liked anyone yanking me out of ‘my way’ based on what they think about how I’m doing what I’m doing! I like the feeling of ‘get up and go’, and it’s up to me to do it, not wait for someone else to nudge me or tug on me or even judge me for not appreciating all of the opportunities that are available to me that enhance and expand my Beingness.

A new book I ordered, Welcoming the Unwelcome:  Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World, by Pema Chodron, is being delivered  today.  I’m really excited…like for some long-awaited company!

I am not only offered each new day, I am given the power to observe my own behavior, assess my level of contentment, happiness, joy and calm,  and I have the cognizance to assert myself  for myself  to  fill up my body-mind-soul vessel.  I believe this is my absolute duty, my responsibility, toward myself and my well-being. I am my own instrument effecting the continuous progress of the privilege of living my life as long as I am being.

When you feel your inner peace and joy, you are coming to more understanding of who you are and what you are capable of doing for yourself.  We infinitely support you to your greatest good.    ~Gaya

Blessed Be.  To All Be Safe and Well.

 

 

 

 

Out With the Old, In With the New!

April 30, 2020 / / Conscious Awareness, GAYA, Grace, Gratitude, Honoring Intention, Humility, It's all in the Energy, Life's Impressions, Peace and Understanding, Responsibility, Self-Realization, True Freedom

I’m not going to wait to see what the ‘New Normal’ is going to be!  I’ve been configuring my ‘new normal’ for the past few years as I keep changing myself ‘UP’ and ‘FORWARD’ the best way I know how…and this continues to be with a lot of outside help!

Doesn’t it seem curious that Covid-19 had to present itself, before the world society as a whole had to go into crises mode and begin to take LIFE seriously?

Before this pandemic, we were caught up in the fires in Australia, and the drug pandemic and terrorism and school shootings, to say nothing of our own personal life tantrums, everyday lives, births and deaths which are always ongoing.

Years ago, I was told by a boss  he didn’t think I took life seriously.  This remained a quandary in my mind for years…I really didn’t know what he had meant.  I gave him tribute  in my first book:  “To the late ‘Odie’, who said to me, ‘Kaye, I don’t think you take yourself seriously!’.  I carried his words with me without full grasp for more than 30 years.  This wise man spoke to my future enlightenment and made his mark upon my Soul.  His message holds a remarkable place within me and he deserves this special tribute. I know he is aware.”

What is it about the human nature that is so peculiar to each of us when it comes to what ‘reaches’ us?  I know it isn’t the same for everyone.  It seems we have a stubbornness, or a bullish attitude, or some kind of inner stance that necessitates a ‘leg sweep’, bringing us to our own ‘bottom hit’, before something miraculous is able to happen…before we finally grab hold of a perceived threat and get serious within ourselves.  WHAT A SHAME IT HAS TO COME TO THAT!

It’s like we offer up continuous dares to God, Source Energy,the Universe, the Creator, as if our lives were  our own whimsical success story no matter what we did or didn’t do!

Fact!  I have to take even better care of myself.  I have to be even more aware of my surroundings.  I have to realize how imminently connected I am physically with everything and everyone around me at all times.  I have to think more outside the box when it comes to my personal safety.  I have to realize that unseen catastrophes can be averted when I am more mindful living in the NOW.

What I am suggesting to myself is that I need to live more carefully, less carelessly, with less assumption that things are the same more than they are different or changing. The World Is Changing All The Time.   I may not be able to keep up with all of the advances in science and technology and medicine, but I am able to continuously take better care of myself within the societal landscape of my own life.

A neighborhood acquaintance came to my door yesterday…apparently, in total disregard of our current ‘stay home if you don’t have to go out’ ground rules.  I was astonished.  It seemed he came for a social visit.  I immediately asked him to step back and keep his distance…I had no plans to invite him in.  People do strange things!

We’ve been told when we’re behind the wheel of a car, to be a defensive driver.  I think the time has come that we have to become a ‘defensive liver!’  We have to beware and stand ready to take action against thoughtless behaviors of others.  Socially, it seems we are inclined to give leeway to another, giving one the benefit of the doubt, but I think these days are now over.  Instead of being our brother’s/sister’s keeper, we have to be more mindful to make sure our brother/sister is more responsible, by virtue of our own responsibility to self.  We have to always be thinking in the name of the common good.  We cannot be permitting or allowing, in the face of worrying about hurting another’s feelings.  Time has come that we’ve been rapped on the head…or, I’ll say, I feel the rap on my own head…I’ve got to stand up in a different way for my welfare, my safety, my peace and my calm.  IT’S ABOUT BEING MATTER-OF-FACT ABOUT LIFE.

The Times, They Are A-changin’.  I will be more responsible for my place in this world, in my home, my neighborhood and how I view my life.  Life is indeed serious business…it always has been.  Nothing should be taken for granted.

It is good when one recognizes just how precious everything under creation is.   ~Gaya

Blessed Be.  To All Be Well and Safe.

 

Time Is Always At Hand.

April 7, 2020 / / Authenticity, Conscious Awareness, GAYA, Gratitude, Honoring Intention, Life's Impressions, Living in the NOW, Mindfulness, Responsibility

‘Now is the time for all good men [women] to come to the aid of their country.’  Does this look familiar to some of you?  It is the sentence we used in typing class.  Why I thought of it this morning, I don’t know…but isn’t it appropriate?

If I’m going to come to the aid of my country, I have to come to my own aid first.  This means back to basics when I think this way.

I turned 83 this past week and I must say, it feels good.  I’ve been on this earth quite a long while.  So much has happened. And, these days, we are experiencing something very new…IT’S A FIRST FOR ME IN ALL MY YEARS.  In all my time, I guess it’s the right time for me to experience this pandemic virus, Covid 19.

Every time is the right time for each one of us.  We all have our own perception of things, we have our own reality, we think peculiarly to ourselves.

TIME. I have as much as I need to do what has to be done.  There is always just enough of it to complete each moment I am alive.   It’s always available to me…like an never-emptying vessel. I have it when I’m sleeping and when I am awake.  I can use it however I wish, to do with as I choose.   I can choose to repeat, or change, or waste it.  I can spend time, I can never save it.  Yet, it’s always at my fingertips.

Time is like a magic wand.  Wherever I place my attention and intention, I make choices and take actions and create my world…all in the time I have.  At the end of the day it’s about ME and how I’ve utilized MY time.  At the end of the day, it’s about what I’VE been up to!

As of this moment, I have a new respect and concept of TIME.  I value it more. It is truly an overlooked treasure. As long as I am breathing, I am ‘in the Grace of Time’.  I am the magician in my life.  I can take time to do anything.

Blessed Be. To All Be Blessed.  All Be Well.

Closer she comes to more clarity and understanding of what is important to her.  ~Gaya

 

 

God Grant Me the Serenity to Accept the Things I Cannot Change and Change the Things I Can…In ME!

June 11, 2019 / / Conscious Awareness, Faith and Trust, GAYA, Grace, Gratitude, Humility, Living in the NOW, Responsibility, Source Energy, Truth to Self

When I am in problem – especially repetitive problem – it is good to try to put into perspective why I choose to view my problems as such hindrance, as against such privilege for me to gain awareness.  It is all too easy to immediately point fingers outward at people or circumstances and make them the objects of  why my life has chaos in it. Of course, my reaction to everything is key, but as I sit in the silence right now writing this blog, I can’t circumvent the fact that if I choose to be affected by anything outside of me, I have chosen to be attached to it in some way.

At birth I was physically detached from my mother when the umbilical cord was severed.  Henceforth, I became emotionally attached, totally dependent upon her nurturing and physical sustenance.  In the process of maturing, I learned rules and social skills from everyone I was around.  School became the first introduction to existence within another social setting and exposed me to academia and socialization in preparation for my entrance into the world as an independent human being, presumably ready to care for myself and become successful in my own life.

Trial and error, tripping and falling and getting back up for another stab at succeeding became routine. Through the years this process became easier because I learned I was capable; I was resilient; I was Faithful and Hopeful that this process of living life was totally worth it;  I was Blessed to have met certain Earth Angels who guided me and loved me through some difficult times; circumstances offered me opportunities along the way too – some of which I grabbed onto and some I missed.

Through all this, what can I apply to continue on my Forever Path with more ease?  Today I sit in the silence and again realize I need to find the answers within me.  I need to clarify my perception of my position within the chaos.   As much as I certainly do need others around me – friends, colleagues, peers, and neighbors – I am essentially alone.  The chaos I am feeling, is none other than my attachment.

Life serves itself up to me every day!  I live in the NOW of my life the best I can.  Life is nothing more than continuous NOWS, which fleet into PASTS.  Attachment is in the mind and wreaks havoc!

I need to let everything and everyone BE and I need to unconditionally accept ALL as it IS.  This goes for  accepting ME too!  I am FREE to change my perceptions to suit my Joy, Happiness and Peace.  I must be KIND in the face of adversity…kind to others and to myself as well.  This is a GENEROUS act.  I am Grateful.

My saving Grace is my desire and willingness and courage to change the things I can…ME.

We are your support, your anchor, your wind in your sails. We become One in your Hope and Faith.   ~Gaya

Blessed Be.  To All Be Blessed.