Simply Living: Who looks inside, awakens.

Sitting on the couch with my three month old, making funny faces, observing the light dance around in her eyes as she smiles at my fishy face, is easily my favorite thing in the world. Her scrunched nose, mouth agape smile has utterly changed my world. That face has raised so many questions as to who I want to be in life and how I’d like to see her grow into a little lady. Watching her as she mimics my expressions reiterates that she will continue to follow my lead as she gets older – and that’s a little terrifying. I’ve made mistakes and done things I’m not proud of. I’ve had my heart broken and I’ve been in some dark places. I’ve stayed out all night and missed work the next morning. I’ve raised my voice when I should have opened my mind.. I want to shield her from all that I’ve learned the hard way, but I wouldn’t be the person I am had I not gone down that road myself. There’s a saying, “No one can ever teach us anything, in school or in life, that we are not ready to learn ours

>>>via Buddhist Boot Camp "Relationships are often misunderstood to be a simple commitment between two people; a dedication to each other with a sense of belonging to one another. Unfortunately, that kind of limited perspective breeds expectations, possessiveness and disappointment, and it reeks of ownership, greed, ignorance, and selfish desire. A healthy relationship is an agreement between two people to support each other's spiritual practice. It is a vow to encourage each other's dedication, devotion and path, free from attachment or expectations (yet full of caring and compassion). A healthy relationship is based on unconditional love, not one where your need is to possess. Although you put plenty of "heart" into it, you lose nothing by giving it away. If each person is equally dedicated to inspire, create, awaken and enrich the lives of others, then there is no hidden agenda. It is far less important what one receives from the other as what one