A Balanced Approach to Wellness!

Vote

Today are elections in the country where I live. In honor of this confusing day, I asked Spiritual Presence what to share. Here we go…

The ability to vote is a not-to-be-taken-for-granted situation. People who are eligible to vote have the opportunity to influence in a personal way, and they should vote with the weight of this responsibility on their shoulders.

The candidates are a reflection of their society—neither better nor worse. These people have troubles just like others and their lives are influenced by the decisions of the people who vote. The candidates may seem more special than the people who vote, but in actuality, they are the same. The candidates lack assurance as the votes are cast and determined.

Leaders and temptation

Here is information from an earlier blog post that reminds us of the challenges that come with choosing to be a leader, particularly in politics:

To be a leader means to be tempted:

  • Tempted to change things for one’s own interests.
  • Tempted to change things for one’s friends.
  • Tempted to change things for one’s family.
  • Tempted to change things for one’s perceived friends.
  • Tempted to change things for the sake of change.
  • Tempted to change things for the sake of being able to bring change.
  • Tempted to change things in order to create a new reality.
  • Tempted to change things in order to create an earlier reality.
  • Tempted to do things that couldn’t be done when one wasn’t a leader.

Being a leader can be a heady experience. Perhaps you were elected. Perhaps you were chosen. Perhaps you were the only choice. Perhaps you were aggressive and claimed it.

Being a leader can be an inflating experience. Perhaps you can get things you couldn’t get before. Perhaps you can be presented with opportunities that only come to leaders. Perhaps you can be presented with power that influences in a negative way.

Being a leader can be a negative experience. Perhaps you see sides of yourself that you didn’t realize existed. Perhaps you see sides of others that you didn’t realize existed as well.

BUT…

Being a leader can present opportunities to bring change that is needed, that is for the betterment of society that is purposeful and balanced. The temptations that are negative can fall away and higher purpose can be served. Being a leader does not guarantee that one’s life is better or more significant. Being a leader is a way to serve society and the people who need a person to decide. Being a leader should be undertaken by people who are spiritually connected (not meaning religious—that can be something else) and are interested in balance and positivity. Being a leader is an opportunity to banish the temptations and be an example to people who are looking for a guide and a torchbearer.

Leaders and temptation

cover for Exploring EGC

In Exploring Energy Guidance Complete, My Journey I describe my awakening to my connection with Spiritual Presence and to the wisdom of Energy Guidance Complete. In my journey towards personal balance and my work as a spiritual healer, I require facing many aspects of life, and these aspects are presented in the book because they have relevance for all people who seek well-being.

Here are snippets from the book:

  • From the topic “Willingness to Blossom”:

The willingness to blossom is not built in. It is a conscious decision that each person makes. It doesn’t mean succeeding; it means being open to succeeding. It means having a sense of purpose and making the purpose a priority.

  • From the topic “Life Uplifted”:

Here are my life-uplifting activities: Spiritual Presence awareness, writing about Spiritual Presence, connecting people to balance and healing,…dancing: with my dance-class women, at live music performances, during Energy Guidance Complete sessions, alone while listening to music that is lively or meaningful…watching my children evolve…caring for my garden, my home, other people…”

  • From the topic “Connecting to Curiosity and Fascination”:

When people connect to the environment, they ground themselves. When people connect to animals, they entertain themselves. When people connect to other people, they understand themselves.

  • From the topic”Not-difficulty in Life”:

“One can learn to positively understand one’s life by noticing the minor unencumbered moments and consciously remembering to let them leave a quiet, subtle impression. The accumulation of these positive and soft impressions raise and balance attitude.” Pond a Connected Existence reminds us to see the not-difficulty in the chapter “Moment”.

Noticing all the small successes and eases that accompany life bring gratitude and calmness. For most people, the small successes and eases far out-weigh the irritations and stumbling blocks. Focusing on how often things go right helps when things don’t. Remembering to feel appreciative when daily life runs smoothly helps create a kind and healthy person.

  • From the topic “My Journey”

Awareness of a new direction nudged me, and I began to write additional information I received. This information started as separate essays. After writing several essays, I understood that something larger was being written. These wisdom essays became the first volume in the “Existence-Me Elevated Living” book series. I understood that I would be writing a series of seven books.

The first one was especially exciting to write, for I was amazed at each word that materialized from my questioning. I learned to ask questions in a focused manner, and the words began to flow onto the computer.

(From the beginning of the topic) My path was not forced on me, but societal and family pressures led me to walk a route that was not my own. Growing up in a family that valued conformity and security led me to studies that weren’t appropriate for my natural talents, to suppression of my true desires for traveling and exploration, and to choice-making that was for someone other than me. I learned that being not-too-outspoken and not-too-ready-to-express-creative-thoughts elicited approval and admiration.

 

Government election. Partake or refuse?
Family gathering. Partake or refuse?
Community service. Partake or refuse?
Neighborhood mixing. Partake or refuse?
Time with friends. Partake or refuse?

Partake or refuse

The choice “Partake” builds connections and balance.

The choice “refuse” grants ease perhaps, but also less connection, balance, and support.

Partaking in societal efforts to create a supportive society delivers more to the people who take part than they realize. The nature of people is to connect and to become intertwined. Building together, whether in a small community or in a sprawling metropolis, supplies each person who takes part with memories and accomplishment.

The sense of accomplishment can be attained through endeavors that build one’s own family or oneself, and this sense of accomplishment is supportive, but is narrow. Accomplishment that builds support among community members is able to fill a person with beyond-self contentment.

The gift of memories that develop from communal involvement also fill a person with beyond-self contentment. Although memories of time spent in assisting with community betterment are personally uplifting, when combined with all community member having these memories, the entire populace of that area is infused with a sense of connected well-being.

Partake or refuse?
Better to partake!

Giraffes

While in LA, I had the opportunity to amble at the LA Zoo & Botanical Gardens.

This zoo is lush with vegetation. The atmosphere from the luscious greenery fills the zoo with a sense of growth and protection. The gardens cause visitors to walk a bit more slowly and to breathe a bit more deeply.

The zoo is a humane zoo that cares for its residents in an obviously protective manner. The animals have “homes” that suit them in landscaping, but not in size. Of course, the animals would be better off in their natural habitats, but the natural habitats are often unsafe for them because of people-inflicted damage. The zoo strives to create a normal living space for each animal, and in most cases, succeeds. The animals are content, and so the zoo is focused in the right direction.

The atmosphere at the zoo influences the attendees. These visitors become less me-focused and more other-aware as they move from animal home to animal home. In general, the atmosphere among the visitors is one of friendliness and camaraderie.

Kudos to the LA Zoo!

Ambling at the Zoo

Seeing the zoo requires
kindness
feelings
curiosity
patience
empathy
desire to connect.

Animal viewing
Animal antics
Animal entertainment

Ambling at the zoo
is the way to see the zoo.

From here to there,
skipping is allowed.

Desire to connect
brings connection to self.

Feeling the animals’ energy
adds energy to the observer.

I + Them = energy

See the animals and be amazed!

This poem is from the upcoming book of poetry named “Unfolding”.

The magic pill

Post 106 personal resistance

I have been guiding people towards balance through Energy Guidance Complete. This work involves people making changes in their habits and in their choices. This approach requires a positive spirit and willingness to change.

When people apply the wisdom of Energy Guidance Complete, their symptoms abate and their goals become reachable.

Here’s the amazing aspect of my work–and by amazing I mean that I am shaking my head with disbelief–when presented with healing that requires a willing spirit and desire for health, too many choose to remain afflicted and floundering. Too many want me to say a magic sentence and all will be right for them. Too many want me to tell them a secret cure to fix all ails. Too many want to be well without changing a thing. Too many want to be svelte without putting down the fork and stuffing their mouths with worthless and damaging edible things that masquerade as food. Too many prefer to give their kids a pill rather than make them eat breakfast every morning. Too many want ease.

Promises of an easy life come from marketing blurbs and diet supplements. Real life requires investment in proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and daily exercise. And community service and time for friends.

The magic pill is loving oneself and living a life that exudes this love. This magic pill comes with the following instructions:

  1. Keep a positive attitude and complain less.
  2. Breathe more deeply and stand straighter.
  3. Acknowledge ability to be well and pursue wellness.

Energy Guidance Complete is spiritually guided healing that requires each person to invest in themselves. With spiritual guidance amazing changes can happen, but taking part by the individual causes the amazing changes to become reality.

pain

There is a woman I know who complains whenever she gets the chance. Nothing and no one is off limits from her fault finding. There is another woman I know who suffers from debilitating pain and who has experienced much more suffering than the woman who always complains, yet she never complains.

“…life is amazing and large, and should be embraced.”

“People are constantly forced to make choices throughout their day.”

“Much depends on our attitude and on our desire to be well.”

To complain or not to complain?

Complaining is easier than accepting responsibility or accepting things that didn’t go the way we wanted. Complaining leads to less awareness of others and to over-focus on oneself. The more a person complains, the less he or she lives peacefully.

Living peacefully

Living as though the events that befall can be handled with neutrality and insightfulness. Understanding that there are ebbs that test our strength and simple joys that overwhelm. Raising concern when injustice occurs and when unwellness or health require care. Remaining faithful when circumstances test faith.

Ways to curb complaining

  1. When you catch yourself about to complain, breathe deeply then breathe more deeply until the desire to complain passes.
  2. Fix what can be fixed.
  3. Help a cause or an organization that helps people with handicaps, helps animal welfare, or helps sustain the environment.

“The feeling of life in one’s body is an extraordinary feeling. Noticing the feeling of being alive, of being awake, of being vital. Amazing!”

The quotes in this blog post are from Vitality! How to Create a Life That Is Healthy.

treble_staff

A few nights ago, I went to a music event at a small venue in Houston called McGonigel’s Mucky Duck. The music was provided by a woman and her band from Austin. The place is small and intimate and the waitresses are friendly. Comraderie radiated from the walls of the building as it has been the recipient of years of people connection and music making.

I was with a party of six celebrating the birthday of one of us. Most of my group was tired, because we met at the end of a work day. We ate, talked, and looked around as people usually do when they are out eating. It was nice to be together, but the tiredness remained.

Then the music started! Suddenly everyone in the pub became part of a collective witnessing of rhythm and creativity. The music, live and enlivening, filled our ears and our bodies. The tiredness seeped out and was replaced by inner rhythm and energy. For over an hour, worries were forgotten and music was absorbed. We clapped our hands and moved to the rhythm. We participated in a group experience of connection and creativity. Our participation contributed to the singer’s performance and her performance contributed to our participation. A cycling of people influencing people through the power of music!

The power of music is beyond understanding. It touches our hearts and our minds, our emotions and our intellect. Music provides a map towards self-understanding and others-connecting. The rhythm is in our bodies and in the amazement that is life.

“Life can be so enjoyable; one simply has to agree to be ready and to be amenable to receive the good….”

from The Gift of Intuitive, Dedicated Comfort

http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Intuitive-Dedicated-Comfort-Understanding/dp/149366770X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1424449854&sr=8-1

Disposable hell

Disposables

Convenience
–     Convenience      not caring
–     Convenience      not self-control
–     Convenience     not expense of cleaning
–     Convenience     not self-care

Disposables create

spiritual emptiness
disconnection
consumption without thinking
waste
wastefulness
self-importance
blight
pollution

The road to

hell is paved

with styrofoam.

The environment is more important than people convenience.

Not disposables is

natural
better for the animals
environmentally friendly
self-care
better
wise
caring
non-distancing from Spirit
preserving
cleaner

Learning to value oneself’s convenience
less
and the environment more
is best!

from the upcoming book of poetry entitled Unfolding.

Houston

I am currently in Houston, Texas where I am visiting family and friends whom I cherish. I just finished a walk/slow jog along the bayou and I am inspired to write about Houston.

Houston is a city that gives a lot to its inhabitants and visitors. One simply has to be open to receive the City’s gifts.

The people who live in Houston are diverse, willing to help, and friendly, and their community awareness is generally a part of day-to-day living. The people of Houston face urban living with acceptance and acknowledgment, even handling the traffic with awareness that it is part of the gift of living in the City.

The municipal services are apparent with orderly neighborhoods, constant roadwork, and regular signs of services being performed. The City encourages recycling and care of property. Community religious institutions often perform community service together and other groups are active in promoting care and help for the lesser fortunate members of the City.

There are green areas and art exhibitions, musical performances and theater productions galore. Opportunities to hear talks by local and celebrity speakers are constantly available. The zoo is a humane one and the animal welfare groups are active. Cultural events are ever present and opportunities to experience different cultures abound.

Houston is vibrant and comforting. The more its inhabitants involve themselves in its goings-on, the more they love it. Houston offers never-ending opportunities for connection and living fully. City living that is nourishing, entertaining, and rewarding!

Most large cities in the United States are like Houston. One simply has to be open to receive the city’s gifts.

photo083YU4RG

There is an accepted idea that a man and a woman become “one” when they marry. This “oneness” occurs through the sexual union and through the societal belief that oneness is the product of marriage. In reality, oneness never occurs. Moving in parallel can occur. Clinging to one another can occur. Adapting to one another can occur.

People cannot become one. Each person is a distinct entity with a body designed to prevent intrusion. The partner can come close, but can never enter. The idea of oneness sells fantasy, not reality. The idea of oneness fuels failure, disappointment, and impossible-to-reach expectations. The reality of oneness is “2-ness”. Each person is whole; each person is part of the equation.

Rather than expect to conjoin, people must learn to merge. Merge can mean to combine but that meaning leads back to oneness. Merge also means to meet and join. Like merging traffic. Like sea and sand. They come together but stay in their own form. Merging means finding a way to be together without creating chaos. Merging means giving way or staying firm as needed. Merging means keeping intact while accepting differentness. 2-ness, two-ness, too-ness.

from Pond a Connected Existence:

Thank you to Karen Kozek for photo and arrangement.

Two-ness

photo083YU4RG

The union of two individuals
Union of differences
Distinct preferences
Attractions separate
Yet joined.

Two
Too
Together

The union of two individuals
Direction for life chosen
Focus on similar aim
Movement coordinated
Yet individual.

Two
Too
Together

The union of two individuals
The merging of separate souls
The rhythm of mankind retained.

from the upcoming book of poetry entitled Unfolding

Thank you to Karen Kozek for photo and arrangement.

Rebalance

balance

Once upon a time, we were balanced. That moment occurred when we were born, and it continued to occur when our caretakers cared for us in loving and attentive ways. Balance continued when our caregivers saw our individual nature and nourished our individuality. Balance continued to occur when we grew and people in our community accepted us for who we are. We developed our skills and our talents and we each found our way to develop our influence in the community. We built relationships that were loving and giving and we followed our path until the path stopped. Our influence on the people around us was large, because we were balanced and accepting of ourselves and all around us. We were balanced and stayed balanced throughout our lifetime.

A fairy tale? Balance throughout our lifetime?

Staying balanced is key to living a life that is fulfilling and vibrant. Even if our childhoods were not balanced and even if we did not develop our skills and talents to their potential, we can return to a balanced state by focusing on positive aspects of ourselves and caring for ourselves in a loving and attentive way. Rebalance is possible when we truly want it.

Rebalance occurs when we care for our bodies properly with adequate sleep, proper nutrition, consistent care for the eyes (not too much screen time), and enough exercise. Physical care is not enough for rebalance to occur. We must also balance our emotions through releasing negativity (see https://energy-guidance-complete.com/2014/09/30/enough-drawers/) and connecting to others (see https://energy-guidance-complete.com/2013/10/08/connections-are-the-means/).

Rebalance requires deep and relaxing breathing. Rebalance requires regular connection to nature. Rebalance requires seeing oneself through kind and accepting eyes.

Rebalance is possible. It is not a fairy tale.

walking

Walking in LA is strengthening. It strengthens the body and the mind. There are so many interesting sights and people.

I have just finished a three-hour walk. In the process I visited a museum, window shopped, and celebrated with a cup of vegan frozen dessert (feel bad about using a disposable cup).

My body feels worked and invigorated. My mind feels used. My emotions are relaxed. My spirit feels uplifted.

Walking in LA is an opportunity to connect with how people live, and when open, an opportunity to connect with people along the way.

 

People

(Before I start writing this post, I want to answer a question that many people ask me about the authorship of the posts. All of the information in this website, each and every word, is received from Spiritual Presence. I ask the questions that lead to the information, but the information is not from me nor from my intuition. People who know me will agree that the wisdom presented in this post is definitely not from me. I was raised to appreciate houses and not apartments. I am learning from this post just like other readers.)

In the past societies, people lived in separate homes. Depending upon population sizes, the homes were close enough for people to connect with one another when help was needed or to build communal relationships. Living was based in the homes, but environmental conditions and societal norms brought people together often. Neighbors knew one another and knew enough about each other’s lives to offer assistance. Modern living creates very different societal arrangements.

Because of air conditioning and heating, technological advances in storing and maintaining food and information (computers, TV, sound systems, etc.), and individualized and isolating transportation (private cars and vehicles), people are insulated from each other. Opportunities to connect with neighbors and nearby dwellers are few. The connections that once were easy to make are less likely to occur. Each family or individual or group of individuals is separated in a single dwelling. Connection requires special circumstances and effort. Many people never meet their neighbors and have no sense of a community. This situation is unbalancing.

Apartments/flats in a building that houses people with doorways facing each other present the opportunity to connect. Communal gardens, stairwells, halls, and other features create opportunities for meeting. Communal ownership of building resources forces communal communication. When the dwellers are the owners or are long-term renters, they tend to care more about their neighbors.

Apartment/flat dwelling is generally easier on the environment. Living alongside other people is less taxing on resources and upkeep. Combined efforts reduce time spent on decorative aspects of home ownership.

When children are raised in apartment/flat settings, there is “it takes a village to raise a child” mentality among the neighbors. If the adults are aware of their responsibility to oversee other children and the parents are aware of the great impact that interaction with other adults can have on their children, then the child-rearing can be easier on the parents, can add to the children’s sense of security, and can enrich the lives of the people not raising children themselves.

Communal interactions do not necessarily occur if the people living in apartments/flats are determined to separate themselves. The accoutrements of modern living enable people to live separately without building connections and without opening to the benefits of connected living. Awareness of the importance of involvement in the lives of neighbors can overcome the attraction of anonymous living.

Environmental conditions and societal norms no longer bring people together. Living in closer physical proximity does not bring people together; however, apartment/flat living can contribute to the sense of connected existence. For people who do not live apartmentally, extra effort must be made to connect to neighbors and community members.

People are meant to help one another and to receive from one another information, companionship, and entertainment. Interactions in person are the best forms of people-connecting. Modern living can deter in-person interactions, and determined efforts are needed to counter this effect. Living in grouped arrangements, like apartments/flats that face one another is one solution.

walking

I have been in LA for two weeks, and I continue to walk all over the city. I have walked from Hollywood to many destinations in all directions. The neighborhoods are inviting and charming. The large streets present so many different businesses with interesting names, appealing merchandise, and yummy looking food. Seeing tour buses and tourists adds to the walking appeal.

Each day I walk 1 – 2 hours. Occasionally I walk more. Sometimes I walk just to walk, and sometimes I walk with a destination in mind. I grocery shop on foot and only catch public transportation when my load is too heavy or my feet are too tired.

People in LA say that LA is a city for driving, but I know they are wrong. LA is a city to be explored while moving 2 mph (which is how fast many of them drive on the overly congested highways). When I tell people here how much I’ve been walking, they are surprised. I hope my zest for walking LA moves them to walk and see their city at a slower speed.

Not all cities are walking-friendly, but the ones that are can provide endless hours of entertainment and opportunities for discovery and connection. All it takes are comfortable shoes, water, and openness.

Post 104-veggies.jpg

Farmers markets are opportunities to buy freshest-­of­-fresh fruits and vegetables and items prepared by farmers and other stall owners. Farmers markets are opportunities to be close to the produce without having gone to the farm to pick them. Farmers markets are different from grocery stores in that opportunity is provided for connecting with people who are connected to the gifts that come from the earth.

The fruits and vegetables that are displayed at farmers markets are usually local produce. They contain remembrance of the land that is nearby. At a spiritual level, eating produce that came from nearby land is nourishing beyond spiritual sustenance that occurs from eating produce that came from afar. The body won’t feel the difference, but the spirit will. Eating produce from other countries or from great distances inside one country is less spiritually sustaining. The spiritual sustenance occurs through the intangible thread that ties the earth in which the produce grew to the person eating. The farther the distance, the less ability of the thread to connect. Local produce supply the connection.

Intangible connection to the foods that nourish our physical bodies is one more step towards balance. The more we eat the spiritually balancing gifts from the earth, the more easily we can connect to our soulful selves.

Note: Growing one’s own fruits and vegetables is even more spiritually balancing.

Note: In small countries where the produce does not travel far to reach the grocery stores, the produce in the grocery stores still has the intact intangible thread to the earth, but the handling of the produce affects access to the earth-giving spiritual connection.

Many

Last night I was very privileged to attend a gathering of like-minded people. People who are open to spiritual possibilities, people who are conscious of connection to the earth and to its inhabitants. My heart felt open and expansive.

As I connected with them, I sensed the commonality among us and the nuances of each very different individual. Each person with his or her own struggles and talents, each person striving for meaning and relevance. I felt their combined empowerment and individual contributions. Personal achievements feeding on the achievements of the assembled.

The gathering was not for a cause or a spiritual meeting. The gathering was a birthday party of one of the like-minded people. A cause for celebration and a reason to connect. Food was bountiful, but considerate of the environment (organic and humanely obtained). Disposable dishes were nowhere to be seen—only real plates and glasses and cutlery. We took turns washing and drying after the meal, which offered more opportunity to connect around the kitchen sink. The gathering was all the more joyous because its impact on world resources was minimal.

So many people in the world and so many personalities. If only we could all feel our place in the whole that is our environment, and strive to sustain it rather than abuse it. Each person, with his or her own struggles and talents, feeling responsible for the world in which we live.

Post 69-People

Temporarily, I am a resident of Los Angeles. I have found “my” local cafe. I have found “my” favorite chocolate shop. I have met a few neighbors. I have explored the surrounding neighborhoods on foot. I have shopped at the local farmers’ market. I have made my temporariness feel more settled. Even though I will live here for a short time, I have created a sense of belonging for myself, and this belongingness is the subject of my post.

~~~

Belongingness is a natural, inborn need of all people. Living in family units, creating communities, allying with specific schools or sports teams or religious institutions are examples of the need for belongingness. Being a part of, needed by, and together with are the fundamental requirements of people. Not being part of or needed by or together with goes against human nature. Living life aloofly is simply not natural.

People who live in small communities have a natural tendency to connect. People who live in large cities connect depending on their awareness of the need to connect. People who move from place to place sometimes lose the drive to connect after too many upheavals. The less they connect, the more they need the connections.

Finding refuge wherever you go.

No matter where we are living, we must find people to talk to and to connect with. We must seek out community and we must open to involvement possibilities. We must join and we must be willing to go beyond our own self-interested view. The more we give of ourselves, the more we receive.

~~~

Even temporary living arrangements require connection and involvement. Slowly, I am creating these essential ingredients for my soulful nourishment.

Gray

I was privileged to attend a gathering of the older generation, the ones who experienced life during the Second World War. They moved slowly, and they performed their actions slowly as well. Some of them spoke uncertainly and some spoke unhesitatingly. Their appearance was elderly, elderly bodies with elderly behavior.

The words they spoke were not encumbered by age. Their ideas were thought through. Their awareness of world events and current problems was consistent with people who are much younger. They expressed concerns and ideas without expecting censorship. The past and the present intertwined, not because of mental problems, but because they can take from the past and apply it to the present. Their mixing of past and present was enlightening.

Society forgets the contributions of the folks that lived active and involved lives in the previous decades. These people might look dismissive, but that view is incorrect. The elderly among us, those whose minds are sharp and whose abilities to contribute are intact, are the people who should be revered. We should be sitting at their feet, looking up into the faces of wisdom and experience.

Disposables

Having landed safely in Los Angeles (thank you to the competent pilots and airline staff), I headed to a nearby hotel for recuperation from the long flight. My overnight stay at the hotel was pleasant (thank you to the hotel staff). To end the recuperation, my husband and I headed for Venice Beach and enjoyed the views of the water, trees, and people (thank you to LA municipal services). The pleasant beginning of my time in the States made possible by many, many people.

On the plane, the water was served in disposable cups. The meal was served on disposable plastic and the various components of the meal were wrapped in paper or plastic. Small snacks were provided in foil and plastic. The tea and coffee required disposable cups, milk and sugar in disposable packaging, and disposable stirrers. Throw-away items for a productivity-demanding society.

At the hotel, breakfast was served on styrofoam plates and bowls. Beverages were served in cardboard and styrofoam. Plastic containers for food items were in large supply. Throw-away items for a quick and staff-reduced feeding.

At Venice Beach, disposables were in view everywhere: in the shops, in the food dispensaries, and on the beach. The large smoothies we bought were served in plastic glasses with plastic lids and plastic straws—even though we were drinking them in the cafe. Waste galore for a few hours pleasure.

Since arriving here, I have been served plastic, cardboard, and styrofoam in restaurants, in stores, and in peoples’ homes. Ease and more ease for an ease-demanding society.

This post is simply pointing out the phenomenon of disposability in our world. No lessons being dispensed by Spiritual Presence, just more awareness. A reminder of living today.

[I am writing this post while sitting in Elderberries cafe in Los Angeles, a community cafe that intentionally uses non-disposables.]