Independence

HAPPY 4th OF JULY !!!

4th of July is the day that the US are celebrating independence.

Every human being on this planet wishes for independence, right?!

Every human being deserves to be independent, right?!

Many human beings have fought for their independence in the past,

as individuals or as a collective.

Many human beings fight for their independence right now.

Don't we all fight for independence every day of our lives?

From the day we are born?

Everyone needs independence, everyone deserves independence!

Independence from OTHERS, "their" opinions, boundaries, "their" social and political values, often "their" money.

BUT I don't want to speak of money, of materialistic independence.

I want to speak about SPIRITUAL INDEPENDENCE.

This kind of independence has always been feared the most, hasn't it.

...By political leaders, religious leaders,

everyone that wanted to be superior to another.

What IS spiritual independence?

What DOES spiritual independence MEAN

for us as an individual and to the collective?

Spiritual independence is the freedom to find out who you are and be who you are.

Spiritual independence for me as an individual means to have my own oppinions about life and everything else.

Spiritual independence means that I grant the same to everyone else on this planet, that I am free of the need to judge others.

Spiritual independence also means TO BE FREE OF (my) EGO.

And that to me is the biggest challenge in life.

That is what I am "not fighting for" but striving for every day.

SPIRITUAL INDEPENDENCE

for the COLLECTIVE

STARTS

in the individual.

It could mean peace,

freedom for everyone,

enough food for everyone

and a possibility to heal and preserve our beautiful planet

for those who will wander this world after us.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO

ALL OF YOU!!!

♥ ♥ ♥

Loosing track of TIME

Is it a good thing to loose track of TIME, or not?

I mean loosing track of the "human made TIME".

All our precious hours, minutes, seconds. That kinda time...

If we didn't have some appointments to follow up on, if we wouldn't have a weekly TV schedule to follow ( kiddin!)...

I would really loose track of time.

I do, I did yesterday, and days before. I couldn't remember what day it was.

I really had to think to figure out what day it was...

I wonder how life was like before people had worked out calenders and framed that "thing", that "space", that " ", and called it "TIME".

I wonder how life was like when people lived by natures schedule only, when they lived from full moon to full moon, from sunrise to sunset.

I like the feeling of loosing track of "TIME" the way we know it today.

I like it when you are able to find your own rythm, your own inner "TIME".

It's within all of us, that inner "TIME", it's a rythm that we should be able to follow. Not a stupid clock that tells us when it's time to do certain things.

That rythm is different for everyone of us.

I suppose most of us are moving too fast.

I noticed it the other day when I was pushing Edith's buggy walking away from the farm.

I was not walking, I was running!

I wanted Edith to be able to fall asleep, she was very tired but it was just so much going on and she didn't want to miss anything, so we put her in the buggy and hoped for the best...

She didn't want to settle at first, not at all.

She was pulling herself up all the time to be able to look around.

She turned her head and look at me like "are you serious? I can't sleep now!

Put the thing that supports my back up, so that I can SIT!

GRRRRR! "

;-)

I wanted her to relax and thought it might help if I would lower my own energy level.

So I started to ask my body, started to listen to my inner rythm and realized that my own movements were too fast.

I had to slow down in order to get closer to my inner, natural rythm.

I had to repeat this listening several times and every time I got a little bit slower.

It took at least 15 minutes until I had found a rythm in my walking

that felt really comfortable, that felt like it was "MINE".

I checked on Edith and her eyes were closed, she was asleep. Finally.

I turned around and pushed the trolly back home, enjoying the wind touching my skin, the singing birds up in the sky and piece and quiet within me.

This kind of "TIME" is very precious to me.

The other kind of "TIME" is only "necessary".

IS IT?

What is TIME for you?

***

Here a shot I took about a week ago...

Is that one horse or two..? ;-)

Have a great day everyone!!!

*

Love for the journey

Life - a miraculous journey!

ITHAKA

When you set out for Ithaka

ask that your way be long,

full of adventure, full of instruction.

The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,

angry Poseidon - do not fear them:

such as these you will never find

as long as your thought is lofty, as long as a rare

emotion touch your spirit and your body.

The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,

angry Poseidon - you will not meet them

unless you carry them in your soul,

unless your soul raise them up before you.

Ask that your way be long.

At many a Summer dawn to enter

with what gratitude, what joy -

ports seen for the first time;

to stop at Phoenician trading centres,

and to buy good merchandise,

mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,

and sensuous perfumes of every kind,

sensuous perfumes as lavishly as you can;

to visit many Egyptian cities,

to gather stores of knowledge from the learned.

Have Ithaka always in your mind.

Your arrival there is what you are destined for.

But don't in the least hurry the journey.

Better it last for years,

so that when you reach the island you are old,

rich with all you have gained on the way,

not expecting Ithaka to give you wealth.

Ithaka gave you a splendid journey.

Without her you would not have set out.

She hasn't anything else to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka hasn't deceived you.

So wise you have become, of such experience,

that already you'll have understood what these Ithakas mean.

by Constantine P Cavafy

I love that poem.

It says so much about life, how it should be lived, how it can be lived.

And it tells me that there are clues for me on the "how" everywhere,

I just need to pay attention.

It tells me that I am so much more then I appear to be on the outside...

It tells me that everything, everyone else is so much

more then they appear to be on the outside!

It tells me to think lofty!

I like that thought!

It tells me that happiness IS within the Now,

IS within every step of the way.

It tells me NOT to hurry those steps and

not to welcome of the obstacles in front of me.

It tells me that awareness is the only way to do it right.

Only through awareness I can see with my heart.

It tells me that life is endless, that there is no beginning either.

Life is fluent, like the water in the nearby creek.

As we live, we grow.

We grow in knowledge, the only real wealth that can be gained is happiness.

And happiness is whatever we want it to be,

it IS the journey itself...

:))

♥

I had a dream

I had a dream last night.

I dream often and I do remember them mostly.

I used to be upset about most of my dreams.

Many of them were sad and I would wake up sad.

Nowadays its mostly "OK" dreams.

Sometimes I might even wake up,

remember the dream and smile.

I have changed and so have my dreams.

My dreams are still mostly silly and weird though,

no real story, everything gets mixed up and

they seem to make no sense whatsoever.

It seems like it...

This dream I woke up from this morning

had a message in it.

I recognized it while beeing still IN the dream.

And I rememberd that message

right away when I woke up.

IF SOMETHING 'BAD' HAPPENS

ALWAYS TRY TO FIND 'THE GOOD'

THAT COMES OUT OF IT!

:))

Have a fantastic day everyone!!!

*

Hare - Rabbit Medicine

A couple of syllabi from the book

Medicine Cards / Animal Medicine

(www.medicinecards.com)

on

RABBIT Medicine:

*

SACRED LITTLE RABBIT...

PLEASE DROP YOUR FRIGHT!

RUNNING DOESN'T STOP THE PAIN,

OR TURN THE DARK TO LIGHT.

Rabbit is the Fear Caller.

He goes out and shouts,

"Eagle, I am so afraid of you."

If Eagle doesn't hear him,

Rabbit calls louder,

"Eagle, stay away from me!"

Eagle,

now hearing Rabbit,

comes and eats him.

Fears are called upon us to teach us a lesson.

Keynote:

WHAT YOU RESIST WILL PERSIST!

*

So, what can we learn from Rabbit...?

If we let our fears rule our lives,

if we try to outrun them,

they will have enormous power over us.

If we recognize them,

allow ourselves to feel them,

we will be able to release them.

We release them to Mother Earth

and she will give us life energy in return.

It's so easy... isn't it??!!

:))

Flap your wings!

Today I got reminded of a story

I read recently in Eckhart Tolle's Book

"A New Earth"

Mr. Tolle is telling about an observation he had made and it goes like this:

Two ducks get into a fight, which never lasts long,

they will separate and float off in opposite directions.

Then each duck will flap it's wings vigorously a few times,

thus releasing the surplus energy that built up during the fight.

After they flap their wings,

they float on peacefully,

as if nothing had ever happened.

We can learn so much from animals, can't we.

I learned something from my horse today.

We were riding out in the woods again.

Often, when we pass a nice spot, I stop him.

We stand there, look around, listen and look, and listen and look...

you get the picture.

Today he was the one who decided to stop.

Several times.

At first I didn't make much of it even though,

he is usually the type of horse that doesn't like to stand still.

We were actually training that a lot lately.

But today he was very different, extremely relaxed and calm.

So we stood there,

listened to the birds, the stream nearby, the silence.

I touched his shoulder and felt his strength.

I closed my eyes and felt his breath, his heart beat.

I took a deep breath,

and so did he.

I realized

I was still caught up in thinking,

of things I had to do later on,

phone calls I had to make

and

phone calls I was expecting.

Everyday thinking (some of it compulsive I fear).

I am usually not good in letting go...

My horse turned his head around and kinda looked at me,

and then it hit me!

YES!

This is the perfect place to let go of all thoughts, sorrows and fears.

I heard my inner voice:

"Leave everything here".

I just need to "flap my wings", that's all!

So I started to listen again...

to the birds,

to the wind,

to the streaming water nearby.

I starded to find my horses breath and joined him.

We were breathing together and

he was still standing there with me like a rock.

We were taking many deep breaths,

and with every exhale I felt lighter.

I thought:

"I'll leave it here, whatever it is that puts stress on me at this moment".

"The universe will take care of it"

And I believe it does.

Taking in those moments felt amazing.

I felt happy and blessed.

We must have been on that spot

for at least 10 minutes

when Midas decided to continue down the path.

I thought about the story from Eckhart Tolle's book again,

the story about the ducks.

We too are able to let go of surplus energy,

of stressful and negative thoughts.

My horse does it all the time.

Weather he is excited or frustrated,

he'll shake his head or express it in another way.

It's fun to watch.

Too often we put stress upon ourselves,

by thinking negative thoughts,

by making something bigger as it really is,

by staying angry at someone or a situation

even though

it's all part of the past.

There are so many things in life that we can't controle,

so what is the point in trying?

It takes so much engergy, doesn't it!

Why not let go of things we cannot change,

things we cannot controle?

Why not UNLOAD ourselves

of what puts so much weight on our shoulders,

Why not be more patient

and make the best possible life for us

NOW.

Now it's time to let go of my laptop and go to bed...

Sleep tight everyone!

:))

Just Monday

Spring, everyone loves Spring!

We went for a short drive today, no particular destination...

Just enjoying nature and landscape from the car seat...

making a few short stops just to capture this lakeview on memory card...

and this...

and this...

AND THIS!!!

Mr. "Wily" was nice enough to stop for a few seconds

before vanishing into the forest again.

:)

Hawk - The Messenger

I was "challenged" yesterday, by my friend Carola (http://carolalind.blogg.se) to shoot a picture that could/might represent the future.

Well!

I gave this some thinking, and I couldn't come up with anything...

Everything that I look at holds past and future within, but it only exists in the present moment, right?!

So taking a photograph of "the future" or about it really, is a challenge in it self.

Finally I came up with an idea for a picture that could be a symbol for the future in some way...

Leaving IT - the FUTURE - to be an exiting MYSTERY.

Leaving it to be written at any given moment, at any given time...by the forces and engergys of universe (and sometimes ME... ;-) )

That is how I want future to be, ...an exiting mystery.

An opportunity to be who I truely am, and grow out of my mistakes.

I will take as many chances as I can to look around me and at myself, to ovserve and learn.

I can and will TAKE the pen, at any given moment, and put my life down on paper.

Nothing's written yet, all left to be discovered.

That is such a lovely idea, isn't it?!

*

It's like a dance on the high wire...

You know you have some controle over what is happening next, you decide when and how to take the next step, but you'll never know from wich side the breeze will come and with how much force it will touch you!

:)

All you can do is have faith that all things in life will work out just fine. And if they don't then you will have another chance to figure IT out.

*

I decided to draw a card today too...

HAWK...

THE MESSENGER OF THE SKY

CIRCLE MY DREAMS AND TEACH ME

THE MESSAGE AS WE FLY.

I drew the card in the contrary which indicates an imbalance in the medicine of that card...

If you have drawn Hawk reversed, it may be because you have shut down your powers of observation on some level. If something in your life has become too painful to feel, too unbelievable to hear, or too dark to see, it is time to examine the point at which you chose to let yourself become emotionally involved and to no longer be the observer.

When you allow your emotions to override your perceptions, the message from Hawk cannot penetrate the chaos and confusion. At this point you are asked to be mindful of the honest observer's neutral position, which allows the message to be intuitively and clearly understood without emotion coloring it's true meaning.

Emotional coloring is a tendency of Hawk medicine people when they are off-balance. Their emotions cloud their vision and lead to a crash landing. The ego can clip the wings and leave Hawk grounded. Also, if Hawk believes that those who cannot fly the same way he/she does have weaker perceptions, then the winged messenger has not understood his or her own medicine.

Freedom of flight is a privilege, and being a messenger is an honor. The responsibility for delivery of the message is up to you. Take your flight and forget about interpreting the omen your own way. Let the receiver decide what the message means.

After all, unless it was sent specifically for you, you would be tampering.

Hawk in the contrary position teaches us:

1. To open up to the powers of observation

2. Not to tell others how to think or behave

3. To take care of your own emotional baggage before you begin receiving omens, visions, or messages.

4. To remember that all gifts are equal in the eyes of the Great Spirit.

(Text from the Book MEDICINE CARDS, by David Carson & Jamie Sams)

HAVE A GREAT DAY MY FRIENDS!

*

I LOVE CHANGE!

It seems like a dream come true!

We got good news last night, we will move!

1. of June.

To a beautiful area of south Sweden.

North east part of the province Skåne.

A Natural Reserve Park right just minutes away.

A nice house and a barn for at least 10 horses.

Pastures for Midas and Indigo and a nice little house and yard for our future chickens! :)

We all got up very early this morning, couldn't sleep anymore - we are all excited!

Gotta go now and tell the horses about the good news!

And bring them breakfast...

;-)

Ordinary Monday

This is an ordinary Monday.

I love those ordinary Mondays.

All's back to "normal" again.

Weekend's over.

It is funny how every single day of the week feels kinda different, doesn't it.

There are certain things that are supposed to be done on certain days of the week.

Not to speak of certain shows that are on Tv on certain week nights. ;-)

(Love The Closer, CSI, The Mentalist, House)

Gotta keep up to the schedule!

:))

Since I don't have a "real" Job at the moment, since we are still looking for a more permanent home on the east coast of south Sweden, my days are different anyways.

I won't allow old thought patterns (those come up periodically and try to mess with me in my head) to ruin these wonderful days, this wonderful opportunity of learning how to BE.

(Thought patterns like: "you have to feel guilty because you are not making money right now!"; "you don't have the right to take some time off FOR YOURSELF!"; "you know what your parents and family would say if they knew...!"; "don't you care anymore what other people think of you??"; "what's wrong with you?!".....)

Just writing down these thoughts it starts to feel a bit tight around my throat. But this has to end NOW. This is how it is, I have the right to live my life like I want to. I am my own parent, my own teacher, my own accountant. ( I do have a financial manager though! :))

I am my own lawyer and judge.

This is my own stage, I am writer, actor, I decide who is in the play and most of the time I am my own director.

:))

I realize that this time, this particular periode of my life, is a GIFT.

A friend of ours is scheduled to have knee surgery in July.

She is terrified about the thought that she won't be able to DO ANYTHING during recovery. Well... I understand that it is a terrifying thought, but It always depends on how you look at it.

These times in life, where we are forced to "take some time off"

(many different circumstances can be the cause of that)

are always a GIFT.

It's on us to take it or leave it.

Why is it that we think that we HAVE TO DO SOMETHING all the time?

Why is it that we are running so hard?

Why is it that we are hiding all the time?

What is it that we are so afraid of finding in times of inactivity?

Our real, true nature?

Our deepest inner self?

Peace?

Stillness?

Simplicity?

Love?

It is so much easier to keep ourselves busy, isn't it.

Until our body or something else in our lives says "STOP!"

We HAVE TO LEARN to LISTEN to this voice, the good guy so to say.

And we HAVE TO LEARN to IGNORE the OTHER voice, the guilt voice, being the bad guy! ;-)

I really like some of Dr. Wayne Dyers work. Quote:

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

I am convinced that thoughts can make us tense, they can make us sick and they can make us unhappy.

BUT here is the magic:

We can recognize this in ourselves and we've got to start to own our thoughts.

We gotta start to turn our thinking around and then our thoughts will let us become healthy, strong and happy.

THEN we will be who we are and who we want to be.

Focus

FOCUS on the beauty in everyghing, the love in everyone.

FOCUS on the simple things.

FOCUS on the small things.

FOCUS.

:))

Yap!

I really start to wonder...

After "meeting" Moose again, today, I start to wonder...

Most "Swedes" haven't had the chance to see so many Moose throughout their lives.

Today was number... oh, ja, I said I would stop counting.

But today was the closest you can / or want to get anyways.

About 3 to 5 m!!!

:))

I know one thing for sure, It will never become normal for me.

It will always be special, every single time.

The Native Americans believe that Self-esteem is the medicine of the Moose because it represents the power of recognizing that wisdom has been used in a situation and that recognition or a pat on the back is deserved...

I must be doing some things right in life... right?!!

;-)

Yes!

Seriously!

I can be proud of myself.

No...

I can be proud of ME.

I've come a long way and I am still not "there", but...

I am on the good road.

The road of temtation, of doubt, of fear...

I am glad that my road is rocky, I am glad my road is bumpy, I am glad it is steep sometimes!

What would I gain if "the walk" would be an easy one?

:))

Nighty!!!

EARTH HOUR

JEDER KANN ETWAS TUN!

EVERYONE CAN DO SOMETHING!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CRs-7lRlPo

TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS FOR 60 MINUTES!

TONIGHT!

AT 20:30 PM

LICHT AUS FÜR 60 MINUTEN!

HEUTE ABEND!

UM 20:30 UHR

:))

Worum es geht

Die vom WWF organisierte Earth Hour begann 2007 in Sydney als Event für den globalen Klimaschutz. Im Jahr 2008 nahmen bereits 50 Millionen Menschen in 371 Städten in 35 Ländern teil und die Earth Hour wurde zu einer weltweiten Bewegung, die fast stündlich wächst.

Das Ziel der Earth Hour 2009 ist es, dass sich mehr als eine Milliarde Menschen in mehr als Tausend Städten der Welt beteiligen. Die Teilnehmer an dieser größten Aktion für das Weltklima aller Zeiten setzen damit ein deutliches Zeichen gegen den Klimawandel und für die Weltklimakonferenz in Kopenhagen, die im Dezember 2009 das Nachfolgemodell des Kyoto-Abkommen beschließen wird.

Die Liste der Städte, die ihre Teilnahme an der Earth Hour 2009 bereits bestätigt haben, umfasst zum heutigen Tag bereits über 1.500 Städte in 80 Ländern. Darunter sind London, Paris, Peking, Rom, Moskau, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Hongkong, Dubai, Singapur; Athen, Buenos Aires, Toronto, Sydney, Mexiko City, Istanbul, Kopenhagen, Manila, Las Vegas, Brüssel, Kapstadt und Helsinki. Abgeschaltet werden auch die Lichter von bekannten Sehenswürdigkeiten wie dem Eiffelturm in Paris, der Christusstatue in Rio de Janeiro, der Alhambra in Granada und das Opernhaus von Sydney. Viele hochrangige Repräsentanten über den ganzen Erdball verteilt unterstützen die Kampagne, darunter sind etwa der Friedensnobelpreisträger Erzbischof Desmond Tutu und die Oscar-Preisträgerin Cate Blanchett.

Die Earth Hour 2009 beginnt am 28. März 2009 um punkt 8.30 Uhr abends auf den neuseeländischen Chatham Inseln und bewegt sich dann im Laufe des Tages entsprechend der Zeitverschiebung über den gesamten Planeten. Die letzte Station markiert Las Vegas im US-Bundesstaat Nevada. Dort werden bei mehreren großen Spielcasinos die Lichter ausgehen.

Der WWF schlägt den Bürgermeistern aller Landeshauptstädte Österreichs die Abschaltung der Lichter folgender Wahrzeichen vor: für Wien und St. Pölten die Rathäuser sowie das Wiener Riesenrad im Prater, für Graz den Uhrturm, für Linz den Pöstlingberg, für Innsbruck das Goldene Dachl, für Salzburg die Festung Hohensalzburg, für Klagenfurt den Lindwurm, für Eisenstadt das Schloss Esterhazy und für Bregenz den Martinsturm. Der WWF appelliert auch an die Bürgermeister aller Gemeinden in Österreich, die Lichter in ihren Gemeinden abzuschalten und so ein gemeinsames Zeichen mit den Landeshauptstädten zu setzen.

Die Earth Hour ist eine Botschaft der Hoffnung und der Aktion. Jeder kann den Unterschied machen. Mach mit und schalte Deine Lichter am 28. März von 20.30 bis 21.30 Uhr aus und unterstütze die Aktion mit Deiner Unterschrift!

(QELLE:http://www.earthhour.org)

Who am I...

I was just thinking...

Who am I REALLY?

What if..?

Imagine this:

Tomorrow morning you wake up and everything, and I mean everything is gone.

Your hard earned money, your beautiful home, your job (that you might have enjoyed), your car, your computer...

Everything you have left is memories.

Memories of my parents, how I grew up, what I have learned throughout the years.

Memories of success and failure.

Memories of joy and laughter, memories of saddness.

But we all know nothing lasts forever.

You become aware of the fact that you don't have any clue how the future will be.

Awareness.

All you have left is... you.

But who are you?

Who are you without your money, without your house, your job that defined so much of who you thought you were...

...and all the other little things on which we measure weather we lead a successful life?

Who are you without your identity?

Imagine youself sitting still (because that is all you can do) and looking arround.

Listen.

What do you hear?

What do you see?

What do you feel?

It's like...

peeling an onion.

Layer for layer.

Until nothing is left but YOU.

Who are you?

"WHO AM I ?"

;-)

Be OPEN..

...and prepared for all the turns your life might take, at anytime!

I got reminded of that AGAIN.

Be Ready!

Otherwise you get thrown off the road and then... you gotta crawl back up onto the path. You gotta get up and shake the dirt off and get going again.

Right?!

BUT

There is two ways of doing that...

1 get going again while looking back on what happend, feeling sorry for yourself or being angry and blaming yourself and others

2 get going and looking forward with a smile on your face

Well...

we'll be moving soon.

I can feel it.

It will be great and exciting.

AND

We will stick together, Indy will stay with us, i'ts not time yet.

:))

We will look forward with a smile on our faces and joy in our hearts.

That is the right attitude.

Always.

Building and Rebuilding.

TIME

What to do with time?

Listen to music.

Go for a walk.

Eat a meal together with your family, your loved ones.

Write down your thoughts.

Trying to let the heart speak, not the mind.

Sitting still.

For a while.

Or a long time.

Listen to the inside.

Listen to silence.

Letting your creative, loving inside come to the surface.

This basic inside that connects us to everything around us, everything that is important for us.

The people we love so dearly, the animals in our lives.

Trying to touch their hearts as they touch ours every single day.

Time does not exist, it is an illusion.

That is what I heard and read.

And sometimes it really is like that, I can really feel that it is an illusion.

And then I have a smile on my face.

It's when I see a stranger smiling at me on the street, in a passing car, in a store.

It's when I see a child smiling at me, or when a child smiles at his mother.

It's when I see our horses play with eachother, when I see our dogs playing with each other.

It's when I see how Hasi touches the dogs, Missy or one of the horses. When I see the way she looks at them. When I see how she looks at me sometimes. ;-)

It's when I see the geese fly in formation high up on the sky.

It's when I see that a stranger helps someone else.

I even feel it when I see futile violence on the TV screen.

It's when I feel my horse breath underneath me, taking step by step, carrying me.

It's when I feel his trust, his respect, his love.

LOVE. Pure and easy.

That is all I want to get.

That is all I want to give too.

Not mind-love.

Heart-Love.

Pure Love.

Easy and clean.

Because Love is Life.

TIME is just a tool. TIME is a gift. TIME is what we can give to others. By listening instead of rushing through others lives.

Too often we put on a show for others. We are afraid to be who we are. It is all about entertainment in these days. Isn't it.

It is all about performance.

Too often we don't even remember who we really are anymore.

We are all tangled up in this machinery called society.

We have to break free. Have to break the circle. The circle of lies and illusion.

We have to see TIME for what it is. An ILLUSION.

:)