​When we join together as awake and aware beings—able to connect heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul—miracles happen, personally and globally. We begin the healing of the world, “Tikkun Olam.” Awakened and unified, we repair its brokenness, returning it to wholeness. And in the doing, we heal and remake ourselves too.

​©2024, Janice L. Lundy

​When your thoughts race and you feel out of control, it is prudent to pause, breathe, and connect your body to the good earth. 
 
Bring your awareness to how your feet feel upon the ground. Root your attention in body awareness: arms, legs, and trunk. Feel how solid you are. 
 
Grounding yourself in this way can shift your experience of busy mind to settled mind. It simply takes remembering to do so.


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​As we age, the more we may realize that not much in life matters if we don't have love. Love of a partner, of family and friends. Love of work and creative expression. Love of the Earth and her bounty. Love of growth and the opportunity to be all that we can be. But in order to receive this love, we must have an open heart. We must be able to fully give love, too.
 
Today, set the intention to live with a wide-open heart as best you can; to not shut down or close off to others; to not judge or discriminate or neglect. Extend yourself to others and strive to live with unconditional friendliness toward all beings—both animal and human. This is a life worth living, one rooted in love.

​©2024, Janice L. Lundy

​The divine is found in every form, in every person with whom you cross paths, even those individuals who appear to be the most difficult. Every human being is fashioned with an all-knowing hand. Each is struggling to live with as little discomfort and the highest degree of happiness that’s possible. We are more alike than we are different. 
 
Knowing this, how shall we choose to treat one another? If I am you and you are me, how shall we live?

​Learning to live through your spiritual identity takes time. As children, we first had to learn to crawl, then to walk. When we took those first faltering steps we were down on the floor more than we were up walking. We'd fall, get up, try again, and, inevitably fall some more until our body/mind system came together to perform the astounding task of balancing perfectly while standing, then moving about with ease on two legs.
 
The same is true for learning to walk in the world as a loving, compassionate presence. It takes practice, and a divine readiness of body, mind and spirit coming together in exactly the right way. Let us be patient and kind with ourselves as we learn to let go and live into Love.

​©2024 Janice L. Lundy

As we spend more time with others this holiday season, I offer this gentle reminder:

​It is easy to love those who love us, more difficult to love those who don't. The invitation of Love is to develop our inner being to the point where we see and experience "the One" in all its forms. 
 
We never know where sacred messengers will be found. The Persian poet and sage, Rumi, counseled us, "Be grateful for whomever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond." Divine connection is found in every form, whether it is a fellow traveler with whom we have instantaneous connection, the irksome stranger who tests our patience, or the loved one who is a perpetual thorn in our side. All are of the One. 

​©2023, Janice L. Lundy

​As we journey inward, we may be urged to examine the true nature of our relationships. Seldom do they resemble the photos on greeting cards depicting lovers passionately entwined before a glorious sunset. In real life, our relationships are full of ups and downs, periods of challenge balanced with periods of great joy. If anything, these periods are our greatest teachers. 
 
Our personal journey to awakened living is validated not by being alone, but in relationship with others. Learning how to love, teaches us how to live.

What do you do when your wisdom eludes you? When you feel overcome with emotion or ill equipped to handle life as it is? According to Buddhist teacher and author, Thich Nhat Hanh, our safest course of action is "indirect embracing."
 
Most of us have a difficult time embracing all of our emotions, especially the volatile ones. It is a genuine spiritual practice to embrace anger, greed, jealousy, and the like. But we can, with the help of our breath and an attitude of loving-kindness.
 
Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that you recognize the emotion by simply saying hello to it, offering it a slight smile, just like you would someone you're not fond of, but don't want to be impolite to. Allow this hello and an inner smile help you rest into your breath with gentleness. Relief can be yours.

©2023, Janice L. Lundy

The older we get the more we may realize that not much in life matters if we don't have love. Love of family and friends. Love of work and creative expression. Love of the Earth and her bounty. Love of growth and the opportunity to be all that we can be. But in order to receive this love, we must have an open heart. We must be able to fully give love, too.
 
Today let us re-dedicate ourselves to living with wide-open hearts as best we can; to not shut down or close off to others; to not judge or discriminate or neglect. Let us extend ourselves to others as best we can. Let us live with unconditional friendliness toward all beings, both animal and human. Let us we be kind.
 
This is a life worth living, one rooted in love.

©2023, Janice L. Lundy
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