My next assignment will contribute toward establishing me continuously in mindfulness. Through a daily progression of nature meditation themes, I have come to the understanding that my goal is to begin each activity with a series of steps that invokes presence, with the added statement: This moment is palpably unique. In this way I ensoul each moment and the place where I am standing.

Then– Move with awareness.       — Gurumayi Chidvilasananda

Most of my life I have had a “chop and change” pattern of activity. This has worked against mindfulness. When I set myself to do an activity, invoke presence, invoke intention, and then check back (like a scientist) on the results, I am establishing myself in a mindful life. This has been my wish for a very long time. It has taken many, many years to get to this threshold.

The carrot for the art assignment is that I have loved for years the “significant moment” approach practiced by Cartier-Bresson. I now realize that this will be my approach, not to imitate him, but to make it the foundation of my assignment.

When you are able to accept divine will, you are also able to give yourself completely to every tiny action in your life. Each one becomes a fragrant blossom. It becomes worthy of respect. And God adores you.

— Gurumayi Chivilasananda

I feel at last the world’s reality

Which, lacking the communion of my soul,

Would in itself be frosty, empty life,

And showing itself powerless

To recreate itself in souls,

Would in itself find only death.

— Rudolf Steiner

This morning during meditation I tapped into the well of contentment. That reminded me of my intention to work on mindfulness. I set myself to stop before each new activity and allow myself to become present through breath awareness coupled with listening (listening with breath awareness came up when I was doing my morning sunrise meditation outside.) I am putting this in the blog to help me to remember to:

PAUSE before each task to reignite PRESENCE so that I can do that task with mindfulness.

This place where you are right now, God circled on a map for you. ~ Hafiz

I feel my own force, bearing fruit

And gaining strength to give me to the world.

My inmost being I feel charged with power

To turn with clearer insight

Toward the weaving of life’s destiny.

— Rudolf Steiner

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me lay an invincible summer.

— Albert Camus

When you meditate deeply enough on compassion, there will arise in you a strong determination to alleviate the suffering of all beings, and an acute sense of responsibility toward that noble aim. There are two ways, then, of mentally directing this compassion and making it active.

She is the Hag, the Wild Woman, the Wise Woman. She is Baba Yaga, La Loba, Hecate.

Embedded in her name is the weight of history, religious persecution, torture, death, and the stigma of what remains – “evil doer”, “stick rider”, “night monster”.

But before that, she was the Knowing One, the Diviner, the One with Inner Wisdom. Because of her tumultuous history, few of us are willing to know her intimately. But she lives on.

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique.
And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it.

It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.
You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you.

Keep the channel open.

The light from spirit depths

Strives to ray outwards, sun-imbued;

Transformed to forceful will of life

It shines into the senses’ dullness

To bring forth the powers

Whereby creative forces, soul-impelled,

Shall ripen into human deeds.

— Rudolf Steiner