"Quiet the mind and the soul will speak"
Dear readers,
We are chasing our dreams for excitement.
Boredom is an absence of excitement. We hate boredom and we are avoiding it by doing something opposite.
Excitement is the more practical synonym for happiness, and it is precisely what you should strive to chase. It is the cure-all. When people suggest you follow your "passion" or your "bliss," I propose that they are, in fact, referring to the same singular concept: excitement.
This brings us full circle. The question you should be asking isn't, "What do I want?" or "What are my goals?" but "What would excite me?".
-Tim Ferris
Meanwhile while staying excited and mindful, I realized how much can the clutter in the head and your personal space can hamper your evolvement and so I have a new habit of minimizing my scrolling on social media. It instantly brightens my mind, face, and soul. I have started giving just an hour to social media and that helps a lot. Habits are something that needs constant practice but once you do it..you have everything in alignment. I am using my journal to track down all the activities and sometimes I fail too. That’s okay, I know it.
artwork-On the Branches of the Pine Tree - Paul-Alexandre-Alfred Leroy
Being- Tanaya Winder
Wake up, greet the sun, and pray.
Burn cedar, sweetgrass, sage—
sacred herbs to honor the lives we’ve been given
for we have been gifted these ways since the beginning of time.
Remember, when you step into the arena of your life,
think about those who stand beside you, next to, and with you.
Your ancestors are always in your corner, along with your people.
When we enter this world we are born hungry,
our spirits long for us to live out our traditions
that have been passed down for generations.
Prayer, ceremony, dance, language—our ways of being.
Never forget you were put on this earth for a reason—
honor your ancestors.
Be a good relative.
Poetry and Creativity-
artwork-Felice Casorati
Personal History by Kareem Tayyar
This was in the year when
a ship took leave of the water
& floated out across the clouds.
When the clouds became
the opened palms of the angels.
The year when the angels strung
their wings across the telephone lines
like laundry drying in the sun.
Only there was no sun.
Not that year.
That came later,
when the children turned first
into horses & then into ghosts,
when the rain fell in love
with a poet,
when the poet forgot his own name& then the names for everything else.
That was a good year.
A year without names.
A year when I learned to kneel
without my knees ever touching the ground,
& where the gods all prayed to us.
But I am getting ahead of myself.
I should start at the beginning.
The Rainy Day
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the moldering past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.
artwork- Michael Dudash
The Poets- Eavan Boland
They, like all creatures, being made
For the shovel and worm,
Ransacked their perishable minds and found
Pattern and form
And with their own hands quarried from hard words
A figure in which secret things confide.
They are abroad: their spirits like a pride
Of lions circulate,
Are desperate, just as the jewelled beast,
That lion constellate,
Whose scenery is Betelgeuse and Mars,
Hunts without respite among fixed stars.
And they prevail: to his undoing every day
The essential sun
Proceeds, but only to accommodate
A tenant moon,
And he remains until the very break
Of morning, absentee landlord of the dark.
Podcast recommendation-
It was 2018-19 that I started diving into her podcast. Lavendaire inspired me in so many ways without getting toxic and just calming my nerves with wisdom and good words whenever I needed them. I generally do not force myself upon something which looks good just from the outside but I actually sit with substantial meaningful constructive content or a person. If you have felt something like so Here is the list of all her podcasts from the past years and it is deeply soulful and inspiring altogether.
A few reminders…..
Find purpose
Finding purpose can lead to reduced anxiety and better work. Having a reason to wake up in the morning or something to look forward to working on will help your mental health and add years to your life.
Pick one thing to practice
Try not to look at the entirety of your lifestyle choices, and highlight the mountain of change you must summit. Zero in on one thing to practice for the next two to four weeks.
Here are some daily practices you might consider:
Drinking enough water
Getting to bed at a decent hour
Meditating/deep breathing for five minutes
Eating enough fruits and vegetables
Going for a 30-minute walk
Eating mindfully
Ask yourself:
“How’s this working out for me so far?”
“What results am I actually getting here?”
“What do I need to change or adjust to keep moving forward?”
“Can I understand clearly what this information is telling me?”
Links to keep you artistic and relaxed-
Lower Back Stretches to Reduce Pain and Build Strength. Lower back pain is a fairly common health issue. Check out these stretches to relieve the pain.
Feeling uninspired or the ideas are not coming to you? Read this as it might help a bit.
Jon Foreman makes beautiful art using stones and sand. Aesthetically pleasing
Places to submit your work- Art, poetry
"Think about what you want today and you'll spend your time. Think about what you want in 5 years and you'll invest your time."
JAMES CLEAR
Hope you enjoyed this issue of My Weekly Shine.
Let me know your views about it in the comments.
Get my book here -Crimson Skins has a variety of work any reader will enjoy. The book isn’t basic and will be able to go the extra mile for years to come. I will be so bold as to say many of the pieces featured in it has the staying power of words by a few greats such as Sylvia Plath, Adrienne Rich, and Virginia Woolf. It ends just as it began, with an intense piece of writing showcasing the writer’s talent.”
—Tremaine,writer.
Love and hug
Devika.:)