(I found “Love is Free” in Santa Monica, CA.. and that love IS in fact a doormat, here in Orlando)
Love is no doormat. Or is it?
08 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in Inspirational, Quotations, Randomites Tags: California, doormat, Florida, heart, Love, Orlando, Venice Beach
Sometimes nature tells you
08 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in Inspirational, Nature, Photography Tags: breathe, clouds, nature, relax, stop, sunset
Wise words from the Dalai Lama
08 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
Please take a moment to read through these, you will be surprised at how you feel once you have 🙂 Then take another moment -a lifetime, actually- to put them into a real practice….
Leaving aside the perspective of spiritual practice, even in worldly terms, in terms of our enjoying a happy day-to-day existence, the calmer our minds are, the greater our peace of mind will be and the greater will be our ability to enjoy a happy and joyful life.
The nature of the mind is such that if certain mental qualities are developed on a sound basis, they not only remain, but they also increase. In fact, once properly developed, the mind’s good qualities eventually increase indefinitely. Therefore spiritual practice brings us long-term happiness and inner strength.
The compassion we feel normally is biased and mixed with attachment. Genuine compassion flows towards all living beings, particularly your enemies. If I try to develop compassion towards my enemy, it may not benefit him directly, he may not even be aware of it. But it will immediately benefit me by calming my mind. On the other hand, if I dwell on how awful everything is, I immediately lose my peace of mind.
In daily practice, reflect on the benefits of love, compassion and kindness, then reflect on the disadvantages of anger. Such continuous contemplation, the growing appreciation of love, has the effect of reducing our inclination towards hatred and increasing our respect for love. By this means even anger can be diminished.
Under certain circumstances, you may need to take steps to counteract someone else’s wrongdoing, but it’s better to do so without anger. That will be more effective, because when your mind is overwhelmed by a disturbing emotion like anger, the action you take may not be appropriate.
Let us cultivate love and compassion, both of which give life true meaning. This is the religion I preach. It is simple. Its temple is the heart. Its teaching is love and compassion. Its moral values are loving and respecting others, whoever they may be. Whether one is a lay person or a monastic, we have no other option if we wish to survive in this world.
It is clear that feelings of love, affection, closeness and compassion bring happiness. I believe that every one of us has the means to be happy, to access the warm and compassionate states of mind that bring happiness. In fact, it is one of my fundamental beliefs that not only do we inherently possess the potential for compassion, but I believe that the basic or underlying nature of human beings is gentleness.
I pulled these from his page, please click >here< for more – for this isn’t even a morsel of D’ Lama’s wisdom…
Smart Women
08 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in Inspirational, Photography, Quotations

Put together a quick photoshoot in a friend’s room in LBC that she was gracious enough to let me stay in while she was in NY.. 🙂 Kudos to her for these props!
Bea and the Tree
07 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in In-sites, Inspirational, Moi, Photography
Having the honor of passing this tree almost everyday, I am amazed by it every time, without fail:

May God grant me with the:
– Strength of this tree: it stands strong against large storms, save for a few fallen branches, and against the searing daytime sun from which it gains life
– Serenity & Patience of this tree: it stands strong, silently growing, the spanish moss swaying gently in the breezes. It shows nothing but quiet existence
– Beauty of this tree: it has the power to strike awe in its beholders
When still, it appears as completely strong and immovable as a stone wall. When it is faced with forces beyond its control, it simply bends and allows them to pass; the winds flow through the branches, gently yielding to the trespass.
We can learn volumes from nature, especially when it says nothing at all.
Nights like this
07 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in In-sites, Inspirational, Moi
On evenings like this is when the peace (really) sets in..
The summertime “forest chorus” has dwindled down to only a few quiet crickets lulling their listeners into serenity. The air has readjusted to a cool, crisp freshness that soothes, calms, and refreshes you after a long day of bustling activity. Being able to enjoy that serenity with a glass of red wine, feeling the light breeze bringing wafts of quiet life overtakes you and simply begs a calm mind, the hoot owls echoing this in their eerie conversations.. These are the evenings when Floridians fall in love with FL all over again; although the summertime atmosphere has passed, it is warm still to enjoy the kiss of the sun by the pool, or to spend time watching the sunset over the water.
With doors wide open, wafting in scents of family dinnertime and the sound of children settling down for the evening, it is therapeutic to simply wash dishes and pick up a good book to enjoy. Oh to relax by simply listening to the harmonies of the outdoors is something I will always desire to be surrounded by -and am fortunate to be able to experience! The tropical insects have all found a new place, away from my front door 🙂
Each day more beautiful than the last, the sun warming to a most welcoming sensation; the tops on cars down, sunroofs open, and golfers galore, we know that the Florida Fall has at last arrived.
FL: it truly is a paradise.
Jobs, dots, and one amazing Apple.
06 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in Inspirational, Quotations, Recent Posts
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward…you can only connect them looking backwards…So you have to trust the dots will connect somehow in your future….you have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, kharma, whatever… because believing that the dots will connect down the road, will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path…and that will make all the difference. ”
Steven Paul Jobs
1955 – 2011

The profile of a true innovator of our times, it is really sad news to hear that he has left us. There is no telling what else would have been created if he had more time here, and what modern advances he would have led us to in order to simplify –as well as enhance- our lives through technology. What he did leave us with are not only some really incredible products, but the seed of new standards of excellence and developments in a world where instant gratification is seemingly the end goal; there is so much more to our lives than just that – and he definitely blazed trails in brilliance -which takes time, patience, perseverance, and a bit of brow sweat.
These are the kind of people who we never really expect to lose, and it is always a shock to me – as if they are supposed to just go on living forever, like some kind of MacBook machine or something (well, I was shocked anyway); it’s somewhat surreal, and I am definitely saddened by it.
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life… Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
Thank you, Mr. Jobs, for some of the most amazing tools, toys, innovations, and ideas that you have passed on through your genius. You will continue to be an inspiration to more people than we will ever know; you will not be forgotten.
Rest in peace
Key to Life
02 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in Flicks, For your entertainment, Inspirational, Photography
Loved the message of the above picture; it is one that I took of wall-pasted posters for the movie Coraline, before I even realized it was for that 🙂
Peek the trailer for it below:










