Seeing The Big Picture

Sometimes, in the hustle and bustle of the day, we forget that there is a bigger picture ... that life is more than the current troubles of the day.  This past week has certainly left us with moments to pause and consider our place in the big picture.  It would be easy to lose hope and become discouraged.  Take just a moment to close your eyes and breath in the goodness of this new day.  Imagine yourself in the happiest place you have ever been and give thanks for that moment.  Calm yourself and continue to breath in and out slowly until you feel the goodness that surrounds you.

Although there is very little that we can do about what is happening around up, who we are and how we feel about this moment is completely within our control.  Like the commercial says, life comes at you fast, but you have within you the power to be your own hero. 

Every experience, good or bad, will give you insight that you can use for the rest of your journey ... and because I do believe that everything happens for a reason ... There is something in every conversation, every argument, every experience, whether it is great or small, that will prepare us for where we are going next.

It is too much for us to absorb every single truth that comes our way ... but if we consciouly look for those truths, we are probably going to see more than if we didn't look at all.  Don't worry too much if you miss something important.  God, Spirit or whatever you choose to call your higher power will continue to send you information and insights to prepare you for whatever is coming up.

But to receive those insights and find meaning in the midst of the chaos, we have to find a way of ... 



Allowing Spirit In
Clearing Your Mind

After a full day out in the world, stories, words, images, andsongs from any number of sources continue to play in our heads hours after we encounter them. Even as we lie in bed, in the quiet dark, our minds continue noisily processing all the input from our day. This can leave us feeling unsettled and harassed. It also makes it difficult to take in any new information or inspiration. Like a cluttered house that needs to be cleared if it is to have room for movement and new life, our minds need clearing if they are to be open to new information, ideas, and inspiration.

Too often, the activities we choose to help us relax only add to the clutter. Watching television, seeing a movie, reading a book, or talking to a friend all involve taking in more information. In order to really clear our minds, we need a break from mental stimulation. Activities like yoga, dancing, or taking a long walk help to draw our attention to our bodies, slowing our mental activity enough that our minds begin to settle. Deep breathing is an even simpler way to draw attention away from our mental activities. Once we are mentally relaxed, we can begin the process of clearing our minds. Most of us instinctively know what allows our minds to relax and release any unnecessary clutter. It may be meditation or time spent staring at the stars. Whatever it is, these exercises feel like a cool, cleansing bath for the brain and leave our minds feeling clear and open.

Setting aside time to clear our minds once a day creates a ritual that becomes second nature over time. Our minds will begin to settle with less effort the more we practice. Ultimately, the practice of clearing our minds allows us to be increasingly more open so that we can perceive the world as the fresh offering it is, free of yesterday's mental clutter.


                         (   This article was found at this web-site:   DailyOM - Browse   )

Speaking of staring at the stars,  April will inspire you!

Have you ever seen a meteor shower?

TONIGHT could be the night!

This year the Lyrid meteor shower is predicted to peak around 6PM ET on April 22nd -- good timing for Asia but in daylight for North America. The shower is generally at least half as strong as its maximum for about 30 hours, so North American observers should be able to catch its rising and falling phases in the early-morning hours of April 22nd and 23rd, respectively.

The Lyrids are usually weak, with a typical peak rate of 20 meteors per hour or less visible under ideal conditions. But the shower has exhibited surprise outbursts in the past, so it’s well worth monitoring.

While you are looking towards the sky ...

 

Have you ever seen a comet?

On March 15, Terry Lovejoy of Thornlands, Queensland, Australia, discovered a 9th-magnitude comet in the southern constellation Indus the Indian. In reporting the find to the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT) in Cambridge, Mass., Lovejoy described the comet as having a coma that appeared distinctly green in color, with a slight extension to the southwest.

Remarkably, Lovejoy made the discovery not with a telescope but using an off-the-shelf digital camera!  In fact, it appears to be the very first case of the discovery of a comet discovered in this manner.

The images were obtained during a comet-hunting survey that Lovejoy has been conducting for more than two years.

The first independent confirmation was obtained by John Drummond (Possum Observatory, Gisborne, New Zealand) on March 16. He used a 41-cm reflector and visually estimated the magnitude as 9.5 -- about 15 times dimmer than the faintest sky objects that can be seen without optical aid. Drummond estimated the coma diameter as 2.6 arc minutes (roughly equal to about 1/12 that of the apparent width of the moon).

Comet Lovejoy will be progressing north during April and will soon become favorably placed for observation for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. Comet Lovejoy will (unfortunately) not become a naked-eye object; it probably will get no brighter than magnitude +7.5. That's still about two and a half times fainter than the faintest naked-eye star. But it still should continue to be an interesting object to follow with binoculars and small telescopes as it moves north during April.

For most northern observers, it will not be until the second week of April that Comet Lovejoy will emerge from out of the dawn twilight and be positioned low in the southeast sky.




If you would like to view the comet on-line:   SLOOH - AOL Promo Signup

For those interested in astronomy, you might also looking at your star map.   Just enter your ZIP code and this interactive sky chart displays the night sky for your area. (Free Java software is required to view the chart.)
Sky Chart Instructions   and   Stargazing Sky Chart

An interesting site that features comets photographed by people including Terry Lovejoy:   C/2004 F4 (Bradfield)