How to Embrace, Fully, the Mystery of Life

A brief selection from my book " Embracing the Mystery"
Each Summer I return to Algoma District drawn by some powerful, magnetic force, to be saturated with its beauty and formed by its soitude. It is in this awesome solitude that I reflect on the meaning of life, contemplate the mysteries of the universe and celebrate the sheer joy of being alive. http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?embracing

Photo Meditation: Thoughts of Peace

 

 

Embracing The Mystery

Photo Meditation on the Lessons of a Campfire

 

 

In our rush to get where we want to go we have lost the art of stopping and staring at the miracles around us. I think a campfire teaches us how to recapture the art for a campfire can totally captivate us for hours as we sit completely focussed on its flames and embers in the darkness of a night in the forest.  http://.motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?embracing



A Photo Meditation: A Beautiful Reminder

 

 

Embracing the Mystery

The Healing Power of the Night Sky

Last night I beheld the full moon in all its magic and mystery. I have always been captivated by the beauty of the natural world. Even as a young man I used to go to the shores of Lake Superior and sit, gazing at the sun sizzling its way into the horizon. It somehow calmed and quieted my anxious spirit.

One of my favourite outdoor authors is Sigurd Olsen. In one of his books he wrote that we must discover listening points in nature where we can be still and listen to and be healed by the rhythms of the universe. This Lake Superior sunset became one of my most significant listening points. In fact I liked it so much that I now include it in my talks on stress management.

I have always had an intimate relationship with the star-studded, moonless sky but when you add moonlight to the mix the whole picture takes on a more serene, soothing, and mystical tone.

I love to lie on a beach when the moon is full and the sky is totally clear and watch the moonlight shimmer across the surface of the water and feel the gentle breeze against my face.

The scene becomes even more calming and comforting when it is accompanied by undulating waves gently caressing the shore. It just seems to strongly connect me to the eternal thrust of time. I become convinced that what I know and love in life will somehow continue through eternity.

As a high school teacher I used to take my senior classes on an overnight retreat once a year. As darkness fell we would move close to the river and light a campfire. There we would sit and sing and laugh and listen to the sounds of the night. Just being together in the outdoors made us aware of our connection to one another within the embrace of nature. It was a wonderful experience and it is my hope that it became, for some, one of their listening points filed in their memory to be accessed later in life to bring peace to their stressful lives.

As I close this reflection the words of Sophocles whisper across the centuries,
" Mortal I know I am... short lived, yet whenever I stand and watch the multitude of swirling stars I no longer tread this earth but rise to feast with God and enjoy the food of the immortals."

With these words echoing in mind I say goodnight to a world bathed in moonlight and send prayerful thoughts to all who walk gently on its surface in love, peace and joy.

This is an excerpt from Mike's popular book, "Embracing the Mystery" (Living the Life You Want) http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?mystery

Mike is a Canadian speaker who speaks and writes on humour and attitude in human wellness and potential. To check into having him speak to your group visit http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?motplus

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Moore

My Island of Peace in a Chaotic World

As many of you know I earn my living speaking throughout Canada and the USA on Humour and Human Wellness. Frequently I get so wrapped up in my work that I have to stop and take my own advice. I have to stop and smell the roses.

That's what I did recently in one of the most beautiful and relaxing settings on earth for me... a friend's farm in the heart of Ontario Canada's Ottawa Valley.

I sat out on their deck one morning overlooking the valley as the morning sun gently caressed the meadow and a mother bluebird eagerly fed her young at one of the bluebird boxes rimming the field. As I sat there soaking up the peace and solitude I became acutely aware of a different rhythm, one of calmness and oneness with the natural world.

I was reminded of the words of Sigurd Olson, the nature writer, who once said that we all need listening points on the earth where we can slow down and listen to the rhythms of the universe.

This pleasant farm near the little country town of Beachburg Ontario is one of my listening points. It's a place filled with fond memories of country music jam sessions, shared laughter and shared pain.

It is also a place of peace, hope and comfort as the stillness of the valley eagerly wraps it arms around those who take time to rest and receive the message that life indeed is good and love is abundant and eternal.
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?mystery

The Mediterranean At Sunset

This was taken this past May on our 12 day Greek Island cruise.
Embrace the Mystery

Our Need for Listening Points

We all need listening points on the planet where we can feel and respond to the rhythms of the Universe as they touch our lives in so many ways. This is one of mine...Point Pelee Ontario Canada at Sunset. We will be heading there soon for our annual 2 week stay.

For more on living  the only life you have to the fullest....Click Herehttp://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?mystery

For Those Who are Stressed Out...Big Time

No doubt about it...we are living in a stressed out world, an age of rage. We need to slow down and cultivate peace of mind. But How???  Here's how I do it. This photo was taken in late afternoon at my cousin's cottage in Northern Ontario Canada.

I was just sitting quietly beside the lake when I was struck by an awesome feeling of peace.  Now even though I am no longer there I can rely on memory to bring back to me the peace of that late summer afternoon. I immediately take a one minute vacation and recapture the Borden Lake moment of stillness and solitude.

Where do you take your one minute vacations?

Free Stress Busting Audio HERE

For more on managing stress visit here

The Healing Power of Nature

There is nothing that calms my spirit and fills me with joy and peace more than observing the natural world in all its wonder and beauty. When I stand in the solitude of a moonlight night or watch the sun set on the sea or a monarch butterfly quietly land on a flower I am filled with the peace and wonder only nature can provide. It also gives my spirit a sense of continuity and mystery along with the feeling that there is so much more beyond the horizon than we can ever imagine. 
For more on living joyfully and and peacefully...Click Here

Embracing the Mystery

 

 



Our Need For Silence in a Noisy World

It is quite evident that we are living in one terribly noisy world and it seems to be getting worse every day. Everywhere we go we are accosted by loud, unwanted sound. When we enter elevators, malls and restaurants we are engulfed by musak. I recently had lunch at a popular restaurant and found the background music so loud that it interfered with normal conversation and the enjoyment of my lunch. When I asked the waitress if she could turn the music off, or at least down, she said, " I don't think we can." Surely we as a people are still in charge of volume controls.

How to Make a Friend of Silence


* Make a conscious commitment to the experience and appreciation of silence.

* Go for a walk in nature. Let the silence soothe your spirit.

* When you are alone in your residence turn off all noise making appliances. Begin with fifteen minutes of silence and gradually increase the duration.

* Learn how to meditate and schedule a ten minute meditation period once or twice a day. Gradually extend your meditation time.

* When driving to work, turn off your car radio and drive in silence.

* Go camping for an night by yourself. Find a quiet campground where they don't allow people to blast their music without consideration for others. I usually go solo camping for one week each year to be alone and silent in the outdoors. It has become something I eagerly look forward to.

* Drive to a lake at sunset and rent a canoe. Paddle slowly along the shoreline observing the silent sights and the gentle sounds of nature as the sun sets and darkness approaches.

* In silence listen to your breathing. Get a sense of the silent rhythm of life.

* Just before retiring go outside and look up at the night sky. You will soon sense another universal rhythm so unfamiliar to many. Let the night sky and the darkness embrace you and calm you as you prepare for a night's rest.

* When you read a book, do so in silence. Many of us read to music or during television commercials. Try silence. You'll grow to love it.

Soon you will begin to cherish the periods of silence you have built into your day and long for more. You will quickly discover that you are becoming more relaxed and less tense even in the midst of our noisy world. You will have made an invaluable new friend of silence, a friend which can comfort, heal and soothe your spirit. What a gift you will have given yourself.

Be still and know the restorative power of silence.

For More books from Mike

The Magic of the Night Sky

I love the night sky. There is something comforting, mysterious and hopeful about standing under a canopy of swirling stars. Each summer I go camping alone in Canada’s beautiful north land to satisfy a hunger for solitude, wilderness and the night sky. Away from city lights there is nothing more awe inspiring than a star studded sky in the stillness of the wilderness.

I usually set up camp beside a lonely northern lake providing me with a long horizon and an uninterrupted view of the heavens. As darkness approaches I begin to sense an overwhelming closeness to the mysteries of the universe and a strong connection to the source of all that is. I become aware of an alternate rhythm to life - a rhythm which is so easily lost amidst the frenetic pace of contemporary existence. Embraced by darkness, with stars too numerous to count and comforted by the gentle lapping of the waves I begin to realize how much I miss, living in a city with its incessant, invasive brightness. It is as if I am rediscovering an enormous part of a lost spiritual heritage.

When sleep begins to engulf me and my eyes start to close, I reluctantly move toward my camper not wanting to miss a moment of this celestial display but realizing that I can’t resist the call to slumber any longer. In the warmth of my sleeping bag I let the silence and stillness lull me to sleep with the immortal words of Sophocles gently echoing across the centuries, “ Mortal I know I am, short lived, yet whenever I stand beneath a multitude of swirling stars I no longer tread this earth, but rise to feast with God and enjoy the food of the immortals.” And so to sleep.

Mike Moore is an international speaker and writer on Happiness,Human Potential and Humor

Check out Mike's best selling book Embracing the Mystery

The Lessons of Nature

Don't hesitate to post a response to my blogs. Let me know if I am meeting your needs.I welcome your input. Mike


To find happiness and peace of mind immerse yourself in the wonder and the beauty of nature. Its gift to us is peace; its lesson is patience.

The photo below was taken on the 15th of August 2009 while on a fly-in fishing trip from Chapleau ON Canada. The silence and the beauty were both comforting and healing.

Slow me down, Lord. Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.

"The sea never sleeps and in its vigil there is consolation for the troubled soul." Gibran




For more on living life to the fullest visit here

Island of Peace in a Chaotic World

As many of you know I earn my living speaking throughout Canada and the USA on Humor and Human Wellness. Frequently I get so wrapped up in my work that I have to stop and take my own advice. I have to stop and smell the roses.

That's what I did recently in one of the most beautiful and relaxing settings on earth for me... a friend's farm in the heart of Ontario Canada's Ottawa Valley.

I sat out on their deck one morning overlooking the valley as the morning sun gently caressed the meadow and a mother bluebird eagerly fed her young at one of the bluebird boxes rimming the field. As I sat there soaking up the peace and solitude I became acutely aware of a different rhythm, one of calmness and oneness with the natural world.

I was reminded of the words of Sigurd Olson, the nature writer, who once said that we all need listening points on the earth where we can slow down and listen to the rhythm of the universe.

This pleasant farm near the little country town of Beachburg Ontario is one of my listening points. It's a place filled with fond memories of country music jam sessions, shared laughter and shared pain. It is also a place of peace, hope and comfort as the stillness of the valley eagerly wraps it arms around those who take time to rest and receive the message that life indeed is good and love is abundant and eternal.

Embracing the Mystery