SEVEN EMBLEMS

Like a desert bloom after a spring rain
Joy encircles you, abundant and whole
Yet amongst the wildflowers you sit
Decrying the isolation of your soul
Make peace with this time of uncertainty
The threat of expectation is a thief
It steals the reverence from eternity
And extorts the knowledge from your belief
Render yourself master of sufferers
And be drawn like a dark speck in the night
Picture yourself a grateful wanderer
And burst forth like a diamond of light

There’s only one thing that can set you free
Change your perception of reality

A Sample Sonnet

Golden River

How long do we stay by the Golden River
on the shores of faith in the sin of pride?
How long do we stand at the gates of Heaven
till we’re not afraid to step inside?

Till the water flows back to the sea

                © ZAspeaks, 2015

1. “If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” ~ Bishop T.D. Jakes

2. “You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously.” ~ Dr. Steve Maraboli

3. “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” ~ Pablo Picasso

4. “Life purpose; it’s what gives us meaning. It’s what gets us out of bed in the morning and makes us come alive.” ~ Kaylene Matthews

5. “Clarify your purpose. What is the why behind everything you do? When we know this in life or design it is very empowering and the path is clear.” ~ Jack Canfield

6. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” ~ C.S. Lewis

7. “Your career is what you’re paid for, your calling is what you’re made for.” ~ Steve Harvey

8. “It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living, I want to know what you ache for, and if you dream of meeting your heart’s longing.” ~ Oriah

9. “There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It’s why you were born. And how you become most truly alive.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

10

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These might provoke some thought. From

http://www.marcandangel.com/2009/07/13/50-questions-that-will-free-your-mind/

I like 10,14,23,28,33,38,41,44-50

Which resonate most with you?

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
22. Why are you, you?
23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
25. What are you most grateful for?
26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?
30. What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
32. If not now, then when?
33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
48. What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?
50. Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

A while back I wrote that to master happiness,
you must lower your standards of happiness to nothing.

Those standards may be if you reach a certain amount of income,
or if someone behaves the way you want them to, or if you lose this amount of weight,
or even if your party wins the election. There are some that might have lower
standards than you- to a prisoner it might be freedom, to a poor child it might be a full meal.
The point is that circumstances may affect what we think will make us happy.
There are no guarantees that time will allow us to reach our standards, so
unless we have none, we will not likely master happiness. This has nothing to do with having
goals or aspirations, it just means that we can be more happy on our way to achieving them whether
they are fully realized or not.

So here are a few ideas I try to follow in order to be happy, now.

1. Be grateful for what you have with no thought of what you haven’t

2. Life is a succession of “nows” and now is all you have
So try to be fully aware in this moment. If you’re looking back at the past
either with regret or celebration or looking forward to the future either with fear or expectation
you’re sure to miss the extraordinary present that’s right in front of you.

3. You are blind to the truth the moment you become attached to a belief or an outcome
So even if you are attached try to look at things as if you’re not and your eyes will be opened.

4. Let go of judgement as much as you can of people, things and events
You will learn so much more when you experience them with an open mind and open heart

5. Stop treating life as a contest – you’ve already won

6. Always question your thoughts and never question your gut
If you question your gut you’re back in your thoughts

7. Love is unconditional, if you need to impose requirements than it is something else

8. Do not care what others think or compare yourself to others
This is really self judgement, it is you who is setting the scale

9. Deal with the “what” of things, people and events and let go of the “why”
Sometimes you’re heart will ask you to act without a reason
How long will you watch a drowning man trying to figure out how he ended up in the water?
Save him first and he’ll solve the mystery for you. Hesitate and you will never know.

10. Going toward love will lead away from fear

The secret to letting go
is self forgiveness.
The reason doesn’t matter.
The secret to moving forward
is Love.
You must do the first to do
the latter

© ZAspeaks, 2014

Since ancient times shamans and seers have recognized the connection human personality and behavior has to the vast and intimate expanse of the natural and supernatural universe. Answer these ten questions thoughtfully but quickly for some insight into the dominant and counter elements within you.