finding peace within

This a picture Leetal Elmaleh took of Tel Aviv Beach. On our field trips, Leetal was always exploring away from the path with her camera. She is so talented! Click on her name to check out her pictures; they are amazing!

During this experience in Israel, I've come to understand so many things. My eyes have actually opened wider.

I was contemplating many things this morning. Where ever you are in life, everything you see and can describe is "form," which this is not as important as formlessness (Tolle). Everyone has a loving, kind, happy soul inside a beautiful life that is simply seen from from the inside out. This soul is free to experience LIFE - to have fun and to feel the joy, sadness, the excitement and struggle. It's all a part of the experience. Life is SO EASY to lose. SO EASY! That's why everyday is actually a gift. Don't sink in from the "forms" of life, don't grant it that much seriousness. EVERYTHING can be seen in two ways: from the bottom up or from the top down. You don't need to analyze it. You know it already; your spirit will grow inside you and positively affect everything you do. Let life flow, let things happen. Don't resist too hard. Don't try to make things "perfect." Don't get too angry or emotionally attached to any "form." When you're in a situation and you feel like you're not sure how to react, the forms cloud your clarity, just think, "everything can be solved when the heart is open - only feelings of love and kindness will give you the answer. Don't identify with feelings opposite of that. They come from a place that is not you, that is attached to the form and will only make you more attached to the contents of life and confuse your energy. When you begin to think like this - put it away. Stand up for yourself, make your point in a forward manner, but don't associate those feelings in your response. An angry or sad
supposed response might as well be replaced with an emotional response at all.

Even if you find this diluted enlightenment, you're still human and you will come down at some point. Your mind will forget to think properly, everything will look different. Some times you can't put your finger on WHY, so you try to think of reasons why, but none fit. It's a general sharplessness. Your excitement, energy and comfort have hibernated. Your mind and eyelids actually feel heavier. You are irritated by people; it annoys you to speak nicely to others. I wouldn't classify this as depression as much as I would being human. The problem is, no one wants to live his or her life this way. Your ego takes over and you lose sight of your being (Tolle). This may be the very first stages of the fall to depression. If you allow yourself to identify with these thoughts everyday, it becomes much more difficult to get out of it. Yet it almost feels good to allow yourself to think these things. You need to acknowledge its presence and FEEL it - be sad and feel sad. The feeling will force you to understand WHY you feel this way and realize that you don't want to feel this way. Remember that everything is temporary and you will see life from the top of the mountain again.