Action

"The only way for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
-Edmund Burke

"This quote reflects Buddhism's teaching on karma, that the future is determined by actions in the present; there is no independent origination. Non-action provides an opportunity for evil to fill the void; thus action is necessary. When we choose the action to take we automatically create our future. This is true of nations as well as of individuals."
-Glenn Hughes, Founder of WISE

There are teachers in our scriptures, our history books, and right in our own neighborhoods... Thank you, Glenn! :-)
-Lissa Coffey

Authenticity

“Somehow we learn who we really are and then live with that decision.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Who are you? Or maybe the question is, “who have you decided to be?” We all have roles to play, but our true self is so much greater than any of them. We can identify with the role, or we can choose to see ourselves as the role-player. Our roles come and go and change and grow – and our true self proceeds along through all of it. We can play any role we want to play, do anything we want to do. When we know who we really are, all of this comes easily to us, and we can keep it in perspective.
-Lissa Coffey

Awareness

“I break up through the skin of awareness a thousand times a day, as dolphins burst through seas, and dive again, and rise, and dive.”
-Annie Dillard, An American Childhood (1987)

How many of our waking hours do we spend actually “aware?” This is a beautiful analogy, I can just picture the dolphins playing, experiencing the freedom and joy that is theirs with every magnificent dive into the beautiful ocean. That same joy is ours, as well. We just need to break up through that skin of awareness and experience it!
-Lissa Coffey

Action

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee."
-Marion Wright Edelman.

Because we are all One, we are all connected, whatever we do, whatever action we take, affects all of us on some level. Our actions are far-reaching. Like the pebble thrown into the pond, the ripples are sent out way beyond the little "splash." There's a bumper sticker that says: "Think Globally, Act Locally." Actions we take at home, right where we are, make a difference everywhere.
-Lissa Coffey

Action

"Live truth instead of professing it."
-Elbert Hubbard

Actions speak louder than words. We can say something a million times, but when we actually take action, it becomes the truth. It does no good to say one thing and do another. What is a person who's watching you going to believe? Walk your talk.
-Lissa Coffey

Action

"The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is more important than the eye... The hand is the cutting edge of the mind."
-Jacob Bronowski, The Ascent of Man

Whenever anything happens, it starts with a thought. But if we JUST THINK about it, nothing happens. Thought followed by action leads to accomplishment, fulfillment, achievement. So, see it, visualize it, declare it to be so, yes! And then take action, take the steps necessary for the thing to be done.
-Lissa Coffey

Action

"Action is the antidote to despair."
-Joan Baez

Feeling a little blue? Do something! Get out there and take action. There is always plenty to keep us occupied, especially if we have the attitude of "how can I help?" Sometimes we need to just get outside of ourselves to see how we fit into the big picture. By taking action and helping others, we are really healing ourselves, and we are helping the whole world.
-Lissa Coffey

Authenticity

“To be nobody-but-yourself – in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else – means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”
-e.e. cummings

When you think about all the advertisements and magazines and commercials that encourage us to buy and be made-over and to do this and that to improve ourselves, it’s a wonder there’s any individuality left at all! We tend to want this actor’s hairstyle and that model’s figure – or that politician’s power and this athlete’s paycheck. All of these “things” are held up to us as the ideal. And yet, we know, deep inside, that what is REAL is so much more than that. Though we’re inundated by the mega-media machine, we must keep reminding ourselves that what we have to hold onto is who we are, and that is invaluable.
-Lissa Coffey

Authenticity

“The highest courage is to dare to appear to be what one is.”
-John Lancaster Spalding

The key word here is “appear.” So many times it’s just easier to put on a mask, to play a role, to go along with what is expected of us. But the courage is in being authentic, in being true to ourselves and our convictions. Being true to ourselves is one thing – but showing the world who we are is another. Do we dare risk judgement? When we are authentic we answer to ourselves, we know that to appear to be anything other, anything less than “what one is” is heart-breaking.
-Lissa Coffey

Authenticity

“This above all: to thine own self be true.”
-William Shakespeare

The topic this week is “authenticity.” I love that word. Authentic means genuine, real, true – and when applied to people it means being true to yourself, being your TRUE self, expressing yourself, and nothing less. We sense when people are authentic, just as we can tell when they are imitating, or role playing. When we are authentic, our light shines through, and our path is illuminated. “This above all…” Shakespeare says. It is important to be authentic, important for our well-being and for our spiritual growth.
-Lissa Coffey

Authenticity

“Any path is only a path, and there is no affront, to oneself or to others, in dropping it if that is what your heart tells you.”
-Carlos Castaneda

It’s okay to change directions. People have been reinventing themselves since time began. This is a good thing! When our heart leads us somewhere, it's always for a reason. We need to follow and find out what that reason is. Usually this change brings us closer to who we really are, it allows us to discover our true self, and to be more authentic.
-Lissa Coffey

Awareness

“Sometimes I think we’re all tightrope walkers suspended on a wire two thousand feet in the air, and so long as we never look down we’re okay, but some of us lose momentum and look down for a second and are never quite the same again: we know.”
-Dorothy Gilman, The Tightrope Walker, 1979

We are always growing and evolving, and we can never go back to where we were once we’ve grown past it. We’ve glimpsed the realm of spirit, we know the peace and joy in our hearts, and we want more of it, every day. It is ours! To experience, and to express… be aware of this wondrous gift!
-Lissa Coffey

Awareness

“Eden is that old-fashioned House
We dwell in every day
Without suspecting our abode
Until we drive away.”
-Emily Dickinson

It’s kind of like that song that goes: “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone…” Know what you’ve got – you’ve got SO much!!! We have everything, all of nature, all of creation, all of the infinite possibilities for our lives. And we’ve got it right here, and right now – open up your awareness to it, accept it, embrace it!
-Lissa Coffey

Awareness

“Every dog has its day, but it’s not every dog that knows when he’s having it.”
-Winifred Gordon, A Book of Days (1910)

Is today your day? Sure it is! Why wouldn’t it be? Expand your awareness to include all the beauty and joy and love and peace and goodness that is in you and through you and all around you. Today and every day is your day – recognize it, and enjoy it!
-Lissa Coffey

Awareness

“It’s exhilarating to be alive in a time of awakening consciousness; it can also be confusing, disorienting, and painful.”
-Adrienne Rich

Our spiritual pursuits open up our awareness to everything – and sometimes that can be difficult when emotions come to the surface, and stress bubbles up and away. When we know that this is all temporary, and a part of the process, we can observe its happening without allowing it to get us caught up in the drama of it all. We can focus on the big picture – we can see what is truly important, truly real. It is exhilarating, and liberating!
-Lissa Coffey