Cause and Effect

Cause and effect are simultaneous in the divine.

There is no question of the outcome, because the cause is perfect.

Musically, there is no question about the sound being produced by a musician.

Everything goes into the preparation of the tone, and when it is executed by a master, it is perfect.

Our lives are like that.

We have a perfect, divine Cause.

As we listen within and feel that divine Presence, we, too, become that perfect effect.

It is a simple, omni-present power.

The consistency of our listening is what brings that power into play in our conscious life.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.yourdiamondmind.blogspot.com

Celebrate Mistakes

Sometimes your originality may surface as a mistake.

I have learned the joy of celebrating my mistakes through ornamentation.

I was raised by a perfectionist, so I learned the value of correctness and fine detail.

I went into professional classical music, so every note had to be perfect at the right pitch and rhythmic value in accord with eighty other symphony musicians.

But now that I have become a beginner in so many other new endeavors, I find joy and spontaneity in the inevitable mistakes I am making as I learn new skills.

They can be “charming”, as a drawing teacher told me.

They can be emphasized with ornamentation in sewing, knitting, quilting, weaving.

They can result in new flavor combinations with food and spices.

Now, I love to celebrate my mistakes, and then continue learning.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.yourdiamondmind.blogspot.com

Surround yourself with Peace and Beauty (or make art)

I am enjoying the capacity to make art.

I love making beautiful things.

It puts me in a lovely, uplifting state of happiness.

Drawing zentangle-style word art while my husband reads from “A Course in Miracles” is a calming way to start my day. 

Having convenient access to my fiber art projects lets me take one more step on several of them. (I finished sewing the sleeve to display a quilt and then attached some beads to a knitted spiritual treasure bag.)

As I continue knitting sock #2.2, (I am half-way through the second sock) I can enjoy beautiful yarn to make a useful item.

Living in the country and driving back and forth surrounded by trees is very relaxing.

Even preparing to get the yardstick out of the truck to gently move spider webs off the porch so we can go in unhampered, is just part of experiencing the natural world.

We listen to the night sounds, and check the angle of the sun the next morning to watch for dragonflies.

Every time I open one of Christopher Alexander’s books, “A Timeless Way of Building” or “A Pattern Language”, I am inspired by his observations.

https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Alexander/e/B000AQ4JVU

There is always a way to look at things with a sense of creating beauty.

There is always a way to more peace and calm and appreciation into your life.

Listen within to hear the messages, then observe how your life redirects itself.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.yourdiamondmind.blogspot.com

Working at an Optimum

Today, at the quilt show in Springfield, I visited a booth whose exhibitor was “downsizing”.  

I got a couple of good finds for myself, keeping  in mind that I live in a tiny house, or at least a small cabin-in-the-woods.

It makes it so easy when contemplating beautiful and useful things.

What will make my life more enjoyable?

What will make my living space too crowded?

Even as I move things back and forth between the cabin and the in-town Studio, I find I can still overplan.

Whereas I might have time to read at the cabin, it overloads me in the Studio where I have a project completion program going on.

I still have to keep myself sane, even though I now have an outlet and lots of space.

What I do love, is that I can work to an optimum.

As I am finishing one or two, (or let’s be realistic and honest), several things, I can start a few more.

It gives me a flow, and lets me feel fulfilled in several directions.

The overlap is marvelous.

I have several friends who actually do work on one thing at a time.

Not all of them can work on “monogamous” projects, though.

There are plenty of us who need the stimulation and feedback between all the projects at once.

I find that I gather a yarn stash or a fabric stash, and then at a certain point, I am full, and I work on several things at once.

It makes me happy.

I love that I can work in the ways that make me feel good.

Sometimes I work by myself, and sometimes I work in community with others.

That, too, gives me a balance.

Having so many acquaintances in so many groups who are all employing our hands and minds to create beautiful things is very uplifting.

There is a given for why we are so involved.

It is a mutual feeling of joy and value in engagement.

It is not passive.

it is tangible evidence of love, order, utility, beauty.

It is an optimum way to work.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.yourdiamondmind.blogspot.com

Appreciate Yourself

I have just been sorting through all my types of projects and materials and the resources which support them.

I love everything on all those shelves.

It makes me so happy to be around what I love to do.

It is all fitting into a nice busy flow, which feels completely comforting to me.

The early childhood music resources compliment the music teaching doll I am sewing.

My favorite knitting magazines can now join the yarn stash.

The weaving threads and rug yarns are behind the looms.

The washed fleeces and batts are behind the spinning wheel.

The art materials and drawing books are in several project bags.

All my joy in doing these fun things is organizing itself into gentle production.

I can add on to my short-term and long-term habits of drawing, sewing, quilting, weaving, spinning, writing.

It is simply easier to find everything now that I don’t have to hide behind them as distractions.

They are my work.

All my experiences have led up to this Studio as celebration.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.yourdiamondmind.blogspot.com

Inspired Practices - FB

What are my Original Thoughts?

How important are your original thoughts?

Well, they are evidence of your individuality.

In a culture where we are bombarded with so many mass media messages, your original thoughts are very important.

They are vital to your life.

They are what can direct you and bring you a uniquely enjoyable and and satisfying and successful life.

They can connect you to your soul-mate.

They can invent a truly terrific and fulfilling occupation.

They can create a home where you feel very loved and expressive.

It is important to get to know yourself from within.

That is where your original thoughts are.

You can access them by simply listening.

Slowing down and sitting quietly and becoming calm.

You will feel their presence.

It is a gentle sense of being who you really are.

Even though you may be good at what you do, and you chose your life’s direction for really good reasons, it is a different experience to feel your wholly original thoughts.

It is a wholly different experience to feel your life directed by them.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.YourDiamondMind.blogspot.com 

The Multi-Family Solution

I look at the frantic pace of today’s Western culture and observe the cost on families.

At the time that I was involved in it, my husband and I were raising five of the seven children as a combined family due to divorce and remarriage.

I also had a daytime teaching job and an after school music program which I taught from my home Studio.

Around those heavy demands, I planned menus, went grocery shopping, prepared meals, kept the house in order, ran kids to various activities and lessons.

It was nuts!

In between chanting prayers to combat exhaustion, I would listen for and observe any possible solutions.

I implemented mass cooking and freezing of meals on the weekends.

I arranged for transportation to activities and lessons for my children.

I got help for the yard.

I got help for the house.

And then, all the children grew up and graduated and got jobs and went to college.

And I could breathe.

Now, I am watching the same thing happen to the next generation.

I am looking at each individual family trying to do all those things for themselves.

And I am hearing about co-housing and communities and cooperatives.

And those people actually sound sane.

So, I find myself creating the same multi-family model over and over again.

It goes like this:

A minimum of four families can share whatever work, income, services which are required.

More families can be added up to a comfortable number for community.

So, who do share values with?

Who do you trust to share with in a balanced and comfortable way?

Work out the details of housing, services and income producers in small cooperative agreement steps.

See what works and keep expanding on it.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

Inspired Practices - FB