WEEK 3.2 (JAN 17-23)
Mantra – “I honor this moment, trust the process of growth, and create harmony with patience and intention.”
Topic 1 – The Gift of the Present Moment
“The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.” – Thích Nhất Hạnh
Metaphor
“A microscope bringing hidden details to life.”
Imagine looking through a microscope for the first time. At first glance, what you see with your naked eye may seem ordinary or even unremarkable. But when you place a specimen under the lens and adjust the focus, an entirely new world reveals itself—intricate patterns, vibrant details, and a beauty you couldn’t see before.
The present moment is like the view under a microscope. It holds richness and clarity, but it requires you to pause, focus, and truly look. When you dwell on the past or future, it’s like observing life without the lens—missing the vibrant details that make this moment extraordinary.
Reflection
The present moment is a doorway to clarity and connection, much like the microscope reveals hidden wonders. When we get lost in the past or future, we miss the intricate beauty of the now. Pause and bring your awareness to this moment—your breath, your sensations, your surroundings. What details emerge when you focus on the present? How can cultivating presence transform your experience of today?
Supportive Quotes
“The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.” – Thích Nhất Hạnh
“The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.” – Abraham Maslow
“There is no need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.” – Virginia Woolf
“Slow down and everything you are cha
sing will come around and catch you.” – John De Paola
Topic 2 – The Preciousness of Time
“Every human has a finite number of breaths and heartbeats but possesses an infinite imagination to create, change, and make the most of their time.” – David Scott
Metaphor
“A sculptor shaping stone.”
Imagine a sculptor with a block of marble. The sculptor has only so much material to work with—every chip, every cut brings them closer to the finished piece. With care, vision, and creativity, the sculptor transforms the raw stone into a masterpiece. But if they work hastily or without intention, the potential of the stone is lost.
Time is like the sculptor’s block of marble—finite and precious. Each moment is an opportunity to shape our lives, and through imagination, choice, and purpose, we can create something extraordinary. The wisdom lies in using time with intention, knowing that every breath is a chance to bring our vision to life.
Reflection
Our time is limited, yet within that limitation lies infinite possibility. Reflect on how you’re “sculpting” your moments. Are there areas where you feel rushed or distracted, where intention could bring more meaning? What small choices can you make today to shape your life with creativity, purpose, and care?
Supportive Quotes
“Don’t count the days; make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali
“Time is a created thing. To say, ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.’” – Lao Tzu
“You are the sculptor of your own reality.” – Unknown
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler
Topic 3 – Embracing the Discomfort of Growth
“Growth is uncomfortable because you’ve never been here before.”
Metaphor
“Volcanic rock transformed into a stunning landscape.”
When I was recently in the Exumas, Bahamas, I stood on a hill made of volcanic rock, overlooking the vast, sparkling blue ocean and pure white sand beaches. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever stood. But this breathtaking view wasn’t always so serene. Long ago, molten lava, fiery and chaotic, flowed across the land, reshaping everything in its path. Over time, it cooled and solidified into the strong volcanic rock beneath my feet. That rock became the foundation for the stunning landscape I saw.
Growth in life is much the same. The moments of discomfort and uncertainty are like the molten lava—fiery and overwhelming—but necessary for transformation. Through time, effort, and trust in the process, those moments can solidify into something strong, steady, and beautiful.
Reflection
Growth requires moving through discomfort and uncertainty, just as the fiery chaos of lava gives way to the stability of rock. Think about an area of your life where you feel unsettled or challenged. What if this phase is your “molten” moment, creating the foundation for something extraordinary? How can you embrace this transformation, trusting that the discomfort is leading to a stronger and more grounded version of yourself?
Supportive Quotes
“The fire of adversity does not destroy; it refines.” – Unknown
“Rocks and minerals are the foundation of life, but they all began as something much less solid.” – Inspired by the metaphor
“There is no growth without a little chaos and heat.” – Anonymous
“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do; it comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.” – Rikki Rogers
Topic 4 – Finding Balance
“A tightrope walker finds balance not by standing still but by recalibrating with every step.”
Metaphor
Imagine a tightrope walker, high above the ground, holding a long balancing pole. With each step forward, their center of gravity shifts, requiring subtle, constant adjustments. It’s not about finding a single point of balance but responding to the ever-changing dynamics of movement and gravity. Like the tightrope walker, we must stay attuned to life’s shifts, using awareness and small recalibrations to maintain harmony.
Reflection
Balance isn’t about perfection; it’s about recalibration. Just like in yoga poses, life’s balance shifts as circumstances change. Reflect on where balance feels off for you right now. Is it in your physical body, your mind, or your emotions? Take a moment to think about one small adjustment you can make—on the mat and in life—to create greater harmony.
Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.” – Rumi”
Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm, and harmony.” – Thomas Merton
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott
Topic 5 – The Wisdom of Patience
“Patience is a form of wisdom.”
Metaphor
“A sunrise unfolding.”
Imagine watching a sunrise. You sit in stillness, waiting for the first light to peek over the horizon. The sky changes slowly—soft colors blending into one another, each moment unique and irreplaceable. You can’t rush the sun; its journey is steady, deliberate, and perfectly timed.
Patience is like watching a sunrise. It teaches us to honor the process and trust that what is meant to unfold will do so in its own time. The wisdom lies in embracing the beauty of each moment, even before the full light arrives.
Reflection
Patience invites us to trust the timing of our lives, much like we trust the sun to rise each day. It reminds us that growth and transformation don’t happen all at once—they unfold gradually, with purpose. Reflect on an area of your life where patience feels challenging. How can you embrace the beauty of where you are right now, trusting that the light is on its way?
Supportive Quotes
“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” – Joyce Meyer
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on.” – Charles Dickens
“Trust in the light. Darkness is not the end; it’s the pathway to the dawn.” – Unknown
Story I – The Cookie Thief – Seek first to understand before casting judgement
A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shops, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop and sit.
She was engrossed in her book but happened to see, that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be. . .grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.
So she munched the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.”
With each cookie she took, he took one too, when only one was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half.
He offered her half, as he ate the other, she snatched it from him and thought… oooh, brother. This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude, why he didn’t even show any gratitude!
She had never known when she had been so galled, and sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.
She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat, then she sought her book, which was almost complete. As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.
If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others were his, and he tried to share. Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.
By Valerie Cox in “A Matter of Perspective”
Submitted by Tom “The Colonel” Parke
Story III –Danna Faulds Poems
Self-Observation Without Judgment (Danna Faulds)
Release the harsh and pointed inner voice. it’s just a throwback to the past, and holds no truth about this moment.
Let go of self-judgment, the old, learned ways of beating yourself up for each imagined inadequacy.
Allow the dialogue within the mind to grow friendlier, and quiet. Shift out of inner criticism and life suddenly looks very different.
I can say this only because I make the choice a hundred times a day to release the voice that refuses to acknowledge the real me.
What’s needed here isn’t more prodding toward perfection, but intimacy – seeing clearly, and embracing what I see.
Love, not judgment, sows the seeds of tranquility and change.
We are held back in life not because of who we are, but who we think we are, who we have been told we are. Our self-beliefs develop during our maturity into adulthood. Maybe we were bullied, maybe our parents were not supportive or missing in action; may be teachers told you that you would amount to much.
“Whatever the situation, never let your emotions overpower your intelligence.”
“It is the irritation in the oyster, that creates the pearl.” David Scott
Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from.
“The highest spiritual practice is self-observation without judgment.” – Swami Kripalu
You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. True power is sitting back and observing things with logic. True power is restraint. If words control you, that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and allow things to pass. – Warren Buffett.
“The humming bird only sits on the hand that does not try to grasp it.” David Scott
“Decision is sharp knife that cuts clean and straight. Indecision, a dull one that hacks and tears and leaves ragged edges behind.” Gordon Graham
“She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom.” ~Nathaniel Hawthorne The Scarlet Letter
“Detachment does not mean that you should own nothing. But instead that nothing should own you.”
“The root of suffering is attachment.” Buddha
“Detachment is an art of enjoying something while always being open to the possibility of losing it someday.” John B. Bejo
“Our lives are built on the shifting sands of time. We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. We are here to observe, to learn, to grow, to love, and then we return home.” Australian Aboriginal Proverb
“True detachment isn’t separation from life but the absolute freedom within your mind to explore everything with no limits.”
Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place. Taoist classic Dao De Jing “The book of the way.”- Lao Tzu
“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” ~Dalai Lama
It’s so empowering to say “This isn’t serving me” and walk away in peace.
Sometimes you have to walk away from people, not because you don’t care, but because they don’t. When someone hurts you time and time again, accept the fact that they don’t have your best interests in mind. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s necessary medicine.
“No response is also a response. And a powerful one. Remember that.”
“Learning to say no is one of the hardest things to do, but also the most liberating.”
A wise person learns the art of detachment. If you are not careful your possessions can change their original purpose. Before you know it, you end up working so hard to hold on to attachments that you serve possessions, instead of them serving you. – David Yglesias
“Letting go gives us the freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything — anger, anxiety, or possessions, we are not free” — Thich Nhat Hanh
“Do not cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of energy and time making it.”
Learning to enjoy and flow with the tide without fighting with the ocean
“If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good.” – Buddha
You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you. —Joseph Campbell
Detachment is not indifference. Detachment is love without expecting anything in return.
“Live life less out of habit and more out of intention”
“You only lose what you cling to.” – Buddha
“Our journey is about being more deeply involved in life and less attached to it.” – Ram Das
“You are like a seed, you can stay beneath the soil, preparing to bloom, or you can rise above the soil into the unknown and blossom. You have two choices, settle for what is comfortable or have the courage to grow into the unknown, you cannot have both.” David Scott
“Your willingness to look at your darkness is what empowers you to recognize light.” – David Scott
Nothing is more beautiful than a smile that has struggled through tears.
“We waste our time waiting for the ideal path to appear. But it never does. Because we forget that paths are made by walking, not waiting. And no, you should not feel more confident before you take the next step. Taking the next step is what gradually builds your confidence.” MarcandAngel
“I welcome a new path, new energy, new connections, new experiences, new thoughts, and new ideas. I am open to all things new, different, and adventurous. I am ready for a new beginning.” – Idil Ahmed
“May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world and know it’s beauty all the days of your life.” – Apache Blessing