If love is in our hearts, every thought, word, and deed can bring about a miracle.Because understanding is the very foundation of love, words and actions that emerge from our love are always helpful. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Started this a.m. cleaning house; no intention on visiting the web, or posting here. But a moment of un-mindfulness changed my trajectory, let’s hope for the good. To sounds of bird songs outside I prepared to wash the kitchen floor, as done from time to time. Mixing ammonia with warm water I was quickly affected by the strong smell. Eyes complained of burning, lungs were not happy either. I had not paid attention to pouring janitorial strength ammonia. Usually I’ve used the diluted home version which contains 3% ammonium hydroxide. This formula has 10%. Three times as strong. Spent some moments loving my lungs and eyes getting some outside fresh air, meditating on the beauty surrounding me. Went back in after feeling fresh again and diluted the cleaning solution with more water. Put on some swimming goggles to love the eyes and mopped away. Now I’m taking a break to share about a clean floor and an unexpected moment of happiness.
Fellow blogger Kelly Kuhn nominated me for recognition with an ABC award. Generally I’m rather shy about blog awards, as I received abundant recognition with awards during my public health career, but at this moment it is a moment of happiness. Thanks to Kelly, who’s blog “Becoming one breath at a time” makes me smile with its heartfelt encouragements to take care, live a mindful, happy life.
According to her ABC Award post, ABC stands for Awesome Blog Content, and all I need to do to receive the award is follow 3 simple rules:
1. Post the ABC Award logo on my site
2. Write an ABC list that is relevant to who I am
3. Nominate others for the award
So here is a rather spontaneous ABC about myself and non-self elements:
Air, I’m full of it.
Breathe, makes me happy and well
Compassion, energy I aspire to cultivate it deeper
Diligence, keeps my practice steps moving forward, usually more than backward
Empathy towards self and others everyday
Fun, sitting here and manifesting answers
Gratitude for this gift of life and all that supports me
Happiness is here and now, as are enough conditions to be happy
Inspiration to joyfully take the right action
Joy, what good is any practice without it?
Karma, I’m swimming in it
Love is all I need
Mindfulness is the energy that brings me into contact with the present moment
Nice, which I try to be, although sometimes fail
Opinion, of course I have one but it’s often open to change, I hope
Peace, in myself and hope for the world
Quiet, together with peace is how I spend many of my days
Relaxation helps my body, heart and mind stay young (relative to the age of the universe)
Self, I’m empty of a separate one, but full of the universe (smile also could define me somewhat)
Together we are one, our inter-being nature (from Thich Nhat Hanh’s calligraphy on the top of this page)
Unborn, undying I am; when conditions were sufficient, I manifested. When no longer sufficient, I’ll be gone in this form
Victoria was my first girlfriend; she slammed a desk down on my pinky in 8th grade and guitar playing has never been the same.
Why, a question I ask a lot, then I practice letting go of wanting an answer
Xerox, once I owned one of those copy machines
Your reading this completes me
Zebras smiled at me from a distance recently at the Oakland zoo
Now I’d like to nominate a few of those who inspire me when I sign into the blogosphere every week or so. May all be happy and safe.
http://onemindfulstep.com/
http://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/
http://bewellandhappy.wordpress.com/
http://theartoflivingintheverymoment.wordpress.com/
http://wildonewithin.wordpress.com/
http://landoffun.wordpress.com/
http://transcendingbordersblog.wordpress.com/
http://lifeasimprov.com/
This inspires joy 🙂 (not Joy™, which may be *great* for bubble-making diversions) thank you for mindfulness of happy sidetracking. Peaceful day to you 🙂
You’re very kind Polly. Wishing you all the joy possible in this moment.
I loved this, there was so much fun coming off the screen as I read the a-z of you (my favourite was V:-). Thanks so much for the nomination, that was a lovely gift to find at the end of a post I’d already enjoyed:-)
Nice award, but Man-alive! Check out that clean Floor!!
🙂
Sorry, I’m not betty homemaker material, but I really, really get a charge out of clean floors and if nothing else, scrubbing the floor makes me happy! 😛
Kind to notice the exceptionally clean floor, as it’s not usually so. Wishing you safe and joyful cleaning!
I liked your ABC poem. I just bought a heavy duty steam cleaner from a bed bug store. Amazing how it cleans with just water. Disinfects by steam. Being handocapped with very limited mobility right now, I could even clean some walls for as long as I could. It is a great toy. Just want to clean it all. Just can’t with my cronic pain issue.
I’m happy that you have found a cleaning tool that accomodates your ability and heart, Michelle. Wishing you ease in your joyful, pain-free cleaning chores.
Thank you very very much for the Nomination, David! So, I am to follow those 3 instructions to accept the Award? 🙂 This will be a nice way to start my Sunday morning tomorrow. Loved, loved, loved your A-Z ! !
May you have a lovely day ,
best, Nicole
Thanks for your kind words, Nicole. Wishing you a happy alphabet.
Hello, Smile!
Thank you for sharing your award and the links to these sites. It will be an honor to visit each one.
You’ve inspired me to clean house!
Thanks for being inspiring, kind, and also clean, eM!
Thankyou to Smilecalm, a likeminded blogger 🙂
thanks so much for the nomination – i shall do it properly when i get home. am laptopless in a travelodge tonight :-0
happiness and safe travels!
Another lovely post! I’m really glad you played along with the ABC Award, and it sounds like you had fun with it – I did too, silly as it was. I love what you wrote about protecting your eyes, love whenever people write about true self-love in any form. “Karma, I’m swimming in it” was great, too. I noticed that the link to my ABC Award post actually goes to the site of the woman who nominated me. My post is at http://www.kellykuhn.com/2013/06/the-abc-award/. Enjoy your clean space!
Thanks Kelly for shining the light. I believe the link is changed in your direction. May you be well.
Thank you, especially for reminding me to shine the light. I can’t say how much I needed that today without getting sappy. Namaste.
Wonderful, fun post! And thank you for the nomination! :~)
Fun reading the ABCs about you! Great reminder to keep things in perspective… 🙂
you’re very kind.
i’ll have a look see
who I was then 🙂