446 posts shown.
When I was sitting there trying to figure out what kind of handle to pick for myself, my little pup rustymaker5 just nudged her nose right into my lap, and honestly, that was it... the decision was made right then and there. A nickname born out of pure love. 😍
As for an avatar... tigers have always been my favorite big cats, I mean, there's just something about those eyes, that piercing gaze, and I can definitely see a bit of that tiger energy in myself—that tendency to wander off alone, being fiercely protective of my own space, and that intense, almost aggressive way I defend what's mine...
frozengull2, any thoughts on this? 😁
rooster or crow
is it an alligator or a monitor lizard?...
Real courage is just being yourself—staying true to who you actually are deep down, without all the masks and different personas we end up playing out in our daily lives...
Hey everyone, I just wanted to wish you all a truly happy and joyful New Year! 🙂🙂🙂
There’s just something about that feeling when you can actually sense your own soul and find a way to express it simply by living...
Wishing everyone a truly joyful and bright lead-up to Christmas! 🙂🙂
🙂
If you ever find yourself needing a hand...🙂
🤣
I I'm still sitting here torn over whether or not to go through with those curtains... 🤷
...but honestly, man, it’s not like the health inspector is going to show up at my door, it’s just Isusek! 🙂
Nicole Myers said:That's a nice setup you've got there, the wheat looks thick and healthy.
Yeah, because who could actually survive a year like this one...?! 🙂
My desk setup, starting today
Oh yeah, I’ve actually got those two little birds on a spring, too—one red and one silver—they sit right tucked under the top part. 👍
Yeah, those ornaments with the little indentations... they really take me back to being a kid, you know? We used to have some slightly larger ones where the hollowed-out part held a tiny scene inside, like a little winter wonderland with snowy houses, pine trees, a manger, Santa and all that good stuff
and the thing was, every single one of those glass baubles was so incredibly fragile, you had to handle them like they were made of thin ice just to make sure they didn't snap or shatter in your hands.
That's why nowadays, I just stick to the plastic replicas.
Isse, please just fix this already, I can't even tell what I'm typing...
So here’s a little something, though mine actually have that extra little indentation—I always find myself wanting to go with red 😍
Here’s a of my little , trying to find some "peace and quiet" during the Christmas season while all the fireworks were going off around her...😢
While we’re all just sitting here waiting for that white Christmas weather to finally show up, I found myself drifting back through my mind, thinking about how things used to be...😁
hiddenmarlin14 said: 🙂
👍
And this could work too, I guess...🙂
Adding a little bit of a musical vibe here, though I honestly don't think anyone managed to outdo me this year 😍
I've started picking up some gifts here and there...🐔
Because it’s just part of who we are... it's in our nature.
I honestly think the whole issue stems from people completely losing sight of who they actually are... most folks are just walking around totally oblivious to the fact that they are the ones actively constructing their own reality. They don't bother questioning those inherited, autopilot beliefs we've all been fed—things like the idea that existence is just some cosmic accident; this pervasive notion that resources are finite and we all have to claw at each other just to grab our slice of the pie; the belief that there are certain needs we'll never satisfy unless we crush the competition; or the heavy, constant fear that failure is inevitable and that survival is nothing more than an endless, exhausting struggle.
It’s as if life is just something happening *to* people, rather than people being the active architects of it.
And that mindset... it just isolates us. It pulls a person away from everything and everyone, drifting them away from themselves and from life itself, until they become blind to the other side of the coin. Because the truth is, happiness is an inside job; failure isn't really a thing, and at our core, our spiritual essence, we are all fundamentally equal and worthy of respect; we find more through giving than through grasping, and there's really no need to compete with anyone for anything, because we are all One, deeply intertwined with the totality of Life... and that thing we're all chasing—to love and be loved—is achieved through connection and cooperation far more than through conflict and combat.
Humanity is just a collection of individuals, and there's this beautiful story, supposedly of Native American origin, that perfectly captures how much responsibility each of us carries in shaping our lives through the daily choices of our thoughts, our words, and our actions.
The Tale of Two Wolves
Once upon a time, an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson a story about life.
"Inside every person, there is a constant battle going on, like a fight between two wolves.
One wolf represents EVIL. It stands for anger, envy, jealousy, hatred, greed, arrogance, lies, guilt, inferiority, malice, false pride, self-pity, mockery, and egoism...
The other wolf represents GOOD. It stands for peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, generosity, courage, truth, compassion, joy, contentment, and faith..."
The grandson sat there for a moment, lost in thought. He took those words deep into his heart and then asked:
"Grandfather, which wolf wins in the end?"
The old Cherokee Indian looked at him and simply said:
"The one you feed."
mellowbadger0 said:When it comes to Zen masters, I find myself perpetually uncertain about their true intentions😁
It is entirely plausible that a Zen master was attempting to suggest that we are the sole architects of our own reactions to circumstance—and by choosing how we respond, we effectively construct our own heaven or hell. Then again, perhaps he was simply implying something much more subtle
Exactly, and honestly, you don't have to look far to see it happening right now.
The whole concept of heaven and hell is just something humans cooked up, really, and they don't necessarily have anything to do with the divine or anything transcendent...