A little firefly

Flittered passed

As I sat listening

To sirens in the distance

Life is a series

Of disconnected events

Connected

The firefly doesn’t know

What the sirens are

And somewhere

An ambulance driver

Is unaware that I am

Watching a firefly

And listening to

His siren wail

peace, wayf

Ancient hill

Pushed up from

The belly of Earth

Arches its back

Like a cat waking

From a nap

peace, wayf

 "The Way of the Warrior has been misunderstood as a means to kill and destroy others. Those who seek competition are making a grave mistake. To smash, injure, or destroy is the worst sin a human being can commit. The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent slaughter - it is the Art of Peace, the power of love."

“Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead. The Art of Peace is a celebration of the bonding of heaven, earth, and humankind. It is all that is true, good, and beautiful.”

“All the principles of heaven and earth are living inside you. Life itself is the truth, and this will never change. Everything in heaven and earth breathes. Breath is the thread that ties creation together.”

“Those who practice the Art of Peace must protect the domain of Mother Nature, the divine reflection of creation, and keep it lovely and fresh. Warriorship gives birth to natural beauty. The subtle techniques of a warrior arise as naturally as the appearance of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Warriorship is none other than the vitality that sustains all life.”

peace, wayf

Restless mind

Thoughts come

Thoughts go

This way and that

Serving no real purpose

Save keeping me awake

Thinking about

Their uselessness

peace, wayf

  There is a common thread in my writing about being in the moment. I think some misconstrue the thought to mean something that I do not mean when I talk about it. Living in the moment, as I see it, is really the only realistic way to live; any other way of living only leads one to be focused on the past or dreaming about the future. The place where things get accomplished is in the here and now, because that is where you are at.

   As far as I can tell, we have not developed the ability to travel through time (although such an ability would be great for some) so, like it or not, we are stuck in the present. How you approach this situation will speak volumes about how your life plays out.

   In the here and now lies the product of your past and the ingredients for your future. But the only way to be fully capable of discerning that fact is to be fully present in the place that you occupy. Of course, one always has goals, dreams, desires, and ideals of what their lives will be, but these goals, dreams, desires, and ideals are more easily seen through to their fruition when one applies oneself to being fully present in the moment. Know what it is that is set out for you, do what needs to be done, and move on to the next task. If you are focused on the upcoming events rather than the events that are happening right now, you will be more inclined to not fully accomplish the goal of the task at hand. Attend to your work, and let it go.

   There will be moments that are beautiful, and moments that are not, but the one thing that remains true is that we are only where we are and nowhere else. Living in the past, thinking “I should have...”, or living in the future thinking “One day I will be…” doesn’t get anything accomplished. Anyone who has ever accomplished any great thing has done it through many smaller things that built up to the whole, and it was accomplished minute by minute and piece by piece. Of course we have visions of what our work should accomplish, but we have to be present in the moment in order to accomplish it.

    Some aspire for greatness, others just aspire to be what they will be, but the only ones who ever accomplish anything are the ones who live each moment through and have no regrets about what they should have done differently.

peace, wayf