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Pail Klee. Fish, 1925
Why do I always forget this? I need to tape it to my wall.
“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.
To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float. You are a function of what the whole universe is doing in the same way that a wave is a function of what the whole ocean is doing.
Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.
The art of living . . . is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.”
― Alan Watts
Deborah J. Brasket 
beautiful! And, I might add, so much easier said than done. 🙂
Ah, yes. I couldn’t agree more.
“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.” Wow, so in sync with what I posted.
I had thought the same thing when I read your post this morning too, Jeff. Tao and Zen, so much in common.
“Tao and Zen.” Sounds like it could be the name of a book. 😉 Hope you are well. Cheers!
Its hard not to strive and make to-do lists and “get things done”. The nicest thing about the time between Christmas and New Year’s day is the quiet – at least in our house – and having time to just be. Read. Cook. Sleep. Eat. Its lovely. But so hard to do the rest of the year. I guess that’s the value of meditating, right? Slow down. Breath. Try to let stuff go even if just for a few minutes every day.
I’m so glad you brought this up, Susanne. I love making to-do lists too They really help me to plan the day and stay on track with accomplishing things I want to do. I don’t think it’s inconsistent with “just living’,” either, or “being sensitive to each moment.” But yo do so with joy, without panic, without attachment to the results, without feeling we have to be more than ourselves, but with the goal of being more of ourselves, who we really are and are meant to be. And yes, meditating, slowing down, breathing, just sitting and doing nothing for a few minutes each day as you say, is such an important part of all that.
Bed-bound as I currently am with suspected flu, this beautiful quote speaks to me at so many levels. I can particularly relate to these words: “The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.” How freeing! How wise! And how lovely of you to share it with us, Deborah! Thank you. xo 💜
I hope you get well soon, Joy. I’m glad this quote spoke to you as it did to me. Take care, my friend.
Thank you, Deborah. “The meaning of life is just to be alive.” Grounding, centering, reassuring.
So glad you liked it, Valorie.
Amen. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Kay.
Very true! My thoughts exactly! Yet is still a practice…
So true, it must be practiced.
Yes, this. This this this
Your response makes me smile and feel happy. I so agree.
🙌🏻
live it, love it.
So true! Happy to have you here.
so true…something i try to incorporate in my life lately. taking it day by day, just being, without having to. After all people won’t get happier from running around like a stressed chicken.
But it’s not always easy in todays society, luckily we have these reminders to make us pause for a moment. ☺️
Yes, we do need these reminders. Thank you for coming here and commenting. I appreciate that.
Thank you, Deborah. Just beautiful!. Someone once said (?) that writers have the whole world inside themselves, and on those rare, precious moments when that seems true, it’s a magical moment. Peace and love. x
Thank you so much Joy. I do believe we each have the whole world inside ourselves.
Thank you Deborah. Just beautiful! Someone once said (?) that a writer can have the whole world inside him/herself, and there are those precious, rare moments when your whole being is alive to ALL the wonders, from the echo of music, to the magical effect of scenes and places you’ve visited; paintings seen…and nature in its vast glory. When that’s interwoven with love and peace, pure happiness is complete.
Apologies. The second piece was written first and suddenly disappeared, so I wrote the other one. And now it’s suddenly appeared again?!! Don’t know what happened there……
Not to worry, I love both of your replies. Thank you so much.
Very true ❤👍
I really need this on my wall too
Reblogged this on I Quit My Job and commented:
So easy to forget. Thank you Deborah J Brasket for the reminder!!!!
Thank you for the reblog!