I don’t recall the first time I noticed the night sky as a child... we live in LA and only when the atmospheric conditions are just so... no haze, fog, smog... can you see only the brightest planets and stars...

The first time I took notice of the night sky was in Lake Tahoe, where we spent our summers... My buds and I would take a blanket to the middle of the fairway behind the house and lay on our backs to watch for shooting stars... It was the first time I realized how small we were... I remember describing how the sky could be a big black piece of velvet with a lot of dust specks on it and God turned on a Black Light... The stars were soooo intense, they seemed to come down on us... as if we could almost touch them... Spectacular!

Another experience that is breathtaking to me is going up the coast where there are no lights to watch the meteor showers... The stars seem to kiss the ocean...  Knowing that we, the Universe, are all interconnected... makes seeing such beauty, a very humbling experience. And a great meditation in Nature.

“I” feel unconditionally accepting of myself....

And then when I'm with my best of the best friends... who are also unconditionally accepting of themselves... (some friends aren’t there yet, and these relationships can be challenging at times... I have a friend who has every THING, yet can’t quite grasp the concept these THINGS do not define or fill her. She conceded, “You’re just happy aren’t you” which came out like an insult.... ooops, oh well... You surely can’t buy that.)

When I am around my special bud... he’s brilliant, deep, talented, stupid, supportive and can be an a-hole from time to time and is totally unconditionally accepting of all of himself... And encourages me to be the most me I can be and accepts me as I am on a cellular level as I do him.

Then there is my Mom whom I care for... we had a super long journey to get here...  Unfortunately, it took her 83 years to do so, and I think it’s by default, but better late than never  :-)

And when I have heartfelt, soulful and silly conversations/interactions with my special buds here on Zaadz (I no I no,, Gaia... ) LOVE YOU ALL!

Oh, and when I am at my Spiritual Center, Agape... Where I feel at home, unconditionally and spiritually accepted.

EVERYTHING... for me it's a feeling when allowed to just be... that just explodes out my soul. Creativity happens when Inspiration from Divine Creative Intelligence, is received by us, interpreted by us and then uniquely expressed through us as us.

I felt/feel the most free when I scuba’d of the coast some years back... floating weightlessly in the ocean, no sound, just cradled by the Universe... I felt most connected to the All. I still pull it off in pools too! Or when I lay back on my porch swing and gaze at the sky and trees and sway with the breeze... (or when I turn the phone ringers off and just be :-)

Well, I guess that's not exactly free, but, I call this experience up when I begin my meditation or, when I’m stressed or, when I want to feel free... and interconnected to the All there is   :-)

interconnected... free...interconnected... free...interconnected... free... Hummmmm

Fathers and Daughters... mothers and sons...

Father’s Remember... You are your daughters first crush and love. It is how you treat and love her, the confidence you instill, your strength and patience and how you threat her mother that she learns how to be Loved as a Strong Confident Woman in her future relationships.
(This also rings true for sons becoming men)

My Dad taught me these things... I Love you DADDY! And I miss you! and I wish you had lived long enough to see who I’ve become... Thank you for being my Hero, my shinning example, for being my first life coach and for your unconditional love...

I think, feeling at peace is a state of mind, so I do my best never to lay me down to sleep without feeling at peace. This is in responce to the question at hand... Before I lay me down, I contemplate and reconcile the day’s events, accomplishments and challenges, knowing that I did my best and whatever was not done.... well there is always tomorrow.
This way when I wake up I can feel at peace...

I feel at peace during the day when I observe nature doing it’s thing while I’m doing mine, whether it’s a glimpse of a flowering yard as I drive by, a cloud, the moon, a tree waving in the breeze, a smile.... these all bring me peace during the day. It helps me to stay in tune and focused with what’s really important... Being in the moment.

Peace...

IMA, locavore, organivor, wildavor, home-made-home grown-avor... if it doesn't fall in those categories... I don't eat it unless it's fermented "pluck".... lol.

The World as in Planet?
Better care givers... and give her a well deserved restorative vacation with pay... ;-)
We've kinda made a mess of our Mother Earth like spoiled rowdy children.

For her spoiled childen, lessons in tolerance, compassion, respect, and consideration of her and others. Play nice!

I see the patterns in my life as grooves and am becoming in sync with the flow of better health both mental and physical... The most amazing new groove that is now a habit ( for the last 6 months )..., is to start my retiring ritual by 9 ish... now this is coming from a notorious night owl, and is major! I soak, I journal, talk to Divine Spirit, then knock out. (now there are times when I revert back to my old behavior, and go out, or feel a creative surge that must be attended to... but I still rise with the sun)

This phenomenon has resulted in me rising with the sun refreshed... then as I reach consciousness, I get into this mindfulness thing... meditatively awaking to the day. It is from here that I lace on the sneakers, throw on the baggy sweats and go for a 3 mile walk (at first to lose the fall/winter butter fat, but now because I feel like something is missing if I don't... oh yeah, and lost 15 pounds of the butter fat :-). I notice everything I see, hear and smell and feel each step... my nature connection for the day (today the Hawk family was around... I had noticed all the other singing birds suddenly fell quiet... then I heard their menacing call)  when I get back home I do 45 mins of vinyasa... this all magically happens before 7:30 or earlier depending on the temps outside. Last weekend it was 97º, so this happened before 6:30 (WOW, I scare myself these days ;-)

What a great groove to be in to greet the day!!! And with such wonderful benefits; more energy, becoming a lean and mean well toned human machine, restful sleep, low stress levels, mental clarity and more stamina...  and I can definitely relate to Boogies post  :-) teehee!

I have other groovy patterns/grooves, but I won't pontificate anymore :-))))) lol

BEing content with who you are...
Loving yourself and accepting of yourself on a cellular level...
Realizing change is inevitable, and rolling with it...
Understanding you are responsible for you own actions...