Archive | February 2011

Beginner!

Feb23

Being a beginner at something
Keeps us humble
And can bring us joy
Joy of discovering something new
Joy of progress
And seeing things unfold

Being a beginner at something
Requires courage
We have to accept the awkwardness
The imperfections
The beginnerness!

Practice is needed
Perseverance is required
We won’t start perfect
Or even satisfactory
Need to be patient
Need to be kind to ourselves
Laugh at the mistakes
We will improve eventually!

Being a beginner
Liberating!
No expectations!
Doing something for pure joy!
Taking a chance
Jumping off
And getting out of
Our comfort zone!

Lida Berghuis
February 1st, 2011

I learned but I forgot!

Feb20

I learned, but I forgot
I knew, but I forgot
I saw but I forgot

And so I pass the years of my life
Lessons learned are sometimes forgotten
Gems discovered, are covered by dust
What I saw clearly, is now blurred
What I thought I understood, clear as mud!

This I was told is the human condition
We usually don’’t learn right away
Sometimes we fall many times
Before we learn to look in front of us
Sometimes we burn our hands anyway
Even though we thought we’’d never do it again!

Forgetting is human
Erring is human
Learning slowly is human too

How can I remember better,
Learn faster
I thought

“Slowness remembers, hurry forgets”#
“Softness remembers, hardness forgets”
“Surrender remembers, fear forgets”

Lida Berghuis
February 20th, 2011

#Quotes from “Mark Nepo”
The book of Awakening

Me hung!!

Feb19

Mommy, me hung, me hung!
English please?!
Mommy, you know!
I am hungry!
Could you make a snack for me?
Bread with chocopasta*
And some applesauce
That would really hit the spot!

Nicki, darling, you’re eleven years old
I’m sure you can do this on your own

Yes, I could
But it’s so much nicer
When you make it

Why don’t you get it yourself
It’s so easy, not complicated

It’s OK mom
I’ll wait for you
When you have time
Please remember, me hung!

Because you’re sweet
And diplomatic and kind
Because you give me
Kisses morning, noon and night
Because your hugs
Are so delicious, I say

I’ll make your snack for you
This time
But you’re growing up
You’ll make it next time!

Lida Berghuis
February 18th, 2011

*chocopasta = nutella in Dutch

Taking risks

Feb17

My dad always said
In business, you need to take risks
You’ll win some
You’ll lose some
But you need to take risks to win!

I think in life
We need to take risks as well
In order to become better
In order to change

To do this
One needs to become comfortable
With losing
With being disappointed
With falling down

Life does not end with a loss
When you fall
You just get up!

To risk
One needs courage
The courage to try something different
A new thought
A new paradigm

One needs to be humble
Realize that one could be wrong
Be open to new ways of thought
Slowly, give them a try

The first steps
An a new path
Are the most difficult ones
Once on a path for a while
You wonder why you hesitated
At all

Growing and spreading your wings
Will never end
To new paths we should always
Be drawn

The comfort zone is good for a while
But it’s by accepting discomfort
That we fly!

Lida Berghuis
February 15th, 2011

‘Shoulds’ than strangle!

Feb13

Shoulds that strangle*
Shoulds that entangle
Shoulds that stop us in our tracks
Shoulds that make us change our plans

Shoulds that are so deep within
That we don’t see them

Shoulds of tradition
Shoulds of convention
Shoulds of fear
Fear of change

Shoulds that depress us
Shoulds that drown us
Shoulds that darken our days so bright

I’’m throwing away these shoulds
These musts
Who makes these rules?
This is my life!

Should do this to be valued
Should do that to be good
Should not do this, or all is lost

It takes courage to
Throw away the shoulds
It takes belief in yourself

Life has a way of showing you
There are no shoulds
When it comes to being yourself

Who you are deep inside
Is marvelous
Is awesome!

These are the shoulds I choose to live by:

Should be authentic!
Should be me!
Should discover what’s deep within
Should learn and explore
Should love and serve
Should make the world
A better place

Should be joyful
Should be grateful
Should know life has ups and downs
Should pay attention
Should meditate
Should pray
Should do yoga!

Lida Berghuis
February 13th, 2011

*Inspired by the phrase: “Shoulds that strangle our passion and creativity”
In Finding Joy!

I choose joy!

Feb11

Let’’s not try to be perfect
Just good enough!
Let’’s have reasonable expectations!
Perfect is usually unattainable
Since we are people, not machines!

Good enough, can be great
If we’’ve done something with Joy
Perfection mingled with misery
Not worth the price we pay
I say

A perfect child
A perfect parent
A perfect marriage
A perfect spouse
Does not exist!
We all have flaws
As painful to hear, as that is!

Demanding perfection
Stresses ourselves and others too
Is perfection wroth that stress?
I don’t think so!

It’s quality of life
Versus perfection in life
I’’d rather have a happy child
Than a perfect child!

All this I write as a perfectionist
On the mend
I know what I’’m talking about
I’’ve been there!

I’’m probably still a perfectionist
In many ways
But I’’m learning to let go
Of joyless perfection!

Lida Berghuis
February 8th, 2011

Coffee grounds

Feb9

IMG_6463What do you see in the coffee grounds?
Let your imagination roam
Tell me …
Is that a bird? A pair of boots?
Is that a valley? A cliff? Or just some swirls?

Our imagination
A wonderful tool
Let it be free
Let it explore

Too often confined to reason and rules
Our spirit needs to be set free
Go where nothing you create is wrong
All is good
The purpose is joy
Creating beauty
Uplifting souls

Isn’’t it wonderful to get lost in thought
Forget the world
Take a ride on imagination’’s wings
And hear the music no one hears?

Isn’’t it wonderful
To give our intuition a chance
To lead for a change
Not lag

Isn’’t it wonderful to
Be free from restrictions and rules
Of convention
Of the desire for perfection
Of what we think we should do?

Lida Berghuis
February 8th, 2011

Tahirih

Feb7

There was a time
When women were not seen,
heard or could move about
Hidden behind a veil
A curtain
Or the walls of the house
The woman was not seen, because
Her beauty would tempt men
Her safety would be in danger!
Anyway, that was what was said at the time!

Women were not heard
Outside the house
They spoke to other women
But with men in public places
They could not converse
Their duties confined them to the house

Women could not easily travel and
Move about
To be a model of chastity
In their homes they would reside
No need to travel anyway
Since they were not allowed to learn
Teach and have a public life

At such a time
Appeared a women named Tahirih
The pure one, the solace of the eyes
She wanted to learn, teach,
And travel abroad
Her restless mind and soul
Could not be confined

In pursuit of knowledge
A fearless lioness
An orator
Admired by women and men alike
A scholar, a poetess, a teacher, a leader
The like of which no one had
Seen in Iran

Tradition could not silence her
Convention could not stop her
She was a free spirit
Unique in the land
Her words and deeds
Brought fear to man!

A champion of equality
An activist for change
Unhindered by tradition
Ready to forge ahead

Her affection could not be bought
Life with the King, she even denied
Her heart belonged to the King of Hearts
Her poetry a testament to that love

Her spirit too frightening
For those in power
They wondered how to
Contain her

Prison did not prove sufficient
In time
Her life would be a sacrifice
To her Cause

A brilliant star devoted
To truth and love
Taking her life they thought
Would stop her rise

But you cannot stop the sun
From shining
You cannot stop the moon
From guiding
You cannot cover up the stars

Tahirih galvanized so many hearts
Her sacrifice
Had marvelous results

She inspired women
In the East and West
A model of courage, purity
And steadfastness

Her life will be celebrated
For all time
Those who tried to silence her
Failed outright

Their vision so small
Their hearts so cold
Even the fire of Tahirih’s words
Did not warm their souls

A woman leading men
Unheard of!
But Tahirih was the woman
Who dared to try!!

Lida Berghuis
February 6th, 2011

Note to self (3)!

Feb6

 

IMG_7057

Note to self (3)!

It is what it is
Stop fighting with yourself!
Accept the moment, as is

It is what it is
You are tired?
Have a rest

You feel change
Is happening slowly?
That might be
But worrying about it
Won’t speed things up
If anything
It will create roadblocks

Sometimes it’’s two steps forward
One step back

You’’re not a saint
You’’re not perfect
Others have gone through this
Take a deep breath
And get back on track!

It is what it is
It’’s not bad
Even when it’’s hard
It may lead you
To something new and grand

 

Lida Berghuis
January 31st, 2011

Soul Spa (2)

Feb2

Tic Toc!
Time to lighten up!
Why so serious?
Where is that smile?

I know sometimes
Things get in the way
The washing machine suddenly breaks
Your colleague in is Montego Bay!

I know it’’s cold outside
All this snow to plow
And the garage door
Won’’t come down

It’’s time to transport yourself
To an imaginary place
The place kids go
When they want to play

Where you can temporarily relax
Recharge
You are not in the Caribbean
But don’’t lose heart!

Time to think of something
To laugh about
I’’m sure you can find something
Somewhere, somehow

Oh, I can see that smile
Taking shape
You must have thought
Of something absurd

Joy and laughter
Our soul spa
Need to go there
From time to time

Even when it’’s cold outside
Even when we have so much on our minds
Especially when times are busy and tough
Then it’’s time for a soul spa!

Lida Berghuis
February 2, 2011