Volume 11, Issue 8 | August 2022

Greetings!

Hi! I’ve been taking stock of my life recently—I actually do so frequently as I am very introspective—perhaps spurred on by noticing how busy my life has become now that the pandemic has receded a bit. I’m pleased to see that my life is quite balanced these days, perhaps even more so since before COVID put us all into isolation.

I love spending time in my cocoon, and working my full-time technical writer job from home gives me that opportunity, nectar to my soul. These days I am cultivating friendships with new women friends in my less-populated home town of one year, and I’m adding more male energy to my life mainly through online dating site adventures.

My morning practice sets me off on balanced footing through meditation, chanting, stretches and yoga poses, walking, praying, and then reading spiritual literature and journaling while eating breakfast. As a bookend, in the evening I write in my other journal dedicated to expressing my gratitude, and read spiritual literature—if I can keep my eyes open!

Once again I am engaged in volunteer activities and, as music is crucial to my soul’s well-being, I am attending and participating in more musical events.

There is balance in my finances as I earn money, and spend, tithe, and save it.

Sure, there are areas in my life that could use more balance, including increasing giving and receiving hugs, and getting out into Nature more. Still, all-in-all, things have started coming together nicely over the past few months through my efforts once I stepped out into the world again. I am so grateful.

And, I think staying in the present moment as often as possible, as well as cultivating gratitude, contribute significantly to a life of balance. I cannot be grateful and in fear simultaneously. I cannot be grateful and angry simultaneously. When I am in the present moment, I am simply being, and that is balanced. I am in a peaceful place.

_____________________________________

In this hectic world, meditating, pausing, and taking conscious deep breaths contribute to a balanced life. That entails slowing down. 

Listen to what Daniel Nahmod has to say in Slow It Down.

Inspiration and Contemplation

Serenity

Spirituality

Work as Active Meditation, Meditation as Inward Service

I came upon a blog post from the website of Ananda, a global spiritual movement based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, who showed how everyone can realize God in their daily lives as a tangible, loving reality. It resonated with me as I personally endeavor to remember Spirit in all that I do and in all circumstances. I can lose my way during the course of a day that's for sure—and sometimes longer—so I appreciated reading the tips on how I can integrate my spiritual life into my work and other activities. To me, that's a balanced life.

Below is a brief overview of the blog post "Balancing Work and Spiritual Life;" you can read it in its entirety here.

Paramhansa Yogananda said that we should think of work as active meditation and meditation as inward service. In other words, our daily activities and meditation are not separate from each other; they are two aspects of our spiritual path. Here are some tips on how to do that:

Remember God while you work.

Since most of our waking hours are spent at work, the biggest problem we face is forgetting Spirit. In order to succeed at work, we need to focus on the task at hand, but we can become so engrossed in the task that we forget about God. How can we remember to keep our mind on God?

There are two basic approaches. One is to have little reminders so that during pauses in your work, you can bring your mind back to God. A deeper aspect of keeping your mind on Spirit is to feel that you are in God’s presence while you are working.

Consciously serve as a channel for the Divine.

View your work as service and as an opportunity to share love, blessings, and joy. Whatever you are doing, try to feel that you are a channel for divine consciousness.

Be calmly active and actively calm.

It’s important to take time to pause every so often and check with your body. Whatever you are doing, try to feel that you are a channel for divine consciousness. Building in little breaks helps you to relax and become centered again.

Work with concentration and absorption.

When you work with concentration and absorption, activity becomes a kind of meditation. And then, when it’s time to meditate, your mind is already focused and interiorized.

Prioritize your daily activities.

To establish the right balance between your work and your spiritual life, it is very important to prioritize your daily activities. For many the first priority is to meditate when they get up in the morning and before they go to bed at night.

You can read the full blog post here.

People Making a Difference

Shifting the Narrative (Balance) through Girls’ Construction Camp

When I was growing up, girls were taught sewing, baking, and other such skills; I can tell you that didn’t capture my attention much.

It’s refreshing, and a beginning to remedying the imbalance, to learn of a summer camp that teaches girls to use a power drill, weld metal, and other construction-related skills. The intention is to show girls they do not have to rely on the male species, who generally have handled the physically hard tasks, that women are capable of doing these things. It also opens up more career opportunities for women, especially since the construction industry is facing workforce shortages.

Read more about this endeavor by National Association of Women in Construction chapters across the country: women making a difference and fostering more balance in the individual lives of women and in industry.

As we approach summer's end and sense the change in seasons, I am reminded of the balance in Nature. 

We can learn from Nature.

There is beauty in it, there is peace. Enjoy!

Namasté.

Let us not forget!

Joyce S. Kaye, MSW

928.301.7292

joyce@thecomputerspirit.com

You, Me, and Spirit

I was a devout atheist until 32 years ago when I "came to believe" in a Power greater than myself. Thanks to hearing the novel idea (well, at least it was to me!) that one could choose their own concept of God—and name too (Spirit, The Great Mystery, All That Is, etc.)—and the workings of synchronicity, I embarked on a new way of thinking, a new way of living, a new way of being in the world and with others. It impacted all aspects of my life and relationships.

Since that time of commencing my conscious spiritual journey, I have endeavored to remember The Presence in all that is, all whom I meet, and all that I do -- including working with clients in my own business, academia, and the corporate world. I strive to be of service and to nurture the human spirit in all environments.