Spiritual Art Blog - *Ed P

The Secrets of Service

Thought for the Week
Have you ever noticed that as we do things and be of service to people it lifts our mood. Our focus changes from ourselves to others. We move from being self focused to focusing on others and how we can help them.

The secret of service
A friend told me about a manager who ran a centre for homeless people. If there was a client of his in a bad mood or feeling depressed, he would ask them to help him around the building. He may ask them to sweep the floor, help in the kitchen, do a little in the garden. He’d find some way of getting them to do something to help. This ‘work’ would help them move their focus from their negative thoughts to something constructive. After completing the tasks the individual would be in a more positive mood. The manager constantly used this technique to help his clients.

This manager knew the secret of service. He knew that getting his clients to do something for him, the centre or others in the community, started the flow of kindness and love from within them out to others. This flow of love brightened the world around them but also brightened themselves as well. This process confirms the old saying “To get love, you must first give love”. 

In our own lives we can see this working in the satisfaction we get when we complete a task or project. Whether it is cooking a meal, writing a card, completing a journey, fulfilling a promise, there is a sense of achievement in doing it successfully.

Unconditional Love
The real secret is using love to do the things we do. If we can do everything with love, an unconditional love, where we do not expect a return for our service, we receive a double benefit. We get love and we get freedom. As we do things with love, it flows out into the world around us. Our world now has a little more love, it becomes a better place for us and those around us. The more love that flows through us, the more love will be in our world. We are brightening our world and those around us as love flows through us.

The second benefit of using unconditional love is freedom. By not putting conditions on the things we do, we are not tied to them. For example; if I cook a meal for you and expect you to return the favour, this ‘debt’ as I see it will always come to mind when we meet. Everything I do with you will be based on my requirement, have you repaid my favour some other way or do you own me more favours? That ‘debt’ which I see owing to me will always colour our relationship until it is repaid or I decide to forget it. I am a prisoner of these thoughts.

On the other hand if I cook you a meal because I enjoy cooking or I have food to get rid of or because I like your company and I don’t expect anything in return, then I have freedom. I don’t feel you owe me anything. When we meet I’m not holding back anything. We can enjoy each other in the moment. I am free to go with the flow of life and accept the gifts it places in my path.

By doing things with conditions, we keep our mind busy with all the little debts we are owed by various people in our lives. It is difficult to keep track of all these things. Doing things with unconditional love releases us of the burden of remembering all these details. Life has a way of keeping track of things and our favours will return to us at a good time.

Love and freedom
Love and freedom are the secrets of service. Giving service without conditions using unconditional love brings love into our worlds and the worlds of those around us. We receive the joy of giving, the reflection of love in those around us and the freedom the live life in harmony.

Give service with love and freedom and enjoy the love and freedom you’ll receive as a result.

With Love and service


*Ed Parkinson

Looking for Guidance

At this point all the basic elements of the picture are in place. The composition and how the different parts interact with each other have to be worked out. I’m happy with the general feel of this piece and now the hard work of detailing and arranging begins.

Soul Exercises

Thought for the Week
One of the basic reasons for life is to discover how to be happy and how to love. Many of us go seeking happiness through things like money, drink, power, sex, drugs and over indulgence in the many things. We eventually find that while these things bring some happiness for a time, we are soon back to our old frustrations and discontented feelings. We are trying to satisfy an inner desire or pain with an outer effect. 

What we are really seeking is to reconnect with our true happy selves, Soul. We have lost this connection because we have been focused on surviving here in the physical world. As we learn from our mistakes and the things we do, we begin to realise that there is more to life than having our way and gathering possessions. 

What we sow, we reap
The objective of our physical existence is to teach us how to us our free will with love and compassion. This can take a long time to learn. We start off taking what we want, doing what we like and caring only for ourselves. After our deeds are returned to us a number of times, via the law of karma, we begin to realise that our selfish acts are the cause of the pain and problems in our lives. Once we realise this, we begin to change our ways.

When we realise that what we sow, we reap, we get a new perspective on life. It then becomes obvious that if we use love in the things that we do, the love will return in the things that are done to us. We begin to lead a balanced life, not too much badness, not too much goodness. 

With more love flowing through our life, our connection with Soul begins to re-establish itself. As Soul is in a place of love, and that love is now flowing into our lives, it is a natural progression that we reconnect with Soul. 

How can we accelerate this reconnection?
While learning from our errors as we go through our lives will help us bring more love into our lives, there are a number of techniques we can use to speed up our development.

A positive attitude
By seeing life as a gift where we can learn about ourselves, who we are, why we’re here, what our purpose in life is, our attitude can turn from one of boring monotony to exciting adventure.

Doing things for love
Doing things for love, out of the goodness of our heart, will bring a lot of love flowing through our lives. By using unconditional love and doing things for people without expecting anything in return, we can begin to make real progress. We are now releasing ourselves from the chains that bind us to people and situations because we feel we are owed something in return. By doing things purely for the joy of giving our love can flow more easily into life around us.

Spiritual Exercise
The HU Song exercise is one that has proven successful for many people. Done on a regular basis, it becomes a conscious daily communication and connection between our physical world and our true spiritual selves, Soul. As we reconnect daily the connection grows stronger and a clearer link with Soul is established. 

As with any area we want to develop, we need to take time to learn, practice and get into the habit of reconnecting with Soul. For best results this requires a daily spiritual exercise. These exercises allow Soul to give us insights, solutions and wisdom on the challenges and situations in our lives. They are Soul’s gift to us for doing spiritual exercises and reconnecting with It.

Wishing you a strong and loving connection with your true self, Soul.


*Ed Parkinson

Inspirational Spiritual Life Quotes

“At some point in our lives, our attitudes and actions come back to us, giving each of us the experiences that we have earned. The purpose of these experiences is to make us more conscious of why we are actually here. Gradually we learn that it is not just to tread water while we put in time, it’s to become a Co-worker with God.”
 Harold Klemp

“He who lives in harmony with himself, lives in harmony with the world.”
 Marcus Aurelius

“No act of kindness, however small is ever wasted.”
 Aesop 

“Every day people face the possibility of death though disease, war, accident, or other disaster. Many crumble. Yet many come through the experience with renewed strength – and faith that a divine hand was guiding them even in the darkest moments. What quality of character makes the difference here? An attitude of seeing the blessings within each experience life offers.”
 Mary Carroll Moore

“My whole life in one sense, has been an experiment in how to be a portable sanctuary – learning to practice the presence of God in the midst of stress and strains of contemporary life.”
 Richard J. Foster  

“I shall let grace and sweet harmony,
Flow free like the long Nile of purity
From soul’s centre of creativity.”
 Gabriel Ezutah

“The ability to shift consciousness as Soul and hear the inner guidance keeps me on track.”
 Debbie Johnson

“Live all you can; it’s a mistake not to.”
 Henry James

“The inclination to goodness is imprinted deeply in the nature of man.”
 Francis Bacon

Looking for Guidance

In this development of the picture, Looking for Guidance, I’ve move the characters representing our inner selves into different positions. I’ve use a young child to represent the true happy part of ourselves, Soul. Most of us are young Souls still learning how life works and how to work with it. We also need the love, innocents and playful curiosity of a young child to become aware of ourselves as Soul.

Inspirational Life Quotes

“The true reason for spiritual enlightenment is not to escape this life but to learn how to live it richly, to enjoy it.”
 Harold Klemp

“They learned that letting God arrange their lives in God’s own time is not an easy process but it brought them many more blessings than they had anticipated.”
 Mary Carroll Moore

"The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." 
Muhammad Ali

“Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.”
 Oscar Wilde

“Life is a wonderful thing to talk about, or to read about in history books - but it is terrible when one has to live it”
 Jean Anouilh

“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.”
 James Dean 

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
 Maria Robinson

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”
 Ashley Smith 

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
 Howard Thurman 

“Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.”
 Keri Russell 

“If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.”
 Win Borden

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.”
 Mary Anne Radmacher 

“The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.”
 Tom Bodett 

“Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.”
 Dr. Seuss

“Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see Life with a clearer view again.”
 Alex Tan

“Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.”
 Horace

“There is a time for departure even when there's no certain place to go.”
 Tennessee Williams

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”
 Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”
 Oprah Winfrey 

Looking for Guidance

Picture
This picture tells the story of a child lost in the mountains. The child turns within himself to search for guidance to get him out of his problem. He has a range of inner elements to help or hinder him, including, the emotions, memories, mind, intuition and Soul.

How our attitude gives us strength on our journey through life

Thought for the Week

Some of us have many challenges in our lives. Some of us have a harder time getting through life than others. One of the key elements in helping us get through our life’s journey is our attitude. Our attitude and how we look at life and its challenges, is a valuable key in helping us lead a happier life.

For example: If we are to undertake a journey of about 500 miles or 1,000 kilometres, by walking, we could look at this as hopeless or wonderful. Depending on our circumstances and what options are available to us, this could be an almost impossible journey, an unnecessary inconvenience or an adventure. Our attitude is key to us making the trip a positive or negative experience. 

To walk 500 miles will take us three or four weeks. If we see it as a journey into the unknown, going to places we’ve never been, it can be a fearful experience. If we look at it as discovering new places, new people and new experiences along the way, it can be an adventure. Depending on our attitude the journey can be fearful or adventurous. 

Where we put our attention
How do we switch from a fearful to an adventurous attitude? If depends on where we put our attention. If we look at all the things that can go wrong and things to be afraid of, we can only see the fearful things. However if we look at all the possibilities of meeting new people, making new friends, discovering new things, seeing new and beautiful landscapes as we travel, enjoying new foods and learning how to make such a trip, then we have something more positive to look at. Our attention moves to more positive things and our attitude changes.

By moving our attention from the negative aspects of the trip, to the positive and adventurous we change from a weak fearful traveller to an adventurer where our interest and expectation give us strength to make the journey.

A technique to help
If we find ourselves stuck in a place where we find it impossible to move, where all we can see is fear and problems, there is a technique to help us out. It does require some effort and taking time for ourselves. If we can find a quiet place to relax, close our eyes and put our attention on the spiritual eye, located between the eyes and up a little in the forehead. Then sign HU on our outgoing breath in a long soft tone. We can do this for five, ten or fifteen minutes.

When we return to being conscious of this world again, we may find we are a little rested and more content. We may also have ideas on what needs to be done next so that we can move on with our lives. This works best if we sing the HU on a regular daily basis. It helps people revive their strength and live a happier life.

Wishing you strength on your journey through life.

*Ed Parkinson

Dreams that Speak

News

Exhibition at the Temple Bar Cultural Trust’s, No Grants Gallery, 12 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

“Dreams that Speak” is an exhibition of art which shows dreams imagined, conquered and some yet to be fulfilled. It is part of the Bealtaine Festival, a month-long national festival that celebrates creativity in older age. The exhibition was opened by artist, Robert Ballagh on, Thursday 6th May 2010 at the Temple Bar Cultural Trust’s, No Grants Gallery, 12 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.


Pictured is Robert Ballagh speaking at the opening of the Dreams the Speak exhibition with Eimear Chaomhánach of Temple Bar Cultural Trust in the background.

Below is a radio interview with Ed Parkinson on Country Mix, 106.8 FM on Lynsey Dolan’s Dublin’s Talking programme last Wednesday, 5th May 2010.

Dreams that speak, Counrty MixFM 5'10

Inspirational Inner Strength Quotes

“There is a power in people who dream big and who try hard.”
 Harold Klemp

“Life only demands from you the strength that you posses.”
 Dag Hammarskjold

“I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.”
 Dalai Lama

“Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out.”
 Katherine Dunham

“May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another's judgment of your accomplishments. May you always feel loved.”
 Sandra Sturtz Hauss

“Come to the edge.”
“We can't. We're afraid.”
“Come to the edge.”
“We can't. We will fall!”
“Come to the edge.” 
 And they came.
 And he pushed them. 
 And they flew.”
Guillaume Apollinaire,  

“And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
Anais Nin

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
 Ralph Waldo Emerson 

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”  
 T. S. Eliot

“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” 
 Seneca

“The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.“
Lloyd Jones

“The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”  
 Lao Tzu

Islands and Bridges

Thought for the Week
Have you ever had a dream where you are flying? They are lovely dreams, where we are free to go where we wish, flying like a bird. This is the story of a dreamer who arrives at a group of island which she/he is eager to explore. 


What lies in there?
The first island, with the light house is a good solid physical place.
There is just enough here for a person to survive. There is a well built bridge leading to the next island. This place stirs the emotions. It has fire and ice. It quickly changes form hot to cold. While the heat from the volcano can be warming, it can quickly erupt burning everything in its path.


The snow and ice can be pleasant and 
refreshing but if we are exposed to it for too long we can freeze. It seems the only way through the island is via the bridge into the tunnel and into the heart of the island. What lies in there and will we survive?





Island of memories
If we get through the island of fire and ice, we come out on a bridge leading to the next island. It seems to be made of rocks with twelve slabs fused together. 
The Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland has a similar look to it with its hexagonal rock formations. Could this have something to do with time and memories? What do these clock-like rock slabs have to tell us? Is there a lifetime of memories in each?


Mind Island
If we find our way through the island of memories we have a delicate looking bridge leading to the next island. 
This looks like a pretty rocky and tough place to negotiate our way through. There are lots of nooks and shelters we can spend time in. Some of the rocks are like crystals, where we can spend time examining them, how the light affects them and how they distort what we see through them. This island could keep our mind busy for years.


Work with our intuition
Providing we can drag ourselves away from this island and its crystal mines we may discover the rope bridge leading to the next misty island. It’s hard to know what could be on this island as it has a cloud permanently covering it. There is a mystical feel flowing through the mist that surrounds the island. As we make our way across the bridge swaying in the soft wind, we are sure it isn’t logical to take such a risky route to see an island based on a feeling that it is the right thing to do.

When we get there we discover that we can only operate in the moment. Because of the mist we must take one step at a time and see where we are lead. We occasionally get a glimpse of what lies ahead but the mist quickly closes in to the hide the future from us. We have to work with our intuition, our hunches and how we feel about things as we negotiate our way around this island.

A gentle and loving place
Eventually we may find our way to the boat on the other side of the island which can take us the last island on the cloudy horizon. What little of it we can see is fascinating. There appears to be large buildings made of golden stone. In fact the whole island seems to be golden. It looks like a place of learning and wisdom. A gentle and loving place where one could be happy and content. We just have to be brave enough to sail our boat over to it.

The place of our dreams
As we look at all of these islands as we fly around them, we can see that we could spend a lifetime exploring any one of them. We could examine how they work, what causes the rocks to form the way they do. It would seem that the golden island in the distance is the ideal place to take up residence. It also appears to be the hardest place to reach. Or is it? If we are flying around these islands, what is stopping us from flying to the golden island in the distance? It just takes a little imagination to get us to the place of our dreams.

Interpretation
While this is my interpretation of this picture and my understanding of why I created it, you can have your own separate and personal meaning for the picture. It was created with an idea in my mind but it can spark many ideas from different people. In fact, everyone who sees this picture will pick up their own meaning based on what the different elements of the picture mean to them. If this picture opens a new idea for you, something you hadn’t thought of before or helps you visualise a concept, then the picture has done its job. It’s sparked a new awareness in you.

Wishing you well as you explore your islands within.

*Ed Parkinson

Dreams that Speak

News

“Dreams that Speak” is an exhibition of art which shows dreams imagined, conquered and some yet to be fulfilled. It is part of the Bealtaine Festival, a month-long national festival that celebrates creativity in older age. One of the artists showing his work is Ed Parkinson, who has the talent for bringing inner visions and dreams into realistic images. He uses a computer as his preferred tool for creating his art. Painting, photographs, 3D art and computer generated images are all used to bring out the artist’s visions so the world can see them.

“Now that I’ve seen your pictures, I know my thoughts are real!” This is how one person described Ed Parkinson’s work. As the pictures are realistic, almost photographic, they are easy to understand but the concepts he presents are often thought provoking and surreal. The titles of his pieces at the exhibition give a hint of his visions:
Cloud Angel, Mountain to Heaven, Razor’s Edge and Past Live, Dreams & Inner Travel.

Parkinson describes the thinking behind his work. “I try to offer a view from a different angle which hopefully gives an insight the viewer hadn’t considered before or else confirms a concept they had trouble visualising. If a person can see a different viewpoint, get an insight they were unaware of previously or come to a better understanding of a subject, through one of theses pictures, then it has been worthwhile creating that piece.”

The “Dreams that Speak” exhibition will be opened by artist, Robert Ballagh (Wikipedia info)at 6pm, Thursday 6th May 2010 at the Temple Bar Cultural Trust’s, No Grants Gallery, 12 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

Inspirational Island and Bridge Quotes

“Soul Travel is a bridge over the gulf that divides the human from the spiritual consciousness.”
 Harold Klemp

“No man or woman is an island. To exist just for yourself is meaningless. You can achieve the most satisfaction when you feel related to some greater purpose in life, something greater than yourself.”
 Denis Waitley

“Life is a bridge over the sea of changes. Do not build a house on it.”
 Sri Sathya Sai Baba

“Our lives are like islands in the sea, or like trees in the forest, which co-mingle their roots in the darkness underground.”
 William James

“Love builds bridges where there are none.”
 R. H. Delaney

“Your life is an island separated from all other islands and continents. Regardless of how many boats you send to other shores or how many ships arrive upon your shores, you yourself are an island separated by its own pains, secluded in its happiness”
 Kahlil Gibran

“Go to the truth beyond the mind. Love is the bridge.”
 Stephen Levine

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life but this.”
 Henry David Thoreau

“Love is what enables us to bridge the gap of disappointment when others don't live up to the expectations we have of them.”
 Jeanne Phillips

“The optimist lives on the peninsula of infinite possibilities; the pessimist is stranded on the island of perpetual indecision.”
 William Arthur Ward