From Henry David Thoreau:

"Every superfluous possession is a limitation on my freedom."

How free are you?

From Daniel Quinn:

"If we continue ... to consume the world until there's no more to consume, then there's going to come a day, sure as hell, when our children or their children or their children's children are going to look back on us -- on you and me -- and say to themselves, "My God, what kind of monsters were these people?"

The Party's Over

Have you ever read or listened to Richard Heinberg? If yes, you probably know what I am about to tell you. If your answer is no, it is time. For even if the party may be still on, it will really be over quite soon.

...

This October and the first week of November I was in the UK. With only two days in London, I spent this time up in Scotland in the Findhorn Ecovillage by the Findhorn Bay. It is a forty or fifty minute ride from Inverness airport. I was in Findhorn to attend a training of trainers by Gaia Education titled “Design for Sustainability - Ecovillage Design Programme”. It was quite an amazing training with participants from all around the world. Literally all around the world, from Burma/Myanmar to Argentina, from Canada to Australia, from Mexico to Japan… And there I was from Turkey.

It was my second time in Findhorn. Last summer I was there to attend a training to be a facilitator of the Transformation Game. The focus of that training was on personal growth, personal healing and empowerment. This game which is also available in Turkish is one of the best personal development tools that I have seen over the years.

Well, last summer I thought I had been to Findhorn. This October I realized that although Findhorn is essentially a spiritual community and offers many opportunities for personal growth and empowerment, it is also a very important place for sustainability awareness in the western world. It is a centre working hard to create awareness about climate change and peak oil.

Findhorn Ecovillage has the lowest ecological footprint measured in the western world. Their footprint is about one half of the footprint of the UK. Findhorn’s footprint includes the national factors for health services, infrastructure, and all government related activities, which needs to be included in the official calculations and definitely increases their footprint.

In the east countries and the global south as well as in Turkey especially in rural areas and in smaller rural towns, sustainability is still a way of life. People have not forgotten everything. Not yet. Our ecological footprint in Turkey is lower than many of the countries Europe and Northern America. Our villagers are still self sufficient in many aspects. However, it is also a way of life that we are forgetting fast. It is a way of living that we need to keep it alive, that we need to learn from, in order to survive when the party is over.

What is this party all about?

I have a lot of things to say, and I am finding it hard to decide where to start.

Have you heard of 350? When I was in Findhorn on October 24^th, there was an interesting event that took place. It was about 350. People gathered in the Universall Hall in Findhorn to sing and dance to connect to Mother Earth and to the people all around the world who are concerned about the future that awaits us all. Actually many interesting events took place all around the word. On that day in 181 countries about 5200 events were organised to rally for cutting CO₂ emissions.

In short 350 is the number of particles of CO₂ in the atmosphere [350ppm (parts per million)] which is thought to be a safe limit for humanity, in order to stop climate change, to prevent the melting of the arctic ice and all of its ripple effects. In December this year in Copenhagen a very important event will take place and it could be a historical event for the world, for the existence of human life on this planet. It is the UN Climate Change Conference COP 15 Copenhagen. This could be a historical time when we humans start to take responsibility for what we have caused on this planet, our home in the last few centuries with industrialization, our inconsiderate use of world’s natural resources especially fossil fuels.

The current level of CO₂ in the air is over 387 ppm. We are over the limit that is considered safe by scientists. We are in quite dangerous waters. There is a very urgent need to cut carbon emissions all around the world. We are all sharing the same planet, the same atmosphere, the same seas and oceans. There is no private salvation. All governments need to come together and work together to find a way to radically reduce the use of fossil fuel energy resources. Countries need to find ways to use carbon free energy sources. There is no other way. We all need to reconsider our way of living which has turned into consuming Earth without consideration and respect for it, for all other forms of life. And especially in the western world. In big cities in Turkey we are modelling ways of behaving that has brought this trouble to the world. We are copying so called western countries which are waking up to the dangers waiting at the door.

For more detailed information about 350, I would like to recommend checking out the website www.350.org. This web site is quite up to date about what 350 really is.

Life on Earth will change as we know it. There is no doubt about it. Especially climate change and peak oil will change the way we live. We will wake up, voluntarily or through the waves of change. At this moment in human history, we are at a very critical point. It is a point where although difficult it is possible to make a change. Difficult, but possible. Yet, it is not a light decision. And I cannot help but think that so many of us are not aware of the changes that are about to happen.

There are things that governments need to do. By being aware citizens we can affect our governments to take this threat seriously. And we can do more. In hundreds of cities, towns and neighbourhoods around the world people are gathering together to find ways to bring resilience to their communities. In Findhorn I had the privilege some of these people who have started such initiatives in their towns. They are working together to organise their lives to make it les dependent of oil and are re-skilling themselves to prepare for both climate changes and expected increased oil prices.

As I listen to them, I realize that in Fethiye, people are already doing, have been doing what these people are trying to remember, are trying to learn again. They are learning about producing their own food through organic farming methods. They are supporting local producers, shops and products. They are relearning the skills their mothers, fathers, grandparents used to know to build their homes, to fix appliances, to sew, to knit, to cook, to make preserves and many more.

I do realize that I did paint a dark picture. My intention is not bring hopelessness or despair. Having seen Findhorn and what Findhorn Foundation has been trying to do to create sustainable settlements, to be a model or rather a laboratory for sustainable settlements, I have great hope. I have great belief in what humans can achieve once they are aware of the need to change and act with the will to change using proper tools and methods. We will need to change. If we change consciously and proactively, we can create a sustainable life that is fun and joyful.

Fossil fuels do not bring about health, joy and happiness perse. We created systems and life structures using fossil fuels. True. We thought that was the way. We lost track that we were using world’s precious resources as if there was an indefinite supply. We forgot. We got drunk with abundant energy. We thought it would last forever. Using fossil fuels is a method. We can change that. We can use these historic times to make life better, and reconsider what the words good and better mean to us.

This has been a very long beginning to what I would like to continue to talk about in the coming weeks. For the next two weeks I would like to invite to read about climate change, peak oil and 350. Until we meet again…

With lots of love,

Zeynep.

Back from Findhorn

Finally I am back in London after a month long training on sustainability in Findhorn.

It was quite cold in Inverness this morning, yet London seems to be enjoying much warmer weather.

So much to say.

About "climate change".

About "peak oil".

About sustainibility.

About 350!

About communities, and especially Findhorn.

...

For tonight, I just would like to send love from London.

May our path be filled with love and compassion.

Z.

One Heart

In Fethiye we are used to seeing people from different parts of the world and especially from the UK. Yet , last week there was a youth group visiting Turkey as a part of an International Youth Camp and Exchange Program of The Lions Club. There is a Lions Club in Fethiye. The current president of the club is Mrs.Nurcan İnce. This year I became the secretary of the club.

With this exchange program 27 students from 14 different countries came to Fethiye for 4 days of activities. Of course these students stayed with different host families before coming together as a group and also travelled to Pamukkale before coming to Fethiye.

The Fethiye Lions Club is the supporting club for this international activity. On July 21st, the group was welcomed to Fethiye with a lunch at Taş Fırın in Fethiye. Then the group went on to their 2 days/1 night boat trip. Later on they stayed at a hotel in Çalış for the remainder of the program. Apart from swimming and enjoying the wonderful nature, the youth group went on a jeep safari and also to a Turkish bat, hamam.

On the day that the group arrived I had the chance to talk with some of the visitors. One young lady was from Ohio in the US. One was from Poland and it was her second time in Turkey; she loved lokma and tulumba deserts of Turkey. And one young lady was from Germany and I talked with her about my visit to Germany, especially my trip to The Neuschwanstein Castle near Munich, the original castle that The Disney Magic Kingdom Castle was designed after.

I did not have the time to talk to all of them in detail, yet one young man from Italy shared that he found Turks and Italians really similar. I agree. I find Italians a little more joyful than Turks though.

When I visited the students at their hotel with my fellow Lions Club members the night before they were to leave Fethiye, it was wonderful to see them so very connected as if they were all from the same country, as if they have been friends for a very long time.

The language of the exchange program was English and this made it possible for us to connect and communicate with them as well. My French was quite insufficient when I tried to converse with two young ladies, one from France and one from Belgium, so we continued to talk in English.

On their last night in Fethiye, the youth group had a surprise for us and for the guests of the hotel they were staying at in Çalış. They had prepared a show of traditional Turkish dances of about 30-40 minutes. They danced to tunes from different regions of Turkey. The students told us afterwards that they have been practicing for one hour every day. They were quite amazing and we really had fun watching them and so did the guests of the hotel. The students seemed to be enjoying themselves, too.

The Fethiye Lions Club is quite active with educational and youth projects in Fethiye. Also, for those of you who are interested or who are already Lions, I would like to remind you that The Lions Club in Fethiye meets twice a month, on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, at noon at Ata Park Hotel in Fethiye.

For more information on Lions Clubs, check out the website http://www.lionsclubs.org/ .

I will try to share our local activities and projects with you in the coming weeks.

May you have a week filled with joy, fun and happiness.

With love,
Z.

Angel of the Week: Patience

Affirmation of the Week: “There is only one voice worth listening to, the voice of my own heart.”

Zeynep’s Book Recommendation: Many Lives, Many Masters By Brian, L. Weiss, M.D. The name of the Turkish translation of this book is Birçok Yaşam Birçok Üstat. I heard that the Turkish translation is now out of print. Yet, if you can get hold of a copy, please do read. I really recommend this book on past-life therapy by the prominent psychiatrist Brian Weiss.

Original or Pirate?

I was visiting one of my friends in İstanbul. She had visited me in Fethiye a couple of years. She showed me a book she bought in Fethiye, a very good book by Trevanian. The name of the book is Shibumi. It is one of my favourites. All is good so far. Yet she tells “Zeynep, I bought this book in Fethiye and I think it is a pirate copy.” Now, I do not know the proper term in English, I am not sure if there is one, but in Turkey we call books that are illegal prints of original books - pirate books (korsan kitap). I also looked at the book. The cover looked original yet the pages seemed a little strange. This book surely was not an original. She was really sad and so was I. My friend could not remember exactly where she bought the book, since it had been a couple of years. But she recalled that it was on the main seaside where tour boats take off.

I have always been very careful about pirate books. Since I get to travel to various cities and towns in Turkey, I also buy books when I am travelling, and I see many different shops that sell book. In the cities in Eastern Turkey I have seen a lot of pirate books on sale, and I try to be very careful to check the books. The ministry of culture puts on a lot of effort to stop illegal copy publishing of books, yet maybe this is an issue much grander than I give it credit for. My friends comment was not the first I heard about copy books in Fethiye, but it was the first time I heard it directly from a friend. And the topic suddenly became more real.

There is so much effort in writing, preparing and publishing a book that I find publishing and selling illegal copies of original books is something not to be tolerated. And since I have published three books this year, I am becoming more and more aware of the effort that needs to be put into a book until it makes it to the shelves. I would like to request your help to stop selling of pirate books in Fethiye. Let us inform in each other and protect the rights of authors, publishers and all of the people who work in editing, publishing and selling of book.


This March and April, two of my books “Reiki’yi Yaşıyorum-I am Living Reiki” and “Görüşler-Opinions” had been published. Recently, about a week ago, my third book “Dönüşüm Oyunu Gerçek mi?- Is The Transformation Game Real?” has been out. All three books currently only in Turkish unfortunately. I am really enjoying the process, yet I am also becoming more aware of the issues and problems of authors in Turkey.

In Fethiye you can find my books at Natur Bookstore, or in D&R and other major Bookstores in Turkey and through the internet sites such as kiapyurdu.com, netkitap.com or ideefixe.com.



*

I was intending to write about a wonderful exhibition I had the chance to see at Tate Modern a few weeks ago. Yet, a visit to a friend in Istanbul took me elsewhere this week… Yet, I would like to remind you that the exhibition at Tate Modern is on Futurism and I really recommend it. The selection for the exhibition is filled with light, love and passion.

I wish you a colourful week.
With love,
Zeynep

Madonna, Jyorei or The Kyoto Garden?

I came from London to Istanbul tonight. I am happy to be back in Istanbul, yet I miss London. Although I got the chance to do a lot, it still was not enough.

I really like London. It is a city that I feel at home in. The weather was quite nice when I was there. Friends told me that London has been especially hot this summer although quite cool in these last days. They told me that about a week ago the temperature was over 30 degrees.

*

On the first day that I arrived in London, I visited The Shumei London Centre in Swiss Cottage. That Centre seems to have a lovely energy and to me it resembles the energy of The Shumei Centre in Istanbul. They both have high ceilings, light colours inside and have special calming and cleansing energies. Of course The Shumei Istanbul Centre has a wonderful view of The Topkapi Palace and The Sultan Ahmet Mosque (The Blue Mosque) and The Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya). It had been a while since I received Jyorei last; so I really appreciated receiving Jyorei at the Centre. I feel empowered with this strong and cleansing energy. Some of you might know that Jyorei is a Japanese energy healing technique developed by Great Master Mokichi Okada known as Meishusama (Master of Light), who is also the founder of the Japanese organisation Shumei.

The head of The Shumei London Centre Joe Amanai Sensei was in Milan for an event that day and I would have to wait for my last day in London to see Joe Sensei. He is such a strong, wise, yet humble and friendly teacher. I feel his continuous support. Joe Sensei came to Istanbul quite a number of times, and I really hope that he can visit us in Fethiye in the future as well. At The Shumei Centre I had the chance to see two old friends, one originally from France and the other from Bosnia. Another friend who has Syrian origins was also visiting the Centre and I had the chance to talk to him a little as well. I always appreciate groups like Shumei who bring like minded people of all origins, nations, religions and traditions together.

*


When I was in London, I went to the Madonna Concert, from her Sticky & Sweet Tour. It was the first time I watched Madonna live. I must say that this lady who is 12 years older than me seemed to have endless energy. And I think that she made sure that all in the audience saw it clearly as well. Her show was very well planned and organised although Madonna came on stage about an hour late and the audience was about to get restless as we kept on waiting. It was my first time to go to London O2 and I really liked the stage. Since the Jubilee Line was closed that weekend, we needed to take a longer route through Canary Wharf to make it to The O2. Still, I believe it was worth the trouble.





This weekend in London I went to several restaurants and some casual fast service Italian ones. If you like Italian food and you would like good food with fast service, you may want to try Princi or Vapiano. Also, I went to Babylon at The Roof Gardens very close to the High Street Kensington tube station for Sunday lunch. There was quite a breeze outside so we sat inside first. Later on for coffee we had the chance to sit outside and see the garden on the 6th floor of the same building. If you are in the neighbourhood you can just go up and see the garden.

The next night I went to The Oxo Tower for dinner. This was the second time. I think it was 10 years ago that I went to The Oxo Tower restaurant for the first time. The view from that restaurant is one of my all time favourites. There is a lot you can find in London, especially when it comes to good food. Yet I need to say that over the years Istanbul is starting to compete with cities like London when it comes to food and restaurants. And The Bosphorous in Istanbul with its shades of blue and lovely breeze welcomes all…

*


Kyoto in Japan is a city that I also like a lot. Yesterday I went to a special garden in Holland Park in London, called The Kyoto Garden and while walking around the pond in that small garden, for a few minutes I felt like I was in the garden of a temple in Japan. I realized that I miss Japan a lot already. This Japanese garden in Holland Park had been constructed as part of The Japan Festival in 1991 as a gift. … There is a special stillness and timeless energy in Japanese gardens. It is as if the time stops, and life goes on in these gardens forever…


*

When I was in London, I could not stop thinking about the sustainability training I attended a few weeks ago. I couldn’t stop thinking about preserving nature and also about "Transition Towns". Tonight in Istanbul I am reading the book The Transition Handbook by Rob Hopkins, who is the founder of the Transition movement. I keep asking myself, “Is it too late? Or can we still make a change?” Norman Cousins says “All things are possible once enough human beings realise that everything is at stake.”

I am in Istanbul, a part of me is still in London, and I am thinking of a lot of things…

…

Angel of the Week: Respect

Quote of the Week: “Man is asked to make of himself what he is supposed to become to fulfil his destiny.” Paul Tillich

I wish you a wonderful and lucky week. With lots of love,
Zeynep

Abundance

This morning I chose an angel card for myself and the angel of abundance came.

And I would like to invite the energy of abundance into our lives this week with some reminders and tips on how to keep the energy of abundance full and flowing.

Since the famous book and movie The Secret has been out we have been talking about methods to improve our health, relationships and finances. And indeed there are things that we can use to improve the overall conditions in our lives.

Richard Carlson and John Randolph Price are two authors who I believe really have something worthwhile to read. “Don’t Worry Make Money” and “The Abundance Book” are two valuable books by these authors. There are many more, and many of the books on the law of attraction are valuable resources to draw prosperity and abundance into your lives.

Gratitude
Attitude of gratitude is considered to be the simplest and one of the most powerful tools in creating abundance consciousness, which brings abundance to health, relationships, wealth, love and more. Some of you might know that I am also a Reiki teacher, and gratitude is a very important concept in Reiki healings to keep our energy high and strong. Gratitude means thanking to the sources that we believe brings the good into our lives. As the work of Japanese Masaru Emoto shows, words of thanks improve the quality of water. As we as humans are made up of almost 70 percent water, thanking – whether we say it or hear it – improve the quality of the water in our body. Our body energy becomes stronger in that respect.

Show gratitude in whatever way you can. If not to please anyone, most importantly to improve your health. How? Whatever your health or financial condition may be, everyday for at least 15 minutes feel real gratitude for whatever it is that you already have. Yes, fake it if you find it hard to make yourself feel gratitude. Because if you do concentrate on the things that you do not have, it is not possible to create the right energy to allow or attract better conditions and opportunities into your life.

If you are able to do the 15 minute a day gratitude exercise for 21 days in a row, new neural connections will form in your brain which will allow you to do this more and more easily from then on. Gratitude is a very strong tool. Please use it.

Power of a Smile
The power of humour and the power of a smile are hard to believe in before you try bringing more fun into your life. Smiling and laughing improve our energy immediately. Since we are able to feel only one strong emotion at a time, when we are happy and having fun, we cannot be sad at the same time. That is one of the reasons why to smile regardless of how you might be feeling, changes our mood so quickly. Smiling changes our hormone secretions and the results are very fast and effective. Try being sad and smiling at the same time. ... It will not work.

Please use this simple bit of information. Use it to improve your level of happiness. Smile at home, smile at the office. You will feel better as well as the people who are with you. And start by faking a smile when you do not feel like it. After a while, it will become genuine. Can a smile bring abundance into our lives? Why not give it a try this week and see for yourself? And better try for three consecutive weeks and observe the changes that will take place in your life.

What are your beliefs about wealth and abundance?

Although most of us want wealth and abundance in our lives, we are not totally aware of the negative connotations especially wealth has in our minds, especially subconscious minds. Many people tend to associate wealth with selfishness, greed, unjust use of power, even cruelty. In many of the coaching and healing sessions with my clients, we discover that if we are experiencing financial difficulties in our lives, this means that somewhere deep in our minds we believe that we are better off the way we are. There are beliefs engraved in our subconscious which we are mostly unaware of. Beliefs of our parents or families, beliefs and patterns of our community influence us since childhood. We grow with fears. And we do not even know what we are afraid of.

Do you feel or express any negative feelings or thoughts about wealth or money? What is the vocabulary that you use when you talk about people who are very rich and wealthy?

And of course to be able to attract abundance, we need to bring ourselves to the same energy level. Similar energies exist together. You cannot feel very unlucky and experience luck at the same time. It is not possible to concentrate on your lack of health and expect your health to improve. It is important to look into our health problems and find treatments and solutions. What I mean is - not to concentrate on the illness, but to concentrate on ways to improve it, and what we will see, feel or thinks when the healing is achieved. Mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Some teachers recommend keeping abundance consciousness strong from 40 to 42 days every day consecutively to break the habits of lack consciousness, lack thinking. At least 21 days are needed for the new connections to be made in our brain.
Whenever you catch yourself thinking about lack, talking about lack, reverse the thought and imagine abundance in the same intensity. This will help you short circuit the negative patterns.

I am aware that it is not easy to part with patterns that we have been brought up with. Yet, to use our full potential, to make our dreams come true, we need to discover and let those old patterns go. And not to fall back to old habits, we need to make new habits of thinking more positive thoughts and talking more positive words.

*

This week please concentrate on gratitude and your smile. And be open and honest to yourself: What do you really want? ... That is a valuable question to ask. We will look more deeply into abundance with each week to come.

With lots of love,
Zeynep


From the Angels: Be honest with yourself. Look into your heart and you will know the truth of the situation. It’s safe to admit the truth to yourself, for we will support and guide you through any necessary changes. Lean upon us for courage and the strength to take good care of yourself. Focus only upon your true desires, and they’ll come to you upon angels’ wings.

Nonviolent Communication and More

I was in Bolu at Abant Izzet Baysal University last week for a workshop. The topic of the workshop was Sustainable Living. This was the third time this workshop was organised in Turkey.

Twice it was organized in Ankara at Middle East Technical University. This time it was in Bolu. The two main instructors at the workshop were Findhorn Ecovillage in Scotland. May East and Michael Shaw came to Turkey to teach about social and ecological aspects of sustainability. This was May East’s third time in Turkey, and the second time for Michael Shaw.

I have deep respect for people who are not only taking about the environment, the pollution, the carbon emissions, but doing what they can to protect and to inform and awaken others. I have respect for the actions taken by Findhorn and its community members.

There was great emphasis on social sustainability in the workshop. Most of the people were expecting to hear mainly the ecological aspects, yet global experiences have shown that communities, associations, groups that bring people together for a cause fail unless there is social sustainability in the structure. Both May and Michael shared that initiatives fail not because there are not sufficient funds or there is not enough good technology; projects fail because people are not able to live together, are not able to work and create together. They have studied the ecovillage initiatives in the world and 90% of these failed, and the main reasons seemed to be the social aspects. For that reason social aspects and methods were an equally important part of this workshop as well as the ecological aspects.

Nonviolent Communication, decision making processes, spiral dynamics and the transition town movements were some of the important elements and tools of social sustainability. Nonviolent Communication, NVC as it is more commonly known, is a very strong and important approach which is becoming more and more popular around the world. We keep hearing more about it in Turkey as well. NVC is a way of speaking that helps to exchange information and resolve conflict between different parties. NVC focuses on our feelings and our needs that bring up those feelings. It is an honest way of communication that focuses on a deeper understanding of ourselves and the people were are communicating with. The structure of it was created by Marshall B. Rosenberg and he has written many books about it. Nonviolent Communication is the most commonly known book of his. Teaching Children Compassionately and Speak Peace In a World of Conflict are two other books by Rosenberg I just completed reading. I recommend all of his books deeply. Unfortunately most of them are available only in English. Some people call NVC - this way of communication - compassionate communication.

NVC aims to set aside blames, put-downs, comparisons and judgements. It aims to create a safe zone with respect and care. It brings a new approach to talking and listening. It encourages us to observe situations and dialogues without evaluating. This objective evaluation creates a common and acceptable common ground in communication. I strongly recommend you to look into NVC. It is not something we can learn in a day; we need to undo some of our old habits of talking, evaluating and even judging. Yet with time it surely becomes a very effective tool.

NVC encourages us to express our feelings. Yet, as we try to do this it becomes more apparent that we are usually not in touch with our feelings. Most of what we call feelings seems to be how we think others are behaving. People use words such as abandoned, abused, neglected, let down, unsupported and rejected to describe so called feelings. Yet these are actually words that describe how we interpret what others are doing. Words that express feelings are words like amazed, confident, calm, carefree, delighted, fulfilled, thankful, or afraid, angry, annoyed, bewildered, cross, discouraged, mad, mean, unhappy, worried, upset, etc. NVC encourages us to enlarge our dictionary of feelings to be in touch with how we really are feeling. After objective observation, being able to express feelings is another important element of NVC.

I hope to share more about NVC and the social aspects of sustainability in the future. For now I send all of you lots of love from Istanbul. Hope to be in Fethiye soon.

From Rumi: “Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.”

The Soul of Nara

Nara seemed like a very spiritual city to me from the first moment I arrived. Later on I learned that next year, in 2010, Nara will be celebrating the 1300th year of being the capital of Japan. There was quite a lot of construction going on in the city for the preparations of the coming year. There is a calm and strong energy with stillness in Nara. It feels as if this city had always been and will always be there.

It was also surprising to learn that Nara was the last destination on the Silk Road. Although Japan and Turkey have never been really connected in history, I felt connected with Nara, and maybe through the history of the Silk Road.

There is a special stillness in Nara, a peacefulness that seems to exist regardless of where one is in the city.

When we were in Nara, we learned that some of the important statues from Nara were on display in Tokyo. Most of these statues were from The Todai-ji Temple. This temple as the biggest wooden structure in the world was quite impressive. I did wish to visit the exhibitions in Tokyo, yet our program in Tokyo was quite full that I figured that may be my call was to see those pieces when they are back in Nara.

Todai-ji Temple was built in the Nara Period (710-794 AD). The main point of attraction of the temple is the Vairocana Buddha which means ‘Buddha that shines throughout the world like the sun’. The temple was built as a structure to house this magnificent Buddha. This building had gone through several fires, and had been rebuilt three times. Interestingly the current wooden structure of the temple, although the largest in the world, is 33% smaller than the original temple.

*

Nara is special for me for another reason. There is a wonderful Shumei Center in Nara. The Center with its garden feels liks an oasis, It feels like a sacred ground. Umibe Sensei is the head of The Shumei Nara Center. In his energy there is a strength of deep inner spirituality. He is a teacher who displays in his own character that which he wants to teach to his students. Caring, respectful and very strong. He is like a father one can trust and depend on. I met Umibe Sensei for the first time when I arrived in Nara this year. Yet Nara is special for me for another reason as well. Yuriko Sensei, wife of Umibe Sensei and the head of Shumei Himeji Center, is a teacher that I feel a very strong connection to. Yuriko Sensei has been to Turkey quite a few times. I had the chance to meet her in Turkey twice in the last two years.

Yuriko Sensei is a very strong yet so lovingly gentle person. Sometimes when I look into her eyes, I feel like I am looking into the eyes of my mother. It is as if there is only love and compassion in her eyes. I feel safe and secure in her presence, and I do learn immensely from her way of teaching. Yuriko Sensei shares her own experiences with whatever it is that she teaches. She is gentle, caring and endlessly supportive. Shumei seems to have an amazing group of teachers, and I still find myself asking how all of them can be this wonderful. Are there no exceptions? Interestingly I will need to say ‘no’, and this is one thing I am amazed and impressed by every time I meet a Shumei Sensei for the first time or when I meet again one of the teachers that I already know. A really interesting concept.

I have seen many teachers from many different paths and teachings from all over the world. Yet never in my life have I seen such consistency in love, care, dedication, trust and supportiveness among such a large number of teachers of a group. And all with their unique characters and approaches. Shumei stresses the importance of having truth and sincerity in our lives. And all the Shumei Senseis live and display these qualities to the core. I cannot help but deeply respect this wonderful way of being.

The Wind of Yokohama

The last stop on my two week long trip to Japan was Yokohama and it is as if I can still feel the famous wind of this city called Hamakaze on my skin. The flags are waving with the wind in Istanbul in the Bosphorous today and I feel like my soul is lingering in both cities.

I loved Yokohama. It was not because I saw the sea in this city that I was visiting for the first time. It was not because I saw the bridges that reminded me of the ones in Istanbul. It was not because I was able to look at Yokohama from those bridges. And it was not because I visited the rose gardens. It was not feeling the cool, gentle yet strong wind that made me happy. In Yokohama I was caught up in the strong stream of love and friendship that warmed up my heart in a way which is hard to describe. I have been experiencing this quite a lot in Japan in this trip, and I had thought I would get used to it.

My visit to the Yokohama Center of Shumei ended in a quite emotional scene at the train station. When the Narita Express Train going to Tokyo Narita Airport left the station, there about nine or ten Japanese teachers and friends who had come to the station at those early morning hours to send me and a Turkish friend of my mine off to our journey back home to Turkey. They waited till the doors were closed. There was so much love and care that I could not hold the tears in my eyes any longer. This was what true friendship was about.

Teto Sensei, who is the head of the Shumei Yokohama Center not only came to the train station that early morning, but even got on the train to check that we were safely seated in our reserved seats. He sent us on our journey like one would his children or siblings. That morning it was hard on my heart to leave these friends who had wrapped us so strongly in love during our stay in Yokohama. And you know what, I feel like they have sent a part of their hearts with us to İstanbul with the intention of protecting us and caring for us.

I started the story with our departure from Yokohama, yet it may be better to go a little back and start with how it all began.

I had met Teto Sensei a couple of months earlier when he was visiting Istanbul. I had thought that he had a calm, tranquil and peaceful energy that makes the people with him feel the same tranquility. To be able to know and appreciate him better, I needed to go to Japan.

When we arrived in Yokohama, Teto Sensei was out of the city due to the opening of the Miho School of Shumei. When we arrived to Yokohama from Tokyo, Sakurai Sensei and two other ladies from the Shumei Yokohoma Center greeted us where we were to exit the station. And they took us to the dinner organized by Mr. and Mrs. Namimoto who would be our hosts in our stay in Yokohama. We found ourselves in a very elegant Italian Restaurant sitting at a long table with lovely new friends from Yokohama. The location was wonderful and a dinner with endless and delicious dishes were being served. We are grateful for this wonderful welcoming. At the end of the dinner I was really touched by the cake that came to the table. It was decorated with the Turkish and the Japanese flags. A group picture was taken with this cake and to our surprise each one of us received a copy of this picture even before we left the restaurant. I think we were about 13 people at that dinner. What a wonderful welcoming. ... I would like to give the Namimoto Family a special and heartfelt thanks for their genuine hospitality. Mr. Keiji and Mrs. Eiko Namimoto with their son who is an architect, welcomed us to Yokohama just like a parent. I wish them the best from my heart.

We were the guests of this sweet couple for three days. They were full of love; they were so gentle. They had a special elegance and grace. In the mornings we would wake up to the day with the wonderful music Mr. Keiji Namimoto would play for us, coming softly up from the living room to our bedrooms upstairs. His wife Mrs. Eiko Namimoto is an excellent cook. The perfect welcoming dinner was a reflection of their fine taste. Mrs. Namimoto woke up at 04:45 one morning to cook us home made bread. She baked three different kinds of bread for us that morning. And they were so delicious. We cannot thank her enough for her kindness and thoughtfulness.

Later on we would learn that Teto Sensei had a big input in the wonderful meals prepared at the Namimoto residence as well. To make sure that we had healthy foods, Teto Sensei had brought all kinds of goods from sugar to salt, from flour to salad materials that were all grown with Shumei Natural Agriculture methods, into the house from all around Japan. Shumei Natural Agriculture is a method of natural farming developed by the founder of Shumei, Mokichi Okada, who is known as Meishusama, Master of Light. This is a method of farming that is respectful to nature and emphasizes sustainability. Last year I started to grow vegetables in our family garden with this method. Also in Turkey in the city of Samsun, rice is grown with Shumei Natural Agriculture methods, and we have the chance and privilege to consume rice that is both very healthy and also delicious.


The day that we went to the Shumei Yokohama Center, we were to see different surprises. The center was decorated with Turkish and Japanese flags. Quite a large group filling the Center welcomed us with a huge banner that was decorated with Turkish and English words of Hello and Welcome. The word for welcome in Turkish is ‘Merhaba’. And not only the banner has this word on it, but also a group of 30-40 people were saying ‘merhaba’, welcome, in Turkish to us as we were entering the center. And in the background I could hear Mozart’s Turkish March playing. And I thought: What a group of sensitive, loving and thoughtful people...

There we had the opportunity to give a short talk to Shumei members. They had prepared a special Taiko drum performance for us as well as a concert where we could listen to different Japanese instruments. We also sang the famous Japanese song 'Sakura' together. During the two days that we visited the Center, we had the chance to eat meals prepared with Shumei Natural Agriculture ingredients. First we thought that the meals were prepared by professional cooks. Later on we discovered that the meals were prepared by volunteers at the Shumei Center. They were prepared by ladies who took the time to prepare special dishes for us. I am glad that I was able to meet these wonderful cooks and thank them in person with my limited Japanese. I want to thank them again with all my heart; I could feel that they put their love in the food that they prepared for us. I like Japanese food a lot, yet the food in Yokohama was very special filled with the loving intentions of our hosts and cooks.

On our three day trip to Yokohama, we were able to spend a day and the morning that we left with Teto Sensei. We learned a lot from Teto Sensei, and the topic that he emphasized the most was the importance of eating foods that were produced naturally. For success, to be able to do good, successful and productive things one had to eat healthy and be healthy. I thought that maybe this was a little more important than I was giving it credit for.

When we were in Yokohama, we had the chance to go up the Landmark Tower Building, which is 296 meters tall and is the second highest structure in Japan after the Tokyo Tower. We went to the observation floor which is on the 69th floor of the building. This building has the fastest elevator in Japan. At times the speed of the elevator goes up to 700+ kilometers per hour. This was also an amazing experience. Yokohama is a beautiful city, with the sea, with its well planned city structure and its sweet wind called Hamakaze that seems to leave a special taste of its own. Who knows, maybe I will get the chance to walk in the Yokohama port and feel that delicious wind in my hair again.

Mata Aimashoo Yokohama… Hope to see you again…

Fethiye with Snow on the Mountains

I came to Fethiye last night after about a month. It is interesting to see that there is still snow on the mountains. Last night the streets were wet in Dalaman when I arrived and Fethiye was much cooler than I expected. I missed this lovely piece of the world. No matter how much I like travelling, I love coming back home. My zodiac sign is Gemini and maybe like the air elemen this sign belongs to I love travelling and flying to different places of the world. I like change, trying new things and meeting new people. Yet may be because I was born on the first day of the sign, there are some astrologists who consider that day the second day of the month of Gemini, on May 22 I see myself display some Taurian qualities at strange times. Of course if you ask a Kabalistic Astrologist, he or she may say that is only natural since I am born in the sign of Taurus according to Kabalistic Astrology, which takes into consideration both signs, one determined by the sun and the other by the moon.

I was not going to talk about astrology, where did this come from now? Well, today is May 22 and it is my birthday. Birthdays definitely change their meaning as the years pass, at least for me. For the last few years I feel like I am at the completion of a project at the end of each age. Not better or worse, but as if one adventure ended and a new one will begin. As I have been studying various energy healing techniques over the years, I am becoming more and more sensitive to the energy that seems to welcome us at our birthdays. A new energy, a new package of possibilities arrives at our doorstep on our birthday and stay with us for about a year. Of course as the end of our birth year approaches, the energy of the coming year can be felt a little as well. As there is a specific energy available for us each and every day, there is a different energy available for us starting with our birthdays every year. There are 22 main energy times with many many variations. Therefore you will probably experience some similar energies over your life time, yet some you may experience 3-4 times and some maybe only once.

Maybe that is one of the reasons all teachings ancient and new talk about the importance ‘being in the now’ and ‘experiencing today’. The same energy may never be available to you again. And this is a good thing. Life continuously brings us new opportunities and changes. As I look ten years back today, I would have never ever imaged myself sitting in front of my computer on a cloudy but wonderful Fethiye morning writing an article for the Land of Lights newspaper in Fethiye. I was a person of plans, so I indeed had many plans and programs, and they did not turn out to be as I planned. Yet, I am also thankful that they did turn out the way they actually did.

*




When I was in Japan, I had the chance to stay at the home of a wonderful family while I was visiting the headquarters of Shumei, Misono, and The Miho Museum in the Shigaraki Mountains. The family had two wonderful kids, Haruka-Chan, age 6, and Chisato-Chan, age 3.

And if I remember correctly on the third day of my stay in their home, we discovered that their mother, Sachiko-San was born on the same day as I. The same day, May 22nd, 1970.

It was a nice surprise, and I was not surprised at the same time. I had felt very close to this joyful, happy, loving and caring woman from the first moment I saw her. Maybe it was from seeing the piano in their home, or it was her smile, or her natural and peaceful care. In her approach to life, there is joy, there is happiness and love, all very natural and true. Today I cannot help but think of my ‘twin sister’ in Moriyama, Japan. I wish you a very happy birthday Sachiko-San. And hope to see you soon in Turkey or in Japan.


*

As I got together with a friend late last night, I got good news and bad news at the same time. ... I learned that one of my precious friends in Fethiye, Rose, lost her beloved daughter. It is hard to find the words... I just want to send Rose my love and wish her strength and patience...

*

This week I would like to end by sharing a short section from Michael Gelb’s famous book How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci:

“You can witness an ironic testament to Leonardo’s lament when you next visit the Louvre. As you approach the Mona Lisa, you will see a number of signs, written in large letters and different languages, reading: “No Flash Photography, Please.” As you attempt to take in the subtleties of this most mysterious of all paintings, you’ll find yourself almost blinded by the stroboscopic effect of the nonstop camera flashes of the Philistines who never bother to stop and actually look at the painting.”

...

May your days be filled with love and light,
Zeynep.

I'm Back Home

After being away in Japan with no cell phone connections for over two weeks have been an interesting experience for me. I have been traveling to various cities and centers and now that I am back I find not that easy to be here in Istanbul totally yet. This may take a few days. May be partly due to the jet-lag, my soul might need to catch up with my body which seems to be traveling at a faster pace. The traveling schedule was also quite full which in a way required me to be in Japan totally with mind, body and soul. I am trying to digest what I really experienced. There was a lot about spirituality, a lot about friendship and connecting with Japan and Japanese people. Once again I felt I was deeply connected with this land of Islands.

My first trip to Japan was last year, and everything had felt strangely familiar during that trip also. This time there is no doubt. With people I meet in Japan, I kept on having this lovely strange feeling of meeting old acquaintances, in every city I went to, one after the other. I do not question it any more, I just welcome and appreciate.

This time in Japan I had the opportunity to visit many temples and shrines in different parts of the country. Tokyo was a lot less chaotic than I expected. Yokohama was really fresh like the breeze called Hamakaze Yokohama is famous for.

There is an amazing attention to details in Japan. People carry this energy of loving whatever that they are doing. The love may not come naturally, but they seem to be able to add that love and care that seems to make a great difference.

In general there are also amazing similarities between the Turkish and the Japanese cultures. The futon beds on the floor remind me of the floor-beds I have seen in rural areas all around Turkey. Use of home slippers is quite a common tradition in Turkey as well as in Japan. And there are many more similarities. Yet, I could not help but think that there is a lot more to learn about dedication, respect, care and attention to life, to people and to details in Japan.

I believe I still need to allow some time to let my soul to completely arrive back home. So this week I will share more pictures with you than words, hoping that they speak louder.

I send my love to you all and hope to see you soon.

Zeynep

Talent Management & Coaching

Zeynep Kocasinan completed the training "Talent Management & Coaching Program" given by Marilyn Atkinson, Ph.D., President of Erickson College International, on April 21st, 2009.

Team Coaching

Zeynep Kocasinan completed the "Coaching Team Thinking & Team Innovation" training given by Marilyn Atkinson, Ph.D., President of Erickson College International on Aprik 15th, 2009.

Erickson College International recognizes and supports guidelines for training set by International Coach Federation.

The Messages of Our Weight and Body

I spent most of my childhood years as a very thing girl. During my high school years I did gain weight, however gave most of it back during college at Cornell University. Students who go to the US usually gain weight. There is a term “freshman fifteen” and it is used to refer to the weight that students gain in their first year in college, which is about 15 pounds. I on the other hand lost about 15 during my first two years at Cornell. My height was 158 cm, and my weight ranged from 47-52 kgs over my four years in college. I was 58 kg when left for the states from Turkey. I was 52 kg when I returned to Turkey after college. My weight has been fluctuating over the years, up and down and up again. This is one issue that has not been very stable in my life, and one issue I would like to look more seriously into. So far it had not been top priority; and I feel that the time has come.

*

When looking at a health issue through the eyes of complementary medicine, or holistic medicine, we need to beyond the visible. If I am overweight, unless I have a different health problem issue, I must be taking in more calories then I am spending. To lose weight I would need to eat less and exercise more. However, for many people going to a dietician and going to sports clubs do not solve their weight problems. Even though they may lose weight, most of them gain weight right back. Why?

Although we understand the mathematics behind gaining weight, unless we look into the reasons of why we choose to have excess weight on our bodies, we cannot find permanent solutions. And being overweight means that we subconsciously believe that the excess weight is necessary or that being overweight is serving us in some way. If we can discover these hidden benefits that the excess weight is providing, then we can find a way to be and to stay in our ideal weight.

How could being overweight serve us?

If you subconsciously believe that you are not safe, and that you need protection, gaining weight is one way your body responds to this thought. Finding food meant safety for humans for hundreds of years, and your body responds with ancient protection methods to your current safety issues. You might be feeling unsafe because you may not be getting the promotion you want; your body senses insecurity from your experience, and you gain weight. You may try dieting, but under those conditions you will not be able to lose that weight no matter what you do. On the surface you want to lose weight. However, on a deeper level, your subconscious keeps saying: “I need protection.” And having food is being safe. And also with the extra weight you are physically adding layers around your body which are in a way your natural shields.

Being aware of our unknown ulterior motives is not easy. Yet, even knowing that they exist brings enough awareness to create change.

Of course there are many reasons for overeating, however the need or desire for protection, insecurity issues are some of the most common ones. There are many more. If we are overweight and we are staying that way, this means that this condition is serving us in some way. If we did not choose to stay fat, we most probably wouldn’t be.

I would certainly request you to have your medical check-ups to make sure that you do not have a health problem that needs immediate attention. If you are not able to control your weight even though medically you do not seem to have any problems, then it is appropriate to look at the issue from another perspective.

I feel the need to add that all illnesses tell us something about our way of thinking and our subconscious beliefs as well. For example, if we keep on having injuries, then first it is necessary to take care of the wound. Yet, later on we need to find out why we keep on having wounds. How is this serving us in any way?

Once I had client, an old lady a grandmother of three kids, who came to me asking for some supportive energy. She had broken a leg, and felt the need to heal fast to help her daughter to take care of her three kids, her own grandchildren. In a few seconds the picture was clear to me.

I asked her: “Why did you break your leg?” First she looked quite puzzled, then she started to cry. After crying for a few minutes, she looked up and said: “I cannot go on anymore. I am so tired.” It turns out she had been feeling very tired with the responsibility of supporting her daughter with the kids. However, she could not find the courage or heart to share this with her daughter. She could not say to her that she was tired, and although she loved them all very much, it was difficult for her to find the energy as well as the patience to be with three young kids every day. With a broken leg, she had the permission. All on the subconscious level. Please remember that she had come to me to have faster healing and more energy to take care of her chores.

This lady needs to share her honest situation with her daughter, and learn to say “no” to demands when she does not want to accept. Also using methods like Reiki she can find ways to increase her energy and not feel so frustrated.

Over the years I have seen that a lot of the injuries that we are experiencing are self-induced subconsciously to serve us, to protect us in an interesting way.

As for anorexia and bulimia, these conditions are also serving the person in some way. In the cases that I have worked with as a coach, not loving the self seems to be the main thought that triggers anorexia. There may be many different reasons for how and why this thought is created, however belief of self-worthlessness or even self-hate can become very strong. For both anorexia and bulimia, immediate medical care and professional psychological support might be necessary. However, I believe that after the urgent measures are taken, attention to the thoughts and beliefs that trigger these conditions needs to be given as well.

I would like to share some affirmations for self-love and self-acceptance this week. Repeat them whenever you can, in the morning, during the day, in the evenings, but at least 20-25 times a day. You can choose one affirmation and work on that over a week, or you may choose one every day and use different affirmations each day. Please follow your heart.

I trust the process of life.

I am deeply fulfilled by all that I do.

I am safe, it’s only change.

I can release the past and forgive everyone.

I love my body.

I love life.

I am worth loving.

My healing is already in process.

*

I wish all of you a wonderful week.
With lots of love,

Zeynep

***
Affirmation of the Week:
“Today I listen to my feelings, and I am gentle with myself. I know that all of my feelings are my friends.” By Louise L. Hay

Quote of the Week:
“Man is asked to make of himself what he is supposed to become to fulfil his destiny.”
Paul Tillich

Zeynep’s Book Recommendation:
“The Life You Were Born To Live” By Dan Millman
The Turkish translations of these stories are available under the name “Hayatınızın Amacı”.

A Different Approach to Success

There are so many approaches and methods that talk about success, on financial and business success especially. I feel that it is time to share a different approach. From John Randolph Price, a teacher that has affected the world tremendously over the past 35 years. His teachings are the basis of the methods taught by many teachers around the world. Although there are many books on success and positive thinking out, his books are the originals of many written.

...

“To have the consciousness for that which is desired”: This approach to success makes us realize that without the consciousness, the physical effort will not give us the results we desire. And the people who have achieved do have this awareness to a great extent.

To create the base for the success that you desire:

1- Focus on what you desire. This is not easy if you are not clear you really want in your life, in your business, at home, in your social life or health.
2- Although we usually believe that the deliverence is the difficulty in a desire, accepting what life offers us is one of the bigger obstacles. Are you open to accepting your wishes if they appeared at your doorstep tomorrow morning?
3- For your wants to take on a physical form, the awareness of the desires in your mind is a definite must.
4- For you to be able to identif a true want for a desire, the awareness of that desire needs to be in you. The fact that you have the desire means that the possibility, or even certainty of that desire is in existence.
5- Add feelings to you mental desires. In addition to the mental conciousness of a desire actualizing, add the feelings of satisfaction of attaining it.
6- Do not be concerned to the way your desires are going to take place. Leave the way of fullfillment to the universe, to the divine system, or God, however you would like to name it.
7- Use the power of your imagination. If you can image as if your desire has actualized and that you are experiencing the joy of having achieved your wishes.
8- Be grateful. For this moment. The gratefulness for what is creates an energy that intives more things to be grateful about.
9- Use the power of action. Look for inspiration, and when that comes do not wait, take action.

This is a very general outline of the basic approach to attracting what we truly desire in life. However, this is just a beginning. John Randolph Price is famous for his 40 and 60 day programs that you can use on your own to achieve your desires. Most of these programs are ones that you can do on your own. I used them on myself and I also work with groups using these programs.

...

There is a strong affirmation that Price recommends on using Faith as a strong tool. If you would like, here is the affirmation to use:

I believe there is Nothing God cannot do.
I believe there is nothing God cannot do Through me.
I believe there is nothing God cannot do As me.
God is myself; therefore, there is nothing that I cannot do.
Nothing is too good for God, and nothing is too good for me!

Simple is beautiful, and so are many of the tools offered by Price. He believes in empowerment, and believes in awakining the power of our soul.

May your path filled with love, gratitude and trust.
With love,
Z.

Old and New

This week I am re-reading some old books. Actually I have been doing this a lot in the last few months. A few days ago I went to the Remzi Bookstore in Akmerkez. This is something I usually do every few days when I am in Istanbul.

There are many new books out, fiction and non-fiction. I was tempted to buy many, but I kept my promise to read my old books. I am reading mostly Norman Vincent Peale. Also, Louise Hay and Esther and Jerry Hicks. I thought that I knew some of these books by heart. I seem to discover something new each time I read them again.

Also in the last few days I was not reading, but looking at some of the books by Paulo Coelho. This week I seem to have too much to say, which means I will not be able to. Not yet. This is a week I need to let someone else speak. And I love it when Coelho does that…

From Paulo Coelho:

- It is enthusiasm for your work that you will find the gate to Paradise, the love that transforms and the choice that leads us to God

- Happiness is sometimes a blessing, but usually it is a conquest. Each day’s magic moment helps us to change and sends us off in search of our dreams.

- Surrendering completely to love, be it human or divine, means giving up everything, including our own well-being or our ability to make decisions, it means loving in the deepest sense of the word.

- Love is an act of faith in another person and its face is wrapped in mystery. It must be experienced and enjoyed at every moment, but as soon as we try to understand it, the magic vanishes.

- We tend always to value those things that come from far away, never recognising the beauty around us.

- When we are on the right path, we follow the signs, and if occasionally we stumble, Divinity comes to our aid, preventing us from making a mistake.

- Have faith. Believe that it is possible and you will begin to change the reality around you.

- True devotion only appears when we have a desire and we will die if we do not achieve that desire.

- Faith: Before going into battle, you must believe in the reasons for the fight.

- True love can withstand separation.

- When a beginner knows what he needs, he proves more intelligent than an absent-minded sage.

- The only way to make the right decision is by knowing what is the wrong decision, by examining the other path fearlessly and boldly, and only then deciding.

- Love is a challenge, an invisible fire.

- We tend not to value the things we do every day, but they are what transform the world around us.

- A warrior knows that his best teachers are the people with whom he shares the battlefield.

- The Way involves respect for all small and subtle things. Learn to recognise the right moment to adopt the necessary attitudes.

- What does learning mean: accumulating knowledge or transforming your life?

- Every search is an act of faith.

*

This week surround yourself with beautiful objects and images and be thankful for what life brings.

With love and light,

Zeynep


Angel of the Week: Delight

Affirmation of the Week:
“I centre myself in safety and accept the perfection of my life. All is well.”
By Louise L. Hay

Quote of the Week:
“As above, so below. As within, so without.”

Zeynep’s Book Recommendation:
“Creative Visualization” By Shakti Gawain
The Turkish translation of the book may be found under the name “Yaratıcı İmgeleme”.

Searching for True Colours

When I was in London this October, I had the chance to visit Tate Modern. I do love modern and abstract art. I prefer to work with abstract forms in my own art work as well. There was a Rothko Exhibition, which I believe is still on. I like Rothko’s work, yet in that exhibition, the pieces chosen were not my favourite. It could be my personal mood at the time, or even the weather. It made me think of my own choice of colours and shapes when I paint. What makes me choose a black over a yellow, or a dark red instead of a lighter shade?

When I paint, I try to follow my heart. And I believe that all who paint with that calling try to listen to that inner urge. … Yet, are we that transparent? Or do we ever hide from ourselves behind our own colours?

*

There is a famous teacher in Istanbul, R. Şanal Günseli. I believe his books have not been translated into English yet. He is not the only teacher who talks about it, but his main concept in a treatment is the need to be reminded of our God-like self, our own true power. He believes that all our ailments and troubles are a result of rejection of our true self, our true spark which is unique as our fingerprint. Neal Walsch talks a lot about this as well. One way or another all teachers talk about this, about our grandness and uniqueness.

Still, we do manage to avoid even to think about the idea that we indeed might be perfect just as we are.

It is that time of the year when things are fresh and we want to be that person we always dreamed of being. And there is nothing wrong with that. Yet, why is it so difficult to accept that we might indeed be good enough, loveable enough, pretty or strong enough, to be happy and content with what we have in hand. That drive of course pushes us to try and reach our potentials. Yet, is it possible to be more content during this journey?

Affirmations come handy. They are not cure for all, but they do cure if we want to be and choose to be. For example, to be able to accept that life supplies all our need in great abundance, it helps to say the words. And unless we believe it, trust it and most of all accept it, it will not and cannot come into our own reality. The affirmations allow that path to open up. Of course, along the way it will be necessary to look at our hidden demons that make us believe why the contrary is utterly true. Where did the clouds come? And who decided that my sun is better than your cloud?

Walking in the rooms of the Rothko Exhibition, I realized that the colours that were being displayed that day were not pleasing me. Blacks, and dark and dirty reds and browns were almost making me suffocate. This was not the Rothko I was expecting to see. He did have yellows and light yellows and purples and oranges. Where were they?

And it was time to look at my own colours when I paint. What do I choose and why?
Is it not true that on some days I only have energy for a postcard size watercolour? And sometimes a watercolour brush of size 0 is too big and sometimes on a large canvas using a sponge instead of a brush is just too little.

It is all about what comes from the heart. To be true to that, is essential in art – to be true to what comes from within. But is it only about art? And, when it comes to decide what we choose to take in, isn’t there also a voice inside, sometimes loud sometimes far too quiet, that we question the need to listen to?

What would you like to bring into your world today?

What you choose will effect and determine a large portion of what you will bring out to the world from within.

...

*

“Life supplies all my needs in great abundance. I trust life.”
Do you?

*

Before starting to write today, I had chosen an angel for Fethiye. And the Angel of Respect came. Joy Drake and Kathy Tyler share that this energy asks us to “cultivate deep listening and act in ways that acknowledge and esteem ourselves and others.” They continue their own description of what this angel brings by telling us: “Everyone and all life matters. Recognize, honour, and elicit the best.” May this energy help us all.

*

And do get your hands on a book on affirmations. If you are looking for something in Turkish, go for the book “Kuantum Olumlama” (which translates as Quantum Affirmation) by R. Şanal, or go for a book by Louise Hay in Turkish or English. I love her book “I Can Do It, How to Use Affirmations to Change Your Life”.

Please do it.
And let your true life unfold. Give it a chance to be what it is indeed capable of being.
…

I wish you all, as well as myself, the strength and courage to walk the talk.
Zeynep.
________________________________________
Angel of the Week: Respect

Affirmation of the Week: “I am now willing to be open to the unlimited prosperity that exists everywhere.” By Louise L. Hay

Quote of the Week:
“Genuine beginnings begin within us, even when they are brought to our attention by external opportunities.” William Bridges

Zeynep’s Book Recommendation:
“Jonathan Livingston Seagull” By Richard Bach