Living Gracefully

Live a graceful life

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Vegan or not, true compassion extends to animals and people alike

By Karen Scott Leave a Comment

Image of Radha and KrishnaOne of the many accusations frequently levelled at vegans is how intolerant they are towards people who choose to eat meat and people who behave cruelly towards animals.

I’ve personally encountered interactions just like this.

For example, I follow articles and social media about animal equality, which support the elimination of animal farming practices and other forms of cruelty towards animals.

And what I’ve repeatedly noticed are vegans imposing guilt on others who comment on the upsetting content of the posts, but who haven’t yet arrived at a decision to stop eating meat.

Instead of influencing these people towards veganism, they end up alienating and embarrassing them.

I feel this is one of the reasons, vegans are often viewed as extremist, unrealistic and, at times, a little flaky.

They’re seldom seen as compassionate because their compassion can appear to be quite biased towards animals.

So why would it be helpful for vegans to change their approach and attitude towards people doing harm to animals?

Because then our love becomes grace-filled and truly unconditional. Continue reading

People just want to be loved, don’t they?

By Karen Scott 6 Comments

Image of a hand‘I just want to be loved.’

Have you ever heard someone say these words, or have you ever said them yourself?

Well I’ve definitely heard them before.

And it makes me wonder what these words really mean.

Is that what people really want? To be loved?

Most people would answer with a resounding ‘YES!’

‘Yes, I want to be loved. Of course I do.’

But could it be that, rather than wanting to be loved, it’s the experience of feeling love that people are actually searching for?

If it is, then our attention needs to shift from looking outside ourselves for love, to the more immediate experience of love which can be found within.

Yet because so few people know how to connect with love in a fulfilling way, they look to others for love instead.

They turn their attention outside in, and stop viewing life from the inside out. Continue reading

Little bird

By Karen Scott Leave a Comment

Image of feathers and cage

Image: ajari

Let the bars bend
Let them crumble and fall away
And on new wings unfolded

Set flight

To new destinations
As the layers of an age now past are shed
And a new you revealed

Your course now set in motion
And your awakened mind accompanies
Truth’s enrapturing light

So Listen

Be not too ready to move in haste

Sit

Be still

And your mind shall carry you
Beyond the course matter of life’s trivialities
Where you shall be free

The unfettered freedom of Being
Which liberates even the most imprisoned soul

So being no different than a caged bird
Release yourself from your jailer’s fast grip
To find that…you are We

© Karen Scott 2004

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Presently I come

By Karen Scott Leave a Comment

Image of a robin in snow

Image: Duncan Brown

Presently
I come to thee
And hold thee
In My Palm

In all the world
I see a child
With courage, faith
And charm

She holds a feeling
Dearly close
For all to know
My Word

It is the morning
Of the time
When all shall hear
My Bird

Readily
I hasten forth
And touch each heart
Anew

To bring the children
Of the world
A light of
Brightest hue

The Holy Spirit’s
Message
For all who have the
Ear

Is Love and Peace
And Harmony
To overcome all
Fear

So be together
All in love
Is what the Bird
Doth say

And with this feeling
Held with hope
All hearts shall find
Their way

© Karen Scott 2012

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In the presence of light

By Karen Scott Leave a Comment

Image of light

Image: garlandcannon

Seen by all in light
Presence of the One
Merely shed thy sight
Shining presence won

Open to the new
Measures own reward
Softly to the view
Stirling like the sword

Offerings of love
Held in darkest hue
Never to betroth
To thy banished view

Till the light shines cold
All is dressed in haste
Coverings of gold
Empty and not chaste

Love and light renew
Every break of day
Behold the message true
In gold and shining ray

Every child of God
Holds His message dear
Courageous, brave and bold
Into the brand new year

Keep sight shining bright
Fill all cups anew
Dispel the darkest fright
God’s passage for the few

All are welcome in
Only those will choose
Ready for the win
Nothing left to lose

Stay this precious course
Firm in marriage strong
To the light within
All that’s blessed won

© Karen Scott 2011

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Vulnerability, the sacred space of strength

By Karen Scott 2 Comments

Image of dragonfly on waterlilyLife is a process of unfolding.

Like the petals of a delicate flower, we open and move into new states of grace. As we open ourselves more fully, we become increasingly more vulnerable and exposed.

But this isn’t a fragile place.

Quite the contrary.

Within the heart of vulnerability lies the realisation that love can’t be fully experienced whilst we actively keep secrets or try to withhold or protect ourselves.

Keeping secrets leads to fear and guilt. This wastes our precious energies. On the other hand, within our vulnerability sits our tenderness, gentility and compassion. And it’s here that our true strength is seated.

The ability to be gentle yet strong creates a powerful healing force, which gives permission to others to let their defences down when they’re around us. This allows us be open to loving communication and fulfilling experiences. Continue reading

Freedom’s call

By Karen Scott Leave a Comment

image of a stairway

Image: ddrekus_gr

Rid my heart of all that’s waste
See the shore with rhythmic haste
Touch the sky
Know why I
Say goodbye
Released

Seem to know the troubled hearts
Pierced by fear’s defensive darts
Peace to be
Pure and free
Forever me
Pain ceased

Next time when the call is made
Light ensures the truest aid
Rest a while
To compile
Truth’s real smile
With Me

Now that you have learned the key
To life’s peace and tranquillity
Share it all
Have a ball
Don’t be small
Be Free

© Karen Scott 2004

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Awakening — the Angels make their presence felt

By Karen Scott Leave a Comment

Image of a doveAt the time in my life when my faith was being tested, I prayed.

My life was filled with prayer from a very early age.

My mother’s example of praying while she worked (I think the only time she isn’t praying is when she’s speaking — and she does a lot of that too!), had been instilled in me. I attended Mass on Sundays and followed all the devotions of Catholicism.

But during this period of my life, the practices of Catholicism weren’t addressing any of the deeper questions I was being faced with.  I spoke to priests, nuns, friends and family, but no one could tell me what I needed to hear, as Catholic dogma seemed so embedded in their responses. Continue reading

While you’re being ‘professional’ are you still being yourself?

By Karen Scott 2 Comments

Image of happy faceIn our modern world, the word ‘professionalism’ has come to represent an ideal of standards and quality in business.

We don’t only expect professional work to be presented to us in the best possible model available, but for it to be presented to us by someone who epitomises, what we consider, a professional image.

Whilst this is great at the level of feeling that the work we’ve paid for has been delivered in the best possible way, it’s not so great when we consider what might be going on for the individual behind the image. Continue reading

Eternity

By Karen Scott Leave a Comment

image of a galaxy

Image: Raven Vasquez

All I have to do is look into your eyes
And all I see is real
Eternity

Holding in my gaze the life of you so full
It’s hard to comprehend
Eternity

See me…feel you
Touch the very core of you
All I need to see is you
Eternity

So now I will release all ties from the past
And I’ll be One again
Eternity

© Karen Scott 2004

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