Category: Connecting to the wonder we are

Connecting to the wonder we are, Spirituality

Simply Pleasing…An Experience of Faith

Erin Keane

What pleases you in life? What makes you feel happy right at this moment?

I have discovered my passion for photography this year. It has brought me incessant joy, and ongoing discoveries of life. It has helped me embrace the intricacies of life, that otherwise, I might have missed. And through each photo I take, I am encouraged to celebrate and feel within my spirit a deep sense of wonder…a gift each and every one of us possesses.

How do you tap into the gift of wonder in your life?

This journey of embracing and nurturing my passion for art and photography, has also deepened my faith. I have always believed in a benevolent creator, I call God, and seeing the wonder of life through my lens, has deeply affirmed my knowing of the Creator. It is so difficult for me to believe that someone or something did not create all this wonder in the world.  Involving myself so effortlessly with nature, fills my body with a sense of deep connection beyond myself and within myself. This feeling of transcendence is so natural and unforced that it can’t just be something of chance, I believe.  We all may have different ways of understanding this feeling of transcendence, but for me it is a definitive relating to the Divine.

How do you make sense of your moments of transcendent connection through the tangible and visual world?

[During my time of refection, I have discovered within myself, that I need to express more openly my experience of relating to the Divine–God. This relationship is a part of my everyday life, and so central to how I live my life and make sense of who we are—living miracles. My writings my messages and images all stem forth from my belief that each and every one of us is deeply loved by God through this amazing gift of life that each of us lives. This is a relationship I believe we all have in some shape or form…it is the relationship of yourself to that which allows transcendence to be felt within your spirit….however you name it; i.e. your spirituality. Thus, I will begin to share a bit more about spirituality here, and hope that through my sharing, you will be invited to share your faith journey, or look more deeply at what your spirituality means for you].

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All Rights Reserved.
Please also visit my photography site: Photography by Bella Bleue

Connecting to the wonder we are, Inspiration

Connecting through our Curiosity

Erin Keane

Did you just see that?
See what?
That over there.
There’s something in the water there.  
Watch! Oh, I see it. What is it?
Aha, it’s a seal.
I knew I saw something!
Look there are: One, Two Three, Four of them.
They are beautiful.

As new groups of people approached the seaside, these words of curiosity and wonder would surface over and over again. While the visitors gazed upon the water, brief engaged conversations happened between strangers. These conversations happened with an ease, and lighthearted tone.  It was as if the seals were creating harmony in a world where so many of us experience chaos. They were giving us the permission to be human again, when so often we function in our boxes and our roles. And in the grander scheme of things it was the invitation of nature: the soft sand between our toes, the sound of the waves crashing upon the shore, the hope for a beautiful sunset on an Eastern seacoast, and the desire for a longer lingering away from our every day lives that drew us together.

As the sun began its journey of setting along the horizon, the seals began to pop their heads up more often, keeping themselves above water for a bit longer each time. We laughed and made up stories–imagining that they were gathering together just like all of us, and saying to one another look: “There’s another one of those two-legged creatures walking on the sand and pointing at us.” It was as though the curiosity was mutually welcomed.

This whole, wonderful curious  interaction of human to human, seal to seal, human to seal, and seal to human represents how we are created to be a part of the world, and the world to be a part of us. It is the rhythm of the sound of the sea, like the pulse of our heartbeats that invigorates us, and draws us near to the waters edge. Bringing unlikely strangers together to remind us that being human is a wonderful, marvelous gift.

It’s moments like these that make me wonder, why we allow ourselves to be so lonely in this world?… But that’s a conversation for another day.

How about you, what makes you feel alive? How has your curiosity transformed your life for the better?

Be well today, and always.

You are a wonderful, marvelous creation.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All Rights Reserved.
Please also visit my photography site: Naturescapes, Flowerscapes & Life: Photography by Bella Bleue

Connecting to the wonder we are, Inspiration

You’re Just So Good

Erin Keane

“You are such a good person.” “Your dog is such a good boy.” “You are such a good friend.” “You always take good care of your plants.” There are so many times a day that we say someone or something is GOOD.   Having positive feelings and acknowledging the “Good” around you and in your life opens yourself to accepting and loving yourself and others more deeply. But I wonder, for all the goodness around you, how often do you look at yourself and say, deep down inside, “I am good?” 

I know for me that believing and saying  this statement can be challenging at times. I often ask myself: “Am I good mother? Am I a good wife? Am I good believer? Am I a good person?” It can be so frustrating that negativity sneaks into our hearts and minds at times, and does its best to try to beat us down. So how do you change this belief so that you can really believe you are good?

I’ve been reflecting on this a lot lately. My son is three-years old now, and I’m noticing how much my reactions to him seem to effect the way he views himself. I’ve been trying to be encouraging, as he attempts to do new things, like potty-training, even when he is unsuccessful or stubborn. I am intentional about saying to him, “Good Job;” or “You are being a good boy.” We’ve put stars on a chart when he is successful in his endeavors, and provide him with praise. But sometimes, I fail and get frustrated, and express my disappointment.  And I notice his face will become sullen, and then I begin to judge myself, and wonder, “Am I taking away from his ability to trust in himself as good?” Here I am as a mom, trying to instill deep within my son, that he is a good person. I want him to trust in this as his truth. I want him to believe deep down inside, “I am good.”  So that no matter what he faces in his life such as let downs, mean people, or a break-up, that he can trust in his inherent goodness. 

I wanted to divulge deeper into this because this sense of goodness  is not just about me or about my son, but about all of us. It’s a question each of us ask ourselves, no matter how absolutely perfect or imperfect we believe we are.

So, here I am working on it. And I turn back to the words, I just wrote: “inherent goodness*.”  Inherent means, “existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute.” (Online definition). I am good. You are good. I was created with goodness deep down inside. You were created with goodness deep down inside. But its not just deep down inside—your goodness is a part of your being…it’s in your eyes, your heart, your mind, your feet, your ankles, and elbows, it’s even in hairs on your head. And if this goodness is all over you, then you must be “Good.”  There’s no getting around it, as long as you can trust in it.

But! of course I get in my own way, and I don’t trust, saying, “Well, you might be good, but you are broken too. You aren’t always so wonderful to be around. And at times you can be really mean.” And then my day, turns the corner and I’m back to forgetting about my wonderful, amazing, “inherent goodness.”  It is this on-going battle that can be harmful if the power is given to the negative. I realize that embracing inner goodness, comes from acknowledging that we need guidance about what can be harmful to us, as well as, affirmations about what can be helpful to us, so that we don’t get stuck in this on-going battle of am I good, enough? Thus, begins the answer, to the question: How can I believe that I am good?

I can trust that I am good, even when I feel I am broken, or mean, by admitting when I am wrong, by asking for some guidance when I need to change my inner direction towards that which is good, rather than the negative; and to recognize that celebrating my inner goodness also means I need to have a healthy balance between my expressions of frustration and affirmation. For example, I need to remind myself that my feelings of anger, or frustration do not change my goodness…these feelings are here for a reason when they occur, but I need to let them go, so they do not consume me, and I need to reconnect to my deeper goodness—which for me is also my connection to God.

How would you answer the question, How can I believe I am good? 

  • Take some time and reflect by imagining a circle where I am good is at the top of the circle, and you create your answers along the path of the circle, that bring you back to your truth: I am good.

——————————————————————
*Inherent goodness, as I am using it, also means that there is a deeper longing in us to connect to the Sacred, that which is truly good.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All Rights Reserved.

Connecting to the wonder we are, Healing

Healing Wonder is All Around You

Erin Keane

Children remind us that wonder is all around us. All we have to do is look.

May the world you see around you bring wonder through your eyes,

and fill your body with healing joy.

Remember that one of the gifts of life is to take the time to PAUSE and soak up life. The more often you do this the deeper the healing that will happen in your life. This “down-time”—will rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit. You need to open yourself to these healing opportunities in life…because they can easily be missed if you are too busy.  

Life already has healing available to you everywhere. It is just a matter of allowing  yourself to experience it.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™


Connecting to the wonder we are, Discovering Strength

Take a Step Back from Your Challenges

Erin Keane

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All Rights Reserved.

Please also visit my photography site: Naturescapes, Flowerscapes & Cityscapes

Connecting to the wonder we are, Healing

Sunsets Heal Us

Erin Keane


Open Your Eyes
Soak up creation

Fill the depths of your soul
with the evening light

Become one with the earth
and be fully at home with the amazing person you are.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All Rights Reserved.

Connecting to the wonder we are, Inspiration

You Have Purpose Just as You Are

Erin Keane

You have purpose. Your life is meaningful. You were created to be here at this time in history for a reason. You are a miracle. You are a living inspiration. You are a created wonder of the world. You are beautifully and wonderfully made.

I purchased a new Campanula Plant, a.k.a. the Blue Bell, the other day. As I wandered around the nursery the Blue Bell in particular caught my eye. As I looked at it I remembered it did something special, something I was interested in, but I couldn’t put my finger on it exactly. So I picked one out, one that needed some extra nurturing, and brought it home.

And after a web search, I remembered: the Blue Bell attracts Hummingbirds. It creates the nectar inside its flower that the Hummingbird enjoys. The Blue Bell has purpose. It was created for its beauty, but also as a source of food for the survival of the Hummingbird. I’d Love to see a hummingbird visit my yard. How amazing would that be?!

It is profoundly interesting how the created natural world teaches us about ourselves. The earth and all that dwells in it and from it, has purpose. Each living creature and organism, has a purpose. They create balance in the world that allows for our earth to survive; as well as, provide resources for our survival.

If you take this image of the Blue Bell, as being created to provide balance in the ecosystem,  and apply this to your own life, you too can begin to understand how you provide balance in the created world.

Sometimes we look too hard to discover what our purpose is. Sometimes we try to fill ourselves with words, and activities that we hope will give us some some idea of why we are here. By doing these things we often get in the way of ourselves: We are trying so hard, that we forget how to just be-How to just be YOU. Exactly as you are.

  • I invite you to take a step back and try not to worry about what you are supposed to do with your life, or to know exactly what your purpose is.
  • Instead try to just go about your day and live, being nothing more and nothing less than just who you are. And as you go about your day, take notice of how you co-exist with the earth, its creatures and other people you meet along your way.
  • Affirm yourself and tell yourself that your life makes a difference and that YOU are alive because the world needs you…somehow every day your life, YOU make the world around you no matter how big or small a better place to live because YOU are ALIVE.
For even in the depths of darkness or uncertainty your light shines, and your beauty is seen by all who cross paths with you. Trust this, and live this as your truth. 

Remember by just being YOU, you already have transformed life, and have purpose just as YOU are.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All Rights Reserved.

Connecting to the wonder we are, Inspiration

Inspiring Thoughts: Learning from our children

Erin Keane

Sometimes we need to be like a little child
and soak up the world with a silent wonder
in our hearts
the kind of wonder
that makes us pause long enough
to receive life with a feeling of awe
of how deeply connected
we are to this immense and powerfully soothing natural world
with every ounce of our very being.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue

©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All Rights Reserved

Connecting to the wonder we are, Life

When Love Hurts: Keep on Loving and Living Anyway

Erin Keane

It’s inevitable that love and pain will dance together in our lives, no matter how hard we try to keep them apart.

A really beautiful woman, who I have been blessed to have in my life, now has Stage 4 Cancer. She  is a woman “full of grace” and absolutely amazing.  She is a warrior queen who rages against her battle with a softness and love for life, that breaks all boundaries of the kingdom of the “Big C,” and day by day she gently and powerfully conquers with another day of living life.  She often dresses up with a colorful scarf atop her head, that draws out the beautiful colors of her eyes, that sparkle every time she smiles. She reminds me that every day life is worth smiling about, even when it really sucks. And even more importantly, she has taught me: that even when life seems like it is trying to close its door on you, keep reaching out in open arms and gently say to it, “I’m still here. And I’m ready to receive you and accept you, even if what you are placing in front of me is not what I want because I WANT TO LIVE.”

And this is why Love and pain will always dance together. They dance together in this deeply real image of  my beautiful friend (our beautiful friends) moving in perfect rhythm to the music of life, while death keeps stepping on her toes and throwing her off balance every once in a while until it wins [in the literal sense]. It’s the deeper reality for those of us watching this happen: that at times Love Really Hurts.

Loving my friend brings with it a deep hurt: I know deep down inside that she is going to die: there will be an emptiness inside me when she is gone, and it hurts right now because her inevitable death seems so unfair because she is so good and she wants to keep LIVING.

And because I love her,  deep down inside my heart is that painful question of,”WHY?”

“Why if she is soooo good, and sooo loved, does she need to suffer? Why did she have to get sick? Why does she have to die at such a young age? Why….and the questions keep coming.

I know that I can answer these questions in a very spiritual manner…and connect to an understanding of spiritual, emotional and bodily suffering as a part of life, and a Creator and the Beloved who suffers with me, with her… and at times brings me great comfort…

But…that’s an answer that may only fulfill me, or still may not be enough…

And so I look deep inside myself and I feel it…and I listen to it. The sadness deep in my heart. The part of me that feels the grief. The inevitable knowing that one day, she won’t be here. The anticipatory awareness that others too are going to hurt. In other words, the parts of me that Love her. The parts of me that are LOVE.

And then the tears come slowly, but deeply. And then the quiet sobs, that make you hold your breath, because your body just hurts too much.

Then you get yourself back together. And you put your feet back down on the solid ground below you, and you move forward again.

And you remind yourself. She’s not dead yet. She’s still here.  And that she’s living life. And you’ve got to do the exact same thing: LIVE.

And the question is no longer Why, but HOW.

As I return to Love as a powerful force for living rather than for pain, I am able to learn from my friend. She is teaching me how to live my life by the way she shares  her love and welcomes and receives my love; and she teaches me to love life more fully by the way that she lives…

LIVING:

  • Embracing your own fragility,
  •  Being comfortable with questions that don’t have the perfect answer, or maybe even an answer at all.
  • Breathing & Smiling even when life gives you a hurricane when all you asked for was a little rain
  • Loving yourself even when your body is failing you
  • Loving others even when death is knocking on their door
  • Letting your body, mind and spirit weep from the pain with a good cry every once in a while
  • Connecting to your spiritual roots, and allowing them to nourish your spirit
  • Seeking out others to accompany on their journey, and inviting others to accompany you on your journey too

What would you add?

And Living and Loving is what makes you more fully YOU: When you LOVE: and allow all that is LOVE to touch your life, then you LIVE, and by LIVING a deeper more meaningful life—one that doesn’t stop loving because of fear of the pain—you become more fully who you truly are: you become more fully and deeply human.

—This is what I realize now that I have been able to step back from the pain, and going forward can embrace the beautiful reality of how my friend celebrates life through her ability to Love  Life and all that it is.

Below is the message I wrote to my beautiful friend, that I want to share with you.

*

May you always be blessed to know LOVE and to become more fully yourself each and every day by giving yourself the gift of Living life.

Blessings Always, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All Rights Reserved.

* If any of you would ever like me to write something for someone you love, or even for yourself with one of my images, I would always be honored.

Connecting to the wonder we are, Inspiration

How a Simple Gesture of Love Can Ignite Your Imagination

Erin Keane

It is amazing how a simple car ride can suddenly ignite your imagination. I was sitting at a red light and glanced at a few people walking through the bus stop parking lot. It’s a special parking lot. The people who put their feet on its grounds bring stories with them: they are on their way to a life journey after a flight in the sky.

I noticed an elderly couple walking to a car: I began to create scenarios in my mind: I imagined they must be returning from a trip. So often people return to the Northeast for the summer after a winter down South. I imagined they were feeling happy to be back…and then I saw a woman approach. She gestured to them, and they walked toward her: luggage in hand.

And then the moment: Open arms reaching and connecting bodies, hearts and “I’m so glad you are here” all in one spontaneous moment of a Hug.

My imagination took me down a new path. I imagined the women are sisters. They live across the country from each other. Over the years their children have played, but are grown now with children of their own. They have a long history of memories. They recall how they used to talk about moments like these when they were young women, but now these moments are real. They are living these moments right now.  And they create a  memory for their future moments starting with a Hug.

There’s something about the connection of human touch sprinkled with love that ignites a feeling of gratitude for being alive, either as the observer or the actual receiver of this love.

What do you imagine when you watch people connect to each other through out the day? Here’s the opening clip of Love Actually to inspire your imagination.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All Rights Reserved.