WARM FUZZY FRIDAY

Today I'm gettin' all wise and philosophical on yo' asses.

I have reflected a little on religion in the past and have talked about how my beliefs and values are strong but my association or affinity with one specific religion is not. I was raised catholic, which I am grateful for in some ways as it allowed me to learn about the values of compassion and love and faith, but also had a lot of teachings and premises that I didn't necessarily agree with. In becoming all grown up and fancy and inquisitive, I've tried to open my mind and look at other religions and practicing faiths around me that resonate with me or that I am drawn to. My conclusion thus far? Ain't one sole religion that I've come across in my readings and research that I've thrown up my hands for and gone all 'praise be to ____'. Nope. Instead though I have uncovered religious teachings and core values that I do feel particularly drawn to and have struck a cord with me in reflecting the way I hope that I, and others, live our lives. 

Many of these 'a-ha!' moments have been had during my readings around Buddhism. Buddhism is, still to this day, a major religion in our world. It began approximately 2500 years ago in India and we are told that Siddhartha Gautama was born an heir to the throne who later renounced his seat as King and became a monk. He devoted his life to the pursuit of enlightenment and, after refusing temptation in all its forms, he achieved the heights of spiritual understanding and enlightenment. He chose five holy men (blokes got all the luck in ole 566BC) to share his teachings, the Dharma, with and this was the beginnings of the religious group. 

If anyone is interested in learning more about this fascinating religion, please please please let me know and I would be happy to dedicate a post in future to the Buddhist history and its teachings. I was honestly sitting there soaking up every word on the page and completely transfixed by the subtext of love and compassion and infinite wisdom that came from the literature. His overarching teachings, from which all Buddhist lessons are derived from, can be broken down into the the Three Universal Truths; the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.

So, inspired by all I have learnt and already feeling so warm and fuzzy on account of the beautifully worded and authentically created religious teachings, I would like to share with you some of the quotes and lessons that spoke to me and that I try to live my life by.

Blessings from my 'ohmmm' chantin' and lotus posed self x
All images from today's post were sourced via Tumblr - should you have any issue with the image being featured without extensive reference please let me know immediately and I will take it down. 

FEATURE FRIDAY

Another fortnight, another two charities to feature! I am abso-positivie-lutely LOVING this new tradition and I think it's something I will adopt every Lenten period. For those who may not be familiar, when it came to choosing something to give up for Lent, I flipped the concept on its head and decided to take up something - that I would donate to a different charity every Friday during the Lenten period. Have a look back through the Feature Friday write ups to check out prior charities and maybe get a little inspired to add a piece of your own pie to an organisation that catches your eye (or your heart!).

Last week the charity of choice was the Make it Possible campaign. You may have seen the ads on the old talking picture box recently - it freakin' broke my heart. Gloomy lighting with caged animals singing to be free? Are you freakin' kidding me? I had no choice but to donate! Check out their website here. Their purpose in a nutshell? To end factory farming and to increase public awareness of the inhumane practices being carried out and the appalling treatment of animals nation wide. Since getting my little puppy, I must admit that I'm a lot more sensitive to the issues around the mistreatment of animals. The thought of these beautiful creatures, who cannot stand up for or defend themselves, being beaten, cut, sliced, caged and left to experience a final emotion of sheer terror ... it's almost paralysing. Here's how we end factory farming #makeitpossible.

I won't go into too much detail with this one because it's a widdle bit too personal and I don't really think this is the forum I want to discuss it out of respect to my family. My beautiful grandmother was affected by Alzheimer's and passed away within 5 years of diagnosis. The most gentle, beautiful and incredibly caring woman you will EVER meet - she has profoundly influenced my life and shaped the person I have become. I carry her around everywhere by wearing her ring and it helps me feel connected to her and know that she is still getting to experience everything with me. Note - we are both very excited and nervous about the big house move this weekend! Hehe. I chose to donate to Alzheimer's Australia in a hope to provide much needed funds to support research, advocacy and education. Check out Alzheimer's Australia's vision and mission statement here.

Blessings from my animal and nanny loving self x

FEATURE FRIDAY

Image found here

Oops missed this baby last week so you get a double feature today! I have two beautiful causes that I want to share with you this week and both are organisations that I have chosen to donate to within my Lenten donation plan! They are both quite different but each support a cause that is very near and dear to my heart so without further ado - let me shed light on some of the fantastic projects that are happening both in our local and global communities. 

1. Special Aussies Foundation
The Special Aussies Foundation is an Australian children’s charity and not-for-profit organisation founded in 2007 by Lee-Anne Heron and Charmaine White. Their mission is to ensure that children with special needs have access to the equipment, resources and information they need to actively experience their world and realise their full potential. Their aim is to support projects that better the health and well being of children with special needs and disabilities and promote their inclusion within the community in which they live, enabling them to live a life they love.

2. Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C)
I have donated money to 'Launch a Star' in honour of my darling grandfather (diagnosed with Leukaemia in 1998 and still living a wonderful life with my gorgeous grandmother!). The Constalation appeal involves purchasing a star (with monetary donations as little as $1!) in honour of a loved one, family memory, friend or colleague who has somehow been touched by cancer. All profits go towards scientific research and support the 'search for a cure' for cancer. I thought I'd share with you the SU2C Manifesto that encapsulates their mission and sentiment so perfectly:


We used to have such crazy dreams,
The kind of dreams that brought us together, made us not mere mortals, but a movement.
We used to dream we’d get to the moon.
And we were crazy enough, fanatical enough, relentless enough, to get there.

We dreamed we’d split the atom.
Make smallpox and polio whispers from forgotten history books.
Make technology infinite, individual.
Connect the world.

All the unbelievable and the impossible,
all the can’t do and the never will, we overwhelmed them, we overpowered them, we conquered them.
They said no and we, well,
We said yes.
We stood up.
We stood up and changed the world.

Stand up when everybody else sits down
Stand up when it’s easier to turn away
Stand up for everyone who can’t rise anymore

When the answer seems impossible, stand up
When the dream is right within our reach, stand up
When the powerful refuse your call, stand up

The moment is now and the time has come to stand up.
One out of every two men
One out of every three women
will face these diseases we call cancer.

Our sisters, our brothers, our fathers, our mothers,
our husbands, our wives, our children.
Our very best friends and those we’ve yet to meet.
One person every minute, one person in a moment gets lost, gets stolen, gets taken away.

We are a tapestry of lives touched and brought together by a terrorist we can actually find.
And in the time it’s taken to read this, three more Americans have died.

Unforgivable.

This is where the end of cancer begins.

When together we become a force unmistakable.
A movement undeniable.
A light that cannot dim.

When we take our wild impossible dreams
And make them possible
Make them true

When together we rise as one
When we stand up
When we Stand Up To Cancer.

Blessings from my ever grateful and ever loving corner of the world x