Surrender Box- My Zen Spiritual Practice

Many years ago I came across the concept of creating a "Surrender Box". I don't recall where I heard of this spiritual practice, but it has become a staple in my life journey. A dear friend gave me a lovely Lucite frame box for my Birthday in 2010. I put it on my coffee table and inserted one of my favorite pictures, a memory from a visit to the Tulip Festival in Oregon. Eventually it became my "Surrender Box": Worries to the Universe. I only inserted notes when it was a point in my life where I needed to ask the Universe for help. It was an action I took as a way to surrender my worries, close the cover, breathe and trust that all would be well. 

My "Surrender Box": Worries to the Universe with a Apophyllite Crystal on the top. This crystal infuses you with spiritual light. Very high vibration energy, creates spiritual growth & awakening, heals stress.  

Over the past 8 years I have written many notes, and some years more than others. Once a year I will look inside the box and read the notes. It is interesting how many are with similar requests to the Universe. I only utilize this Zen Spiritual Practice when I am confronted with something that I can no longer control or cannot see a positive outcome. I try to write the notes as Affirmations, so I keep my focus on the positive outcome that I trust the Universe will provide for me. 

About four years ago I wrote a piano song entitled: "Tell The Universe", I will include the lyrics and link to listen below. I highly recommend this Zen Spiritual Practice for anyone who is confronted with worries and fears along their life path. This is a powerful ritual and in my experience it has been comforting and given me hope during the darkest hours of my life. I believe we are never alone, when we ask for help, we will always be comforted by the Universe.

“Tell The Universe”  

Tell the Universe

All your worries

And your fears

Surrender your fears

Worries and Fears

Worries and Fears

Surrender your fears

Darling I suffer too

I love you so

Tell the Universe

All your hopes

and your dreams

Surrender control

Let it all flow

Let it all flow

Surrender control

Darling I’m here for you

I love you so

Darling I love you so

All Rights Reserved 2014 Lyrics created by Marlene Rose Besso 

M&M&M's - Mindful Moments & Monkey Minds!

In astrology, if any of you are Gemini's or have the planet Mercury in your chart, you will relate to the term: "Monkey Mind"! I am a DOUBLE Gemini, so my MM is in high gear most of the time, you can think of it as a Monkey Mind on steroids! There are times when I consider it to offer positive rather than negative benefits, such as being curious all the time. I don't know how I lived more than half my life without GOOGLE! I know I visited the library often, and drove family and friends crazy with all my questions! I love the Albert Einstein quote: "I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious."

Of course it is very difficult to stay in a quiet ZENFUL Mindful Moment when your monkey mind is in high gear. Meditation is not my cup of tea, but I do consciously (mindfully) stop myself when I am going off into rumination land! I quiet my mind for that moment, and choose a positive path instead of allowing the out of control worrisome thoughts and fears to overpower me. Sometimes I catch myself several times a day, and in that moment I make the choice to REWIRE & REBOOT! When our computers crash, we reboot, and when our mind starts crashing we can do the same! 

Having personality traits of a perfectionist and control freak can be quite challenging to say the least. We are only in control one moment at a time, and for that I am thankful! None of us are perfect, so be kind to yourself and reboot your mind, it feels like a breath of fresh air flowing through your soul! Just Breathe and Trust that you are in control for that one moment in time. Of course I just GOOGLED how many seconds are in a moment! Some theories say there are 90 seconds in each moment. And...googling again I find out that there are 86,400 seconds in a day, which equates to 960 ZENFUL Mindful Moments to Breathe, Rewire & Reboot!

Click on this photo to view pages from this book of Sedona, AZ while you Breath, Rewire & Reboot!

Planes, Trains, Uber's & Airbnb's!

I am excited about my Zen Nona coming up soon! Adventures await in Colorado & New Mexico for immersion in their arts and culture.The getting to and from traveling part is when I need to get my Zen On! I need to be calm, breathe, and not worry about things I can't control. Planes, Trains, Uber's & Airbnb's will be my modes of travel, it's the 21st Century way to go! If only the invention of traveling by "beaming" that was promised in those TV shows of years gone by had come true! I think it was The Jetson's in the 60's with their dreamy technology predictions, and then of course there is Star Trek! Yes, we do have driverless cars, but I don't want to test one out quite yet! 

Oh well, in the meantime, we still have airport security to deal with and so much wasted time waiting around in between destinations. Schlepping carry on luggage, sitting next to strangers, sleeping in beds with pillows that are not your own, environmental unknowns, weather, indoor temperature control and scents unknown! If I think too much about all those things that I can't control, I may have to stay home! I guess it's time I take some of my own ZEN advice, and work on my Zen Attitude! 

Meeting new people, exploring new areas, and getting out of your comfort zone is so good for the soul. Traveling alone is a great way for serendipitous adventures! I think most of the memories that get created on our trips, hold even more importance when we get home, we can virtually take ourselves back to the places that we loved. 

I was so inspired by the Ted Talk and Book by Pico Iyer: The Art of Stillness, where he talks about what it means to travel, and what "home" means to him. I love his quote about travel: "Serendipity was my tour guide, assisted by caprice". I had to look up the word "caprice", and Dictionary.com defines it as: a sudden, unpredictable change, as of one's mind or the weather. I will remember this word during my travels! Serendipity will be wonderful, and keeping a Zen Attitude adapting when caprice situations arise.Those good ole sayings ring so true, especially when traveling out of your comfort zone. "Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful" and "take the good with the bad"!

All aboard for the Serendipity - Travel Zen Adventure!

Click on photo if interested to purchase

Zen Daydreaming!

Today I find myself delightfully daydreaming! Daydreaming is fun in the moment, but when you find yourself, instead of daydreaming, worrying about what's going to happen in the future, then the moment is lost. Why do our minds try to reach forward or look backwards instead of just being in the moment? 

It's not easy to keep a Zen Attitude all the time, but if we just take life one moment at a time, it makes it a lot less difficult. I will continue to work on this practice and do my best to be Zen in each momentary gift of life I am so gratefully given. My Double Gemini “monkey- mind” may need a Zen Miracle to get rewired, but I am optimistic and have FAITH!

I read a quote today by Sonia Ricotti about daydreaming that I wanted to share with everyone. "Surrender to what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be."  I created an acronym for the word FAITH: Fearless Attitude In Thy Heart, and also wrote piano lyrics which I will share below.

When it comes to daydreaming, I always think about one of my favorite quotes of all times by Albert Einstein: "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

Click on the picture if interested to purchase

Happy Zen Daydreaming! 

“Fearless Attitude: FAITH”  

I’ve got a fearless attitude

Fearless attitude

I’ve got a fearless attitude

In thy heart

Every day in every way

I live my life

Fearlessly

Fearlessly

I’ve got a fearless attitude

In thy heart

I’ve got a fearless attitude

In thy heart

Every day in every way

I live my life

Fearlessly

In thy heart

I call it FAITH

All Rights Reserved 2014 Lyrics and Piano Music created by Marlene Rose Besso 3/9/2013

Zen in the Art of Taxes

It's that time of year AGAIN! We all know the famous quote by Benjamin Franklin: "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes"! Today is the day for me to dive into this life certainty! I call it my "Zen in the Art of Taxes" Day! I am sharing one of my original paintings created in 2011 entitled: "Zen in the Art of Accounting"! I have this painting hanging in my office as a ZENFUL Inspirational Daily Reminder, that I will always have Prosperity & Abundance doing what I Love! 

Click on the photo if interested to purchase

My Zen Daily Words for today, especially for the necessary task I will need to do:

ENERGIZED

Focus

Intention

Generosity

Understanding

Accomplish

Pride

While doing things in life that we don't necessarily choose to do, a ZEN ATTITUDE will get us through! Putting your Heart and Soul into whatever you do in life, is the best way to live a Zenful Life. Here is a Zen Proverb that resonates loudly for me: "The only Zen you find at the top of the mountain is the Zen you bring with you."