Soul Friends~Memorial Day!

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Sharing the lyrics to my song: "SOUL FRIENDS" on this Memorial Day Holiday weekend. A perfect time to express our love for dear ones who will always live in our hearts, whether near or far. Click this link to listen on soundcloud:

Soul Friends  

Soul Friends - that’s what we are

Every breath we take

Every heart beat

We are connected

Hug me tightly

Comfort me

In your arms

You are my

Soul Friend - that’s what we are

No matter how near

No matter how far

You are in my heart and soul

All Rights Reserved 2014 Lyrics and Piano Music created by Marlene Rose Besso 7/23/14

Crossroads in your life, which way to turn?

I would imagine we have all been at "crossroads" in our life at one time or another along our journey. Making important life choices can be daunting and takes us out of our "comfort zone". We have to trust our intuition and have faith that we are making the right decision. 

It can be as literal as taking a walk and trusting your gut as to going forward, turning back, or taking a right or left turn. Usually on a walk we have a destination in mind, but sometimes it is fun to explore and discover new places, offering ourselves a chance for serendipity to occur. 

When we travel to a new neighborhood, new city, new country, nowadays we rely on our cell phone GPS system to find our way. We miss out on making a "wrong turn" that could change our entire plan for the day or even our life. 

Sometimes it is good to turn off the GPS mapping and trust our instincts, and discover destinations we would not have had on our electronic map. Opening ourselves up to serendipitous happenings is surely a Zenful way to let go and trust the Universe to show us the way. 

We need to follow and listen to our inner guidance “GPS – Gratitude, Purpose, Soul” system! Our Zen Intuition will always lead us along the divine path, but we need to listen and have faith that we are in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing.  

One of my favorite quotes by Helen Keller is: "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all." She surely had to trust her instincts to find her way in life. 

I also love this quote: "A smile of encouragement at the right moment may act like sunlight on a closed up flower; it may be the turning point for a struggling life."

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Let It Be! Living with a Peaceful Zen Attitude!

PEACE Sedona Photo by Marlene Rose Besso
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The Beatles song title: "Let It Be" is brilliant! Of course the lyrics are brilliant as well, and had very personal meaning for Paul McCartney when he wrote them about his Mother. The lyrics are timeless, and can be just as meaningful today, as in 1969 about our current world condition. It is a vision for Peace & Love that we all hope for.

When I find myself in "times of trouble" saying "Let It Be", is very comforting and brings me back to a Zen Attitude. Listening to the music is also very soothing and healing. Combined together with the lyrics and music, it can reverse your mood and create harmony in your soul. 

If you feel sad and blue, turn on a favorite Beatles Song and observe your mood changing, and a smile returning to your soul. Here are the lyrics to "Let It Be" by Paul McCartney. Thanks Paul for giving us all the gift of your beautiful lyrics and music from your heart. We feel it Zenfully. 

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right it front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be

And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be
For though they may be parted there is
still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
yeah, there will be an answer
Let it be

And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
There will be an answer
Let it be  


Written by:

Paul McCartney

Zen Birthday Gifts?

I wrote this essay about my upcoming 65th Birthday several months ago. Now it is right around the corner, and I still feel the same way I did when I wrote this essay. You may think it is a slightly morbid idea to consider, but in my Zen Way of looking at life, it seems like a good idea! Living in the moment is essential to keeping a Zen Attitude, but it's always good to be prepared for the next steps in life.  


65^th Birthday / Deathday D-day Gift?

I was just thinking while in a calming bubble bath, about life, death, and the in-between. I am 64 ½ years old, and in May 2018 I shall turn 65 years old. That is F***** OLD! Of course, we baby boomers will never admit it! For a moment I thought…..maybe on that day the Universe might give us the Birthday Gift of knowing the date when our life will be over, a Deathday Gift D-day? 

It sure would be great for financial planning, communicating truth with our loved ones, cleaning out our “stuff”, and documenting our plans for end of life desires. 

Having the courage to follow our dreams, doing that special thing for someone you love, taking that trip of a lifetime, and checking off items on your bucket list. This would be a gift, especially if your days are few. Even if your days are many, starting to accomplish this list now, would be a gift in and of itself.

I don’t know if I will get the Deathday Gift D-day, but while I am in the “in-between” I may as well begin the process! Some people may think this is slightly morbid thinking, but I think it is good to have a plan of action, be prepared, and anyway who wants to get blindsided by a sudden death. I don’t want all my “stuff” to be rummaged through by anyone but me. 

I guess it’s time to get busy, I only have 5 months before I might get that special gift when I turn 65! None of us knows when our time will be up, could be a moment from now, a week from now, a year from now, or 20 years from now. It’s the big mystery of life, when your Deathday will be! Not great for financial planning….that’s for sure!!!!

Then there is the whole mysterious discussion about the “AfterLife” concept! I sure hope we don’t have to come back and do it all over again! I am looking forward to entering a new dimension, a new soul experience, and ideally becoming a form of energy, maybe as a butterfly or a hummingbird delighting those who experience my spirit, and letting them be healed in that moment in time.

I saw a butterfly today, came right by my kitchen window as I was looking out, at the same moment I was thinking to myself: Be positive, it’s all going to be fine. Seeing the butterfly healed me in that moment and I thought maybe it was a visitation from my Mom, since today would’ve been her 91st Birthday! In her physical form she has been gone 29 years. It is comforting to think of our loved ones continuing to visit us with their spirits, appearing as butterflies, hummingbirds, or whatever entity grabs your attention in that special moment.

I think the most important lesson in life is: Savor the MOMENTS, the In-Betweens, and always be prepared! None of us are getting out of here alive! 

Be Kind, Be Compassionate, Be LOVE.

"Butterfly in Butterfly Bush" by Marlene Rose Besso

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Zen Moment - Bird Angel Soaring Above Me!

This morning while taking a few moments to meditate on my back patio hammock, a tropical looking multicolored bird came soaring toward me, and I felt the air shift it was so close to my face. It was quite the awakening, and struck me as a very spiritual ZEN serendipitous occurrence. My mood was not the best at that moment, and it changed my perspective for my day immediately. I think the bird was a type of Tanager. Here's a picture of the bird I believe came soaring over my head this morning! Thanks for the ZEN VISIT and uplifting my mood for the day, it was Perfect Divine Timing!

I googled the animal totem for bird to see what it meant on a spiritual level. I found these perfect quotes for my day about the symbolism of all birds on the website: 
Spirit Animal Totems 

You have the ability to confront your fears. Once you do you will wonder what you were afraid of in the first place!

-Cassowary

Look at the situation from a different perspective.

-Hawk

You are more powerful than you think you are. Believe and have faith!

-Raven

Reading the quote about the Raven reminded me of this photo I took a few years ago. Click on photo if interested in purchasing a print.

I discovered a wonderful interpretation on the meaning of birds soaring and chirping into your space on Thought.com, here is an excerpt by: Whitney Hopler

Birds have inspired human beings throughout history with their ability to rise above the Earth. Something about birds soaring through the air stirs our souls, motivating us to rise above our earthly concerns and learn more about a greater world beyond our Earth: the spiritual realm. Birds and angels share a special bond, as well, since both symbolize the beauty of spiritual growth and angels sometimes even choose to appear with wings, like birds.

People sometimes see birds appear before them to deliver some type of spiritual messages. They may encounter angels manifesting in the form of a bird, see images of a beloved bird who has died and now they believe is acting as a spirit guide to them, or catch sight of bird images that symbolize something God wants to communicate to them (known as animal totems). Or, they may receive extraordinary inspiration from God simply through their ordinary interactions with the birds in their lives.

If you're open to receiving spiritual messages through birds, here's how God may use them to send messages to you:

Angels Appearing as Birds

Angels are associated with birds more than any other type of animal because angels who appear to humans in their heavenly glory sometimes feature wings. Wings symbolize both the spiritual covering of God's care for people and the freedom and empowerment people gain from spiritual growth.

Sometimes, angels may even appear in the physical form of earthly birds, if doing so can help them best convey the messages God has given them to deliver to people.

My Mom & Me ~ We got by with Zen LOVE!

Thinking about my Mom today! She has been gone 3 decades. I look at our picture together every morning while I do my stretches, since it is on the wall in front of my exercise bench. This photo is one of 3 photos that I have of us together. It is from the late 50's, I was maybe 6 years old? I had it reprinted several years ago, and I hand-tinted it with oils. It has gone through many resolutions, including uploading this one, so it's not perfect, but to me it is perfection. My dad and brother were in this photo too, but for today on Mother's Day, I cropped them out! This is sadly the ONLY photo I have of all us together! 

Our family was filled with love, but also sickness, sorrow and pain. You see, my Mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when she was pregnant with me in 1953. My brother is 2 years older, so he had a Mom to care for him who was not sick at the time of his birth. I am so grateful my parents had quality time together during their courtship and early marriage with the birth of their first son. I have many pictures of them smiling and looking oh so glamorous in the late 40's and early 50's! I cherish those photos when she was just beginning her love affair with my Dad, and starting their life chapter as newlyweds and first time parents. 

I will never understand why her destiny suddenly took a devastating turn in her early adult life? To get a diagnosis of MS in the early 1950's was difficult without MRI's, but she exhibited all the symptoms in succession and then some in remission. There were no medications to reverse her suffering at that time, in fact it is still a dreadful diagnosis nowadays, but there are more options for a better quality of life, but sadly no cure yet. 

I wrote an essay this morning about our love and lives together, it can be read in full on the Zen Essay page. 

The first piano song I ever wrote was for my Mom, I call it: "Mother and Daughter's Love". I will include the lyrics below and a link to listen on SoundCloud. 

Happy Mother's Day Mom, I miss you and love you always! You are my hero and angel. I hope you are celebrating a Zenful Afterlife, and I hope one day we will be together again in laughter and Zen Love!

Mom and Me in 1959 ?

"Mother and Daughters Love" by Marlene Rose Besso

Tell me why oh why oh?
Tell me why oh why oh?
Did we share such sadness
in both our lives
in both our lives

Tell me why oh why oh?
Tell me why oh why oh?
Mother and daughters destiny
brokenhearted dreams
in sickness, sorrow and pain.

But we got by with love.
I forgive you mother dear.
Please forgive me too.
And I will always love you.

All Rights Reserved 2013 Lyrics and Piano Music created by Marlene Rose Besso 2/4/2012

My Glamorous Mom

Happy Mother's Day ~ QUEEN For The Day!

Sending good wishes to all the Mother's out there on their special day to celebrate being: "QUEEN For The Day"! I found this gorgeous Amethyst Crystal Chair on my Zen Nona at a Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico! For only $15,000+ you can own this stunning beauty! I don't think you would want to sit on it though, doesn't look all that comfy! I suggest sitting across from it and meditating on it's incredible one of a kind Zen vibes and natural beauty.

Zen Daily Inspiring Lyrics & Original Photo Art by Marlene Rose Besso

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We hope you enjoy our ZEN DAILY WORDS ~ Photo Art & Lyrics by Marlene Rose Besso. May you become inspired by the positive quoted lyrics, and be uplifted by Mother Nature's glorious landscape images and original photo art. Always wishing you a Zenful Day filled with Loving-Kindness & Compassion. Remember to take time to savor and appreciate the beauty all around us. See the lyrics below, and feel free to click on song title "Spread Your Wings", to listen on SoundCloud.

"Spread Your Wings" by Marlene Rose Besso

Spread your wings and soar

like butterflies in flight

become one with nature

God's amazing grace

showing me the way

every day

All Rights Reserved 2013 Lyrics and Piano Music created by Marlene Rose Besso 3/11/2012

Zen Nona in Santa Fe & Denver!

I am now home from my Zen Nona - (now or never adventure) in Denver, Colorado, Santa Fe & Albuquerque, New Mexico. In the photo below is a collage of the amazing 5 museums I visited. It was a huge dose of ZENFUL Arts & Culture! I highly recommend planning a Zen Nona and enjoying each and every mindful moment, meeting new people, experiencing new places, and savoring in all your sweet memories when you get home. Who knows, maybe you might even decide to relocate to one of your adventure spots, if your heart falls in love with a new home sweet home! I may have left my heart in Santa Fe, New Mexico! See below a song I revised, after visiting both Colorado and New Mexico. It was originally titled: "Colorado?", but I have changed it to: "Santa Fe?" with new lyrics! I fell in love with the gorgeous blooming Spring Lilacs, Wisteria, Iris, Tulips, Etc. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains were beautiful too! I can't wait to experience Autumn in Santa Fe! I was so happy to stay at an airbnb in Santa Fe that had a grand piano for me to record my music! I am a total novice and teaching myself how to play piano on YouTube! Click on this link to listen on SoundCloud if interested! 

ZEN NONA - Museums Visited:
Denver Art Museum-Degas Exhibit
Clyfford Still Museum-Denver
Nedra Matteucci Galleries & Sculpture Garden- Santa Fe
New Mexico Museum of Art-Santa Fe
Georgia O'Keefe Museum-Santa Fe

"Santa Fe?" by Marlene Rose Besso  

Santa Fe

Will you be my new home?
I love your
Lilacs in the spring
Sunny Skies and Fresh Breezes
and the
Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range

Santa Fe
Will you be my new home?
I think it might be so
If I go
I won't forget
Sedona
Sedona, Sedona, Sedona
You were a good home
I will miss you so

But it's time to go to
Santa Fe, New Mexico

I love your
Lilacs in the spring
Sunny Skies and Fresh Breezes
and the
Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range

All Rights Reserved 2016 Lyrics and Piano Music created by Marlene Rose Besso 1/17/2016 Revised from Colorado to Santa Fe 4/27/18

Happy World Labyrinth Day!

Celebrate the 10th Annual World Labyrinth Day on May 5, 2018 and join over 5,000 people taking steps for peace, 'Walking as One at 1' in the afternoon. Enjoy some ZEN PEACE while walking along your Divine Path. Breathe in Peace and Breathe out Love.

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My Zen Nona Blog Published on Project Happiness Website!

So thrilled to see my blog: "Have you Taken A Zen Nona Lately?" published last week on one of my favorite inspirational website: Project Happiness. Click on the link to read my blog, and maybe make some Zen Nona plans for your future! Maybe a ZEN visit to Sedona, AZ and take your very own picture of the beautiful Cathedral Rock Vortex! 

https://shop.projecthappiness.org/blogs/project-happiness/have-you-taken-a-zen-nona-lately

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Have you taken a “Zen Nona” lately?

One of my favorite quotes by Helen Keller is: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

Last October I began a new chapter in my life which I call my “Zen Nona”.  It’s a term I created that means my: “Zen - Now or Never Adventure”!  This term got created because unfortunately, or shall I say fortunately, after almost 20 years with my client, I was informed they could no longer afford my services! I was not completely surprised, since I was their accountant, and they needed to restructure their business for eventual retirement. Needless to say I was at a crossroads in my life, and I could either make lemonade out of the lemons, or become bitter as a lemon peel! I took the Zen Attitude and spiked my lemonade with rum!

I came to the conclusion while enjoying my spiked lemonade; I would take some time off, before networking for new clients. Considering my age of 64 years old, I decided to collect my Social Security pittance and use a small portion of my savings to subsidize a 6+ month sabbatical of sorts. Like a Gap Year for kids, this is my Gap (nonna=grandmother!) period of time to create, dream, learn, travel, volunteer, network, maybe start a new business venture, and possibly reinvent myself in this 3^rd act of life. Another favorite quote that inspired my decision was by Wayne Dyer: “Go for it now. The Future is promised to no one.”

Unfortunately, I am in the same boat as many Baby Boomers who have not saved nearly enough for retirement. As a single woman, never married, without children (other than the 4 legged furry ones), and the high cost of living these days just for a roof over your head, it leaves very little to save for ones future. I know after my Zen Nona comes to an end, I will have to find employment, and continue to work until the day I die, unless I win the lottery!

We all want to earn a living doing what we love. We all have things that we are passionate about, and I believe we live and breathe every moment attempting to find and fulfil our purpose in life. There are so many wonderful words and phrases in all languages that mean: to find our Purpose. My most favorite of these words is Ikigai, the Japanese concept that means: “a reason for being”.  In French the phrase is raison d'êtres, meaning: “the most important reason or purpose for someone or something’s existence”.  In Italian the phrase is ragione di vita, meaning: “reason for living”.

We need to follow and listen to our inner guidance “GPS – Gratitude, Purpose, Soul” system! Our Zen Intuition will always lead us along the divine path, but we need to listen and have faith that we are in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing.  Several years ago I created an acronym for the word FAITH: Fearless Attitude in Thy Heart, and also wrote a piano song; “Fearless Attitude-FAITH”, here are a few lines:

I’ve got a fearless attitude

In thy heart

Every day in every way

I live my life

Fearlessly

Every day in every way

I live my life

Fearlessly

In thy heart

I call it FAITH

Also I have been writing lyrics about finding my purpose for years! Here are a few lyrics to “My Purpose”:

Seeking the purpose in my lifetime

Show me the way to make a difference

Seeing the Beauty all around me

Show me the way to find the meaning

The advice I give to myself, and offer to you, is to take life one Zenful Moment at a time. Each moment we have the choice between love and fear. Fear is not living in the moment; it is “false evidence appearing real” in the future or the past. I like the quote by Sonia Ricotti : "Surrender to what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be.” I like to think of it as keeping your Zen On, which means to always be grateful, be calm, and don’t worry about things we cannot change.   

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 easier. I continue to work on this practice doing the best I can, which is all any of us can do. With my double Gemini “monkey- mind”, I may need a Zen Miracle to keep it focused in the moment! If we can be grateful, optimistic, and have FAITH, we will be on the right path.

If you haven’t noticed by now, I love the word ZEN! It’s a very enlightening word, and its only 3 letters! Don’t worry about things you cannot change, relax, turn on your inner GPS, be grateful, and enjoy your Spiked Lemonade!  You can enjoy a “Zen Nona” every day, taking a walk along a labyrinth, enjoying a lovely nature hike, taking a moment to smell the roses, or do whatever your heart desires! Remember: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all!”

Today is Global LOVE Day!

Be Love & Share Love on this celebration of Global LOVE Day! Sharing Loving-Kindness and Compassion everyday is my heart's intention. If I can create the Loving ZEN Energy to gift someone with a smile or laugh in their day, it becomes a gift for me too! I always say: To Give is To Receive. We all need Love & Love is all you need! A favorite song of mine by The Beatles is "All You Need Is Love". This song was created as an international message of love, that could be easily understood by people of different nations. It reflected the feeling of the youth during the Summer of Love in 1967.

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All You Need Is Love

The Beatles

Love, love, love

Love, love, love

Love, love, love
There's nothing you can do that can't be done

Nothing you can sing that can't be sung

Nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game

It's easy

Nothing you can make that can't be made

No one you can save that can't be saved

Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time

It's easy

All you need is love, all you need is love

All you need is love, love, love is all you need

All you need is love

All you need is love, love, love is all you need

There's nothing you can know that isn't known

Nothing you can see that isn't shown

There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be

It's easy

All you need is love, all you need is love

All you need is love, love, love is all you need

All you need is love (All together now)

All you need is love (Everybody)

All you need is love, love, love is all you need

Love is all you need

Love is all you need

Love is all you need

Love is all you need

Love is all you need

Love is all you need

Love is all you need

Love is all you need

Love is all you need

Love is all you need

Love is all you need

Yesterday

Oh yeah

(She love you, yeah, yeah, yeah)

(She love you, yeah, yeah, yeah)

Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul Mccartney

All You Need Is Love lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC