The Universe Is Smiling: "Evolution"

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: We are on the path of evolution - let's make it a gentle and creative journey, one small turtle step at a time.

"The reason why the universe is eternal is that it does not live for itself; it gives to others as it transforms."
- Lao Tzu
"The evolution of the brain not only overshot the needs of prehistoric man, it is the only example of evolution providing a species with an organ which it doesn't know how to use."
- Arthur Koestler

The Universe Is Smiling: "Play"

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Don't hesitate to play :)

"Life is a song - sing it.
Life is a game - play it.
Life is a challenge - meet it.
Life is a dream - realize it.
Life is a sacrifice - offer it.
Life is love - enjoy it."
- Sai Baba
"In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play."
 - Friedrich Nietzsche
"To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it."
- Charlie Chaplin

The Universe Is Smiling: "Companions"

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Pick a good companion and enjoy the time together.

"Patience is the companion of wisdom."
 - Saint Augustine
"If you have enthusiasm, you have a very dynamic, effective companion to travel with you on the road to Somewhere."
- Loretta Young

The Universe Is Smiling: "Reflection"

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Take time out to relax and reflect.

 "If you use your mind to try and understand reality, you will understand neither your mind nor reality.
If you try and understand reality without using your mind, you will understand both your mind and reality."
- Bodhidharma

The Universe Is Smiling: "Floating"

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Taking a break by floating above the clouds of concern.

"Seeds of great discoveries are constantly floating around us, but they only take root in minds well prepared to receive them." 
 - Joseph Henry
"At night, when the sky is full of stars and the sea is still you the the wonderful sensation that you are floating in space."
- Natalie Wood

The Universe Is Smiling: "Conversation"

Q: "What is today's wisdom?"
A: "Get your inspiration through silence and good conversation."

 "A single conversation across the table with a wise person is worth a month's study of book."
 - Chinese Proverb
"Silence is one of the great arts of conversation."
- Marcus Tullius Cicero

The Universe Is Smiling: "Story Time"

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: It's time for a story :)

"Listen to this the story...," said the Mouse. 
" Upon meeting a Zen Master at a social event, a psychiatrist decided to ask him a question that had been on his mind. 'Exactly how do you help people?' he asked. 'I get them where they can't ask any more questions', the Master answered."
story quoted from 8 Zen Master Stories

The Universe Is Smiling: "Friends"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Cherish your friends - with a smile :)

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardener who make our souls blossom."
- Marcel Proust
"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Complexity"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Don't get lost in the complexity of your being - keep it simple!

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."
- Confucius
"Complexity is the prodigy of the world. Simplicity is the sensation of the universe. Behind complexity, there is always simplicity to be revealed. Inside simplicity, there is always complexity to be discovered."
- Gang Yu 

"The Universe Is Smiling - 2014" Wall Calendar

The new calendar is here!
Check out the images at Calendar: 2014.

Front Cover

The Universe Is Smiling: "Reality & Illusion"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Look at the place you find yourself in: is it real, is it an illusion or a dream. And who can know these things :)

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
 - Albert Einstein
"Reality is a sliding door."
 - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Why struggle to open a door between us when the whole wall is an illusion."
- Rumi  

The Universe Is Smiling: "Transmutation"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Change is in the air :) Transmute your energy!

The wisdom of SNAKE:
"Snake teachings are profound and magical. In cultures around the world snake teaches us to transmute our difficulties and challenges, whether they be sexual, psychic, physical, emotional or spiritual. The power of snake medicine is the power of creation and the transmutation of the fire medicine. (This medicine embodies sexuality, reproduction and ascension.) In this dance of fire and chaos we learn to accept every aspect of ourselves and learn to transform thoughts, feelings, actions and desires so that wholeness can be achieved. This wild dance of creation allows us to shed the skins of ego and past so we can become the creators of our own lives, as we disintegrate the old and transmute the energy we hold, accepting the power of fire within.
Snake comes to you at a time when you are heading for change. You are ready to explore the mysterious, whether in the physical world or in the depths of the mind and soul. Snake medicine knows the power of renewal. This death and rebirth cycle is part of what snake represents. It has ties and significance to the ancient alchemists and their symbolic transmutation of lead into gold. This is associated with higher wisdom that comes with the passing of time. The ability of the snake is to move between the realms of the living and the dead. With this energy we are able to see the world from an entirely new perspective."
quoted from http://www.alchemyinmovement.com/snakemedicine.html

The Universe Is Smiling: "Caring"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Take care of yourself and others with a joyful heart!
 
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
 - Leo F. Buscaglia
"So when you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, then you are listening not only to the words, but also the feeling of what is being conveyed, to the whole of it, not part of it."
 - Jiddu Krishnamurti

The Universe Is Smiling: "Comfort Zone"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is the wisdom of this week?
A: Stretch yourself a bit and get out of your comfort zone!

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."
- Neale Donald Walsh
"If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness."
- Les Brown 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Zen Story"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:

 Mr. Mouse, a wise teacher was telling a Zen story to his student, the cat:
"One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice.
As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine.
 Suddenly he noticed on the vine a plum wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious!"
"What do you think," said the mouse, "is this story teaching us?"
The cat is still pondering the question and if you can come up with the answer (there may be more than one) let her know and write a comment.

The Universe Is Smiling: "Openness"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Be open and don't worry!

"Make your ego porous. Will is of little importance, complaining is nothing, fame is nothing. Openness, patience, receptivity, solitude is everything."
- Rainer Maria Rilke
"I always say be humble but be firm. Humility and openness are the key to success without compromising your beliefs."
- George Hickenlooper 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Connection"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: We are all connected.

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe."
- John Muir
"We seek not rest but transformation. We are dancing though each other as doorways."
- Marge Piercy  

The Universe Is Smiling: "Stepping Out"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Dare to step out of your comfort zone - with a smile :)

"Don't be afraid to expand yourself, to step out of your comfort zone. That's where the joy and the adventure lie."
 - Herbie Hancock
"Creativity comes from looking for the unexpected and stepping outside your own experience."
- Masaru Ibuka  

The Universe Is Smiling: "Love"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
"All you need is Love. Love is all you need..."
- John Lennon & Paul McCartney

"A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge."
- Thomas Carlyle
"I love you not because of who your are, but because who I am when I am with you."
- Roy Croft

The Universe Is Smiling: "Summer"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
How are YOU spending your summer?

 

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability."

- Sam Keen
"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world."
- Ada Louise Huxtable 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Listening"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings: 
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Listen to the sound of your inner voice :)

"There is something in everyone of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only true guide you will ever have. And if you cannot hear it you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls."
- Howard Thurman 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Saying Hello"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Say "hello" to a friend and make it a meaningful day!

"Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days, an old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day."
- Dalai Lama  

The Universe Is Smiling: "Fantasy"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Ruminate and imagine - making the impossible possible.

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities." 
- Dr. Seuss 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Voyage"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Keep faith during the voyage of life - you'll arrive eventually :)

"Voyage upon life's sea,
To yourself be true,
And, whatever your lot may be,
Paddle your own canoe."
 - Sarah Bolton
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."
- Marcel Proust  

The Universe Is Smiling: "Possibilities"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
I was playing with drawing ONE uninterrupted single line, starting on the lower left and ending on the upper right. I then colored around the lines, creating shapes. The whole experience was very soothing and the undulating line -going back and forth and around- reminded me of the endless possibilities we actually have, once we open our mind and heart to it. Try it! :)

"The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react."
 - "George Bernhard Shaw
"We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize."
- Thich Nhat Hanh 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Inspiration"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Open your heart to the inspiration of the day!

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
 - Albert Einstein
"You won't realize the distance you have walked until you take a look around and realize how far you've been."
- Source unknown 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Skywalker TRUST"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Trust in Yourself!

"Self-trust is the first secret of success."
 - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The key is to get to know people and trust them to be who they are. Instead, we trust people to be who we want them to be - and when they're not, we cry."
- Source unknown 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Embrace"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: "Embrace all living creatures ..."

"A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
- Albert Einstein

The Universe Is Smiling: "Relax and trust in the Greater Good!"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's insight?
A: Relax and trust in the Greater Good :)

"Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason."
 - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
"He who does not trust enough, will not be trusted."
- Lao Tzu  

The Universe Is Smiling: "Friendship"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's insight?
A: Enjoy being a friend to all creatures - with a smile :)

"A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are."
 - Anonymous
"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."
- Albert Camus  

The Universe Is Smiling: "Budding"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: We are ever unfolding buds - ready to blossom :)

"And the day came when the risk to remain in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
 - Anais Nin
"All our progress is an unfolding, like the vegetable bud, you have first an instinct, then an opinion, then a knowledge, as the plant has root, bud and fruit. Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson  

The Universe Is Smiling: "Growing up"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: "It's time to grow up and to leave old patterns behind - with a smile"

"The trick is growing up without growing old."
 - Casey Stengel
"The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt."
- Max Lerner 

The Universe Is Smiling: "The Wave"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Ride the waves of life with confidence and a smile :)

"Just as the wave cannot exist for itself, but is ever a part of the heaving surface of the ocean, so must I never live my life for itself, but always in the experience which is going on around me."
 - Albert Schweitzer
"You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment."
- Henry David Thoreau  

The Universe Is Smiling: "Inner Child"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
I was looking through a pile of papers and found this drawing which I had done years ago and had long forgotten about. It seemed to wave at me saying, "Hey, I am your inner child". I cracked up laughing and I thought you might enjoy it too.

"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play."
 - Heraclitus
"One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe  

The Universe Is Smiling: "Vision"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Spring cleaning of the mind: envision your life with fresh eyes - and a smile :)

 "Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you're riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake up and live!"
- Bob Marley 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Playfulness"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Play and be joyful :)

"It is a requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes."
- Thomas Aquinas
"Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature."
- Tom Robbins 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Treasure"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: "You have all you need, cherish and treasure every moment - with a smile :)"

"To be satisfied with a little, is the greatest wisdom; and he that increaseth his riches, increaseth his cares; but a contented mind is a hidden treasure, and trouble findeth it not."
- Akhenaton
"Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy."
- Lao Tzu

The Universe Is Smiling: "Tenderness"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: "Tenderness of heart brings a smile to every situation."

"There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart."
- Jane Austen
"When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments; tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become."
- Louis Pasteur 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Guidance"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: "Follow your inner guidance - with a smile."

"Let your heart guide you. It whispers softly, so listen closely."
- Anonymous
"By confronting us with irreducible mysteries that stretch our daily vision to include infinity, nature opens an inviting and guiding path toward a spiritual life."
- Thomas More (English Humanist 1478 - 1535) 

The Universe Is Smiling: "You are saying... ?"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
"You have beauty and mother earth who supports you," says the caterpillar, "but I have no home and I am sitting on an empty leaf."
The flower, who had gained wisdom by watching the little bugs and birds and flowers in their daily strife, responded with a quote from the Dalai Lama:
"When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, 'Oh yes - I already have everything that I really need."
"And besides", the flower continued, "you will turn into a beautiful butterfly. So, be patient!"
And then they both quietly enjoyed the morning breeze. 

 

The Universe Is Smiling: "SPRING"

Drawing CHALLENGE and the winning entry by Shirley:
 “Spring in my Step”
“She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
‘Winter is dead.’”
― A.A. Andy Milne

Thank you ALL for participating by sending THEMEs & QUOTEs and by voting. It was tough and there were several great ones, like the one from Oly & from Meredith. I also loved the German title that my mother sent: "Teddys Frühlingsstimmenwalzer" (Teddy's waltz of spring voices), and the German children's song "Alle Vögel sind schon da..." ("all the birds are already here..."), posted by Frauke.

While "SPRING" was the overruling theme for the drawing, it looked very different, when I stepped out of the house this morning. But spring is in the air ... :)

This challenge was so much fun, we'll do it again.

CONTEST

Which of the following THEMEs & QUOTEs best represents the drawing?

Caste your vote on one of these preliminary winners of the contest. Isn't it fun?!:)

A) Theme: “Spring is in the Air”

Quote: "In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,

When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;

Sweet lovers love the spring."

- William Skakespeare

B) Theme: “Spring in my Step”

Quote: “She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
‘Winter is dead.’”
― A.A. Milne

C) Theme: Don't be afraid to be who you are and find your own strength.

Quote: “Birds of a feather flock together,

but it is the cat who (steps out) who gets the cream.” - M.Sims

Join the CHALLENGE :)

What is the theme of this drawing? 
Join in on the fun and find the THEME & a QUOTE that matches the drawing. The winner of the most convincing entry will win a print of this drawing, mounted on a 6" x 6" art block, ready to hang and with YOUR quote written on the back.
You may post your comments on this BLOG or send me an email with the subject line "challenge". If you would like to be among the possible winners, make sure that I have some way of contacting you.
The challenge ends on Wednesday 6 at 12:00pm ET.

I look forward to your comments :)

The Universe Is Smiling: "Reverie"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: "Spend time with reverie and listen to your inner voice - joyfully :)"

"Reverie is not a mind vacuum. It is rather the gift of an hour which knows the plenitude of the soul."
 - Gaston Bachelard
"Sit in reverie and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
 

The Universe Is Smiling: "Attention"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: "Pay attention - and enjoy the day :)"

"It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart."
 - Oscar Wilde
"The greatest gift you can give another is the purity of your attention."
- Richard Moss
.... and a funny quote :)
"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves."
- Albert Einstein

The Universe Is Smiling: "Connection"

Happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy being alive and make it a special day for you with a smile :)

"In nature we never see anything isolated, but everything in connection with something else which is before it, beside, it, under it and over it."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Our life is composed greatly from dreams, from the unconscious, and thy must be brought into connection with action. They must be woven together."
- Anais Nin

The Universe Is Smiling: "Transmutation"

Happy WATER-SNAKE year!

SNAKE = Transmutation

"...The power of snake medicine is the power of creation, for it embodies sexuality, psychic energy, alchemy, reproduction, and ascension (or immortality).
The transmutation of the life-death-rebirth cycle is exemplified by the shedding of Snake's skin. It is the energy of wholeness, cosmic consciousness, and the ability to experience anything willingly and without resistance. It is the knowledge that all things are equal in creation, and that those things which might be experienced as poiison can be eaten, ingested, integrated, and transmuted if one has the proper state of mind....
 This medicine teaches you on a personal level that you are a universal being. Through accepting all aspects of your life, you can bring about the transmutation of the fire medicine. This fire energy, when functioning on the material plane, creates passion, desire, procreation, and physical vitality. On the emotional plane, it becomes ambition, creation, resolution, and dreams. On the mental plane it becomes intellect, power, charisma, and leadership. When this snake energy reaches the spiritual plane, it becomes wisdom, understanding, wholeness, and connection to the Great Spirit...."
From "Medicine Cards. The Discovery of Power Through The Ways Of Animals." by Jamie Sams & David Carson.

The Universe Is Smiling: "The Key"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: "You hold the key to your own happiness."

"All our lives we live in chains and never even know we hold the key."
 - The Eagles
"The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best."
 - Epictetus
"Man's mind is a watch that needs winding daily."
- Welsh Proverb  

The Universe Is Smiling: "Dreams"

Monika's weekly inner voice drawings:
Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: "Listen to your dreams!"

"Don't be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams."
 - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Dreams are illustrations ... from the book your soul is writing about you."
 - Marsha Norman
"Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations. For if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live."
- Henry David Thoreau