When you seek respite
from a noisy mind,
or a noisy world,
go to the forest.
She will welcome you in
and never ask you to leave.
She will embrace you and
offer you sanctuary.
She will listen, comfort you
and calm your tired soul.
She will not judge
or ask you why you came.
She will allow you to sit quietly
and just breathe.
And sometimes,
that’s all we need.
TO’K~🌹❤️
A tranquil pathway and quiet shoreline stretching towards infinite beauty, lead me to a peaceful retreat, a hidden refuge of cozy spaces and burrows nestled between the sand, the sky, the ocean and fallen logs.
Unencumbered by humanity, I see the world as it should be. Peaceful.
I’m the only intruder, but I’m not alone.
Burrows along the trail to the beach are home to dozens of rabbits hopping between logs, rose-hip and hawthorn shrubs growing along the edge of the shoreline trail.
I move slowly, so I don’t disturb a mother seal and her pup resting in the tall seagrass near the water.
Eagles circling above, the calls of seagulls, sandpipers and other birds, echo across the sky and add to the magic of this place and fill me with light.
I find my spot and rest on the sand with my back supported against a well weathered log.
With my little companion Bo’ nestled in my lap, I close my eyes, release all worries, surrender to this space, and melt into a state of stillness.
Then, I listen.
It’s in silence and stillness that wisdom is received and peace is born. It’s in this state that the answers come. They always do.
I’m grateful for these quiet spaces and the peace, serenity, wisdom and healing they bring.
If you feel overwhelmed, challenged to meet the struggles in your life, or just exhausted from the noise in your head. Stop everything, step outside and find your quiet space.
Toni O’K~ 🌹❤️
We’ve grown into a species of 7 billion people living on one small planet, bumping into each other (literally), sharing the air we breathe, sharing public spaces, leaving our DNA, germs and garbage everywhere.
We are the messiest, most destructive species on earth. We dump our garbage and effluent into the land and oceans providing our food, pump tons of toxins into the air, and then, we wonder why we’re all getting sick and how we got into this pandemic situation.
Our desire to travel globally, consume and purchase goods and services from around the world, and our desires to expand our business, recreational and investment interests into the global marketplace, have changed the way people, products, AND disease travel.
Blaming other countries, other races, even other animals, for this current pandemic is misplaced. With a few exceptions, we all own this mess.
I know I’m part of the problem. I’m part of a generation that consumes too much. I travel and I want to travel again. So, I will have to make decisions that keep myself and those I come into contact with, safe. I don’t see this as an infringement of my rights, I see this as a responsibility that comes with my right to live my life a certain way.
Unless we’re all prepared to stay in our boxes, stop traveling, start growing our own food, start buying local etc., another pandemic is in our future. Not because any one person is going to do one thing wrong, but because 7 billion people move around one little blue planet spreading germs, garbage and disease. 7 billion people who as a species, have not learned how to coexist with other life on earth.
Oh what a mess we’ve made.
If we spent as much time owning our responsibilities to care for the planet and each other, as we do declaring “our rights” hmm, we might stand a chance.
Until we learn how to treat the planet and each other in ways that are gentle, respectful, loving and kind, we will continue down our garbage laden road, leaving a wake of destruction that ends with our extinction.
Toni O’K~🌹❤️
By Toni O’KEEFFE
Nov, 30, 2020
Surround yourself with light ~
When we focus on the dark, negative aspects of life, this darkness begins to poison our minds, body’s and souls, making us sick, discouraged and depressed.
When we focus on the light, positive, beautiful aspects of life, we feel “light”, calm, peaceful and we’re able to heal our minds, body’s and souls.
You know toxic substances harm your internal well-being, likewise toxic thoughts, information, ideas and toxic people can alter your perspective, poison your life and make you ill.
Surround yourself with people and things, that bring you light, peace, healing and encourage you to shine.
Toni O’K~ 🌹 ❤️
For Jackie K
By Toni O’Keeffe
October 19, 2020
When I seek answers, I retreat into the sanctuary of my thoughts. The route I take is often along a soft earthy path that leads me into the woods.
Once I enter the sanctum and stillness of the forest, the smell of autumn rain upon fallen leaves and moss-covered logs, fill my entire being with peace. My breathing slows and my steps soften.
Tall cedar and fir defenders having stood for hundreds of years, blanket me from the wind and shield me from the noise of the outside world.
Now I’m free to dream, to let my inner child loose and allow her to run free with the magic of her imagination.
Mushroom caps become hovels to small gnome like creatures, dragonflies and other winged insects transform to become fairies and elves dancing on tree branches, sprinkling dew drops on to the tips of the forest foliage below.
Rays of light stream in between lush fern, foxgloves and trillium petals creating the highway pixies, brownies and imps tiptoe upon as they move through the woodlands.
The hidden faces within giant boulders protecting the river bank, emerge and keep watch over all living things that come to sit and heal by the water’s edge.
As my inner child explores the forest and creates her own magic, my mind rests, my body heals and my spirit connects to her highest self and then, the answers come.
Most of our lives we’re busy moving fast and making noise. Allow yourself to stop, to walk quietly on the earth and trust the voice rising out of the stillness. This is the voice of your soul gifting you with the wisdom you seek.
If you’re struggling, seeking answers or want to spend time with your “real” self, go to forest, exhale and take a walk in the woods.
Toni O’Keeffe
By Toni O’Keeffe
You’re allowed to stop,
to rest,
to reflect,
and catch your breath.
Go find your sanctuary amongst the trees, under the stars, next to the lull of moving water or in a field of wild flowers or tall soft grass.
Somewhere tranquil, uncluttered, and away from the noise, where you can surrender to the sound of your soul whispering all that she wants you to know.
You’re allowed to step away from everything that ails you and everything and everyone that demands something from you. You don’t have to explain why, you may not even know why.
Give yourself permission to take a break from all of it and drown yourself in peace.
It’s in this peacefulness that the answers will come.
Toni O’K~ 🌹❤️
By Toni O’Keeffe
If you plant a seed today, its going to take time before it starts to grow.
After basking in light and drawing in the nutrients it needs the plant will begin to sprout.
When we plant a thought or an idea, or sow the seeds of love, the same thing happens.
Those seeds take time to germinate and bloom.
Be patient, all good things, ideas, creations, love and yes even you, require time to take root, grow and flourish.
Toni O’K~ 🌹❤️
When the darkness of unsettled days block your light, there is always a sanctuary of infinite beauty you can escape to that will lift your spirit and help you heal.
Go to the waters edge, breathe slowly and inhale the sweet, softness of the ocean and exhale the weight of the burdens you carry.
Find a mossy, tree lined forest path to lead you away from your busy days, far from the heaviness of whatever ails you.
Retreat to a rocky bluff and let the setting sun melt your pain and relax your worries.
Gaze into the moonlight and stardust, allowing their glow to light your way and hold your dreams until you’re ready to chase them again.
While you’re at it, climb a ladder into the twilight, touch the stars and let the magic of their brilliance warm your soul.
Nature provides the music, the colour, the awe, the sweet perfume of life, the quiet and the peace that will help you heal.
Before you return to the reality of your world, take a gratitude moment to relish in your own beauty and give thanks for the true miracle you are. Let go of toxic ties and reclaim the grace of everything beautiful that’s waiting for you.
No matter what’s blocking your path or causing you pain, you can always seek refuge in the sanctuaries’ nature offers, even if these tranquil retreats exist only in the deepest corners of your mind.
Close your eyes and go to them.
You deserve to heal❤️
Toni O’K~ 🌹❤️
By Toni O’Keeffe
You were born curious and with a strong sense of purpose. You were also born with authentic wisdom and a knowledge of what’s right and wrong. Then society changed you and slowly reset your original “factory” settings.
Our “civilized” culture has taken us away from our true nature and forced us into activities, learning, jobs, relationships, rules, beliefs and tribes that might not “feel” right for us.
These societal expectations and rules are not the truth, they are merely guidelines to achieve social cooperation. We go along with what we know is wrong for the sake of these societal rules, afraid to speak our truth as we might be shunned, disciplined, mocked, or rejected.
We witness harm, destruction, inequality, environmental ruin, greed and violations to the human spirit and other living beings every single day. Our spirits know these things are wrong, yet, for the sake of societal cooperation, we continue to outwardly accept and live these lies.
You can feel when things are not aligned to your personal wisdom, purpose and joy. When we feel sad, angry, depressed or tired, it may be that you’re off your path, wandering away from your purpose and your personal truth.
Your inner guru speaks to you through feelings, through your reaction to things and through a deep sense of knowing. We all have to tap into this knowing. We can do this by being quiet and listening to our intuition and “feeling” our wisdom.
You deserve to reset to your original factory settings, to be curious again and find your joy, your people, your purpose and YOUR truth. Don’t be afraid to challenge the beliefs and expectations that were draped upon you. In fact, you should, we all should.
Toni O’K ~🌹❤️
By Toni O’Keeffe
We’re all so busy making noise we can’t hear the sage whispers of truth flowing from our whimsy, tired souls.
We need PEACE, We need PAUSE, We need QUIET.
When we’re busy being loud, spewing anger, hating, judging, mocking or insulting others for who they are or how they live their lives, we’re really reflecting our own fears, low self-esteem, ignorance and insecurities back into the world.
We need to be at peace with ourselves before we can be at peace with the rest of the world. Hate, anger, jealousy, greed, or the desire to control or change others is a reflection of what’s broken inside each of us.
At the heart of every human being, is a soul wanting to live peacefully, wanting to love and be loved. At our very core that’s who we are.
That’s who YOU really are.
If we want to fix our shattered little world, we have to stop making so much noise. We have to stop asking others to change. Individually, WE have to change. We have to change the way we look at ourselves and how we accept each other.
This little shit storm we have going on across the planet, is ridiculous and can be fixed. We’ve all been given a huge time out to go back into our corners and look inward. We’re wasting the opportunity.
If we don’t learn the lessons from this period in our history, I believe the next wave of this global “punch-to-the-gut” will be more painful than anything we’ve ever felt before. It might be a full-blown knock out.
Our souls know how to get along. Their trying to tell us to take care of one another, to be kind, loving and compassionate, all we need is the will. The problem is, we’re not all listening.
So let’s all stop making so much noise and listen to what the universe and our soul are telling us.
Really, let’s all shut the “F” up, close our eyes, inhale peace, exhale gratitude and start listening. I say that with a heart filled with love for every single one of you,
Love Toni
The Whimsey Angel 