We Are All One

UNY Students - Yogakarta, Java, Indonesia

A few years ago I was invited to lecture at a University in Yogjakarta, Java, Indonesia.  I was delighted and honored to address over 300 students and faculty.  The kindness and hospitality I was shown profoundly impacted me and my understanding of this predominately Muslim community.  My biggest lesson was that We Are All One.  I was so impressed by these young people and their curious minds and open hearts.  I was the blonde Westerner in a sea of hijabs, and these lovely souls welcomed me and put any concern I had of being an American, born into the Christian faith, in a predominately Muslim country, to rest.  They embraced me and I embraced them, and it was then I learned that there is no me and them - there is just us.

I stayed in the home of a Hindu botany professor and his family.  Their graciousness and devotion to their religion was very touching and beautiful.  Every morning they lightly tapped on my door and left a pot of tea on their way to pray at their home temple and deliver their morning offering.  As I lay in bed in the early morning, I could hear the call to prayer at the local Muslim mosques.  It was quite ethereal and stirring.  I felt so grateful to have this strangely comforting experience.  I was at peace and at ease and vibrantly alive.

One day, five of the faculty decided to play hooky and take me on a tour of the area.  Three were of the Muslim faith, one was Hindu and one was Christian.  And then there was me - a recovering Catholic whose subscribes to no particular religion.  I consider myself spiritual, but not religious, and on this day, I experienced and embraced many and all religions.

Our first stop was Borabadour, a UNESCO World Heritage sight and largest Buddhist Temple in Indonesia.  Absolutely stunningly beautiful. I was overwhelmed by the serenity and shear scale of this sacred place.  It is awe inspiring.

Borabadur - Central Java, Indonesia.

As I wandered the Temple with my new friends, I asked for alone time to meditate and pray and absorb the wonderment and beauty of this magnificent place.  Afterward, I joined my friends, renewed and refreshed, and we drove onto our next adventure, an organic herb farm where we ate a scrumptious vegetarian lunch and sampled Jamu, an ancient Indonesian health drink primarily made from turmeric.  This visit was an honoring of nature and the earth, a true taste of the agrarian Indonesian culture.

We then drove to a village that was devastated by the earth shattering volcanic eruption of Merapi.  The locals call Merapi the angry alligator, who broke open with fire and swallowed its surroundings.  As we stood amongst the ash of a village lost to the volcano, I met a local man grieving his loss.  We were standing on top of his home, with no visible signs of the life he once knew.  His pain and the massive loss of his family and community was palpable.  He was alive with no where to go. Although we didn't speak the same language, we shared a moment of connection, of humanity, and then he slowly wandered off in search of ... 

Merapi Village - Central Java, Indonesia

By now it was late afternoon.  As we headed back to Yogja, we stopped at a Mushola (a small Muslim prayer house) so that my Muslim friends could pray.  My heart was so full and so open, I asked them if I could join them.  And they said yes.  I had a scarf for my head, and the women took me to the bathroom to wash and prepare.  We knelt on a rug in the back of the Mushola, the men were in the front, and as my friends faced East and prayed to Allah, I sat silently and reverently, thanking Allah and Buddha and God and Jesus and Brahma, Shiva, Krishna and Mother Earth and Father Sky for blessing me with this extraordinary experience and beautiful people full of love and kindness.  I was moved to tears of gratitude.  And I felt the spirit of the Divine and a deep knowing that We Are All One and we are born to Love.

I share this story in hope.  Hope that as people from all walks of life - faith, ethnicity, cultural diversity, orientations - we realize that we are more alike than not alike.  We all love our families, our friends, our God and our Country.  We all share the same earth and oceans and skies.  We all  have the capacity to love and forgive and accept and embrace.  Now is the time to come together  with inclusivity and acknowledge that We Are All One.

Amen, Allwomen, Hallelujah, Right On, Shalom, Salam, Om nama Shivaya.  Namaste.

Designer, Traveller, Writer, Global Citizen, humbled and hopeful -  Linda Stutz in Bali Indonesia - surrounded by pure love!

Design is a reflection of you!

Home is where you can fully express yourself.  Maybe you need a serene environment to calm the chaos of daily life.  Maybe you need to express your creativity through color and texture.  Maybe your home is a montage of family and photos and milestones and achievements.  One thing is for sure – the interiors of the home are a reflection of who lives there.  It is not dependent on money or stuff – but rather a glimpse into the inner world of one’s life.  Whether it is paint color and well chosen second hand furniture and accessories – or grand staircases, entries and opulent materials – you can create an environment that meets your needs, expresses who you are, and feeds your soul.

Monochromatic – whites, off whites and beiges?  Likely you want peace and serenity and order.

Dark woods, antiques and heavy furniture?  Likely you seek permanence and are grounded and connected to your family and history.

Colorful, whimsical and textural?  Likely that you seek fun and adventure and are boldly expressive.

Integrating all aspects of your family’s personality may be a challenge – so take one room at a time.  Keep a common scheme with different variations in each room.   Perhaps the kitchen, typically the heart of the home, is primarily neutral with splashes of color, art and personalities.  In fact, family common areas can be a great backdrop for intimate reflections of you who are – collectively and individually.  Bedrooms are intimate reflections, and perhaps you can create a man cave or a she shack too!

So, take some thoughtful time to express your personal style.  It’s easy and cathartic and most of all…its you!

Creating Your ‘Happy Place’ Space

We’ve all heard the old adage “happiness comes from within”. And yes … you can’t be happy outside if you’re not happy inside … Right? Well… Sort of…

Happiness is a human condition and can be fleeting … like the wind or a sunshiny day. So, what can you do to bring more happiness into your life? Meditate? Sure … We’ve all been told that, but I am seriously challenged to sit still for 20 -30 minutes a day and clear my mind. My mind races, stomach gurgles and I’m usually obsessing over whatever challenge I’m dealing with that day. I advocate for meditation …but I can’t say from experience that it brings me happiness.

So then, what can you do to bring more happiness into your life? You find your happy place of course!

It’s not practical to believe that we can jump on a plane to Bali (my happy place :-) or Paris or Tuscany every time we feel gloomy. Oh, how I’ve wished for time travel to be not just a Star Trek fantasy. But alas, we must make do with what resources we have available, and thus we need to look at our immediate surroundings, home, yard, barn or secret spot to create a space that uplifts our spirits. And it can be as simple as Feng Shui and a coat of paint!

Harvesting Your Positive Intentions

It’s harvest time in Northern California!  Grapes, orchards,  vegetables, olives, flowers … the culmination of a season of growth and nurturing has come to fruition.  What an abundant time of year and the perfect metaphor for harvesting the fruit of our personal growth.  It’s time to turn our intentions and hard work into something worth savoring.

Like planting a seed with the desired outcome of a luscious tomato, our dreams start with a seed or an idea – and that idea is nurtured by our thoughts – and our thoughts form the fruit that is our intention – and our intentions produce an outcome … the harvest.

We nurture or manifest our thoughts and dreams with our intentions, and so it is imperative that we think about the optimum desired outcome.  And it is paramount that we think positively so that we can harvest a healthy, vibrant, luscious dream.   In short, you reap what you sow.  So, think happy thoughts and turn those thoughts into intentions – and put them into action to get your desired outcome.

And like a fine wine,  some thoughts take time to ferment and age and are enjoyed after years of nurturing and labor.  Or, like a ripe apple off the tree, some thoughts are crisp and juicy and meant to be experienced immediately – when they are ripe for the pickin’.

To quote an old adage, “you are what you eat” … which also translates to “you are what you think”.  So, keep it positive, be kind and nurturing … and allow the light to shine through and grow your dreams into your reality!