CONSCIOUSNESS — Monday Motivational Meditation #377 — 2018-10-29

The key to growth is the introduction of
higher dimensions of consciousness
into our awareness.

Lao Tzu, ?-533 BC

Ancient Chinese philosopher and writer. He is the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching, the founder of philosophical Taoism, and a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions.

CONSCIOUSNESS

Awareness of what is, including my own existence, is consciousness. Underneath all of those thoughts and feelings that pass by me in a day is my being, who I am. Especially in some days when so many things have not worked as I thought they should or would have liked them to, I need to go to that place and treasure the fact that my life still exists, that I am alive. Getting to this place is like going through the jungle. I need to be willing to go deep down into it and through it to get there.

Learning to be still even when I’m with my patients is a challenging course. Finding that deep place of peace in my soul is a gift I want to bring to them because I care. In it is an acceptance and bond that is beyond anything I can say or even do. Peaceful consciousness is often limited by my thoughts and feelings. I want to have an answer. The journey to find that vast inner space of light and peace is not always easy.

I know I have to laugh a lot and seek out my good friends to find my way there. The path to deep consciousness in life, while I care for others, is a journey of love. Sometimes I am afraid of the path, but I keep going because I think life wants to teach me about it.

Divine Consciousness, some ways of the world are beyond what I can comprehend, and I am left with an only consciousness of my being. Help me to be comfortable and peaceful in that place where thoughts stop, and I am in stillness. Guide me by your grace to be present to the opportunity to live beyond the judgments that want to control me. Living in peace with myself and others may I bring healing hope. AMEN.

ACTION: Think about the ways you find inner peace. Do you think this sort of consciousness makes a difference in your care of patients? With your loved ones do you have moments of stillness? What are they like? Have a few this week.

Central American eco-guide and professional nature photographer Fred Muller was busy climbing trees and inventorying orchids in the mist-saturated cloud forests of Cobán, central Guatemala as part of a diversity study when I connected with him by phone this week. Fred is one of those incredible people who has abandoned the familiar to follow his passion; exploring and documenting the phenomenal diversity of tropical nature. He lives a full and active life introducing visitors from around the world to regional wildlands and their remarkable flora and fauna, especially the thousands of orchids that inhabit Mesoamerica.

Fred was born in Montpellier in southern France and, since early childhood, has had a fascination with nature and wild places around the world. He was a jewelry maker in France for a few years and that too stemmed from his fascination with all beautiful things. But, tired of sitting at a bench, he finally heeded the call of the wilderness. Traveling to Australia he followed the light with nothing else than a recent gift, his first professional camera given by one of his uncle’s friends, and boundless dedication day after day. Then, life connected him with both researchers and amateurs that needed high-quality photos of tropical wildlife and plants. He has been fulfilling his dream in Guatemala since his arrival there in 2007 after spending five years as staff photographer at the botanical garden in Lyon, France.

Fred’s extraordinary photographs of Central American orchids flowering in nature have appeared in the annual calendars of the American Orchid Society as well as on several well-known webpages that showcase tropical nature, including David Scherberich’s amazing online aroid plant image base and Exotica Esoterica where he is a collaborating author.

You can see samples of Fred’s amazing photographic work here. Or, better yet, feel free to contact us to connect with Fred and schedule a custom-made tour through the fascinating ecosystems and Pre-Columbian archaeological sites of southern Mexico, Guatemala and other countries in Central America.

Nursing Heart is grateful to Fred for permitting the use of his photos in this series called, “Peace.”

Nursing Heart Friends,

We are excited to have the first of six groups from Florida Atlantic University under the direction of our colleague, Dr. Rhonda Goodman, PhD. This is our first nurse practitioner group of the season and hence Sara has been busy organizing the needed interpreters. They have a very important role in our work.

Monique Hogaboom, Eduardo Rodriguez and Gerardo Godoy have all been with Nursing Heart almost since our first year of work. Their consistent willingness to be with us team after team and year after year is a great blessing because all that experience has taught them a lot about how to help our arriving teams enter into their work.

Our interpreters guide student nurse practitioners into the culture while allowing the nurse to go about his or her assessment. It can be a tricky balancing act sometimes. Every institution has their particular way of documenting the consult and so the interpreters know that they must discern wisely when they can make a recommendation and when they need to direct the nurse to their nursing leaders. They are pretty good at it and their professors do a lot with their students ahead of time like introducing them to the medical chart and form. You can review the documents we use by clicking here.

We like to believe that we are offering encouragement and excitement about the kinds of things that can happen in a nursing career. And, we have some fun like sharing the events through videos like this one from the South Dakato BSNs. You can enjoy it too! Several of the students chose to become monthly supporters of our efforts. You can too! Sign up here.

Peace,

Nursing Heart/ACE extends our heartfelt congratulations to our colleague and friend Dra. Ligia Garcia of Hombres y Mujeres en Accion, who was married this past Saturday. Felicidades!

When two people love each other
we become more conscious of how good life is.

Sara Castañeda
Service Manager, Asociación Corazón de Enfermeria
Antigua, Guatemala