It's hard to surpass Leonard Cohen when it comes to every aspect of inspiration and spirituality. He writes amazing song/poems and I understand he will be touring (first time in 15 years) and playing at the Glastonbury Music Festival. He manages to conjoin the essence of the mystery of physical love and the ecstasy of holy worship. (He was in a Zen monastery for 7 years or so.) This young whipper-snapper (73) seems to have a new woman, Anjani, (also a talented performer) in his life too!
I walked into this empty church--I had no place else to go--when the sweetest voice I ever heard came whispering to my soul. I don't need to be forgiven for loving you so much. It's written in the scriptures, it's written there in blood. I even heard the angels declare it from above--There ain't no cure, there ain't no cure, there ain't no cure for love. Leonard Cohen There Ain't No Cure For Love. Stranger Music
One of my favorite inspiring figures in my life is Pedro Almodovar, a Spanish director, screenwriter and producer that makes some of the most incredible films to ever grace the screen.
His stories have such great depth and insight, and are so vivid and visually captivating that you experience every emotion - happiness, sadness, pain, grief - that the characters do. There is no other film director whose movies make me feel as alive and overwhelmed with emotion as much as Almodovar.
Here are some of the best scenes from some of my favorite movies of his:
Volver (2006) Edited by: GranolaJoe on Feb 18, 2008 9:29:31 AM
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." -Aldo Leopold
I just heard this song the other day that really inspired me. It's called "Johnny & June" by Heidi Newfield - it might seem kind of silly but Johnny Cash and June Carter had such a strong love and this song really captures that. Also, I love "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan. You didn't really mention books or authors, but I just finished "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck and it was absolutely amazing. Steinbeck really created an amazing picture of nature and the way the farmers and migrant workers were connected to the land.
I just heard this song the other day that really inspired me. It's called "Johnny & June" by Heidi Newfield - it might seem kind of silly but Johnny Cash and June Carter had such a strong love and this song really captures that. Also, I love "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan. You didn't really mention books or authors, but I just finished "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck and it was absolutely amazing. Steinbeck really created an amazing picture of nature and the way the farmers and migrant workers were connected to the land.
I'll have to check out that song. I'm a Johnny Cash fan and I was really impressed by the love he shared with June Carter. It was really devastating when she died and he died soon after. I can only imagine the kind of heartbreak he experienced and how it must have consumed him. I took solace in the idea that somehow he had rejoined her, and hopefully their spirits are happy.
We can also post book authors here. I enjoyed "The Grapes of Wrath" as well, and read the book about 9 years ago when I was in school. To this day I still remember just how emotionally overwhelming the story is.
I really like books where you learn about characters' lives very deeply and experience every emotion they do. Three of my favorites are "I Know This Much Is True" by Wally Lamb, "Monkey Hunting" by Christina Garcia, and "The Tattooed Soldier" by Hector Tobar.
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." -Aldo Leopold
Josh Groban "Don't give up (you are loved)". That brought me out of a four year funk and I wept for days after hearing that song. His voice and the lyrics really broke through a lot of walls I had built inside.
Brule' "Ode To Nature". Do you ever have a song that just seems to move thru you? This is mine. I completely feel the drums, I get goosebumps and sometimes, if I've been stuffing my feelings, it makes me totally release.
I also like Heart and Evanescence, Dead Can Dance, AC/DC, Foreigner, Journey, Collective Soul, STYX, Jana (American Indian and awesome voice!)........and so much more.
I also love Josh Groban's Dont give up...His music stirs up such powerful feelings of connectedness and belonging that just makes you feel better...
I also like Jesu Joy of Mans Desiring and You raise me up by Josh Groban
However, my absolute favorite band right now is Switchfoot...Their lyrics are so poetic and powerful...In their own words they sing about "transcendent truth" and how ordinary folks{like myself} wrestle with defining and/or embracing the everyday nuances of life.
I would recommend Awakening by Switchfoot, the Blues by Switchfoot, Twenty four by Switchfoot and Dare you to move...
I love to use a stability ball with my personal training clients and in my strength training classes. Stability balls, also called fitness balls, BalanceBalls or Swiss balls, add that extra balance challenge, involving your core muscles in every move. They add fun and variety, they’re affordable and easy to move around, and their uses [...]
For most of his life, Prince Albert II has been dubbed a playboy. Now, it looks like he’ll be known as an eco-crusader.
The 50-year-old ruler of Monaco, whose parents were Prince Rainier III and the ever elegant Grace Kelly, kicked off a month-long expedition on Monday to view the impact that global warming has had on the [...]
The French motto is “C’est la vie.” But when the glass jars, aluminum cans and plastic bottles started adding up during our holiday vacation in Paris last week, my conscience said otherwise.
I admit, a few baby food jars did end up in the trash before my husband and I wised up. At home, with all [...]
A look back at some of the most memorable moments of 2008 in pictures, a quick guide to having a great year in 2009, making your new year's resolutions stick, and more in this week's roundup of feel-good links from around the Web.
Lighting dried white sage, blowing out the flames and then fanning the embers to smoke as much as possible to pervade a room is an age-old way to change the energy and vibration of a place. Called smudging, smudging is traditionally used to purify an area of negativity and to induce a feeling of serenity. [...]
They are FINALLY over! Don’t worry if you consumed too many calories this season. Holiday weight gain doesn’t stand a chance against my turbo-boosted Sun Salutations.
Adding core-toning work in the transitions between poses in the classic Sun Salutation series amps up the benefits of all the poses. I call these Core Salutations. When you follow [...]
I’ve lived in New York my entire life yet I’ve never been in Times Square when the ball dropped. I’ve walked by the tourist zone shortly after the clock stuck 12 — wading through piles of confetti and trash — and partied a few blocks away, but I’ve always avoided the eye of the storm [...]
I have been accused of putting the mental in environmental. I truly believe the most successful spaces always get the details right: proper use of varied lighting, complexity of texture, subtle art, and the many other nuances that transform a space to make it exceptional. Taking it one step further (hence the mental reference), [...]
Look back at 2008 and find your most memorable good memory. Spending some time recognizing good memories can help make you aware of what you want to draw to you in the future.
As I filter back through my memories of 2008, the memory that percolates to the surface and stays there is [...]
…or so it seems.
The late music legend John Lennon is being posthumously featured in a new 30-second ad promoting the charitable foundation One Laptop per Child (OLPC).
The charity’s goal is to deliver solar-powered laptops to poor kids around the world. So in the commercial, which is called “A Message from John Lennon,” you hear the former Beatles’ [...]
