Stress arises in our life when we cling to our thoughts.....

..."Stress arises in our life when we cling to our thoughts, IT does not arise from what is before us. When something is occurring in our life that we have no control over, the path to our liberation from suffering is the understanding that IT is the CLINGING that One has a choice of. But this requires a mind that IS Awaken in the Present Moment to SEE that choice! For the release from clinging cannot be found in the stressing mind, as that is always thinking of the past or future, only creating a unconscious YOU. And this is why we forget that all things continuously change through our own point of view.

We each have our own individual experiences which leads to our expansion or decay, some get tougher lessons then others, yet to judge these lessons only shows our ignore-ance of the meaning in these lessons. Thus why this world is filled with darkness, for very few ever escape from the grasp's of their own decay, as they have only forgotten the CHOICE to EXPAND above the pain.

Many of us confuse pain with suffering, pain IS real, IT is the suffering which is optional. The core teaching of the Buddha was that suffering stems from clinging, clinging is created though the influence of thoughts, thoughts are like the anchors that bind You, so the One who is constantly THINKING of the past, or DREAMING of the future, can only BE suffering, for they have forgotten what IT means to BE Alive today!

One does not rid themselves of suffering by modifying their outer behavior, suffering only dissolves when the inner connection is discovered. In essence, think of IT like this, we cannot glue wings on a caterpillar and expect it to fly, only when change comes from within, is there ever true transformation in the outer. Same goes for daily living, we cannot force change in the outer and expect change to occur in the inner, yet relinquishing our efforts to control the outer, gives us the inner balance we seek. This is the paradox of being alive, yet we should not stop at this limit of words and imagination, for stepping through these lessons of fears and pleasures, serves as the building blocks to transcending limitation!" ~Alistar Valadez...
Art by: Cameron Gray

 — with Cameron Gray, Francesca McCulloch, Beth E. Baker, Allie Ann Katt, Aallia Andreadis, Davy En Shanti Luys, Sky Lark, Karla Valadezand Alistar Valadez.