Joos's journal

05-04-2023

The mystery

I am sitting on the terrace of my house in Spain.
The wind blows through my hair and I listen to the roar of the ocean.
Such a beautiful place from where I can see how great the forces are between the approaching waves and the sand of the beach.
My body enjoys looking at the white foam of the surf.
The sun is shining brightly.
I feel part of the mystery.
The mystery that cannot be captured in words or in a picture.
Apparently all I have to do is to enjoy it

 

09-02-2023

Longings

Halfway through my book Wholeness Complete, I wrote about a letter I composed to the enlightened being within myself.
In that letter I discovered a hungry being inside me that was never satisfied with the love she received and who always wanted more.
I used to judge myself for this.
In the meantime it is clear to me that love is eternal and that we always feel the need for the fulfillment of this love.
Our longings are welcome.
They show us the way.

 

17-01-2023

The miracle of life

I am looking at the ocean with her turbulent waves.
Pondering on who I am to perceive this and live this.
The infinite sky, birds flying by,
the earth to whom I belong, the rocks.
This house, so trusted after 20 years of caring for her and she caring for me.
Was I led to be here or did I choose?
I never could have imagined a house so abundantly fitting for me.
Someone else dreamed her into being and left her for me to find.

This miracle called life, my mind doesn't understand.
Maybe we don't need to explain.
just live the life that has been given to us and take the next step.

 

30-12-2022

Musings

I sit on my couch in the living room of the house where I have lived for more than 50 years.
To my right there are two candles and a small Buddha statue.
On the other side I have a view of the garden.
I love to look at the tall, swaying trees in the neighbor’s yard.
Now that it is winter I can see the sky through the branches and birds flying by.
How privileged I feel with all this familiarity around me!
So often I think of people who are cold and for whom it is war...
These thoughts sometimes make me feel like I'm falling short.

I just bought a colorful bouquet of tulips with a few glitters in it for the transition to the new year.
And I am musing on what I wish for all of us.
I wish for everyone prosperity, and peace and safety... 

 

26-10-2022

Diptych of a man and a woman

The desire for the masculine continues to play a role in my life.
Now a man appears in this diptych.
I like it when my inner process shows up in my paintings.
It helps me to get more clarity about a theme.

 

13-10-2022

Painting

I just returned from a trip to Guatemala, where I visited a school project that is initiated and fundraised by Dutch people.
The name of the project is Niños de Guatemala.
The schools are in the poorest districts of Antigua, where a lot of the people are illiterate.
It was wonderful to see how the schools are thriving, even though more money is needed for raising the level of skill of the curriculum for teaching English.
I had the privilege of leading a painting workshop for 30 mothers, teachers and children.
All participants were eager to be painting and we loved the result.

 

24-09-2022

Wholeness Complete

I'm still following the ideas from my book Wholeness Complete.
Today I read the idea 156: It is important to remind myself of my Goal.
With my hands on the center of my body, I ask my being which direction I want to pursue.
I expect an answer like inner peace, balance or harmony.
Instead, my body starts to enjoy the touch and moves toward delightful cuddling.
Yes, my whole body wants to be alive as far as in the deepest regions.
What a taboo I have to break to dare to write about this!

 

25-06-2022

Loving myself

Loving myself, my own life, is a lesson I learn, every time anew.
The lesson comes back in all kinds of new forms.
Especially when I feel rejected, abandoned by someone else.

I send love to the deeper regions of my body.
My creativity lives there, new ideas to continue with my life.
Without feeling overwhelmed by the behavior of someone else.
That's where space for myself is important, space for doing what I am here for.
It's okay if I forget from time to time.
Because that's also part of my life.

  

17-06-2022

Abstract paintiing

Sometimes I feel the need for renewal of my style of painting.
This painting is inspired by a warmup lesson for exploring cubism.
I enjoyed giving a color to the many facets of her body.

 

13-06-2022

Love envelops me like a protective cloak

Love envelops me like a protective cloak.
This is idea 87 from my book Wholeness Complete.
It dawns on me ever more that I can be completely how I am in all my humanity.
Sad, angry, jealous, indignant, critical, insecure, timid, afraid to fail in the eyes of the people around me because I think I'm not living up to their expectations…
Everything is good.
The conviction that I should be different from the way I feel is so deeply imprinted.
I let today's idea sink in deeply and feel relieved.