About
The Tovarysh Connection
Every writer has his muse and so mine is my Tovarysh…though it might be more accurate to say I am the scribe rather than the author. Tovarysh is the English spelling of the Slavic word for friend. I remember as a child coming downstairs and asking my mother how to say ‘friend’ in the Slavic language (I am of Lemko descent). This is the word she gave me. And so started a connection a very long time ago. I had a friend, be that an invisible friend or guardian angel, I don’t remember; only that, as a child, it was very important to me that this friend of mine had a name.
Now as an adult, I have heard many different names, but my muse is my muse is my muse, my friend, by any other name. These writings have been both uplifting and inspiring for me and I feel it is time to ‘publish’ them in a way that others may also benefit from them. I make no claims, I offer no proof. The proof is in the readings and how they touch you. May these readings, if nothing else, give you reason for pause and reflection.
the_tovarysh_connection 
Oct 08, 2011 @ 12:33:41
Tovarysh, a friend of yours, is a friend of mine, all of us and for the whole earth.
What joy to read your message, indeed. Lem, lem.
Oct 26, 2011 @ 00:08:07
Filled with beauty, written with the gentleness of a spring breeze, shared from the place of wholeness………..thank you for opening the dialogue, with each other and ourselves. Peace be WIth All
Dec 17, 2011 @ 14:16:17
Love your writings. Touched me today. Thank you.
Dec 17, 2011 @ 15:12:04
Thank you so much for your comment. So glad to hear that they touched you. I never know what will come when I sit to write and still read with amazement what is on the page when I’m finished. Namaste.
Dec 21, 2011 @ 22:43:51
Very inspirational messages you are sharing here… thank you for that!
Dec 22, 2011 @ 20:32:22
You are so welcome.
Dec 27, 2011 @ 20:56:13
Namaste. What a beautiful energy fills your pages. Thanks to you and Tovarysh and friends for such sharing. Inspired! xx
Dec 28, 2011 @ 11:00:16
Thank you so much for your comment about the energy and for following this blog. I must admit, I feel very blessed to be able to bask in that energy as I do the writings every week. Continued good health to you!
Dec 31, 2011 @ 09:33:28
I agree with the others who have written. There is a particularly gentle energy to your writings that I find very appealing. Clear, like a soft bell tone. Thank you for sharing them with us. I look forward to reading more…
Peace and all good things to you for this new year!
Dec 31, 2011 @ 16:10:21
I am so glad that you’ve enjoyed them. Thank you for your kind words ‘clear, like a soft bell tone’. What a beautiful metaphor!
Jan 11, 2012 @ 10:17:59
Wow, What a beautiful Website.. Inspiring.. You are doing such a great job by Motivating millions!!And the world definitely needs more positive thoughts – keep them coming! I am looking forward to reading more of your work, too. I am Glad that I found you!!.. 🙂 More power on your blogging!
Jan 11, 2012 @ 20:50:52
Thank you so much! Not quite motivating millions, but I do believe whoever is supposed to find this site will indeed find it.
So glad you did!
Jan 17, 2012 @ 19:17:04
I love the beginning and will continue to check in.
Jan 28, 2012 @ 20:09:56
Hi. I’m naming your blog for the Sunshine Award, with the hopes that more people will read the wisdom you write. You can see the details at http://diabeticredemption.com/2012/01/28/the-sunshine-award/. Congratulations!
Jan 28, 2012 @ 20:55:16
OMG! Thank you so very much! I so appreciate your support!
Jan 28, 2012 @ 23:08:23
You are already a winner in my book, my dear friend…thank you for sharing this site!
Jan 29, 2012 @ 08:36:30
Thank you, Walt. That means so much to me!!!
Feb 08, 2012 @ 12:47:30
I’ve just selected your blog as award recipient of two awards — The ABC award (Awesome Blog Content,) and Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments Award. You can find details about both of these at the following link: http://diabeticredemption.com/2012/02/08/awards/. Yay, you!
Feb 08, 2012 @ 19:53:46
Judith, you are so kind!!!! Thank you so very much! Namaste.
Feb 08, 2012 @ 21:30:35
Requirements for the ABC Award:
I’ve been Thinking that I should reveal more of myself to you. And so as an exercise prompted by this award, let me begin by saying I’ve always been told even in grade school that I March to the beat of my own drum. More Adventurous than others in my family, I think many of them would be surprised to learn that I am keep Bees and Farm Blueberries in addition to Commuting to my 40 hr/week job an hour away. I’m not a Religious person, though my Spiritual Life is my first priority. I’ve always loved Nature, Hiking, White-water rafting and am happier Outdoors than in, much to the Enjoyment of my Dog, Xena. IGive my all to anything I do, am graced with many Loyal friends and am Quick to make new acquaintances. Introspective to a fault, I try to follow the teachings of this blog, somedays more successfully than others. I love when my Kreative Juices flow, be it in cooking, painting or finding a solution to a problem. I have a Zest for life, often acting Younger than I am, much to the amusement or Unease of those I’m with. I’m not Verbose and prefer to Listen instead. I am a Private person and writing this blog has been a challenging though humbling and rewarding experience for me. I sincerely thank all who have spent the time reading it.
Feb 08, 2012 @ 21:33:27
Requirements of the Ten Commandments Award
Describe yourself in seven words. Feeling, caring, questioning, grateful, observant, joyful, open-minded
What keeps you up at night? The full moon shining in my bedroom window, the owls hooting at night, my dog wanting to play, talking with friends on the telephone
Whom would you like to be? Myself
What are you wearing now? A big smile!
What scares you? Close-minded people who think they have all the answers
What are the best and worst things about blogging? Best Thing: A venue to share the writings I receive Worst Thing: a dial-up Internet connection
What was the last website you looked at? ZazenLife
If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? Only one thing?
Slankets, yes or no? I don’t know what this means
Tell us something about the person who tagged you: Judith has been a faithful follower of my blog, generous in her comments, honest in her own writings, not afraid to let the real person shine.
Feb 12, 2012 @ 07:01:33
Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog …
This is the first time i found a blogger who is on the same path as mine, very nice and inspiring posts.. loved it,,, 🙂
Feb 12, 2012 @ 08:00:44
I love what you are doing on your blog and agree, we are both trying to make a difference with some positive thoughts and words. Thank you so much for your comment.
Feb 12, 2012 @ 11:16:57
Pleasure is all mine mam… and u r most invited to read my new post.. 🙂
Feb 12, 2012 @ 11:54:15
I am so sure we are part of a group of spiritually connected people, throughout the world, who are receiving powerful messages that we have to share with everyone, I feel blessed to be involved and through that to meet so many wonderful people!
Feb 12, 2012 @ 18:56:36
I completely agree and am honored to meet you and to be a part of this group.
Mar 13, 2012 @ 13:26:41
Finally checked out your blog. Yet one more reason to admire you, gentlewoman!!
Mar 14, 2012 @ 20:53:02
Thank you so much! That means so very much to me, dear friend!
Mar 28, 2012 @ 08:21:55
i’ve nominated your blog for the versatile blogger award, congrats! 🙂 if you wish to take this award, check my post for the “rules” http://crystalmoons.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/awards/ xx
Mar 31, 2012 @ 07:51:31
Thank you so much, Yamyah, for nominating me! I am very honored and grateful that you think enough of me and this blog. Because I have dial-up Internet and don’t follow as many blogs as I would like, I honestly don’t think I can thoughtfully select 15 bloggers…one of the ‘rules’ of this award. So I will postpone acceptance until I someday (hopefully in my lifetime!) get high speed DSL!! Many blessings to you.
Apr 16, 2012 @ 17:19:06
Another well deserved award for you!
I am delighted to have nominated your inspiring blog for the Candle Lighter Award.
Please go to http://handinhandwithspirit.com/2012/04/16/candle-lighter-award/ to see the rules … which are thankfully quite straight forward.
I do hope you accept this award which is sent to you with much love and light xxx
Apr 20, 2012 @ 22:32:47
You are so kind to mention me in regards to this award. I do accept it and thank you for thinking of me. Namaste!
Apr 22, 2012 @ 23:46:48
Thanks for your comments and kind feedback. I wish you well, and thanks for following my blog. Mocha
May 12, 2012 @ 13:32:25
Hello,
It is so great to find another aspiring writer. You have done great things with your posts here, so keep penning and keep inspiring! I am sure the door will open for you one day. 🙂
I have a joyful ride in your blog, and now I’d like to invite you to visit mine. Thank you and have a wonderful day, my friend! 🙂
Subhan Zein
May 12, 2012 @ 21:23:20
Thank you so very much for your kind words. I will most definitely check out your blog. Namaste.
May 14, 2012 @ 14:50:49
Namaste from India!
We’ve interacted a few times and I’ve felt an immaculate energy flowing on your blog, is why I’ve thought of nominating for yet another award, the Versatile Blogger Award, with so much affection.
Love,
Neha XX
https://thetovaryshconnection.wordpress.com/about/
May 15, 2012 @ 21:38:34
Neha, thank you so very much for your kind words. I’m so glad that you can feel the energy from these posts…..it is definitely there and getting higher all the time. I’ve had to trust that whomever is supposed to read these words will find their way to my blog. But it is certainly wonderful to get your feedback and recognition.
I am so touched that you have offered me the Versatile Blogger Award. Yamyah at http://crystalmoons.wordpress.com offered it to me a while ago and I declined because I didn’t feel I could recommend 15 other bloggers at the time. You are both women whom I admire for the work that you are doing in this world. And because of that I would like to accept this honor. Is it possible to do so and postpone my recommendations of other blogs until after summer’s end? Having only dial-up connection makes surfing slow for me and I want to be sure to put some thought into this. Namaste, dear Neha.
In the meantime, let me tell you seven things about me:
1. I’ve always loved to dance and dreamt of being a choreographer
2. My father was my hero.
3. Two of my favorite movies are Up and Kung Fu Panda
4. I’ve never done a cartwheel
5. Once a date told me an evening with me left his head spinning. Hmmm, was that a compliment or an insult? 😉
6. I cheat at wii bowling
7. Feed me chocolate and I’ll follow you anywhere.
May 16, 2012 @ 15:45:21
That’s good to know. You can definitely post your recommendations later. Although it’s not necessary for you to nominate 15 bloggers, you could choose your number. But, no fretting, do when you’re up to it. Love, Neha xx
May 14, 2012 @ 14:51:18
· http://nehamendirattakhullar.wordpress.com/
Aug 30, 2012 @ 17:51:20
Hi there
I have nominated your blog for the Daisy Award!!
As with all blog awards, there are rules:
* Thank the person who nominated you
* Tell your readers 7 unusual things about yourself
* Nominate some worthy bloggers – I’m not quite sure what the Daisy award is actually for, but it looks cheerful and to me a daisy is always a happy little plant that comes out in the sun, so I am nominating other blogs that make me feel happy and smiley and full of sunshine!!!
Sep 01, 2012 @ 21:49:59
Thank you so much for thinking of me. You are always so generous with your complinents. And I always enjoy reading your blog, about your life and experiences. I actually feel very connected to you.
To follow the rules, here are 7 things about me that are a bit unusual:
1. I used to be a white water rafting guide and wrapped a boat in the middle of a river in front of a scenic overlook. I suspect my picture was taken by many tourists as I tried to get the boat off the rock and back into the current. The head guide was NOT happy with me. Oops!
2. We hand picked over a half ton of blueberries this summer from my 600 blueberry bushes.
3. I only ever had 2 wisdom teeth. Hmmm, wonder what that means? 😉
4. When I was a child, I was allergic to ice cream and chocolate. Needless to say, birthday parties were not very much fun for me.
5. I never knew my grandparents.
6. I once won first prize dancing the jitterbug with a perfect stranger in an impromptu dance contest. Unfortunately I was wearing clogs and threw my back out for a week. It took a long time for me to live that one down at work.
7. I have had a strong connection with the angels for almost 20 years. They guide me, comfort me and dictate the posts that I write every week.
I would like to nominate Michael, whose blog, Have a Dream, is always inspirational and uplifting. I hope that you will check it out.
Apr 04, 2013 @ 19:44:21
I love that you named your “muse”! If I ever get one, I’m thinking about calling him Seymour.
Apr 04, 2013 @ 20:35:26
I like Seymour. Definitely easier to spell than Tovarysh. 😉
Oct 20, 2014 @ 11:07:39
I heard one of your messages at the First United Metaphysical Church in Bahama, NC and was so inspired. Thank you for inviting these messages to come to you and to share it with all. I write music and now have made it my first step to thank my muse. Then we write! Bonnie
Oct 20, 2014 @ 13:20:54
Thank you for writing, Bonnie. It takes a bit of courage to step out and take the plunge, but when you share your gift, there are many rewards that make it worthwhile. Best of luck with your music!
Dec 24, 2014 @ 18:44:03
Hello Tovarysh! Just found your blog and decided to follow. Visit me if you’d like over at http://www.thatssojacob.wordpress.com to return the favor. Have a good one!
Dec 28, 2014 @ 21:28:31
Thank you so much! I will certainly check out your blog.
Dec 07, 2015 @ 20:48:34
Hello. I recently came to thought that were all pubers. one way or the other.
How many times do we reject that which heals us ?
I made two attempt’s to go walking tot santiago the compostela (spain).
I lost my papers early one.
On the second trip I lost my Identity card. Now I’m realizing that I’m changing which can be seen as losing former self – that no longer fits.
It’s like I’m 2 people. When one off them is dominant the other goes to the background.
Now I have to see the truth in the labyrinth. see and not think the truth.
ps: my instinct tells me that truth should be written thruth.
Dec 08, 2015 @ 10:24:56
I agree that we are all very complex creatures constantly evolving. It takes courage and strength to embark on our personal journeys.
Apr 08, 2016 @ 07:29:22
Hello Tovarysh, nice to meet you. Your writing is really touchy and beneficial. The way, you explain the things, is very prominent and easy to understand. Like your blog very much and glad to follow you.
Apr 08, 2016 @ 12:12:54
I so appreciate your comment, thank you. My hope is that these writings will help others. For we are all wounded in some way and a piece of hope goes a long way. Namaste and thank you for following Tovarysh.
May 09, 2018 @ 10:14:41
You have a beautiful blog and I’m so glad you liked mine,too. Stay well
May 11, 2018 @ 16:47:37
Thank you so much, Eva, for your kind words.
Dec 18, 2018 @ 17:54:45
A MINIMALIST’S GUIDE TO ENLIGHTENMENT
PRESENCE:
Be here now.
Pay attention.
Do one thing at a time.
Do everything in a sacred manner.
Your purpose is to awaken, and to remain awake.
Let present-moment awareness be your spiritual practice.
This moment is the only reality; all else is abstraction, a mental construct.
Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being inwardly still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you.
Attention is primordial intelligence, consciousness itself, the living God. It joins the perceiver and the perceived in a unifying field of awareness.
The present moment is deeper than what happens in it. It is the space in which it happens. Eventually, the focus is on the inner, silent, still presence of awareness itself rather than on its passing content.
You are responsible for reining in your attention, taking command of this power of focused awareness, and purposefully choosing how you will live the moments of your life. You can waste and dissipate them, or you can center yourself intentionally and live fully in the present moment. It all begins with a decision to live in such a way, a decision that you refuse to betray.
SILENCE:
Things are the meaning of things.
In the godhead there is no thought of God.
Stop thinking, and there is nothing you will not understand.
Spiritual awakening is awakening from the dream of thought.
You are here to learn something. Don’t try to figure out what it is.
You are not the voice in your mind, but the one who is aware of that.
Call off the search for self-definition. Being must be felt; it can’t be thought.
The single most vital step towards enlightenment is learning to disidentify from your mind.
Observe all the content of evolving life without making any mental comment, criticism, or judgment.
It is when you are trapped in incessant streams of compulsive thinking that you lose the ability to sense the oneness of all that exists.
The world does not really need your personal opinions about anything at all. Attachment to views is the greatest impediment to the spiritual path.
When the criticalness and discrimination of dualistic perception are set aside, the absolute perfection and beauty of everything stands revealed.
Enlightenment happens when you have become capable of finding the inner being, the meditative quality within, the gap between thoughts, the inner silence and emptiness, so that it becomes a natural quality. You can find the gap whenever you want. You have found the door to God. You have come home.
ACCEPTANCE:
No drama.
No whining.
This, too, will pass.
Merge with the situation.
Enlightenment is the quiet acceptance of what is.
Surrender to the natural course and sequence of things.
Why is there so much suffering in the world? No reason.
Cast aside the mind that says this is good and that is bad.
When you become a lover of things as they are, the war is over.
Impermanence is a principle of harmony. When you don’t struggle against it, you are in harmony with reality.
All you really need to do is accept this moment fully. You are then at ease in the here and now and at ease with yourself.
Weather comes and goes, but the sky remains unchanged. Enlightenment is merely the shift of identity from the cloud to the sky.
The world is neither bad nor defective, nor is it in need of help or modification, because its appearance is only a projection of your own mind. No such world exists.
What will be left of all the fearing and wanting associated with your problematic life situation that every day takes up most of your attention? A dash, one or two inches long, between the date of birth and date of death on your gravestone.
REALIZATION:
God is not a being, but a state of being.
You are awareness, disguised as a person.
You are not in the universe; the universe is in you.
You are here to awaken from your illusion of separateness.
Your state of consciousness is primary; all else is secondary.
“In here” and “out there” are mirror reflections of each other.
Heaven is not a physical location, but a state of consciousness.
All the consciousnesses in your life are your own consciousness.
All the separate activities in the universe are actually one activity.
You are an aperture through which the universe is exploring itself.
Consciousness is continuous and present in everything; it is the one reality.
The eye by means of which God sees you is the same eye by means of which you see God.
There is neither a perceiver nor that which is perceived because they are one and the same.
Nothing in the universe happens by chance or accident. Everything influences everything else and is in perfect balance.
The entire universe was designed for the purpose of creating and expanding a consciousness capable of observing and understanding itself.
The very ground of the enlightened state is the absolute, unequivocal, unshakable confidence in the perennial mystical revelation that IT IS . . . and I AM THAT. It is experienced as a clarity that is empty of content; a weightiness that is full of nothing in particular; a profound knowing that dissolves all questions. You simply know, unequivocally, before thought, that I am. That’s the only answer: I AM. There is no why.
PRACTICE:
Don’t try too hard.
Practice and enlightenment are not two.
Laugh! Even seriousness itself is humorous.
The mundane and the sacred are one and the same.
Generate consciousness through the activities of daily life.
For most of us, enlightenment comes little by little — otherwise it would overwhelm.
Enlightenment is not the end, but the beginning of an unending process in all dimensions of richness.
Your life is your practice. Your spiritual practice does not occur someplace other than in your life right now, and your life is nowhere other than where you are.
The essence of spiritual practice is to activate by inspiration, dedication, and decision of will those aspects of consciousness that become progressively self-actualizing.
Seemingly small steps in spiritual evolution often occur almost unnoticed, but it is the small shifts which occur out of sight below a mountain of snow that result in an avalanche.
Live effortlessly. Enlightenment is not a desire, is not a goal, is not an ambition. It is a dropping of all goals, a dropping of all desires, a dropping of all ambitions. It is just being natural.
Enlightenment is not a destination or graduation into a permanent higher state of consciousness, but a moment-by-moment experience constantly fluctuating between degrees of wholeness and limited consciousness.
A given level of consciousness is not better than another but merely represents the level that is being worked on. It is the basic building blocks that enable a structure to ascend, and it is the dedication that ensures the completion of a cathedral.
Spiritual commitment simply means recontextualizing the meaning of your life. This needs to be done totally, all-inclusively, so that life does not become segmented into spiritual work versus ordinary life. All life now becomes spiritual practice. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.
Feb 29, 2020 @ 01:08:37
These messages are so beautiful and helpful. Thank you. Love and light to you.
Feb 29, 2020 @ 08:01:33
Thank you so very much. I’m glad that they touch you. Blessings to you as well.