"The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you....
don't go back to sleep." Rumi
At first glance this beautiful, poetic statement by Rumi could be interpreted as a caution not to waste the day.
At the deeper level I see it as a caution that once you have awakened from the slumber of an unexamined life...
keep the journey going.
As arduous and challenging as that examination can be,
it is so worth it.
We grow and expand from pushing through adversity,
and coming out the other side to the full light of day.
I'm thinking that if you are reading this,
you're already on yours.
Wishing you well.
OUT OF CONTROL!
"When the big things feel out of control...
focus on what you love right under your nose."
"The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse" by Charlie Mackesy
... and, s..t, do they ever feel out of control in these times!
It seems most of us need regular reminders that we can't control most of it.
One thing you do have control over though is your choice -
to disconnect.
Disconnect from the noise.
Disconnect for an hour, a day, a week, and on,
and focus on the essential.. and
what you love. What is meaningful and elevates you.
The longer you do it,
the easier it becomes,
and the better you feel.
NOTHING BEATS THIS
"Nothing beats kindness," said the Horse.
"It sits quietly beyond all things."
"The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse" by Charlie Mackesy
We were paying our check at the counter after eating our first breakfast out in a long while.
My husband noticed a display of products and pointed to one of his favorite dressings. Jokingly he said "Look, Fran, you can buy me this for my birthday" (which isn't for another month).
A man who had just entered with a small party, grabbed the bottle, placed it on the counter, slapped down a $5 note and said "Happy birthday, dude!"
An unusual and random "pay it forward" and nevertheless much appreciated for it's spontaneous expression of kindness.
Random acts of kindness are everywhere, if we allow ourselves to witness -
and participate.
What else helps change the world for better?
PEACE IN THE EMPTINESS
A mind that tries too hard, thinks too much -
overthinking leads to confusion, indecision, stress.
Try doing or solving something with a tense mind,
"... to misquote an old Western philosopher, it's a case of
'I think, therefore I am Confused.' The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff
Find some emptiness this week
DO YOU TASTE THE HONEY?
What could we call that moment before we begin to eat the honey?
Anticipation?
I think it's more than that.
Call it also Awareness.
It's that moment we feel happy and realize it,
if only for an instant.
Enjoying the process, we can extend that awareness so it's no longer only a moment.
Then we can have a lot more fun.
(A thought from "The Tao of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff)
Remember to Taste the Honey.
BEWARE THE SHARK
An intimidating climb... and just to get to the house;
I hoped there was an alternative entrance!
This was fortunately not our vacation home, but
a reminder of how we all have our personal steps to climb.
I love snorkeling and yet noticed a sense of dis-ease when looking beyond the immediate, sunlit, clear water reefs....
out into the murkier, deeper waters.
Fear of the unknown?
I identified the fear as -
Shark.
All the rational thinking, respect, understanding of statistics, etc. etc.
couldn't assuage the fears of my imagination.
As I stood in the thigh deep beautiful water, I saw...
A shark!
About five to six feet long, it glided calmly in front of me, and did several tours of the small, quiet bay, as we watched with respect and awe.
Why was it so close in shore where there was nothing to eat?
I like to believe it was my "fear" showing up and reminding me that it's OK, that this was it's natural territory and had no interest in me.
Later, I went back into the water and snorkeled comfortably.
I no longer felt the dis-ease and...
didn't see my shark friend again.
Most of what we fear isn't worthy of our time.
You have a choice -
stay in it, and stay stuck
or move beyond it and keep living your life.
IS YOUR CANDLE BURNING?
"My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -
It gives a lovely light!" First Fig, Edna St. Vincent Millay
Perfection and beauty are all around us,
when we take the time to pause and look.
I spent a joyful hour Saturday, immersed in butterflies - with my daughter, at the Krohn Conservatory.
It was my third visit this season, and it never gets old.
Their lives are short and their "light" is truly lovely.
Such a powerful reminder to me of our fleeting presence -
and the importance of shining brightly!
WHAT IS AND WHAT IF
"First of all, the fears that push you about
are not legitimate, appropriate responses to
What Is,
such as warnings of danger ahead.
Instead, they're constricting fantasies of
What If.
I would suggest that the next time a What If
starts badgering you,
look it straight in the eyes and ask it
'All right, what's the very worst that could happen?'
And when it answers, ask yourself,
'What could I do about it?'
You'll find there always will be something.
Then you'll see that you can have power in any situation
And when you realize that, the fears will go away." "The Te of Piglet", by Benjamin Hoff
Start your week with a day of What Is,
then try a week, then a month... step outside of the fear and you'll start making better decisions faster!
TRY HIKING WITH A LAMA!
How many opportunities do we overlook or dismiss; either because we are young and think we have plenty of time, or because we decide we are too old?!
Arriving at 70 brings a whole new perspective.
Hiking in Baja Sur Mexico with a Lama from Bhutan brings interesting challenges, especially when he is a "mountain goat" and the other members of the small group are 30 years younger than yourself.
I was hesitant at first for all the obvious reasons.
It was a lightweight decision though, with relatively minor repercussions - unless I had slipped, sprained an ankle, or fallen off the cliff face into the ocean 100ft below!
But this is how we retrain our neural pathways, shift our mindsets, move outside of fear and uncertainty, and continue to accept challenges that help us live our lives fully!
The satisfaction that came from completing the three hour hike and keeping up (more or less) was almost matched by the enriching conversations, the opportunity to learn about a very different culture and philosophy.
Commenting to my Mexican-American 3 year old granddaughter afterwards "whew, that was fun and now I'm tired!", she responded in her Spanglish "si Abuelita, I tell you that Tashi he's a machine!"
Life is rich and full of opportunities - if we have the resolve to take advantage of them.
Don't stop just because you are young... or "too old".
MOLE WISDOM... HOW'S YOURS?
"Most of the old moles I know
wish they had listened less to their fears
and more to their dreams".
Mole, "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse" by Charlie Mackesy
Everything we ever wanted most is on the other side of fear...
