Be Inspired

Spirtual Fatality

Sometimes it is valuable to be introspective. Other times it is not. Most of the time when I look inside of myself, I see the flaws and I begin to judge myself rather than gaining insight. Today I decided that I want to look at the possibilities and not the problem. It sounds simple enough but imagine looking into a mirror without actually searching for the flaw that needs improvement. If, every time we look at our physical being with a judgemental eye, how much more intense is the appraisal when we look within?

I was speaking with a very dear friend of mine about self-improvement. He reminded me that I am already new and improved every single day. My experience with both success and failure are part of my design and my path. What I may see as a flaw may actually be my strength.  It reminded me of the Aesop fable where the deer looked into the water to view its beautiful antlers and was disgusted at the sight of its bony legs. Yet when the hunter pursued the deer, the legs were strong and fast enough to flee from the predator only to find its beautiful antlers entangled in the trees and ultimately loose its life. In some ways it is a lesson in vanity and the entrapment of it. Only focusing on what we believe is physically or emotionally attractive to others rather than finding a wholeness and acceptance for every part of our being is spiritually fatal.

Harmony

"Out of clutter, find Simplicity.
From discord, find Harmony.
In the middle of difficulty lies Opportunity."
*Albert Einstein

"You don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note."
*Doug Floyd

I found these quotes in one of my old posts from 2004. It reminded me of how all of this started. I used to send out an inspirational quote to my friends everyday along with a bit of my own perspective. I used to spend an hour each morning searching and meditating on what to send out. It was usually something that resonated with me because I was trying to resurface from a drowning relationship. Out of this, I started to find myself again. Each day I would ask God to bless me with a positive outlook and intuition, not only for myself but to be a conduit of that to others. Somewhere along the way, when we are past our tough times, we seem to forget what is important; or rather, our priorities shift in order. I am remembering now just how happy it made me to do this.

I will do my best to pursue this blog with my original intent again. I seem to grow busier with each passing day but I still need to nurture this part of who I am.

"Out of clutter, find Simplicity.
From discord, find Harmony.
In the middle of difficulty lies Opportunity."
*Albert Einstein

"You don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note."
*Doug Floyd

I found these quotes in one of my old posts from 2004. It reminded me of how all of this started. I used to send out an inspirational quote to my friends everyday along with a bit of my own perspective. I used to spend an hour each morning searching and meditating on what to send out. It was usually something that resonated with me because I was trying to resurface from a drowning relationship. Out of this, I started to find myself again. Each day I would ask God to bless me with a positive outlook and intuition, not only for myself but to be a conduit of that to others. Somewhere along the way, when we are past our tough times, we seem to forget what is important; or rather, our priorities shift in order. I am remembering now just how happy it made me to do this.

I will do my best to pursue this blog with my original intent again. I seem to grow busier with each passing day but I still need to nurture this part of who I am.

Irony

Somedays I can't decide if I want to be decisive or indecisive. Ironic.

Perfectionism

Perfection has one grave defect: it is apt to be dull.
       - W. Somerset Maugham

I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to die. The truth is you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren't even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they're doing it.
       - Anne Lamott

The way to succeed is to double your error rate.
       - Thomas J. Watson

Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.
       - Henry Van Dyke

THE BEST DAY OF THE YEAR!!!!

Today was the annual Greenville Avenue St. Patrick's Day Parade. The 17th Society made a great showing with a fabulous float and 10,500 beads for the crowd and a considerable amount of shamrock stickers.  We always have the best Leprechaun too!

Attitude

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes."
       *Charles Swindoll

"A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart."
       * Opening scene of "Faust"

Lent-Lite (Just as fulfilling as the original without converting)

My friend Etchen has been trying to decide what to give up for lent. In the past Lent has provided her an opportunity to give up drinking adult beverages and to quit smoking. This year she is deciding between caffeine or sweets.  At first I commented on personally giving up potato snack foods, pizza or even wearing the color black but I realized that wasn't my real issue. As a matter of fact, I even got giddy about buying a more colorful wardrobe.

My problem is shopping. I have always had a knack for finding peace in a little retail therapy but now I am really trying to get out of debt. I am darn close so buying things on impulse isn't helping my cause at all. The other day I bought a new car. I am still responsible for the old one until the lease runs out in early October. It was kind of a misunderstanding between me and the dealership regarding the lease that I already had but when I realized that they paid off my remaining payments and were planning on returning the lease to the lein holder, I just decided to take it home and drive two cars and keep the miles off of the new one. I abslolutely enjoy them both anyways so it is just a little extra insurance. Had I thought that through however, and asked the right questions instead of getting caught up in the moment, I would have just waited until the end of my lease. Thus, the buying SNAFU!

My hope is that giving up retail therapy and only shopping for gifts or food will re-instill that sense of what I need rather than what I want. I don't desire to live beyond my means but it just seems to happen organically with increased monetary success. I have seen this economy take too many turns to keep doing that and after cleaning out my closet the second time in 15 months, the realization hit me that all of these things I desired at one time and thought were so important didn't mean much at all. (I also learned that I am a packrat considering that I was donating clothes I wore in college 11 years after I graduated.)

I am not Catholic so I titled this post Lent-Lite since I am not going to Mass or having a priest put a cross on my forehead but a little religious tradition can only help get me on track in a situation where I need it badly. I have decided that I think you know if giving up a particular thing is right for you when your emotions are juxtaposed between the estrangement from that which you desire and have convinced yourself that you need to be satisfied and the sense of relief knowing that you have identified a real issue and plan on addressing it wholeheartedly. 

Just how long is Lent, anyways? :-)

Tao Teachings

I have just three things to teach:
simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.

Thus the wise man residing in the Tao
sets an example for all beings.
Because he doesn't display himself,
people can see his light.
Because he has nothing to prove,
people can trust his words.
Because he doesn't know who he is,
people recognize themselves in him.
Because he has no goal in mind,
everything he does succeeds.

expressed by Tao te Ching

Vision

"Having a vision for your life allows you to live out of hope, rather than out of your fears."

*Stedman Graham

I am terrible at controlling my fear. The worst part is that my fears are based upon uncertainty and doubt. The result is restless anxiety. When I subject myself to  circumstance, I have taken myself to the biggest fear and worked my way backwards like a puzzle maze trying to figure out what could go wrong rather than trying to live one day at a time and trust my instincts. The sad part is that I already know that worrying won't change a thing but sometimes I do it anyways...for what reason and to what end?

I wish I understood why it can be so hard to practice being mindful of the moment and seeking wisdom for the right here and now but if I knew the answer to that it would put Deepak Chopra out of business.  The truth is that it is inherently difficult for us to place our amazing consciousness on hold. We want to play life like a chess game and consider what we could do ten steps ahead including the actions of our opponent. Unfortunately, the only opponent is the person sitting in your seat. Life doesn't have to be a chess game, it can be more like a dream factory if you let it. I have watched several people do extraordinary things with their vision and talent.

I want to be one of them.

My Holiday Wish for You, Dear Reader

As this year comes to an end,

I want to take a moment and wish you a wonderful holiday,

Filled with family and friends.

May next year bring with it bountiful success and personal fulfillment.

I hope you find peace in situations that once seemed irreconcilable,

And contentment through the chaos.

I believe that something good has to happen every day,

I hope you always strive to find it,

Kytari