Everything has been so negative for so long. There have been so many worries and apprehensions to cause anxiety because most are beyond your control.
Oh, Wait!
Are you breathing? Can you breathe deeply?
Do your eyes see something beautiful in your surroundings?
Does your nose smell some lovely scent that tickles your fancy?
Can you walk?
Do your arms move well?
Do your hands work?
Can you smile?
In short, where is your attention? Is it on things you cannot possibly do anything about? Or can you kiss and hug your loved ones? Touch is so very important from the moment of birth until your last breath.
Are you using your awareness to sweeten your days and those of your loved ones?
So much has been lost due to exterior realities.
Focus is vital to regain control of your body, mind and thoughts. Where is your attention?
If there are no tigers, lions, or bears to run from to save your life, the wear and tear of anxieties are not only useless but harmful.
Concentrate on the good things instead of dwelling on what you cannot personally control or change.
Life is short. Enjoy what you can while you can. Focus on what is in your area of choice so you may make better use of your time and energy.
God bless your journey!
Fear does indeed immobilize one because it enables thought patterns that are based on the worst possible outcome. This, in turn, creates emotions that ensure vulnerability and helplessness. Overwhelmed by all of the above, inaction itself generates a decision from indecision!
Sound crazy? Of course, it is! Does it happen? All the time! Why? Because fear is so strong a negative emotion that it just takes over, mind and body. All one can focus on is the object/idea feared. No other outcome is thought about. Peace is an impossible dream.
Somewhere in the Fear spectrum, Anger enters like a charging elephant! Unstoppable? You bet! This causes one to perform poorly and respond negatively and overactively to outside stimuli.
As long as one’s attention is focused on the “bad stuff” of life, which happens daily in most people’s experiences, the “good stuff” is kept locked up and cannot hold sway in your thoughts and emotions.
Focus is the key here. It’s like holding a magnifying glass to look at something. The more it magnifies, the bigger it seems. Reality has not changed, but your perspective has greatly altered.
In order to get off the merry-go-round of this thought/emotion process, one must firmly grab the reins on this runaway horse and firmly take control. One must choose to “get a grip” and change the arena by looking at other possible outcomes, thinking/feeling other alternatives. Only then can your reality change by loosening the hold fear has on you, permitting to you to be more functional in your life and reactions to others. Anger is not generated so one can think better before acting.
The exclusivity of Fear is this example: I was driving a good friend of mine home about sunset. It was the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen, vivid, so many colors! I brought this to the attention of my friend (who was caught up in a negative sequence involving Fear and Anger). She absolutely could not see the beauty of it. She brushed it aside and continued with her diatribe. Nothing in her situation changed because she was “feeding the monster!” The situation became unalterably worse. How else could it be?
If one wants peace to fill your mind and life, your focus has to change. Ernest Holmes said: “What you think about, you bring about.” I would add that thoughts create feelings, which are the engine of the mind. Both create your reality, like it or not. Focus is part of the idea behind Dr Wayne Dyer’s: “Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.”
Do you want to continue down a negative path in your life, or do you prefer peace, adaptation, mobility, and different choices to govern you? It is, after all, your choice. Are you willing to experience something else?
God’s blessings on your journey!
During this long period of time after CoVID19 happened, changes in our world have left so many of us with extreme emotions about many topics. Everything we knew as normal is gone, with no expectation that anything will return to what it was.
These emotions range from despair, fear, angst, discord, grief, disappointment, anger, etc. There has been very little hope generated. Isn’t that a sad thought?
Now add in the upcoming election cycle, where civility has taken a back seat to angry dissertations and arguments between family members, friends, coworkers, etc. Everyone is so attached to their points of view that no one else can say anything else or contrary to it. Why is that? What makes this time in history different from any other occasion?
During this fractious time, if one were to say: “God is Good!” – it would seem like a crazy person said it. Why is that? How about: “Hope is a part of my everyday thinking!” Positive affirmations have been pushed aside as futile. Yet I would like to posit that this is the only way out of the darkness that surrounds us.
Is God Good when so many are in travail over the lack of money, lost jobs, missed opportunities, in ill health? Perhaps someone we care about has made his/her transition, and grief is all we can feel because we have not had the closure of being by his/her side when it happened? So many reasons to question the idea that God is still good.
Let me assure you that God has not changed, nor has He/She/It gone anywhere. You are not operating in a void, all alone in your misery. Your tool for access is prayer, whatever you define that to be. There is also meditation, deep breathing, yoga, being centered, exercise, experiencing the outdoors as best you can, peaceful sleep which rejuvenates the soul and mind, etc. Life can be better, no matter what you are personally dealing with.
It has been said that, “It is not what happens to you, but how you react to that which matters.” Can you believe that in this traumatic time? You can decide how you personally will respond to each and every situation in your daily life. Is that a unique idea to you? Possibly, but it is absolutely true. Outside happenings cannot dictate to you how you will decide to take action, unless it is an approaching angry tiger or elephant. Yet so many of us act like every single thing is an approaching angry tiger or elephant! No wonder you are exhausted when you fall into bed at night!
COVID19 and the election will pass. A vaccine will be formulated and distributed. Life will continue. The only question you have to ask yourself is: How am I going to make it through this storm?
If you are depressed, fearful, angry, grief-stricken, or caught up with any other negative emotion, you are planting more of the same. In order to have a different result, you will have to change your focus to something better.
You might ask me how. Focus is defined as concentrating on a thought or emotion, enabling clear perception or understanding. If you feel like you are a gerbil in a cage, with thoughts and feelings which only make you feel worse, you know you are stuck and need to turn your attention elsewhere. Only then will you be released from the cage of your own making.
Use whatever tools you possess (reading good thoughts, meditation, yoga, deep breathing while focusing on the stillness of a placid lake, whatever) to change your attention and perspective. You just have to be willing to do that. Are you?
Remember: God Is Good!
Peace be with you on your journey.
Mark 12:31 states clearly: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Note that it does not say before yourself, or instead of yourself, or NOT yourself!
It has been known for thousands of years the simple truth that: “Love begins with YOU!” Self Love is perhaps the hardest to master.
Most people are harder on themselves than they are with anyone else in their lives: bosses, friends, lovers, mates, children, acquaintances. We become our own worst enemy. Why is that?
I personally believe it is because we are so focused on OUT THERE realities from the second we wake up until we fall exhausted into bed at night. Then it doesn’t end. Look at all the different sleep medications out there that are for sale. There must be a reason. My guess is that our dear mind is keeping us awake, thinking of things we could have done better or differently, stress, nerves, world news, fears for money, jobs, and the pandemic of COVID19. My list could go on quite a while. So we beat ourselves up endlessly for so many reasons.
Does that sound like Self Love to you?
Also, how about FORGIVENESS? Can you forgive yourself for your shortcomings, no matter how small, big, or in between they are? Can you forgive others for past instances where they fell short in your eyes?
To me, Self Love includes not only Forgiveness, but also Gratitude. Are you truly grateful for all the blessings (big and small) you have in your life at this moment? I could start with allowing myself a deep breath, releasing stressful thoughts and condemnations, and just being glad I am alive in this moment. I am grateful for everything from a roof over my head, food to eat, a car to drive when I need it, bills are paid, good medical care as I age, this computer to use to communicate with my world at large, smart phone and tv, my Keurig that gives me a hot cup of coffee, etc. I also know how to handle all the aches and pains, injuries, etc., as I age because I have been careful to learn yoga, exercise, and physical therapy to strengthen whichever body part needs it at the moment. I include deep breathing as I start my day and as the day proceeds. Beauty is part of my world, which includes beautiful flowers, watching birds and observing my garden grow – providing us with squash, eggplants, and tomatoes to eat and to share. I could go on, but you get the idea.
The difference in my life is which thoughts and emotions I choose to entertain myself with. I, too, have strong emotions/thoughts that carry me away quickly. Prayer helps a lot with that. Meditation is necessary as a tool to calm down and love myself anyway. That to me is a key.
You, too, have the possibility of using your own keys to LOVE YOURSELF ANYWAY! After all, perfection is merely a goal, not a commandment.
We are lectured when we are young about our many faults. We take that inside of us and use it well, much to our own dismay. Sometimes it is so strong that we treat all of that as REQUIRED PERFECTION, from which we will ALWAYS fall short, requiring us to reprimand ourselves for every transgression. Isn’t that a sad thought? Because we do it at such a deep level and so naturally that it is difficult to change. However, we can choose to change. We truly can get off of our own backs and stop beating ourselves up!
You are in charge of your own mind. Are you willing to let what is really not working very well continue? Or do you want to begin to LOVE YOURSELF TRULY?
One of the yoga breaths is called the CARING BREATH: You reach both hands/arms out in front of you, take your right hand/arm and touch your left shoulder as you bow your head in that direction and you say, “I accept myself fully, with all my faults and shortcomings.” Then you reach out with your right hand/arm and say, “I am willing to serve, love, and care for others.” Then you repeat this with the left hand/arm. I find this so peaceful and life-changing.
Many motivational speakers tell us to look in the mirror every morning and say to ourselves, “I love you just as you are. You are enough. Go forth with joy in your being!”
Are you willing to try to love yourself? It is all up to you, after all.
God’s blessings on your journey!
God, whatever you conceive Him/Her/It to be, is everywhere present (Omnipresent), all knowing (Omniscient), all powerful (Omnipotent).
Think about that for a moment. To the rational mind, it does not seem a remote possibility from a human viewpoint. How could any one entity actually be all three of those? Assuming, then, that we cannot conceptualize such a thing from the mind, one must then move to the realms of wisdom and understanding.
Einstein’s theory is very useful here because he showed that all matter we can see is based on and contains Energy. Since one cannot see energy unless it is transmuted into something like light or gravity, it remains in the invisible realm. Is this not the same area that prayer goes into?
If one prays to an anthropomorphic being as a concept, it still goes into the invisible realm. Some people believe that they are not worthy of deserving such an honor as granted prayers, so they deny the essence of what they are praying for as they keep worrying about whatever it is they are asking for. Some do not even pray unless they are in dire straights and in need of a miracle. The rest of the time they are just busy living their lives. Few are ascetics who are in prayer always. Then there are a few awakened human beings who just live in connection with their idea of God, knowing their prayers are fulfilled always because they are literally seeing the manifestations (without regard to distance) of whoever/whatever they hold in their consciousness. They are connecting to the E=mc squared=God concept on the invisible realm, waiting for the visible realm to come forth.
Sometimes it is not an immediate, visible demonstration. Sometimes it needs a continuous flow, like putting a hose in a bucket of muddy water so it may slowly clear. But time is not of the essence here. Only the end is necessary.
So if you are praying for something, hold the end in view. If it is for someone else, hold a picture in your mind’s eye of that person being happy, whole, healthy, and doing well. When you keep worrying, you are telling your God/He/She/It that you do not believe It can do the job. You become part of the problem, not the answer.
When you are praying, you just have to ask yourself, without regard to your religion, whatever is on your heart and mind. Then let it go. Do not hang onto it. If it comes to mind again, just remind yourself that you are going to think only of the end result = not the “how is this going to happen?” stuff either. Leave the How and the Way to that Omnipotent Being who loves you and your beloved and wants only what is the highest good of all to occur.
Trust becomes an issue here. But if you cannot trust this Being, why pray at all?
Life happens. So does Love, Livingness, Wholeness, Positive State of Mind and Emotions, etc. You, too, can arrive there. Are you interested? Are you willing? The answer is in your purview.
God’s blessings upon your journey! Beauty awaits thee every day. Look for it!
Mt Sneffels, Co
Autumn, Maroon Bells, CO
“The music is just perfect to dance to! Who could imagine that the Denver USO Club would be so great!” Rose exclaimed.
“I am so excited that we decided to come!” Jane replied.
Rose looked in the bathroom mirror and stated, “We are looking good, gal!”
“You bet!” she responded as she carefully put each curl in place.
Rose stated, “Who would think we could be such good friends. I am topsy, turvy, and full of life, and you are exacting, sweet, and steady as she goes!”
“Well, we are, and that’s that! Let’s go!” Jane replied, laughing as they went out the door to the dance floor.
“Oh, man, look at those two handsome soldiers who just walked in!” Rose said as she nudged Jane.
Unerringly, those two just happened to be looking back at them.
Bill looked up at Johnny and said as he smiled, “Now here is why I dragged you with me tonight. Just look at those two beauties over there! You were going to stay in the barracks.”
They came over to the girls, where Bill said, still smiling “How about a dance, good looking?”
Rose took his arm immediately and responded, “Let’s not waste time, handsome and charming!”
Johnny smiled shyly at Jane and held out his arm, which she took readily.
The two couples danced the night away, one lively and full of fun. The other talking quietly, enjoying each other’s company.
When it was time to leave, not one of them wanted to end the night, regardless of the time.
“Do you want to take a walk over to the park? It’s not far from here.” Jane asked Johnny shyly.
In response, he took her arm and started walking with her.
Bill looked at Rose and said, “You don’t want to get left behind, do you?”
Rose shook her head, and they followed along.
It was a lovely night in Denver, balmy with a light warm breeze gently blowing.
Bill stated, “You know, life seems so short. We just met and now Johnny and I are shipping out in the morning. That is just plain bad luck!”
Rose tipped her head back as she laughed, saying, “It sure is, big guy! It sure is!”
Just then, Rose pulled four fully-loaded water guns out of her purse and shot Bill as she passed him his and then tossed the other two to Johnny and Jane. The fight was on, running, shooting, and laughing uproariously. When they were spent, the just sat on the grass, trying to recuperate.
“I have an idea,” said Rose. “Let’s carve our names into that rock over there as a memory of how wonderful this night has been.”
Everybody agreed and proceeded to do that. Just as they got finished, a car pulled up, flooding them with lights.
Rose recognized the car and stated, “Uh, guys, that’s my Dad, and I’m in real trouble!”
By that time, he was approaching them and was obviously as mad as a hornet, shouting, “Rose, you know the rules. It’s one thing to support the troops at the USO, but it’s another to stay out half the night!”
Bill, as cool as a cucumber, approached him and stuck out his hand, saying, “I’m sorry, sir. We are shipping out tomorrow. We just met Rose and Jane tonight. We were enjoying ourselves so much and simply forgot the time. Please don’t punish Rose, sir.”
Dad by this time was somewhat mollified by Bill’s congenial manner, shook his hand and said, “God bless you, son. May He protect you and bring you home safely.”
Turning to the girls, he ordered, “You two get in the car right now, wet clothes and all. Whoever heard of such a thing, and at night to boot! Jane, your parents are worried sick. I’ll take you home as well.”
He looked at the two soldiers, saluted them, and got in his car to leave. The girls hastily kissed their soldier’s cheeks, got dutifully into the car, and waved as they drove off.
Bill turned to Johnny and said, “I don’t know about you, but I just met the love of my life!” as he looked at the address Rose had put into his hand as she kissed his cheek.
Johnny said, “Me, too” as he looked at the address Jane had placed in his hand as well. “I am sure glad you talked me into going to the USO tonight!”
They walked off whistling as they headed for transportation to take them back to the base.
The hands of time move ever forward. Timing sometimes is everything.
Johnny wrote to Jane every day, and she did likewise. The mail was so slow that sometimes several letters would be delivered at once, especially in the field.
Johnny and Bill stayed friends, but there came a day when Johnny looked at him and said, “My service is done, my friend. I am going home to Jane. I can find a job doing mechanic’s work. I will make my way somehow.”
Bill shook his hand, responding, “I wish I could, too. But there’s nothing I can do back home, really. I’ll be staying in and make it my career. Tell Jane and Rose hello for me!”
“Have you written Rose yet?” Johnny asked.
“Oh, I wrote a little, but letters just aren’t the same. I think of her a lot, but that just doesn’t make it to the page when I have a pencil in my hand. I sound more like a brother instead of a sweetheart,” he responded.
The years passed quickly. Rose cherished the memory of that night with Bill. She got a job as a secretary. Sometimes on her lunch hour, she would go by the rock and talk to it, touching his name, and thinking about him. But finally, she began to date. Sam eventually became a steady item.
When Rose thought about Sam, she thought, “He is ruggedly good looking and very friendly, but he just does not have a sense of humor or adventure.”
Johnny and Jane watched Rose pine for Bill all that time, knowing what she was feeling. They were relieved when she started dating and liked Sam.
Occasionally, they would get a short note from Bill, which always ended with, “Please tell Rose Hi for me, K?”
Johnny would just shake his head and tell Jane, “I know how Rose will light up when I tell her that. Why can’t he just say it to her directly?”
Whereupon Jane would just shrug her shoulders.
After a while, Sam began pushing Rose to get more serious. He wanted them to get engaged and set a date. She would just sigh and shake her head, turning away so he could not see her tears.
Johnny finally got a letter from Bill. He was so excited that he ran into the house to tell Jane, shoving it under her nose, saying, “Here, read this!”
She looked at him questioningly as she stopped feeding John, Jr. She yelped in surprise as she read it.
“Do you think we should tell Rose?” she asked.
“No, I don’t,” he replied. “Let’s wait, OK?”
She nodded her head in agreement because she did not want to hurt Rose in any way.
Finally, days later, there was a knock at the door. Johnny opened it quickly and grabbed Bill up in a big hug, saying, “I was so happy to find out you were stationed at Lowry Air Force base! Wow! That is great news!”
Hearing the hubbub at the front door, Jane came out wearing an apron and dusting flour off her hands.
She gave Bill a big hug as she held her hands away from his uniform, chiding him, “Well, it’s about time!”
He looked deeply into her eyes and, with a tear in his, asked, “Is Rose happy? Has she found a young fella and settled down? She’s so good looking, I can’t imagine her being alone for very long!”
She answered, “Not, not yet anyway. She has a steady beau named Sam, but she has not said yes yet. I know he’s asked her, but she keeps putting him off.”
A light grew in Bill’s eyes as he spoke, “I think about her more than I’d like to admit to myself. I just cannot forget that first night and how much fun we had!”
Jane looked at him, shaking her head vigorously, and stated, “Then you should have written Rose! What were you thinking?”
They all sat down to dinner, laughing and talking.
Bill held little John, Jr., and complimented them with, “What a fine boy you have here!”
“We think so,” they responded at the same time.
After dinner, Johnny winked at Jane and said, “Let’s take a walk down to the scene of the crime!”
Laughing, they began walking towards the park. The sun was setting, and it was a beautiful time of the evening.
As they approached the rock their names were carved in, Rose was standing there, with her hand over Bill’s carved name.
She was angrily saying, “Sam, I told you, I just don’t want to get married right now! Why do you keep pushing me?”
Sam was about to reply as Johnny, Jane, John, Jr., and Bill walked up.
Sam said, “Well, look who’s here now.”
Turning, Rose raised her hand off Bill’s name and whispered, “Bill!”
Embarrassed, she froze, unsure of Bill’s response as he had not written in so very long.
Bill reached out casually for Sam’s hand and said, “Hello. I’m Bill. I’m an old friend of Johnny and Jane’s.”
Sam slowly reached out and shook his hand, saying, “Sorry about the argument you must have overheard.”
Bill replied, “Well, disagreements happen, don’t they?” as he looked at Rose, whose cheeks were as red as her name by then.
Looking Rose right in the eyes, he said, “Say, do you remember that night when we first met? I can tell you, we had the devil of a time explaining about our wet uniforms!”
She threw her head back, laughing so hard, saying, “How can I forget?”
She reached into her hand bag and pulled out her water gun, querying, “Are you ready for action?”
Grinning, Bill reached into his pocket and pulled out his water gun, and said, “Yup!” as he shot her with it.
The fight was on as she shouted, “You are on, mister!”
Sam looked at the scene unfolding before them all, shaking his head, and finally stating, “Well, I just don’t believe this! I’ve never seen anything so ridiculous in my whole life!” as he stormed off out of sight.
Johnny and Jane held John, Jr., just hugged together, happily saying, “It’s about time!”
Bill and Rose were enjoying themselves and that moment, laughing crazily. Finally, they began hugging each other, finishing with a kiss that lit up the night.
(This is just a short love story to lift your spirits. Enjoy! God’s blessings on your journey!)
Dec 18
This gallery contains 5 photos.
For many years, I have believed that Christmas is a very special time of year. It appears that people are kinder, more gentle, certainly forgiving, etc., during this extraordinary period. The focus is placed on the beauty around us: Christmas lights and decorations, being good for “Santa,” thinking more of others and what their needs […]
In The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, he writes: “The selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears…When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”
So if you are in sorrow, try to remember that, if you have wonderful memories of someone, to that degree will you grieve – sometimes for the rest of your life, for you will miss that someone more than words can express. That pertains to good memories of all kinds.
However, when you are filled with joy and laughter, look carefully at the situation/memories, etc. You will feel the connection with past incidents/people/special happenings. That will deepen the joy because you will understand the source.
Remember, your choices every minute can make or break your feelings/thoughts/memories. Whatever you focus on is what you are blessing into expression. It is, after all, entirely up to you to create the happiness habit.
Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
God bless your journey!
Hibiscus Flower 9″ Across
July 4th Fireworks
Sunset on Front Range CO
After watching the Olympics for several days, it has occurred to me how important BALANCE is to each and everything I watched. If one is just an inch off-balance, one way or another, that person will go down – no matter how good they are, how much they have practiced, or the long hours and many dollars they have spent to get to the Olympics. A speed skater, a boarder, ice skating, skiing, etc. – all require the magic of Balance in order to reach the podium.
I have a mobile in my room. I was watching it for some time. It has seagulls with wires connecting it together. The slightest whiff of moving air will cause it to circle. I noticed that, out of all the seagulls on the mobile, one small section was not moving properly. After studying it for a few minutes, I could see that one seagull had the tip of its wing over that of another. So I reached up and tweaked it a little. The mobile immediately swung back into perfect balance and moved like it should.
The thought occurred to me: How nice it would be if we all lived our lives while paying attention to Balance: Work, play eat, sleep, etc. How we spend each golden hour of our lives each and every day plays a part, just like the wing tip.
We all know what we have to do each and every day. We have to work at whatever we do to earn the money to meet our commitments and take care of our loved ones. But if we are not very careful, we can easily get out of Balance in our lives.
Perhaps you are thirsty so you reach for a can of cold pop instead of water. You are in a big hurry and are hungry. You look on your phone for a listing of fast food outlets nearby in lieu of a health foods store with ready-to-eat items. A child wants you to read him/her a story after a long, exhausting workday, so that moment passes by as you collapse into a chair. Your body is tired and aching from sitting or standing at work all day or night, so you pop a pain pill and settle down to watch some television before bed or sit at a computer, playing games to relax your mind. No thought of yoga stretches or deep breathing enter your mind.
Perhaps you are far too busy and with too many commitments to take that five minutes for yourself or look for a yoga/Pilates/exercise class that would improve your health. You are shopping for groceries and grab the quickest and easiest meals instead of shopping carefully for items that are healthy for you or your family.
As I said, if just an inch off-balance in Olympic sports, it won’t work – the medal goes to someone else. However, if your life is Out of Balance, you do not feel well. You take a pill for your symptoms and keep going. You miss that beautiful sunset or perfect flower without noticing. Your mind is so busy on more important matters, like making a living, picking up the children on time, wondering where you are going to get the extra money needed to repair the car, how you can clean the house before guests arrive, and a million other things that bombard you from every angle. You are driven by outside forces that consume your time before you crawl into bed for a fitful night’s sleep because you are so over-stressed.
Your life is shortened by the stress caused because of your attention to the extraneous matters/forces. You do not take that five minutes of calmness before you start your day, breathing deeply and thinking/reading beautiful thoughts. When you get the chance to stop for a moment, you check your phone for messages or play a game instead of looking around you, pausing to see that item of Beauty just waiting for your attention. Your mind is crowded indeed. But if you choose to slow down just a bit, you would hear the laugh of a child as you read a story or see the smile return to a checker’s face who has just gotten a rude customer and needs your smile and “Good day!” to refocus his/her attention.
My point? Balance is not a dream – it is a choice. Every moment of your life contains one. You can make a difference to yourself and others. At risk is your health, the livingness you do or do not feel, and to the joy you could spread to others. The thought you put into every act/choice will change your reality.
You just have to ask yourself some questions: What is really important to you? How could you respond differently if you were not harried, tired, and grumpy? What would help change that? What class could you take such as Anger or Stress Management, Yoga, exercise, or something else? Could you stop what you are doing as you sit for hours at a time in order to move about for five minutes, as recommended? Could you take a deep breath and stretch a bit? Could you focus on something else instead of whatever is making you crazy?
Life is so fleeting. It is our choices each day that will help the time to pass quickly and easily or drag by as we do a job that is eating us alive. There are always alternatives. You just have to look for them. Are you willing?
God’s blessings upon your journey!
Seagull Mobile
Hibiscus and Geranium
Dillon Reservoir Sunset
Hardy Hibiscus
Front Range Sunset
Zucchini Flower & Honey Bee
In the movie”Shogun,” an actor (Yabu) says, “Life is just the single beat of a butterfly’s wings!”
From an observer perspective, that is a very true statement.
The popularity of fast food outlets speaks to how fast we are moving. As one eats on the run, gobbling up whatever food that has been chosen, did you savor the taste of it? Did you enjoy the scent of the apple before you bit into it? Have you heard a song so soothing that it stopped you in your tracks to listen to it? Or perhaps it had a beat that made you want to dance?
If you are healthy, did you thank God for how well your body is working? If you are not, did you know in your heart that you would soon experience being full of vitality again. Perhaps you are recovering from surgery or a health issue. Do you ever stop to smell a flower or listen to a child’s laugh? What is your focus? So many times, ill health makes one’s mind turn in. The only discussion possible is how badly things are going with you.
Life goes on all around us. Yet in our urge to hurry, the point of haste is forgotten. The difference is addressed in The Majesty of Calmness by William George Jordan, written in 1898. “Nature is very un-American. Nature never hurries. Every phase of her working shows plan, calmness, reliability, and the absence of hurry. Hurry always implies lack of definite method, confusion, impatience of slow growth. The Tower of Babel, the world’s first skyscraper, was a failure because of hurry. The workers mistook their arrogant ambition for inspiration. They had too many builders, – and no architect. They thought to make up the lack of a head by a superfluity of hands. This is characteristic of Hurry. It seeks ever to make energy a substitute for a clearly defined plan, – the result is ever as hopeless as trying to transform a hobbyhorse into a real steed by brisk riding. Hurry is a counterfeit of haste. Haste has an ideal, a distinct aim to be realized by the quickest, direct methods. Haste has a single compass upon which it relies for direction and in harmony with which its course is determined. Hurry says: ‘I must move faster. I will get three compasses; I will have them different; I will be guided by all of them. One of them will probably be right.’ Hurry never realizes that slow careful foundation work is the quickest in the end. Hurry has ruined more Americans than has any other word in the vocabulary of life. It is the scourge of America; and is both a cause and a result of our high-pressure civilization.”
I have asked myself what the author would make out of our world today, 120 years later? So the idea of “slow down, you move too fast” has greater meaning to us now than it ever has! Hurry has expanded to almost everywhere on the globe as well. Very few places are exempt from it.
You see cell phones and every other electronic technology in action everywhere. The use of these has increased our efficiency and saved us so much time. But how is that saved time being spent? Are you moving slower or faster?
If, indeed, “Life is just the single beat of a butterfly’s wings!” – perhaps one can choose to slow down just a bit, use Haste instead of Hurry, and use your five senses to experience and savor the flavor of your life. It is your choice. What will it be?
God’s blessings upon your journey!
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