ACCEPTANCE OVER TIME

"The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists." 

~ Japanese Proverb ~

Time changes people and life circumstances- not always, but often. Pain relieves, hardship softens, forgiveness grows, and individuals face each other anew, and see each other anew, and experience each other anew. And sometimes it's proof that lives have grown irreparably apart and what once joined together no longer can, but sometimes all that was broken is smoothed over and healed.
     And in either case, time allows for acceptance and freedom from judgment. We are who we are, we change how we change, and whatever is, is ok- better than ok really, especially when we are able to see with our minds open and a heart full of love.

I accept life circumstances and people as they are and free myself from the pain of resistance and dissatisfaction.

DAYS AND WAVES

"I spin on the circle of wave upon wave." 

~ Pablo Neruda ~

Time and waves coming up the beach have something in common. They heal things. Gracefully, persistently, and almost imperceptibly, they just keep on and keep on and keep on until what's closed is opened and what's wounded is no longer sore.

I trust in the healing power of soothing cycles that repeat.

OUR RATIONALIZATIONS AREN'T ALWAYS RIGHT

"Logic, like whiskey, loses its beneficial effect when taken in too large quantities."

 ~ Edward John Moreton ~

If I try to make sense of why people do the things they do the likelihood is that I will misunderstand their motivations. Such a variety of things can move us towards the light or away from it. And nine times out of ten I probably over-complicate reality in my reasoning as well.
     We make other people's actions about us, take things personally when there's nothing personal about them, and feel stung when stinging is simply a byproduct of error instead of its root cause.

Whatever I may try to convince myself of, the truth is that I don't know what I don't know.

RIGHT ACTION

"All know the way; few actually walk it." 

~Bodhidharma ~

We can forgive others even if they don't forgive us. We can extend love where love is not extended. We can be patient with impatience, tolerant of intolerance, and ever-trusting in the greater good. We have choices to make daily.
     We can be stewards of the earth, defenders of the defenseless, and purveyors of trust and peace and graciousness and hope.

Whatever I'm facing, I choose to do the next right thing.

NEW HEAT

"Hot weather... keeps me in a continual state of inelegance." 

~ Jane Austen ~

The first heat of the season always comes as a shock to the system. All of our dials are tuned in to different settings- cooler ones- so adjustment is required, and patience, while new appropriate levels are established, and we spend the requisite time feeling uncomfortably hot.

My body needs time and understanding as it adapts to the first hot weather of the year. 

PROCESSING LIFE THROUGH CONVERSATION

"A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad," 

~ Arnold H. Glasgow ~

Talking is a good way to process life events. We interpret and settle uncertain situations as we share the facts with friends. We find the humor, even in hardship, and learn to laugh about what's happened which allows the healing to begin. The stories of our lives explain us and define us, and they teach us whatever it is that we need to know.

I talk about what I'm going through to ease the burden of carrying it all alone.

BODY MIND CONNECTION

"Every thought we have is a form of energy that continues..." 

~ Pim van Lommel ~

I'm not sure if the body informs the mind or the mind informs the body, but there is an unquestionable connection and exchange between the two. The mind thinks about what the body feels and gives it meaning and context. Likewise, the body interprets our thoughts and expresses them as tension, relaxation, comfort, fear, and the like.
     Maybe it's a checks and balances system more than anything else, and gives us multiple options to address upset when that happens- either mentally or physically- and to experience joy the same way.

The mind and body work together, and together they make me whole.

NATURE MEDICINE

"I... recognize in Nature the anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse, the guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul of all my moral being."
~William Wordsworth ~

Nature is restorative. Trees and birds, moving sunlight and shadows; ants, bees, and pine needles on the dry earth soothe my soul. I go to nature as a resource. It inspires and refreshes me; teaches me lessons about the way things are- the way time is, and the way divine order reigns in spite of whatever inner chaos I might feel.
   

Fresh air is my lifeblood, and Nature nurtures my soul.

RELEASE LIKE AN HOURGLASS

"Days and months come as angels with healing in their wings. Under their touch aching regret passes into tender memory; into hands that were empty new joys are softly pressed; and the heart that was like the tree stripped of its leaves and beaten by the winters tempests is clothed again with the green of spring." 

~George S. Merriam ~

Letting go is not something that happens all at once, much as we might want it to. It may seem that way when we finally recognize that whatever has had us in its grip no longer does. We breathe deeply and realize with great gratitude that we are free. But our freedom has come about in phases and layers, almost imperceptibility, one little bit at a time, and not in a great rush. Like sand moving through an hourglass, only so much can pass through at one time, and when it's run its course, there is space and emptiness. But like all things, it's a process, and has to travel at the speed it travels and no faster.
     We believe in quick fixes and instantaneous results, but that isn't how life works- not really. It's slow growth instead, and slow release, and sustainability and evolution and process over time.

I recognize and appreciate the slow letting go process at work inside me.

SOLITUDE AND SILENCE

"Inside myself is a place where I live all alone, and that's where I renew my springs that never dry up." 

~Pearl Buck ~

There are times when talking with others is a great comfort, and there are times when it's not- when comfort comes from solitude instead, and silence, and complete removal from the crowd.

I honor my need for quiet self-reflection, and accept that it is a healthy response to the intensity of daily life.

OWNING OUR POWER

"Take responsibility for your own progress." 

~ I Ching ~

We too easily give our power away- to doctors, friends, and experts of all kinds. We assume that others know better what we should do, and how we should proceed. But the truth is that we all have an inner guidance system and a true North that directs us if we will only pay attention to it: a beacon that will keep us off the rocks as we adventure forth, and bring us safely back to port when it is time to return home.

I stop turning my life over to other people, and claim it for myself.

THE GIFT OF COMPETITION

"Taste the relish to be found in having put forth the best within you." 

~ Henry J. Kaiser ~

Sometimes we need to compete with others just to show ourselves what we can do- what we are capable of and how deep our wells of strength truly are. In this way, we encourage each other to be the best we can be, to push beyond our limiting beliefs and into all that is possible. A worthy opponent is a great gift; without one, we may never know our own stamina, the real distance we can travel, and the endless reservoirs of power that we carry within.

I welcome adversaries of all kinds to keep me strong and on my toes.

THE POWER OF COURTESY

"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." 

~ Eric Hoffer ~

Good sportsmanship, in life, as in athletics, is good strategy. If we win with arrogance, or lose with sour grapes, we have deprived ourselves of rich opportunity for life satisfaction. Graciousness, humility, appreciation for the talents of others, and tireless, heart-filled effort in the direction of our calling is what makes us winners- not scoreboards and statistics and who we beat out.

I am a good sport on and off the field.

UNDERDOG

"Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome." 

~ Samuel Johnson ~

There's something satisfying and inspiring about an underdog who comes from behind and success against all odds. It doesn't seem possible, and yet, there it is before us. And perhaps, we think, if they can do it, then maybe so can we. And why not try for it anyway? One of the great advantages of being unknown, untried, and untested, is that we have absolutely nothing to lose.

I don't know what greatness I am capable of so I give life my best effort.

LEAVING HARDSHIP BY THE WAYSIDE

"Although the world is  full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." 

~ Helen Keller ~

I am grateful to leave hardship and difficulty behind me once it has passed. I don't have to carry them around like a cross and think poor me and why me and life is so hard. I can integrate the lessons- there are always lessons- and travel forth, enjoying the goodness, the rightness, and the blessings of today.

I come through difficulty and let it be, freeing myself to appreciate the experience of now. 

WORK INTEGRITY

"Character is higher than intellect." 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

Pride in workmanship is elemental to high-integrity living- not pride in some of our work, or with some of our customers, but across the board kindness, courtesy, and respect. Every job matters, and the details matter, and our attitude matters. And if we do less than our best, then less than our best is the result we will get.

No matter the job, I give it my all.

PREMIUM SALTINES

"It always tasted like love... and made me feel better." 

~Terri Guillemets ~

There are times when a saltine cracker is better than any gourmet meal. It is the perfect crunch- the perfect salt and dryness, and the perfect amount- just enough to abate the pangs of a growling belly. And the package is the same as it's ever been, so there is a familiar homey-ness to saltines as well. We remember them from childhood- the original peanut butter cracker, or with chicken soup on a cold day, or when we were sick... And I've never really thought about it before, but the name is spot on as well- "Premium" is unquestionably what they are .

Saltine crackers carry me back to childhood, and satisfy my longing for comfort and care.

STOP AND LISTEN

"Silence is the universal refuge." 

~ Henry David Thoreau ~

Inner listening is one of the most powerful tools I know for soothing the spirit and calming the soul. To close our eyes and and simply listen is peaceful, settling, and restorative. It's detaching. I am able to stop agitating and let go- into the silence, into the space of non-thinking and focused listening, and into surrender... pure surrender... and peace.

When I am twisted in knots, I can close my eyes, listen peacefully, and untangle.

WHO'S IMPORTANT?

"And oftentimes excusing of a fault

Doth make the fault the worse by the excuse."

~ William Shakespeare ~

It's an insult to be told in a restaurant, a hospital, or a corporation- "I'm so sorry I made you wait. Someone really important (for whatever reason) needed my help and attention."  But we're important too! That feeling is our completely understandable response. It would be enough to say, "I'm sorry I made you wait," and stop there.
     That way, we can keep our dignity, and we needn't be shrunken, discounted, or dissed.

I give everyone I encounter dignity and respect.

LESSONS ABOUNDING

"You learn something every day if you pay attention." 

~ Ray LeBlond ~

Lessons abound in life. No matter what we're going through- what challenges or joys- we are being taught and guided by those we encounter, by circumstances, by all that we can't change, and the small bit that we can. It's up to us to pay attention, to listen, to ask questions when we don't understand, and to do the work to move us forward. In that way, we will reap the benefits of our lessons absorbed.

I am open to learning and self-knowledge in any and all situations.