BEING LESS THAN WE ARE

"If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment." 

~ Henry David Thoreau ~

I sometimes feel let down by people. I expect them to be other than they are- more noble, more loyal, more industrious, more sincere. And so, when they are small-minded, sloppy, lazy, and false, I feel stung and disappointed, as if it's personal to me, which, of course, it is not. Still, it does make me sad. We all have so much promise- unlimited promise! and so often, by our own error, or lack of belief, we fall distressingly short.

I accept that we are all human, and it's likely my expectations that need adjusting rather than the world itself. 

TRIGGERS

"Take annoyances in stride."

~ Richard E. Turner

I can be feeling confidant and on top of the world and one small thing- an interaction with an unfriendly other, a disappointing meal, the dog being needy- can trigger me into a funk. It's like a cloud that covers the sun. I am temporarily shadowed. And I suppose I can't stop the effect of the triggers, but what I can do is allow them to pass.

When I feel myself suddenly disgruntled, I let it be and don't resist it. I breathe and trust and let time move me forward.

TOO QUICK TO JUDGE

"Contempt prior to investigation keeps a man in everlasting ignorance." 

~ Herbert Spencer ~

We think we know so much- about people, situations, what everything means, and the reason things are the way they are. And we shut the door on so many opportunities by being truculent and locking them out of consideration or possibility before they've even had a chance to breathe air, or to properly speak.

I make sure I understand what's being offered before I accept or decline.

ORGANIC EVOLUTION

"They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea." 

~ Francis Bacon ~

Some things are helped by critique and appraisal and discussion, but others are better left to evolve organically on their own.

When my intuitive, creative projects are in the gestation stage, I protect them from too much outside opinion and interference.

STEPPING UP

"If it's going to be, it's going to be me." 

~ American Proverb ~

I have a tendency to think big shot people will somehow swoop down and give me the break I long for, like winning the networking lottery- that my ship will come in if I just meet the right influential individual. And maybe that's true, but maybe it's not.
     If I want specific results, I have to work for them. No matter how much I want to believe it's otherwise, no one cares as much about my dreams and aspirations as I do, so it's up to me to make them a reality.

I stop waiting for other people to make things happen for me, and make them happen for myself.

E-MAIL INTEGRITY

"Haste makes waste." 

~ Ben Franklin ~

Cursory responses to e-mails just to respond are almost as bad as no response at all. I think we need to be mindful of our purpose and intentions. If we seek to stay on top of our incoming mail, that's admiral, but if we are so fast with our returns that we don't take the time to absorb or appreciate what is actually being said in the original e-mail, then we miss the mark we're aiming for. A hasty reply that in no way addresses the content we're replying to dismisses our customers and contacts rather than showing them that we care.

I make sure my actions are in alignment with my true intentions, and manage my business with the care it deserves.

LITTLE ADJUSTMENTS MAKE THE BIG TURN

"Inch by inch, row by row..." 

~ The Garden Song ~

We think we need time off- to sleep, to relax, to play, to dream, but maybe what we really need is a more relaxed and playful approach to our lives. Perhaps, what's really called for is a slightly earlier bed-time, a sense of humor, an ability to enjoy whatever is happening and find the fun in it, and a need to plan activities in the midst of our busy-ness that incorporate our passion, our enthusiasm, and our vision for the future.
     So often we think it's the BIG fix that's called for- the dramatic shift that promises to change everything. And yet, more often than not, it's the little adjustments over time that make the big fix an actual reality.

I stay the course on the small adjustments in my life towards better living, and trust them to make the big change I long for over time.

CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT DOES NOT SERVE

"Professionalism is a frame of mind, not a paycheck." 

~ Cecil Castle ~

How, as polite customers, are we supposed to deal with hostile, or unhelpful customer service representatives? When calmly pointing out our problem seems to instigate annoyance in the person before us, or on the phone, who is there to be of service, what are our options? Getting annoyed doesn't help. And neither does anger, extreme patience, or even common sense.
     The truth is that as customers, we are often mistreated- told we are wrong, that what we want is not possible to do (even if we've done it before), that what clearly is actually is not (the cold coffee is freshly brewed- I just made it)...
     Of course, good customer service exists as well, and is always a pleasure, but when we are faced with difficult people in the service business, what should our strategy be?

I experiment with myriad approaches when dealing with unhelpful people, and hope that by showing them consideration and understanding, that they might respond in kind.

THE POWER OF DECISION

"To decide is to walk facing forward with nary a crick in your neck from looking back at the crossroads." 

~ Betsy C. Garmon ~

The most powerful personal growth that we can experience comes from our making an initial decision- that we will no longer betray ourselves, overeat, lie, settle for less than we deserve, or whatever our decision may be. We have to stop caring so much what other people think, or do, and decide for ourselves what we want and what's best for us. And then, once we know, we can work towards it, doggedly, like a beaver building his dam.

I make the decision to do what it takes to achieve the results that I want.

THE POWER OF LANGUAGE

"Words are flowing out 

Like endless rain into a paper cup

They slither while they pass

They slip away across the universe." 

~ The Beatles ~

Words have power- to hurt, to uplift, to incite, and to soothe. Let's use them wisely, consciously, and with great care.

I choose my words mindfully, knowing that they have a life beyond me.

POOR ME

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will." 

~ Charlotte Bronte~

Allowing our loved ones to be victims around us turns us into victims as well. The poor me attitude spreads like a virus, or worse yet, the plague. We compete for who's got it worse, as if there is some kind of victory in that, and it sinks us both like boats with holes.
     Let's encourage and empower each other instead; being compassionate, and understanding of life's difficulties, but not collapsing under them. Let's lift each other up!  It feels so much better that way, and leads us to the top, and the view, and the glory, and the hope.

At any time, I have the power to change my attitude and my experience of life.

CRISP LIVING

"Politeness is like an air-cushion- there amy be nothing in it, but it wonderfully eases the joltings along the rough road of life." 

~ HW Beecher ~

There is a great lack of integrity in the world- a trend towards carelessness in work and communication, personal habits, customer service, impeccability, loyalty, and the art of being polite. It is such a pleasure when we come across these things, but sadly, more often than not, they seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

I bring integrity and impeccability to all that I do.

BEING FRIENDLY

"Don't wait for people to be friendly. Show them how." 

~ Author Unknown

Being friendly makes us friends. Being friendly builds trust, lightens the burden of life, spreads happiness, and just feels good. So why aren't we friendlier? Why do we scowl and judge and critique others? Why are we so grouchy when we're grouchy? Why do we take our frustration out on innocent others? Why are we downright mean?
     Let's not be. It's a simple decision and a choice. Let's choose to be friendly. We're worth it, and so are the people we encounter every day.

I am friendly and pleasant as I go about the business of my life.

THE NATURAL LEVEL OF THINGS

"Cream rises to the top." 

~ American Idiom ~

Everything finds its level. What is bright and brilliant and makes an opulent impression upon us initially often fades, and sometimes, the very thing we miss on first contact grows and steadies and becomes bright. Or maybe, it was bright all along and we just missed it because we were distracted by all of the noise in our heads, and the attention grabbing nature of flash and bling. But consistency wins out in the end, every time, and the truth will always out, because that's the nature of truth. And this fact, I believe, is no less a law than gravity, or relativity, or the natural progression of summer coming after the spring.

I trust the truth of things to be revealed in the end.

CHURNING TIME

"'Old Times' never come back and I suppose it's just as well." 

~ George F. Woodberry ~

The weeks and weekends come and go so fast. We churn through them like a bush-hog cuts down a field of tall grass. But the grass grows again, just as our days and weeks turn into months and years. The secret, it seems to me, and the pleasure, comes in not living for future goodness, but in appreciating the delicacies, delights and even the dangers du jour.

I needn't anticipate the future. Each day presents opportunity enough.

MORNING DELIGHT

"Through blackest night, morning gently tiptoes, feeling its way to dawn." 

~ Robert Brault ~

I used to be a night-owl, but given the nature of my job the last ten years or so, that's changed. I prefer the morning now, when it's so early that it's still dark. It feels hopeful to me, and fresh; quiet, and pleasantly expectant. Anything could happen in the hours ahead.
     By night, I am worn out and my sharpness fades. It's not the deep sweetness for me that it once was. And I am ok with that. Change is as it should be, and being a morning person now is good in its own kind of sweet way.

I love the fresh possibilities of early morning.

RELATIONSHIP

"Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand." 

~ Emily Kimbrough ~

Everything is relationship- relationship with self, with others, with community, with food and exercise, with habitual patterns, and with God, however we understand God. We can't isolate ourselves from interaction with the world and the things and people of the world without uncomfortable consequences. And this is a good thing, and a blessing, because so much interaction means that help, support and encouragement are always available to us, and a solution to whatever ails us as close as our willingness to reach out.

I claim my part in the dynamic and inter-related human experience.

IRKSOME REALITIES

"Humor is the good natured side of a truth." 

~ Mark Twain ~

Diminishing lanes marked by cones for roadwork make me irritable, as does strong perfume, people giving me advice when I haven't asked for it, being asked to do a favor when my plate is already overfull, and thick humidity that will not quit.

    Deep breathing helps some, as does movement, telling on myself, and the ability to laugh out loud. Life is full of irritants and none of it is personal to me, so I best learn to roll with it or find myself squished instead.

I keep a sense of humor over the small annoyances of life.

THE POWER OF NO

"The art of leadership is saying no." 

~ Tony Blair ~

We do not have to say yes to everything, nor should we. No sets our limits and boundaries and protects us from burnout, resentment, whining, and the curse of martyrdom.

I honor myself whenever I need to by saying no with clarity and confidence.

THE STEW-POT OF LIFE

"There's a reason you were born and a bunch of things you've got to do today regardless." 

~ Robert Brault ~

Sometimes I'm unsure and a good night's sleep gives me clarity. Sometimes my irritability vanishes as soon as my stomach is full. Sometimes I can slow down and experience a moment of quiet and relief, and sometimes I'm just off and no matter what I do, the off-ness remains.
     All is eternally shifting and swaying, rising and falling, ebbing out and ebbing in. Life is an ever-cooking stew-pot of the most unlikely things in perfect balance.

My life is a summer mix of challenges and good things.

THE INEVITABLE

"There is an unseen life that dreams us. It knows our true direction and destiny. We can trust ourselves more than we realize, and we need have no fear of change." 

~ John O'Donohue ~

If something is meant to be, it will be. Light will shine on the path and we will be shown the way. We will hear the resonating idea, and know it on first hearing. If we trust in our calling, it will, inevitably, lead us home.

I know and trust in the timing that presents itself, and the next right step to take.

HOW WE RESPOND

"Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be." 

~ Grandma Moses ~

We can make life as simple or as purpose driven and accomplishment oriented as we choose, but it's important to remember that it is our choice. We are not bludgeoned into goal setting, or battered over the head if we don't pursue our dreams. It's an inner mindset and an external choice that determines our state of focused attention, self-pity, or play.

I take full responsibility for choosing the intensity level of my life.

REALNESS

"Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life." 

~ Steve Jobs ~

Being exactly who we are is the best strategy no matter the situation. Our willingness to be visibly human, vulnerable, and fully fallible gives others a sense of hope and comfort- that they are not alone, that we are all imperfect, and that it's ok to be real. Realness rocks and resonates. Realness is refreshing, and never gets old.

I have the courage to be myself.