WAXING POETIC

Love is awake and aware, never scared, prepared;
Full of care and fairness.
Bare your heart and mind, be kind, learn to unwind,
And take your time.
Bestow hope, avoid dope, and find a way to cope
With life the way it is.
Because it doesn't get any better than this.

I look to this day with joy!

:)

CRUELTY

     It always surprises me when people are cruel. Most of the individuals I interact with are fairly reasonable, and gracious more often than not- thoughtful, and fundamentally kind. But occasionally, I find myself at the receiving end of someone's emotional whip. They lash me on purpose, and it hurts.
     But beyond the hurt, I have great compassion for those who are cruel. It seems sad to me that they should feel the need to be so vindictive. I lick my wounds and send out blessings, and remind myself that cruelty happens, and I can get caught in its cross-fire, which is no fun. So I better keep a look-out, and whenever possible, stay out of the way.

I send out armies of compassion to transmute barbs of cruelty.

THE LOTTERY

     It's an interesting and entertaining exercise to consider what we would do if we won the lottery and suddenly had access to unlimited funds. Would we buy things? Would we buy big things, little things, jewelry? Gifts for others? Would we invest the money? Would we give it away? Take a trip? Do we think it would solve our problems? Would we move? Live in a different sort of house and neighborhood? Drive a different car?
     To my mind, these are provocative questions, and the honest answers teach me something about myself. I seem to think that winning the lottery would give me some kind of guaranteed security, and that I would be insulated from stress as well... because so much of my stress is related to money and never seeming to have quite enough of it, and paying bills, and groceries, and the expense of unexpected things that break down and have to be fixed. But if I'm honest, I know that having oodles of money just changes the playing field. It doesn't end the game.
     Whether we win the lottery or not, life will still challenge us. Life is still life whether we are rich, or poor, fat, or thin, tall, or short, healthy and robust, or in chronic physical pain. We are here to grow and learn and experience the ride. Nothing external, not even a winning lottery ticket, will guarantee our happiness. No matter what we have or don't have, happiness is ultimately and forever an inside job.

If I can't be happy without winning the lottery, I will never be happy winning it. Happiness is a state of being and not a dollar amount in the bank.

FATHERS

     A salute to all of the good fathers out there! Thank you for being loving and encouraging, patient, and supportive. Thank you for your guidance and your groundedness, your broad shoulders, and your ability to forgive the foolishness of youth.
     Let's celebrate the nobility and generosity of good fathers, with their twinkling humor, and their kind hearts! And to all of those fathers who are not so kind and forgiving, and those who have abandoned their children, and abused them, and been less than generous, let's feel grateful anyway. We thank you for the gift of life!
     Blessings to all the fathers of the world! We celebrate you! We accept and appreciate you for all that you are, and all that you are not.

I am grateful for my father in spite of his shortcomings. I have shortcomings of my own.

LOOSE ENDS

       I am not a fan of loose ends. And it's easy for me to over-think a problem trying to solve it so I can tie up the end. I chew on it like a dog and his bone. But there comes a point at which I have to stop; where my fretting is actually working against me, and I become further from a solution than ever by trying too hard to figure one out.
     I have to free up the energy around the situation by turning my attention elsewhere. I have to let the problem breathe, and then return to it fresh. The answer always comes, but not by my insisting upon it- more often by my absolute willingness to let it go.

I cannot get what I want by grabbing for it. I have to sit back and call it gently to me. I have to let it come of its own accord.

MAKING CHOICES

     Nobody likes to be told what to do. Someone else dictating to us what's best, or what we need, or what we should do, is distasteful. The rebel in most of us rises up to rail against the suggested imposition.
     We want it to be our idea. We want the credit and the sense of satisfaction that comes from the autonomy of choosing. And we would usually rather choose the wrong thing on our own steam than choose the right thing by force. Sometimes, in fact, we make a decision to choose the wrong thing intentionally simply to prove that it's our right to do so.
     When dealing with people, let's eliminate the words, "You should..." and replace them with "You could..." Let's not impose our will and our strong opinions all over the people in our lives. Let's honor their autonomy by presenting the facts and sharing our thoughts and suggestions, but leaving the decision making completely in their hands.
     To feel fully alive, we all need to make our own choices. If we let others choose for us, we give away our power. If we think others know better than we do what is the right thing, we deplete our inner resources and dishonor our guides.  I believe we are drawn to our lessons, and that sometimes, we actually need to make the choice that appears wrong to others so that we can have the opportunity to learn the exact lesson that is right... for us.

I gather opinions, but I decide for myself, and encourage others to do the same.

A STAB AT CONTROL

     We spend so much time trying to solve potential problems. We imagine the possible scenarios and have an answer for each one. But inevitably, it is the thing that hasn't even crossed our mind that actually happens. Our strategic plans are abandoned by the wayside as we face whatever has come.
     Let's work on quieting our minds when they take us into future crises. Let's pull ourselves gently back to the present moment and reassure ourselves in the here and now. What's right in front of us is our responsibility- not some fantasy drama from next month, or next year.
     We can't possibly know about the future so why do we try? I think it's our way to feel as if we have control over what is unknown and out there, and all of the possibilities that scare us now, or might scare us then... We create a reality where there is none, and make ourselves problem-solving heroes in the imaginary future. We try to guarantee our own safety.
     But the only real safety is right where we are. In this moment, in every moment, we are equal to whatever may befall.

I stop solving problems that don't even exist yet. I stay in the moment and experience peace.