AUTHENTIC POWER

"Put your creed into your deed."

~ R.W. Emerson ~

Authenticity is profound power- the power to inspire, encourage, comfort, and lead. Lacking pretense, we are a beacon for others: to be natural, be sincere, and be exactly who we are.
     But authenticity is more challenging than it might seem. In our modern era of success defined by materialism and egos enlarged, being authentic requires great courage. Nonetheless, for the risk it takes, the reward is tenfold.

I boldly share my authentic self with the world.

LANE ENDS, MERGE LEFT

"Natives who beat drums to drive off evil spirits are objects of scorn to smart Americans who blow horns to break up traffic jams."

~ Mary Ellen Kelly ~

A road construction bumper-to-bumper traffic jam is a bitter pill to swallow. And yet, it happens.
     I find I can be patient for so long, and then my hamstring starts to lock up and I get restless and impatient and feel like enough is enough and get me out of here. But there's no getting out. There's only getting through. Isn't that always the way?

I accept that life has construction zones, and sometimes I am forced to slow down.

CONSIDERING THE RAIN

"Let the rain sing you a lullaby."

~Langston Hughes ~

Lasting rain creates its own kind of symphony: rain on the roof, rain on the windshield, road spray, wiper blades, gutters that drip. And I always find rain rather humbling as well- the way it just falls and falls and falls until it stops.
     It can be cozy or dreary depending on our outlook and what we have to do, and it can soak in or be sloppy overkill. But whatever else it might be, the rain is a gift: fresh clean water falling all over us from the sky.

I am grateful for the rain even if it interferes with my plans.

FORWARD MOTION

"Life is a commitment. You have to commit to something."

~ Vasant Patel ~

 

We are so afraid of unknown outcomes that we would often prefer to do nothing than to take a risk, even if it's a calculated one. And yet, we end up living in a kind of wish-wash that way, instead of clearly proceeding in a particular direction.

     Moving towards something gives our lives direction and purpose, and although we push off and head out, we can always re-chart our course. Nothing is absolute and there's not much that's guaranteed, but forward motion keeps us going, and gives us something to wake up for and work towards, and in this way, our commitment to progress enriches our lives.

 

I courageously move forward in life, even though I can never be entirely sure where the path may lead.

TRAVELING THE WORLD

"Change of place imparts new vigor to the mind."

~ Seneca ~

 

We don't have to travel far to have an international experience. We can go to a Chinese spa, an Indian movie, a French restaurant, and a Mexican grocery store, and each of these is authentic in its own way. We get the flavor and the feeling- the language, the colors, and the foreign point-of-view.

     I appreciate that. I love other cultures. All of the customs and attitudes fascinate me and enrich my world. So when I get a hankering to travel, I have only to seek out the right local spot, and I can get my fix and expand my world- right here... in my own backyard.

I enjoy the rich international heritage that is the modern global culture.

THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING

"Love is not consolation. It is light."

~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~

Love is the answer to every question that we have, but it doesn't translate well. It's easily misinterpreted as sex, romance, obsession, and need. But all it really is is gentle and kind, compassionate and warm, allowing, forgiving, and ever at ease.

Love is the answer. What's the question?

CRITTER COMFORT

"It is never too late to have a happy childhood."

~ Tom Robbins ~

I loved stuffed animals when I was a girl. They were my closest friends and confidants. I could tell them things and share myself with them in a way that I could not with living humans. And every once in a while, even as an adult, I come across one that warms my heart and carries me back to that original stuffed animal feeling of love, comfort, and the surety that everything is, and always will be, absolutely ok.

In the right circumstances, a stuffed animal can make a pretty good friend.