THE IMPACT WE HAVE

"Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn at no other." 

~ Edmund Burke ~

We don't realize who we touch or how we touch them- of the impact that we have and the memories we create. In some ways, we are not nearly as important as we think we are, and in other ways, we are hugely moreso.
     Our energy affects those we encounter, for good or ill, and so do our words and our actions. So let's be mindful of that as we move about, and be our best self, whatever that looks like on any given day.

I behave mindfully, knowing that what I do affects those I encounter.

PLAN AND PURPOSE

"Do you see O my brothers and sisters?

It is not chaos or death- it is form, union, plan- it is eternal life- it is Happiness." 

~ Walt Whitman ~

We learn through difficulty, and challenge strengthens us, so we need not worry or have regrets. All that happens is designed to enlarge us.

I trust my path.

WHAT WE CANNOT KNOW

"Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be." 

~ Thomas a' Kempis ~

I think it's more helpful to be loving and compassionate with others than it is to tell them what they should do to fix themselves. We make our suggestions helpfully and hopefully, as if we are the sudden light in their dark situation. We enthusiastically report how our solution has worked for us, or for our neighbor, or for our distant friend. But feeling sure that it will work for the person in front of us who is suffering, without knowing anything really about their particular situation, is arrogant of us. How can we know without having walked a mile in their shoes?
     Let's give people the dignity of having done their homework and paid their dues, of knowing more about their own struggles and ailments that they have lived with for years than we can possibly know or even begin to understand in a five minute conversation. Let's back off of our helpful suggestions, and simply listen and send love instead.

I share my experience and compassion with others, but don't peddle quick-fix solutions.  

ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER

"With arms outstretched I thank...

With spirit full I live." 

~ Terri Guillemets ~

I love to learn. I love educating myself about all kinds of subjects that interest me. I love expanding my horizons, exploring the world, and opening my mind. I love opening my heart as well. I love the swell of compassion, the tender touch of kindness, the look of empathetic understanding, and the way it feels to do right by others.
     I love sunshine, moonlight, stars, and foggy mist. I love movement and being still. I love the variability of life and the fact that I never really know what unexpected happening might come my way. I love friendship and generosity. I love courtesy, enthusiasm, intellect, courage, passion, and feeling blessed.

When I consider the things that I love in my life, I feel full-up and super-grateful. 

FREE FROM TRAPPINGS

"You are the sky." 

~ Pema Chodron ~

Who are we without our trappings? Without our jobs, our income, our possessions, and all of our identifying stuff? What gives us value? Is it what we produce or who we are? And if it's who we are, then who are we?
     Reduced in this way, in my opinion, we are pure potential, clear light, and everlasting love. So the goal, and the purpose of our being here at all, also in my opinion, is to be these things in spite of our trappings, and not because of them.

I am more than what I do and the things that I own. I open my heart to embrace my true nature.

THE SNOW EFFECT

"The simplicity of winter has a deep moral. The return of Nature, after such a career of splendor and prodigality, to habits so simple and austere, is not lost either upon the head or the heart. It is the philosopher coming back from the banquet and the wine to a cup of water and a crust of bread." 

~ John Burroughs ~

One thing about the snow- it's quiet. It softens the earth and stills the noise that whirs around us all of the time that we don't even notice until it's gone. Ours is a loud world. We are busy, active, and ever on the move.
     But the snow falls and accumulates and snugs people up inside together. It keeps us off the roads and slows us down. Sure, we burst out into it for shoveling and romping- the mere experience of going outdoors being a new kind of adventure all its own- but we return to shelter, and warmth. It's a return to what's essential really, and refreshing in that way: survival.
     As we buzz about our lives, we so readily lose track of what matters. We tend to be reckless with ourselves. As human beings, we are resilient, yet fragile, but we forget our vulnerability in the day to day action of our lives and convince ourselves that we have more control than we think. The snow is a great equalizer. Ultimately, it restores us to grace.

I remember how small I am in the face of Nature, and feel grateful for my home to keep me safe and warm.

MAYBE YES, MAYBE NO

"I dwell in possibility." 

~Emily Dickinson ~

I think we never know for sure what's going to be hardship and what's going to be blessing in our lives. We think we do, and respond accordingly when new information comes our way, but so often, we are wrong. A prospective life partner might turn out to be a thief, or worse, and a diagnosis of cancer could lead us to spiritual awakening. So rather than always being so certain about what things mean, let's live in the space of "don't know," and allow things to come and go as they will.

I catch myself making assumptions about the way things are going to be- whether for the good or bad- and remain curious and hopeful instead. I am often blessed by the very thing that I thought had come to curse me.