The following words were written on the tomb of an Anglican Bishop in the Crypts of Westminster Abbey:
When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.
But it too, seemed immovable.
As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.
And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family.
From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed the world.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Live in Love or Live in Fear
Each day, we make a choice to live in love or be controlled by our ego mind and live in fear. For every situation, we make a choice. We can choose to see the purity of the situation or circumstance surrounding us.
(If you are not receiving the daily email from Marianne Williamson on "A Course in Miracles," you are missing out on some great nuggets)
(If you are not receiving the daily email from Marianne Williamson on "A Course in Miracles," you are missing out on some great nuggets)
Energize Yourself
ENERGIZE YOURSELF
The gift of spiritual alignment. When you consciously align with spiritual principles, you give yourself an opening for transformation.
The magic of alchemy works by aligning with the principles that make up the universe's operating system. Here are examples of how you might apply these universal principles on a daily basis.
The events in my life reflect who I am: I will apply one experience today to myself. Whatever catches my attention is trying to tell me something. If I feel angry at anyone, I will see if what I dislike in the person actually exists in me. If an overheard conversation catches my attention, I will take those words as a personal message. I want to find the world that is inside me.
Whatever I pay attention to will grow: I will take inventory of how I'm using my attention. I will keep a log of how much time I spend with television, video games, the computer, hobbies, gossip, work I don't care about, work I am passionate about, activities that fascinate me, and fantasies of escape or fulfillment. In this way I will find out what aspects of my life are going to grow. Then I will ask, "What do I want to grow in my life?" This will tell me where my attention needs to shift.
At any given moment, the universe is giving me the best results possible: I will concentrate today on the gifts in my life. I will focus on what is working instead of what is not isn't. I will appreciate this world of light and shadow. I will receive with grace the remarkable gift of awareness. I will notice how my own level of awareness makes me perceive the world I am co-creating.
Adapted from The Book of Secrets by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2004).
(Thank you to a friend of mine for Sharon this within a good friend circle)
The gift of spiritual alignment. When you consciously align with spiritual principles, you give yourself an opening for transformation.
The magic of alchemy works by aligning with the principles that make up the universe's operating system. Here are examples of how you might apply these universal principles on a daily basis.
The events in my life reflect who I am: I will apply one experience today to myself. Whatever catches my attention is trying to tell me something. If I feel angry at anyone, I will see if what I dislike in the person actually exists in me. If an overheard conversation catches my attention, I will take those words as a personal message. I want to find the world that is inside me.
Whatever I pay attention to will grow: I will take inventory of how I'm using my attention. I will keep a log of how much time I spend with television, video games, the computer, hobbies, gossip, work I don't care about, work I am passionate about, activities that fascinate me, and fantasies of escape or fulfillment. In this way I will find out what aspects of my life are going to grow. Then I will ask, "What do I want to grow in my life?" This will tell me where my attention needs to shift.
At any given moment, the universe is giving me the best results possible: I will concentrate today on the gifts in my life. I will focus on what is working instead of what is not isn't. I will appreciate this world of light and shadow. I will receive with grace the remarkable gift of awareness. I will notice how my own level of awareness makes me perceive the world I am co-creating.
Adapted from The Book of Secrets by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2004).
(Thank you to a friend of mine for Sharon this within a good friend circle)
A Poem Entitled "Love"
This was written by a guy named Miah, that I met in college; he had written it for a girl that had recently left him. Wherever you are out there in the world, Miah, I hope that she had the opportunity to read this poem.
Love is a slow kiss goodnight. It's anticipation.
Love is flirting outrageously and still remembering that the person at your side is not obligated to do anything. It's respect.
Love is an imperfection in yourself not bothering you. It's acceptance.
Love is passing up an opportunity because the time isn't right yet. It's patience.
Love is a back massage that starts above the hairline and ends around the insoles. It's exploration.
Love is not having to say "Let's make love," because you know what the other person wants. It's understanding.
Love is being given an honest chance to say no when you thought you were committed. It's consideration.
Love is both of you remembering protection. It's responsibility.
Love is saying the perfect phrase to make a solemn embrace dissolve into giggles. It's humor.
Love is being told "Stop and I'll kill you." It's desire.
Love is reviewing the damage to your living room and realizing personal effects are strewn in a clockwise pattern from the front door to the bedroom. It's abandonment.
Love is seeing what your lover really looks like for the first time. It's truth.
Love is knowing what time it is and not caring. It's joy.
Love is the arms around you tightening their embrace. It's ecstasy.
Love is seeing a new side of a person you thought you knew. It's renewal.
Love is telling a person if you have to leave, you will let them sleep, and being told they would rather be woken. It's tenderness.
Love is waking up to find the subject of your dream you were having asleep on your shoulder. It's where fantasy meets reality.
Love is being there to wake your love. Slowly. It's sensuousness.
Love is belatedly knowing why you bothered to buy a queen-sized bed three years ago. It's practicality.
Love is two people only taking up a third of the queen-sized bed. It's closeness.
Love is knowingyou gave the extra set of keys to your apartment to the right person. It's trust.
Love is saying good-by and knowing you will be back by mutual consent. It's faith.
Love is stretching your arms and discovering the real meaning of the word "sore". It's a lesson of human frailty.
Love is opening your medicine cabinet and finding your tube of toothpaste turned into a pretzel. It's adaptation.
Love is sitting at a window, looking out and a remembering who you were with the night before. It's reflection.
Love is hearing the weather forecast for a winter storm and wishing you could spend it in bed with your lover. It's loneliness.
Love is stories that will never be told. It's personal.
Love is a slow kiss goodnight. It's anticipation.
Love is flirting outrageously and still remembering that the person at your side is not obligated to do anything. It's respect.
Love is an imperfection in yourself not bothering you. It's acceptance.
Love is passing up an opportunity because the time isn't right yet. It's patience.
Love is a back massage that starts above the hairline and ends around the insoles. It's exploration.
Love is not having to say "Let's make love," because you know what the other person wants. It's understanding.
Love is being given an honest chance to say no when you thought you were committed. It's consideration.
Love is both of you remembering protection. It's responsibility.
Love is saying the perfect phrase to make a solemn embrace dissolve into giggles. It's humor.
Love is being told "Stop and I'll kill you." It's desire.
Love is reviewing the damage to your living room and realizing personal effects are strewn in a clockwise pattern from the front door to the bedroom. It's abandonment.
Love is seeing what your lover really looks like for the first time. It's truth.
Love is knowing what time it is and not caring. It's joy.
Love is the arms around you tightening their embrace. It's ecstasy.
Love is seeing a new side of a person you thought you knew. It's renewal.
Love is telling a person if you have to leave, you will let them sleep, and being told they would rather be woken. It's tenderness.
Love is waking up to find the subject of your dream you were having asleep on your shoulder. It's where fantasy meets reality.
Love is being there to wake your love. Slowly. It's sensuousness.
Love is belatedly knowing why you bothered to buy a queen-sized bed three years ago. It's practicality.
Love is two people only taking up a third of the queen-sized bed. It's closeness.
Love is knowingyou gave the extra set of keys to your apartment to the right person. It's trust.
Love is saying good-by and knowing you will be back by mutual consent. It's faith.
Love is stretching your arms and discovering the real meaning of the word "sore". It's a lesson of human frailty.
Love is opening your medicine cabinet and finding your tube of toothpaste turned into a pretzel. It's adaptation.
Love is sitting at a window, looking out and a remembering who you were with the night before. It's reflection.
Love is hearing the weather forecast for a winter storm and wishing you could spend it in bed with your lover. It's loneliness.
Love is stories that will never be told. It's personal.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Thoughts from a Friend's Visit to a Church
Simply Stated...
Live Passionately
Love Completely
Learn Humbly
Die Boldly
Don't wait for future moments, be in the now...
Live Passionately
Love Completely
Learn Humbly
Die Boldly
Don't wait for future moments, be in the now...
Friday, August 22, 2008
Missing You
I've been thinking lots of motivational & inspirational things, and I've been collecting some new items to post, but that whole 'life' thing keeps getting in the way of me getting on the computer to just sit and type away. I'll be back soon with more thoughts, quotes, books and more...
check back soon
check back soon
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Dynamics of Leadership & Authority
A few years ago during my senior year of college, I participated in an experiential learning weekend on the Dyanamics of Leadership & Authority in Organizations.
Talk about a unique experience being one of the youngest individuals out of 30-40 participants over the course of the weekend. I remember it began with us being broken up into groups and placed in a room with chairs in a circle. There were to be 2 facilitators coming in, so we left 2 chairs vacant for them; when they walked in, they said nothing. That's how it all began...two days of mind-spinning, spiraling, thought-provoking discussion. It's so hard to even explain that experience. Why those two chairs were left open? How to respond to the 'expected leaders' not speaking? When faced with a group of different experiences, different ages, patterns emerge.
But here's what I got out of the experience that I wanted to share.
I look at these notes now, and I find that these comments that had such meaning for me then take on even more depth and color NOW.
Not everything is planned or controlled. There cannot always be a plan, an agenda.
We all have patches of a quilt; we just need to sew together the pieces.
Size of the group is very important.
Is there such a need for inclusion that any role will do?
I don't like being excluded. Why do that to others?
I cannot evaluate/judge because I don't want someone to do that to me.
We are all fearful of evaluation, that we close ourselves off from intimacy.
What I say is valid and worth listening to.
I am worthy to be in a group. I have something to share, and I will be open to say it.
I want to add something profound.
If a group decides how I feel, often I have authorized them to do so, and they hold the power.
Do I like being spoken for? Why speak for another?
Just because an individual does not verbally voice an opinion does not invalidate that opinion.
Silence is power if the silence is recognized.
Silence can help process thoughts.
The connect, do we break some eggshells or suffer in silence.
No matter what, a power struggle always exists. Even if it's only you.
How do we delay discomfort? How do we arrange ourselves?
Being an authority is a mixed burden. Attraction & Repulsion.
How effective is a group of leaders if no one will follow?
Special relationships can help & hurt a group.
When you take a risk, you must be open to being criticized for it.
How can I learn without taking a risk?
It's about learning.
I don't want to withdraw from college before I leave college.
The last thought had to do with the realization of being present. I was rushing to be done and move to onto the next step of my life, but I realized I needed to embrace now. I learned more about risk and being okay with it. I learned more about group dynamics and that just because someone was silent, it didn't mean he/she didn't have something brillant to add to the discussion. I remember feeling so intimidated in the surroundings; I was younger and less life experienced. I have so often let my ego take control, and I've felt inferior. That is where those comments on having a voice and giving other power sparked from. It's taken awhile to let go of that ego voice and just let it be with all people. It was an intense experience that for a very long time I couldn't put into words. I remember coming home those two evenings (late) and not even being able to talk to my friends; my brain was fried, and I was exhausted. I couldn't even explain the experience, so I just withdrew to contemplate the day's events and get some sleep.
It was a great weekend, and I do hope that I will be able to participate in an experiential weekend again.
Talk about a unique experience being one of the youngest individuals out of 30-40 participants over the course of the weekend. I remember it began with us being broken up into groups and placed in a room with chairs in a circle. There were to be 2 facilitators coming in, so we left 2 chairs vacant for them; when they walked in, they said nothing. That's how it all began...two days of mind-spinning, spiraling, thought-provoking discussion. It's so hard to even explain that experience. Why those two chairs were left open? How to respond to the 'expected leaders' not speaking? When faced with a group of different experiences, different ages, patterns emerge.
But here's what I got out of the experience that I wanted to share.
I look at these notes now, and I find that these comments that had such meaning for me then take on even more depth and color NOW.
Not everything is planned or controlled. There cannot always be a plan, an agenda.
We all have patches of a quilt; we just need to sew together the pieces.
Size of the group is very important.
Is there such a need for inclusion that any role will do?
I don't like being excluded. Why do that to others?
I cannot evaluate/judge because I don't want someone to do that to me.
We are all fearful of evaluation, that we close ourselves off from intimacy.
What I say is valid and worth listening to.
I am worthy to be in a group. I have something to share, and I will be open to say it.
I want to add something profound.
If a group decides how I feel, often I have authorized them to do so, and they hold the power.
Do I like being spoken for? Why speak for another?
Just because an individual does not verbally voice an opinion does not invalidate that opinion.
Silence is power if the silence is recognized.
Silence can help process thoughts.
The connect, do we break some eggshells or suffer in silence.
No matter what, a power struggle always exists. Even if it's only you.
How do we delay discomfort? How do we arrange ourselves?
Being an authority is a mixed burden. Attraction & Repulsion.
How effective is a group of leaders if no one will follow?
Special relationships can help & hurt a group.
When you take a risk, you must be open to being criticized for it.
How can I learn without taking a risk?
It's about learning.
I don't want to withdraw from college before I leave college.
The last thought had to do with the realization of being present. I was rushing to be done and move to onto the next step of my life, but I realized I needed to embrace now. I learned more about risk and being okay with it. I learned more about group dynamics and that just because someone was silent, it didn't mean he/she didn't have something brillant to add to the discussion. I remember feeling so intimidated in the surroundings; I was younger and less life experienced. I have so often let my ego take control, and I've felt inferior. That is where those comments on having a voice and giving other power sparked from. It's taken awhile to let go of that ego voice and just let it be with all people. It was an intense experience that for a very long time I couldn't put into words. I remember coming home those two evenings (late) and not even being able to talk to my friends; my brain was fried, and I was exhausted. I couldn't even explain the experience, so I just withdrew to contemplate the day's events and get some sleep.
It was a great weekend, and I do hope that I will be able to participate in an experiential weekend again.
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