I voted today. It was a school board election. I never pass up an opportunity to vote. Voting is both a right and a privilege. My candidates don’t always win. At least my voice will be heard through my vote. When we vote, we are casting a vote for our preferred candidate(s) and we are simultaneously casting (though not counted) a vote for democracy. When the opportunity presents itself to you, vote. Exercise your human right to express your voice for the candidate(s) of your choice. The right to vote is too precious to ignore.
Thoughts
Today’s Thought: Walk Away from the Drama
Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
I sleep well. I get my seven to eight hours each night. I dream a lot. Most dreams I don’t recall. I rarely have a dream where I wake up and wonder how I’ll go back to sleep. I think one reason I sleep well is that I work at staying away from the drama. Drama comes in all shapes and sizes. The digital news pours it on non stop. People who have drama in their lives like to unload it on anyone who’s close by. Stay away from those folks. I was talking to a guy the other day and he wanted to talk about politics. He’s a nice guy when he’s not into the political thing. I told him I was leaving the conversation because I valued being at peace more than I valued continuing the political discussion with him. I’ve learned that it’s okay to walk away from drama-filled situations. If you can reduce the times and the types of people who fill the room with drama, you’ll find yourself much happier.
Today’s Thought: We Are Free to Choose
“I am not what happens to me. I choose who I become.” ― Carl Jung
Early in my academic career I researched alienation. One of the attribute of feeling alienated is a sense of powerlessness. It is the sense that no matter what I do I can not make a difference or influence something or someone to change. When we buy into a sense of powerlessness we move toward apathy. We fail to get involved. We give up. Healthy human beings understand that life is a struggle. They understand that choices must be made and that there is always something one can do if one wants to act. We don’t have to be powerless. We can choose to get engaged in life. We might fail. We might succeed. It is through our engagement in life that we begin to realize our full potential.
Today’s Thought: Keep Pushing
You just keep pushing. You just keep pushing. I made every mistake that could be made. But I just kept pushing. ~ Rene Descartes
One big difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is that those who succeed don’t quit. In Descartes words, “They keep pushing.” Failure after failure may hit us, we fail only if we refuse to to try one more time. Who knows we may get the dream we desire. Even if we do not get the dream we were chasing, we’ll know we left it all on the table. When we go all in we eliminate regret. We eliminate excuses. There’s no guarantee success will happen, but there is a guarantee it will not happen if we stop pushing.
Today’s Thought: Possibilities Overflow for Us
“Every moment is a new beginning.” ~ Elie Wiesel
Every moment is new to us. Whatever just happened is over. It’s new all over again. When we experience new, we are given a chance to begin again. When we experience new, we are no longer prisoners to what was. Holding on to the past is a fallacy in the same way waiting for something without putting in the effort to make it happen or acquire it isa fallacy. We’ll have enough challenges with our encounter with the new, no sense in taking all the challenges, hurts, and betrayals from the past along for the ride. Holding onto grudges and grievances sucks the energy out of the new we encounter. The new we encounter overflows with possibilities for us.
Today’s Thought: It Amazes Me
Some things amaze me. Driving through the city is one of the things that amazes me. Each day when I’m driving, the overwhelming majority of people are driving safely. For the most part, there are no police around. How amazing is this? People stop at red lights. People let those in crosswalks cross the street. Yes, there are stories of road rage, and we all see people running a red light. Most of the time, we’re working together to safely get to where we want to go. It’s one of the things we take for granted, but it is a big deal. It illustrates that when we care for each other life becomes less stressful.
Today’s Thought: Enjoy Every Moment
I write this post on a Sunday morning. A series of thunderstorms passed through this morning bringing torrential rains with them. It was pouring rain when I parked my car in the church parking lot and headed into mass. A mom and dad and their two girls and a boy were trailing behind me as we walked through the pouring rain toward the church. I had my rainwear on. The family behind me had no rain gear. The kids were laughing and having a wonderful time walking in the downpour. I was sure they’d prefer playing in the rain instead of going into church. They made me smile and reminded me to enjoy every moment today whether it’s raining or sunny.
Today’s Thought: Don’t Be Conned
The media tells some stories, it does not tell all the stories. It provides a small glimpse into our world. When someone provides fake news all we’re getting is a glimpse into that person’s mind and the biases and demons that exist within that mind. If we don’t want to be conned, we have to dig for the truth. I won’t read news reports that have the words, “could, might, or may in the headlines. Those articles are speculative and the author is no closer to knowing what “might” happen than you and I. Be wise. Be vigilant. Be informed.
Today’s Thought: There’s Always a Chance
Last evening I was watching a thriller on TV. During one scene, a frightened man says to the protagonist, “Were done for, it’s all over.” The protagonist responds, “No. You don’t know that.” The protagonist’s comment struck me as profound. He was spot on. Even though the odds may seem stacked against us, we don’t know what lies ahead. All we have is this moment, our mind, and a skill set. If we don’t quit, if we keep doing all that we can do, we can turn the odds in our favor. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but what we do today can greatly influence what tomorrow brings.
Today’s Poem: Because one calls, a poem by Yagi Jukichi
Because one calls
Yagi Jukichi
Because one calls,
Something appears.
Because one does not call,
Something disappears.
