thinking

Thinking Out Loud ~ Waiting With Patient Expectations

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Good Things are Coming Your Way

Saint-Exupéry in writes in The Little Prince, “The little prince, who watched the installation of a huge button, felt that he would get a miraculous appearance, but the flower did not finish preparing to become beautiful, sheltered in its green room. It chose with care its colors. It got dressed slowly, it adjusted one by one its petals. It did not want to come out all wrinkles like the poppies. It didn’t want to appear in the full radiance of its beauty. . . . And then, in one morning, precisely at the time of the rising of the sun, it showed up.”

NOTE: Have you ever wanted something so badly you felt as if what you wanted wouldn’t happen? I think we’ve all had that experience. It’s easy to begin to believe that it will not happen, it wasn’t meant for us, and to push our wishes and dreams aside. What if we wait with patient expectations? Then, like the little prince, we shall see our flower arriving at the precise time it was meant to arrive.

Thinking Out Loud ~ Love is the Passport

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The Silent Presence of a Friend is All

Saint-Exupéry in writes in The Little Prince, “He could not say anything else. He burst suddenly into sobs. Night had fallen. I dropped my tools. . . . I took him in my arms. I cradled him. . . . I did not know what else to say. I felt very awkward. I didn’t know how to reach it, where to find it . . . it’s so mysterious. The country of tears!”

NOTE: It’s not easy to console a friend when they are beset with grief, when they are crying uncontrollably. The country of tears is far beyond our reach. A friend told me, “Ray, depending on the weather all you do is shiver or sweat.” His words had an impact on me. Words are not necessary. One’s presence is what matters. Holding another’s hand or embracing another when they are overflowing with sorrow matters. Love is the only passport into the country of tears.

Thinking Out Loud ~ Setting Aside Biases

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Looking Beyond Appearances

Saint-Exupéry in writes in The Little Prince, “I have serious reasons to believe that the planet where the little Prince came from is asteroid B-612. This asteroid was seen only once through the telescope, in 1909, by a Turkish astronomer. Then, he made a great demonstration of his discovery at an international Congress of astronomy. However, nobody believed him because of his costume. The grown-ups are like that. Fortunately, for the reputation of asteroid B-612, a Turkish dictator imposed on his people on pain of death, to dress like the Europeans. The astronomer remade his demonstration in 1920, in a very elegant garment. And this time, everybody accepted his opinion.”

NOTE: It is easy to judge people based on their appearance. If someone appears to be different from us we often allow our biases to rule over our reason. When we look beyond appearances and into the person we find something all together different. We discover someone much like ourselves. It’s better to set aside judgments and listen. We may learn something.

Thinking Out Loud ~ It Takes Time Understand Others

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Listening Reveals New Discoveries

Saint-Exupéry in writes in The Little Prince, “and that is How I Met the little prince. It took me a long time to understand from where he came. The little prince, who asked me a lot of questions never seemed to understand mine. The words spoken by chance, little by little, are the ones revealing me everything.

NOTE: When we meet someone new it takes time for us to get to know them. We can only get to know the new person we meet if we are more interested in him or her than we are in ourselves. The more we move out of ourselves toward the other the more we learn about the other allowing us to discover the treasures this new person holds. When we listen to another, the other will reveal himself or herself to us as trust builds.

Thinking Out Loud ~ Dare To Take The Adventure

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Free the Child Within

Beginning today I am reflecting on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s work, The Little Prince. The Little Prince is a modern classic.

Saint-Exupéry in writes in The Little Prince, “I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups and I asked them if my drawing frightened them.  They answered: “Why should anyone be frightened by a hat?” My drawing did not represent the hat. It represented a boa snake that digested an elephant. Then I drew the inside of a boa snake so that the grown-ups could understand. They always need explanations. The grown-ups advised me to put aside the drawings of open or closed boa snakes, and to become rather interested in geography, history, calculation, and grammar. That is how I gave up, at the age of 6, a magnificent career as a painter. I had been discouraged by the failure of my drawings . . . The grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and, for children, it’s tiresome always giving them some explanations.”

NOTE: How many of us have been discouraged by “grownups” when we were younger. They saw the world through their fearful eyes and not through the eyes of an adventurous youth. No matter your age, open the door to the child within and dare to go on the marvelous journey you always wanted to take.

Thinking Out Loud ~ Voting is a Right and Responsibility

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One Vote Can Make a Difference

Margaret Atwood in her commencement speech writes, “If enough people show by the issues they raise and by the way they’re willing to vote that they want changes made, then change becomes possible. You may not be able to alter reality, but you can alter your attitude towards it, and this, paradoxically, alters reality.”

Margaret Atwood’s commencement speech is available here.

NOTE: Voting is both a duty and a right in a democracy. When we vote we are saying, “I think that this man or woman will best serve our community or nation.” When we do not carry out our duty and responsibility to vote we leave the choice in the hands of others. We forfeit our great right. One vote doesn’t seem like much; when it is added to the votes of others it can make a great difference. If we commit ourselves to working for candidates we feel will make a positive difference we can alter reality. Things do not have to stay as they are. Things can become better.

Thinking Out Loud ~ Choose to Live

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We Always Have a Choice

Today I reflect on Margaret Atwood’s commencement speech at the University of Toronto. Ms. Atwood is a Canadian author, poet, and environmental activist.

Margaret Atwood, in her commencement speech, writes, “When faced with the inevitable, you always have a choice. You may not be able to alter reality, but you can alter your attitude towards it.”

Margaret Atwood’s commencement speech is available here.

NOTE: I am writing this post on August 19th. It is the anniversary day of my wife’s death. She suffered from stage 4 glioblastoma. I knew she was going to die but I held out hope, no matter how small, that she would surprise all of her doctors. When she died I was faced with the inevitable. I had a choice falling into a deep depression or somehow clawing my way through my deep state of grieving and discovering how to live again. Each morning I promised myself that I would prove to my five daughters that I could make it on my own. I wanted it to be strong for them. I knew that someday they too will have to face the same challenge. Holding on to that meaning got me through. When faced with the inevitable, where you can’t change reality, choose to live.

Thinking Out Loud ~ Do You Dare to Dream?

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Great Achievements Begin with a Dream

James Allen in his book, As a Man Thinketh, writes, “The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.” P. 44

As a Man Thinketh is available online at gutenberg.org under the Harvard Classics.

NOTE: Do you dare to dream? Do you dare to dream a great big dream? Do you feel yourself worthy to have your dream come true? What if the greatest dream you had for yourself came true in this moment? How would you feel? How would your life be different? The first thing you can do to make your dream become reality is to take the first step. The first steps in reaching for our dream are never easy because they are associated with a learning curve. Sometimes the learning curve is steep. That’s where many people fail. They allow the learning curve to tell them that it’s too hard, too difficult, too steep. Those who achieve their dreams keep on pushing, keep on learning, and eventually succeed. It’s up to you.

Thinking Out Loud ~ How Much are you Willing to Sacrifice?

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Great Achievements come from Great Sacrifices

James Allen in his book, As a Man Thinketh, writes, “He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.” P. 42

As a Man Thinketh is available online at gutenberg.org under the Harvard Classics.

NOTE: Think of a time in your life when you achieved something you wanted so badly you could almost taste it. What did you sacrifice to achieve your goal? I felt this way about wanting to earn my doctorate. I had to maintain a full-time job to support my family and so my family and I sacrificed the time we normally spent together so I could achieve my goal. The sacrifice, as it was in my case, is often shared by those who are close to us. When we have a lofty goal, we have to ask ourselves, “How much and what am I willing to sacrifice to achieve this goal.” Great accomplishments come from great sacrifices.

Thinking Out loud ~ Happiness is Contagious

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Let Your Shine Brighten the World

James Allen in his book, As a Man Thinketh, writes, “There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with goodwill for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self-made prison-hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all—such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor.” Pps. 32-33

As a Man Thinketh is available online at gutenberg.org under the Harvard Classics.

NOTE: I’ve read if you’re in a poor mood and force yourself to smile and continue to smile your mood changes. You can’t be in a bad mood if you’re smiling. There is a lot of truth to that saying. Turn on TV. Watch any of the news programs and count how many people you see smiling and happy. They all look unhappy to me. It could be because of the news they’re reporting, the stress they’re under, or the people they work with. Unhappiness is as contagious as COVID. I also believe that happiness is equally contagious. One of the best ways to remain in an upbeat, optimistic, and happy mood is to surround ourselves with like people. Sunshine suddenly flows into our lives.

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