Yesterday I went for a walk in a nearby park. The trails cut through pristine land. It’s filled with cactus, yucca, and all kinds of snakes and animals. The signs don’t mention insects, but they’re plenty around. I avoid fire ants. It’s an experience you don’t want. It happened to me once in my yard and within seconds I had 40 bites. They hurt and when the hurting was over, they decided to itch for a couple of weeks. Yesterday I didn’t see any wild animals or snakes but I did see a caterpillar. It was about 4 inches long (10;1 cm). It was black with red and yellow markings. A nearby sign warned about them saying they were highly poisonous. I enjoyed my walk and by avoiding what could hurt me, I came home with good memories and several photos. The same is true in life. When we avoid what isn’t positively contributing to our mental, emotional, and spiritual health we live a happier life.
thought
Today’s Thought: Owning Up is a Sign of Strength
There’s always time. . .to own up to things you’re ashamed of, to change them. There’s always time to start. And I think the starting is the most important thing. It takes courage. It takes a lot more courage than any vain feat of arms, let me tell you. It takes a lifetime to become a fool, and only a moment to begin to become wise. ~ Peter Danielson
Owning up to things that one has done wrong, failed, or hurt someone is the foundation to the 12-step programs. It takes courage to admit one is addicted. It takes courage to admit to others when it is one’s fault. Owning up is opposite of the much of the spin we see on news shows or read in the digital media. Instead, we hear convoluted explanations, denials, and lies. Rarely do we hear, “Yes, I did it. I was wrong. Forgive me.” Admission is seen as a sign of weakness. It is not weakness, it is a display of personal strength, courage, and commitment to right the wrong.
Today’s Thought: The Coyotes Were Howling
Early this morning I stepped outside my home. It was still dark. The air was humid and held the promise of a hot south Texas day. There’s a greenway not too far from my home. Close by on the greenway a pack of coyotes was howling. They were in fine tune creating quite a discordant racquet. I recorded their screeching and shared it with friends. The coyotes reminded me of my species when we don’t listen to each other and compete to see who gets to talk. It doesn’t matter if more than one person is speaking at a time, no one is listening. Perhaps one day we’ll start listening to each other and figuring out the challenges we all face.
Today’s Thought: It’s Time for the Adventure
To reach a port we must sail, sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it. But we must not drift or lie at anchor. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
It feels safe to stay within the confines of what one knows and has experience. The irony is that staying within one’s perceived safety zone is no more safe than stepping out of the safety zone on a risk taking adventure. At one point in my career I was working in a community situated near a large military base. The government announced it was closing the base. Many of the civilian workers on the base refused to believe it would happen. They did not want to move out of their community. They did not want to look for a new job. When the base closed they were left scrambling for work or relocating. When we forego the notion that staying is safer than leaving we open ourselves to a world of wonderful adventures. The adventure may take you to a place you recognize as your destiny.
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: 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 Thought: Who Do You Know?
How many of your neighbors do you know? I grew up in a cold water flat tenement building by the railroad tracks. One thing the neighborhood had going for it was that each of the floors in the tenement buildings on the street had a porch. People strung clotheslines from the porch and hung out clothes to dry in the summer and freeze solid in the winter. On summer evenings people would sit on the porches and chat with neighbors in adjoining buildings or passing by on the sidewalk. Everybody knew everybody. That’s gone now. If we’re not careful we’ll live in nice homes and apartment buildings surrounded by lots of people yet knowing few. It takes courage and effort to connect with neighbors, to learn their name, and to stop and chat with them for a moment or two. Connected people have each other’s back.
Today’s Thought: Things That Matter
The easy way is usually the wrong way. At least that’s been my experience. At lot of it depends on what will satisfy us. I’ve seen talented people stop and their talent is essentially untapped. They didn’t realize that the easy way is usually the wrong way. The things that matter require certain things from us: Commitment, hard work, discipline, endurance, and a firm belief that what we’re pursuing is worthwhile. Things that matter don’t come easy, we have to work for them.
Today’s Thought: Your Smile Carries a Beautiful Message
“It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald
I’m not sure if we’re losing the ability to smile. Maybe we’re so fearful and distrustful of each other that we think smiling is a sign of weakness. Most people I see are in a rush to get to somewhere, talking on their smart phones and gesturing with their free hand. They walk purposefully with a game face on that says “don’t mess with me.” Smiling is a simple gesture that sends a text message from the heart to a momentary encounter with another person. A warm smile lets someone know the world is a friendly place. It lets the other person know that someone (the person offering the smile) recognizes they (the person receiving the smile) exists. The person offering the smile receives as much benefit as the person receiving the smile.
Today’s Thought: No Regrets
‘Cause I’ll never know ’til it’s over
If I’m right or I’m wrong loving you
But I’d rather be sorry for something I’ve done
Than for something that I didn’t do (Lyrics from I’d Rather Be Sorry by Kris Kristofferson)
NOTE: Great opportunities may lie in front of us. We hesitate to take them. We’re not sure if we’ll be successful. We’re not sure if it is a good move. Were not sure . . . So, we don’t take the leap. We’re left wondering what would have happened if we dared to take the opportunity. Not taking the leap is a sure-fire way to live a life filled with regret. If we take the chance, we lay a foundation of confidence in our minds to embrace the next opportunity.
