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Friday, December 31, 2021
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Morning Coffee
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who divide the world into two kinds of people, and those who don't."
~ Gloria Steinem
OPPOSITES DETRACT!
Don't you just love the irony of today's quote? Steinem implies that simply separating people into two categories is too simplistic, but at the same time, she uses that very same technique to convey her meaning!
Learning what something is by defining what it is not has been an age-long practice in education. It's hard to understand light without knowing darkness. How could we appreciate quiet without suffering through loud and constant noise?
While dichotomies or contradictions help us in our understanding, it's very dangerous to define everything we experience in this way, that it's simply one way or the other. Is every declaration either true or false? If so, what do you make of the next two sentences?
The following statement is true. The preceding statement is false!
Okay, all philosophical joking aside, it's easier to categorize the world into "is" and "is not," but we also realize that there are "shades of grey" between the black and the white. If we always expect people to act in just one of two ways, we're in for some nasty surprises.
This world cannot be divided into two kinds of people, no matter how simply you look at it. Can we say that if you make war, you must hate peace? Or that if you love peace, you must not make war? This isn't politicizing - it's a simple observation that we all have within us the capacity for understanding and appreciating not both sides of a situation, but ALL sides.
By avoiding generalizations that reduce everything said or done into good or bad, we open ourselves up to varieties of interpretation that allow us to make truly educated decisions. Sure, it's more complicated and challenging that way, but it keeps us from morphing into the very stereotypes we’re trying to avoid. Vive la difference!
Inspiration For Today
Friday, December 9, 2016
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Forgiving those who hurt us is the key to personal peace."
~ G. Weatherly
HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE HAPPY?
You've been hearing about this sort of thing on the news lately - people who have suffered a terrible loss at the hands of violent criminals, but still find it in their hearts and minds to forgive those who have trespassed against them. Their interviewers pose questions like, "How in the world can you forgive the man who killed your daughter?" or "How do you find the strength to be pardon someone who has wronged you so horribly?"
These people are often guided by their faith, but they sometimes surprisingly answer that their anger and hatred would simply kill them if they did not find a way to get rid of their negative emotions. Before they find a means of forgiveness, they develop ulcers, grey hair, migraine headaches, digestive disorders, and so on.
These people end up realizing that the only way back to health - both mental and physical - is to come to peace with the tragic events that have affected them. They come to realize that they have no control over these events, and they even discover a way to erase any of their own guilt associated with the events. Anger, accusation, guilt, hatred - we all know the mental toll that these emotions take, but all these emotions eventually manifest themselves physically as well.
Hopefully you haven't experienced the kind of loss that these people have, but you can try to learn their difficult lesson. Let go of negative emotions associated with things that are out of your control. You can find personal peace and well-being in the satisfying feeling of forgiveness. It may not even be a specific person that you are forgiving, but maybe just a set of unhappy circumstances.
Take steps this week to identify something or someone that you feel negatively about. Search your heart and your mind for a way to understand that the longer you feel so badly, the worse it will continue to make you feel. Take back the control you've relinquished to people and circumstances around you. You can rise above the negativity around you and create something positive and inspiring.
Mt. Hood Inspiration for Monday
Monday, November 14, 2016
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"There's nothing as constant as change."
-Unknown
FEELING WIRED?
Feel on edge? Not sure what to expect next? Nerves frayed? Feeling overwhelmed by today's complex world situation? How is it that some people are calm, fearless, and content, while others are frightful, worried, overwhelmed, and uncertain about the future?
In the 1950's there were only three models of Chevrolet, about four dry cereals, two or three types of soap, etc. Mom went grocery shopping weekly. There were no shopping malls, computers, cell phones, portable CD players (or CD's), 401(k)s, Internet, or co-ed dorms. Life was simple and calm - and revolved around the family. Technology didn't dominate daily life.
Today, our choices have expanded exponentially. There are hundreds of vehicle models, 50 different cereals on the shelf, software for every occasion, hundreds of cable channels, and millions of pages on the World Wide Web. Think that might clog your thinking just a little? Want to get back to simplicity, peace, and security?
Try a few of the following suggestions. Begin limiting your choices. Spend less than you earn. Limit trips to the store. Spend the evening at home - with your family - with the TV OFF. Go directly home after work. Identify your principles - and live them. Count your blessings daily by entering them in a journal. Read. Treat yourself to a hot bath.
Think of your life as an extension cord with too many appliances plugged-in. Each vies for the limited energy you have available until a short-circuit or fire occurs. Start unplugging all those peripherals now, and you'll notice your life-light begin to shine.
Mt. Hood Inspiration
Monday, May 16, 2016
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment."
~ Barry LePatner
PERFECT BACKWARD VISION!
The reason there's so much humor in the "experience" we gain from our mistakes is that we all share in making errors - some of us learn, and some of us don't! That's where "good judgment" and "bad judgment" come in. When we make mistakes, and learn from them, we develop "good judgment." However, a lot of those mistakes that we have the opportunity to learn from are made because of our "bad judgment"!
Are some of us doomed to repeat history? What if we make the same mistake twice, but realize that we've done it? (You know, "Admitting you have a problem is half the solution"?) It's hard to "study" for the problems that life throws at us, but even if we had a lesson plan, we'd still wing it! As the last quote above illustrates, we have to actually go through the experience, hoping we don't fail, before we really learn the answer to how to handle the problem!
As Bobby McFerrin so popularly expressed it several years ago, "Don't worry, be happy!" If you're successful in your endeavor, congratulations! If you fail (or succeed with some degree of error), congratulations on your opportunity for further improvement! Chances are that life is not going to throw anything at you that you can't ultimately rise above, on your own or with some assistance.
Try a light-hearted approach to problem-solving. You really shouldn't treat this topic too seriously, or you'll get depressed and never try to accomplish anything out of fear of failure. So, it all boils down to this point: love your mistakes! Embrace your errors! They are one thing you can truly call your own!
Monday Morning Coffee
Monday, February 15, 2016
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"When you come to the edge of all the light you have known, and are about to step out into darkness, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen - there will be something to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly."
~ "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach
LEARNING TO FLY!
In the 1930's and 1940's, there were numerous women's magazines. Ladies' Home Journal and Good Housekeeping were two of them. They showed women in the role of the day - housekeeping. They suggested the number of times per week the home should be dusted, scrubbed, organized, and otherwise kept spotless. They suggested ways to look good when the "man of the house" arrived home from a tough day at the office. In short, those magazines and their publishers set up an impossible regimen of expectations for their readers.
SMany of us know women who have spent much of their lives trying to live up to the model housewife role prescribed by those magazines. The trouble is, many of them have (or had) dreams of their own, like wanting to write, or to travel, or to participate in the freedoms only men then enjoyed.
Today, any of us can achieve our dreams. All too often, however, we are still denied our destiny by the expectations set by others. We are bombarded by radio, TV, CD, DVD, and WWW messages that insist we follow their example, their guidelines, or their models. We allow our dreams to wither and die - waiting in line for their turn to blossom - never receiving the water of encouragement needed to grow and bloom.
What about your dreams? Need some encouragement to help you "think outside the box?" Begin by spending time with others who have already achieved their dreams. Leave your nay-sayer acquaintances behind. Read inspiring biographies. Pick up a copy of "Think & Grow Rich" or "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." If you haven't yet learned to "fly," pick up "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" or "Illusions" by Richard Bach.
As Jonathan says in the book, "Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you'll see the way to fly
Monday Morning Coffee
Monday, January 4, 2016
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take . . . but by the moments that take our breath away."
~ Unattributed
GO RETRO - SIMPLIFY!
You've heard that it's good to "take time to smell the roses." You may have also read how Steven Covey encourages you in "Seven Habits" to take time to "sharpen the saw." You no doubt have also experienced the frustration of trying to find even a spare moment for yourself.
Why do so many sources advise taking time off for yourself for thoughtful introspection? Don't they know it's impossible in today's fast-paced world of money, soccer games, career challenges, family responsibilities, church & school activities, and so much more?
In fact, our society is totally preoccupied with all of the above. For those living in a big city, or even the suburbs, the pressure is even greater. Those who live in the country at least enjoy a little peace and serenity at the end of the day.
How did this happen? It's simple - or at least it was in the 1950's. Back then there were two kinds of soap - Lifebouy and Ivory. There were four automakers - GM, Ford, Chrysler, and American Motors. There were no computers or Internet, and long-distance was used only to inform relatives of illness or death. A schoolteacher's most serious behavior challenge was passing notes in class. Families watched "I Love Lucy!" together. There was no MTV. Divorces were rare.
Today the choices that face us each day are awesome. Which of many Internet providers or long-distance services should you use? Which cell phone or notebook computer should you have? Where will you find the money for the special dress, chauffeur, and professional photograph required for your daughter's fifth-grade "Prom"?
The world is spinning so fast, and isn't likely to slow down soon. As usual, relief must come from within. While you can't change the world's pace, you are free to change and simplify your own life. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Most importantly, take time to create those special moments that "take your breath away."
A Little Mt. Hood Inspiration
Monday, December 28, 2015
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take . . . but by the moments that take our breath away."
~ Unattributed
GO RETRO - SIMPLIFY!
You've heard that it's good to "take time to smell the roses." You may have also read how Steven Covey encourages you in "Seven Habits" to take time to "sharpen the saw." You no doubt have also experienced the frustration of trying to find even a spare moment for yourself.
Why do so many sources advise taking time off for yourself for thoughtful introspection? Don't they know it's impossible in today's fast-paced world of money, soccer games, career challenges, family responsibilities, church & school activities, and so much more?
In fact, our society is totally preoccupied with all of the above. For those living in a big city, or even the suburbs, the pressure is even greater. Those who live in the country at least enjoy a little peace and serenity at the end of the day.
How did this happen? It's simple - or at least it was in the 1950's. Back then there were two kinds of soap - Lifebouy and Ivory. There were four automakers - GM, Ford, Chrysler, and American Motors. There were no computers or Internet, and long-distance was used only to inform relatives of illness or death. A schoolteacher's most serious behavior challenge was passing notes in class. Families watched "I Love Lucy!" together. There was no MTV. Divorces were rare.
Today the choices that face us each day are awesome. Which of many Internet providers or long-distance services should you use? Which cell phone or notebook computer should you have? Where will you find the money for the special dress, chauffeur, and professional photograph required for your daughter's fifth-grade "Prom"?
The world is spinning so fast, and isn't likely to slow down soon. As usual, relief must come from within. While you can't change the world's pace, you are free to change and simplify your own life. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Most importantly, take time to create those special moments that "take your breath away."
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