That gyroscope in your heart

Good morning, dear readers.

Perhaps, like me, you sometimes tune in to A Prairie Home Companion on NPR and are familiar with the gentle jokes about English majors. Here is a question addressed to Garrison Keillor and the beginnings of his answer:

So, what exactly IS an English major supposed to do after college?
Andrea
--
This is the beautiful problem that confounds us all, Andrea, and we must face it every morning with as much wit and bravery as we can summon up. What you do, exactly, is get out of bed, pee, put water on to boil for tea or coffee, put bread in the toaster, choose between the apricot and blueberry yoghurt, eat slowly and thoughtfully, take a shower, and put on clean clothes, and by this time you likely will know what comes next. Merce Cunningham faced this problem and so does Michelle Obama and Brett Favre and the Queen of Tonga. If I believed in the efficacy of long-range planning, I'd recommend it, but I believe in luck and improvisation and the gyroscope in your heart and the built-in b.s. detector that English majors are supposed to acquire, having created so much of it in our term papers.

All right. This is true of meditaors as well! We are supposed to have a built-in b.s. detector having had so much of it arise in what we call our "distractions" during meditation. I also don't much believe in the "efficacy of long-range planning" and I highly recommend the approach offered above by Mr. Keillor.

(Yes, and that "10 items or less" sign in the stores irritates me no end as well!)

Little ways mindfulness can matter! :-)

New meditation blog

I have just found a new meditation blog. Well it's new to me. The name of it is "Meditation Secrets Revealed" and the blog owner is Vlad Moskovski, someone who has studied meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, Qiqong, and Aikido. He states that "...[while] our scientific understanding of the world has brought us wonderful technology, our understanding of the human potential and the world of the mind is rudimentary; it is the greatest unexplored frontier." I so agree and often make that very point in session one of the Foundations course here at the Center.

Here's something Vlad says in one of his posts that I found a bit amusing:

While siting at a workshop last week, I noticed that several people around me were having trouble paying attention and sitting still. The topic was interesting, the presenter was being extremely engaging and yet here they were, fidgeting. As part of an exercise in non-judgment and listening, attendants were asked to pair up and take turns give advice on problem areas in their partner’s lives. I was not surprised to see that patience was one of the top resources that people frequently wish they had more of...

He then goes on to offer three meditation techniques to help us cultivate patience. Go on over there and check them out! Here's the post.
~~~

A point of rest

This is simply beautiful. I hope you think so too:

When we come to a point of rest in our own being, we encounter a world where all things are at rest, and then a tree becomes a mystery, a cloud becomes a revelation, and each person we meet a cosmos whose riches we can only glimpse.

— Dag Hammarskjöld

A few happiness skills

Hey, you could do a lot worse than this, you know:

Something about values

Paul Rogers sent me this. Thanks, Paul!
~~~

Think for yourself!

Something I really appreciate about the meditative tradition is that it is not dependent upon a belief system as such. Meditation is, rather, about cultivating happiness and alleviating suffering. It does this through very practical, demonstrable principles along with regular practice.

One infinitesimal moment

I really am glad that I found this poem. Spend some time with it, okay?

One Easy Step to Enlightenment

First off, and I do mean first
You know in your heart
that the times are changing
Oh so much slower than we thought
and you know in your heart
that the good guys and the bad guys
don't know any more than you what's going on
End of the World?
End of Time?
I'm here to tell you
and yes that is my job
It doesn't matter
This moment and only this moment, matter
It is your heart, your very soul
that will shape this moment
and when we, together
Awaken to the idea
that is this moment
we will reach out
without any thought for
what's in it for us
without any notion of our need
but reach out in one infinitesimal
moment
for no other reason than to
Be
Together
Joined
In the Moment

-- Krev Roues

Friday cat blogging!

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Your reset button

This is a very, very thought provoking sentence:

He discovered his reset button early on and there were not many things that bothered him all the rest of his days just because of that.

-- Brian Andreas

Oh my: that troublesome old ego!

Here's a wonderful paragraph from the forward to Be the Change: How Meditation Can Transform You and the World by Ed and Deb Shapiro.

I think I am the most important being in the world, but nobody else thinks it is about me, time doesn't think it is about me, space doesn't think it is about me, the planet doesn't think it is about me. It doesn't take much to get the message that it is actually not about me! But if somebody comes and steps on my toe or wants to take away my strawberries, then suddenly it is all about me again!

- Robert Thurman

There's a nice little article about this book over on The Huffington Post that features Law & Order actor, Linus Roache.

Rainbow

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

This is something about priorities and also something about impermanence:

The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow - but the rainbow may not wait...

-- Unknown

Things change

Someone gave me a lovely little book called The Future Is Now by The 17th Karmapa. It is an easy book to dip into as it has a short little teaching on each page beside an evocative photograph. Here's one I came across that I really like:

It is impossible to be at your best or your worst at all times. Who is always consistent? Everyone changes according to different situations and as they go through life's different phases. There is no point in feeling great pride or great shame simply because of temporary circumstances.

Well! He really challenges black-and-white, all-or-nothing thinking here, doesn't he?
~~~

Painful thoughts in meditation

All to often I come across people who believe that they should strive not to think at all about anything difficult or negative. Akong Tulku writes the following in his marvelous book Taming the Tiger:

The tendency to over-react when things go right or wrong brings suffering to ourselves and others involved with us. Thus our minds need training, so that we may find balance and stability whatever the outer circumstances. It is like training a horse that is frightened by the sound of fire. By gradually acquainting the horse with the noise of fire, he will no longer be surprised by it and will cease to panic when he hears it. Similarly, if in meditation exercises we confront anger and pain again and again, over a period of time, we will be able to face and deal with them in life.

So, if distressing thoughts come up from time to time in meditation, that's actually what is supposed to happen!
~~~

Control vs choice

This brings me much consolation - and optimism too. Optimism not in results but in the assurance of insight and illumination by accepting and working skillfully with whatever happens:

"We cannot direct the wind... but we can adjust the sails."

-- Unknown

The meditative principles teach us how.

The dragons in our lives

Could be (even though I know this is really, really hard with some people):

Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.

-- Rainer Maria Rilke

Rilke is the poet who so eloquently taught us that living the questions is really more important than searching for answers.

Friday cat blogging!

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

The tipping point

Most days I make an effort to visit a site called "Inspiration Peak". Today I found a short essay by Eileen Bennett that explores whether this is a terrible time or a great time to be alive on planet Earth. It's called "The Tipping Point" and I'd like to encourage you go on over and read the whole thing. Here are two little paragraphs from the piece:

I think we are living in very exciting - if disturbing - times. When you consider all the pain and turmoil in the world, it's easy to think that we are regressing, rather than progressing. On the other hand, when you look at all the amazing things that are happening in different areas, you can see that an awakening is inevitable.

There are groups and individuals all over the world striving to make this a better place to be for everyone. The catch-phrase of the moment is 'tipping point' - and everybody can lend their weight to ensuring that we tip into a positive, life-enhancing future, rather than sink further into a negative, destructive one.

Well, I don't know whether the destruction can be turned around or not. What I do know is that, whatever happens, I want to be counted among those who dedicated their efforts to the positive, life-enhancing approach.

How the light gets in

Here's something my dear friend, Sally Lloyd, sent me this morning. You will, undoubtedly recognize the song but the video that's been put together by way of illustration is probably new. And I find it very moving indeed:

In case you don't know much about Leonard Cohen, you can read about him here.

There is a strong message here about meditative practice as I'm sure you'll recognize.
~~~

Wednesday life form blogging

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Impermanence

We do well to remember this. And it's not meant to make us despair but, rather, to support us in becoming liberated:

What is life? It is a flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.

~ Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior

Destination

Here's something for your reflection -- especially for those who are convinced that the "geographical cure" will make everything better:

One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.

~ Henry Miller

And you know that I'm going to say that the meditation process - both formal sitting and the application of the principles to everyday life - makes it possible for us to cultivate that new way of looking at things. It really does! And not just superficially or temporarily, either. If we continue meditating and learning to let go of ego grasping, our way of looking at things truly changes radically.

Found here.

Summer Stars

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

My dear friend, Liz Roome, reminded me of the following wonderful Carl Sandburg poem this morning:

Summer Stars

Bend low again, night of summer stars.
So near you are, sky of summer stars,
So near, a long-arm man can pick off stars,
Pick off what he wants in the sky bowl,
So near you are, summer stars,
So near, strumming, strumming,
So lazy and hum-strumming.

Carl Sandburg is the person who once said that the ugliest word in the English language is "exclusive".

Something to think about.
~~~

Keep walking, move within

Keep walking, though there's no place to get to.
Don't try to see through the distances.
That's not for human beings.
Move within,
But don't move the way fear makes you move.

— Rumi

Stress reduction breathing

This is very effective. And it's pleasurable to do. Try it!

~~~

Hmmm. Think about it.

Sent to me by Paul Rogers.

Return to reality

I found an article today called Meditation as Awakening to the Now. Here's part of what it says.

Meditation, in contrast to popular belief, is not deep concentration or the tuning out of external stimulus for the sake of transcending daily life. Meditation, rather, is a return to reality.
...
For most of us, the value in meditation comes from our lack of awareness in day to day living. In the activity of nearly all things we are constantly looking toward the next event, or musing over dead experiences and ideas. Very rarely do we see, touch, smell, hear, and contemplate our present.

We really need to let go of that seductive idea that in meditation we're going to tune the real world out. Such an approach is, rather, a way of cultivating the mind poison of delusion.

The present little inch

We all know this deep down. We really, really do. For some reason that is difficult to understand, we forget. And so we need to be reminded:

Watch your way then, as a cautious traveler; and don't be gazing at that mountain or river in the distance, and saying, "How shall I ever get over them?" but keep to the present little inch that is before you, and accomplish that in the little moment that belongs to it. The mountain and the river can only be passed in the same way; and, when you come to them, you will come to the light and strength that belong to them.

-- M. A. Kelty

A WONDERFUL meditation story

Really, people. This is the best meditation story ever! How many times have we been taught to let go of attachment to results? Remember this story! It will not only help you cultivate acceptance and non-attachment, it will also stimulate your sense of humor!

EXPERIENCES

A student went to see his meditation teacher and said, “My situation is horrible! I feel so distracted most of the time, or my legs ache, or I’m repeatedly falling asleep. It’s terrible.” Said the teacher matter-of-factly, “It will pass.”

A week later, the student returned to his teacher. “My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive!” “It will pass,” replied the teacher.

I'm very sorry. I forgot where I found this so I can't give you a link. Maybe I'll come across it again. If I do, I'll publish the link in an update.
~~~

Monday meditative picture blogging

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

More about connectedness

All too often I find myself in conversations with people who think that berating themselves is a good motivator or that self-loathing is somehow a mark of humility. Not so! Not so! And, therefore, you can understand why I was so delighted to find the following:

Believing in yourself is not just for you; it's for every person who has touched your life in a significant way and for every person your life will touch the same way five minutes from now, or five centuries from now.

-- Jaye Miller

Still water

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

“We cannot see our reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see”

-- Taoist proverb

The way to take a break from running is to meditate. But you know that.

Music in honor of the day

Something else about time

Oh my. I really love this. It is marvelously encouraging and consoling:

The chief beauty about time
is that you cannot waste it in advance.
The next year, the next day, the next hour
are lying ready for you,
as perfect, as unspoiled,
as if you had never wasted or misapplied
a single moment in all your life.
You can turn over a new leaf every hour
if you choose.

-- Arnold Bennett, 1867-1931

You know, so many slogans and sayings of the "conventional wisdom" variety warn of the terrible consequences of wasting time. This takes a whole new approach.

And, anyway, what some people call "wasting time", I call giving myself permission just to be. We all need that. And people around us need it in us, too!

Free meditation posters

A little meditation joke!

Ha! This is kind of groan-worthy and cute at the same time:

My sole literary ambition is to write one good novel, then retire to my hut in the desert, assume the lotus position, compose my mind and senses, and sink into meditation, contemplating my novel.

-- Edward Abbey

Monday meditative picture blogging

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

A great moment

Ah. From one of my favorite spiritual writers (of blessed memory):

It is a great moment when you break out of the prison of negative self-criticism and develop a sense of the inner adventure of the soul.

— John O'Donohue in Eternal Echoes

It is a great moment, indeed. I wish it for all of you. Deeply. Earnestly.
~~~

Going within

Another reason for learning to meditate:

People try to get away from it all—to the country, to the beach, to the mountains. You always wish you could too. Which is idiotic: you can get away from it anytime you like. By going within.

Nowhere you can go is more peaceful—more free of interruptions—than your own soul. Especially if you have other things to rely on. An instant’s recollection and there it is: complete tranquility. And by tranquility I mean a kind of harmony.

--Marcus Aurelius

Somthing about perseverence

Here's a quotation that was probably not meant to be a poem but works as one nevertheless:

Never Give Up
by Tenzin Gyatso

Never give up
No matter what is going on
Never give up
Develop the heart
Too much energy in your country is spent
developing the mind instead of the heart
Develop the heart,
Be compassionate
Not just to your friends but to everyone,
be compassionate
Work for peace in your heart and in the world
Work for peace, and I say again
Never give up
No matter what is happening
No matter what is going on around you
Never give up.

Tenzin Gyatso is, of course, the 14th Dalai Lama.

I don't think he means that we should cling to something that is not working or that we ought never to extricate ourselves from a situation that is clearly unhealthy. I think he is saying that we must never give up on using whatever happens in our lives as material -- both for our own spiritual growth and also for the sake of cultivating compassion, lovingkindness and empathy.

Something to cheer us up

Texas Bluebonnet

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Paul Rogers sent me one of those forwarded trivia emails and it happened to be about Texas. I really enjoyed it and I thought I'd share with you the part that truly gave me a little lift:

Need to be cheered up?

Happy, Texas 79042
Pep, Texas 79353
Smiley, Texas 78159
Paradise, Texas 76073
Rainbow, Texas 76077
Sweet Home, Texas 77987
Comfort, Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530

Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to say that your home town is Friendship?

And here's another one that fun:

Earth, Texas 79031

I can just hear the conversation now.

"So, where're you from?"
"Oh, I'm from Earth."

Yeah, right. :-)
~~~

Tranquility assistance

I recommend that you watch this full screen. (Click the rectangular button that's the second one in from the right.)

Then use the video (both sound and visual aspects) as your meditative support for the five minutes that it runs.

Enjoy!

Something about true efficacy

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

A friend sent me the text of a speech today that contained the following quotation:

The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks.

-- Tennessee Williams

How wonderful! How encouraging! I will carry this with me as a mantra.

It's also about biding one's time, isn't it?

~~~

The Daffodil Principle

Krena White, one of the Center's board members, sent me this a couple of weeks ago and I just got around to watching it today. I'm so glad I did.

Our little Center is facing a quite a challenge due to the impending loss of my Diocesan job. This, right here, is what we need to remember:

Thank you, Krena!!!

Sweet - in a very nice sort of way!

Paul Rogers sent me this today and I thought I'd pass it on to all of you:

Thanks, Paul!!

Working skillfully with toxic thoughts

I've been a great admirer of Sandra Ingerman for many years now. This morning Beliefnet has published a little article called "10 Ways to Transform Toxic Thoughts ". These are taken from Ingerman's book, How to Heal Toxic Thoughts: Simple Tools for Personal Transformation . Here are two of the suggestions:

Breathe Through Your Heart

Breathing is one of the simplest ways to transform energy. This is an exercise you can do throughout your day: Place your hands on your heart and feel your heart moving as you breathe. This is calming, and feeds the energy of love, peace, and harmony in the world.

Look in a Mirror

Before reacting to a challenging situation, try emoting as you watch your reflection in a mirror. No one wants to see himself or herself acting out in a toxic way. You may feel silly, but don't let this stop you. Taking ourselves too seriously is one of the causes of negative thoughts.

Do click through and read the rest of them. Each one strikes me as really very powerful.
~~~

Wonderful encouragement!

My wonderful assistant and dear friend, Cynthia, handed me the above card the other day. Inside was a note in which she assured me that all would be well and that one day soon my face would look like the lady's face you see here!

Isn't that a hoot? I truly laughed out loud!

A current challenge I'm facing

Dear Readers,

Here's an email I sent out to a number of friends and family members last Friday:

Dear friends and loved ones,

This morning I received a certified letter from the bishop of Oklahoma informing me that, for financial reasons, my position with the diocese is being eliminated and that my employment will be discontinued effective December 31, 2009.

I had already begun the process of petitioning for early retirement and was hoping to qualify for medical retirement. That effort now seems to have been preempted unless there is some legal loophole I don't know about.

I'm confident that I can raise enough money to live on through my work at the Center (St. John's Center for Spiritual Formation here in Tulsa). My big concern, of course, is health care coverage. The law gives me 18 months of extended group coverage if I pay what it costs my previous employer. As of today that cost is $611 a month. After that I am essentially uninsurable privately because of my medical history. I will need to come up with some plan to provide medical coverage for myself until I'm eligible for Medicare when I'm 65. (I turn 60 next month, by the way.)

Well, that's the news, folks! Do keep me in your thoughts and prayers and if anybody has any ideas regarding my predicament, I'll be glad to hear them!

Every blessing to you all,
Ellie

Of course, there's more to this story. The "official" reason the Diocese is giving has to do with budgetary concerns. However the reality is that the new bishop has disliked me from the get go -- for reasons that continue to escape me. It's all very sad.

I will probably say more about this later. For now, this will have to do.
~~~

PS: I'm so glad I have Bernice, my new dog!

Sunday art blogging

Artist: Joëlle Morin
Image from Wikimedia Commons

Our effect on the world

It is entirely possible that the following passage constitutes the most powerful and meaningful statement this man has ever made:

Remember, we are all affecting the world every moment, whether we mean to or not. Our actions and states of mind matter, because we're so deeply interconnected with one another. Working on our own consciousness is the most important thing that we are doing at any moment, and being love is the supreme creative act.

~Ram Dass

Beautiful Mystery

This is an excerpt from a longer poem that I just found today:

In the heart of eternal
loneliness, in the midst
of fear, in the labyrinth
of finding "the way",
I've come to know
that there is no answer
and this has to be a
beautiful mystery.
Everything changes,
everything has changed,
everything will change.

-- Hydeh Aubon

Wednesday life form blogging

Photo by Cynthia Burgess

Just some helpful stuff

I'd like to recommend a page called "52 Tips for Happiness and Productivity". Here are a few of them:

22. Enjoy the journey. Goals are important, but not at the expense of happiness now. It’s important to maintain a balance between going where you want to go, and being happy as you go there. It’s easy to forget that, so be sure to remind yourself of this little, but important, tip as you make your journey.

26. Enjoy the simple pleasures. You can find these everywhere. Food (I love berries!), sunsets, sand between your toes, fresh-cut grass, playing with your child, a good book and a warm bed, dancing in the rain, your favorite music. You could probably make a list of 20 simple pleasures right now, things you enjoy that you could find every day. Sprinkle those little pleasures throughout your day. It makes the journey much more enjoyable.

39. Don’t compare yourself to others. This is hard to do, but it can be a great way to accept who you are and what you have. Whenever you find yourself comparing yourself to a co-worker, a friend, or someone famous (those models on magazines with amazing abs), stop. And realize that you are different, with different strengths. Take a minute to appreciate all the good things about yourself, and to be grateful for all the blessings in your life.

47. Learn to deal with detractors. We all face detractors in our lives. They are the naysayers who, even if they are well-intentioned, will make us feel unworthy, or that you cannot achieve a goal. They will tease or be negative. In order to achieve your goals, you need to learn how to deal with these detractors and overcome this common obstacle. Read these tips for some ideas.

Go on over to the Zen Habits website for the rest if you like!

The price of truth

Oh my. This is so good and so true:

Beware the flowery trappings because in order to possess them or benefit from them, you must cease your journey, stay in the dream. Ultimately, they're just a distraction from the tricky business of waking up. Breaking free of delusion takes everything you have. The price of truth is everything, Everything. That's the rule and it's inviolable.

-- Tao

The "dream", of course, is very seductive. And it's hard to be willing to give everything in order to get free from delusion. Many (perhaps most) are not willing.

Let us all train ourselves to learn to be willing, to be willing to be willing!

Tuesday meditative picture blogging

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Something about thoughts

Ha! I kinda like this:

We find it hard to believe that other people's thoughts are as silly as our own, but they probably are.

-- James Harvey Robinson

Sunday art blogging

"Miranda"

Artist: John William Waterhouse

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Something to ponder

Oh my. This is so good:

When we fall on the ground it hurts us, but we also need to rely on the ground to get back up.

- Kathleen McDonald from How to Meditate

McDonald's book has been around for quite a while now and it is one of the very best books on meditation I've ever come across. Highly recommended!

Why don't we?

What I wonder is why don't we?

And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are?

-- Pablo Casals

Found here.

~~~

Friday cat blogging!

Leroy under my desk

Photo by Cynthia Burgess

Emotional awareness

Meditation teaches us this - if we let it:

In the last decade or so, science has discovered a tremendous amount about the role emotions play in our lives. Researchers have found that even more than IQ, your emotional awareness and abilities to handle feelings will determine your success and happiness in all walks of life, including family relationships.

- John Gottman

Wednesday life form blogging

Photo by Cynthia Burgess

Something about time

Think about this one for a while; really think about it:

I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is.

-- Alan Watts

Don't give up too soon, now.
~~~

Truth

One of my favorite poets said this:

Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.

-- Wallace Stevens

Sunday art blogging

Artist: August Macke
Image from Wikimedia Commons

The importance of affirming others

Lately, I've found myself noticing just how damaging a lack of sincere affirmation in people's attempts to keep their relationships healthy. I'm talking about any kind of relationship: romantic partnerships, friendships, co-worker relationships, professional encounters, etc.

Here are a couple of excerpts from a little article I found on affirmation not long ago:

We all need affirmation. We need to know that we are seen and appreciated, noticed and valued. An affirmation is a communication whereby one person recognizes what is sacred in another. Albert Schweitzer once described affirmation as a spiritual act. He was right. An affirmation is rainwater for the spirit. Affirmation nurtures the soul.

Affirmation is more than a compliment. It is deeper than that. Affirmation is an expression of gratitude. It's my way of thanking you for the gifts you bring to the world. It's my way of saying I recognize and am thankful for your contributions, your inner beauty, your kindness. Affirmation is not about judgment (as some compliments are). Affirmaton is about honest gratitude.

Affirmation is an art. It takes practice. Some people take to it naturally while others seem to need a little more time to develop this skill. The more you look for gifts in people, the easier it gets to see them. And the expression of affirmation becomes more graceful with experience. As you become more adept at affirmation, you will become more aware of its power.
...
Sincere affirmation is always right, even when a person does not know how to receive it. Sorry to say, many people go through life without hearing nearly enough affirmation.

--Robert J. Furey

I like that description: "rainwater for the spirit." I really do. Think about it for a while.

How to be supportive

How delightful:

A true friend laughs at your stories even when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your troubles even when they're not so bad.

-- Irish proverb

We tend to be confused about happiness

Read this one really carefully, okay?

Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.

-- Guillaume Apollinaire

The problem with wishes

This, of course, is completely contrary to the principle of being fully present and in the moment:

We spend a long time wishing we were elsewhere and otherwise.

- Robert Farrar Capon

Wednesday life form blogging

Photo by our own Cynthia Burgess!

Point well taken

I've always liked this:

If it is peace you want, seek to change yourself, not other people. It is easier to protect your feet with slippers than to carpet the whole of the earth.

-- Anthony de Mello

Memorial Day, 2009

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.

-- Arthur Ashe

Connection problems

Dear readers,

I've lost internet connection at home so posting will be sporadic until that is up and running again.

Thanks for your understanding!

Peace,
Ellie
~~~

Perfectionism kills

Okay, folks. I've been tellin' ya and tellin' ya! The article is entitled "Do Perfectionists Face Early Deaths? New Study Suggests Yes". Here's how it gets started:

Perfectionism, as a way of life, tends to be self-defeating. New research suggests it may also be deadly.

That's the conclusion of a Canadian study of senior citizens just published in the journal of Health Psychology. Researchers conducted psychological tests on 450 elderly residents of southern Alberta, and then kept tabs on them for 6½ years. During that period, just over 30 percent of the subjects, who ranged in age from 65 to 87, died.

Perfectionists — that is, those who expressed "a strong motivation to be perfect" and revealed a tendency toward "all or nothing thinking" — were approximately 51 percent more likely to have died during the life of the study than those with more reasonable self-expectations. Those who were rated high on neuroticism — for instance, those who reported often feeling tense — did even worse: Their risk of death nearly doubled compared with those with a more relaxed disposition.

You know I'm going to say it: meditation will help.

There.

Starting the day

I came across this a long time ago and then just found it again:

First thing in the morning, before you meet or greet anyone, remember to greet all of nature, all visible and invisible creatures. Say to them: "I am grateful for your work, I love you and want to be in harmony with you!" At this very moment, in response to your greeting, all of nature will open to you and send you energy for the entire day.

- Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

Reality

Just be with this for a while:

The sun and its light,

the ocean and the wave,

the singer and his song—

not one.

Not two.

-- Anthony de Mello

Ha! Just think about it.

Monday meditative picture blogging

Pennsylvania Dutch Hex Sign

Letting go of the contest mentality

It troubles me so much when romantic partners or friends get in a contest with each other and make their relationship a zero sum game. Here's another alternative:

Compassionate action starts with seeing yourself when you start to make yourself right and when you start to make yourself wrong. At that point you could just contemplate the fact that there is a larger alternative to either of those, a more tender, shaky kind of place where you could live.

--Pema Chödrön

Inner stillness

We've all known this for a long time. It's just easy for people to forget:

Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at anytime and be yourself.

— Herman Hesse

Simplification

The advice to "simplify your life" has become a classic, hasn't it? But it's rare to find a source to explain how to do it a very non-judmental, step-by-step, systematic way. I've just discovered a great blog that will do just that.

The blog is Zen Habits, and I want to quote from a page called "Simple Living Simplified: 10 Things You Can Do Today to Simplify Your Life". I like this example:

Purge a drawer. Or a shelf, or a countertop, or a corner of a room. Not an entire room or even an entire closet. Just one small area. You can use that small area as your base of simplicity, and then expand from there. Here’s how to purge: 1) empty everything from the drawer or shelf or corner into a pile. 2) From this pile, pick out only the most important things, the stuff you use and love. 3) Get rid of the rest. Right now. Trash it, or put it in your car to give away or donate. 4) Put the stuff you love and use back, in a neat and orderly manner.

As it happens, I did this yesterday - two drawers, in fact. What a great feeling. (And now I can find socks that match!)

Time Magazine called Zen Habits one of the 25 best blogs of the year.

Oh, this is great!

Just look:

Stress reduction courses in the office are not the answer. Ego reduction courses would be a lot more productive.

— Christopher Titmuss in An Awakened Life

That would really revolutionize work life, wouldn't it?
~~~

Wednesday life form blogging

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Ideals vs. idealism

Ann Callaway posted the following quotation in a comment over on "Does Not Wisdom Call?" - one of my other blogs:

There is a difference between knowing the ideal and being attached to idealism...ideals are great as descriptions of how we want things to be; when they are used as descriptions of how things 'ought to be', they become idealism, a form of delusion.

-- Jiyu-Kennett

Annie went on to say:

I found this disctinction to be very clarifying for those times when I "expect" others to behave in certain ways and am disappointed when they do not.

I agree. Yes, indeed.

Autonomy and acceptance

Artist: Mary Cassett

Image from Wikimedia Commons

The other day I had occasion to talk with someone about autonomy. You know, from a meditative point of view, trying to be someone else is a form of unskillful attachment that creates suffering:

Today you are You,
that is truer than true.
There is no one alive
who is Youer than You.

-- Dr. Seuss

Now, here's what I want you to do: Go find a mirror and just gaze into it for a while - longer than feels comfortable - without judgment. And then ponder the little Seuss verse. See where you get with that!

Happy Mother's Day

I want to share two of my very favorite mother quotes with you today. The first one demonstrates the power and benefit of affirmation:

When I was a child, my mother said to me, 'If you become a soldier, you'll be a general. If you become a monk you'll end up as the pope.' Instead I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.

-- Picasso

And the second one is about tolerance and humor:

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.

-- Mark Twain

Making life workable

Well, I've found a new - new to me, that is - website called The Meditation Spot. As I browsed around I came across a page entitled Meditations for Reducing Stress. Here's the first paragraph:

Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn teaches meditation to his medical patients. He writes: "The stress in our lives has become so great and insidious that more and more people are making the deliberate decision to understand it better and to bring stress under personal control." His two books teach a selection of meditation techniques, including body scans, sitting or walking meditation, yoga, chants, and visualizations. He writes: "When you are grounded in calmness and moment-to-moment awareness, you are more creative and you see new options. Life is more workable."

It's a pity our world brings so much stress our way. That can't be changed, really. But how we react to stress can, indeed, be changed. Personally, I find that realization both consoling and encouraging.
~~~

Saturday cat blogging!

His name is Bugs.

Photo by Paul Rogers

Purpose

When you know who you are;
when your mission is clear and you
burn with the inner fire of unbreakable will;
no cold can touch your heart;
no deluge can dampen your purpose.
You know that you are alive.

~Chief Seattle

Have I shown you this one before?

I just love it! I really do!

How simple

I think I'm going to print this one out and tack it up somewhere in my house - on my bathroom mirror or on my way out the door or something. This is so good, so true, so helpful:

How simple it is to see
that all the worry in the world
cannot control the future.
How simple it is to see
that we can only be happy now.
And that there will never be a time
when it is not now.

-- Gerald Jampolsky, MD

Henry Finlay (May 1, '95 - May 5, '09)

Henry Finlay

My wonderful, wonderful cat, Henry, died "the good death" peacefully in my arms around 12:30 PM today.

His kidneys had failed and he had stopped eating and drinking. It was time.

Henry was magnificent in every way - beautiful, possessed of great dignity, and more affectionate than any other cat who has ever shared my life. He specialized in both nose kisses and ear nuzzles! He was the "old man" of the family and never lost his "top kitty" status --- even after he got sick.

I am, of course, grief stricken - especially losing him so soon after my beloved Izzy.

But I am grateful and always will be. Grateful to have had the opportunity to give him a forever home when he needed one and even more grateful for all the emotional and spiritual support he has given me for thirteen years now.

Rest in peace my sweet boy. You are purring for the angels now.

~~~

Monday meditative picture blogging

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Words, words, words

This is very true, I think:

The words 'I am...' are potent words; be careful what you hitch them to. The thing you're claiming has a way of reaching back and claiming you.

-- A. L. Kitselman

Years ago, my very cynical (at the time) mother sent me this equally cynical little verse (I'm quoting from memory so this may not be perfectly accurate):

When the universe began
God, they say, created Man.
Later (dancing round the sod),
Man, they say, created God.
Watch your words or they will do
Something of the same to you.

Oh, oh, oh. Really ponder those last two lines, would you?

I just read that today is the first World Labyrinth Day. Take a look at this:

The Labyrinth Society has declared the first Saturday in May as World Labyrinth Day a global day of celebration of the labyrinth with an invitation to walk a labyrinth at 1PM around the world, in your local time zone. The first annual World Labyrinth Day will be celebrated on May 2nd, 2009.

Sorry I didn't bring this to you in time for the 1:00 PM walk. Next year!

I found the information here.

I don't know; could be!