Awakening to My FREE
“Without a struggle, there can be no progress.” - Frederick Douglass
Unlike some of my Daily OM posts, this is an original piece from me.
I will try to not do a stream of conciousness, but I need to get this out of my system (even forgive me; I may end up having a few typos on this one).
So, I have been having to write a paper about an experience and reflect on the experience, a moral to the story if you will. I wrote about an incident about my mama (still not sure if I will post it here or not). I didn’t even want to go to class, but seeing as though I am currently $10k in debt with loans, and seeing as how the professors will all get paid whether I go to class or not, I decided to go. I’m sorry to say that I was 15 minutes late for my first class, was totally unfocused on my second class, and sat right next to my professor and almost snored in my third class.
My tired was tired. My roommate said that I had tossed and turned all night after I attempted to go to sleep at 2am. It had been a rough morning. At noon, I was on my way to my room when I decided to go price CD players. I spent the next 2 1/2 hours focusing on nothing. I barely remember where I went. I decided that I didn’t need nor could I really afford a stupid CD player, that the tape that I would use the tape that I had at the room for the adhesive hooks instead of buying new ones, and I didn’t need a stinking lap desk to study in bed, it’s not like I can study in my room anyway–I just find myself scattered or something–so I’ll just go to one of my secret spots on campus to study.
So I was on my way home when I started thinking about my paper about my mama when I had a train of thought. I remembered the first time I saw her lifeless body in the hospital bed that I never recognized as her deathbed until this moment. I remember touching her fingers that were not desperately aching for circulation, I touched her face that no longer pursed with anguish then I looked at her amputated leg when I saw that her leg–that had gone from cutting off toe to toe, then half of her foot, and her leg below the knee before the final amputation removing the knee that she had replaced–had completely healed.
I had a moment of deja vu. I had dreamed this moment, I had dreamed that I looked at the lower half of a bed and saw one leg and one amputated leg. I did not remember the dream at the time, though I do now remember that I was trying to find out who I was looking at.
In essence, I was warned that this would happen. I just didn’t know to whom it was happening, nor did I know that the rest of the body was my mama’s body.
I fell apart when I realized it back then, two years ago and two weeks ago this day. I realized today, as I was thinking about this memory and the paper, that my mama’s pain physically was my pain emotionally and now that her pain was gone, my pain should be gone, too. Her losing her life released her from her pain and released me of her pain. We were free. I am free. I have a gaping hole of absence for my mama that feels irreparable, but I am free. I am free to live the life I should have been living long ago. I have been afraid to live an excellent life because I knew that my mama could not live that life with me. Today. Today. I have to start learning how to give myself permission to work hard, to not let myself become wary, to do my best, to show myself as a beautiful woman, to take care of myself, to love myself, to free myself.
Because we are free. Because I am free.
Labels: Feel Goods, My Writing, Prose
Make Mine a Double!
"The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don't know what to do."
- John Holt
Okay, I don't know who he is. I don't know what he does. What I do know is this blog is chock full of stuff--interesting stuff, too. No kidding! I swear! Honest even! I find myself drawn to do the hangman every time I come to my own blog! It has a downright entertaining sidebar, including a BifSniff cartoon which is hilarious.
The bonus is that the renter he has at this posting is absolutely intriguing!
So, go click on him. Go on! Scoot! You know the deal. I'll be here when you get back. Promise.
Labels: Blog Sites to See
Pointless Pic Post
"Many an opportunity is lost
because a man is out
looking for four-leaf clovers."
- Anon
Pointless Pic Post
"Difficult as it is reallyto listen to someone in affliction,
it is just as difficult for him to know that
compassion is listening to him."
- Simone Weil
Daily OM Thought of the Day
I do have stuff to say today, but this seemed like a good thought for one and all.
Hawk Medicine
The Power Of Perspective
Hawks have the power to soar high above the earth, giving them a perspective previously only available to the inhabitants of the heavens above. Because of this, people from various cultures throughout history have seen them as messengers of spirit, bringing wisdom from the heavens and the value of their higher vision down to earth. From their vantage point, riding on the wind and sunlight, they remind us today that there is a bigger picture to be seen. When we get bogged down with the details of what is right in front of us, hawks help us remember that we are part of a larger plan and that everything fits together beautifully and perfectly. Once in this expanded frame of mind, we can harness their reputation as visionaries, using their keen eyesight to focus on the exact spot that truly needs our attention. With inspiration and focus on our goal, hawks teach us how to interpret and then follow our personal vision.
Hawks were thought to be able to look directly into the sun and see what is not visible to the rest of us. Using our spiritual vision, we too can look deeply into the inner light that guides us, seeing clearly what is not visible unless sought: our personal truth glowing within us. With that knowledge, we, like the hawk, can confidently ride the winds of chance, moving as one with the flow of whirling energy. This ability is what inspired the Egyptians to make hawks the hieroglyphic symbol for the wind.
The hawk's ability to live on land but visit the sky is a good reminder for us all. They remind us that their strength and survival comes from communing regularly with the spirit and bringing the guidance received into earthly affairs. Soaring in the province of the heavenly bodies of the sun, the stars, and the wind that moves the clouds reminds us to consider a larger perspective, one that inspires us to move through the world we inhabit with strength, certainty, and grace.
Labels: Daily OM, Feel Goods
Ten Things This Tuesday
So what's it all about, Alfie? I wish I knew sometimes. I almost believe that once we have served our full purpose we will die. Well, here is my list:
Ten realistic things I want to do before I get buried:
1. Help someone learn how to read.
2. Help someone across the street.
3. Skydive.
4. Independently ride a motorcycle.
5. Marry a man.
6. Publish a book.
7. Impress someone influential that would be hard to impress.
8. Tithe without worrying about what else I can do with that money.
9. Finance a car.
10. Become weathy enough that when someone asked me for $100, I would be able to freely give it to them, no questions asked.
Heck, I even feel like telling you ten things I don't want to do before I get covered in dirt:
1. Ride a roller coaster. (I get motion sickness sooooooo badly).
2. Eat live monkeys' brains.
3. Climb a mountain. (Send me a postcard.)
4. Lose weight with a pill. (That's just wrong.)
5. Visit Harvard campus (too intimidating.)
6. Drink tequila. (That is the nastiest stuff to throw up...)
7. Not be able to wear a dress for more than one occasion.
8. Become diabetic.
9. Go to a Michael Bolton concert (unless--nah, not even then).
10. Get "too many" hugs.
Labels: Humor, My Writing, Ten Things This Tuesday
A Daily OM Dose of Thought
Obstacles cannot crush me; every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind. - Leonardo Da Vinci
Awakening The Inner Warrior
There are certain personality archetypes that we all carry within us, such as the inner child, the lover, and the mother. Some of these archetypes present themselves strongly, while others lay fallow. For example, there is an inner warrior in each one of us, but in some of us this warrior is underdeveloped to the point that we are unable to stand up for ourselves, even when necessary. There can be many reasons for this. We may have grown up with a parent whose warrior aspect was overdeveloped, and we responded by repressing ours completely. On the other hand, we may have grown up with parents in whom this aspect was dormant, so we never learned to awaken it in ourselves.
A warrior is someone with the strength to stand up for what he or she believes; someone who perseveres in the face of challenges and obstacles; someone who speaks and acts in the service of an ideal; someone who protects those who are too weak to fight for themselves. Regardless of the reasons for an underdeveloped inner warrior, you may begin to notice the lack of its fiery, protective presence and wish to awaken it. You may need to stand up for yourself in a certain relationship or situation, or you may have a vision you want to realize, and you know you will need the courage, energy, and strength of a warrior to succeed. Similarly, if you find that you often feel scared, anxious, or powerless, rousing this sleeping ally may be just the antidote you need.
One excellent way to cultivate the presence of your inner warrior is to choose a role model who embodies the qualities of bravery, strength, and vitality. This person could be a character in a myth, movie, or book, or a historical or living person you admire. Simply close your eyes each day and contemplate the quality of energy that attracts you to this person, knowing that the same potential lives within you. Confirm for yourself that you are capable of handling this energy responsibly, and stoke the fire of your own inner courage.
Labels: Daily OM, Feel Goods
I'm in Love with a Dead Poet
THEME FOR ENGLISH B
By Langston Hughes
The instructor said,
Go home and write
a page tonight.
And let that page come out of you---
Then, it will be true.
I wonder if it's that simple?
I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.
I went to school there, then Durham, then here
to this college on the hill above Harlem.
I am the only colored student in my class.
The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem
through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas,
Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y,
the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator
up to my room, sit down, and write this page:
It's not easy to know what is true for you or me
at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I'm what
I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you:
hear you, hear me---we two---you, me, talk on this page.
(I hear New York too.) Me---who?
Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.
I like a pipe for a Christmas present,
or records---Bessie, bop, or Bach.
I guess being colored doesn't make me NOT like
the same things other folks like who are other races.
So will my page be colored that I write?
Being me, it will not be white.
But it will be a part of you, instructor.
You are white---
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
That's American.
Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that's true!
As I learn from you,
I guess you learn from me---
although you're older---and white---
and somewhat more free.
This is my page for English B.
Labels: Poetry
An OM Dose of Thinking
Parts Of The One
Ants And Bees, A Metaphor
When we see ants and bees out in the world, we often see just one, but this belies the reality of their situation. More than any other species, ants and bees function as parts of a whole. They cannot and do not survive as individuals; they survive as members of a group, and the group's survival is the implicit goal of each individual's life. There is no concept of life outside the group, so even to use the word individual is somewhat misleading. Often, humans, on the other hand, strongly value individuality and often negatively associate ants and bees with a lack of independence. And yet, if we look closer at these amazing creatures, we can learn valuable lessons about how much we can achieve when we band together with others to work for a higher purpose.
Most ants and bees have highly specified roles within their communities, some of which are biologically dictated, and they work within the confines of their roles without complaint, never wishing to be something other than what they are. In this way, they symbolize self-knowledge and humility. They also display selfless service as they work for the common good. In many ways, they are like the individual cells of one body, living and dying as necessary to preserve the integrity of the whole body, not to protect themselves as individuals. In this way, ants personify the ability to see beyond one's small self to one's place within the greater whole, and the ability to serve this whole selflessly.
Ants and bees can inspire us to fully own what we have to offer and to put it to use in the pursuit of a goal that will benefit all of humanity, whether it be raising consciousness about the environment, feeding the hungry, or raising a happy child. Each one of us has certain talents we were born with, as well as skills we have acquired. When we apply these gifts, knowing that we are one part of a greater organism working to better the whole world, we honor and implement the wisdom of ants and bees.
Labels: Daily OM, Feel Goods
An OM Dose of Thinking
Mind Stretching
Exercising Flexibility
Flexibility is the capacity to bend without breaking, as well as a continual willingness to change or be changed in order to accommodate new circumstances. People with flexible minds are open to shifting their course when necessary or useful; they are not overly attached to things going the way they had planned. This enables them to take advantage of opportunities that a more rigid person would miss out on. It can also make life a lot more fun. When we are flexible, we allow for situations we could not have planned, and so the world continues to surprise and delight us.
Since reality is in a constant state of flux, it doesn't make sense to be rigid or to cling to any one idea of what is happening or what is going to happen. We are more in tune with reality when we are flexible. Being in tune enables us to adjust to the external environment and other people as they change and grow. When we are rigid or stuck in our ways, instead of adjusting to the world around us we hunker down, clinging to a concept of reality rather than reality itself. When we do this, we cut ourselves off from life, and we miss out on valuable opportunities, as well as a lot of joy.
Just as we create flexibility in our bodies by stretching physically, we can create limberness in our minds by stretching mentally. Every day we have the opportunity to exercise our flexibility. We can do this in small ways such as taking a different route home from work or changing our exercise routine. On a larger scale, we can rearrange the furniture or redo a room in our house. If these are things we already do regularly, we can stretch our minds by imagining several different possibilities for how the next year will unfold. As we do this, our minds become more supple and open, and when changes come our way, we are able to accommodate and flow with the new reality.
Labels: Daily OM
Filling In the Blanks Before I Have Blanks!
In lieu of time constraints (and to find a way to actually have the winner and consolation prizes accessible to me to elaborate on them later), I'm simply putting up all of them on the same blog without description. I've still got a ton of work that I have to accomplish tomorrow and later this week I will appropriately welcome my winner into the box.
It was a matter of the earliest first since I don't believe I had any previous bidders.
The winner (as if you could not see the change in my box) is The Pink Diary.
The consolation prizes go to:
The Blue Panther Experience
Tori's Rants
World of Chad (has adult content)
About Simple Ways
Thank you for bidding!
Ten Thoughts This Tuesday
I know, I know. It's supposed to be Ten Things This Tuesday, but since hardly anyone is reading my blog, I can do this. Y'all are just going to have to prove me wrong and comment, dad gum ya.
"Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over. That's the way life is, with a new game everyday, and that's the way baseball is."
- Bob Feller
"There is nobody so irritating as somebody with less intelligence and more sense than we have."
- Don Herold
"The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
"To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance."
- Buddha
"It's taken me all my life to understand that it is not necessary to understand everything."
- Rene Coty
"A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the word you first thought of."
- Burt Bacharach
"What difference does it make how much you have? What you do not have amounts to much more."
- Seneca
"Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet."
- African Proverb
"Intelligence is almost useless to the person whose only quality it is."
- Alexis Carrel
"Science is built up with facts, as a house is with stones. But a collection of facts is not more a science than a heap of stones is a home"
- Henri Poincaré
Labels: Humor, My Writing, Ten Things This Tuesday
Here's My Story and I'm Sticking To It, Dad Gum It!
A meal must be eaten at some point in the story.
So this is what I wrote:
My bladder awakened me; I wish it could tell time, but since this had been happening to me quite regularly, I'm beginning to think it already knows how. I sat up, pulled out my legs from my soft, warm sheets, and robotically headed for the toilet.
Four minutes later, half of which was spent urinating, I was sitting on the edge of my bed again. Beyond the trees and buildings, the backdrop of rich eggplant purple that I walked away from was disappearing to a dark lavendar.
My blurry eyes tried to look at one, then the other digital sign of time.
4:29.
Next to the clock were an empty yogurt cup and my 16-ounce mug that had the remnants of my awakening. I'm not bitter. Yet.
Though awake, my body felt like lying down. My mind thought about doing some crazy stuff like catch up on my reading or homework. My legs straightened and slid supine under the slightly warmed bed covers. I actually thought that I should reconsider what my body was doing--going for a walk would be great and besides, you have to go to class in three hours; why do the re-sleep thing--when my right arm defied my brain by covering my legs and the lower part of my torso.
As my upper back hit the pillow, my mind, torn yet comforted, succumbed to what my body had already decided. My eyelids made the final decision after the rest of my body shrugged under the covers.
My last thought of that hour, now gone forever, was that I'll take a walk. Tomorrow. After my bladder wakes me up. At 4:29.
Labels: Humor, My Writing, Prose
Pointless Pic Post
"A good way to forget your troubles is to help others out of theirs."- Author Unknown
Just a Thought
I Missed the Boat
Okay, not really. This weekend seems like a blur to me and the only things that I got accomplished are reading Richard Wright's Black Boy and I'm almost done with Eudora Welty's One Writer's Beginning. I've still got to read a short story, analyze it in a two-page essay, finish my part on a group project (and I'm beginning to think that I'm just going to write it as if it were an individual assignment--just in case), two journal entries, and write up some of my Spanish words on flash cards. I guess it would be faster if I just bought some, huh... At any rate, I planned on having all of this, sans the flash cards, done by tonight.
Which begs the question, how in the heck does everyone do it? I'm trying to figure out how some of these college kids can do all of the things that they are doing and still manage to complete their homework. Maybe they just are not completing it? Who knows. I just bought a wall-sized calendar so I can write out all of the stuff I'm supposed to be completing. I think that if I see what must be done as far as papers due and stuff that I will feel more organized.
Well, it shore sounds gud, don' it...
I've gotten a job at the library. YAY! At least it is paying over minimum wage, but not by much. If this doesn't cut it, I will have to think about moving around my time to make sure that I can focus on being ahead instead of behind in my readings. I'll let you know how I'm rating. Tonight, I'll give myself a five out of ten. I mean I could have not have all of my assignments read, but I'm trying to work as far ahead as possible. Next week will be a little tight for me. Nothing crazy, but it will be my first week of working and going to school. Not that I'm working a lot of hours, but it will be taking quality time from my studying. I do get to study there, though. It's just that I can't do reading there. I realize that the work that I have to do will be writing work, not focusing or reading work. Ironic, huh... I mean the one place I should be able to read is so not the one place I will be able to read.
Egad.
I need a hug.
Maybe some chocolate. Anyone want to send me a care package? Maybe a teddy bear?
I've got to work on my reflection, too. Almost forgot about that. I may put it on here once it's been turned in, just not sure yet. Part of me wants to write about a whole different experience just so I can use this paper for something else. Who knows.
Gotta go. Someone's gonna give me some help on some other stuff.
Chocolate. Definitely need chocolate.
Labels: My Writing, Prose, Thoughts
Just a Thought
Okay, you know how I start my blogs with a quote? Well, here is one that is just the quote.
So, I’m reading for an assignment Richard Wright’s Black Boy; I had to stop what I was doing to quote this. There are some other things that I will put in here, but this was a show stopper to me. I hope you feel the same way.
A Daily OM Dose of Thinking
Observing Evolution
Allowing Others To Walk Their Paths
Watching a loved one or a peer traverse a path littered with stumbling blocks can be immensely painful. We instinctively want to guide them toward a safer track and share with them the wisdom we have acquired through experience. Yet all human beings have the right to carve their own paths without being unduly influenced by outside interference. To deny them that right is to deny them enlightenment, as true insight cannot be conveyed in lectures. Rather, each individual must earn independence and illumination by making decisions and reflecting upon the consequences of each choice. In allowing others to walk their paths freely, you honor their right to express their humanity in whatever way they see fit. Though you may not agree with or identify with their choices, understand that each person must learn in their own way and at their own pace.
The events and circumstances that shape our lives are unique because each of us is unique. What touches one person deeply may do nothing more than irritate or confound another. Therefore, each of us is drawn to different paths-the paths that will have the most profound effects on our personal evolution. If you feel compelled to intervene when watching another human being make their way slowly and painfully down a difficult path, try to empathize with their need to grow autonomous and make their own way in the world. Should this person ask for your aid, give it freely. You can even tell them about your path or offer advice in a conscious loving way. Otherwise, give them the space they need to make their own mistakes, to enjoy the fruits of their labors, to revel in their triumphs, and to discover their own truths.
The temptation to direct the paths of others is a creature of many origins. Overactive egos can convince us that ours is the one true path or awaken a craving for control within us. But each person is entitled to seek out their path leading from the darkness into the light. When we celebrate those paths and encourage the people navigating them, we not only enjoy the privilege of watching others grow-we also reinforce our dedication to diversity, independence, and individuality.
Labels: Daily OM, Feel Goods
Ten Things This Tuesday
So I didn't do the dang thing yesterday. I'm doing it now, okay? Deal with it. At least I was thinking in the back of my mind that I love you so much that I wanted to do this just for you.
Ten things that I thought about recently:
1. I have a classmate who looks absolutely flawless every time I see her. I mean she is beautiful, no other way to describe it. The other day, I saw a lock of hair out of place and was happy. I was going to tell her that it was out place when I thought to myself that would just make her flawless and I needed my hopes confirmed.
2. I wanted to beat down my roommate last night. She slept like a cat yesterday (and had been for the last couple of days). She had an afternoon nap, which made me know in my heart that she was going to disturb me. She did not disappoint me. This morning she told me she tried really hard to be quiet. I told her in my deadly peaceful manner, "I really wanted to get up and just squeeze your neck so badly. I really did." I really did.
3. I'm writing an essay about an experience that has taken me to some seriously emotional places. I'm so hesitant to post it here because I'm just not sure if it's something that I want to do. I'm nervous about letting it out there for all to see. The people who have read it said that they wouldn't have been able to write what I wrote because it was too deep. My professor wants me to dig deeper about the reflections (what's going through my head at the moment and looking back at the incident) which is making me look at myself more than I thought I would ever consider.
4. I need it. I need to look at the why's of my life. This has been a good experience for me. I'm really excited about this.
5. Still thinking about posting it here. Y'all are going to have to convince me to. I'm fighting in my head about it as I type right now.
6. I went to the Waffle House near my school tonight. I feel dirty. Really dirty. I mean I had a couple of apples and some cucumber salad for dinner. What did I have at the Waffle House? Scrambled eggs, hash browns and half of a waffle.
7. Don't tell anybody about that half of a waffle. They are not supposed to serve it that way.
8. I just got through reading James Joyce's "Eveline." It took me a while to realize that I read it a long time ago. I had to read it twice. I've still got to read it again to be more critical about it. Good story. You should read it.
9. I should go walking. I might do just that in a few, even though it's going on 11:30. I first need to write some notes about my Ancient World class, read some of my Richard Wright's Black Boy, write a journal about it, find a story to write my first paper on in my other English class, make some more notes on "Eveline," and go through my Spanish vocabulary. I think I may even make some flash cards for them, some cards with words, some cards with phrases, some cards with questions with my answering the questions in Spanish...
10. Maybe I won't go walking. Yeesh.
Labels: Humor, My Writing, Ten Things This Tuesday
Wanna See Some Irony?
Here it is: the one person that is renting me in their box and the person that I'm renting my box out to are honoring the same woman. God bless them, both. Please check out both blogs. The woman they honor is beautiful and worth reading about.
Lest we never forget them.
My Thoughts on the Anniversary
(I love how when I go to the random quote site that it almost always gives me the quote I need...)
I wanted to reflect on September 11, 2001, the anniversary, the past, the future, the present... but then again, I didn't.
I felt like it only would minimalize the day. I mean I needed to reflect like I needed to add a grain of sand to the beach to make a difference. I had nothing to say that would contribute to the enormous magnitude of information that this day was awash with. My being quiet did not mean that I did not think about the significance; I also think of it whenever I see a movie that has the New York skyline before that fateful, paradigm-shifting day. My two cents would not have added nor detracted to what this meant in the scheme of things to me. I'm sure that someone is thinking but it did matter; what you feel and what you say does matter.
I don't think it would have mattered because I am in agreement with what was said all day long. The tragedy of the over 3000 people (we tend to forget the fully-boarded four airplanes and loss of life at the pentagon) is an ugly spot that has bled into the history of America.
And the blot has yet to not only dried, but cease to bleed.
So I went to classes, took a nap, washed some clothes and did some homework. The grief of the day was more distinctive than in other days in the past, but it's a foundational grief along with all of the thousands of lives that have been snuffed out and forgotten. Help me for saying the questions that I'm sure has been asked: All this and for what? Where the damnation is Osama Bin Laden? What has to be done before Bush can be impeached? Who really wants to become president to clean up this quagmire that the idiot left? and so many more.
Okay, so I did have something to say. My bad.
My heart is weighted, yet I've got Spanish homework to do.
Labels: My Writing
My Life Is Safe! Dawn's in the Box!
"I am waiting for my case to come up and I am waiting for a rebirth of wonder and I am waiting for someone to really discover America."
- Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Okay, so moving is dull, but please don't let that stop you from clicking her! She has tons, AND I DO MEAN TONS of fun stuff on her blog, including crafting, crocheting, and jewelry.
CAROL DUVALL OF BLOGGING!
Go take a peek. Scoot! Go on, shoo! I'll be here when you get back. Promise.
Labels: Blog Sites to See
A Dose of Thinking from Daily OM
Receiving With Grace
Accepting Compliments
Many of us find it difficult to accept compliments but easy to believe the slightest criticism. Today, right now, let's make a choice to fully accept compliments as we would a gift. Sincere compliments are gifts of praise. They are kudos given for wise choices or accomplishments or perhaps for just letting your light shine. There is no reason not to accept the gift of a kind word, but some of us argue against them, even giving reasons why they aren't true.
If we visualize the energy of a compliment, we would see beautiful, shining, positive energy being sent from the giver. That energy, if accepted graciously, would brighten our personal energy field. Our gratitude then returns to the giver as warm, fuzzy, glowing energy, completing an even circuit of good feelings. But if we reject a compliment, what could have been a beautiful exchange becomes awkward and uncomfortable, making it a negative experience instead. Misplaced modesty can ruin the joy of sharing this connection with another person. But we can accept a compliment and still be modest by simply saying "thank you." However, if compliments are rejected due to a lack of self-esteem, then the first step would be to start believing good things about yourself. Try giving yourself compliments in the mirror. Beyond the initial feelings of silliness, you will notice how good it feels and can watch the smile it puts on your face. The next step would be to see how it feels to gi! ve compliments to others. Notice how great you feel when you've made another person's face brighten and how differently you feel when the gift you've offered is rejected. Having experienced all sides, you will be ready to play along fully and willingly.
We are our harshest critics. When we accept compliments, we are reminded that others see us through different eyes. All living beings crave positive attention, and we all deserve to have positive energy shared with us. Perhaps if we happily and gratefully accept compliments, we will give others permission to do so as well.
Labels: Daily OM, Feel Goods
A Dose of Thinking from Daily OM
Fully Present In Time
Living For The Moment
Each moment of our lives is imbued with richness and magic. The passage from one second to the next is a miracle in its own right and worthy of being savored. Yet our minds tend to wander away from the present, preferring the unchangeable nature of the past or the nebulous character of the future. There is nothing inherently wrong with revisiting our personal histories or dreaming about what we hope will occur with the passage of time. To live a truly balanced life is to simultaneously embody a past, present, and future self. It is only when our ability to exist purely in the moment is lost and the joys immediately in front of us are overshadowed by the joys of the past and future that we must reestablish our connection to the present. Living in the moment empowers you to discover and appreciate what is beautiful about this unique moment in time.
Our lives are so complex and full that we tend to focus on the big picture rather than on the minute details that make up the picture. Individual moments are lost among the day's clutter, and we are overwhelmed by the burdens, tasks, and responsibilities we must face. To cope, we spend much of our time recalling the bliss the past held or anticipating the blessings the future will bring. However, while life is often demanding and hectic, it is nonetheless made up of immeasurable moments that each carry the potential to delight. A consciousness fixed in the present exists in a state of optimal sensitivity. It responds to life as it comes, reveling in the pleasures of the moment and then gladly letting that moment go.
Grounding yourself in the present is simply a matter of practice. Breathing and moving consciously increases your awareness of how you occupy space from moment to moment. Focusing on life's little joys and relishing everything you do will help you learn to focus wholeheartedly on the task at hand. Living in the moment means immersing yourself fully in every experience, whether positive or negative. As you learn to embrace the present in an all-encompassing way, you will come to realize that life's magnificence is a product of its moments.
Labels: Daily OM, Feel Goods
Yeah, I'm Slackin'. Deal With It.
Yeah, I'm slacking, but not here. No sirree. I'm swamped with reading and writing. I'm taking a long break from reading Mesopotamian Literature (The Epic of Gilgamesh, thankyouverymuch) among other things. I've been trying to talk my professor to let me drop him, but I realize that I've got to do my load and smile about it.
Instead of telling you about ancient civilization and how agriculturists could kick hunters/gatherers booty every single time (I'ma lernin', y'all), I'm going to go through and tease you with my links. Check my people out, y'all. I'll be around.
Ole Bub's proud as a peacock on Across the Sands.
Jali's got them jumping in her house.
Apparently, it's all about men and what they are talking about. Well, it is Original Man after all.
My cousin's not been on his blog in a while, but click on Erratik Thinkin anyway.
Help Dirty Butter out with her searches for animals...
Mama Mouse is giving Blogger users a warning. Worth checking out. Go a couple of posts down and give her a hug while you're there.
Lifesinger's in tears. I can't blame her, but the icon is sooooooo cute!
Kelly's first post is how I feel. Keep scrolling, though. There's a cute cartoon on there.
Eric's doing the dang thang. I dare you to not find something interesting on High Denzity.
My guy, Jay, really needs some encouragement. He's changed. Let him know it.
The Full Metal Photographer has a good pic going on. Days of yore... nice as usual.
Go see Cat. Just go see her caricature. It's enough. Scroll some, also, but she's so cool.
The Lost Girls have a pic on their blog that makes my mouth water.
Winsome's got such a serene piece up. Go see then breathe it in.
Schad's working me up to a frenzy.
Heck, I don't even know what to tell you about the crazy nut, just click on him! Too funny!
Check them out, y'all. I've got some reading to do.
Labels: Blog Sites to See
One More Shout Out to the Diva.
- E. V. Lucas
Okay, this is definitely an abnormal thing for me to do. In fact, I can't remember when I've gotten the chance to do more than one plug for a person. That Diva woman, boy I tell ya. She is a demanding woman! You gotta check out her latest post. I'm going to try it out and see what they do to me. You should go see, too!
Scoot! Done it, already! I'll be here when you get back. Promise.
Labels: Blog Sites to See
A Dose of Thinking... From Daily OM
Residing At The Helm
Being Your Own Village
Simple survival requires us to be in possession of many skills. The pursuit of dreams requires many more. Most individuals rely on the support of a village, whether peopled by relatives or community members, to effectively address the numerous ways we need assistance. This can mean anything from asking favors of acquaintances and leaning on loved ones for support to paying a skilled artisan to handle specialized tasks. However, each human being is born with the capacity to be their own village. We embody many roles throughout our lifetimes, all of which are representative of our capacity for self-sufficiency and self-determination. In different moments in our lives, we are our own counselor, janitor, caregiver, cook, healer, teacher, and student. Our willingness to joyfully take on these roles grants us the power to maintain control over the direction our life's journey takes.
In times past, human beings learned all of the skills needed for survival. Today, the majority of people specialize in a single discipline, which they hone throughout their lives. Thus, many of us feel uncomfortable standing at the helm of our own existence. We question our ability to make decisions concerning our own health, happiness, and welfare, and are left feeling dependent and powerless. But the authority to take ultimate responsibility for our lives is simply a matter of believing that we have the necessary faith and intelligence to cope with any circumstance the universe chooses to place in our path. Proving that we can each be our own villages through action enables us to accept that we are strong enough to exist autonomously. Cooking, cultivating a garden of fruits and vegetables, undertaking minor home repair, or adopting a healthier lifestyle can help you reassert your will.
Being your own village does not mean embracing isolation, for a balanced life is built upon the dual foundations of the inner and the outer villages. Rather, being your own village is a celebration of your wondrous inner strength and resourcefulness, as well as an acknowledgment of your innate ability to capably steer the course of your life.
Labels: Daily OM, Feel Goods
My First Week... Oh My Gosh.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have finished my first week at school.
In a nutshell:
*I missed a class because I have two classes with the same professor;
*Not only did I miss the class;
*but I went to the wrong class before I went to the right class;
*And I did the wrong homework;
*And I had not bought the book for the class.
*And I have about 100 pages in the class I missed to catch up on;
*And I have five journal writings to do.
*I also have almost 30 pages and an essay to write in my Ancient World class.
*At least I am caught up in my Spanish class;
*but I have a quiz in it Monday morning.
*And the work I have done in the wrong class is caught up;
*I just have to do the reading for it.
*I'm happy that washing clothes is free;
*Free food--so not free, it's cost me $1500;
*But it's good food;
*Bloats me, though. My gut was huge last night;
*but it's gotten smaller this morning;
*That's kind of freaky.
*My roommate is so sweet;
*and adorable;
*and perky;
*and popular;
*I hate her and I told her so.
*I'm kidding;
*I didn't tell her. ;) :D
*I'm really excited about classes;
*I'm going to be writing my back-forty off.
*Y'all know what I was going to say
*but I don't want to get spanked by Mama Mouse and Dirty Butter.
*They would do it, too.
*So, altogether, I have about 275 pages to read, and four journals and an essay to write.
*So I shouldn't be here writing to you;
*but I have a valid reason:
*I'm listening to the radio;
*Plus I love all of you;
*and want you to know that I am thinking about you.
*Oh, I almost forgot, I have another essay to write;
*And an email to send off.
*I'm gonna go shower now.