Today is Halloween... or all Hallow's Eve... or in the Celtic world... Samhain. It marks the end of the harvest season... the turning from the season of light to the season of dark. The season of light to the season of gloom... Again... we can always choose to dispel the gloom ourselves... The feast of Samhain lights bonfires to ward off the dark... We too can light bonfires within our own spirits... bonfires that keep the gloom at bay... bonfires that welcome the light and create the light...
But in order to light a bonfire... or even a little campfire...we need some fuel... We need something to burn, something to light, something to kindle within us... Something that will burn within us... What are those things for us? Is it our practices, our habits? Exercise? Meditation? Eating well? Drinking lots of water? Doing something for us? Is it our hobbies? The things that we do that give us energy. The things that give us joy and life... The things that connect us to our spirit... We all have the fuel to create the bonfires within us... but we need to know what our fuel is... And it isn't things like sleeping in... drinking... drugs... caffeine... smoking...
The edge of Ideas. The edge of Connections. The edge of the Unknown. And... in 2020... reading my way (again) through a hefty list of World-Changing books.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Blue Sky
It's a great thing to wake up to blue sky in the mornings!! Or actually... it's an amazing thing to watch the sky lighten from black to grey and then to blue! To know that it is going to be a gloriously blue day with sunshine and warmth. Everything seems possible when the sun is shining. Everything seems doable when the sky is blue. It makes us what to get up and get moving. It makes us what to engage with the world...
And then there are the rainy days... of which we had far too many in September... days on which we don't want to do anything. Days on which the gloom never seems to lift outside and our houses are dark and lights need to be burning...
It's funny how our spirits can often mirror the weather... If the day is sunny... people tend to be sunny as well... and if the day is gloomy... well... we can end up being gloomy as well... But does it have to be that way? Clearly tragic things can happen on sunny days as easily as on gloomy days... So, a sunny day is no guarantee that things in our lives won't turn gloomy at some point. But could we wake up to a gloomy day and create a different mood in ourselves... other than gloom and greyness? Clearly we can... we have the choice and we can shift our thinking and our perception of the world... But sometimes that seems to take a bit of effort... but imagine the rewards!
And then there are the rainy days... of which we had far too many in September... days on which we don't want to do anything. Days on which the gloom never seems to lift outside and our houses are dark and lights need to be burning...
It's funny how our spirits can often mirror the weather... If the day is sunny... people tend to be sunny as well... and if the day is gloomy... well... we can end up being gloomy as well... But does it have to be that way? Clearly tragic things can happen on sunny days as easily as on gloomy days... So, a sunny day is no guarantee that things in our lives won't turn gloomy at some point. But could we wake up to a gloomy day and create a different mood in ourselves... other than gloom and greyness? Clearly we can... we have the choice and we can shift our thinking and our perception of the world... But sometimes that seems to take a bit of effort... but imagine the rewards!
Friday, October 29, 2010
It's you...
I came across a quote in this book that I'm reading that says (and I'm going to make it female centred rather than male centred):
A woman will find that as she alters her thoughts towards things and other people,
things and other people will alter towards her. (James Allen)
Isn't that a powerful quote???!! It's a variation on the idea that the issue is not the issue... it's the relationship you have to the issue that is the issue. People and things aren't the issue... it's the relationship that we have towards them that is the issue... If we alter the way in which we think about things and people... well, we will transform the world... or at the very least, the way in which we interact with the world and the way in which the world interacts with us.
We have a huge amount of power... but we give it away, all the time. We get stuck into thinking that if onnly people or things would change... then our world would be fine... and we would be fine. The truth is... we are the issue... the way in which we hold the world around us is the issue... The only way we are ever going to transform ourselves and the world is... if we alter the things we say in our heads about things... people... and ourselves... most importantly with ourselves... Alter the way in which you talk to yourself and see what happens... Have compassion on yourself and see what happens...
A woman will find that as she alters her thoughts towards things and other people,
things and other people will alter towards her. (James Allen)
Isn't that a powerful quote???!! It's a variation on the idea that the issue is not the issue... it's the relationship you have to the issue that is the issue. People and things aren't the issue... it's the relationship that we have towards them that is the issue... If we alter the way in which we think about things and people... well, we will transform the world... or at the very least, the way in which we interact with the world and the way in which the world interacts with us.
We have a huge amount of power... but we give it away, all the time. We get stuck into thinking that if onnly people or things would change... then our world would be fine... and we would be fine. The truth is... we are the issue... the way in which we hold the world around us is the issue... The only way we are ever going to transform ourselves and the world is... if we alter the things we say in our heads about things... people... and ourselves... most importantly with ourselves... Alter the way in which you talk to yourself and see what happens... Have compassion on yourself and see what happens...
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Another Book
So, yes... I do read a lot of books! Usually, I have four on the go at any one time... Today, I'm reading a book that I saw in the SK airport entitled Happiness at Work by Srikumar S. Rao. (It's a library book too... although I might want to buy this one!)... It is VERY good!!
He starts off by talking about how we assign labels to everything that happens in life... some things are "good"... some things are "bad"... It is these judgements that get us stuck!! He talks about story... the drama that we create about things... the emotions that we create around events... He talks about the internal conversations we have in our heads... It's a very readable book... not at all like the End Procrastination Now book (yawn)... The chapters in this book are short, have inspiring stories... and the author is very direct and to the point. He doesn't beat around the bushes and he uses very down to earth language... I'm only half way through... so... you'll have to wait and see how it turns out.
He does give exercises at the end of each chapters (short exercises)... Exercises that are designed to get you take a good look at what you do... or don't do... and how that gets in your way... Read the book!
He starts off by talking about how we assign labels to everything that happens in life... some things are "good"... some things are "bad"... It is these judgements that get us stuck!! He talks about story... the drama that we create about things... the emotions that we create around events... He talks about the internal conversations we have in our heads... It's a very readable book... not at all like the End Procrastination Now book (yawn)... The chapters in this book are short, have inspiring stories... and the author is very direct and to the point. He doesn't beat around the bushes and he uses very down to earth language... I'm only half way through... so... you'll have to wait and see how it turns out.
He does give exercises at the end of each chapters (short exercises)... Exercises that are designed to get you take a good look at what you do... or don't do... and how that gets in your way... Read the book!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Bookstore
So, you'll be happy to know that I seized the bull by the horns and actually stopped at the second-hand bookstore near the bottle depot!! I parked, took my box of books out of the car and went into the store. At which point I was asked if these were all previous purchases from the chain of bookstores... If they are, then they'll accept them, but if they're not... if they are "new" second-hand books, then they can't take them. They are the only one in the chain that have that policy!! (I think they are a new location too...)... Sigh... Deep sigh...
Mind you, she did tell me that there was a "real" location just a bit further down McLeod Trail that would take all books. And it wasn't too far away... in fact, it's probably exactly the same distance from home as the bottle depot one. So I went there, and got $33 in credit for more books!! Very good... Mind you, now I have a box of rejects in my truck that need to go somewhere... Wonder how long it will take me to get of those books!!
Mind you, she did tell me that there was a "real" location just a bit further down McLeod Trail that would take all books. And it wasn't too far away... in fact, it's probably exactly the same distance from home as the bottle depot one. So I went there, and got $33 in credit for more books!! Very good... Mind you, now I have a box of rejects in my truck that need to go somewhere... Wonder how long it will take me to get of those books!!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Procrastination
I know that I must be the only one out there who experiences procrastination (!!)... Or not??? I'm reading a book right now (surprise!) called "End Procrastination Now". It looked good in the bookstore so I got it through the library. It has a bit too much of a psychology edge for my tastes, but I'm working my way through it. His premise is that we can end procrastination by addressing how we think, feel and act about the things in our life. He uses more high-falutin language... but you get the idea... And I can make the connection with the workshops that I lead... alter your conversation (thinking), alter your life... feelings are not facts... and just do it!!! (Thanks Nike!)...
Anyhow... I'm looking at things that I avoid... and push off into the future... the indefinite future usually... For example, there is one item on my to-do list that has been languishing there for a while...
So, I have some used books to bring to the second-hand bookstore. I trade them in and get trade $$ to buy other books there. A very nice system. There are 4 of these bookstores in Calgary (they're a little chain)... and the one I first went to is almost downtown. It's not a very convenient location and parking is usually a bugger. So, I don't get down there all that often, and when I do drive by, I figure it's too much trouble to find parking so... I don't go... And this box of books has been riding around in my truck for about... 2 months... Anyhow... they have another store which is much closer and just kitty corner from the bottle depot... and close to other places that I frequent... So, it's much more convenient! I drive by it more often and parking is not a problem... But... what stops me is the thought that... what if they don't have the same trade $$ system? What if I have to start a new account at this location? What if they won't accept my books? What if... what if... Yes, I know... it's silly... but ultimately, that is what is stopping me!! I am having quite a conversation with them in my head... and creating scenarios in the clouds that don't even exist in reality. The truth is... I won't know until I go in there... And I won't go in there until I alter my thinking and my feelings about this place...
So, guess what... I'm just a few blocks from this place and... will I make it there today?? That is the question... Or will I fob it off till "next time"... till "some time"...
Anyhow... I'm looking at things that I avoid... and push off into the future... the indefinite future usually... For example, there is one item on my to-do list that has been languishing there for a while...
So, I have some used books to bring to the second-hand bookstore. I trade them in and get trade $$ to buy other books there. A very nice system. There are 4 of these bookstores in Calgary (they're a little chain)... and the one I first went to is almost downtown. It's not a very convenient location and parking is usually a bugger. So, I don't get down there all that often, and when I do drive by, I figure it's too much trouble to find parking so... I don't go... And this box of books has been riding around in my truck for about... 2 months... Anyhow... they have another store which is much closer and just kitty corner from the bottle depot... and close to other places that I frequent... So, it's much more convenient! I drive by it more often and parking is not a problem... But... what stops me is the thought that... what if they don't have the same trade $$ system? What if I have to start a new account at this location? What if they won't accept my books? What if... what if... Yes, I know... it's silly... but ultimately, that is what is stopping me!! I am having quite a conversation with them in my head... and creating scenarios in the clouds that don't even exist in reality. The truth is... I won't know until I go in there... And I won't go in there until I alter my thinking and my feelings about this place...
So, guess what... I'm just a few blocks from this place and... will I make it there today?? That is the question... Or will I fob it off till "next time"... till "some time"...
Monday, October 25, 2010
Running Errands
Today is a day of running errands and getting things done... I have a list... I have an idea of where every place is... and I've mapped out a route in my head to get from here to there to there with a minimum of wasted time and gas... Apparently women are good at planning multi-purpose errand trips... while men apparently do more of a spoke approach. They do one errand, come home, do another errand, come home... etc.
There's nothing that pisses me off more than finding I've missed something on my to-do list and now have to go out again! Sometimes things can be postponed to the next outing... other times it's kind of imperative to get it done now (like buying milk). As a visual learner, I find that if I can map out my route in my head, then I'm less likely to miss something. I have a picture in my head of where I'm headed next, and even if I've forgotten why I'm going there, it will come to me eventually!! Or when I look at my list...
As for lists... sometimes, I just right the pertinent to-do items for this errand trip on a sticky note... one of the tiny one inch ones... That isn't always the best thing though... Little tiny to-do lists on sticky notes tend to get lost! Good thing they make bright colours!
There's nothing that pisses me off more than finding I've missed something on my to-do list and now have to go out again! Sometimes things can be postponed to the next outing... other times it's kind of imperative to get it done now (like buying milk). As a visual learner, I find that if I can map out my route in my head, then I'm less likely to miss something. I have a picture in my head of where I'm headed next, and even if I've forgotten why I'm going there, it will come to me eventually!! Or when I look at my list...
As for lists... sometimes, I just right the pertinent to-do items for this errand trip on a sticky note... one of the tiny one inch ones... That isn't always the best thing though... Little tiny to-do lists on sticky notes tend to get lost! Good thing they make bright colours!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)