tabula rasa (noun) – a mind not yet affected by experiences, impressions, etc.; anything existing undisturbed in its original pure state
If your goal is purity of heart, be prepared to be thought very odd.
-Elisabeth Elliot
Purity
does not mean chastity,
but it does require responsibility.
Purity
could be brevity
if saying more prompts incredulity.
Purity
Simplicity
Infinity
Purity of life is the highest and truest art.
-Mahatma Gandhi
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I am thankful for omnism. My partner introduced me to this belief, and it became quickly apparent how strongly it resonated with me. I have struggled with the concept of any one mainstream religion being the one and only infallible truth for far too long. Why is only one group right? That idea does not feel pure at all, and it does not kindle any joy or love.
Christ never founded any church, never created any state, never passed any law, never established any government or other authority. He wanted to put the law of God into the hearts of people, to make them self-governed.
-Herbert Newton
What if all religions are right, at least in part? In what ways can you identify and weave together common threads between them? This is why I thankfully identify as an omnist. I love studying any and all religions that I come across, even if it means recently learning from a friend about Pastafarianism (or the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster). I was researching Rastafarianism at the time, so the additional knowledge was well-timed.
One [person] who has purified [themself] thoroughly accomplishes more than a regiment of preachers. Out of purity and silence comes the word of power.
-Swami Vivekananda
By maintaining my curiosity as I explore the cultural wealths of the world, I can tune in and listen to my intuition to see and feel which common denominators I can and should adopt as universal truths across various religions. How many include some kind of water-based ritual for ablutions? Why are periods of fasting so prominent? Have you considered why certain religions push for pilgrimages to expand your horizons and experiences? I do not think any one religion is pure in and of itself. They have all been filtered slowly over time through human hands, thus introducing varying degrees of defilement and impurity.
Some people say, ‘[people are] selfish, greedy, and dissipated, and cannot be kind to other people.’
-Leo Tolstoy
This is not true.
We can be good.
Feel in your heart the kind of person you should be; this feeling will give you power.
It is up to each of us to purify our own beliefs and character. That is what I love about omnism. I carefully curate my beliefs to make me the best person I can be. Over time, I am slowly learning to be less preachy about it, too. I am happy to discuss the topic, but I think each person’s progress should be purely their own. I am overjoyed if they ask me questions. However, in the meantime, I will continue to prioritize my personal purification.
Moksha (ultimate liberation) means to purify one’s drashti (belief), and bondage denotes an impurity in one’s belief. It is verily because of the flawed belief that conflicts and divisiveness due to difference of opinion persists.
-Dada Bhagwan
Purity and impurity depend on oneself; no one can purify another.
-Buddha
Purity should not be overly serious nor is it childish, but it is childlike. To possess beliefs and curiosity simultaneously; to know you do not have all the answers yet still be at peace with that fact; to courageously explore for even more knowledge; to welcome guidance and assistance from other explorers. Pure openness and acceptance with love. Do not be foolish; do not be stubborn and closed off; find the ideal middle way for you.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I am so sick right now as I write this post, so I feel the furthest away from feeling qualified to talk about purity while countless impurities run amok within my body. Regardless, maybe that incongruence is one of the lessons already awaiting me here. Can I still paint the picture of purification while pursuing it myself? Oh, here is a neat thought: maybe I am at my worst now in order to be at my best by next Freeday :)
I wish that every human life might be pure transparent freedom.
-Simone de Beauvoir
Pure transparency. That condition is the brightest and best soul state that we should all strive for. I believe we slowly tarnish and cover up our purity with layers upon layers of all the sludge and filth that we often choose to indulge in. From unhealthy foods to unclean thoughts and sickening speech or even atrocious actions, how often are we perpetually and personally pouring impurities into our person on all planes? Even if you only consider your physical vessel, how well are you tending to it? Do you feel pure, transparent, and free? I know I do not right now, but I also see glimmers of progress that fuel my hope and faith to continue improving each day. I will keep on purifying myself.
We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.
-Buddha
The Toltec’s Four Agreements were described as “pure common sense.” I agree, hence why I tailored the guardrails for our lanes after them. If we can find and bring our purest self to more moments each day, then we move closer to being our most authentic and individuated self. I believe this approach prompts how we gradually and patiently perfect our positive purpose in order to provide productive and pure progressions for all people.
Pure love, careless of all other things, kindles the soul.
-Seneca
What does Eckhart Tolle advocate for a lot? Acting in a spirit of pure love before all else. Not conditional or transactional love. A pure love that knows and accepts that anyone and everyone will mess up and cause problems from time to time. Both mistakes and accidents will happen. Can you openly forgive and love continually? These combined practices help purify your past and clean your soul, slowly restoring its pure beauty.
I don’t agree with the whole ‘I’m giving people the same energy they give me.’ I think you should give people your pure truest energy, the realest version of you and if they don’t appreciate you then you can walk away. Why would you lower yourself just because they are low?
-@moonsoultarot
I hope you will begin to purify yourself more and more with each passing day. Like a common expression in Costa Rica, I hope you embrace and embody a “pura vida1.”
May the long time sun shine upon you.
All love surround you,
and the pure light within you…
guide your way on.
Sat nam.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
One of the sayings on a morning tea stopped me in my tracks as I felt the fuller weight behind it for the first time ever. How many times do we hear certain things repeatedly until it finally sounds and hits different? This reason is one of many as to why I remain hopeful. So much knowledge is still slowly sinking deeper into my being as I figure out more ways to be a better being. “Let your thoughts give hope, guidance, and upliftment to all.” I am thankful that many of thoughts were not heard by others when I was younger and dumber. What does that say about me, though? How well am I tending to my internal mental or psychological garden if I need to keep it gated and closed off from others? If I am ashamed of my thoughts, then that is a key message for me to pay closer attention to. As I gradually reduce the passing judgments and scathing remarks that used to cross my mind, I find a calmer and more peaceful scene that feels better and healthier.
All it takes is one good person to restore hope.
-Pope Francis
Wishing others well does not require any extra effort than my prior negativities. It is only an adjustment in my perspective to employ empathetic concern for others versus selfish competition. We can all win, and I hope for that future with every fiber of my being. I will continue to work on cleaning and purifying as many of my thoughts as possible in order to spread as much love as I can. If thoughts require additional consideration, then how about actions and spoken words? Now, imagine if we all tried to do something similar :)
If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true is really true, there would be little hope of advance.
-Orville Wright
What drives you and your advancements? Are you looking towards your brightest hopes, or are you running from your darkest fears? Do you know how to stop having nightmares? You sit with them. You stop and face the situation, and you find out that all your running was wasted energy. Instead, step up and stand up to face your fear. Let hope guide you.
Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work; you don’t give up.
-Anne Lamott
When you no longer have nightmares, then you can fear dreams less. When you fear dreams less, then you can start to see the powerful potential behind and within them. Hope and dreams are what will brighten our horizons with new prospects and ideas that propel our positive momentum forward. Dream big. Hope absolutely. Drive your fate.
Everyone must dream. We dream to give ourselves hope. To stop dreaming – well, that’s like saying you can never change your fate.
-Amy Tan
Hope is a choice. Please do not forget that. Are you choosing to be hopeful? I certainly hope so. In a recent news article that I read this morning, Atlanta local Susan Jaeskce was quoted saying, “you might not have two pennies to rub together, but there’s always a little bit of hope that you can find.” Are you finding your hope? Will you give it a try?
Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.
-Christopher Reeve
I hope you will set your own expectations and limits for life in your lane. If others do not have as big of an imagination or creative reservoir as you, should that stop you or hold you back? I do not think so, so I hope you will only allow your limits to be your limits. Maybe you will even eventually reach a point of no limits. Now there is a big dream :)
It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.
-Robert H. Goddard
While there is life, there’s hope.
-John Gay
I hope you will dream some big dreams, and I hope you discover and live your best life.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Have you ever wondered… about kaizen? I have. A friend introduced me to this term a couple months ago, and it immediately clicked in my brain as a powerful and hopeful concept. Kaizen is the patient practice of persistently improving upon your thoughts, actions, and behaviors, ideally each and every day to at least some degree. It is not a constant adjustment but a gradual work at being better in all that you are doing in life.
Someday all you’ll have to light the way will be a single ray of hope, and that will be enough.
-Kobi Yamada
Breaking the term down, I think of it as fire of the mind. Those are the two components of it from Japanese, kai and zen. At least, that is what I thought they were previously. Today I learned that I was wrong about kai in Japanese. It is more like the ocean or sea, so quite the opposite in fact. Well, how about that new knowledge for my improvement today? :)
Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.
-Confucius
Are you using your thoughts to improve your life on a daily basis? Can you determine how to live better? What adjustments (big or small) can you be making mentally, physically, and spiritually? Lately, I am keenly aware of my cyclical overthinking, so I started working with AI to strategize skills and tips to test out when I find myself slipping. I often file away internal nuggets of wisdom from interactions during each day. Do I not like how I replied in a moment of strong emotional turmoil? Did that person end the call in a toxic way? These reflections provide countless opportunities to identify better ways for me to show up in the future when I inevitably face a similar scenario.
I am very little inclined on any occasion to say anything unless I hope to produce some good by it.
-Abraham Lincoln
Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.
-Helen Keller
Kaizen makes me better each day in at least some small way. Sure, I slide backwards in probably all areas from time to time, but those (hopefully) brief setbacks or regressions allow me to review and refine even more with kaizen. With my mind’s fire (yes, I like the imagery enough that I am still sticking with it for this post), I can shine a light on any situation to see what to do differently (and ideally better) the next time. There is no end or finish line to this process. I plan on permanently implementing kaizen because I never want to stop improving. Can (and should) I take breaks and rest? Yes, but the cheeky side of me gets fired up at the thought of how to efficiently revise and reform in that area, too.
One accomplishment in life adds another hope for further accomplishment. This hope pulls us through. It would not be wrong to say that hope is the cause of decision. We are then driven to action for our dreams to come true.
-Unknown
Learning can be fun in my opinion. Turning it into a game of sorts certainly compels me to continually show up and whittle away at it. I plan on being a life-long learner because new knowledge is what enables me to identify additional areas to work on and augment for authentic and accurate awakening. After all, as the fire in my mind burns brighter, it is harder for me to stay asleep in the dark. I am much happier and more content basking and bathing in the warmth on a more routine basis. It helps me channel more love for all.
Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.
-Robert H. Schuller
There is always a way and always hope in the next sunrise, and in the next second, and in the next minute.
-Ziggy Marley
My hope is that we will all begin to see how well these productive and mindful skills collaborate with and complement one another. I am not sacrificing or compromising on any of my past beliefs and virtues to be hopeful. Instead, I am fortifying a firm foundation that fuels my future endeavors comprehensively and holistically. After all, my interests and values are still my own. I think we can and should be individualized in those ways. Kaizen can show you ways to better find your way to your best way if you care to try it out some along your way. Will you allow kaizen to weigh in on your life? I sure hope so.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous, y’all :) <3
I mourn for all of the people who feel hopeless right now. I wanted to say I mourn for all of the hopeless, but I caught myself because no one is hopeless. We may often feel like giving up, feeling like there is no reason to be hopeful, but that is a mindset choice that we can work on over time. It will not always be as easy as flipping a switch, but we can gradually cultivate a healthier and more hopeful attitude. Do you want to try, though?
Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the very thing which keeps you from hope and love?
-Leo Buscaglia
It saddens me at how often my own dad pops into my head during this cycle because he does not strike me as a very hopeful individual. While I think he has a strong sense of duty which I admire, he often presents himself as being rather resigned to his lot in life. That approach does not allow you to enjoy a lot of life. How dull are the colors and how blurry are the edges when you no longer hold any hope for the future? How can you reinvigorate your hopefulness? What needs to happen to rekindle your hopeful flame?
The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something.
-Barack Obama
Wow. Do you know what I realized with this insight as I reflected on it more? No, so let me tell you now :) Mindfulness. I now question the positive correlation between being mindful and being hopeful. It makes me wonder how many of the mindless are also the hopeless at present. Mindfulness serves as a key skill to shine a light on many parts we have ignored and allowed to darken for who knows how long. It can be very difficult and challenging work, but it is well worth it in order to enhance, fortify, and harness our hope.
There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
-John Green
I am hopeful that we can all be more hopeful. Start by being more present more often. Stop living in a state of delusion or ignorance. Be honest about how you are and where you are at right now. Make plans for your future that excite you. Take even the smallest of significant steps towards that life that fills you with light and gives you glowing hope.
It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.
-F. Scott Fitzgerald
It is not lost on me how dark and difficult life can be. I know the struggles that I have had, and I have had to face many of them. There are still more awaiting me in my future, too. They do not compare to others, but it does not need to be a competition or comparison between any of us. Can we still hold hope in spite of it all? Do we refuse to give up and admit defeat? So many heroic survivors in history point back to their hopeful presence and mindset that they held on to with such patient persistence while beset by so much.
Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.
-Thích Nhất Hanh
What a nice thought to imagine a future where I will no longer need to mourn for such a disparaging and self-defeating condition. The idea of us all being hopeful one day brings a peaceful joy to the wholeness of my being. I hold hope for this possibility down the road because, if we all choose to design hopeful lanes, then we will make it a reality.
You don’t want to beat yourself up for beating yourself up in the vain hope that it will somehow make you stop beating yourself up.
-Kristin Neff
In this present moment, I hope you can shift your mindset with me to one of hope. With our best thoughts and actions aligned and directed mindfully, we can lead well-lit lanes.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
aspiration (noun) – a strong desire, longing, or aim; ambition; a goal or objective that is strongly desired
despondent (adjective) – feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, gloom, or discouragement
Are you one to always or often hold hope,
or are you quick to give up, saying nope?
What will it take to begin again anew?
How will you search for your next clue?
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
-Bible (1 Corinthians 13:7)
The world is a dance floor.
Each of us is a dancer.
To find a key answer,
open your eyes; search more.
We will not know it all.
That does not matter.
Hope through rise and fall.
Do not let that shatter.
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
-Dale Carnegie
Value your days.
Hope for your best.
Dodge any daze.
Part of the test.
Make hope more than a phase.
It can be a constant at all times,
then you can avoid any faze,
doing your best with all rhymes.
What is your aspiration?
What is your dream?
Slow down your respiration.
Enjoy life’s subtle gleam.
Are you checked out?
Do you feel despondent?
Course correct your route.
Be an active respondent.
Hope is the feeling we have that the feeling we have is not permanent.
-Mignon McLaughlin
Hope can lead you through the dark.
Let it light your way to a brand new start.
I am hopeful that we can be less stark.
All getting along; all doing our part.
Hope without action is nothing real,
but hope with action is a true ideal.
Hope with ego can be selfishly blind,
yet egoless hope is simply sublime.
Being hopeful makes you have more positive emotions and build better relationships.
-Matt Haig
I hope for more hope far and wide.
I hope with more hope at each tide.
I hope we all hope for what is best.
I hope we also hope for healthy rest.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Hopefully, time will tell.
Today, I am thankful for Star Wars for many reasons. I enjoy most of the movies a lot, and a number of the spin-off TV series have been enjoyable as well. I had various Star Wars toys growing up, and I can remember spending hours in my bedroom playing with different action figure sets like the Death Star and the rebel base on Endor. Hope pervades the franchise as a major theme. The Dark Side appears to be on the brink of victory countless times. Sometimes we have only Obi-Wan to rely on. Or perhaps two droids if we are looking for them. What are you relying on? What are you looking for?
In all things it is better to hope than to despair.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Hope is one of those infinite virtues. We can hold a limitless amount of it. Do we act on it, though? Are you a princess willing to get your hands dirty with hard work, or do you only hope passively while not pursuing any progress, young padawan? If you hope to be a Jedi, then you must be prepared to put in a lot of work. Any role worth doing requires hours upon hours of unseen training, focus, and discipline behind the scenes. The flashiest moments rarely happen without preparation and readiness. Hope is not luck. I would rather be hopeful than lucky. Both is best, but I know which to count on regularly.
It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
Any movement can start off slow and small. In time, with the right amounts of hope and perseverance, you can see it begin to take hold and spread. A few freedom fighters can turn into a full resistance. Then, before you know it, the empire has met their match. Hope is a flame that never needs to be extinguished. Will you keep fanning and fueling it?
Courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.
-Michelle Obama
It boils down to what you choose for how to live and lead your life. Does fear drive your decisions, or are you hopeful for the future? Are you only reactive? Can you be proactive? Make your moves according to what is best instead of what you are afraid of. This shift may feel subtle, but the difference is significant. Run from the dark, or walk in the light?
Let us not go back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness.
-James Thurber
The Force is all around us. Some may call it Tao. Others may simply call it nature or the universe. It is also subtle, yet it can also make such a difference. When you begin to tap into and feel the vibrations and flow of your inner being as well as the universe, you can rekindle a sensation that may have been lost and forgotten for a time. It does not need to stay that way. You can find your way back to the light. It may not easy, but it is worth it.
Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.
-Helen Keller
May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.
-Nelson Mandela
I will always be thankful for a new hope. May we stay on target and be forever hopeful.
May the Force be with you :)
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Do you hope for the best while you plan for the worst? Personally, I prefer this strategy. While I am frequently quite the optimist, I am also beginning to learn how to better embrace my anxiety in order to identify concerns and points to watch out for. This multifaceted strategy allows me to remain hopeful while also preparing for possible problems. I can still use more work with reducing overall worries, but I am hopeful.
Hope for the best.
-Mel Brooks
Expect the worst.
The world’s a stage.
We’re unrehearsed.
An important point that should be clarified early on in this cycle is that hope only serves as a starting point. By itself, hope will not accomplish too much. What you do with it is what matters. Therefore, hope must be directed towards and channeled into effective and meaningful action in order to drive positive change forward and generate lasting results.
We can’t just hope for a brighter day, we have to work for a brighter day. Love too often gets buried in a world of hurt and fear.
-Dolly Parton
Hope serves as a solid starting point to stand on. It provides direction for your best next step, even if the result turns out to be different than what you expected. I think that is a beautiful aspect of life that we should learn to better appreciate – hope for whatever you are working towards, yet accept whatever actually happens. Do not be blinded by hope.
Every problem has a solution, although it may not be the outcome that was originally hoped for or expected.
-Alice Hoffman
Hoping against the present state of things wastes our energy and resources. Accept the present, and hope for your brighter future. By leveraging these two mindsets in tandem, you set yourself up for the best success possible. To briefly push this idea to the highest level, hope for a collective best-case scenario as well. Expand your hopeful ideas and aspirations to encompass all of us whenever possible. Hope should not be selfish.
Learn from yesterday,
-Albert Einstein
live for today,
hope for tomorrow.
To hope is to give yourself to the future.
-Rebecca Solnit
Life will be full of challenges and even disappointments. Can we still learn from all of the moments, and can we still hold onto hope? Will we get knocked down and stay down, or will we continually choose to harness and hone our hope because it is the better mindset to manage and mold? It will not always be the easier decision, but it will be the best one.
We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Think about most, if not all, great accomplishments in the past. How have inventors, pioneers, and visionaries reshaped our future without choosing to be unique and daring beacons of hope? Hope is a vital prerequisite for worthwhile achievements. Without it, how do we dare to go where no one has gone before or do things not yet ever done?
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
-Helen Keller
I consider myself to be a rather hopeful person. It is how I remain bright and optimistic amidst so many struggles and so much strife. I still have dark and down moments at times, so I hope to improve my ability to better engage with hope more meaningfully moving forward as a result of this cycle. At this point in time, how hopeful are you?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Faith fuels so much. Faith serves as a catalyst and a multiplier for any and all of our other virtues. Do you want to be more courageous or have more trust? Shore up your faith. Want to practice more acceptance or promote patience? Follow your path faithfully.
Faith is unseen but felt, faith is strength when we feel we have none, faith is hope when all seems lost.
-Catherine Pulsifer
Faith can be one of the finest hills to stand on. It can serve as the eye in the middle of a hurricane. When all else is swirling and storming, faith can be your safe haven. We do not see the bigger picture at play, but we can rely on faith to see us through to our best next step again and again. It can drive enough direction and light our way just enough each and every time. It may not always make sense to us then and there, but have faith.
Faith is believing that the outcome will be what it should be, no matter what it is.
-Colette Baron-Reid
Hindsight and greater perspective can eventually dawn on us if we are open to it. When we are in the middle of stressful events and traumatic moments, it can very difficult to see the forest for the trees. Yet, when we invest time and effort in practicing effective and valuable retrospection, we can better understand why we dealt with certain difficulties and what we gained and learned as a result of facing and overcoming tricky challenges. The fire of faith can be fierce at first, but it also forges and fine-tunes our finest mettle.
There are moments when tribulations occur in our lives, and we cannot avoid them. But they are there for some reason… Only when we have overcome them do we understand why they were there.
-Paulo Coelho
One of the core components of faith that I have come to recognize and adore is love, an all-encompassing and all-inclusive love for all. My love for God is reaching new heights now, my love for myself is at an all-time high, and my love for all beings is radiating so far and wide. I do not believe that we are here to judge and hate others at all. It honestly feels like a waste of time. We finally fulfill our faith when we can freely flow in full love.
You will not complete your faith until you love one another.
-Muhammad
God has given us many faiths but only one world in which to co-exist. May your work help all of us to cherish our commonalities and feel enlarged by our differences.
-Jonathan Sacks
You may not grasp this concept well or faithfully yet, but I know how firmly and peacefully it is starting to settle within me. I hope you will begin to explore and practice more faith to feel something similar if not identical. My anxiety is at an all-time low. My emotions will still ramp up at times, but I find them easier to navigate and quickly quell compared to times in the past when they would linger and last for far too long. I am now better at letting them guide my thoughts and actions, not controlling me unconsciously.
Faith brings you stability, centeredness, calmness, and love.
-Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Faith grows when it is lived and shaped by Love.
-Pope Francis
I am building and shaping my foundational faith bit by bit; I will continue to construct it as I continue to live it because it is more than likely a never-ending process. While it is firm in some places, it is fluid and flexible in others. Many features will be refined in due time.
May you find a loving faith forevermore because, as you fuel it, it will fuel you.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Have you ever wondered… about blind faith vs. built faith? I have. I was raised in a very religious household. I spent summers at church camps that figuratively waterboarded me with Christian Kool-Aid. I was told to believe and accept things as truth without proof. I can easily recall staying up late at night sobbing uncontrollably because I could not wrap my head around this concept of blind faith. How could these people possibly know these things? Those poor camp counselors must have had their hands full with me back then.
Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation.
-D. Elton Trueblood
As I discovered and explored the Bahá’í Faith in my more recent years, I encountered the idea of built faith instead of blind faith. This concept resonates so strongly within me. Do not take or accept someone else’s faith as your own. Find and make your own faith. It is the recommended path even within Bahá’í households. How else can it be strong, trustworthy, and independent? In moments of weakness or doubt, you will not feel compelled to blame someone else’s faith. Instead, you can fortify and build yours more.
If you lose money you lose much, if you lose friends you lose more, if you lose faith you lose all.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
I really relish this concept and idea of feeling faith. As a self-identifying intellectual, feelings are rarely my strong suit. They often give me the most trouble. However, exploring somatics and tuning into my body has also indirectly benefited my ability to believe. As I feel more on a physical level, I also begin to feel more on other levels. I am tapping into my heart in ways I only heard about from others with pangs of jealousy previously. Finding this oasis within has been refreshing, relieving, and rejuvenating.
Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking.
-Khalil Gibran
Your faith does not need to look like your parents’ or anyone else’s faith. Mine certainly feels rather unique. I provide my personal example as a simple statement in the hope of encouraging you to found your faith in whatever way resonates clearly within your core. Maybe it will change over time. Frankly, I think it probably should. I know I have learned more gradually and incrementally to tweak, adjust, and augment my feelings about it all. For example, I used to be way too rigid with faith. Now, I am embracing a freer flexibility. I still have some nonnegotiables that have not shifted since the start, but the evolution and expansion of my spiritual education has been emphatically and enjoyably elucidating.
What after all, has maintained the human race on this old globe despite all the calamities of nature and all the tragic failings of mankind, if not faith in new possibilities, and courage to advocate them.
-Jane Addams
I wonder if you will explore more. Can you be more curious? As our island of the known grows, so too does our shore of the unknown. There will always be more. Do not get caught up in a constant chase; do focus on founding and fortifying your free-flowing faith.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous, y’all :)
Today, I mourn for any and all individuals who feel faithless. You may say you do not have faith, but I think it is there. You are simply not feeling it or remaining in tune with it. When will you be ready to feel it? Can you at least fathom the idea of faith? Why did you lose your connection to it? Can you point to that point in the past? Can you process that pent-up pain or frustration at long last? Do you realize you are only holding yourself back?
People who believe they do not have faith are wrong; they simply don’t realize it, or don’t want it, or cannot express it.
-Leo Tolstoy
If a person has problems, there can be only one root cause: lack of faith. The same is true within human societies as a whole.
-Leo Tolstoy
Faith does not guarantee or grant passage to smooth sailing. If anything, it can and does often prompt the exact opposite because, when we strengthen our internal faculties, we become more capable of carrying and handling more. Our potential and the tests we face both increase in some proportional manner. So, do you give up when the good going gets tough, or do you buckle down and grin your way through? Do you have faith in yourself?
Faithless [are they that say] farewell when the road darkens.
-J.R.R. Tolkien
Beyond feeling faithless, I sugjest also considering where you place your faith if you do possess some amount of it currently. Do you prescribe to the almighty dollar or its saying (In God We Trust)? Do you put your faith in your fellow humans or in a greater being? Misguided or misdirected faith can prove problematic if not reviewed and revised. My proposed sugjestion is to patiently pour it into the proper, positive power for all please.
A foolish faith in authority is the worst enemy of truth.
-Albert Einstein
Revisiting a topic from earlier this cycle, faith is best exemplified through actions and not words. How do you think we will all be judged in the end? Maybe you think we will not be judged. You are entitled to your own beliefs, but I plan to be ready for whatever comes next. I want to be proud of my productivity and peacefulness here. I want my faith to glowingly exude from even my most basic actions if I can stay calm and mindfully present in all that I do, even when it is simply sitting still with serene satisfaction.
Faith is about doing. You are how you act, not just how you believe.
-Mitch Albom
Do you lack or not feel faith because you try to control too much? Are you missing that connection as a result of connecting to too much else? I hated change and the unknown in the past. I am not proud to admit that fact now, but it is the truth. In the present, I sit more comfortably with both. They can be difficult for me at times, but they have also impressed me beyond my wildest imaginations. Life would be so boring if we already knew it all, so I am happily placing some faith in change and the unknown nowadays.
Fear looks; faith jumps.
-Smith Wigglesworth
Faith is a place of mystery, where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty.
-Brené Brown
How much are you trying to prove or waiting to hear or see before believing and tapping into your faith again? What will it take for you to finally step back into a co-creator role with the universe? How much more time needs to be wasted in search or expectation of an explanation? Will you slow down in faith and find the beauty awaiting all around?
To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.
-Thomas Aquinas
I honestly and sincerely hope that you find and feel your faith freely.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
steadfast (adjective) – fixed in direction; steadily directed; firm in purpose, resolution, faith; unwavering, as resolution or faith
treachery (noun) – violation of faith; betrayal of trust; treason
Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.
-Lucille Ball
Wherein lies your faith?
In God or perhaps a wraith?
Do you feel your soul?
Do you connect with it?
How full is your bowl?
Does it protect a bit?
Faith is a light amidst the dark.
Illuminating a path to embark.
Will you take the first steps
without as many preps?
Will you begin to explore?
Can you trust even more?
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Faith is a partner on the dance floor.
They will show you what is in store.
Faith is a wave to ride to shore.
They will prove the truth in lore.
My faith helps me overcome such negative emotions and find my equilibrium.
-Dalai Lama
Can you begin to stand tall and steadfast?
Will you patiently persevere at long last?
We will sadly see treachery far and wide.
No need to feel anger. No need to chide.
Faith shows us our way so we do not sway
or get drowned by others or washed away.
Treachery earns its own just deserts.
They will learn just how much it hurts.
We can stay steadfast, our eye on the prize.
Living a full and faithful life, free of any lies.
Faith is the substance of whatever it is that we hope for. The important thing is that we teach that faith is connected to good works and responsibility.
-Bishop Thomas Dexter Jakes
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I am thankful for the Gnostics. They were an early group of Christians before the more widely-known and prominent branches or sects rooted them out and hunted them down. I have faith in many lessons within the Bible. Do you really think it is the only holy book, though? No. It was carefully curated by a collective of corrupt and conceited charlatans. Do you know how many other books exist from that time that could have and probably should have been included as well? By some accounts, more than fifty others. Where is Thomas’ book? How about Mary’s? And Judas’? The Gnostics believe in and accept equality across genders. Such a stance does not serve a patriarchy, though, does it?
Faith is a state of openness or trust. If you really have faith, you don’t need belief.
-Alan Watts
Even beyond the Bible’s omitted (or censored) books, I learn plenty from other holy texts. Part of me wants to list out some examples, but maybe they are only meaningful for me. I would rather leave this invitation open-ended to encourage your curious exploration in order to discover what is meaningful to and for you. We are on different journeys and at varying stages of our lives after all. There is no one size fits all here in my opinion. Therefore, I sugjest you listen and learn to glean what meaning means something to you.
Faith… is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.
-C.S. Lewis
The Gnostics know that the best and truest answers await within all of us. How likely are we to blindly listen to worldly leaders, though, if we can explore and discover on our own? It is easier to control if a sense of dependency is developed. Would we rather have faith in fellow people or in God? I know where my faith rests. I will love my neighbors, but I try to listen to only One. It does not mean I ignore my neighbors, but I listen for the truth within and beneath their surfaces. It sounds weird and cryptic, but that is my faith.
There are two types of faith in this world. The first is faith in things other people say, faith in people; there are many varieties of this type of faith. The second is faith in God; this type of faith is unvarying, and it is necessary for all people.
-Leo Tolstoy
Gnosis is the root word involved here. It is Greek for knowledge or awareness. I believe that introspection and self-reflection can reveal your own true knowledge and awaken your accurately-astute awareness. I was reminded of something recently that once again felt very valuable and important. Prayer is how we talk with God, and meditation is how we listen to God. Are you practicing both arts? Can you find the right balance between what you say versus what you hear? Do you have faith in such mystical processes? I do.
The [person] of faith, of energy, of warmth… steps in and does something.
-Vincent van Gogh
Honestly, I do not care about being Buddhist or Christian in title; I care about embodying them in practice by living their teachings and principles on a daily basis as I move through life. It is far too easy to talk the talk. Walking the walk in faith is difficult and challenging, but it is so worth it. Having lived my life in a number of ways already, I am quite confident in and grateful for this current style and approach. I finally feel free, fulfilled, and faithful.
Faith makes the discords of the present the harmonies of the future.
-Robert Collyer
I share this information in case it helps others on their path in their lane. I see a beautiful potential within each and every one of us. I refuse to give up, and I will not lose faith.
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.
-Mahatma Gandhi
I hope you find what you are looking for. I wish you all the best on your quest for wisdom.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I will try my best to be gentle with this next cycle, but it is time to finally broach this big subject. How is your faith right now? Where and in whom do you place your faith? Do you have a lot of it, or do you need to spend some time shoring it up and strengthening it well? I believe with all of my being that faith should be a critical cornerstone to a life well-lived. I know my faith has been spotty and questionable in the past, but I can also say that, at this point, my faith has never been stronger. My faith carries me through life.
Faith is the foundation on which all else rests; it is the root of all knowledge.
-Leo Tolstoy
Faith is the necessary property of the soul. Feel the essential meaninglessness of those things which are well-known to you, and the greatness of things which are unknown but important.
-Leo Tolstoy
In the past, I have felt like an island. I thought I was adrift and alone. Foolish ego had blinded and isolated me from the bigger picture. As I put in difficult yet important inner work, I begin to see that I have been my own worst enemy. Now, I possess a steadfast faith that is at peace with controlling less, trusting the naturally unfolding flow more.
Faith is unflinching trust in something divine.
-A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
There is no finish line in this life. We do not reach a point where we are done. Sure, there is death waiting for all of us, but I no longer see that as a finite end. Instead, it serves as a door to our next chapter. While I am here, I will keep strengthening my mind, body, and soul in order to be the best version of myself that I can be. I no longer cling to a fixed mindset; I will forever be a pilgrim of supreme, everlasting love for myself and all others.
Faith is not the clinging to a shrine but an endless pilgrimage of the heart.
-Abraham Joshua Heschel
Consider the following: would you rather have fear or faith? The answer is quite clear and easy to me. Fear often crops up as a result of the unknown. So, what is the remedy there then? Learn more, increasing what all is known to you. As a result, you can fear less while having even more faith. We will never know it all, but should that stop us from still improving and uncovering as much as we can? How will you choose to live your life?
Faith and fear both demand you believe in something you cannot see. You choose.
-Bob Proctor
Embracing my own true being has been one of the hardest yet most liberating choices of my life. I am eclectically unconventional. Therefore, I will stop trying to fit in as if I am anyone else. I am me, and I am finally at peace with accepting my full uniqueness. It can be scary and potentially isolating at times to be distinctly individuated, but I do not think there is a better way to live a truly authentic and purposeful life. I openly embrace it now.
Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.
-Bruce Lee
These writing cycles have been formative and foundational for me. If they help others, then I am even happier. However, I am already plenty happy because I can calmly and confidently confirm my calling. Starting this vulnerable work was intimidating and at least a bit terrifying for me, but my dedication and persistence have prevailed. No matter what you may call our higher power (whether it be God, Allah, Yahweh, Brahman, or Grand Architect, etc.), I possess a firm faith that will no longer be shaken or stirred.
All work that is worth anything is done in faith.
-Albert Schweitzer
I genuinely and sincerely hope that we can all honestly hold and share such a strong faith together. It is not limited or exclusive, and we will never exhaust it. We can all hold and share it if we so choose. So, will you begin to move forward with more faith in your life?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Gentleness does not come easily to me. I have so many years of intensity to offset and counterbalance now, though it will not all be corrected in this moment. A key here is to be gentle with myself during this transition and improvement process. I am already appreciating and being aware of more moments when the intensity slips back into my demeanor and mindset. Whenever I recognize that slide backwards, I can breathe, ground myself, and relax my need for control. Gentleness slowly feels more and more natural for me.
A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles.
-William Hazlitt
I realized something profound that feels rather significant for me. I struggle and find it so difficult to be gentle because I did not have it modeled well for me as a child. It brings me absolutely no joy to admit that I grew up in one of those homes that believed in physical punishments. How does a child see gentleness and feel love when learning to fear the pain from belts and wooden spoons? It was a blind spot for me for way too many years. Now, releasing that burden and knocking down that wall, my goal of being more gentle suddenly feels realistic.
I do not think our lives are meant to be only easy and gentle strolls. We will all face tests and challenges that make us prove our worth. These are defining moments to walk the walk, and they can be the most important times to maintain and demonstrate our own innate gentleness along the way.
The easy, gentle, and sloping path that guides the footsteps of a good natural disposition is not the path of true virtue.
-Michel de Montaigne
It can be scary and daunting to face new unknowns and get out of our comfort zones. If you built walls around you for protection, do you know when they turned into a prison instead? Like the universe, I believe our lanes should continually expand. We should not confine or constrict ourselves, and we certainly should not confine or constrict others. We are strongest when we feel full of love for ourselves and all others.
Our greatest strength lies in the gentleness and tenderness of our heart.
-Rumi (the famous Persian poet, not the lead vocalist of Huntrix)
Please remember, we can still have pillow fights :)
When tough times come, it is particularly important to offset them with much gentle softness.
-Vera Nazarian
Be a pillow.
I enjoy my witty word plays and such, especially earlier on when starting these writings. My inner work, though, is truer and deeper than any of those minor surface-level details. The person I am now proves my purpose for all of this work.
More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.
-Charlie Chaplin
The easiest route can make us often feel like we should fight fire with fire. Giving the same energy back to a person can often be a default habit engrained into our interactions and psyches. If you want to truly flex your well-being in a healthy way, then work on maintaining your gentleness and kindness in as many situations as possible regardless of any resistances. It is not easy; it is worth it.
Always meet petulance with gentleness and perverseness with kindness. A gentle hand can lead even an elephant by a hair. Reply to [your] enemy with gentleness.
-Zoroaster
Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars.
-Max Ehrmann
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Have you ever wondered… about grounding? I have, and no, I am not talking about the classic punishment parents assign to children who have misbehaved in some fashion. In my opinion, it is a fascinating technique, and it can also be referred to as earthing. If you take some time to settle into nature, then you can begin to access a natural calm that will slowly permeate throughout your body. I know it may sound weird, but why else is nature therapy an existing modality? I believe we feel the least gentle whenever we are disconnected from our own bodies and surroundings. By reconnecting, we can effectively reestablish inner and outer equilibriums that evoke efficient and efficacious emotions instead of feeding more negative loops. I sugjest giving it a try sometime soon. Let your bare feet connect with some soft grass or dirt. Allow your body to feel more than usual.
it is possible to live with kindness and compassion toward yourself and others while also creating healthy boundaries or defending yourself when it is actually necessary. you can be gentle with the world and also protect your own flourishing. instead of resorting to survival mode when life gets hard, reclaim your power by taking your time to respond skillfully.
-yung pueblo
You do not need to take my word for it either. Look at all the benefits and information available through the National Institute of Health. Fair warning: there are some graphic images on this page, so scroll mindfully if open wounds trigger you. Be gentle with it.
How comfortable and gentle are you in an ungrounded state? How engrained are your habits when you go through the same motions daily while expecting things to change or improve? We can get too comfortable, and we can grow too complacent. Gentleness can be discarded and overlooked all too easily. We can distract ourselves with crass cover-ups like unhealthy laughter and hate. I sugjest challenging yourself to be a better person. Ground yourself in a firm path of becoming more gentle and kind. Allow the supportive natural world all around you to boost your self-image and self-worth enough to be confident in being unconventional and individualized. It is not easy, but it is so worth it.
It’s so easy to laugh. It’s so easy to hate. It takes guts to be gentle and kind.
-Steven Morrissey
I believe that none of us are ever truly alone. Sure, we may feel like that from time to time, but that is us getting in our own way. I wonder how much more grounded and interconnected we would all feel if we can all be more gentle… I hope we will try.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous, y’all <3
I mourn for tactless tactics. How heavy-handed are some plans and operations? Why do some people feel the need to be so blunt and obtrusive? What does it take for a person, group, company, or organization to not be harsh and unempathetic? Is a bit of gentleness too much to ask for? Do we care more about holistic well-being or the bottom dollar?
Gentleness is not weakness. Just the opposite. Preserving a gentle spirit in a heartless world takes extraordinary courage, determination, and resilience. Do not underestimate the power of gentleness because gentleness is strength wrapped in peace, and therein lies the power to change the world.
-L.R. Knost
I recently heard about an organization that rolled out mass layoffs in a very sudden and stressful fashion. In my opinion, there was nothing gentle to their strategy. Each day, a new wave of employees would receive a meeting invite for the end of that day. At that meeting, they would learn about their immediate or inevitable termination. Even more sadly, it was not only one day that employees had to endure these gut-wrenching and nauseating pins and needles. No, this daily strategy went on for the majority of at least one week. Morning meeting invites and afternoon terminations. I know many budgets are tightening up with new governmental regulations and fundings in flux, but where is any consideration from management for their colleagues and peers who are all freaking out?
Only the weak are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong.
-Leo Buscaglia
There are many wrong ways to do things, and, sometimes, there may be only one correct way to do things. There definitely is only one best way to do each thing. We each get to determine that for ourselves. Apply some gentle and mindful tact to your decisions. Be better than this organization in how you view and interact with others please. Our plates are full, and times can be scary. If we can all be more gentle, then we can all enjoy more.
Every soul, the philosopher says, is involuntarily deprived of truth; consequently in the same way it is deprived of justice and temperance and benevolence and everything of the kind. It is most necessary to bear this constantly in mind, for then you will be more gentle towards all.
-Marcus Aurelius
I am thankful that I do not work in HR. I doubt there was an easy way to handle such a difficult downsize within a company, but I do not think they found the best way to do it. Where is the trust and credibility in workplace culture moving forward? How much will people now be waiting for the next time mass layoffs happen without warning? Do you expect anyone to speak well of your business in the future? It makes me realize how reciprocal gentleness can be. It is toughest to be gentle in the face of roughness, but I believe those are the moments and opportunities to be the best versions of ourselves.
In a gentle way, you can shake the world.
-Mahatma Gandhi
My heart hurts at the thought of the suffering and anguish of recently laid off people. To have a job one weekend and unexpectedly be unemployed the next is upsetting. I hope they are gentle with themselves as they grieve and then grasp new and better options. Tactless tactics at least show us all better ways of doing things. I believe that can be carried forward to a fresh new start. It is not easy starting over, but it is worth it <3
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Do you feel like you have something to prove? Does that feeling justify your supposed need to look big or sound loud? How often do we try to present ourselves in the best light? What if we stopped caring so much about what others think and focused on our own thoughts and feelings? How much gentler can we all be with nothing to prove?
Your gentleness shall force more than your force move us to gentleness.
-William Shakespeare
Think about it. Are you posturing for attention? Do you care more about impressing others than finding and fulfilling your personal purpose? I now think we can and should be gentle when aligned well with our reason for being here. By focusing on what truly matters, the rest begins to matter less. Then, we will be able to find more rest, and that calm can allow us to move forward with more gentleness while feeling less distress.
Gentleness is strength under control. It is the ability to stay calm, no matter what happens.
-Elizabeth George
Quietly sitting out in nature has become one of my favorite pastimes to decompress and destress from daily issues and struggles. When I connect with my surroundings more and appreciate where I am at and what all I have already done, I feel less driven to achieve for the sake of sheer productivity alone. Instead, my inner drive feels pure and patient. I can gently endure so many more challenges. Life may move quickly, but I choose my pace.
Awaken the gentleness within you.
-Asad Meah
I struggled with being outdoors some at first; I got annoyed and distracted by each passing car or noisy neighbor. So, I had to be gentler with my surroundings and what I expected of it all. Now, I can see a bigger picture and appreciate the variety of noises and movements going by. Even the loud subwoofers no longer bother me at any time of the day or night. I believe we can all find ways towards authentic gentleness eventually.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I am thankful for Roald Dahl’s creative writings. His imagination and storytelling exceed many expectations. Despite countless difficulties in his life, he still embraced a childlike ideal for best actions and behaviors. What is a common denominator among a lot of his main characters? Gentleness. Charlie. Matilda. Sophie. Life’s challenges and difficulties did not break them down. They maintained their personal integrity and gentle features.
Gentleness is a divine trait; nothing is so strong as gentleness, and nothing is so gentle as real strength.
-Ralph W. Sockman
One of my favorite books growing up was The BFG. I will share a part of one of my more intense dreams from this past week. I was standing on a shoreline with a small group of people. There were about ten of us mulling around. The water was dark and opaque, so we could not see beyond the surface. To our collective surprise, a massive hand and arm began to rise up from the water. Blindly, it started to reach for one of the closest people. We all moved back a few paces as we tried to figure out what was going on and what this thing was. Moments later, the head, neck, and shoulders of a giant emerged from beneath the watery surface. Looking at all of us slowly, the giant again reached out and grabbed one of the closest people. In stereotypical fashion, the giant began to move this person towards his mouth. I saw how easily he could take a bite, and then he surprised me further by showing how he could even swallow the person whole if he wanted to. To say I was horrified by what I was witnessing is an understatement. However, in another brief moment, he simply pulled the person out of his mouth, placing them safely on the ground. This giant was trolling me and my poor assumption! I expected this large being to be aggressive, hostile, and violent. Yet, who on the shore behaved gently and wisely?
Gentleness corrects whatever is offensive in our manner.
-Hugh Blair
Stop and listen more. Check your assumptions at the door, and be curious more. We do not know what awaits beyond the shore. There is already plenty of lore. Yet, we can still proceed gently to see what all is in store, and we can work on being better than before.
When we work from a place… that says, ‘I’m enough’, then we stop screaming and start listening, we’re kinder and gentler to the people around us, and we’re kinder and gentler to ourselves.
-Brené Brown
Gentleness can be a great strength, and quiet action can sometimes speak as powerfully amid the noise as the loudest voice.
-Sarah Corbett
Go forth in life, stand tall, and be a gentle giant.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I try to be kind because I have worked on it a lot, and I know it is best. However, I recently realized that I also want and need to be gentler. It is my understanding that rough kindness is not always well-received. Gentle kindness feels like a perfect pairing to me. How well will people listen and respond if there is a bluntness or a sharpness to your tone? In my opinion, the ideal to strive for is a gentle tone, striking a middle ground.
Having a gentle spirit, a kind spirit, a compassionate spirit toward oneself and others really does make space for the growth and the teachability that keeps us moving into the direction that we want to go. It’s not always easy to hold that kind of compassion and kindness for oneself, but to me that’s often where the work is.
-Tracee Ellis Ross
Gentleness feels very underrated in this day and age. There is so much focus placed on how strong and tough people are. How much attention are we placing on the exterior? What is happening on the inside? Try to picture it. Does it look like some terrible scene around Orthanc full of orcs and ill will, or does it look like the Shire on a warm, sunny day? Gentleness carries a hidden power that many often overlook. If you can build up a calm, cool, and collected confidence that allows you to move forward through life with a gentle ease, then you will remain unbothered and not upset by so much. Just try and see.
A deep river is not troubled if you throw a stone into it. If a religious person is hurt by criticism, then [they are] not a river but a shallow pool. Forgive others, and then you will receive forgiveness.
-Muslih-ud-Din Saadi
What is the current state of your soul? When have you last checked in with it? Do you even believe in it? I watched the new Netflix movie, KPop Demon Hunters, yesterday, and I cannot believe how much I loved it. I found many truths resounding fully and completely within my being as I watched it. Is it always gentle? No. I do not think we can or should always be gentle, but I do think it should be our baseline default until something else is truly necessary. What is your current baseline default? How often are you tapping into your gentle nature? If you are like me, then this is an area where we can still improve.
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth.
-1 Peter 3:3-4
I was surprised to not have more quotes about gentleness already prepared. It surprised me even further to see some contention around it being beneficial. Given the choice between being harsh or gentle, it feels quite clear and obvious to me. Do you want others to raise their defenses or lend a helping hand? Do we want more battles, or can we finally embrace peaceful harmony? I look forward to focusing on gentleness this cycle.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Within the world of Buddhism, there is a concept known as the Seven Factors of Awakening. Do you know what one of those factors is? Joy. I am so grateful for my curiosity leading me to research the difference between happiness and joyousness or joyfulness. Like all the others before, this cycle has proven to be very informational and groundbreaking for me. Choosing more moments to simply channel more joy has been a breath of fresh air. I can now appreciate larger aspects of time in my life as a result. It will not make everything better, but it allows me to improve how I live amid much mayhem.
We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.
-Joseph Campbell
Joy blooms where minds and hearts are open.
-Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Is there really much mayhem, though, or are we too focused on the finite frontlines? If we can zoom out and look at the bigger picture, then I believe we can begin to see subtler pieces at play behind the scenes. In fact, a macro view enables us to joyfully observe the natural balance that is unfolding harmoniously. If you find yourself unaligned with joy, then feel free to uproot yourself and begin again anew. I know that statement is easier said than done, but do not let your fear of change hold you back from finding your joy.
I give you this to take with you: Nothing remains as it was. If you know this, you can begin again, with pure joy in the uprooting.
-Judith Minty
We endure difficult moments, but I do not think we should repeatedly endure the same difficult moments. I believe that these are tests in our life to see if we will begin to rise up and respond differently. Can we do better and attain more success? Not in a material way, but in a personal way. Are we capable of embodying more excellence in character and values? Can you start tuning in to more of the boundless joy that is already all around?
"you know the healing is real when you find more joy in unexpected places. when the wind touches your face gently and you cannot help but smile. when you look into the eyes of a friend and know that the connection you share has become deeper. when you feel the strength of having overcome so much and the lightness of no longer carrying as many past burdens. life itself has a radiant shimmer that you can more easily tap into. not only are you tuned into the boundless joy of the universe, you can easily flow with a path that leads you to greater inner and outer success."
-yung pueblo
True and lasting inner joy does not arise from anything on the outside. None of that will last. Instead, it arises on the inside. Reach a level of personal comfort and calm that allows you to move forward through any and all challenges with a persistent joy.
The only way to find permanent joy is by embracing the fact that nothing is permanent.
-Martha Beck
The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.
-Thích Nhất Hanh
Buddhism values joy as a gained attribute along the way. As you begin to be more mindful and calm, you open yourself up to finding the brighter spots in each and every moment. It really boils down to how you are approaching life in your lane. Are you rushing around or proceeding peacefully? Do you have rampant thoughts running wild, or can you string together sincere threads? Are you feeling pure emotions or corrupt ones?
We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.
-Buddha
Do you move through life with your mind, heart, and soul in sync? This full alignment is how we begin to purify ourselves. Without the proper connections and channels flowing together, balance eludes us. As we feel and cultivate pure emotions, we begin to heal.
If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment.
-Carlos Santana
And joy is everywhere; it is in the earth’s green covering of grass; in the blue serenity of the sky.
-Rabindranath Tagore
Do you choose to see and appreciate the joy in your life? Joy really is all around us all, but it is up to each of us to identify it and let it in. I sugjest welcoming and enjoying joy.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Have you ever wondered… about mudita? I have. It is another one of the four brahmaviharas in Buddhism. Mudita stands for empathetic joy, being able to relate to and revel in the good fortune and delight of those around you. Are you quick to be happy for others, or are you more prone to jealousy or envy instead? Your current reaction here says a lot to be honest. Recognizing it is an ideal first step in order to correct and improve it.
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky are also on the faces of people going by.
-Louis Armstrong
What does it say about you if you cannot be happy for others? I think it points to some part of your life that you are not at peace with. The grass is not always greener on the other side. You cannot trade or jump lanes in life, so it does not make sense to stare forlornly elsewhere. Start finding and appreciating the joy that is already awaiting all around. What if you chose to share in the joy of others instead of feeling down about it?
A joy shared is a joy doubled.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Mudita was very tough for me to effectively practice in the beginning. I could feel the pangs of jealousy arising whenever I found myself wishing for something similar. Now, with more authentic ownership of my life and what plans I am making for the future, I can truly empathize with others joyously for their excitements and celebrations. I find it very uplifting to let the moments and emotions build upon one another collectively because our energies are complementing and cooperating. If I start comparing and playing the “what if” or “I wish” game instead, then I start missing out on joyful opportunities in life.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
-Theodore Roosevelt
Empathetic joy takes conscious effort to mindfully and routinely practice. A stoic quote I recently saw by Epictetus said, “progress is not achieved by luck or accident, but by working on yourself daily.” Change does not need to be constant, but it should be consistent and compounding. Are you putting in the work to be the best and highest version of yourself, or are you foolishly content with being among the lowest animals?
The serpent that stings us means to hurt us and rejoices as it does so; the lowest animal can imagine the pain of others. But to imagine the joy of others and to rejoice at it is the highest privilege of the highest animals.
-Friedrich Nietzsche
I know that last question was a bit of a difficult challenge. However, I will not shy away from any ugly truths. In my opinion, it is important to not gloss over or sugarcoat the mindsets that mean the most. Mudita feels like an extremely valuable virtue to harness and hone holistically. These moments give me opportunities to speak sincerely while still trying to maintain a kind and caring tone. Regardless, my joy will remain undestroyed.
The greatest joy, according to the works of Francis Assisi, is that you can endure everything, you can even suffer slander and physical pain, and at the end you are able to feel no animosity toward these sufferings, but you feel joy, because you have faith; such joy cannot be destroyed, either by evil people or by your own suffering.
-Leo Tolstoy
Are you joyously connecting with your current surroundings? Why or why not? Do you realize that it is only you who is holding yourself back? Can you begin to empathize joyously with others? Imagine their joy; bask in it alongside them. It takes time to practice and perfect this power, but I strongly believe that it is well worth it. We are all moving through life with our lanes next to each other. Why not share more of the journey and help one another more along the way? You may be surprised by how you are repaid.
Empathy is forgetting oneself in the joys and sorrows of another, so much so that you actually feel that the joy or sorrow experienced by another is your own joy and sorrow. Empathy involves complete identification with another.
-Dada Vaswani
Mudita means so much to me. I hope it will also begin to mean a lot to you. Please know that I will have empathetic joy ready and waiting to share with you, too :) <3
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous, y’all.
I mourn for those who do not allow themselves to feel joy on a regular basis, if ever. I do not believe that we are here to punish ourselves. If you are not in a place that promotes peaceful joy, then what can you begin to change? How can you establish boundaries to protect your joy? What can you do to begin promoting it, not in a boisterous or showy way externally but in a pure and sustained way internally. In order to avoid the prevalent habit of counting problems, can you begin to count your blessings, finding joy in them?
Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.
-Karl Barth
The most effective way to cultivate joy in our lives is to practice gratitude. The key word here is ‘practice’ … So often we think that joy makes us grateful, when in reality it’s gratitude that brings joy.
-Brené Brown
We often think that if we only get this, get there, or get to do that, then we will be happy. It is a race where the finish line is always moved further and further away. Chasing this feeling on the outside is going to leave us unfulfilled and seeking more forever. Finding it and cultivating joy on the inside can go with us everywhere and prove to be everlasting.
Joy is not in things, it is in us.
-Charles Wagner
It should not take much for us to find and feel the simple joys in life. Modern day society wants us to believe that we need the latest technology and fanciest clothes and cars in order to find and feel joy. All of these material distractions will momentarily satisfy the space that is empty or incomplete within us, but they will not maintain that joyous fulfillment for long. There may be rare exceptions to this case, but, in general, I believe we can and should be happier with less. We should learn to love life as it is. Without embracing the present moment as a present, how can we ever feel full and complete?
With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow – I have still joy in the midst of these things.
-Confucius
All of the hardships I’ve gone through in life – I can appreciate life so much more because of that. I remember not having food, so to me the joys of life are a lot simpler than other people would assume they would be.
-Viola Davis
Finding joy in the midst of the struggles and difficulties can prove to be quite a struggle and difficulty in and of itself. However, I am now fascinated by this challenge. This shift in mentality permits me to reframe my perspective on whatever it is that I am dealing with. Sure, the problems in my life will still cause a doubt and fear or two to bubble up from time to time, but I now have a counterpoint or two to balance them out. Therefore, I can simultaneously acknowledge the pain of my past while allowing the joy to quell it at last.
Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.
-Joseph Campbell
If and when you have the chance to look back and reflect upon your life prior to your passing, what do you want to recall and think about? All the days of struggle and strife, or all the times you found, chose, and channeled a limitless joy inside you? The answer seems rather obvious to me. Perhaps with such joy, we can simply choose to stay present as we proceed peacefully past the veil. The journey will continue; onward we will sail.
I have a burden on my soul. During all my long life, I did not make anyone happy, neither my friends, nor my family, nor even myself. I have done many evil things… I was the cause of the beginning of three big wars. About 800,000 people were killed because of me on the battlefields, and their mothers, brothers, and widows cried for them. And now this stands between me and God.
-Otto von Bismarck
I believe a well of inner joy is always available to any and all of us. It is not limited to the rich or elite. In fact, I think many of them are frequently further from profound inner joy than the rest. In my opinion, there is no need to waste time looking at the lanes of others out of jealousy or envy. Your lane has so much joy ready and waiting. Can you find it?
Will you accept it?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
In my mind, I held a negative connotation for the word and emotion “ecstasy.” For a while there, I convinced myself that it was bad and undesirable to reach a state of ecstasy due to falsely viewing it as a corruption of joy. At the end of the day, these are all only words trying to express my true inner thoughts and feelings. Any of it can be pure, and any of it can be corrupted. Pure joy or corrupted joy. Pure ecstasy or corrupted ecstasy. I am now overjoyed to see this part more fully and clearly. This realization permits me to joyously detach from many attached meanings that held me back. The intent behind it all means more and carries more weight than any literal meanings we associate intellectually. Intuit the depth deliberately. Allow the true essence to bubble up and shine authentic light.
Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.
-Emily Dickinson
A new thought I am merely toying with between pure emotions and corrupted emotions hearkens back to the idea of who or what is steering the ship (your life) in your lane. Pure emotions guide us towards and help us to see our best path forward. Corrupted emotions tug us here or there, often against our will or perhaps even without our awareness and conscious knowing. Are we joyous because we choose to be or because we are being swept away in a storm of subterfuge? Can you embrace each moment with authentic joy?
Each moment and whatever happens thrills me with joy.
-Walt Whitman
I find far more joy in mindfully steering my ship, even when in a storm. The added nuance and beauty here that I am now appreciating is the idea of listening and responding to the waves and the winds. I should not always steer the ship where I think it should go. I will follow the path that seems to be set forth in front of me. If I disregard the natural laws of the ocean, then my ship may break and sink. If I flow with the tides and motions, then I will continue exploring and uncovering uncharted areas. I do not need to know where I am going. I can simply enjoy the journey, sailing as smoothly and successfully as I can.
Talking about our problems is our greatest addiction. Break the habit. Talk about your joys.
-Rita Schiano
Are you fighting the ocean of life, or are you friends with it? Do you first share your problems with others, or do you supply your successes instead? Are you steering the conversations, or are your habits stepping in and defaulting dreary dialogue? We can slowly recognize and break free of joyless habits. If they are not sparking joy for us on a daily basis, then why do we continue to rely upon them? Rewrite your story. Step back up and correct the course of your ship. Joyfully chart a path with a new idea that feels best.
Don’t surrender all your joy for an idea you used to have about yourself that isn’t true anymore.
-Cheryl Strayed
Love yourself and love others enough to show up joyfully as often as you can. Find the details and meanings that make you smile. Light up your life with what makes your lane bright, cheery, and full of laughter and lightheartedness. As long as it is not affecting the lanes of others, then who cares if it does not fit a standard norm? Let your love lead you.
I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.
-Marlene Dietrich
He ‘olina leo ka ke aloha.
-Hawaiian proverb
(A joyousness is in the voice of love.)
Be gleeful, be ecstatic, or be overjoyed. Find and channel your uplifting vibrations in a pure, mindful, and meaningful way. I love the idea of always carrying joy forward with me. In any moment, I can reflect on and appreciate everything around me. The sea will rage at times, and there will be storms, so I am learning how to fare well through it all.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I am thankful for the traditional healers that exist across so many societies in the world, people like mystics, oracles, seers, and shamans. While watching an informational video earlier this week, my interest was piqued when I heard the mention of a healer’s amount of joy being related to their effectiveness of practice. A healer should first heal themself well. Then, as a more wholly integrated individual, they can better serve their community, providing a potent purpose that promotes well-being. Many of the brightest healers often have the darkest pasts. One can often lead to the other, and it also typically results in a lot of overflowing joy. Their abundance of joyousness arises as they find their way and fulfill their highest calling. How joyful would you be knowing you are on your best path?
I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.
-Rabindranath Tagore
The role of authentic healers is rarely posh and glamorous. The tests and trials that are demanded of them can be severe and strenuous. Yet, these people are often some of the happiest and most joyful you will find. They know who they are and what they are doing. The amount of joy that can be possible with such realizations is really, truly life-changing.
Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of [people], but from doing something worthwhile.
-W. Grenfell
In my opinion, the results at the end are not what matter. We can take each step of the journey during our lives with meaning. Are you trudging along or joyously jaunting? We can lament our life’s position, fomenting the current state of things. Or, we can look for and find the sparks of joy that help us plan a path forward. We can provide a peek at our possibilities to improve. We have examples to see how others have healed. Why can we not then do the same? It fills me with joy at the thought of following in such footsteps.
The struggle, like life itself, should be joyful.
-Miriam Miranda
Healing is not easy. It can be difficult and painful. The result is well worth it, though. The amount of joy that awaits is significant and substantial. Imagine reaching a point where joy persists amidst any and all problems. It may sound far-fetched for now, but I can see glimpses of such glamour. I will not suppress any emotions going forward, yet they will all be easier to handle and navigate if joy is always simmering on a burner as well. Am I joyful because of my smile, or do I smile because of my joy? Does chicken or egg matter?
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
-Thích Nhất Hanh
Traditional healers amaze me with their capabilities and practices. Their levels of discipline and self-mastery demonstrate key ideals to develop joyful fulfillment.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
While exploring some of my curiosities to prepare for this cycle, I found it fascinating to see descriptions of the differences between happiness and joy. Happiness can often be fast and fleeting, but joy can even persist amidst problems. Joy frequently represents our outlook on and approach to life. If we feel fulfilled and purposeful, then we can be joyful.
Joy is that kind of happiness that does not depend on what happens.
-David Steindl-Rast
I will fully acknowledge that the following may sound weird. In fact, I am still learning to embrace this concept more wholly myself. What about joyous sadness or joyous anger? Why must we ever shelve our joy? We do not and possibly should not have to ever set aside joy. Whenever we choose to try to exert too much control on life is when we take joy off the table. Instead, if we flow with each moment more, we can be more joyous.
Joy is a decision, a really brave one, about how you are going to respond to life.
-Wess Stafford
Every moment will not be sunshine and rainbows. We will have difficult tests in life, but those are opportunities for us to learn and grow; we can express joy for those lessons. We will face heartbreaking losses at times. Those sad and upsetting phases exist due to joy in the past that we can reflect upon and remember fondly. It will not replace sadness nor should it, but the two can still coexist peacefully and synergistically within our soul.
Begin today. Declare out loud to the universe that you are willing to let go of struggle and eager to learn through joy.
-Sarah Ban Breathnach
I love this thought of finding and choosing more joy in each of my days and moments. By letting go of my false sense of needing to control everything, I can embrace the present as-is and look for and appreciate the joyful aspects in it. Would you rather resist current events stubbornly or focus on the factor that can bring a twinkle to your eye? We can and should push for progress, yet it will be more effective and contagious when done joyfully.
Let your joy be in your journey – not in some distant goal.
-Tim Cook
Are you feeling fulfilled? Do you have a strong sense of purpose? Perhaps you can search your soul some for such self-subsisting ideals. The greater they are, then the greater the possible joy that awaits. Enjoy the process of looking within and listening to what you find. Embrace the adventure that will fan your flame of joyous compassion for yourself and others, and remember to slow down and bask in the beautiful world all around us.
If we set aside time each day to be in a peaceful environment, to walk in nature, or even just to look at a flower or the sky, then that beauty will penetrate us and feed our love and our joy.
-Thích Nhất Hanh
I hope we can all move forward with more contented and peaceful joy resting within. We each have a purpose to fulfill here, and I believe they can all coexist in joyous harmony. If we approach our experiences and interactions from a place of joy, then we can all benefit.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
It dawned on me this morning. Which do we most commonly start with? When we are young, we spend so much time listening before we can even speak. Why should that pattern ever change? Only once we have learned how to listen well do I then think we can speak well. Well, I believe we can all benefit from less judging and more listening.
When we listen with less judgment, we always develop better relationships with each other. It’s not differences that divide us. It’s our judgments about each other that do. Curiosity and good listening bring us back together.
-Meg Wheatley
A friend recently reminded me of something from Eckhart Tolle. If you rearrange the letters in the word listen, it also forms the word silent. Have you improved your silence during this cycle? Are you beginning to listen better to everything around you on the outside and on the inside? What is it teaching you, and how is it now guiding you?
The three qualities essential to deep listening: silence, reflection, presence.
-Kay Lindahl
If what I write does not resonate with you, then do not listen to it. Honestly, it hurts to put that here, but I do not want anyone to follow along blindly. I prefer to see everyone listen to their own true wisdom and guidance. Make sure you tune in to and listen to the right voice, though. Our egos can be very loud in our minds, and that is not the voice I am recommending leveraging. Instead, there is a deeper well of knowledge waiting beneath that layer. Can you listen to the purer, quieter, and wiser voice that bubbles up instead?
You are your own greatest teacher. Learn to trust your internal source of wisdom.
-Tamara Levitt
Listening is an incredibly valuable and underrated skill in my opinion. I will continue to improve my practice of it for the rest of my life; I want to observe as much as I can in order to learn as much as I can. I believe we are surrounded by so much beauty, so I choose to slow down enough to observe it all with as many of my senses as possible.
The earth has music for those who listen.
-George Santayana
Are you listening to unique and novel moments in the present, or is your internal radio stuck on the same channel of negative self-talk, worries, fears, and doubts? Change the channel for a bit and see how you feel. What changes can arise in your life as a result?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Have you ever wondered… about pratyahara? I have. It is the yogic practice of turning inward. Interoception is a related western or scientific word for this idea. Can you shut off your external senses in order to recognize and pay attention to more of your internal senses? How is your heart beating currently? What is the present state of hunger in your stomach or nutrients processing within your intestines? Does a muscle or joint ache and ask for attention? Learning to listen to your body can provide a wealth of information and guidance towards living a better, fuller, and healthier life. Ignore these sensations and subtleties to your own detriment. It can often prove more beneficial to listen inwardly.
Yoga improves the mind-body connection by encouraging you to listen to your body.
-Ann Swanson
A couple weeks ago, during a hatha yoga class, I learned about a fascinating mudra that I had never heard of before, shanmukhi mudra. It involves depriving your awareness of many outward senses. In a safe place, try it out sometime if you are curious. Your thumbs go in your ears, your index and middle fingers go across your eyes, your ring fingers go under your nose, and your pinkies cover your lips. By closing off and shutting out as much external stimuli as you can, you become better able to focus on and listen to your senses within. Considering even the basics, how often do you recognize your breathing pattern?
Listen. Are you breathing just a little and calling it a life?
-Mary Oliver
Our bodies are wonderful creations, and we can learn so much from them if we listen to them. We are bombarded by so many outside influences that try to vie for our attention. Many people think they know what is best for us. While we can and should listen to others when approached mindfully and respectfully, we should also learn to cultivate and trust our own internal knowing, our gut feelings. That inner guide is our best friend.
It takes courage for people to listen to their own goodness and act on it.
-Pablo Casals
Intuition is a powerful and incredibly useful skill to craft and hone. In my experience, it takes a lot of practice. Quieting the outside world and the mental swirl is not an easy task, but discovering and engaging with the world beneath that layer is well worth the effort. Turning inward has shown me a much clearer path forward. Now, I can listen better to everything around me, both inside and out, as a result of such work. It starts, though, with knowing well what is best for me. Others may not agree. So it may be.
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend
-Shel Silverstein
Or wise [person] can decide
What’s right for you – just listen to
The voice that speaks inside.
I doubt our actions will ever make everyone happy, but we can and should still listen to and be friendly with everyone who we cross paths with. Sometimes, outside guidance and advice appears at the ideal and optimal time. You can feel how it aligns with what you are listening to, both internally and externally. Those harmonious moments are key indicators that you are doing your best and progressing on your ideal path. Whenever you discover that you may have temporarily trusted the wrong voice, keep an open mind to quickly correct your charted course. You can always adjust your attitude and actions.
I’ve trusted the still, small voice of intuition my entire life. And the only time I’ve made mistakes is when I didn’t listen.
-Oprah Winfrey
Listen to your inner voice. It takes effort and practice. Why else do you think pratyahara exists as one of the main limbs of yoga? Yogis devote large portions of their lives to turning inward and listening to all that awaits within. We can do the same if we choose. It is not easy, but it is worth it. Do not listen to me, though. Listen to your inner knowing.
Does it agree?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous, y’all :) <3
I mourn for all the people who have tuned out their partners and loved ones. Why do you no longer listen? Why have you voluntarily chosen to exist on an island all alone? We all want to feel seen and heard, and we all deserve to be seen and heard. Therefore, we should all see and hear everyone around us. It can be hard sometimes, but it is worth it. Tune back in. Listen with curiosity. Choose a new reply. React less, and respond more.
Everyone must be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.
-James 1:19 (Bible)
If someone gets exasperated because you are not listening, do you really think it is wise to become exasperated in return? No, it is a bad habit that we should recognize and resist. We feel the uncomfortable and combative tug of our shadow because they are correct. Guilt or shame is stepping in and steering briefly because they have a point. If we are not listening, then we should stop and listen. It sounds so simple and easy, yet how many of us struggle with this step routinely? Do not underestimate its sneaky subtlety.
Don’t underestimate the power of mindful listening. It’s the key to constructive communication.
-Jay Shetty
Show your love by listening well. Feel their love by how well they listen. If they are tuned out, then gently ask for the same respectful behavior to be reciprocated if you are already doing your best for them. We can and should all be held accountable for effective and active listening. A polite nudge or reminder from time to time will help us hone this habit.
When you listen well to what your partner is saying, you are actually saying that you care.
-Theresa Miller
There is so much for us to listen to and learn from. I know all too well how easy it is to get stuck in one’s own head. I continue to slowly learn over time, though, how much more rewarding it is to engage more with my environment, to actively immerse myself in and listen to my surroundings. Even yesterday, brief and random lyrics from a car’s speakers driving by brought a wide grin to my face. Hearing different squeaks and chirps of critters made me happy. By investing active effort in turning down the volume of my thoughts in order to better tune in to everything around me, I feel immense gratitude and excitement.
I’ve learned about the poetry and the wisdom and the grace that can be found in the words of people all around us when we simply take the time to listen.
-Dave Isay
It does not take much to fulfill our basic needs. Do we need more stuff, or do we simply want to connect with one another? Do you want your words to be truly appreciated and felt, or do you enjoy talking to blank stares and glazed eyes? Stop talking if there is a phone screen in between. Leave devices behind if you want to be fully present for a conversation with a friend or loved one. Make a concerted effort to connect and listen.
The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen.
-Rachel Naomi Remen
When we connect with other humans, we feel support and encouragement that enables us to feel empowered and equipped to tackle anything that life may throw at us. If others give you time and attention by listening well, then it is only balanced and fair to give the same in exchange. If we all tune in more and listen better, then the amount of healing we can share and spread will be significant and life-changing, unlike anything we often see.
With the gift of listening comes the gift of healing.
-Catherine Doherty
It does not take much. Determined focus. Active presence. Mindful commitment. Be here and now. What do you hear now? What can you tune in to and respond to authentically, compassionately, graciously, honestly, insightfully, lovingly, meaningfully, and sincerely?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Read between the lines.
Clue in on subtle signs.
Do you stop at surface level?
Can you start to see a bevel?
Do you only listen to respond?
What if you can coax beyond?
What happens when you delve deep?
Listening to understand, a secret to keep.
Deep listening is the kind of listening that can help relieve the suffering of another person.
-Thích Nhất Hanh
Trading two chats back and forth.
One goes south, the other north.
If you fully engage and connect,
then flowing beauty can intersect.
Share the moments; enjoy every word.
Make the other person feel truly heard.
Start to find and share friendly jokes.
See what authenticity they will evoke.
If you can get someone to laugh with you, they will be more willing to identify with you, listen to you. It parts the waters.
-Robert Orben
Listening is sadly a rare and lost art.
It takes slowing down, tuning in to your heart.
Do you really want to be a tried and true friend?
Then see your conversations through to the end.
Do not check out or get lost in your thoughts.
Avoid those mental ifs, wishes, and oughts.
You can be clever and present all at once.
Embrace each moment, unlike some dunce.
If you want to be a clever person, you have to learn how to ask cleverly, how to listen attentively, how to respond quietly, and how to stop talking when there is nothing more to say.
-Leo Tolstoy
Two souls can sit side by side
and feel no need at all to chide.
Share a moment in peace and quiet.
No need to stir up another riot.
Not every moment needs more speech.
Accept nature’s aid and what it may preach.
When you still your mind and sit in silence,
more insights may rise, offering guidance.
Listen to silence.
-Rumi
It has so much to say.
How well do you use all of your senses?
Can you listen better with fewer pretenses?
How well do you expect to grow and improve
if you continue to control each and every move?
Sometimes it is best to sit back and wait.
Listen for what may appear at the gate.
It is never ideal to rush ahead deafly.
Best to glide along def-def-deftly.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I am thankful for great therapists, both licensed professionals and unofficial stand-ins. You could even be your own therapist at times if you can step back and objectively assess your situation from a neutral standpoint. It is not easy, but it can be a useful and valuable skill to hone since therapists and friends will not always be available for our every beck and call. A great therapist shows up with and provides proven listening skills, and they help get to the roots of problems. They may not always share the answers directly with you. However, their keen listening and gradual guidance can lead each of us to our own self-discovery and self-improvement over time. They help us tune in to our own feelings.
Listen to your emotions as they link your inner self with your mind.
-Dr. Sue Morter
Therapists help you better process and understand your emotions. First, are you feeling a primary emotion or a secondary emotion? I often initially think of my anger as primary only to find out later that it is secondary to fear. Therapists can prove very helpful here.
I can feel heavy and down after therapy because I spend so much time unpacking issues and problems. As time goes on, though, I eventually feel even better than before because I have let go of more of the past and built back the present even stronger. What felt like a lashing was more of a lesson. I feel lighter and more uplifted about potential futures now.
Failure is a greater teacher than success. Listen, learn, go on.
-Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Excellent therapists listen well. When they do speak, do you then listen well? We can learn from additional ideas and perspectives, and we can welcome differences of opinion and understanding. There is no one-size-fits-all answer or way to seeing the world or living life. Sure, there are guardrails that I believe we should all adhere to, but each lane can and should be wholly individualized. How else can we discover new information if we do not learn to listen well to everything all around us? Use your ears more effectively.
Listen. Just listen. You don’t have to agree. Just see if you can understand that there’s another person who has a completely different experience of the same reality.
-Esther Perel
Make sure you listen to your own feelings, too, without outside assistance. What if you do not feel like your current therapist is the best fit for you? Consider discussing it with them. It can be awkward, but it can also introduce positive change. Perhaps they can adjust in some way to better accommodate your preferences, or maybe they know of another therapist who will be an even better match for you. Listen, learn, and lead on.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
How well do you listen? Why do you listen? How do you listen?
Can you pause and listen to your own answers? Do you have good reasons and explanations? To start with a classic adage from one of the Stoics, think about the proportions that we have been given: two ears and one mouth. How do you do with those ratios? Are you frequently listening twice as much as you are speaking? :)
We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.
-Zeno of Citium
Do you know everything? Will any of us ever know everything? Do we need to ever know everything? How can you continue to learn more if you do not listen? Recognizing this fact and honing your listening skills allows you to learn more and therefore improve more. With any newfound freedom, I highly sugjest pursuing such worthy endeavors.
The wise [person] listens to meaning; the fool only gets the noise.
-Musonius Rufus
I love listening. To nature; to music; to random conversations as I pass by strangers. Any and all of these opportunities can teach me so much, assuming I am curious and open minded in those moments. If I waste my time judging someone or something, then I miss out on opportunities to listen effectively. I fall short in any moment where I spend too much time in my own head instead of connecting more, tuning into my surroundings or listening to my own body. There are many things all around us that we can listen to and learn from if we start to silence our own speaking, externally or an internal monologue.
You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say.
-Paulo Coelho
I hope you will begin to notice more what your speaking to listening ratio is like on a daily basis. Slow down, quiet yourself, and listen to the roses. Close your eyes and hear what bubbles up from your inner child or intuition. Seize as many learning moments in each day as you possibly can. How else will we all continue to improve and unite in harmony?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I will ask again – how free are you? Has this cycle helped highlight where you may be trapped currently? Can you begin to make moves in order to reclaim and reestablish your personal freedom? Similarly, are you impeding upon the personal freedom of others?
The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate.
-bell hooks
How can you improve to ensure we all enjoy the same sovereign independence? None of us are truly free until all of us are fully free. Personally, I am tired of my self-imposed burdens that are weighing down on me. I know how much better I act, feel, and think whenever I am unlimited and unrestrained from struggles and suffering. I believe we are all capable of reaching a state of serene peace and love that encompasses all of us.
Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
-Mahatma Gandhi
My own word has limited and restricted my own freedom in the past. I have a bad habit of taking myself way too seriously, so I am slowly learning to relax and be gentler and calmer with myself. As a result of this self-improvement, I am finally going to update the writing pattern or calendar structure of cycles for WiseDumbTime. I felt beholden to the original scheme, but how rigid and inflexible was I being? How much of my own freedom had I sacrificed in order to adhere to some past dictate? No more. Freely and clearly, I choose to write a cycle before resting a cycle every fortnight for the foreseeable future.
Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose – and commit myself to – what is best for me.
-Paulo Coelho
I feel a strong urge to better balance my life and embrace my freedom fully. I do not want to feel like I must be constantly productive; I am already enough, even when resting and recovering. This milestone is momentous for me as I learn how to improve my flexibility and adjust my personal expectations accordingly. With this newfound freedom, I have a number of exciting plans to ponder upon and pursue. I am not simply doing less, but I am doing more of what I feel is most important for me at this time. Is it wise? I hope so. It feels like it is, but perhaps it is dumb. The beauty of my freedom is that I can always switch back to writing every fortnight if and when that feels like my best next step.
Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better.
-Albert Camus
That is also the beauty of freedom for each and every one of us. What feels like your best next step? A simple sugjestion from me to you: stop, turn inward, and listen. What is your best next step to live freer and fuller? Have you ignored your inner voice for long enough? Let it break free and lead you towards harmony.
I wish that every human life might be pure transparent freedom.
-Simone de Beauvoir
Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.
-Albert Einstein
I pray wholeheartedly for limitless, full freedom for each and every one of us.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Have you ever wondered… about dishabituation? I have. We often accumulate a variety of habits with little to no thought, or we worked on them so long ago that we forgot about a time before they seemed to be an essential and integral part of our lives. What if we want to rework or unwork something that no longer works well? Well, that is where dishabituation comes into play. By retraining our mind and body to once again engage with our surroundings in a way that makes everything feel fresh and new, we can break free from the monotonous humdrum. We can renew and reinvigorate what all we repeatedly review. Which sounds better – blindly trudging along or seeing all colors?
Education is the key that unlocks the golden door to freedom.
-George Washington Carver
Think about it – how free are you when you act out of habitual impulses? Are you free without being mindful? I doubt it. We often give up our own freedom when we go on auto-pilot, simply going through the rote routine. Why are you willingly wasting precious moments with more of the mindless same and mundane? What if you focus on finite details and fine-tune your perceptions to appreciate unique aspects of each and every object? What differences can you begin to see within a cup of coffee or tea? How can you find beauty in a well-made bed? Why does the laundry have to feel like a chore?
Mindfulness gives you time. Time gives you choices. Choices, skillfully made, lead to freedom.
-Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
Shift your mindset to find the beauty in all that you do. Set your mind free by controlling your own honed focus and perceptive attention. As Heraclitus pointed out centuries ago, no person ever enters the same river twice because neither the person nor the river are the same. Is your commute to work ever the exact same? Why do we treat it as such then? Is each Monday the same? We can dishabituate. We can delve deeper into a pristinely peaceful and personal freedom. Are you ready to free dive towards it?
[People] are not free when they are doing just what they like. [People] are only free when they are doing what the deepest self likes. And there is getting down to the deepest self! It takes some diving.
-D.H. Lawrence
We can easily rush through all of our greatest moments if we do not slow down and fully appreciate them as they unfold. Conversely, we can make challenges and struggles last a lifetime if we do not accept the current state of things. How habituated are you to your current thoughts and actions? How can you begin to reclaim a dishabituated freedom?
Freedom is something that dies unless it’s used.
-Hunter S. Thompson
I strongly sugjest finding and using your freedom. Do not let it die.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous, y’all :) <3
I mourn for all the captive victims. It upsets me deeply whenever I recognize that my own mind has once again been trapping me in an unproductive and harmful negative loop. I used to stew in these states for far too long, but now I acknowledge the observation, learn the lesson, and move forward. Contaminated and recurring thoughts can ensnare us in a swirling swamp of stagnant staleness. When we cannot move well, physically, mentally, or emotionally, how can we expect to exercise any freedom? How limited are we when we trudge along looking for some answer or external help beyond ourselves?
Stop. Stop everything. Then you will realize you are the freedom you have been searching for.
-Papaji
What is holding you captive – a job? Look for other options. Own the pursuit of your freedom. What else – family issues? How can you improve to foster an evolution in dynamics? If you cannot create worthwhile wisdom on your own, then seek out therapy. We can accept help from others to find our path towards freedom, but we still have to move ourselves in these liberating directions. Anything additional – your past? How much are you rewarded for repeatedly replaying a previous point? What can you focus on right here and now to free yourself from anything other than the here and now? If you are not learning from your reflections or forecasts in either direction, then I question your current level of freedom. Are you controlling your life, lane, and body, or are you being captive?
For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
-Nelson Mandela
Shift and substitute captivity for captivation. Find your freedom, then use it wisely. Choose for yourself. If you go along with others, then you are choosing to subdue your own voice. I do not believe that is how we should exist here. Our spirits should not be silenced, and we should also not silence any others. Coexisting freedom is one of my favorite dreams to continually strive towards. A cooperative effort cultivates the best character in each of us while a competitive countenance causes bitterness and hatred.
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
By this period in human development and societal progression, we have no need for anyone to be born into captivity. The sovereign rights of each and every individual should be established and preserved. Power struggles and control games do not fuel freedom or fairness. When we all begin to feel safe and secure, we will thrive even better. Complete freedom across the board is a golden ideal that we should feel no need to conceal. When we peel back all the layers of trauma and conditioning, then we can begin to freely heal.
We all need freedom and security, which is why when the world doesn’t feel safe, we often don’t feel as free.
-Esther Perel
Set yourself free, as best as you can. Confidently own your choices to control your inner space. No one else can take that away; we have the final say on how our soul will sway.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
disentanglement (noun) – the act of separating or freeing something from a tangled or confused state
engulfment (noun) – the state of being surrounded or submerged in something that can feel crushing or overwhelming
What is your current state of involvement? How wrapped up in your own thoughts and feelings are you? Can you do what you want, or do you feel a need to ask someone else for permission first? As you ponder these possibilities, perhaps you can better perceive your present level of personal freedom. Are you living in a state of engulfment, or have you put in the work to establish your independent freedom and disentanglement?
Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.
-Virginia Woolf
Many want to enforce control
Yet I simply want to flow and roll
Along with the waves of all of life
Enjoying the good, learning through strife.
Are you asking for a fee from under a bridge?
Do you hoard cold emotions like a cowardly fridge?
Freedom allows you to do what is best.
Maybe help others. Perhaps take a rest.
Everything can be taken from a [person] but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.
-Victor E. Frankl
Are you choosing for yourself, free and clear?
Or are you allowing others to direct and steer?
Could it even be fear calling the shots?
Acting small will not untangle knots.
Is it quieter? Is it safer? Yes, perhaps.
The best things will not be dropped in our laps.
We should put in the work and look within.
Free yourself slowly; grant yourself this win.
I will go on adventuring, changing, opening my mind and my eyes, refusing to be stamped and stereotyped. The thing is to free one’s self: to let it find its dimensions, not be impeded.
-Virginia Woolf
We can all be free, controlling our lanes.
Master your emotions; love your brains.
Freedom will reveal deep, serene peace.
We can own it forever; no need to lease.
You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless [they have their] freedom.
-Malcolm X
Make up your mind that happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous.
-Pericles
Courageously proceed towards freedom by disentangling yourself from engulfments.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I am thankful for the Stoics (like Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca). They sought and explored the dreams and ideals of personal freedom in great detail. Many think of them as boring and emotionless people incapable of expressing themselves well. However, that concept is quite false. Stoics do not ignore or suppress their emotions. They minimize their instant reactions to them. Emotional freedom is one of the greatest gifts we can discover and hone during this lifetime. To be able to see and feel your emotions while still steering your own ship. Not giving up the wheel and your current course’s heading to anger or sadness. Stoics strive to maintain constant self-control.
Freedom is the only worthy goal in life.
-Epictetus
It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.
Freedom is a hard-fought battle that we struggle with daily. It can be easy to let our ego or emotions step in if we are not careful. When we begin to rush through the motions, how mindful are we? How free are our thoughts in those moments? Are we being held captive by past ruminations or future worries? The key here is to become aware of these occurrences. If you start to notice these distractions and hiccups in presence, then you can begin to identify root causes to improve upon in order to reduce and eliminate repetitive restrictions from reappearing. I strongly sugjest embarking upon the slow and subtle task of becoming your ship’s sole captain. Stand free independently. Master each moment.
No [person] is free who is not master of [themself].
-Epictetus
Why are lanes and guardrails so important? We can contain and define our personal playground and our singular sandbox. Then, we can find our freedom in the free play. Find your way. Steer your ship. If others bump up against you, will you get upset? You still have that choice yourself. Are your emotions choosing your reactions, or are you guiding your own actions and goals? The wind does not matter to a ship at sea if it has no end destination charted. Do you have a plan? Mindlessly putter, or purposefully decide.
Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us.
-Stephen Covey
One story that I love deals with an empty boat. While someone is sleeping on their ship, they are suddenly awakened and disturbed by a boat bumping into theirs, disrupting their rest. Instantly enraged, this person begins to scream and shout, hurling insults at the other vessel. However, as the view clears, the other boat is empty. It is simply floating along with the waves and the current of the sea. Was the instant reaction needed? No. Yet how often do we slip into such behavior? This lesson is what the Stoics try to teach us. Effective emotional self-control can preserve and enlarge our personal freedom.
The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.
-John Locke
Feel your emotions. Do not ignore them or stuff them down, but do not let them steer your ship. Mindfully guide your own way throughout your days according to what you feel is best to do and say, okay? Live your life free and virtuously as the Stoics wished.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I sugjest strongly considering the following – how free are you? Are you a slave to your attachments, aversions, desires, or emotions? Do you struggle with codependency with others? How many addictions might you be battling? Step back and recognize any and all of these current situations first. Do not beat yourself up for any of them either, but plan next steps for what you will do about them now that you see them. Do not turn a no-longer-blind eye away. Use your freedom to live life your way. There are not many rules we should follow regularly. Why do you think the guardrails have not expanded in over a year now? Do no harm to yourself and others. Beyond that, live life as you see fit. We each have so much freedom to exercise if we but only choose to see and act upon it. I exercised my freedom to take the last two weeks off. It felt refreshing and rejuvenating.
Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.
-Thích Nhất Hanh
We understand very clearly that to be a person with high morals is to be a person with a liberated soul.
-Confucius
Those who are disappointed or concerned or afraid, or who are involved in passions, cannot free their souls.
Control is one of the saddest things I can think of. Why do we feel such a strong pull or almost a seeming need to control things? It provides us with a false sense of security; it helps us feel safe amidst all of the supposed chaos. Freedom does not require control. The best and freest movements in life happen in flow states. Openly surrendering, we give up control and freely flow in the moment. No ego at play. No posturing present. A light and free soul simply doing what it knows is best. That is quintessential freedom.
The initial joy on becoming free is better than being a king;
-Buddhist Wisdom
it is more beautiful than going to heaven;
it is more important than commanding whole worlds.
Many of us think we are free right now. I think a number of us are sadly deluded, though. A false sense of freedom within a systematic construct is still captivity. If you think you have to follow certain rules only to avoid punishment, then are you acting freely? You should already know within yourself what is right and wrong. You should still behave positively and upliftingly towards yourself and others because it is the best action for you to freely and willingly do. If you only act and behave according to societal influences, then just how free are you? How deeply are you truly exploring your full potential?
May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.
-Peter Marshall
I write and actively work on my self-improvement because I want to find ways to be my best self. I want to expand and improve as deeply and fully as I can during this lifetime; I want to be as free as I can. These goals are not selfish or egotistical because I am a better being when I live life according to these natural, universal laws. I freely choose to respect myself and others, I freely share more love with myself and others, and I freely find ways daily to help myself and others. What are you doing with your freedom? Are you freely sharing it in such a way that it multiplies and proliferates among all you cross lanes with?
Everyone has a right to peaceful coexistence, the basic personal freedoms, the alleviation of suffering, and the opportunity to lead a productive life.
-Jimmy Carter
Freedom works best when shared among all. We should all strive to lift everyone up; we will all be better off knowing we can all win. There do not need to be any losers here. True, everlasting freedom is not a zero sum game; it is a cooperative effort for our souls.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Are you mindful with your generosity? How else do you know when and how to find the right balance with it? If you are not mindful of your generous acts, then I think it is too easy to check out on facts. Generosity should be directed where it is needed most. Sometimes that means taking care of yourself first and foremost. Then, at other times, you can take care of others. Avoid mindlessly wandering down the path of destruction.
Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with them that adorn themself with My virtues.
-Bahá’u’lláh
Happiness is not always easily won. Sometimes it takes a lot of practice and effort to protect our well-being and our potential joy. It is worth it, though. The generosity of others will help carry us through tough times, and those moments can also serve as helpful reminders of why we should freely pay it back whenever and wherever we can. That is how we can all begin to spread happiness across earth. It is a very worthy pursuit.
Happiness exists on earth, and it is won through prudent exercise of reason, knowledge of the harmony of the universe, and constant practice of generosity.
-José Martí
I am going to be generous with myself by taking the next two weeks off because I need to mindfully balance my time, too. I look forward to returning with a new cycle after a fortnight (plus the two days between now and then of course). I need to rest and reset.
In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.
-Elizabeth Gilbert
Consider how generous you are with your voice. Do you use it sincerely? Are you mindful of your words? Can you use your voice with generosity towards yourself and all others?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Have you ever wondered… about giving others the benefit of the doubt? I have. How sure are you that you are 100% right? Are you making any assumptions that could later be proven false? As a friendly reminder of the third guardrail, we should avoid assumptions. Maintain an open mind. Channel a constant curiosity. What if you are wrong with your current thought? What if they are trying their best and did not intend anything negative by how they acted or spoke? This is where the benefit of the doubt can begin to be very beneficial for us and our well-being. By extending generous assumptions (if we are going to assume at all), we can avoid fixing our minds on only one (often negative) outcome.
When someone is interpreting your behavior or actions without a spirit of openness, deescalate the conflict by saying, ‘I would appreciate it if you could be more generous with me.’ It really works and leads to conversation, not argument.
-Kate Fessler
This realization dawned on me recently when doing some inner work. Now, if I am going to have a negative thought about someone or something, then I am going to also work on always balancing it back out with a positive thought. If I am choosing to judge anything at all, then I am going to do so from multiple angles. I do not know the full story of anyone or anything beyond me, so it is only generous and fair to consider multiple possibilities.
Generosity consists not in the sum given, but in the manner in which it is bestowed.
-Mahatma Gandhi
Looking inward, how good are you at giving yourself the benefit of the doubt? Are you generous with your self-talk? Can you be kinder with your own narrative? I know how harsh and critical I can be with my self-judgments, so I am getting better at generously giving myself the benefit of the doubt more. After all, I know how hard I am working at being the best me that I can be, and I know how fully I am maximizing many of my days. As a result of this recognition, I can start easing off on some of the negativity that I had a bad habit of directing towards myself. As an adjustment, I can feel proud and positive of my gradual improvements while avoiding toxic pride that could corrupt the experience.
Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.
-Khalil Gibran
Give yourself the benefit of the doubt when you need to course correct your mindset. In addition, give others the benefit of the doubt more whenever you need to generously consider intent. We do not know it all. We will not know it all. Therefore, be generous.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous, y’all.
I mourn for all the hoarders out there. What are you holding on to too much of – wealth, resources, knowledge? Why do you feel the need to keep so much of it if it can be more freely shared with others? Have you ever considered how freeing it can feel to share your bounties with beings? How fulfilled are you being a Scrooge? Do you possess true happiness? Some of my greatest moments are being of service to another. When I generously donate my own time, money, and/or energy in a selfless way, it amazes me how much it pays me back with invaluable intangibles. The overflowing fullness of my heart and the contented satisfaction of my soul are worth those amounts. I do not find myself later missing what I was able to generously give to others. Instead, I am able to reflect with joyful gratitude on how well-received my acts of kindness are accepted.
Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.
-Albert Camus
Hoarding often comes from a place of fear, warding off some future lack by piling up potential now. If you got it once, you can get it again, right? Do not get me wrong, saving up a nest egg is smart and sensible. Planning an emergency fund is effective and recommended. However, do you need to plan out all of your time for your own activities? Can you volunteer in your community as an act of generosity? Collecting too much without distributing it or paying it forward will not matter much in the end. Will you take any of those accumulations with you? I do not think so. I think the generous acts will follow us. True generosity is what matters, though. There is a difference. You may fool other humans, but you will not fool the accounting that awaits. Give freely and give often so you do not even hoard a counter of these acts. Simply rest easy knowing that you are doing your best for yourself and for others. Find a balance that generously benefits all.
It is every [person’s] obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what [they] take out of it.
-Albert Einstein
Hoarding can also come from a place of craving. If you think you should have it all, then you are going to struggle with being generous. However, if you can learn to accept being fine with a fair allotment, then you can share a lot fairly with others. After all, when does yet more craving ever give back to your holistic well-being? Doing well by other beings will certainly give back. Perhaps not in ways you may think, expect, or be accustomed to, but I find the mystery there to be both alluring and exciting. I no longer crave full control of my life because I like inviting curiosity. The outcome is not what drives my generosity.
Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out.
-Frank A. Clark
Plant the trees whose shade you will never sit under. Do not maintain a status quo. Do we really need to force others to suffer in the same way that we have in the past? I do not want to pay the same pains forward; I want to even and smooth out the playing field. I yearn to be generous and kind with as many of my actions as possible. Sometimes I will need to direct that yearning inward to practice proper self-care. Then, when operating optimally myself, I can direct it outward to do nice things regardless of any recognition.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
munificent (adjective) – extremely liberal in giving; very generous; characterized by great generosity
maleficent (adjective) – doing evil or harm; harmfully malicious
Are any of us immune to generosity?
Perhaps only victims of precocity.
I think those who are generous
should abound around as plenteous.
We can all give back and do more.
Behold what humanity has in store.
Give to others, and also give to yourself.
Please leave some for you on any shelf.
Repeating a bit, we have no need to hoard.
Volunteer and help others if you are bored.
You can give others energy, money, and time.
Your actions should uplift, regardless of rhyme.
Your intent or reason is what matters in the end.
Why do you do good for this or that friend?
Are you simply being generous to be kind,
or does a hidden agenda lie behind?
Do you give to others freely and clearly?
Can you bless strangers and treat them dearly?
Will you move through life being munificent,
or are you hell-bent on being maleficent?
Common sense should make the ideal obvious.
Please use your senses; do not be oblivious.
The scales collect. The ledgers are noted.
Which side of your account will be bloated?
Will you do what is right because it is right,
or will you resist tooth and nail, putting up a fight?
Maintain your focus, and stick to your lane.
Control your choices; generously share your brain.
Leave this place much better than you found it.
Generosity will help us get through and around it.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I am thankful for Gabor Maté. He generously shares his history and knowledge with us. As a teacher-turned-doctor, we can learn a lot from his examples and studies. In addition, his childhood was riddled with traumas and upheavals that molded and shaped the man he is today. Gabor’s generosity highlights true, authentic honesty. Insights instruct us informatively to investigate interests inquisitively, introducing ideas for improvement.
Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.
-Samuel Johnson
Dr. Maté is very generous and openminded with his areas of exploration. He researches addictions, attentions, and traumas in detail; he looks for the best treatment options that can help the most people in the most effective ways. Gabor has explored and supported some interesting modalities such as a legal safe site supervising drug injections as well as ayahuasca ceremonies to help heal addicts. By generously pushing for cutting-edge and revolutionary approaches, more change may be possible. After all, more of the same is only going to prolong the same problems that seem to simmer and persist perpetually.
"The difference between passion and addiction is that between a divine spark and a flame that incinerates. Passion is divine fire: it enlivens and makes holy; it gives light and yields inspiration. Passion is generous because it's not ego-driven; addiction is self-centered. Passion gives and enriches; addiction is a thief. Passion is a source of truth and enlightenment; addictive behaviors lead you into darkness. You're more alive when you are passionate, and you triumph whether or not you attain your goal. But an addiction requires a specific outcome that feeds the ego; without that outcome, the ego feels empty and deprived."
-Gabor Maté
Helping others can help yourself. It is an indirect fringe benefit to appreciate in hindsight. I read something from Tolstoy recently that talked about humans being able to always serve their divine purpose, regardless of whether they are healthy or sick. If you choose to help others, being generous with your time and energy, then you can indirectly learn lessons to apply to your own life and lane along the way. Simply by being there more for friends and even strangers, you can obtain nuggets of wisdom to apply to your daily activities. It also helps you be of further benefit by increasing your future potential with additional generosity if you choose to share your new insights with people as needed. Showing up and generously doing your best for you and others can feel very powerful.
It is a powerful practice to be generous when you are the one feeling in need.
-Allan Lokos
"You think it's easier to help the clients than it is to help yourself, but over time you gradually benefit in an indirect way. By helping other people, you spot the mistakes that they keep making and the traps that they fall into and you start to kind of realize that you're probably doing the same thing. They function, to some extent, as a mirror for your own problems over time."
-Donald J. Robertson
How generous are you with your life? Can you share your lessons more freely with others in order to help everyone benefit and improve more? Hoarding your information and belongings will not help many over the long run. Can you build atop the nice generosity of others to pay more forward? We can all be happier if we all begin to share more.
Happiness is not made by what we own. It is what we share.
-Jonathan Sacks
Dr. Gabor Maté generously shares his life with all of us, serving up lessons that can lead us towards an ideal approach to adversities. Generosity can appear contentious at times because the bigger picture may not always be apparent to us immediately. Regardless, we can accept help, continuing to do our best; generously trust in the unfolding process.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Kindness paves a progressive path towards generosity. Adopting and augmenting a generous spirit is one way to give back to a world that gives us so much. We all continue to have days to spend here. How are we filling that time? Are we being generous with ourselves and with others? Personally, I know I have plenty of work to do here as far as being more generous with myself and with many others. It is not easy, but it is worth it.
As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously.
-Benjamin Franklin
Can you reinvent your interactions? With more kindness embedded in our daily activities, are we able to help others freely and generously? We should simply help others because it is the best thing for us to do. There does not need to be an ulterior motive or some self-serving motivation in order for us to be kind to and beneficial for others. Generosity is giving without any expectations. Sometimes, those in need simply need to be seen. Many people yearn for a bit of attention, and that is something we can easily and willingly offer. Defend your time to not be abused; share your spare time to help others generously, too.
Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.
-Simone Weil
Especially in this day and age when so much all around us competes for our attention, simply showing up for a friend, or even a stranger, can provide value beyond anything physical or material. You may offer wisdom, or you may simply present a safe and silent space where they are able to process and proceed with their own healing thanks to your presence. Talking through an issue and feeling heard can do wonders for the soul, aiding in real recovery and rejuvenation for resounding, resolute restoration. In the end, you may never truly know just how much your rapt attention can refine or reform someone forever.
Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways, it can change someone else’s life forever.
-Margaret Cho
How generous are you with yourself and others? Do you find balance there? Are you giving in equal and proportionate amounts to what you get? Can you kindly assist in moments of need that you see arise around you? Are your eyes aware of what is around you? That is a good starting point. Be generous, reclaiming and controlling your attention.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
I felt such warmth and joy as I began this cycle because it delighted me immensely to discover how many different quotes about kindness I already had. Many virtues are typically covered well across the ages, but the amount for kindness caught me by surprise. I was not prepared for such focus on something that I often see as simple and possibly trivial. It shows how wrong I was. While it takes little to no effort, kindness can unfortunately still be easily sacrificed, due to unawareness, self-absorption, states of panic and hurry, or many other obstacles that obfuscate our objective outlook. Kindness can and should be our prioritized starting point when engaging with anything. We should approach ourselves with kindness, and we should approach all others with kindness. It does not matter how others choose to act or respond. We can still choose kindness each and every time. It can be planned; it can be random. Start somewhere; try something.
The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.
-Oscar Wilde
I am so proud of something I did this morning. It may seem indirectly simple or small, but the shift feels very significant to me. While making my morning tea, a coworker greeted me. I started some standard pleasantries with her. As the conversation shifted to some nervous excitement for something that she was looking forward to next week, my initial reaction was going to be expressing my discontent or lack of excitement for next week’s event. Then, in a flash, something inside made me question why I would willingly bring the mood down. Instead of introducing my own rain cloud into the conversation, I replied honestly with the following response: “I appreciate your excitement for next week.” It let me start to feel another perspective. My words were kinder than my habituated default, and it shows how little moments add up. I can carry this momentum forward into more conversations as I make additional, subtle yet effective, microadjustments to my speech.
Small kindnesses make you a bigger person.
-Terri Guillemets
Kindness can be showcased in many ways, shapes, and forms. I believe strongly that our words should exhibit kindness, that our demeanor should exude kindness, and that our actions should exemplify kindness. During this cycle, I have found so much value in my frequent self-check-ins. Am I being too serious with myself right now? How lost in intense thought was I just then? Can I take a step back and be kinder and more present in more of these many moments? It is refreshing and liberating to kindle more kindness.
How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time.
-Morgan Freeman
A common expression that people talk about is “random acts of kindness”. I learned recently that it even exists as an acronym, RAK, so people may call you a RAKtivist if it is something you regularly practice. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation created this term as they strive to inspire us all to make kindness the norm in our daily lives. I cannot think of many better forms of activism than random kindnesses. If you need some help thinking of examples, see below for a list of various options to assist in brainstorming. Perhaps you may notice, like I did, how much random kindness you already practice without recognizing or labeling it as such. Kudos if so; see if you can expand further!
The best portion of a good [person’s] life: [their] little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.
-William Wordsworth
Possible opportunities to offer kindness:
We can all fight against loneliness by engaging in random acts of kindness.
-Gail Honeyman
Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
-Mark Twain
I love the positive reinforcement that kindness promotes. I do not find myself reaching some quota where I suddenly feel sufficient. We do not need to define a stopping point or threshold to cease being kind. Pay it forward as much as you possibly can, for as long as you possibly can. Rooting kindness deep inside yourself as a core virtue will set you up for success. Whenever needed, slow down and reset yourself back to kindness mindsets.
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.
-Seneca
You are always with yourself; there is always an opportunity. Seize your moments kindly.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Have you ever wondered… about metta? I have. It is a Pali word for loving-kindness. The original metta meditation practice is attributed to Buddha himself. We have an ancient art that we can practice to spread loving-kindness near and far, both inward and outward.
Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness.
-Dalai Lama
Last week, I had the privileged opportunity to present a devotional practice to a group of my spiritual peers. I was initially nervous by the thought of leading such an initiative, but the following idea quickly dawned on me and fell into place with such a graceful ease. I was surprised by how simply yet thoroughly the words came to me as I drafted the plan. While I was still nervous for the actual presentation, everyone in attendance responded enthusiastically as it concluded. I was delighted and uplifted by all of their kinds words.
Be at peace with your place and cherish kindness.
-Deng Ming-Dao
The following is what I prepared and presented, aside from ad-libbed audibles. You can practice it in private, or you can proceed to share it in your own group setting, spreading yet more metta, or loving-kindness, across our communities and friend groups. There is no harm at all in helping more people ask for happiness, healthiness, and peace for all.
In one or two words, can anyone tell me what metta means in English?
It is the Pali word for loving-kindness. This practice is attributed to Buddha as one of his many creations and gifts that we are left with.
We are going to do a group meditation on metta, so I like to call it a mettatation :)
I invite everyone to close their eyes if that is comfortable. Everyone should be silent for the remainder of this exercise as well so that everyone can hear me clearly.
Check in with your body. How are you seated currently? Are you comfortable? I hope so. More importantly, though, are you balanced? Are any major points in your body cut off at extreme angles currently, restricting the flow of energy from moving freely throughout your body? Is there tension in any area that you can relax and let go of some? Allow your hands to rest gently in your lap. You are welcome to adopt a mudra if it feels acceptable to you. The two that I will briefly recommend are either the dhyana or ghyan mudra. The first one, also known as the cosmic mudra, is the most frequent hand position used in Zen. The ghyan mudra is a frequent practice in yoga, known as the wisdom pose. Settle your hands and fingers into either mudra as you adopt a stillness within your body. We will mainly use our minds for the rest of this practice. If you happen to have a gentle smile spread across your face later, well, that is completely fine and welcomed as a gift.
We have tuned into our body and settled into a peaceful state of stillness. Now, we will work with our breath a bit. Let all the air out. Now, slowly fill your lungs full like a cup, starting from your belly until you feel it rising into your chest and up to your mouth or nostrils. Once you reach the top, feel free to express a brief moment of gratitude for something, even if it is just that breath in. Then, let it all gently stream back out of you. No need to force or rush it. It is often better to have longer exhales than inhales. At the end of the exhale, feel free to express a brief moment of gratitude for something, even if it is just that breath out. Let us practice this part at our own pace for a few breaths.
Now, as you begin to recognize the air flowing in and out of your body, we will shift our focus from that life force to our love force. The love also flows in and out of us. Love does not move in only one direction. We should give ourselves what we give to others, and we should give to others what we give ourselves. Think of someone or something who you love. A parent, a pet, a sibling, a friend. Pick one being and picture them in your mind. Feel your love flowing out to that being as you repeat the following phrases silently:
May they be happy
May they be healthy
May they be at peace
(repeat these three phrases at least twice)
Now, let us shift the focus to ourselves. Again, please silently repeat the following:
May I be happy
May I be healthy
May I be at peace
(repeat these three phrases at least twice)
Think about someone who you struggle with some. Maybe not a mortal enemy or an arch-nemesis just yet, but who ruffles your feathers? Picture that being, then repeat the following silently:
May they be happy
May they be healthy
May they be at peace
(repeat these three phrases at least twice)
Lastly, expand your mind and emotional field as wide as you possibly can. Try to encompass the entire Earth, and I encourage and invite you all to chant the following together in unison after me:
May all beings be happy
May all beings be healthy
May all beings be at peace
(repeat these three phrases at least twice)
Thank you all for your practice.
Loving-kindness is an antidote to fear, anxiety, and emotional withdrawal.
-Sharon Salzberg
May I cultivate more kindness within my heart.
-Traditional Buddhist meditation
May I cultivate more peace within my heart.
Practicing loving-kindness toward ourselves seems as good a way as any to start illuminating the darkness of difficult times.
-Pema Chödrön
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous with loving-kindness.
I mourn for all of the mean and unkind moments in the world. We do not need to say the nasty and hurtful things that we sometimes feel compelled to utter. Silence can be better and kinder at times. If you are not about to help someone, then why go to an opposite extreme and hurt them? The better alternative is a neutral middle ground that at least removes any impact whatsoever on their life and lane. We will ideally help those we come across, but do your best to not hurt others during your daily dealings. Be kind to friends and strangers alike. Pay it forward in case you need it sometime in the future.
I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.
-Tennessee Williams
What is the point of meanness? You feel miserable and misunderstood, and misery loves company, right? Do you feel better once you drag someone else down into your gutter? What if you spent that time cleaning up your own gutter and getting out of it instead? I know that is far easier said than done oftentimes, but think about it. If you are already exerting energy, then why not at least use it for a good or right reason? Why waste your effort to disrupt and disturb others around you? Do your best by being kind to everyone.
If you can, show them the better way. If you cannot, remember this is why you have the gift of kindness.
-Marcus Aurelius
If we each move our momentum away from meanness, we can begin to spread and see so much more kindness in the world. That thought fills me with such loving warmth. Imagine treating all whom you come across as royalty; imagine treating yourself as an equal figure of royalty as well. Holding both viewpoints is not mutually exclusive. You can be the king or queen of your lane without trying to also reign over other lanes.
There’s nothing so kingly as kindness, and nothing so royal as truth.
-Alice Cary
Good words brings good feelings to the heart. Speak with kindness, always.
-Rod Williams
Do you want to perpetuate the poisonous problems? Can you start supporting a solution? The next time you may feel drawn to stir a gossip pot more, what if you bite your tongue? What if you stop short of sharing your judgments with those around you? It would be best if everyone adopts this strategy, but we each only control ourself and our individual actions. It is within our capacity to still be kind. We can be the change, showing others what is possible if they choose to lead a kinder life. You will not know if you do not try.
Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness to change a person’s life.
-Jackie Chan
I read recently that compassion is like a muscle – the more we use it, the stronger it gets. Kindness is the same. Choose even one or two moments each day to adjust a habituated pattern of meanness or negativity. By substituting an unkind saying for either no words or a kind expression, you can begin to make yourself kinder by being kinder in more and more moments. In contrast, if you stubbornly fixate on your meanness, then it is no surprise that you do not change and improve into a better and kinder being. By embracing opportunities to be better and kinder, you can feel better and kinder. Life will open to you more. You can see more of the brightness and beauty all around.
Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.
-Eric Hoffer
Mend your meanness. Kindle kindness.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
goodwill (noun) – friendly disposition; benevolence; kindness
Goodwill:
Requires little to no skill
Provides a genuine thrill
Will ward off any chill
One kind word can warm three winter months.
-Japanese Proverb
Goodwill
fits any bill
to help you fulfill
a meaningful drill.
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
-Aesop
You have the choice,
so you can rejoice.
Kindly use your voice.
Avoid selfish ploys.
Optimism is a choice.
-Roy T. Bennett
Kindness is a choice.
Giving is a choice.
Respect is a choice.
Whatever choice you make makes you.
Choose wisely.
Can you be more kind?
Assist those you find.
Help others in a bind.
Goodwill in your mind.
Ask yourself: Have you been kind today?
-Annie Lennox
Make kindness your modus operandi and change your world.
Goodwill
Be still
No pill
Freewill
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
While the approach to Thanksday for this cycle is odder, please do not be grumpy with my dopiness. I am thankful for Snow White and the idea that she represents. While the four main virtues that are taught to her by her father are fearless, fair, brave, and true, I think kindness is something that she cultivates personally and plentifully. Yes, I know it is a fairy tale so the character can be however they are written, but how truly different is that from our lives? We are living our tale and can create our characteristics and values.
You can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!
-Anne Frank
Snow White lost her mom due to a sickness at an early age. Her family met a charming woman who bewitched them all with her cunning deceitfulness. Many horrible events litter Snow White’s lane, but she did not lose her tune or her ability to whistle while she works. She did not let her view of the world get clouded or muddied. Snow White chose to still be friendly and kind with all whom she crossed paths with. What saved her from the huntsman who had been ordered to murder her? Her authentic and genuine kindness.
Kindness is invincible, but only when it’s sincere, not faking anything or putting on a show.
-Marcus Aurelius
I believe that kindness can be sensed in the spirit. Think of how animals react to different people and situations. What clues cue them to behave in certain ways? The vibe that you emit can be positive and enticing, or it can be negative and deterring. How aware of your aura are you? Can you be kind to yourself and begin cleaning up your own energy some?
Nonviolence and kindness to living beings is kindness to oneself.
-Mahavira
Genuine kindness is how good things grow. What are you currently growing? Are your flourishing actions conscious or unconscious? Can you take on a more active role in your gardening within your lane? I sugjest sharing your bountiful abundance generously.
I’ve been searching for ways to heal myself, and I’ve found that kindness is the best way.
-Lady Gaga
Kindness seems to often be overlooked and/or underrated in my experience. It is such a difficult behavior to maintain with consistency. When we do not feel it returned, it can be startling and disruptive to decipher and deal with. We should not let it derail us, though. Regardless of how others act, we can still choose kindness, and I highly recommend it. Maintaining such a beneficial behavior will be viewed by many as basically a miracle.
Sometimes miracles are just good people with kind hearts.
-Unknown
People all around you are waiting on a wish. What if you can help it come true? Kindness will unlock many doors, both within yourself and within those who you cross paths with. Will you spread echoing cheer and optimism, encouraging an entire community to thrive?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
How do you think of kindness? Is it your default behavior, or does it only appear later after you have already established an idea that someone is safe or unthreatening? Why should kindness depend on anything at all? I believe we can always be kind. It is not easy, but it is worth it. I fail here routinely currently because I am often lost in thought with such an intensity that I miss opportunities to be friendly and kind to those around me. I am slowly learning to slow down more, to tame my thoughts more, and to be more present for anyone I come across. I wish I could say that I consistently see this act being reciprocated, but I unfortunately have my attention ignored due to a phone screen all too often. That is their choice, though. My choice is to still put forth my best effort because I know that is the kind of person I want to be – a calm, clever, present, and kind person.
A clever person cannot be evil. A kind person is always clever.
-Leo Tolstoy
Improve your kindness by exercising your intellect, and improve your intellect by exercising your kindness and love.
My efforts prove valuable because I feel better. Plus, when I do connect with someone, it is even more fulfilling. The responses are frequently pleasant and uplifting. I sugjest reminding yourself that you do not know what all is going on with those around you. Perhaps you can be a bright spot in their day or week. Do you want to pass on such an opportunity, or will you decide determinedly to be the deliberate difference dearly?
Kindness can transform someone’s dark moment with a blaze of light.
-Amy Leigh Mercree
You’ll never know how much your caring matters.
Make a difference.
Your kindness does not have to be expensive. In fact, it does not have to cost you much at all except for a bit of your energy. More often than not, the energetic return significantly offsets any output. It can even be something as simple as a smile or a warm greeting in passing. Kindness can be any positive connection shared between you and another being.
Money is but one venue for generosity.
-Alan Cohen
Kindness is an even more valuable currency.
It does not need to be overly involved or time-intensive. Take a few seconds to selflessly spread some comradely or neighborly cheer. You will feel better knowing that you are doing your best, spreading love through kindness to all whom you cross paths with. Our lanes bump up against many others. Will you make those interactions contentious and full of friction, or will you allow the passing of lanes to be freely fluid and lovingly kind?
Unexpected kindness is the most powerful,
-Bob Kerrey
least costly, and
most underrated agent of human change.
You can be rich in spirit, kindness, love and all those things that you can’t put a dollar sign on.
-Dolly Parton
How can we improve the world? It is not by repaying unkind acts with more of the same. No, we can work on getting better at turning the other cheek. Do not misunderstand. Defend your lane appropriately, but do not lash back at or attack the lanes of others. There is a difference that takes time to fine-tune. I know how quick I want to counterstrike at times, so this will be good practice for me to reflect on and implement more effectively.
You should respond with kindness toward evil done to you, and you will destroy in an evil person that pleasure which [they] derive from evil.
-Leo Tolstoy
I believe we can make our lanes healthier and wiser. Improvements kindled by kindness can begin to spread like a holy wildfire that burns away any evil darkness and webs of hate and lies. Therein lies a kinder way for our kind to coexist side-by-side for all time.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
To express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself…
-Bruce Lee
now that, my friend, is very hard to do.
Honestly, I am exhausted, so I am excited to exercise my freedom this Freeday to write whatever I want. Who knew past me was padding these cycles so wisely? How honest have you been with yourself today? This week? This year? Can you honestly say you are happy with your recent choices? Please take careful note that I am not asking if you like the results of events happening around you. We do not control those. Are you happy with your choices in relation to those events, though? We do control those. Have you sat down with yourself and assessed your life honestly? One-quarter of 2025 has already passed. Do you want to keep doing what you have been doing for nine more months or change?
Being honest may not get you a lot of friends but it’ll always get you the right ones.
-John Lennon
My boss at work recently asked me to complete a self-feedback exercise. My initial gut response was to shrink away and recoil at the thought. You want me to do what? At the end of it, though, I can honestly say that I found myself proud of and refreshed by my reflective effort. I can see what went well and what can be improved upon in the future. By being honest with myself, this process helped show me what to keep doing, what to stop doing, and what to change or adjust in some capacity. I sugjest trying it out soon.
When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.
-Paulo Coelho
Do you honestly think we will ever figure out life completely? I doubt it. Life might become boring if that were to happen. Each day is a new adventure. Will you rise and face the challenges fully and honestly, or will you proceed apathetically, stuck in the same ole somnambulism of old? To be even more open and honest, I was derailed deep in the depths of despair last week. It was a tough trek for me. I am proud to report that I am piecing myself back together and returning to a healthy, thriving state. I am not sure if I am better than before yet. The bridge in my lane was rattled and tested severely last week, so I spent a lot of time inspecting my supports and seeing what all needed to be strengthened or restrengthened. Honestly, I think that may be another key. How many times may we need to be reminded of an older lesson, a pivotal point to relearn again?
Almost any difficulty will move in the face of honesty. When I am honest, I never feel stupid. And when I am honest, I am automatically humble.
-Hugh Prather
The quantity does not matter. The quality holds the importance. Knowing something versus fully integrating it into your being are honestly two very different concepts and practices. We should become aware of a faulty support in order to identify what to work on, and then we need to spend as much time as needed to truly and honestly work on it. We should make sure that what truly matters is ingrained deeply within our essence for all eternity. How else can we ever expect enlightenment to exist eternally with everyone?
Honesty is a very expensive gift. Don’t expect it from cheap people.
-Warren Buffett
What is the quality of your character? Is it rich, or is it cheap?
Enough from me for now. Peace and love, y’all <3
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Have you ever wondered… about radical honesty? I have. It is a term that involves committing to living a life with no lies. Some people spin the idea of little white lies as being “harmless” or in someone’s benefit. You cannot truly prove that, though. You are making excuses to justify your actions. What kind of world would we live in if we only ever hear what we think we want to hear? We often need to hear something honest and true. What if you have the opportunity to help shake some sense into someone else?
I’d rather get bad news from an honest [person] than lies from a flatterer.
-Ursula K. Le Guin
However, there is such a thing as taking any practice to an extreme. Learn how to fine-tune an honest balance in order to avoid being stubborn to a fault. Do not adopt a stance of radical honesty as a means to say whatever you want under a guise of honesty. It does not matter if what you are about to say is honest if it will be detrimental to someone else. You can choose to stay silent. You can be honest with yourself internally while wisely choosing to not impart that idea upon someone else unless they invite the honesty.
I will begin to speak, when I have that to say which had not better be unsaid.
-Cato the Younger
Not every moment needs to be filled with noise. Honest silence can be golden. You can choose to not respond to everything, especially if your honest answer is not helpful. On the other side of that coin, you do not need to feel compelled to respond to someone in a way that you think they want to hear. What if that forced and faked response sets them up for failure down the road? Do you ever wonder about the ripple effect caused by your honesty or dishonesty? Which do you think provides more favorable results in the end?
Being nice often entails putting up a dishonest front, so you don’t hurt people’s feelings.
-Dr. Aziz Gazipura
If anything, I highly sugjest practicing radical honesty with yourself. You can feel free to help others if they honestly ask for your assistance and you think your next words will add value to their life and lane. By turning the idea of radical honesty inward, you can stop deluding and distracting yourself from the lies that you have been holding onto and telling yourself. Break free of the vicious cycle that your dishonest self-talk can easily perpetuate. Accept an honest level of accountability that opens you up to more curiosity and opportunities for deeper levels of connectedness, both with yourself and with others.
Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?
-Marcus Aurelius
Honestly ask yourself the following – which of these approaches will benefit me more in the long-run: working on improving myself, which is entirely within my control, or harping on others for more change, which they may or may not even try, let alone stick to? Be radically honest with yourself; be generous and benevolent in your actions with others.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Honestly, stay wondrous, y’all :) <3
No one can prove that at times a lie is necessary.
-Saint Augustine
I mourn for the dishonest parts of us. How often do we deceive ourselves, acting like everything is ok while ignoring so much pain? I sugjest we all slow down and take an honest look at ourselves in order to fully acknowledge who and how we are right now. Accept the current state of things while also identifying what all can be improved. See what needs to be faced head-on and healed. Learn how to be even better. Unless we honestly put in the work, how can we expect anything to get better? Do we wait for something outside to magically fix it all? No, we fix ourselves, slowly but surely. It may take our entire lives, but it is the worthy and worthwhile work that honestly benefits all.
You have to be honest with yourself. It’s easy to ignore things, make excuses. You may need to confront pride, confront an addiction, or confront compromise. Maybe you need to apologize to someone. The longer you put it off, the longer you’re wandering.
-Joel Osteen
If we can all be more honest with ourselves and others, then the world will be golden. We may see some significant shake-ups in the short-term as a result of such open and authentic honesty, but it will pave a path towards a more true and free way of being. Fewer masks and mundane tasks. More joy and truths to deploy. We can embrace an impact that embellishes our innate gifts and talents. We can honestly hone a holistic wholeness. Dishonesty is a choice to degrade and disintegrate your divine integrity.
Until [humans] start having honest conversations about who they truly are, what demons they battle with, where they lack and what they truly want… love will continue to be a temporary emotion…
-Unknown Author
Honesty and communication are key.
Do you want to continue detracting and distracting from your well-being, or are you ready to choose a healthier and more honest way? Only you should honestly say.
Please do not persist in perpetuating and propagating the public pandering. Please promote permission for the population to present peacefully and personally.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
veracious (adjective) – habitually speaking the truth; truthful; honest
insidious (adjective) – intended to entrap or beguile; stealthily treacherous or deceitful
They look the same with how they end,
Yet their last syllables each do bend.
What on the surface may seem couth
May be backed by many a sharp tooth.
Trust your gut, and listen to your instinct.
What smells true, and what truly stinks?
One relies on darkness; the other walks in light.
Both can still exist, whether it is day or night.
Do you speak for all, freely and fair?
Or is it only you about whom you care?
Can you live a life judicious and veracious?
Or do you persist venomous and insidious?
I sugjest pursuing an honest path.
Charting best results is easy math.
I think about my life on a scale.
Will it pass, or will it fail?
I do not know. Time will tell.
I will do my best until that bell.
Do I want to look back on lots of lies?
No, to see a good life is quite the prize.
I will not choose a negative way.
My past vices now hold little sway.
I seek to spread lots of good and cheer.
In as many places as possible, far and near.
If our paths cross one day, I pray you will say,
“There goes a person who knows what to convey,
A true meaning of life, spreading lots of love.”
Please let me be a peaceful sign, like a dove.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.
-Thomas Jefferson
I am very thankful for Honest Abe. Abraham Lincoln was a simple and self-educated man from the midwest. He demonstrated an ideal and true potential of human development when you apply yourself positively and productively. His level of self-awareness and pursuit of the greater good are nearly unparalleled in recent times. In a world where disinformation and deceit run deep, honesty is a hill to proudly stand on and defend devoutly with dedication and determination. Proclaim your truth from that position.
To believe all men honest would be folly.
-John Quincy Adams
To believe none so, is something worse.
I think ancient Stoics would have admired Abraham like I do. He was a captivating orator as well as a champion wrestler. He demonstrated mental, physical, and spiritual class and acumen with his many prowesses. I learned last night from a friend that Abe allegedly invented or popularized the choke slam move used in many wrestling matches today. He is also the only US President to hold a US patent. Abraham Lincoln is honestly a great role model. No wonder many polls and surveys rank him as one of the greatest presidents of all time. His accomplishments and track record are illustriously impressive.
Still I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain (what I consider the most enviable of all titles) the character of an honest [person].
-George Washington
If you want to connect with more of the spirit world, then take a solemn walk around the cemetery in Gettysburg. It is the site where Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. It shows how something good can still come from something so terrible and nightmarish. Feeling those two sides was overwhelming for me as I walked the grounds one late afternoon earlier this year. One of the worst battles on American soil in recent history, yet it yielded one of the greatest movements towards equity and unity for all.
Honestly, if I were two-faced, would I be showing you this one?
-Abraham Lincoln
Emancipation is a true liberation for Americans.
Honest equity and freedom should be global givens.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Let honesty be as the breath of thy soul.
-Benjamin Franklin
Can I be honest with you? Why does someone even need to start a conversation with that question? How far have we strayed if the default is now dishonesty? When can we remove our masks and honestly be our authentic, beautiful selves? Right now. What is stopping you – the desire or perceived need to “fit in”? How well are you fitting into your own body if you are being dishonest with yourself in order to do so? Not too well IMO.
I wish we could stop the little lies. I don’t mean that one has to be brutally frank. I don’t believe that we should be brutal about anything, however, it is wonderfully liberating to be honest.
-Maya Angelou
I have a history of naively trusting others too quickly. If I am being honest in my actions, then that means others will be honest in theirs, too, right? If only… yet, do I choose to be defeated by it? No. It means I simply need to practice better discernment moving forward. I choose to still be honest. I believe it is important. It is how I choose to cultivate my lane. If others choose to “build” their lane more surreptitiously, well, that is their choice. I can guarantee that it will be nowhere near as authentic or beautiful. Those who know the difference will be able to easily decipher the decent work from the dishonest jerks.
To live a life of honesty and integrity is a responsibility of every decent person.
-Noam Chomsky
Honesty is the best policy. That is a common expression, and I think it is worth its weight in gold. According to the fourth guardrail, honesty should be a constant ideal to strive towards and actively uphold. Even while we wish everyone would, we can still do so. We do not need to degrade to lower levels and join in on any dishonest deterioration. We can honestly hone a better and higher way for our lanes. Honestly and humbly lead by example. Many will watch and learn eventually. Watch and see, or simply trust me.
Honesty is one part of eloquence. We persuade others by being in earnest ourselves.
-William Hazlitt
If you want to take it one step further, you can circle back to dishonest moments of your past and own up to them now (or soon). I have done so a number of times over the past year. At least four or five occurrences immediately jump to mind. I was nervous and a bit frightened going into each one, but I felt lighter and more relieved leaving each and every one of those opportunities. I suspect all of us have streaks of dishonesty in our past. What can set them free? Honestly owning up to them. I sugjest trying it out for yourself.
It’s impossible to always get across what I’m trying to say, but, if I just stay honest, then I’m not going to look back on any of these interviews and wonder what I was trying to do or be.
-Kristen Stewart
I believe it is helpful (and possibly even necessary, perhaps at least to start) to slow down all of your actions in order to interact with yourself and others more honestly. When we move quickly (including in talking), how reflexively habituated are many of our behaviors and speech patterns? I do not find it fun to move through life on auto-pilot. It does not feel natural to me. You can choose to live however you want, but I believe in pursuing a full and honest experience during my time here. I believe that is how to live life best. I choose to move at my pace if it permits me to position myself in more honest, beautiful, and authentic moments. Honestly, how can you live your best life in your lane?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
One of the spiritual leaders in Buddhism is called the Karmapa. I heard some beautiful stories about the current one. He demonstrates how we can all see plenty of beauty in our surroundings. When visiting a new city on a dreary day, he commented with honest fascination on all the tones of gray interwoven amidst the clouds in the sky. Another time, when speaking to students in a run-down pub or bar of sorts, he did not choose to be deterred or distracted by the shabbiness that others focused on. Instead, he was excited because he had never given a talk before in a place that had a disco ball! I love these :)
One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, ‘What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?’
-Rachel Carson
Do you want to direct your attention to where others are trying to draw it, or can you control your focus and find the best beauty in as many moments as possible? We have that choice constantly. I sugjest choosing to behold beauty whenever and wherever you can. Do not let others drag you down to wallow in their way of wavering. Direct your deliberate devotion to the natural and divine beauty that wraps itself around us. You need only open your eyes and accept the warm hug that is always there waiting for you.
A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.
-Roald Dahl
What are your thoughts often like? Are they sunny and beautiful? I sugjest forgiving yourself for and letting go of your past way(s) of thinking. Start shifting the narrative. You control your inner monologue. I know how horrible mine used to be. It is not perfect now, but it is significantly better. There is more beauty in my mind now, so I am now a much more beautiful being as a result of it. I strongly sugjest supplanting sewage and sludge. It may take time to make it budge, but your health and well-being are worth that nudge.
Mind your thoughts, as they become your words. Mind your words, as they become your actions. Mind your actions, as they become you.
-Buddha
“The past is full of inspiring possibilities that must guide us today so we always act as if change is possible.” Your path is full of beautiful and positive opportunities, and change is truly possible. Do you choose to be more beautiful now? Why are you dulling yourself?
Never dull your shine for somebody else.
-Tyra Banks
Please patiently proceed to peacefully produce the prettiest and most pristine lane that you can possibly procure. Promote a positive pattern for peers to peer upon and ponder about please. Some people will continue choosing to ignore beauty, delighting in wrongly warping whatever is right in front of them. Be mindful of how such a mindset may mold your meanings. Would you rather see the beauty or the beast? Be my beautiful guest.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Have you ever wondered… about ullassa? I have. It is a Sanskrit word, representing any heartwarming feeling that arises when you observe and appreciate natural beauty. It could be a sunrise, a sunset, a tranquil forest, or a captivating storm. Maybe you really like the view of a brick wall or a stone path. Earlier this week, my capacity for cuteness nearly overloaded while watching a baby squirrel run around through a yard. Its bushy, tiny tail was absolutely adorable, and seeing how it was clearly still learning how to hop around in a balanced and coordinated way filled me with so much awe and admiration for natural life. Watching woodland critters around my home delights me on a regular basis (unless the squirrels are trying to inappropriately raid my feeders). I have learned that I do not always need to be staring at a screen or engaging in extroverted, social activities. Instead, I see plenty of beauty in many simple things. Unfortunately, I believe too many others take these passing pleasures for granted, glossing right over them with blind eyes.
Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.
-Franz Kafka
Ullassa can serve as a good reminder to slow down. Then, you can engage with your senses more. See, hear, smell, taste, and feel more than you typically do by being more present and calmly engaged right here and right now. When did you last sit still and watch the sun move across the sky? Observe the slow shift in the spectrum as colors burst forth or fade away across the horizon. Do you ever watch clouds form together and fall apart? Are you soaking in the range and details of naturally-beautiful and colorful surroundings, or are you tuned out and checked out, living in an ennui noir grayscale?
At some point in life, the world’s beauty becomes enough.
-Toni Morrison
I will openly and honestly share one of my weirder life experiences. You will choose to believe me or not, but it will not change what I believe or how I live. My vision shifts in notable and noticeable ways whenever I am more present and positive. When I start to simply see the scenery with selfless, loving appreciation, it all takes on a more crisp and captivating condition. In complete contrast, when I rush around or feel down and out, the same exact bookcase does not feel or look as warm and inviting. By taking more mindful moments to calmly move through life, I see and value more beauty in everything, and it makes living more pleasant as well as significantly more engaging. I value this ability.
too often we get caught up in our imagination, creating heavy narratives about the past or craving something in the future, altogether missing the beautiful moment that is right in front of us. every moment has potential, and that potential is defined by how we arrive into it. our minds have the power to turn a moment that might easily have been forgotten into something awe-inspiring and positively life-changing.
-yung pueblo
Even now, collecting myself more wholly to wisely write these words sparks an aliveness in this room that, minutes ago, was not here as much as it is now. I delight in in-depth details, I partake in more particulars, and I bask in yet more beauty. You do not have to take my word for it. Tap into your inner beauty as you connect with natural beauty all around you right now. Look past whatever may be upsetting you. Find the true joy and wonder that is buried beneath it. Some things may require a lot of digging to get to the valuable worth waiting, but it is worth it. Can you redefine a high definition view of life?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous, y’all :) <3
I mourn for all of the vain folk out there, those who care more about external beauty than inner beauty. You probably think this post is about you. Why invest so much in something that is fleeting and will definitely leave you at some point in the future? Instead, you can hone inner traits and virtues that you are capable of carrying with you for the rest of your life and possibly beyond, depending on what you believe. Our bodies will be left behind at some point. How beautiful is your soul? Will you be ready to see it beyond this body?
A thing of beauty is a joy forever:
-John Keats
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness.
Should we take care of our bodies? Yes, in a balanced and healthy way. Not to an extreme in either direction, though. Pay plenty of attention to your health and well-being, but define it according to how you feel, not how you look. Why do you think some people who seemingly “have it all” are still absolutely miserable? They might appear beautiful and glamorous when gazed upon from the outside, looking in and being distracted by the smoke and mirrors. Yet, when faced with the true nature of self and when all the masks and personas are removed, well, that is when true beauty can be authentically and honestly recognized as present and powerful or dreadful and deficient, pure and pristine or lackluster and lacking. Make-up will only cover up and make up for but so much.
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth.
-1 Peter 3:3-4
Again, feel free to embrace beauty, but do not let it solely define you. Do not make it all that matters. Cultivate beautiful inner work while enjoying painted nails and alluring lashes. Manufacture a mesmerizing musk instead of using fake scents as cover-ups. Enhancing your preexisting qualities is very different from casting false illusions of yourself. If you only feel pretty with a bunch of filters and effects applied to your photos, then what work are you ignoring while deluding, diluting, and distracting? You do not achieve honest and long-lasting beauty by attempting a bunch of shortcuts. True beauty requires careful and deliberate steps to supplant and sustain a sincere and sweet self. Fewer mirrors and more moments with others. Less vanity and more spiritual sanity.
Exterior beauty without the depth of a kind soul is merely decoration.
-Unknown
We are all beautiful in our own unique ways. Do not believe anyone else who tries to tell you differently. Remember how much inner beauty they still need to work on if they choose to voice such vain and self-absorbed, comparative nastiness. Hopefully, they will eventually figure that out one day, but we can keep calm and carry on beautifully.
I’ve never met a person I couldn’t call a beauty.
-Andy Warhol
Can you channel your inner Warhol to see more beauty in everyone around? It will now be a fun game for me to play. I hope you will see my beautiful inside as I admire yours.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
exuberant (adjective) – effusively and almost uninhibitedly enthusiastic; abounding in vitality; extremely joyful and vigorous
deficient (adjective) – lacking some element or characteristic; insufficient; inadequate
Can you wake up full of joy,
or do you grumble aloud “oh boy”?
Does sun streaming in bring delight,
or do you try to shut your eyes tight?
As others begin to stir and make noise,
how peaceful and present is your poise?
Do you slow down and savor your breakfast,
or are you already too busy acting headless?
Can you pause and admire the view,
or do you trudge along with no clue?
What all is pleasing to your senses
if you forego all habitual pretenses?
Are you calm and content when you crawl into bed,
or are your thoughts running wild through your head?
Can you replay a tale of awe and discovery,
or do you relive certain horrors and drudgery?
Can you embrace your life as exuberant,
or do you see this existence as deficient?
Beauty can be yours to behold.
Judge carefully what is truly gold.
Do not buy everything that is sold.
Ignore the voices that are too bold.
Listen mainly to the wise and old.
The best way to live is oft foretold.
Beauty does not fit a standard mold.
Tend to your lane with warmth, not cold.
Then beauty will surely be yours to behold.
Exuberance is beauty.
-William Blake
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Does your life spark joy? Can you see the beauty in all of the little things around you? I am very thankful for Marie Kondo. She has seen the beauty in organized and purposeful placements for the majority of her life. She also recognizes how her sense of beauty has changed over the years. Beauty is not static. It ebbs and flows; it blooms and grows; it is fast and slow. Do not cling to it. Let it come and go. Channel your inner Marie Kondo.
Too many things in too small a space cut off flow, block creativity, and bury beauty, much like a bad cold can make it hard to breathe.
-Laura Staley
Marie Kondo acknowledges her affinity for feeling feng shui in a place from an early age, a rare ability to feel the energy movement in a location. She can quietly observe if a space is balanced and flowing or stifled and stagnant. She had a fainting spell when she was younger as well. Her epiphany upon recovering consciousness was to focus less on only identifying what all around her can be thrown away. Instead, she learned to appreciate seeing the beauty in everything that stays. If you do not see the beauty in something, then why are you still holding onto it? Why do you cling to things that do not shine and brighten your being with glowing presence? If you are not actively seeing beauty, then what all are you intaking, something that does not help or, worse, possibly harms you?
Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.
-William Morris
When have you last slowed down to soak in your surroundings? How habituated have you become to existing art, decorations, and pictures that adorn your abode? Here is an interesting idea: take things down if you have become accustomed to them to the point that you no longer even notice them. I do not recommend replacing existing stuff with simply more stuff. No, I sugjest leaning into the emptiness. Find beauty in nothing.
It is only when you put your house in order that your furniture and decorations come to life.
-Marie Kondo
Then, when you put that object back on display again, whether it be on a table or a wall, you can truly appreciate its value and see it for all of its beauty again. We often become so blind to beauty that my heart hurts even writing this sentence. That is how deeply this sad truth pains me at my beautiful core. Various addictions, cravings, and desires override our ability to simply sit back, observe, and appreciate all the awe that surrounds us on a regular basis. Bask in the natural beauty. This morning, I saw a solar halo during my drive to work. It was a stunningly beautiful rainbow encircling the sun through icy clouds. How many other commuters missed such a mesmerizing, natural sight because it was “just another day”, repeating a morning drive? Each moment is beautiful if you see it that way.
When we focus on the small worlds our thoughts create, we miss out on the beauty and possibilities we are meant to enjoy.
-Guy Finley
You can begin seeing beauty if you adjust and expand your mindset. It is not always easy, but it is worth it. You can behold beautiful surroundings if you remember how to look at everything with fresh, unfiltered eyes. I sugjest giving it a try. I hope you spark more joy.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.
Authenticity creates natural beauty. As long as you see it for yourself, that is enough because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Would you rather behold your own beauty and feel beautiful yourself? I would. How empty must it feel to only hear about it from others without believing it yourself? Only you know your true depths and all of the crevices therein. Learn to love them all, and live in your beauty as best as you can.
Should you shield the valleys from the windstorms, you would never see the beauty of their canyons.
-Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Beauty is not the same for everyone. We each have our own worth and authenticity to explore and embody in order to fully embrace our entire being as the beautiful selves that we can all be. Please ignore any societal standards that do not resonate with your sense of inner beauty. As long as you cultivate your lane confidently, you can choose the contents that create your beauty. We can build our best beauty when we do just that – keep our eyes focused on crafting our own beautiful lane. We do not need to worry about the beauty of our neighbors’ lanes. It is not a competition. Make your lane as aligned and augmented with your authentic beauty as possible while leaving that same responsibility up to everyone else for their own lane. You can enjoy more time with such an approach.
How much time [they] gain who does not look to see what [their] neighbor says or does or thinks, but only at what [they] do [themself], to make it just and holy.
-Marcus Aurelius
Building a beauty that is only skin-deep will not get you very far in life in the long-run. A lifelong beauty is patiently produced with personal traits that you can carry forward with you forever. It is easy to see through a facade once you know how to look at things properly. It is similarly easy to see authentic beauty when it shines forth boldly and proudly from spirited people. Which approach do you believe is better for your lane?
The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within – strength, courage, dignity.
-Ruby Dee
The beauty that lasts is the beauty that will not fade with age. While it is quite haunting, this reading sent shivers through me the other morning when I read it. I know what I want to see in the end. Can you start formulating a more beautiful result for you as well?
The Persians have such a fable: After death, a soul flew into the sky, and met a terrible woman, a dirty and horrible apparition, with festered sores discharging pus, who was going in the opposite direction. "What are you doing here?" asked the soul. "Who are you?" The terrible woman answered, "I am your deeds."
-Leo Tolstoy
Indeed, you can and will choose to believe what you wish. I sugjest reviewing your deeds to determine if there is sufficient beauty in your actions. How beautiful is your soul?
There is no beauty but the beauty of action.
-Moroccan Proverb
Act beautifully. Live beautifully. Behold beauty everywhere. You have the choice :) <3
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.