who sees the choices? Feb 6th

 "People only see the decisions you made and not the choices you had"

Itachi Uchiha - Naruto Shippuuden

Thoughts: After reflecting on this quote I've come to think that I have restricted myself to see only limited choices for my own decisions. And having mulled this over it is now my challenge to broaden my range of choices and look for my underlying assumptions. Then maybe there will be possible decisions and options I'm missing. 

“so. tell me where should I go? to the left where nothing is right. or to the right where nothing is left.”

 Itachi Uchiha - Naruto Shippuuden

Freedom is not free!

 "Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought."

Pope John Paul II

Thoughts: Freedom is not Free!!!

Smile on Your Brother

 Get Together 

Song by the Youngbloods

Love is but a song we sing
Fear's the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Though the bird is on the wing
And you may not know why

Come on, people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another right now

Some may come and some may go
He will surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last
We are but a moment's sunlight
Fading in the grass

Come on, people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another right now

Come on, people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another right now

Come on, people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another right now

If you hear the song I sing
You will understand, listen
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It's there at your command

Come on, people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another right now

Come on, people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another right now

I said, come on, people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another right now

Right now
Right now

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Chester Powers

Get Together lyrics © Ivan Mogull Music Corp., Irving Music Inc.

Wisdom is where?

 "Wisdom isn’t something handed down by institutions or represented by degrees—it’s earned through exploration, reflection, and a relentless openness to learning from the world around us.”

George Raveling

Thoughts: This bears reminding of cause I sure react rather than ponder the news I hear these days. 

Nothing and no one is all good or all bad. Hard to get my head around that, but all we can really know is ourselves and even that can be hard. Imagine listening to news without reacting... and how about a devil's advocate going deeper into other perspectives. They may not be 'good' but ours may not be totally altruistic either. 

Possibilities

 

• "When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven't." – Thomas A. Edison
• “Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.”
  Marcus Aurelius
  
  Thoughts: It is only within ourselves that we can effect change. Wishing the world was different is a form of paralysis and a waste of energy.
• 

  
  
  

Sunshine

 "It never hurts to keep looking for a little sunshine"

Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh

Sunshine on My Shoulders

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy, sunshine in my eyes can make me cry.
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely, sunshine almost always makes me high.
If I had a day that I could give you, I’d give to you the day just like today.
If I had a song that I could sing for you, I’d sing a song to make you feel this way.

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy, sunshine in my eyes can make me cry.
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely, sunshine almost always makes me high.
If I had a tale that I could tell you, I’d tell a tale sure to make you smile.
If I had a wish that I could wish for you, I’d make a wish for sunshine for all the while.

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy, sunshine in my eyes can make me cry.
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely, sunshine almost always makes me high.
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy, sunshine in my eyes can make me cry.
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely, sunshine almost always makes me high.
Sunshine almost all the time makes me high.  Sunshine almost always…

(written by John Denver)

Walk While You Can

 "Walk while you can"

from Walking Well by Michael J. Gelb and Bruce Fertman

Thoughts: Moments turn into days and months then years and decades. Time can drip away until collective drops become an irreversible pool of missed living through worry and waiting. If you don't like something, don't talk about it, do something. And if you don't know what to do then turn off the clamour and walk and if you can't walk do what you can, breathe, flex any muscle that requires attention to being a living creature rather than a thought machine.

Big Yellow Taxi

by Joni Mitchell

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel *, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They took all the trees
Put 'em in a tree museum *
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Hey farmer farmer
Put away that DDT * now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please!

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

© January 7, 1970; Siquomb Publishing Corp

Cracks in Concrete - November 14th

 “I like it when a flower or a little tuft of grass grows through a crack in the concrete. It's so fuckin' heroic.”

George Carlin

Thoughts: There are lots of tufts of grass and flowers growing in cracks in the concrete. They are the stories of kindness, empathy, caring and sharing that are everywhere around us if we stop focusing on the anger, hate and violence that is attempting to pave over our world.

We can widen the cracks by practicing everyday kindness. We don't need to understand what is happening in the world to make a decision to stand for our values then stretch ourselves in that direction like a tiny plant stretching towards the sunlight. Imagine a tiny clump of seedling growing slowly into a forest.

The Day After

 "Whatever anyone does or says, for my part I'm bound to the good... In the same way
an emerald or gold or purple might always proclaim: 'whatever anyone does or says, I must be what I am and show my true colours" 

Marcus Aurelius

"Our job today and tomorrow is the same as it’s always been—to be good, to be wise, to stand up for what’s right, to resist what is wrong and evil. Nothing changes that. Nothing exempts us from that. Nothing prevents us from doing that."

Ryan Holiday

Both the above quotes are from the Daily Stoic.

Thoughts: Our job is to be our best selves. To be aware where and when we get caught in drama and emotion and choose to shrug it off and remain true to what we know in our hearts. 

Kindness, respect, and empathy are infinitely more powerful than blame, hate and violence.

And if we can't find the truth in the present time, read history. Over time patterns repeat, over time even the whitewash of perspective tarnishes.

Cheers

Jeanne

Future - October 10th

 “The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”

Howard Zinn, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times

Good things and remember

 “There are four good things worth practicing. Being kind toward everything alive. Staying level and steady. Feeling happy for any creature anywhere that is happy. And remembering that any suffering is also yours.”

Richard Powers, Bewilderment

Barbra

 

"I just don't want to be hampered by my own limitations."

Barbra Streisand

Thoughts: What would we do if we believe we have no limitations??

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
Albert Einstein

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."
Henry David Thoreau

fear less - August 15th

 "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."

Marie Curie

Strength - August 1st

  "As soon as people decide to confront a problem, they realize that they are far more capable than they thought they were" 

Paulo Coelho

Thoughts:  

Kamala Harris

To inspire a generation to believe that it is possible to achieve anything with hard work, determination, and integrity is a legacy that will have more impact than asserting strength through wars, economic goals and domination.

No matter what challenges, bullying and nastiness she will face in this race for US President and democracy I will hope that she continues to believe and trust in herself and stay strong!

"You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only defense."

Bob Marley

Good Ideas - August 8th

 "Your time is better spent championing good ideas than tearing down bad ones ..."

James Clear

Thoughts: This means sometimes we need to look hard for something good to champion, but there is always something ... the good only seems obscure because the bad gets so much press.

"... Don’t waste time explaining why bad ideas are bad. You are simply fanning the flame of ignorance and stupidity. The best thing that can happen to a bad idea is that it is forgotten. The best thing that can happen to a good idea is that it is shared. It makes me think of Tyler Cowen’s quote,
“Spend as little time as possible talking about how other people are wrong.”
Feed the good ideas and let bad ideas die of starvation."

Quoted from: https://jamesclear.com/why-facts-dont-change-minds

Rights - July 25th

 "Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do."

Potter Stewart

Thoughts: We need more of this kind of thinking in this world today!

Align hope

 “But human beings are not machines, and however powerful the pressure to conform, they sometimes are so moved by what they see as injustice that they dare to declare their independence. In that historical possibility lies hope.”

Howard Zinn, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times

Words of hope from Howard Zinn

 

Practicing

 

Project

 "All of us are working on the same project. Some consciously,with understanding; some without knowing it. Some of us work in one way, and some in others. And those who complain and try to obstruct and thwart things... the world needs them too." 

Marcus Aurelius

"The world needs these types for many reasons... a diversity of opinion is, in the aggregate, better than homogeneity. 

Also, the obnoxious and the shameless and the evil do more for us than we think. They remind us what virtue is and give us something to struggle against. They prevent us from getting complacent and illustrate the terrible costs of being like them.

We can fight against them and denounce what they represent, but it's a fantasy to think they can be made to disappear. They serve a purpose and make us stronger through their adversity."

Ryan Holiday; the Daily Stoic Meditations 2022

Two giraffes were walking down the road

 One giraffe said to the other giraffe "... "

Do!

 “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion"

Paulo Coelho

Thoughts: It's never too late to stop talking and do ...  and interesting how opinions can grow

Unreasonable reason

 “When you ask, “Why do we do it this way?” and the only answer is “Because that’s how it’s always been done,” that rule deserves another look.”

Will Guidara, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

Thoughts: this is an 'I want to read book'. I've not got it yet but I will!

Competition to strive for

 "The healthiest competition occurs when average people win by putting above average effort."

Colin Powell

"A successful competition for me is always going out there and putting 100 percent into whatever I'm doing. It's not always winning. People, I think, mistake that it's just winning. Sometimes it could be, but for me, it's hitting the best sets I can, gaining confidence, and having a good time and having fun."
Simone Biles

(Simone Arianne Biles Owens is an American artistic gymnast. With a total of 37 Olympic and World Championship medals, she is the most decorated gymnast in history, and she is widely considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. Wikipedia.)

Thoughts: If life is a competition and there always have to be winners and losers how do we take control of our happiness? (Assuming that being defined as a 'loser' is bad and no one wants to be this.)

The way I see it the only sustainable way to be content in our skin is to win our own self respect.

And I'm really not sure if there are ways of winning self respect other than putting above average effort and 100 percent into whatever we are choosing to do; whether anyone see it or not, whether it gets us more money or friends or awards or victories or wins any competition outside of making us become a better version of ourselves. If we do this, I expect, our choices will become more reflective of what we value and we will have purpose.

I think we are all happier with purpose.

Integrity - what don't we need

 "If you are ever tempted to look for outside approval, realize that you have compromised your integrity. If you need a witness, be your own."

Epictetus  

We can look to nature for examples of integrity

Heaven

 

Nothing goes far

 "To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves. Nothing is often a good thing to say, and always a clever thing to say."

Will Durant



Thoughts: We waste a lot of words and energy talking about what politicians, religions, other groups and individuals, and even people in our circles do wrong.

Would it not be more productive to think/talk about what people are doing right and start there?

Would it not be more honest to forget comparing and just try to always do our best as we understand it?

Would it not make our lives more useful if we accepted that it is not helpful to speak ill of others?

Speaking ill of others, regardless of how acceptable it is or how much we feel someone deserves it serves no purpose other than for us to sound and feel superior, widen the gaps of understanding and obscure our chances of listening or understanding.

While I may not agree with all the opinions in Will Durant's book "Fallen Leaves - Last words on; Life, Love, War, and God" I appreciate the entertaining discussions of alternate views and thoughts he shares while coming to his conclusions and I understand why he arrives at them. 

Cheers
Jeanne

Happy

 "Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude."

Denis Waitley

"When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself."
Tecumseh

"Often people ask how I manage to be happy despite having no arms and no legs. The quick answer is that I have a choice. I can be angry about not having limbs, or I can be thankful that I have a purpose. I chose gratitude."
Nick Vujicic

Thoughts: As I think about gratitude and appreciate the gifts surrounding me all the time whether I am conscious of them or not, I wonder why I ever let myself think of "wanting more", and then when I really think about that  I am grateful as much for the things I can't do as they give me opportunities I wouldn't have dreamed of if I could do whatever I wanted when I wanted it.

What's love got to do with anything??

 "A man is only as good as what he loves."

Saul Bellow

My thoughts: 

It seems like we don't spend much time determining what we love and putting that first. 

I listen, read and wonder at the hatred that seems to be a force field feeding itself with anger like oxygen to a fire, consuming kindness, empathy and compassion and fanning fear, blame and hate into a flame that threatens to take the decency and love out of our society and combust our world into an Armageddon of war and global environmental catastrophe until there is nothing left but ashes.

My ask after this little rant is that we step back for a bit to think about what we really love. 

Take a day off from making blanket statements to express our dissatisfaction with something or someone. 

Take a day off from feeding the fire of hatred to think about what love and kindness mean. 

Think about what being grateful for our family, or a friend, or a smile, or a sunny day, or being alive really means; they don't cost anything, but make our lives brighter. 

Before we think, act and vote with blame and hate let's take the time to think about the consequences with a broader and kinder framework.

Cheers

Jeanne

Smile

 "It was only a sunny smile,

and little it cost in the giving,

But like morning light 

It scattered the night

and made the day worth living."

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Cheers

Jeanne

Language

 “I remember the words of Bill Tall Bull, a Cheyenne elder. As a young person, I spoke to him with a heavy heart, lamenting that I had no native language with which to speak to the plants and the places that I love. “They love to hear the old language,” he said, “it’s true.” “But,” he said, with fingers on his lips, “You don’t have to speak it here.” “If you speak it here,” he said, patting his chest, “They will hear you.”

Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

Thoughts: 

There is a language our hearts know

that is heard in a world we can only know when we let go of what we think we know

Letting go - April 18th

“Success does not lie in sticking to things. It lies in picking the right thing to stick to and quitting the rest.”

Annie Duke, Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away

Thoughts:

The decision is the difficult part. It seems that the more I focus on what I am giving up the more I want to keep it. If I have to make a decision about giving up something I love, or think is something I should do, or something that will take me in the direction of my dreams, because to keep going is no longer is wise, it feels like I'm giving up on a part of me and that not having or doing whatever it was will leave an empty, unfillable space inside. But the more decisions I make to moderate or eliminate things that I'm clinging to because of the fear of what letting go will mean to my life the more focus I can give to where I'm going and how to be who I want to be.

“In large part, we are what we do, and our identity is closely connected with whatever we’re focused on, including our careers, relationships, projects, and hobbies. When we quit any of those things, we have to deal with the prospect of quitting part of our identity. And that is painful.”

Annie Duke, Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away 

The Creative Act - April 4th & 11th 2024

 

April 4th quote

"Discipline and freedom seem like opposites. In reality they are partners. 

Discipline is not a lack of freedom, it is a harmonious relationship with time."

From: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin 

April 11th quote

"Listening opens possibilities. It allows you to see a bigger world. Many of our beliefs were learned before we had a choice in what we were taught. Some of them might go back generations and may no longer apply. Some many never have applied.

Listening, then, is not just awareness. It is freedom from accepted limitations."

Rick Rubin from The Creative Act: A Way of Being

Shy

 

Warrior March 14th

  "A warrior is not a person that carries a gun. The biggest war you ever go through is right between your own ears. It's in your mind. We're all going through a war in our mind, and we have to callous our mind to fight that war and to win that war."

David Goggins
Author of: "Can't Hurt Me" and "Never Finished"

Puff

 

Astronaut View - March 21st

 “My optimism and confidence come not from feeling I'm luckier than other mortals, and they sure don't come from visualizing victory. They're the result of a lifetime spent visualizing defeat and figuring out how to prevent it.

Like most astronauts, I'm pretty sure that I can deal with what life throws at me because I've thought about what to do if things go wrong, as well as right. That's the power of negative thinking.”
Chris Hadfield, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

Feeling Love

 

Complexity March 28th

 "Sometimes, I am also identified as a civil rights leader or a human rights activist. I would also like to be thought of as a complex, three-dimensional, flesh-and-blood human being with a rich storehouse of experiences, much like everyone else, yet unique in my own way, much like everyone else."

Coretta Scott King

Thoughts:
We are all complex and unique in our own ways, and every one of us would like to be seen that way and respected for it.

... and if we can't understand someone else and what they do and say, we could try to remember that they, as we, are a product of experience

And if we listen, we may learn something that will help us understand

... and if we don't listen, we will maintain our ignorance

"One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say."
Bryant H. McGill

"The belief that one's own view of reality is the only reality is the most dangerous of all delusions."
Paul Watzlawick