Reflections
Be aware -
should stands in the way of good,
good often stands in the way of better or best,
seeking to do your best can lead to wanting it to be perfect,
and perfect is just one more way to procrastinate.
So ask yourself, “What is the best thing I can do right now?”
Then,
do. it.
After you’ve made
the mess,
the mistake,
the blunder,
the error,
the screw-up,
the faux pas,
there is no good reason
to beat yourself up,
carry around shame,
wallow in guilt.
There are only two things to do:
Clean it up.
Move on.
Just like spilled milk.
Journeys begin with a question,
What is over there?
Discoveries begin with a question,
What is it?
The first question leads to more,
What if we went over there?
What if we tried to find out?
What could we call this?
Who can we share this with?
Who needs to know about this?
What can it be used for?
How can we use this to help others?
How can we make it better?
The answers lead to more
questions.
Which unsettles some people.
They begin to ask,
What do we really know?
We know there will always be more questions.
Keep asking.
Days shrink.
Nights grow longer.
This time of year our bodies
ask for more rest to be made stronger.
But, ignoring the shifting of the seasons,
we charge forward
with electric clocks
and electric lights,
keeping the same schedule
day and night.
We forget it’s all connected -
our bodies, our minds,
the turning of the earth,
the sun,
the moon,
and all the rest.
We defy these rhythms
and wonder why
we are not at our best.
So if you’re feeling less
creative and clear,
take a look at the rest
and an answer may appear.
When you ask, “Why isn’t anyone doing something about this?”
When you wonder, “How could I make this better/different?”
When you see a cause others are moving forward and think,
“I need to be with them.”
This is your insertion point:
the place you put yourself
when you
take a stand,
make a declaration,
decide this is so important
you will give up other ideas or causes to pursue it.
And when you insert yourself,
the work will soon feel overwhelming.
You’ll wonder why you thought this was a good idea
and
know you would make the same choice again.
What’s your insertion point?
If “I came by it honestly.”
means it was part of your family story -
Grampa played the fiddle, you play violin;
Grandma wrote poetry, you write lyrics;
Mom was an attorney, you went to law school;
Dad was a farmer, you love to garden -
what happens when you break away?
Does it mean you’re being dishonest?
If everyone is working for the weekend,
what is the work for?
Quit waiting.
No wonder life is confusing.
With
family,
culture,
religion,
friends,
work,
facebook,
instagram,
telling us what
the shape of our lives
should
be,
what path
to be on,
what vision
to pursue,
it’s like driving in a rainstorm
with broken windshield wipers.
The expectation raindrops
just keep coming,
obscuring
the road ahead.
The only option
seems to be
giving up,
pulling off the path,
hiding,
and
waiting for the storm to pass.
But expectations never stop.
Until you decide.
When you decide
you
are the one
shaping
your life
and
creating
your path,
should
gives way to
good
and
good
gives way
to better and best.
Fix your windshield wipers.
Once I was not.
Soon I will be not;
a humbling thought.
As birthdays come and go
I realize
much of what happens
between the
was
and
will be
is out of my control,
but
the rest is up to me.
(A birthday is a great day
to ask,
“What am I doing
between
the was
and the
will be?”)
