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December 18 PrioritiesAt work and in other circumstances of daily life, we cannot do all the things that we want to do. We have to determine those activities that we can do, those that we have to postpone, and those that we cannot do in the near future, or perhaps at all. To make these choices, we have to consider each potential activity individually - its value and cost to ourselves - as well as its relationship to all others. In addition to establishing these priorities we have to determine how we will take care of the activities we choose to do, providing the highest quality of work that we can while completing the tasks in a timely manner. (Les Kay. Zen at Work)
Wishing you peace and well being as you do the next thing to the best of your ability. December 11 FaithMost of us are uncomfortable thinking of ourselves as artists...But each of us is an artist...With every choice, every day, you are creating a unique work of art. Something that only you can do...The reason you were born was to leave your own indelible mark on the world. This is your authenticity...Respect your creative urges...step out in faith...you will discover your choices are as authentic as you are. What is more, you will discover that your life is all it was meant to be: a joyous sense of thanksgiving. (Sarah Ban Breathnach. Simple Abundance)
Wishing you peace and well being as you have faith in yourself. December 04 Two HorsesJust up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.
If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her. As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray. When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.
Like the owners of these two horses, The universe does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. The universe watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see. Good friends and relatives are like this. You don't always see them, but you know they are always there. (author unknown) Wishing and peace well being as you listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours. November 27 InteractionsPeople tend to interact more with those they like (and to like most and interact most with those who are like them). In turn, people tend to avoid interaction with those who are dissimilar. While this makes life more pleasant and predictable, because it avoids the discomfort of trying to overcome unfamiliarity or belligerence, it tends to cut you off from information about someone whose help you may need. (Allen Cohen & David Bradford. Influence without Authority.)
Wishing you peace and well being as you open yourself to those most unlike you. November 13 Judging OthersOnce you make a judgment about someone, it is very human to see only evidence that you are right and ignore everything else. People see what they expect to see and feel vindicated by the "proof" that you were right. You need to monitor yourself closely to be sure that you are not so caught up in self-justification that you prevent improvement in the relationship. (Allen Cohen & David Bradford. Influence without Authority [2nd Edition]).
Wishing you peace and well being as you examine your own attitudes and behaviors. November 06 Rigid HeartsAs long as we keep strengthening our anger and self-righteousness with our thoughts and our words and our actions, they will never go away. Instead, we become experts at perfecting our habits of hard-heartedness, our own particular brand of rigid heart and closed mind. (Pema Chodron. Practicing Peace in Times of War)
Wishing you peace and well being as you soften your heart and open your mind. October 30 Self-righteousnessWe often complain about other people's fundamentalism (self-righteousness). But whenever we harden our hearts, we ourselves become fundamentalist, which is to say we become very self-righteous about our personal point of view. (Pema Chodron. Practicing Peace in Times of War.)
Wishing you peace and well being as you open your heart.
October 23 Compassion and UnderstandingWith more understanding, we can meet in the middle and walk the rest of the way together. (Eric Harvey and Steve Ventura. walk awhile in my shoes.)
Wishing you peace and well being as you practice compassion and understanding. October 16 Your Target"If we don't set up a target, there is nothing for the arrow to hit."
Wishing you peace and well being as you consider the root causes of your pain and suffering. October 09 AttachmentWhenever there is pain of any kind - the pain of aggression, grieving, loss, irritation, resentment, jealousy, indigestion, physical pain - behind the pain there is always something we are attached to. There is always something we're holding on to. (Pema Chodron. The Power of Patience. Mindful Politics. [Ed] Melvin McLeod.)
Wishing you peace and well being as you investigate what you are holding on to. October 02 Serving By ListeningIf you ask corporate leaders to describe the attributes of a good leader, they'll say it's all about being visionary, increasing shareholder wealth, delivering the numbers each quarter, beating the competition, and having a great strategy. But if you ask the followers, they will tell you that they want conscious leaders who, among other things, are compassionate and caring, just, fair, authentic, vulnerable, and truthful. They want leaders who have the courage to keep their promises and honor the people who work for them, who hold them in some form of sacred relationship, and who share information and rewards in a way that inspires them.
What then, is the leader's responsibility? It is to serve followers, and the dynamic of inspiration based on service leads to oneness between the leader and other team members. This is what guides a team to greatness. Members of a team often have a pretty good idea of what they would like to achieve in their organization. And if you ask them to dream and to stretch and to expand beyond their usual performance, they will often do just that. In fact, I have found that leaders frequently underestimate the potential and aspirations of followers. (Lance Secretan. One: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership).
Wishing you peace and well being as you serve by listening. September 25 Making the Most of Today"Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is the Powers way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day." (Lisa Beamer, the wife of Todd Beamer who said "Let's Roll!" and helped take down the plane that was heading for Washington, D.C. September 11, 2001) Wishing you peace and well being as you make the most of today. September 18 Embracing DifferencesIn the Aikido tradition, conflict originates in the thinking mind that discerns itself as being separate from others. Separation leads to thoughts of "right OR wrong," "good OR bad." Embracing difference leads you to appreciate that no one model of the world is correct and complete.
Wishing you peace and well being as you embrace the differences between you and others. September 11 ForgivenessThe practice of forgiveness has to start with addressing the part of us that wants to stay closed. In order to work with the resentment and inability to forgive, we have to be willing to look deeply and honestly into our own experience, instead of pointing the finger of blame outside of ourselves. This is why we need to pay attention to whatever arises when we bring to mind the ones toward whom we feel resentment. (Ezra Bayda. The Path to Forgiveness. Mindful Politics. Melvin McLeod. [Ed])
Wishing you peace and well being as you pay attention to what arises. September 05 Rights and Responsibilities"Remember always that you have not only the right to be an individual; you have an obligation to be one. You cannot make any useful contribution in life unless you do this." (Eleanor Roosevelt)
Wishing you peace and well being as you find and show your true self. August 28 Reactions to ChangeResistance is the most common side effect of change. Some 20 percent of people are "change-friendly." They're clear advocates who willing embrace change. Another 50 percent of folks sit on the fence. They assume a so-called neutral position, trying to figure out which way to lean. The remaining 30 percent are the resisters. They're antagonistic toward change and often deliberately try to make it fail. (Price Pritchett. Resistance: Moving Beyond the Barriers to Change.)
Wishing you peace and well being as you consider your reaction to change. August 21 Is It Right?Cowardice asks the question - is it safe? Expediency asks the question - is it politic? Vanity asks the question - is it popular? But conscience asks the question - is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right. (Martin Luther King Jr.)
Wishing you peace and well being as you practice what is right. August 14 Basic GoodnessIf your view is that of basic badness, you see it wherever you go. If you view is basic goodness, you see it wherever you go. (Pema Chodron. Bill Moyers on Faith & Reason. August 4, 2006)
Wishing you peace and well being as you practice basic goodness. August 07 CourageIt takes courage to have an independent thought - to get out of our boxes, our paradigms. It takes courage to become open to new thinking and to be accepting of ideas that do not currently align with our own. It takes courage to be willing to consider that the world could be larger than we imagine it to be, to consider that we are all part of an interdependent whole that does not end with our family, with the company we work for, or even with a border between nations. It takes courage to embrace a new awareness that every action we take affects the whole. (Lance Secretan. One: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership).
Wishing you peace and well being as you become more courageous.. July 31 Live life as a giftIf you never want to see the face of hell, when you come home from work every night, dance with your kitchen towel, and if you're worried about waking up your family, take off your shoes. (Rabbi Nahman of Bratslaw)
Wishing you peace and well being as you live life as a gift to be received thankfully. |
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