Costly Dreams

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"There is always a risk to follow your bliss, a price to pursue your passion."... James A. Ray

I know painfully well the cost involved of trusting the wrong person with the precious things that are conceived inside the mind, nurtured in the soul, and born from the heart. But on the other side of the same coin, I know that past agony can make us mistrust too easily. Denying life to something the world would benefit from because we "might" be wounded again is a common reason to abandon the whole thing and walk away.

But regret is one of the heaviest emotions known to man, lugging it around for life is a stiff penalty to pay for avoiding a "might" happen. Making a balanced risk is almost impossible with every wall ever built against pain, popping up in the way and tipping the scale. And losing out completely is certain if you lack the nerve to answer opportunity's knock. Ennie, meanie, minie, moe.... feels like danger any way I go... Yet, to not try admits defeat.
A quitter never won a race, dead last is his only point of fame. Chances taken are what gives life its magic.

Dreams brought to life sometimes have the power to make the world a much gentler place. And even if it's only your own personal orbit that gets altered, any life enriched, enriches many. Our touch is never ever confined only to those within arms reach; the one's we touch, touch other's, who touch other's, etc, etc, etc. I've learned that one dream come true is worth whatever pain came before. Without chances taken my life would be so very different.

If I hadn't of had enough nerve to get on a plane... Well, all who know me know what that chance earned and what joy it inspires. If I live to be a hundred and can still conceive a notion worth dream status, I suppose I'll always be unwilling to suffer through the "what if's" that come from not at least peeking out the door. And if I refuse to alter the things important to my soul then any chance, even the wrong one, can never cost more than I can afford to pay. I like who i am. If the chance I take doesn't alter that then I can survive with ease. And so can you. Think about it.... let it ride.... then decide!!!!

Universal Peace

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"For peace of mind, we need to resign as general manager of the universe."... Larry Eisenberg

Imagining that we can control the universe is flawed thinking in the extreme. Fantasizing that we have command of much of anything not inside our personal orbit is a delusion, pure and simple. The fact that someone tells you how to tend your biscuits doesn't give them any real power. But when you begin blindly following instructions it elects them biscuit king and bread lords can be ever so regal.

But land sakes, don't some folks just think they're in charge of every damn thing? They have an opinion of how every thing is done... and it just isn't ever how you're doing it! And, God Bless them they don't hold anything back, though I'm certain nobody bothers to ask them much of anything after even a small dose of their criticism.

Truly I believe most people don't mean to offend, they really imagine they're preforming an important service. But we censure each other too damn often, and with too little right to say anything in the first place. I've made it my business to keep MOST of my point making issues confined to things of some real import. I mean honestly, I just cannot make myself give a shit about how others dress... or do their hair... or who did what to whom.

And he said, she said is totally wasted on me. I hate gossip, don't hear it, speak it, or tolerate it. I've got better things to do. I'm much too busy making my own mistakes and calling myself an idiot to spread the dread anywhere else. Why would I want to? And you shouldn't want to either. Think about it.... let it ride.... then decide!!!!!

Strength Scale

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Adversity is another way to measure the greatness of individuals. I never had a crisis that didn't make me stronger."... Lou Holtz

Individual greatness is a common birthright, although there's no guarantee any of us will ever live up to our true possibilities. I suspect even the brightest among us still have some fancy unused lighting stored away somewhere. And I know even when true potential does exist if it's left untended it simply never matures. And face it, sometimes it's much easier to be invisible and generic than front row and spot-lighted. That kind of glamour and glitter just isn't for every man, woman, and child.

After all... some of us need to be available to populate the audience. It's certainly a wonderful thing that there are so many different measures of greatness. That offers a much better chance of everyone getting their fair share with just a bit of effort when fame and fortune aren't involved in the equation. And some measurements only require common sense... uncommonly acted upon... meaning that with a bit of forethought we can all be extraordinary in some fashion or form that's unique to our place and time!!!

Most things in life test our patience, some days it feels as if we're single-handily bench pressing the entire weight of the world. Learning perfect balance is mandatory to holding onto whatever we must, but true balance also means discovering what we can and should stop lugging around. Adversity makes us choose. Bull-shit forces change and if it doesn't that's bull-shit too!!!

We're often like pioneers with big dreams, who pack a wagon full of bright and shinny bobbles and head for better pastures. Long before the trip is over the trail is littered with all things useless to our survival. Adapting to our surrounding is mandatory. All lessons learned this way are priceless... often they're brutal... yet the better learned the higher our capacity for greatness.

What makes humans truly great is our capacity to weather most anything and come out smiling. We're not only a product of what happens to us, we're also the total of HOW we react to the situations in our lifetime. Situations change and to be truly great we must change with them. And when alterations occur it just makes sense to subtract what is negative in favor of adding positives. If you're remodeling in any other fashion then rethink your choices. When someone wants to brighten their surroundings they don't paint the walls black, yet dwelling on bull-shit is the darkest pigment on the pallet.

Two days ago I had the most wonderful post written for this quote. When I pushed publish my computer ate my homework. My heart instantly dropped into my socks. My temperature began to rise, but three heartbeats later I took a deep breath and rose from this chair and went straight to bed... and straight to sleep. The following day I attempted to redo what was lost, but it felt too much like a chore. For two days I mostly used my time online to meet new friends and revisit older ones who seem to get true comfort from hearing my step echo beside their own. My reward is 3 new relationships, several older ones refreshed and renewed, and this post, which is better, longer, and wiser than the eaten one.

I've been on this journey for a very long time, yet I'm still rearranging my wagon. If I have true wisdom, I'll never simply settle for whatever is already packed as being all that is needed for a full life. Hopefully, I'll always have room for the treasures I stumble upon and not leave them behind in favor of some bright and shinny bobble. Think about it.... let it ride.... then decide!!!!

Making Stones From Blocks

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"One of the secrets of life is to make stepping-stones out of stumbling blocks."... Jack Penn

The only thing that ever keeps a stumbling block from being a stepping-stone is the simple tilt of our head. How we opt to look at it is often the deciding factor. In life it isn't so much what treacherous landscape we travel through as it is how we view our role there. Are we victim or hero? Are we a good example or a terrible warning?

Other's may have a different view, but unless we adopt that role it isn't truly our reality. We create by word then deed whatever image we choose. If we act without free choice we are little more than blind reactions to random situations. There are people with issues who use others to measure their own success in life. Often someone will secretly celebrate our failure because then they feel more comfortable with their own. Agendas can be fascinating to explore, but dangerous to stumble upon when facing trauma of any sort.

I'm not stupid, but if someone views me as such it gives me pause, and if I act upon it that gives them proof. Wisdom comes in many forms. When someone's opinion is the stumbling block we face, the easiest way to tilt the playing field is to decrease how much value we place in their estimation and increase how much value we place in our own. Choose to be a hero, because victims are a dime a dozen. Opt to twist your head so that negative situations become positive opportunities. Think about it.... let it ride.... then YOU decide!!!!

Dodging Boomerangs

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy."... Florence Shinn

Karma... is defined as the effects of a person's actions that determine their fate. It's considered the sum of all that an individual has done, is currently doing and will do. People go through certain processes and accompanying experiences throughout their lives which they have chosen, and those would be based on the results of their own creations: "karma". Karma is not about retribution, vengeance, punishment or reward. Karma simply deals with what is. The effects of all deeds actively create past, present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to others.

What goes around comes around is another way of putting it that most people recognize. The pendulum does swing in both directions, which seems as natural and sane as any true example of cause and effect. I believe it without even a shadow of a doubt. We should all try to temper our actions to adjust to its rhythm. We ought to leave any and all retribution to the discretion of the judge... who knows both sides without being told. I view revenge as a weak mans weapon. A higher power has my back and that's enough protection for me, no matter what happens.

The more people who consider this to be a truism, the gentler the world can become. If we all used forethought to decide how our actions will touch the ones we love most, we'd just naturally be a bit more careful. When a person becomes less reactionary they have much better control of the direction of their journey. Kindness to others creates positive power. Gentleness with ourselves promotes healthy growth. And combining the two gives karma an honored space to ferment.

What is tossed out, comes back. Better to reap what is sowed from a healthy field than to just take a chance with whatever grows up among the weeds. Better to willingly reach for what is heading home than to forever be dodging barbed wire boomerangs. We create our own reality, so draft a masterpiece. Why don't you.... think about it.... let it ride.... then decide????

Sensible Schooling

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"When the student is ready, the teacher appears."... Tao saying

Real wisdom comes from out-smarting, out-wrestling, or out-living whatever brings us to our knees and makes us doubt our almost magical ability to survive. How can we learn to thrive if any ole' stiff wind can knock us down? Life contains all kinds of weather, knowing how to endure any climate takes practice. Lessons are hard won... yet impossible to forget.

And there is an almost perfect balance between what we need to know and what life suddenly tosses our direction. Most times that may be of little comfort, yet it eventually earns a sweet sense of being just where we should be at any given time of our journey. Whenever we need to learn it most... the lesson really is there; once we know this to be true the learning becomes so much easier.

Why fight the knowing? Once you admit how senseless it is to waste time and energy struggling against the inevitable it's much quicker as well as less painful to learn even the hardest of lessons. It just makes good sense to suppose that a willing student would naturally gain understanding at an accelerated pace. It makes even better sense to figure that the faster the knowing, the shallower the wound... the shorter the ache, the fainter the scar. Why don't you... think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!

A Dragons True Depth

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are but princesses that are waiting to see us act just once with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest essence, something helpless that needs our love."... Rainer Maria Rilke

Wow, I'm still blinking fast, while re-reading slowly... damn ain't words grand when they're strung together magical like that? This quote is a treasure that takes the breath away and expands the mind all in the blink of an eye. Perhaps all dragons do need love to become domesticated... that thought isn't as far out as it would seem at first glance. Running from the terribles only adds to their size and to our misfortune. But facing them can be as beautiful and flawless as ballet if we measure our movements and stay within range of the rhythm set by our soul.

Kindness toward our own weaknesses doesn't mean that we let them lead us into temptation and failure. Knowledge of where our switches are located and what stimuli flips them is vital to keeping things running smoothly. Mastering our dragons doesn't always mean death to the beast, sometimes taming is more than enough to satisfy our needs.

A dragons true depth should always be fully examined. And it's birthplace can give clues to the amount of agony fueling its actions. Soothing a beast is much easier if you know where the wound is located. Wisdom gained during battle is one of the spoils of any well fought conflict.

Anything discovered after a war with yourself is the most precious treasure known to man. One learns quickly to choose weapons wisely, destroying your own internal landscape is a most foolish undertaking. There are things worthy of a good fight, but everything shouldn't be a struggle.

A dragon tamer is a much gentler warrior than one who slays the beast, but it isn't a matter of lack of strength. The former simply knows that taking by force what could be gained by reason is a bullies tactic. Knowing when to stroke and when to strike is the mark of a very wise warrior. Why don't you.... think about it.... let it ride.... then decide???? I did!!!!

Refresh

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"If you have made mistakes, even serious mistakes, you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down."... Mary Pickford

Each day is a new beginning; the simple act of awakening is in itself a gentle rebirth, but a deliberate refresh doesn't need dawn to begin its illumination. We can choose place and time, or something may inspire a hard look at reality without the aid of our rose colored glasses. Auto refresh begins while we're still blinking from the shock of suddenly getting a clue. At our initial awakening and at every other dawning of understanding it's important to tell God that we see the issue and truly, "get" its real value in our own personal growth.  
 
Mistakes are only permanent if we keep on making them. At some point the punishment should convince us that repeating the same actions and expecting a different outcome is a fools idea of reality. The lesson gets learned eventually by most of us, and once we admit that there are lessons in all things we look for them much sooner. Each issue has its own plain as day solution and every problem will periodically reappear until we're able to do the math... admit our role in its cause and effect... then add it to our own personal no fly list. The next time we see it it's no big issue to avoid getting all hung up and beat down by the crime and punishment it offers. And when it gets tired of being dismissed it'll try to peddle its damage elsewhere.  Learn... test... graduate... move on!!!!

Falling down is certain, getting up is optional. When you hit hard it helps to remember that staying down means they win... whoever they are... they have the last laugh. The notion that I'm expected to remain prone is enough fuel to get me upright. There is no ease to be found while laying helpless upon the ground. Life may seem like a burden sometimes, but we too often continue carrying heavy baggage that was only meant for instructional purposes. We're meant to learn from it then set it down... lighter in spirit... wiser in mind. Why don't you... think about it... let it ride... then decide???

Pardon Me

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future."... Paul Boese

Grudges of any sort take up so much space inside the baggage we carry, frankly I resent renting any room at all to negatives. I'm more apt to tuck in a few extra positives and as many spare smiles as I can hold. The things that add joy to the space they inhabit weigh next to nothing and can actually lighten the load by lifting dark moods and reducing disturbing thoughts. The less blame you deal out the less guilt you earn. Pardon me anytime, it's good for you too.
 
Forgiveness isn't easy, but it's always better than willingly assigning such a heavy load to your own shoulders. Life has a habit of placing enough obstacles in our path, so why build burdens? Funny thing is, it's not always someone else that needs forgiveness most... sometimes the hardest person to pardon is yourself.

Getting past the past demands coming to terms with things that are often very unpleasant to terminate. Taking responsibility for our own offenses is necessary, but we also have to own up to the things we allowed in others. That can be a most bitter pill to swallow. There may even be times when someone denies you forgiveness, making your own pardon all the more vital to getting on with life.

Once a lesson is learned and a pardon granted there is no sane reason to continue carrying the negatives any situation inspires. Face the way your heading and keep an eye on the prize, don't try walking backwards and expect to get anywhere. Why don't you.... think about it.... let it ride.... then decide????