ATTEMPTED COURAGE

TODAY'S QUOTE:
What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? Vincent Van Gogh

The answer to that is a no-brainer, if nothing is ever attempted then nothing is ever gained. Losses would be final. By the time adulthood was reached we'd all be hopelessly entombed in lives little better than walking death. Progress on the planet and inside ourselves would be unheard of, and pointless would be the best that could be said about living. Satisfaction with the status-quo guarantees nothing will ever change; not only locking the door on any opportunity for growth, but nailing it tight against any random key that may exist. Orbiting inside of a one-size-fits-all atmosphere should never even be an option, let alone a normal way to travel. A mountain should be viewed as a challenge, not a wall. Doesn't your life deserves the same distinction? Aren't we all worthy of more than more of the same ole' shit? 

Thank God that life isn't like that unless we demand nothing of ourselves. Hey, if you truly crave a portion of that stale pie, you can have my helping as well; being satisfied with the least I can get has always been my biggest fear. Without the climb you'll miss out on a view that'll makes all your pain bearable. Trying is the only key, and each of us owns one. Change isn't for the weak at heart or the weak kneed. There are ever present risks involved, but rewards also litter the landscape. Fear of failure shouldn't be in control or success will always elude your grasp. Always keep in mind that anything can be overcome if you refuse to be overwhelmed. Not easily... some things take back-breaking effort. Not quickly... rush jobs always need repair, so take the time it needs to do it right. Not blindly... without paying attention to where you're headed you'll likely end up somewhere you never wanted to go.

Courage doesn't mean the absence of fear. You can be trembling like a leaf in the breeze and still be courageous. It takes a ton of it to act in spite of the fear you feel. Each and every terror I've ever faced has been less frightening face-to-face than the way it was imagined beforehand. And the ones I ran from only chased me until I turned and finally dealt with them. The ones I ignored attacked me while I slumbered. The ones I stood toe-to-toe with always shrunk in equal measure to my rising up. A determined mindset, or lack thereof is what dictates how they appear. Be courageous enough to stop magnifying their dimensions and watch them shrink to a manageable size.

Bravery is not as hard as it seems when you realize that what you fear is unequal to the human spirit. Whatever happens it's always better to attempt courage and try to get past the bogeyman. He won't just vanish because you wish him away, but he'll cut and run most times when you call his cowardly bluff.

THINK ABOUT IT... LET IT RIDE... THEN YOU DECIDE!!!

© GLENDA ALEXANDER

A WELL-TAMED MIND

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Hard to hold down,
nimble,
alighting wherever it likes:
the mind.
Its taming is good.
The mind well-tamed brings ease.
Dhammapada

The taming of the mind is a never ending endeavor that gets easier with practice and time. Every obstacle we encounter inspires negative thoughts. When they go unchallenged we're held hostage and terrorized at their leisure. Learning how to silence them and bounce them out of your brain isn't all that hard once you stop playing the victims' role to idle notions inspired by blind panic. Stop telling yourself bull-shit, so the stink can disappear. Escort the negatives to the gutter where they belong, and invite the positives to the penthouse!

Some thoughts soar like birds, and while other's slither like snakes. I hate snakes, so negative thoughts have that image, making it impossible for us to co-exist. If I wouldn't open my front door and invite a serpent into my house, why would I welcome one into my mind? A snake inside my home would be easy to get away from, simply go out and shut the door. A snake in the brain is unavoidable if you give it time to find a place of refuge.

When you least expect it, there it'll sit hissing at you. I don't wait until its tail passes by then grab it and sling it out the nearest exit. I feel its approach and aim a cannon in its direction. First glance and its mince meat, and all the gore is blown back out into the darkness from which it came. Birds need lots of space to soar and safe places to land. A snake free zone is a perfect place of ease. And that's a fact you won't be able to deny if you simply give it a try!!!

THINK ABOUT IT... LET IT RIDE... THEN YOU DECIDE!!!

© GLENDA ALEXANDER

JUST BE HAPPY

TODAY'S QUOTE: Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy. Guillaume Apollinaire, 1880-1918, French Poet and Writer

The search for happiness is often so frantic that we rush by the very things that would guarantee its rightful place in our lives. Some of us imagine it has something to do with the stockpiling of money, or possessions. Those things do add a level of comfort and opportunity that a poorer individual doesn't share. But we all posses the same status when it comes to the pursuit of happiness. The playing field is level; we just fumble the ball a bit differently according to our net worth. Things would be much simpler if everyone just adjusted their mindset to reflect these three important principles. 1- Money is man made and so are the things it can buy. 2- Happiness is priceless, but its free. 3- Our ability to find it doesn't depend on traveling even an inch, so stop looking all around and start looking up inside! 

It's a state of mind, not something you can find in a store, or deposit in a bank account. You can't order it from a catalog. It can't be stolen from someone else and worn by you. In fact, trying that will cost you more dearly than the imagination can conceive. Happiness can't be trapped like it's some kind of exotic animal. The fastest among us don't win it like a trophy and the slowest don't lose it by default. Wasting of time and energy won't do a damn thing except wear you out and break your spirit. No matter what you invest in your quest, if you're looking in the wrong place you'll never even get a glimpse of its splendor. The solution is simple; look in the right location! Ask your soul for directions! Once you reach your destination, defending its boarders is necessary. Some damn fool is always ready to wipe a smile off your face... don't let them or what's the point! They'll leave you with costly repairs, but they'll do nothing to assist in damage control. Fact is, they can't help; the buck truly stops with you.

When you come to fully realize just how determined invaders can be to wreck havoc, it's quite easy to summon up the will to defend yourself. No violence is necessary to guarantee their defeat. Simply don't engage. A bully won't fight alone for long. They want to look strong, not foolish. Stand your ground, and save your smile. The situations of your life and the people who inhabit it can't take, unless you allow it. And nobody else can give it to you in any kind of lasting fashion. Moments of joy aren't the same as real happiness, which comes from inside and radiates outward. The simplest things teach us the most important lessons about real happiness. The best way to achieve it is to give it away moment by precious moment.

The spring is an internal one, fed by the soul in a never ending flow. Once discovered it never dries up, although it does slow down during times of worry and stress. Look inside, it's there just waiting for you to tap its resources. It won't come find you, but if you want it badly enough it'll certainly meet you more than half way.

THINK ABOUT IT... LET IT RIDE... THEN YOU DECIDE!!!

© GLENDA ALEXANDER

JOYOUS TASK

TODAY'S QUOTE: Set me a task in which I can put something of my very self, and it is a task no longer; it is joy; it is art. Bliss Carman (1861-1929) Poet

This IS my joyous task and it always has been. I began for my own sake, but continue it for the sake of others. I think deeply, at some point every day, so I could gain almost as much for myself by being silent. I'm driven to write  by a voice that I silence by simply doing as it asks. My soul demands that I use my voice to say "you're not alone." Once upon a time I struggled by myself inside of a mighty vacuum and I can still hear the echo of my footsteps in that lonely place. I began journaling then so I wouldn't lose my way. I began blogging to help other's find theirs... and I've walked beside more than a few since my journey first began. It's been an honor and a privilege that's given my life a much deeper meaning.

My soul's demand quickly became my hearts desire, and that made me a better person in the process. It's made me hyper-mindful of our ability to add to or subtract from the lives of the people we touch. Our influence is often much deeper than we realize. The fact that I'm aware of that fact only intensifies my determination to use a gentle hand. Because I know the power of words to wound or soothe I aim mine at the wounded warriors in an attempt to soothe wherever possible. And in this way my own scar-tissue shrinks, and my own pain has a worthy purpose that makes some sense out of my past suffering at the hands of people in the name of love.

My life is made richer by the time I spend here, although not in wealth you can deposit in any bank. The riches come from friendships forged and comfort given that's returned to me in ways that make my soul rejoice. Each simple yet priceless treasure has value more dear than all the money ever minted. Daily reminders of a positive nature are needed so badly nowadays. I may write them, but I also read and benefit from them. I'd go batty at breakneck speed if I didn't start my days off gently. It takes a solid base to hold up under pressure, so I do my best to create something solid enough to help us all through the day.

Do I consider it art? Well, yes in its own way I suppose it is; at least I'd like to think of it in that fashion. Each soul has something of beauty to share with the world, and this is my slice of soul laid bare for public consumption. I pray that all portions served are satisfying... I thank you for being my honored guest... and I ask God's blessing for us all. He loves us no matter what and wants us to love each other in the same way. What a wonderful thing love is... it makes the world go around, but we seem to be off balance from the lack of it at the moment. Following the crowd was never one of my shortcomings, so believe me when I say, "I REALLY LOVE YOU, AND YOU'RE TRULY NOT ALONE!!!"

THINK ABOUT IT... LET IT RIDE... THEN YOU DECIDE!!!

© GLENDA ALEXANDER

SENSIBLE OPTIONS

TODAY'S QUOTE: Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. M. Kathleen Casey

Life is overflowing with things to agonize over, but the amount of time spent willingly banging your poor head against an immovable object is your choice. Shit happens, people change, players use and abuse, parents fail, children screw up, friends prove false; the list of reasons to be melancholy seems endless. Giving into the negative emotions that any heartache inspires is all too easily accomplished by meekly following a thought pattern, as if you're a hostage. But remember that the bully inside isn't planning on driving you anywhere worth going; its agenda violently discourages any sort of independent travel, mostly by inspiring overwhelming fear or intense melancholy. All too quickly you become breathless under the weight of negative thoughts and emotions, making getting out of bed seem a trip of a million miles.  

Too near the edge isn't a safe place to abandon yourself to the push of doom. Free-falling into disaster isn't any way to live, but some of us do it all the time. Things with the power to wound keep on doing so as long as we give them free rein. Learning then moving on puts the power where it belongs. Old hurts will only stay fresh if we constantly pick at them with our thoughts. It may be harder in the short term to wrestle the negative into silence, but it saves the long term for really living. Don't make the frog prince a king by renting him space in your mind. Don't let a less than perfect childhood keep doing damage your whole life long. Don't let a liar make you blind to truth, or a false love make you doubt a true one exists.

You can't live a pain free life, but your suffering is mind made after a certain point. What sense is it to let yourself bleed forever for something that someone else did to you, when all too quickly they'll hardly remember your name. I forgive myself for being human enough to be easily wounded, then I forgive the one who hurt me. I don't forget the pain or its source, but I do refuse to let anyone make me bitter or jaded toward life. With some forethought and a bit of luck one pain will help me avoid another. Hurt whenever you must, but suffer as little as possible.

THINK ABOUT IT... LET IT RIDE... THEN YOU DECIDE!!!

© GLENDA ALEXANDER

THE SOURCE OF THINGS

TODAY'S QUOTE: Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. Thich Nhat Hanh

What came first the chicken or the egg? In the long and short of it, the order of conception doesn't really matter. When you're smacking your lips over an omelet the last thing that comes to mind is the source of the egg. Eww! When a smile graces your face before it's passed on, the order in which it appeared isn't a consideration either; it just feels too damn good to ponder on it that way. You just do it without thinking it to death. And that's a good thing!I know that performing any act will transform it into fact in the blink of an eye. If you use your time wisely and adjust your mindset accordingly there isn't any reason to set yourself up to fail, when success is an option. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it isn't there.  It takes time to figure out what to look for; learning where to look takes determination, and uniting the two takes God's help.

Don't waste time just pondering over a reality that brings nothing but pain, when changing it is well within your ability. Stop producing deep lines in your face and deeper ones in your soul by constantly focusing on a problem without considering any possible solution. Pressure ages us so quickly. By willing adding tonnage to your own burdens you only assist in the aging process. Don't be so worried about your purpose that you forget to be grateful you even exist. Remember that if there's a will, there's a way; if you can't find your way then you're simply not exercising enough willpower. Whenever your choice is between up and down always opt to rise. And that includes using your will to master the corners of your mouth into either a negative or positive direction.  

I often smile when I'd rather frown, because giving into the negative would make a mess of my equilibrium in no time flat. Negatives use up too much valuable space, while earning you no precious grace. But positives expand as they go, giving you ample room in which to grow. Smiling when you would rather frown just confuses the hell out of any lurking scowls. All too soon the grin will be soul deep and not simply pasted on. Overpower the darkness with your inner light; if wiggling the switch seems tiresome just think about how exhausting it is trying to navigate in total darkness.

The first person who smiles back will give you a real reason to be doing so. It seems simple because it is; frankly speaking, most things in life are less complicated then we like to think. All too often people imagine tasks more difficult so they have a valid excuse not to attempt them. There's simply no excuse good enough for not smiling as often as possible. Dodging a bullet takes fast action, and sidestepping negative thoughts and reactions requires timely intervention. Turn your frown upside down asap or be satisfied with aiding and abetting in a smiles total destruction. In all ways that matter you're the source of all things that exit you, making control of whatever enters a much more weighty consideration. The only one truly capable of making a lasting positive change in the alteration of your daily circumstances or your realistic acceptance of them is you.  *SMILES!!!

THINK ABOUT IT... LET IT RIDE... THEN YOU DECIDE!!!

© GLENDA ALEXANDER

STILLNESS

TODAY'S QUOTE:
In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. Deepak Chopra

Silence of the soul is a treasure beyond compare. Once found it's like a force field, surrounding you and keeping the worst of the pain away. Money cannot buy it, poverty cannot destroy it, and trouble cannot do more than slightly dent its surface. It comes from knowing yourself and accepting your faults. It comes from seeing your imperfections, smoothing the ones you can and coming to terms with the rest. It comes from valuing your own personal space and respecting everyone else's space as well.

Deeply held silence gives a quiet place to reflect upon things without the echo of any voice except your own. A higher hand can reach there without any effort, but a heavy hand doesn't have a chance of entering the secret garden of your soul once you set up the boundaries that keep it sound proof. Avoid giving into panic inspired by listening to anyone else. Once you set your mind right and put a precious value on the health of your soul what anyone says won't hold the same power over you. The more you ignore them the easier it is to hear yourself. Build inch-by-inch if necessary and eventually you'll possess a place of inner peace worthy of housing a soul worth protecting.

When a heartache or worry is given to me, deserved or not, I take it to that quiet place and deal fairly with it as soon as possible. I either accept or reject blame without shame knowing that I never set out to hurt others. I either devise a plan for solving a problem, or decide there is no solution and accept it as reality. I deal with what's going on inside of me inspired by external things out of my control. All my best lessons are learned inside of that peaceful place; the most brutal truths faced, the good and the bad are given equal space and consideration.

I'm FAR from perfect, but then I've never claimed perfection. I just know that I believed for too long the voices that told me I wasn't worth much. I accept whatever portion of the blame I deserve for my own abuse, and the abuse of my children. I should've left, but didn't; fear was a factor... not an excuse I'm willing to hide behind. By default alone, I own some blame, and by choice I accept it as the price of finding peace. I've come to terms with that part of my life and have moved on. I'm not the person I once was. The beginning of my odyssey toward acceptance was finding the silent space and using it as wisely as possible. It's served me very well through both brutal days and brighter ones.

It's not a place that you should only visit when life has you by the short hairs. To simply use it as a spot to dump your sorrows would all too soon make it a place of dread. Joys should be invited too. Everything examined inside its boundaries has a clarity that cannot be achieved anywhere else. All things of import should pass through its gates for processing, so that the most good can be gotten out of everything that touches you. I make time to visit every day, if only for a short time. It's not a shadowy place in which to hide; it's a sacred soul-space that teaches you how to thrive.

THINK ABOUT IT... LET IT RIDE... THEN YOU DECIDE!!!

© GLENDA ALEXANDER

DEEP LISTENING

TODAY'S QUOTE: Deep listening is miraculous for both listener and speaker. When someone receives us with open-hearted, non-judging, intensely interested listening, our spirits expand. Sue Patton Thoele

The true art of listening involves more than just the ears; eyes, mind, heart, and soul are mandatory to mastering the ability to truly absorb all that's said and at least some of what isn't vocal. There's nothing that'll make me go instantly silent faster than to see a listeners eyes grow dim, signaling inattention as surely as if they put out a neon sign. On the other side of the scale there's nothing that'll inspire my urge to say something worth hearing faster than the light of true interest in their gaze. The best ears reside in a face that welcomes an honest exchange enough to stay positively engaged even when the subject matter isn't agreeable. Some things are for the common good... it can't always be about YOU... being a team player benefits everyone in the long run. GO US!!!

Deep-listening blesses both the speaker and the listener.

The one hearing doesn't need to say a word to perform pure magic. Comfort is instant and soul-deep. Listening well, but gently, means you suspend all judgment. Each of us needs at least one person that we can speak to without editing every word. Unconditional ears are such a rare and beautiful treasure to have at our disposal. When you're very lucky, the same person returns the favor and trusts you enough to say the things that are hidden deep inside of them without worry of any censure. GO US!!!

Every lasting relationship, of any sort, has deep-listening at its core. Trust and love are great building blocks, but without the sound structure of true communication the richness and depth of the whole structure suffers. I thank God for the deep listeners I know, loving and being loved by them enriches my life in ways that are priceless beyond description. You know who you are and why I love you. If I mean half as much to you as you mean to me, I'm very lucky indeed. WE ROCK!!! GO US!!!

THINK ABOUT IT... LET IT RIDE...THEN YOU DECIDE!!!

© GLENDA ALEXANDER

A MAGICAL JOURNEY

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering."
Saint Augustine

The first fifty years of my life were spent in a mostly stationary location, although I've traveled many miles since that time, for that I'm grateful. The trips I've taken are important, but without the one I took at forty none of them would've occurred. The most profound journey of my lifetime began on my fortieth birthday, and I don't expect it to end anytime before I do. It's led me to profound discoveries about life in general and about myself in particular.

I'd passed myself by, lost myself entirely, and sold myself short for all those years before my awakening. Every day since I've tried to stay alert to what's going on inside of my secret garden, not for simple curiosities sake, but for the sake of the survival of self. I don't travel in any perfect fashion; mistakes are a common human condition, and I'm all too human. I journey with determination to get the most good out of every step, and that's the best I can do.

Travel by all means, if you've got the chance, but visit the most important place on earth once and a while too. The secrets you reveal, the treasures you'll find make for a much richer life, no matter what your circumstances. Lighten your baggage whenever possible. Slow your steps to absorb the scenery inside then alter what offends your eye. Walk with pride where it's safe to be whomever you really are then ease that person into the real world. Listen to the drummer deep inside, balance lightly on the balls of your feet then dance to the tune only you can hear.

THINK ABOUT IT... LET IT RIDE...THEN YOU DECIDE!!!

© GLENDA ALEXANDER

KNOWING

TODAY'S QUOTE: Next to knowing when to seize an opportunity, the most important thing in life is to know when to forego an advantage. Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), The Infernal Marriage (1834)

 

Learning how to behave at any given moment in any situation requires knowledge that we often don't even bother obtaining. If we don't learn to view the big picture from a depth inside ourselves that we don't even know exists how can we possibly pretend to know enough? By standing too long and hard upon a, "I know it all" platform a mind never has the chance to expand, since any notion not already possessed is made somehow counterfeit. Chances get missed... hope gets misplaced... bad choices lock us up into prisons of our own construction, and keep us there under false pretenses. It's impossible to learn that we possess the only key to our true quality of life when nobody or nothing can teach us shit!

 

Some of us are most unwilling students once we imagine that the finish line has been crossed. And each of us seem to have a different point where we're instantly transformed from student to mastermind. Once the ego inspired among us aren't required by law or pressured by parents they enter the rat race and consider themselves fully grown and in charge. Dreams of grandeur are an ego's blueprint to a lifestyle most never achieve. Their heads stay stuck in the glory days and they truly expect the stasis quo to automatically continue. An ego's sense of entitlement can be gigantic; without the drive to do the work to become true master of any dream all we're left with is a nightmare that haunts night and day. We must be willing to unpucker our ego if we want to truly view and retain the treasures of wisdom that are our successes and failures true rewards. We have to continue learning about life inside and out or we miss the point altogether.

 

Higher education, of a certain sort, isn't enclosed inside of brick buildings. Every spot you stand is of equal importance. Formal education may be in the past, but the informal one continues day-by-day, year-by-year as long as we're in our right mind. We stop paying tuition to schools, but knowledge isn't free even if no money ever changes hands. We pay attention... we invest time and effort... we struggle to understand our fellow travelers, while struggling even harder to understand ourselves. We may be of age, with a job, family, and home, complete with a dog and two cats. On the surface it appears perfect, but without real depth it becomes little more than a comfy narrow rut. Building a surface life isn't always easy, but digging deeper never is; one requires a heartbeat, while the other demands a hearts true desire. Whenever we stop pursuing knowledge we abandon growth and admit that being stuck on stupid is good enough. Doing the very least of what can be done then redoing it daily will sustain life, but it truly discourages any really living. The more we know... the further we go!

 

Being true to our nature is a spiritual responsibility of monumental proportion, yet many spend a lifetime ignoring its very existence. Truly, if we can't even decide what we're really made of we aren't fit to decide much else. Many bitch about the ruts they're stuck in, yet never attempt escape. Freedom is possible for everyone; determination is the only key. We gaze at the surface and believe that's all there is, when just a peek behind the façade will reveal so much more than the obvious. We rush too much, like this is a race, and miss so much in the mad dash to the finish line.

 

Making every day a little life helps adjust our vision, so the little things of great import don't get so easily overlooked. Sight is relative; the direction we point our attention is where we see the most of whatever scenery surrounds the thing centered inside our gaze. The length of time we focus and the intensity of the attention paid either earns knowledge or robs us of it, according to our determination to really see and understand the landscape.

THINK ABOUT IT... LET IT RIDE... THEN YOU DECIDE!!!

© GLENDA ALEXANDER