Mantra for the Bad Days:

Somewhere within all this noise is an enormous silence. If I just shut up for a moment, I'll be able to hear it. -Anonymous

MORE

I have not been doing much lately. It seems that I have been so busy doing absolutely nothing. Maybe it is not quite that bad, but it is close. I have been doing some reading and have spent a little time in my garden. It would be a good time to go outside except for the heat. I will be so thankful when the heat is down or maybe even off. Until that happens, I am going to be satisfied with early mornng outside and the rest of the day inside.

Ancient Chinese Proverb

If there is light in the soul,
There will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
There will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
There will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
There will be peace in the world.

Balance

Do I feed my physical hunger while neglecting my spiritual hunger? Do I put all of my resources into my vegetable garden while neglecting the beautiful flowers that I would like to put in my flower garden? Is there not a need for a semblance of balance here?

Whatever happened to the covered dish?

Most of us do not have enough time or inclination to put forth a little effort to make something special to share with others.

From Thornton Wilder

My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just to enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate.

Philosophy

There will be no long and complicated essays here. My philosophy? Keep it brief and
keep it simple.

Give This Serious Thought

The large rooms of which you are so proud are in fact your shame. They are big enough to hold crowds--and also big enough to shut out the voices of the poor....There is your sister or brother, naked, crying! And you stand confused over the choice of an attractive floor covering.
-Ambrose 4th Century

TODAY

Today is the last day of the first part of your life.
Enjoy it and then get ready for what comes next.

The above is my take on a
much used and maybe
overused proverb.

Three African Proverbs:

1.Do not look where you fell but where you slipped.

2.A wise man never knows all, only a fool knows everything.

3.Indecision is like a stepchild: if he doesn’t go wash his hands, he is called dirty, if he does, he is wasting water.

Comfort in Times of Trouble

"The lovely lotus blossom
does not grow on
beautiful granite or
any other beautiful stone.
The lovely lotus blossom grows
in muck and mire
that might not be so pretty
if not for the lotus blossoms growing there."
-Thich Nhat Hanh and just a bit of embellishment by me...

from the Tao Te Ching of Lao-tzu

Conquering others takes force.
Conquering yourself is true strength.
Knowing what is enough is wealth.
Forging ahead shows inner resolve.

Hold your ground and you will last long.
Die without perishing and your life will endure.

A Visit

I have kept journals for more years than seems possible. I was looking through some pages from 1995 and was surprised at some of the things that happened that long ago.-One very traumatic incident took place in December of the year before and I wrote a response to it early in January. I am glad that I was reminded of that experience and very proud to say that fourteen years has healed that wound and being reminded of it did not stir it up. I did not relive the experience but I was able to understand it more clearly looking at it from a distance. - I must not spend my life living in the past but if I understand the past I can have a better understanding of the present.

from Anonymous

If riding in an airplane is flying, then riding in a boat is swimming. If you want to experience the element, get out of the vehicle.
-Anonymous

A Word from St. Teresa of Avila

I do not fear Satan half so much as I fear those who fear him.
-Saint Teresa of Avila

A Zen Story

When the spiritual teacher and his disciples began their evening meditation, the cat who lived in the monastery made such noise that it distracted them. So the teacher ordered that the cat be tied up during the evening practice. Years later, when the teacher died, the cat continued to be tied up during the meditation session. And when the cat eventually died, another cat was brought to the monastery and tied up. Centuries later, learned descendants of the spiritual teacher wrote scholarly treatises about the religious significance of tying up a cat for meditation practice.