What's "Write" with the World?

Note: 

For those of you who do not know me personally, it seems important to tell you here... this post was written on January 2nd, 2012.  On the following morning, January 3rd, 2012 things did not seem "write" with my world. My 47 year old husband passed away suddenly and very unexpectedly. The cause has yet to be determined, but appears to be heart related. I debated about taking this post down, but intuition has guided me to "walk my talk," and keep it posted, just the way it is.  My life suddenly felt "upside down" but within that, there are still many things "write" with the world. Choosing to place energy and attention on these things has been one of the things that has assisted me and my family in dealing with those things that may not otherwise seem right, right now. I suspect there may be future posts dealing with some of the other things we have gone through and learned.... but for this month, I will Simply dedicate this post to Julio. 

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Photo of the Month

Field of Sunflowers, MD, September 2011

Quote of the month:

Your attitude about who you are and 

what you have is a very little thing that makes
a very big 
difference.
-Theodore Roosevelt

Happy 2012!

I'll start by saying that, yes! I know that I used the wrong "write" (right) in the title! I did this on purpose! If it bothers you, my suggestion is to review October's post on Perfection!  : )  After making the annual Christmas trip to Florida and being with my Spanish speaking in-law's family.... along with my broken Spanish... the conclusion is, if understanding has taken place it can be considered successful communication, regardless of how it happened! Gesturing and pointing counts! 

What prompted this post is that it seems recently, I've heard or been involved in a number of negative conversations. I am not putting my head in the sand, saying that everything is wonderful or even donning rose-colored glasses. The economy and politics rank high on the list of things people seem to be complaining about.  Knees and big toes were on the list with my college friends.  (This seems exceptionally unfair given that we frequently toasted to them in college! "To love, health, happiness, big toes, knee caps and friends!")

My Simple suggestion this month is to give Teddy Roosevelt's quote above a try and give AT LEAST equal time to what is right in the world. Maybe even try giving it a little MORE time and attention than given to what is "wrong." 

I can hear the chorus of nay-sayers out there..... like what? Nothing's right!!!! If you will bear with me for a moment I will attempt to prove the chorus wrong!

Just for this moment .....let's start with the fact that the sun came up on January 1st, 2012 (1)... and it came out again this morning, January 2nd (2)!  Even if it is raining, cloudy or even snowing where you are, the sun is still up there!

Next, you are breathing (3)! And if you are reading this, I will assume that you at least have access to a computer (4) and the Internet (5).... maybe even a cell phone (6).... and let's add functioning electricity (7). That already puts you amongst the most fortunate of the world's inhabitants. I am going to add spell check (8) to my list of positive things as I've used it half a dozen times already in this post! (If I missed one along the way, I'll again refer you to the October post on perfection!)

There are many things that we take for granted every day.... our hearts (9) beat and our lungs (10) breathe without us having to think about it (11). What if we had to remember to beat our hearts? How many of us would get sidetracked on irrelevant details? No one! Or they would not last long! Let's throw in hearing (12), eyesight (13), touch (14), taste (15) and smell (16)!  How amazing is that? If one of these is not functioning or not as well as it used to be, you still have the other senses to assist you. Most of you can probably walk (17) or have some means of mobility (18). Do you have a vehicle (19) or access to public transportation (20)?  Don't even get me started on how useful hands (21) and fingers (22) are! 

Most of you probably have a roof over your head (23) and a bed to sleep in (24).... or at least somewhere to go where someone will take you in (25). Do you have comfortable sheets (26) and pillows (27) on your bed (28)? Is there adequate food (29) in your kitchen (30)?  Do you have warm (31), running (32), clean (33) water (34) in your shower or bath (35)?

Most of us have access to shopping (36) where we can purchase nourishing (37) food (38) and household "necessities" (39) such as paper towels (40) and Playstation 3's (41)!  Next time you are in the grocery store, just take a moment and look at the abundance (42) of items available!  I especially like to do this in the produce area (43)!  There are generally several varieties (44) of apples (45), tomatoes (46) and lettuces (47) just to name a few! What about that snack aisle (48)!?

You may say that these are very basic things.... so basic that you expect them to be there in the morning when you wake up, along with the sun and your breath! What if one of them was not there one day?  What if your home suddenly did not have a bathroom one morning? What would your life be like? Would you appreciate it then?  

Next time you find yourself complaining about something... anything.... I've given you a list of 48 things you can refer to.  Why 48?  That is Simply the number I got to writing this post.  I'll give you one more... a beautiful field of sunflowers in the photo above (49)!  

If you are reading this, I am willing to bet that you can easily be grateful for well over half of the things listed in this post! Try focusing even a minimal amount of attention on any one of them!  See how it can change your perspective!  See if you can also see what is "Write" with your world!  Let me know what you find!  Feel free to comment at the link below!

Keep it Simple!

Penelope

It's a Wonderful Life

From: It's a Wonderful Life

Quote of the month:

Strange, isn't it?

Each man's life

touches so many other lives.

When he isn't around

he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?

-Clarence, Angel, 2nd class

I just finished watching my favorite movie.... not just my favorite Christmas movie, but my favorite movie! It's a Wonderful Life.


If there is anyone who is not familiar with it, it is a classic movie in which George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart decides everyone would be better off if he had never been born. Clarence the Angel, in an attempt to save George's life, gives him the opportunity to see what it would have been like had he never been born. Suffice it to say that George realizes he has touched far more lives than he could have ever imagined and begs to live again. Seeing how many lives he has touched, and the difference he has made to his town... not to mention helping Clarence earn his wings, George realizes that, despite his problems, he really has "a wonderful life."

No matter which holiday you celebrate, or even if you don't celebrate any of them, the theme in this classic movie can be appreciated by all.  The Simple idea I'd like to leave you with was stated in a Daily OM newsletter.... Everything you do matters! What follows is a reprint, with permission, of that newsletter....

It is easy to believe that the only way to initiate profound transformation is to take extreme action. Each of us, however, carries within us the capacity to change the world in small ways for better or worse. Everything we do affects the people in our lives, and their reactions in turn affect others. As the effect of a seemingly insignificant word passes from person to person, its impact grows and can become a source of great joy, inspiration, anxiety, or pain. Your thoughts and actions are like stones dropped into still waters, causing ripples to spread and expand as they move outward. The impact you have on the world is greater than you could ever imagine, and the choices you make can have far-reaching consequences. You can use the ripple effect to make a positive difference and spread waves of kindness that will wash over the world.

Should the opportunity arise, the recipient of a good deed will likely feel compelled to do a good deed for someone else. Someone feeling the effects of negative energy will be more likely to pass on that negative energy. One act of charity, one thoughtful deed, or even one positive thought can pass from individual to individual, snowballing until it becomes a group movement or the ray of hope that saves someone’s life. Every transformation, just like every ripple, has a point of origin. You must believe in your ability to be that point of origin if you want to use the ripples you create to spread goodness. Consider the effect of your thoughts and actions, and try to act graciously as much as possible. 

A smile directed at a stranger, a compliment given to a friend, an attitude of laughter, or a thoughtful gesture can send ripples that spread among your loved ones and associates, out into your community, and finally throughout the world. You have the power to touch the lives of everyone you come into contact with and everyone those people come into contact with. The momentum of your influence will grow as your ripples moves onward and outward. One of those ripples could become a tidal wave of positivity. 

Just as Clarence says, each man and woman's life really does touch so many others. Do not underestimate your influence on the world! It really is A Wonderful Life!
If you have a few minutes... there is a clip in the post below of the ending of my favorite movie! Enjoy!


I wish each and every one of you a very happy holiday and a safe and peaceful New Year!
Penelope

Video Clip

The Magical Mystery....

Photo of the month:

Full Moon, over Pacific, May 2010

Quotes of the month:

....waiting to take you away

waiting to take you away!

-The Beatles


Each one of us has a unique thing to give.... 
which is who we are!
- Tim Freke

In 1967, the Beatles put out the Magical Mystery Tour album/movie. There are several different interpretations of the words and music that I am not going to get into. My Simple question this month is an invitation to have your own Mystery experience..... see if it takes you away!

• Have you ever stopped to think about the actual chances that YOU are HERE on the earth?
• And the chances that YOU are HERE in the FORM and appearance that you are?
• And let me just add that YOU are HERE, NOW, in the days of electricity and the Internet, rather than in the days of Columbus, Julius Caesar or the cavemen?

I'll skip the biology lesson here, but we know that conception is a numbers game. Recently there was a show on the Discovery Channel called, Life before Birth, that goes over this in much more detail. I suggest it, if you are interested more in the specifics. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QFNhTliYCM&feature=relmfu

Biologically, we are set up to perpetuate the human race, but in order for that to happen, nature has set it up so that chance is on its side. The possible combinations of genes are endless. But HERE you and I are, NOW! This is amazing to me!

To illustrate this further, I am going to share my first personal experience with this. I was 10 or 11 and my parents were divorced. I want to stress that neither of my parents spoke negatively to me about each other. This was nearly 40 years ago, before there were TV talk shows about these topics, so I applaud them both and am grateful for them somehow knowing that was important. At any rate, there was one particular time, when my mother must have said something somewhat negative about my father. I do not recall specifically what it was, but I remember saying to her, "If you hadn't married him, you would not have me." She replied with what I know was meant to be reassuring at the time, "I would have had you with someone else." I had had enough biology in school by this time to realize that was NOT true. She may have had a child, but even in my 10 or 11 year old brain, I knew that it would NOT have been ME!

Here is the part that really struck me in that moment.... take a moment to think about this in your own life. Had your mother had a child with someone other than your father......

• Your mother would have had a child and 
• she would not have known the difference....... 
• you are the only one who could know the difference, but 
• that is only because you are here.... you were born. 

You and I can only have this thought because we were born. If our mothers had had a child with someone else, we would not be here and could not be having this thought. Can you think about this in your own life?  What does it make you feel?

Another example, whether you like Oprah or not, one has to admit she has an amazing life. I heard her say that her mother and her father were only together one time. Once! What are the chances that she would be born at all? Let alone in the form and with the drive to succeed that she has? Some of this may be also due to environment and I don't want to turn this into a debate on nature vs. nurture, just Simply another example.

Has either of these examples stirred your own sense of being-ness?

I have one more example for you to watch to think about the mystery of our Universe and our place in it. I encourage you to watch this short video that my son pointed out to me.  I have embedded it here in the post, but if you have trouble viewing it, here is a link..... 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEheh1BH34Q

The message at the end of the video that you are not the center of the Universe is NOT my message here. My Simple suggestion this month is just to watch the video and then "sit with" the enormity of the Universe. Again, think about the chances that we are here at all, flying through space on a rock, in the vast expanse of the Universe??


It is that time of year... the month when I write about gratitude and ask you to think about what you are grateful for in your own lives. This November, I am Simply going to suggest that as we in United States sit down to eat our turkey this week, consider the fact that YOU ARE HERE, NOW! Consider the chances that you are here at all and consider the idea that YOU matter Simply because you were born!  Each of us is unique and each has their own gifts and talents to bring to the world!  I, for one, am grateful for that!

If you would like to contribute to our community Gratitude list, click here....

http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8457770897014195182&postID=9084060711879197024

To read a previous post on gratitude.... click here

http://simplyspirituality.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html

One last suggestion for gratitude will echo something I wrote last month about perfection. Last month I talked about the "glass half full" vs. half empty. Gratitude is similar. If you look at a glass filled half way and picture only the part that you do not have, you will be unhappy. But if you "start from zero" or start from empty and see what you DO have, you will be much more satisfied. 

Again, to echo last month, an important point here is that you will be in physically the same place either way. The only thing that has changed is your perception, perspective or your point of view. It's your choice!

Until next month,

Happy Thanksgiving!

And keep it Simple!

Penelope

Perfect!

Photo of the Month:

Horizon, Gulf of Mexico, December 2007

Quote of the Month:

We are victims of the rules we live by.

-Anonymous 

The quote above was given to me by my good friend, Debbie. This quote suggests something that my mother has said throughout my life..... we tend to place our own limits on ourselves. There are lots of rules we live by... some are useful. We all drive on the same side of the street for example. Can you imagine how chaotic it would be if there wasn't a rule about that?


There are other ideas or beliefs we hold that may not be as useful. They guide our decisions in life and may be limiting us in some way.  Much of what I write on this blog is aimed at looking at things from a different perspective.... or at least considering that there may be more than one way to look at something. During the last several weeks, I've had various conversations with different people about perfection in different areas of their lives.  So that seems an appropriate topic this month.


What is it to be perfect? It is defined in the dictionary as conforming absolutely to an ideal type. It also says entirely without flaws, defects or shortcomings.

Is perfection attainable? It is an ideal. Is it possible to reach an ideal?

Have you ever been by the ocean, as in the photo above?  Or, maybe on a cruise ship? Or driving on a flat area of land? As you move towards the horizon, you get the sense that you are going towards it. In ancient times, when the world was believed to be flat, it was thought one would arrive at the horizon and then fall off. But what really happens? As you approach the horizon, it moves and in reality, one can never reach the horizon. It is somewhat like this with perfection. That as an ideal, it is something that can never be reached.

Some of you who have known me for a long time know that in my former life, my first real job out of college was as an auditor for the IRS... really! I know it doesn't seem to fit, but it's true! It wasn't my favorite job, but I did learn a lot there.

When looking at an issue, say charitable contributions, I would ask to see the taxpayer's receipts to verify the expense claimed on their tax return. Sometimes, the receipts would not exactly match up with the amount claimed, sometimes there wouldn't be enough receipts or sometimes the receipt may not be allowable. (Can you imagine that?) I don't want to turn this into a desertion on tax, but I want to use this example because it applies to what we are going to talk about next.

Most taxpayers wanted me to assume the number on the tax return was accurate and start from there, only subtracting from that a receipt that the taxpayer could not verify.

What my job required me to do was use zero as the starting point and only add to it what the taxpayer could actually verify.

A Simpler way to look at it is the analogy of the glass being half full or the glass being half empty.  One can either choose to see themselves as "half-full" by acknowledging all that they are or "half-empty" compared to some perfect ideal.

So, if one holds a rule or belief that they must be perfect, it is somewhat like starting with the full amount.... or holding the ideal image and then subtracting your "flaws" from it.  That is, comparing yourself to the ideal it and noticing all of the ways where you fall short or considering oneself as "half empty." Generally this type of comparison makes one feel bad about themselves. Feeling bad about oneself often makes people feel less energetic and like they want to do less.

Instead, I suggest that you "start from zero" and add to that all of your positive characteristics. Then look how far you have come. Look at where you are today and compare that to where you were last month, last year or 10 years ago. You may in fact find that you have grown and changed more than you have realized and see the glass as "half full." This type of comparison generally makes one feel good about oneself. Feeling good about oneself often makes people feel more energetic and like they want to do more.

**Important point here - you are in the SAME place no matter which way you decide to look at it. The only thing that changes is your rule.... or your perspective and your state of mind.

If you have trouble looking back or remembering, my Simple suggestion this month would be to write or journal, even if only a few lines once a week or once a month... when you have time. Looking back at this periodically can give you a better perspective on how far you have come. Sometimes even looking back at an old letter or e-mail might do this for you... or even look at your high school yearbook. See what you wrote about then or what you thought was important.

It is important to make a distinction between doing our best and being perfect. As Don Miguel Ruiz suggests in The Four Agreements, "Always do your best." What your best is will change over time and be different under different circumstances. As long as you have done the best that you can, you will have peace of mind.

For another perspective to consider.... in a post called Whole and Complete I suggest that if you can bring yourself Present, here and now, nothing is really missing in this moment.  You may also enjoy, You Can't do it Wrong.

I would love to hear your feedback as well as any comments or questions you may have.  Maybe you have a quote you would like to send for future use! You can do this by clicking the "comments" link below, at the end of each post.  If you prefer, you may also send comments to me directly at penelope@simplyspirituality.com.

Until next month....

Keep it Simple!

Penelope

How to Make a Watch Disappear

Times Square, New York City
June 2009

Quote of the month:
The mind craves for formulations and definitions,

always eager to squeeze reality into a verbal shape.

- Nisargadatta Maharaj

By the end of this month's post….. I will make a watch disappear! You will, then, also be able to make a watch disappear, if you want to! I must give credit to Tim Freke, author of "How Long is Now?" He is the one who taught me!


Going back to August of 2009, we talked about the voice and the ego. We talked about how we learned English, but that of course is only if you were born in the US, England or a few other places. Had we been born in China, we would have learned Chinese. This is how the voice started, how it is formed...but it then continues by each experience life brings our way, in school, our family, the media, church.... or our interactions with others. In our struggle to make sense of the world, our brain categorizes…. our ego makes judgments about what is good and bad, and assumptions about why things are the way they are and why things happen.


This is necessary to function in our world. Look at the picture of the month above, taken on a summer day, in June 2009, in Times Square, New York City. Notice how many people, shops, lights, etc. When one is walking through Times Square, it is not possible to go into each store or every shop.  You cannot eat at every restaurant. It is not possible to say, “Hello” to each person you pass. I recall a study from my Sociology days that found people on a crowded city street do not even make eye contact with each other. It is too much input for the brain to process. 


Our brains must categorize and make assumptions in order for us to function. In doing this everything becomes a concept - an idea - something conceived in the mind. This is something that is basically made up that we have all agreed on together. When we see other living beings that look somewhat similar to us, we have all agreed that we will call them “people,” (unless you are in Spain and then you call them “gente” or in China…. “da zhong,” etc….)  In Times Square, I knew that “people” were passing by me on the street, but I did not know that Joe Smith or Nancy Brown passed by. I might have noticed a color of someone’s clothing as I passed by but I did not notice if I saw a pair of Hollister jeans. I saw “people” wearing “clothing” and passing by “shops.” Aside from someone who might have a photographic memory, this may be a somewhat similar experience for many of us.


Here is a different example of a concept we have all agreed on.  I heard that “Staycation” was added to the dictionary. Who had heard of a “staycation” five years ago? We have all agreed that a vacation spent at home or nearby will now be called a “staycation.” Maybe it is simpler to see with this newer concept and how it is basically something we made up and agreed upon!


So, what does this have to do with the watch? Maybe you can guess by now what I am going say. “Watch” is a concept. Most of us know what a watch is and some of you may be wearing one right now. More and more, people depend on their cell phones for time, but I think most of us have grown up knowing what a “watch” is. If I say I am wearing a wrist “watch,” all of you will know what I mean.


So picture me taking off my watch and holding it up in the air. Then I declare, “I am going to make this watch disappear.” Then as Tim Freke explains, “Actually, I’m going to show you how to make the watch disappear using no more than the power of your imagination.”


Can you see the watch in your mind’s eye?


Ok, now I want you to take a moment and imagine that you don’t come from this culture. Imagine that you have been born in the deepest jungles of Borneo and don’t know anything about Western civilization. Then you inexplicably find yourself here with me standing in front of you, holding something up in front of you.


What do you see now? Do you see a watch? 


You only see "watch" when you know the concept “watch.” If you came from the jungles of Borneo, you’d see whatever you could conceptualize. You might see “leather” or “bracelet” or “round metal object,” but you would not see a “watch.”


We are conscious of what we can conceptualize. If you look around you now, as I am, you will see that you have a concept for everything. I can see “computer”…… “keyboard”…… ”mouse”……. ”cat”……… ”paper”……. Look around where you are now.  What do you see?


We experience this moment through a filter of concepts. We’re living in our ideas. This month, I'd like to make the Simple suggestion that we’re telling ourselves a story, nearly all of the time, about who we are and what life is…. [For further reading on this topic, please see "How Long is Now?" By Tim Freke]


Further, I want to suggest that much of what the ego/voice is telling you is basically made up. Much of this is necessary to function in every day life, but this also can prevent us from truly living fully. I would further suggest that you try to take off the ego/voice glasses and see the world through unfiltered eyes. Tim suggests stepping out of the conceptual mind and entering into a state of "not knowing."


You have probably heard the old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” This applies, but I am suggesting that we try to take it a bit further than books. Think about all the judgments and assumptions you make every day. Think about people you see at work or in a store. Some you don’t know at all others you know a little. Do you make assumptions about their lives? What they do when they aren’t at work? Or who they might be spending their time with? Or if they might be taking a staycation this year?


It really goes much further than this…. The way we then interact with those people is based on our assumptions. We are not really interacting with them so much as interacting with our idea about who they are. And guess what…. They are interacting with their idea of who you are too. Do the two of you ever really meet?


The ego, the judgments, the voice, the assumptions won’t go away. Elizabeth Lesser says that the ego is a part of us. It’s like having an arm. It is part of being a human being. What I want to suggest here is that hanging out in the observer mode (see blog post from September 2009) allows us to notice when we may be making some of these judgments and realize that there is a lot of made up “stuff” out there. If we can recognize it, it gives us the choice if we want to go along with it, or get to know Nancy Brown for real.


I’d like to suggest that it puts the wonder, the magic, the flavor and the mystery back into life. Try it for yourself and see what you think! See if you can make your own watch disappear!


I would love to hear your feedback as well as any comments or questions you may have.  You can do this in by clicking the “comments” link below, at the end of each post. 


Until next month….
Keep it Simple!
Penelope

You may also enjoy.....

The Voice.....................  

The Observer.................  

Be Here Now

Sunrise, Biscayne Bay, Miami, October, 1999

Quote of the month:

Be here now.

- Ram Dass

Have you ever had the experience when arriving somewhere driving.....  you cannot remember how you got there?

Have you ever read a page of a book, magazine (or even a blog post!).... and at the bottom have to go back and re-read because your mind went somewhere else mid-way through?

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and suddenly realized you didn't hear the last thing they said.... and they are waiting for a response from you?

Or in reverse - have you ever been talking to someone and you can tell that they are not hearing you or just are not "there?"

We have all done these things at times. This isn't a judgment or statement about that in any way. I simply want to suggest an explanation and alternative.  

The reason these things happen is that we are not as Present as we could be in our daily lives. What does that mean? It simply means that our bodies are in one place and our minds are in another. If our minds are not where our bodies are, then where are they?  Usually they are either somewhere in the past or somewhere in the future. Possibly going over a mental to do list or rehashing a conversation you had with someone. If you watch closely, in the second scenario, the mind will often be judging the conversation.... telling you what you said right or wrong. Telling you that the other person was "an idiot," or whatever it is that your mind tells you.

One of the problems with not being Present is that you are missing your life. Life is what is in front of you.... right here.... and right now as the Ram Dass quote suggests above. The way not to miss your life is to bring your full attention to what ever is in front of you. It is not difficult. One of the things I like best about it is that it is Simple! It only seems difficult because we have not been raised this way. Our culture tells us we must "cover all bases," multitask, and be all things to all people. You can still do that if you like.... but my suggestion this month is to once in a while bring your full attention, even if just for a few seconds, to what ever you are doing at this moment. Focus your attention on this word..... THIS WORD.... THIS WORD.... that you are reading.... here and now!

Another suggestion - do not try to force your mind to do anything. It is similar to redirecting a small child. When a two year old wants to do something the parent does not want them to do - you can tell the child, "No!" This will generally create a greater desire on the part of the child to want to do whatever it is NOT supposed to do, even more - OR - you can get the child interested in something else. This second method also helps when your mind is going into overdrive on some issue that is not in front of you at the moment. Use your senses to experience what is here - now! Leonard Jacobson in Journey into Now suggests to, "Bring yourself Present with that which is already here." You can do this by using your senses. According to Leonard, anything that you can see, hear, smell, taste or touch is actually here now. Use your senses to experience it here and now too.

Here are a few suggestions....

• Look your child in the eye and notice the color of their eyes.
• On the drive to work, watch the sunrise! (I did back in October of 1999 in the photo above and it has become the photo representing this blog!)
• Notice the color of sky or shape of clouds when you are outside.
• Feel the sensation of the soap bubbles when you are washing the dishes.
• Fold clothing the way my friend does, like you have nothing else to do,
• Feel the chair under you at this very moment or if you are standing feel what is under your feet.
• Smell and taste may not be as accessible depending where you are, but use these fully when you can. According to Thich Nhat Hanh in his book Savor, most of us have denied ourselves the many delights present in the simple act of eating an apple... or anything else we may be eating!  
• Listen for sounds around you - I can hear crickets right now and the fan on my computer.

See how these simple acts make a difference.  Experiment with it in your own life... and then please share your experiences below in the comments!


Until next month,
Keep it simple!
Penelope