July 18--Focusing on the Others

The central purpose of each life should be to dilute the
misery in the world.

Karl Menninger

* * * * *

Today's Meditation:

There is obviously a lot of misery in this world, but the good news is that there are many, many people who are willing and able to lessen its intensity, to help people through it, to take away its strength.  Diluting the misery of the world isn't a question of trying to wipe out misery, for such a task never would be possible, but more a question of doing things for others that help them to see and feel hope, and to understand the meaning of compassion.

Misery seems to be a trait of humanity.  Sometimes it occurs on huge scales in places where there is drought or famine, and sometimes it happens on much smaller scales, in run-down neighborhoods or in families where abuse takes place.  Misery tends to keep people from feeling hope, and it tends to keep them thinking that the status quo is the only way that things can be.  But how do we as individuals have any power at all to help to dilute its power?

Only by giving of ourselves or our talents or our time.  If we live in cities, it's certain that there are people around us living in misery.  Help is needed at food banks and counseling centers and other places that serve the destitute.  We don't even need to go to these places if the times don't work in our schedules--taking the time to help to publicize the need could accomplish more than serving a breakfast sometimes.  Improving our performance at work may have an extremely strong effect on someone, somewhere, that we'll never know about.

If we do work at diluting the misery in this world, it's important that we give up our need to see results, for such a need more than likely will lead to frustration and possible keep us from giving more.  What's important is that we do find things that can help others, and that we do make that contribution, no matter how small or insignificant it may feel when we do so.  For then we're contributing to our larger purpose in life, and fulfilling our purpose always should be what we seek to do while we're here.

* * * * *

Questions to consider:

In which ways might you help to dilute the misery in the world, in your own special ways?

What benefits will there be for you if you do things to help other people through hard times?

What would happen to the people of this world if we stopped helping each other?

* * * * *

For further thought:

To desire and strive to be of some service to the world,
to aim at doing something which shall really increase the
happiness and welfare and virtue of humankind--this
is a choice which is possible for all of us; and surely
it is a good haven to sail for.

Henry Van Dyke




More thoughts and ideas on service

July 17--What Do You Call Success?

Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury--to me these have
always been contemptible.  I assume that a simple and unassuming manner
of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind.

Albert Einstein

* * * * *

Today's Meditation:

"Contemptible" is a very strong word, of course, but it does make sense here.  Albert Einstein could have had all the fame and fortune that he could have desired, but he chose instead to lead a more simple life.  He was in the limelight very often, but that wasn't important to him.  To him, life was important, but the things that society told him should be important to him weren't.  The more fame one has, the more stress one has and the more expectations one has to live up to.  Therefore, we can lessen our stress by keeping our desires for outcomes simple:  a nice place to live, decent clothes to wear, good friendships, ways to serve.  These simple things can add up to a very positive life.

But unfortunately, these days leading a simple life means that we have to reject many of the expectations of our peers and colleagues and our culture.  Leading a life in a simple and unassuming manner means not doing many of the things that others may expect from us, which leads to the stress of feeling that we're disappointing people.

Should we be searching for a way of living that is best for us in both body and mind?  Should we be seeking to be successful by becoming happy rather than by becoming wealthy or powerful?  Should we gauge our success in life by the number of people we've helped, or by the amount of things that we've gotten from other people, through any means possible?

There's nothing inherently wrong with success or material gain.  But when they rob us of our simple tastes and our ability to be satisfied simply, they can keep us at an uncomfortable distance from our happiness and contentment.  Personally, I'm with Albert, and I hope always to find satisfaction from the simple things in life instead of trying to gain things like material success that may or may not make me a happier human being.

* * * * *

Questions to consider:

What do you consider to be a "simple and unassuming manner of life"?

In what ways might you reinforce your own ability to find satisfaction in the simple things of life?

Why do you think Albert Einstein might have found such things as possessions and luxury to be contemptible?

* * * * *

For further thought:

Most people see success as being rich and famous or powerful and influential.  Others see it as being at the top of their profession and standing out from the rest.  The wise see success in a more personal way; they see it as achieving the goals they have set for themselves, and then feeling pride and satisfaction in their accomplishments.  True success is felt in the heart, not measured by money and power.
   So be true to yourself and achieve those goals you set.  For success is reaching those goals and feeling proud of what you have accomplished.

Tim Tweedie

More thoughts and ideas on success and simplicity

July 16--Our Need for Silence

Silence is the great teacher and to learn its lessons you must pay attention to it.
There is no substitute for the creative inspiration, knowledge,  and stability
that come from knowing how to contact your core of inner silence.

Deepak Chopra

* * * * *

Today's Meditation:

"Silence is golden," says the old refrain, and there are few things as true as that statement.  The value in silence, though, I believe is more important than gold, more important than anything material that we can devise.  The moments of true silence in my life are incredible, and they allow me to relax fully and feel the peace that really should be possible even in the times when we're in hectic and stressful situations.  Silence is a wonderful reminder of just what can be--if we allow it to be so.

Unfortunately, it seems that many people are afraid of silence.  There are people who turn on the stereo or the TV as soon as they walk into a room.  They fill every silent moment with friends or loved ones with speech.  They never allow silence to work its magic, so they go on and on without even realizing just how amazing the magic of silence can be.

When we allow ourselves to be immersed in silence, only then can we turn inward fully; only then can we pay attention to the deeper, more creative parts of ourselves.  The silent moments and times are those that are full of things other than noise.  Silence allows us to take a deep breath and slow down our thinking, to quiet our minds.  Silence reminds us of the deeper parts of ourselves that we tend to push aside in our constant pursuit of accomplishment and achievement.  Silence is the easiest place for us to connect with our spirits.

Your core of inner silence is a place of peace and acceptance and awareness.  It's also a place that your ego would prefer that you not find, for when you are able to access it regularly, your ego becomes much less necessary in your life.  You already are incredibly creative and knowledgeable, and stable; these things are found, though, in the silence that we so rarely allow to be a strong part of our lives.

* * * * *

Questions to consider:

What kinds of benefits can you see in accessing the silence inside of yourself?

Why is silence not one of the more dominant aspects of most of our lives?

How, specifically, might you create conditions that will allow you to experience your own core of inner silence?

* * * * *

For further thought:

Take time to be quiet.  This is something that we don't do enough in this busy world of ours.  We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us.  The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within.  It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams!  Schedule some quiet "dream time" this week.  No other people.  No cell phone.  No computer.  Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts.

Jim Rohn




More thoughts and ideas on silence.

July 15--Take the Risk and Learn All You Can!

Go around asking a lot of damn fool questions and taking chances.  Only
through curiosity can we discover opportunities, and only by gambling
can we take advantage of them.

Clarence Birdseye

* * * * *

Today's Meditation:

There are very few things that I know for sure, but one of them is this:  the students I work with who inquire, who ask questions, who take risks on their assignments, who don't want to know just the information but also why and how the information became known, are the ones who normally succeed in all they try.  They push themselves, and they push others to think harder in order to give answers.

The world is full of opportunities and possibilities that we never will learn about if we don't push the limits of our knowledge, take risks and ask questions of people who should be able to answer them.  Sometimes it's easy not to be curious:  it's less work not to open new doors and explore new areas.  But it also tends to be much less fulfilling to have such a passive approach to life, an approach that doesn't give us the chance to take advantage of much of anything at all.

The people at work who ask questions and learn more about their field than others tend to be those who get the promotions.  Those people at school who constantly inquire learn more than others, and their future classes tend to be much easier because of all that they've learned by pushing themselves.  And curiosity may be an inherited trait for some, but most of us need to develop it and work at making it work for us.  For most of us, it doesn't necessarily come naturally at all, and it takes quite a bit of effort.

Most of my rewarding moments in life have come through learning something new and different or accomplishing something that is beyond my previous limits.  I only achieve these things when I allow myself to tap into my curiosity and take the chance of exploring things that are new, different, and even quite scary.  But it's that scariness that lets me know that it's important.

* * * * *

Questions to consider:

How might you develop your own sense of curiosity about things that have become boring or ordinary?

What are some advantages to learning new and different things that others might not be learning?

What will happen to you if you never ask questions and never try to find out anything past the superficial answers?

* * * * *

For further thought:

Learning is not attained by chance.  It must be sought

for with ardor and attended to with diligence.

Abigail Adams




more thoughts and ideas on learning
more on risk

July 14--Right Here, Right Now

Not living in the present is a form of denial.  It's easier to live in the
past or future because then you don't have to be responsible for the present.

Jane Hendrix

* * * * *

Today's Meditation:

The only way I was ever able to learn how to live in the present moment was to learn what it means to try to live in the past or future.  It's simply a matter of where our thoughts are.  Are they on the things that are a part of our reality at this moment, or are they on the insults from yesterday or the wonderful vacation last month?  Are they on the movie I'm going to see tomorrow or the trip I'll take three weeks from now?  While some thought to things like these can be important, too much time spent thinking about them can keep us from the joys and responsibilities of the right now.

I used to agonize over mistakes that I had made.  I would think about them for days, sure that someone was mad at me or disappointed with me.  I came to learn that while I was spending tons of mental energy on such thoughts about the past--and missing many pleasant moments in the present--other people had completely forgotten my mistakes, or hadn't even noticed them in the first place.

It's been widely said that the only moment we can possibly live in is the present moment.  If we try to live anywhere else in time, we're only remembering or hoping, but always about times over which we have absolutely no control.  As Jane says, this is a form of denial, but it's also a form of avoidance.  My actions at this moment shape my future, and if I avoid acting, I can blame my future on forces outside of myself.  But if we take responsibility for our own lives and fill this present moment with a focus on what we need to do and with giving and sharing and showing love, then moment by moment we're building a life that truly contributes to this world in which we live, and the other people and living things in it and on it.

It is easier to focus on the past or future; because it's impossible to act in either, it allows us to spend time without being compelled to act at all.  But if our actions are loving and giving, it's a tragedy to spend time without contributing those acts to our world.  What you do right now is very important to many, and it's a great thing if you can make your present full of positive, loving acts.

* * * * *

Questions to consider:

How many of your moments do you actually spend focused on the present moment?  How many do you spend focused on the past or future?

Why is it so easy to avoid being focused on the present moment?

What are some downfalls to avoiding a focus on the present?

* * * * *

For further thought:

There is only one time that is important--Now!  It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power.  The most necessary person is the one with whom you are, for no person knows whether he or she will ever have dealings with anyone else:  and the most important affair is, to do the person good, because for that purpose alone were human beings sent into this life!

Wayne Dyer



more thoughts and ideas on the present moment

July 13--We Decide What Our Attitude Will Be like

If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best
effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you
are ready for greater challenges.

Pat Riley

* * * * *

Today's Meditation:

Sometimes it seems impossible to convince my students that the main thing separating them from success in many areas of their lives is their own attitude.  One of the most consistent barriers that I see in them is the "I already know how to do this" attitude, which keeps them from being coached or from being taught something new and different.  Our best effort is important, but it's also important to be open to learning new ways to deal with old and immediate problems--after all, if they are problems, then our ways of dealing with them probably are a bit ineffective.

All we have to do to shift our attitude is make decisions.  All we have to do to strive to give our best effort is make decisions to do so.  I've been in situations that have been almost unbearable, to the point that I've had to adjust my own attitude in order to make them more bearable.  In the Army, for example, there were times when we were forced to stand around and do nothing for very long periods of time, which was incredibly boring.  Once I shifted my attitude, though, to accept the situation and to try to look for the best in it, it wasn't so bad.  I started looking at it as a chance to get to know the people who were with me, to learn about why they were in the Army, where they were from, what their families were like, and so on.  Instead of being bored and frustrated and annoyed, my attitude turned those times into very interesting ones.

Having and showing a positive attitude isn't something that comes normally or easily to many of us.  But we do always have a choice of how we see things and how we approach them, and that's what Pat is talking about when he mentions a positive attitude.  The best effort is also very important, and also something that makes a huge difference in our actual attitudes.  With these two attributes of who we are, there's very little that we can't do in this world of ours.

* * * * *

Questions to consider:

Why do our attitudes tend so often not to be very positive?

What kinds of specific steps might we take to keep our attitudes positive?

Do you give your best effort to everything that you do?  What are some reasons for which you might not do so?

* * * * *

For further thought:

Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitude and expectations.  If we feel that our environment could stand some improvement, we can bring about that change for the better by improving our attitude.  The world plays no favorites.  It's impersonal.  It doesn't care who succeeds and who fails.  Nor does it care if we change.  Our attitude toward life doesn't affect the world and the people in it nearly as much as it affects us.

Earl Nightingale




more thought and ideas on attitude

July 12--The Touch of Nature

No life can be barren which hears the whisper of the wind in the branches,
or the voice of the sea as it breaks upon the shore; and no soul can lack
happiness looking up to the midnight stars.

William Winter

* * * * *

Today's Meditation:

How can we hear the whisper of the wind in the branches if we're always in our cars or always have headphones on or earbuds in?  How can we hear the voice of the sea if we spend all our time in the house, playing video games or watching TV?  How can we look up to the midnight stars if we never take the time or make the effort to get outside when all is dark and the stars shine so brightly; or if we are outside, if we never even take the time to stop and look up at the sky?

The natural world gives of itself constantly--scenes more spectacular than any photo or painting, sounds that are more melodic and more impressive than any piece of music.  Unfortunately, as time goes on and on, we get less and less in touch with these things--we see and hear them less, we feel them less, we make them less and less a part of our lives.  But we can enrich our lives immediately by deciding just to pay attention to these things that already exist all about us.

Some of the most amazing moments that I've experienced on this planet have been spent standing on a beach, watching and listening to the waves break as they make their ways to shore.  The sounds of these moments have stayed with me always, and I love to remember them sometimes, closing my eyes and recalling the sounds and sights.  They've given me memories that most definitely do enrich my life, and I feel grateful that they've been a part of that life.  My happiness does come from inside, of course, but it's the decision to stop, watch, listen, pay attention to, and appreciate such things that give me that happiness.  If I choose to make things such as waves and wind and stars a part of my reality, then I choose to enrich my life.  Thus I shall never lead a barren life, and my days never shall be empty.

* * * * *

Questions to consider:

How often do you stop and pay attention to the things of nature that definitely could enrich your life on this planet?

What kinds of strategies could you use to make elements of nature a more integral part of your life?

Are there times when your life seems barren?  If so, why do you think you feel the emptiness?

* * * * *

For further thought:

If only we know, boss, what the stones and rain and flowers say.  Maybe
they call--call us--and we don't hear them.  When will people's ears open,
boss?  When shall we have our eyes open to see?  When shall we open
our arms to embrace everything--stones, rain, flowers, and people?  What
do you think about that, boss?  And what do your books have to say about that?

Nikos Kazantzakis



more thoughts and ideas on nature