Archive for November, 2017
Everyday
The actions, movements, thoughts, behaviors that we do daily, routinely; what is typical in our everyday.
Humans don’t care for upsets to the day to day program, including ‘time off’. Frustration, anger, high blood-pressure, depression, anxiety, and dogged tiredness often occur when our daily routine is upset.
However, it is a perfect time to practice spiritual discipline. To take a deep breath (or two or three), to take action or to be still, to relax into the moment as is possible…to allow.
Stuck in traffic? Practice patience. Waiting in a slow line at the store? Smile. Impatience and a scowling demeanor will accomplish nothing, save to make misery company.
I invite you this week into the practice.
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” ~Robert Frost
“Peace of mind comes when we find comfort is solitude instead of loneliness.” ~Robert Alan Silverstein
“At times you have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you will discover will be wonderful. What you will discover is yourself.” ~Alan Alda
Thanksgiving 2017
That very special time of year is here. A time set aside for ‘giving thanks’ for our blessings and bounties. Wishing you all a very special Thanksgiving Day.
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~William Arthur Ward
“An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving.” ~Irv Kupcinet
“You may have heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There’s another day you might want to know about: Giving Tuesday. The idea is pretty straightforward. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving shoppers take a break from their gift-buying and donate what they can to charity.” ~Bill Gates
“Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is following that impulse.” ~Henry Van Dyke
Many Blessings!!
Remembrance
‘…a memory or reflection; a specific recalling; a remembrance of those who have crossed over.’
As the many celebrations of Veteran’s Day happen throughout our country, we are brought into active remembering. We frequently engage in remembering and recollecting, however, on Veteran’s Day it becomes a collective experience.
“To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward.” ~Margaret Fairless Barber
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~Maya Angelou
“I know not why there is such a melancholy feeling attached to the remembrance of past happiness, except that we fear that the future can have nothing so bright as the past.” ~Julia Ward Howe
Many Blessings!
Laughter
Laughter is good medicine! I love to laugh. My family is full of great comedians; we laugh a lot! In the face of tragedy or in the throes of celebration there is always a good laugh to be shared. As a family we are unabashed in our ability to laugh at ourselves, at each other, and at the community and world at large. I believe it helps us stay bonded and I know from experience that laughter has helped us all through very trying times.
Laughter has proven benefits. One I like is that it burns calories (kind of funny in itself). Laughter helps us to live longer because it eases stress, protects from heart disease, relaxes muscles, boosts immunity, decreases pain, lightens anger, and triggers release of endorphins.
“There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.” ~Erma Bombeck
“Laughter heals all wounds and that’s one thing that everybody shares. No matter what you’re going through, it makes you forget about your problems. I think the world should keep laughing.” ~Kevin Hart
“A wonderful thing about true laughter is that it just destroys any kind of system of dividing people.” ~John Cleese
Locally, to find some good laughs, check out The Laugh Cellar, and Sonoma Laugh & Lovefest. Both have events scheduled for the month of November.
Laughter is a powerful antidote to frustration, pain and sadness. I invite you this week to activate your funny bone.
