REFLECTIONS ON COUNTENANCE

We are granted certain gifts including timing and insight and intuition in order to see and witness the signs and the meaning of what the universe has in store for us. Given the basic tenets of inner beauty; grace, compassion, poise, and an earnest passion for life; friends of all persuasions, ride a current of attraction to you via the gravitational force that you naturally generate. Your sensory mechanisms also are exquisitely tuned to ferret out all but those who align naturally to your gravitational center; that unique life-spirit fountain flowing from deep within you. Your inner self is longing to vibrate its aliveness in natural abandon. In your evolution you may choose to open yourself radiantly or to narrow your perspective of hope and acceptance of self and all else. Take pause to spread yourself open to the possibilities as if you lay in a field of sweet clover, the billowy clouds of creation floating overhead, the shapes and sensuality of wholeness in the air and reflected in the beauty of your countenance. And what allure you do have. Your cadence and, as stated, your countenance is compelling. I would have felt the gravitational yearning, if only from the first reflection, but then a second, and a third before it dawns on me; the realization of an ever changing you, every moment, always different-always perfect, reflecting the essence of your perfect being. I find myself in a meadow of quiet vulnerability, alone with my romantic affliction, but accompanied by my delight at the power of your subtle persuasion.

AT EVERY MOMENT EVERY CHOICE, AND EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE, EITHER TAKES YOU TOWARD OR AWAY FROM YOUR GOAL

It is a simple thought but think of what you want.........what you really want.......what you really really really want. Now think about what you must do to get what you want........what you really must do. What you really really must do. Now think about what you are doing every moment of every day......and the different kinds of thoughts, actions, exercises, distractions, efforts, plans, strategies, that you make and do. Don't try to over analyze. Just think about the little things tht you do. Every moment spent thinking is either time spent moving toward your goal or moments spent that take you away from your goal. Think about every action that you take. At every moment the action that you take either is moving you toward or away from your goal. Now that isn't to say that you can't have multiple goals and take different actions that are leading toward different goals. But the problem with that is if you get too many goals your efforts are fragmented and diffused and you probably won't have much success achieving all of them. THE SECRET was not a secret at all. It was and is based simply on the principle of focus and holding your goal focused in your mind so that the power of your thoughts and energies and efforts are concentrated on achieving what you truly hold in your heart or want in your life. Way before The Secret there was Napolean Hill, and Dale Carnegie and Normal Vincent Peale and way before all of them there were teachers and philosophers who understood the power of focus. So, from a practical standpoint remember that TIME is your most precious commodity. It is worth more than gold to you because how you spend it (TIME) determines how much gold you will have or how much gold (lifes riches) you will experience in your life. In every moment you have a choice to make of how you will spend (INVEST) that moment...........Invest it wisely to achieve your goals, hopes and dreams and the life you want.

EMBRACE CHALLENGES

What would our lives be like if we had no challenges, if everything came easily or automatically, if we were not meant to struggle or strain or risk or experience the pain of failure. What would life be like if we didn't need to exert or query or question ourselves, assess our fortitude or drive through the rain, the pain with the persistency to gain an objective, reach a goal and achieve a sense of accomplishment. Life is about overcoming odds, meeting the obstacles that roll into our path each day, facing challenge after challenge. Some experience more and greater challenges than others. Some face challenges with fear and trepidation. Some face challenges with a fierce warrior like determination. Most of us look for the easiest path up the mountain we can find or some tool to leverage in moving the seemingly unmovable boulder in our path. In facing our greatest challenges we forever find ourselves alone, even when surrounded by family and friends and well wishers. And of course our greatest challenge is often our self. We fight ourselves at every turn. We never seem to learn to make it easy on ourselves. We second guess and often choose the wrong path before finally realizing the way we should have gone in the first place. But challenges teach us, they help form our character, they make life worthwhile and remind us that we are on a journey. The best part of us rises to meet challenges. Even when we fail to overcome an obstacle we win in the effort. Embrace challenges for in the effort the best of our self is realized.

A Lifetime of "Porkchop Moments" by Suzanne Munson

It started Friday evening around 8:30 pm. As Zach was getting into bed, he announced, that he needed his special day big green stuffed frog. “What frog are you talking about”, I asked naively. “My special-day big green stuffed frog. I really miss him and I need him”, he answered, and the tears started flowing. “Well, Zachy, we will look for him in the morning”, I replied, still with no clue which stuffed animal he was talking about. But, the tantrum rolled on, gathering steam with every moment. He was panicked. He was frantic. He was obsessed. “No, we have to find him now!”, he screamed. My attempts to calm the storm were not well received. I reminded him that he has at least 78 stuffed animals, 4 of which are frogs, wouldn’t any of those do for the night. I even offered up Abby’s frog named “Jumps”, which caused Abby to say: “No, that’s mine!”, nearly inciting a domestic riot.
“Absolutely not” was his clear response. He would not rest until his special day big green stuffed frog was found.
So we formed a small search party, and spent several minutes looking for the frog. I asked all of the important questions: “What does he look like?, “Where did you last see him?” Did you take him outside?” Is he under your bed?” He offered very little help (how could he, really, with all the crying and screaming), but, finally, he agreed to give up the search and catch some shut eye.
Fast forward to 6:30 am Saturday morning. Zach was shaking me, demanding that we find his special day big green stuffed frog. He picked up with the tantrum right where he left off a mere 10 hours ago. He was once again, panicked, frantic and obsessed.
In my family, this is called a “pork chop moment.” Let me explain: When I was about 10, I came home from school one day to find my typically calm, cool and collected mother to be panicked, frantic, and obsessed. Apparently, a leftover pork chop had gone missing from the refrigerator. My brother, sister, step-dad, and I were individually and collectively interrogated by my mother. She demanded to know who ate the pork chop. Since none of us confessed to the crime, the investigation went on for days. We were forced to ask our friends. We were encouraged to ask our neighbors. My mother was determined in her efforts to find the culprit, but no suspect was ever identified.
My sister and I have laughed for years about this incident. I occasionally get a distressed phone call from her, while she is in the midst of a “pork chop moment”. A “pork chop moment” is when you become irrationally obsessed with finding a lost something or other. Like the time, I became obsessed with finding Abby’s “Tuesday” onesie, or more recently the Quickbooks CD. You can see it, you can smell it, you can almost taste it, you know it was just right “there”, but you can’t put your finger on it. And, you can’t let it go!
The obvious question is: who cares who ate the pork chop, or where Abby’s “Tuesday” onesie is, or where special day big green stuffed frog is, for that matter?” Of course, no one should really care, or at least care enough to become completely obsessed with finding it. This is not life and death stuff, right?
I would like to think that on the day that the pork chop went missing, my mom was just hungry for a leftover pork chop, and angry that someone had beat her to her snack. But, I think it is something deeper than that. If it was a simple case of hunger, the frustration would have subsided more quickly, probably as soon as she found a different scrumptious morsel in the refrigerator to feast upon. She clearly had plenty of other options in the food department.
My take on it is that in an unpredictable and chaotic world, knowing the precise location of each and every item in the refrigerator helped my mom feel secure and comfortable. If you can’t be Mistress of the Universe (aka God), at least you can be Mistress of the Refrigerator. And, I think having a “pork chop moment” every now and then allowed my usually calm, cool and collected mom an outlet for some frustration . . .a reason to sweat over something meaningless and insignificant so that she could respond more rationally to the really important stuff.
So, back to Zach. We still haven’t found his “special day big green stuffed frog.” And, as I see him sleeping with “blue dog” tonight I realize that he doesn’t really need this silly stuffed animal. I have a feeling that his tantrum last night was more about controlling his environment . . .a little boy feels just a bit safer when the precise location of “special day big green stuffed frog” is known. But, I can’t help but hope for him, that as he grows he will feel safe and secure whether or not he knows the exact contents of the refrigerator or the precise whereabouts of all his insignificant belongings, and that he is not destined for a lifetime of “pork chop moments.”

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER ,NEVER GIVE UP!

Many of us feel like we are now in the midst of an economic war. In some cases our assets have been obliterated. In others our firepower has been reduced. For many our supply lines have been interrupted. With that in mind the mission for many of us, at or near retirement age, is that we must un-retire our thinking and forge ahead with a conviction to overcome the devastating effects of the bombardment on our finances, our property, our jobs, our incomes, and our psyche. At this time I am reminded of the famous quote from Winston Churchill delivered on October 29, 1941 as he sought to encourage the free world to fight against the tyranny of Nazi Germany.

Speaking at Harrow school Churchill spoke passionately with these words; "Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy".

With Winston Churchill's inspirational words as a backdrop I encourage you to not let financial or other setbacks dissuade you from your mission to achieve your personal and professional goals. Now is the time to reassess your situation, make your plan and act boldly to move forward and with urgency. Now is the time to discover and leverage the unique strengths within yourself and explore those opportunities that you may not have considered before this time.

The Greatest Storms we will ever experience are within ourselves

As I write this many people are going through difficult economic times. This generally means that people are under stress and the problems within personal relationships are often magnified when financial issues are at play. Financial issues or problems with debt, income or managing money may be like a series of storms that hit and cause havoc in our lives. They are not unlike a medical crisis that not only affects us physically but also affects us emotionally with worry and fear, sometimes to great degrees of paralyzation and uncertainty. In my life I know that when trouble strikes I am inevitably reminded that I am not God, that I don't have the power to solve all my problems and that I need to "turn over" my sense of worry and fear to God or what others may call their "higher power". The "serenity prayer" is one of my strongest reminders of what I can and cannot do and when to let go and let God. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference".

Isolation may undermine our sense of self

I have learned that isolating is a "cover" for me and I don't think it is all good. For some reason I have a tendency to pull back, keep an arms length, turn away, or otherwise seek the shelter of isolation. I think it is an expression of fear or maybe low self-esteem (which is fear). Sometimes I isolate by doing social things. I go to a social event but talk to no one. I visit the bookstore and sit in a corner. I listen to my ipod in the midst of a crowded plane. I find that in much of my work I avoid face to face encounters. Its easier over the telephone or maybe by sending an email. I tend to withdraw from any type of commitment that would take me more than a few minutes. My reading or my writing would appear to be forms of isolating. I think I have always had this tendency to "hide" or to keep to myself. And yet few, even those who know me well, would think that I isolate. I think they would see me as outgoing, engaging and entertaining. I know I have a love of people and in many ways it is easy for me to be around people. But maybe that is the "rub". Maybe it is easier for me to be around people than it is to have them be around me? Maybe it is that part of me where somewhere deep inside I don't feel I can "let them in". I started this blog session with the idea that I would write about isolation. And I now sit and write in isolation. I know it feels "safe" but it also feels lonely on this mountain.