Happy New Year! “Happy” because it’s filled with hope, excitement, anticipation…a new beginning. No doubt 2008 was very challenging year for us in many ways. We struggled but we learned new lessons in what worked and what didn’t. We made it to 2009! What becomes of our future depends on what we do today. Choices we make reflect what we believe. Hence, what do you believe and wish to happen this year? How do you see your life, how do you want it to be? What will you do to make it the best for you?
Thought for the week of 12/21-12/27, 2008
Choosing to be happy during unhappy times… Merry Christmas! (Calvin & Hobbes)
As I reflected on our current insecure, confusing, and hard times, my mind drifted to the time I was at a seminary in Texas about 15 years ago following a call to higher purpose in my life. There I experienced some of the most enduring, warm human relationships. The book of Psalms in the Bible has been always one of my favorites, especially Psalm 23. So when I studied the Scriptures in Hebrew, I translated the Psalm in the way I felt was closer to original words and meaning. Minor variations in translation of this poignant psalm notwithstanding, we are all comforted and encouraged by its message of companionship, strength, and trust. Even though the Psalm is written in the context of ancient Hebrew faith tradition, the concepts embodied in it are universal. Allow me to share my version with you:
Yahweh is the One who continually shepherds me I shall lack nothing. He will cause me to lie down in tender green grass, He really will restore all that I am. He will cause to guide me in tracks of righteousness for the sake of His name. Also, because I will walk in a valley of deep darkness I will not fear evil because You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they, they really will comfort me. You will arrange before the faces* of me a table to the mortification of those who continually harass me, You really anointed my head in the oil my cup is saturation. Surely goodness and covenant love, they will pursue me all the days of my life and I dwelt in the house of Yahweh for length of days.
*Hebraic understanding of a person is that he or she is a multifaceted being.
Thought for the week of 12/07-12/13, 2008
It is not enough to be busy. The question is: what are we busy about
- Henry David Thoreau
Holiday season conjures up images of festive parties, shopping, decorations, etc. It can put us in overdrive in terms of “doing” things. We fret about how busy we are…stretched thin. While feeling overwhelmed and stressed, have we considered, “why are we like this? Does it have to be like this? Can we change the way we view the holidays so that it is less about doing and more about being…being together with friends and family, being caring to the needy, being thankful for all we have here and now?” YES WE CAN! And our heart will expand with more love and compassion. Our mind will be focused on values that are priceless: service to others, authentic connection with people, self-care, creativity, appreciating the beauty of the natural world, and so on. So, let’s ask ourselves the question posed by Thoreau and be mindful of our activities and what they are about, what they mean to us, shall we?
Thought for the week of 11/30-12/06, 2008
Humor is essential to good health. We need it, especially when we are worried, sick, tired, feeling blue, etc. When we laugh, our body releases endorphins (mood-enhancing chemicals), which contribute to physical health. Likely, a lot of us are battling a cold or flu which aggravates our sinus and allergy conditions. But in the midst of misery, we can find a moment to laugh that can ease the discomfort. So, here is a video to put a smile on your face or better yet, make you burst out a hearty laughter.
Thought for the week of 11/23-11/29, 2008
I remember someone telling me that if I have gratitude, I cannot be depressed, resentful, or frustrated. I come to believe that it is true. Accepting things as they are and being thankful is essential to our mental and physical well-being. These are suggestions by gratefulness.org for ways to increase daily our awareness of gratitude:
Begin and end your day with a gratitude prayer and a clear intention of being more grateful. Say "thank you" to the present moment throughout your day.
Practice present-moment awareness. Be here now.
Write "thank you" notes to friends, family members or co-workers just because.
Do at least one random act of kindness for a stranger each day. Have fun with this!
Keep a gratitude journal. List 10 (or more) things you're grateful for in your journal each day - focus on people, situations or events.
Take someone out to lunch or dinner as a gesture of gratitude. Buy someone coffee.
Practice "beauty appreciation". While on a walk or driving, look for the beauty around you. Allow yourself to absorb and connect with that beauty.
Establish a regular prayer or meditation practice.
Make time for yoga, tai-chi or other "mind-body" practices.
Keep a "gratitude rock" in your pocket. Let it remind you to be grateful for each moment.
*Read related comments on gratitude in “First Person.”
Thought for the week of 11/16-11/22, 2008
Few years ago, I visited Czech Republic with my family. The city Prague is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and I must agree. I especially love visiting old, Gothic cathedrals. Listening to this Gregorian chant below, I was taken back to that time. I vividly recall the singing and chanting of monks in the lower part of the building and being entranced by not only their angelic voice but also the uplifting energetic vibration in that sacred space. So, I invite you to listen to this sacred sound and may your spirit be uplifted and connect more deeply with the Sacred, the Divine, or God within you.
Thought for the week of 11/09-11/15, 2008
You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.- Buddha So, be loving and kind to yourself. Give yourself a warm hug (might want to do this in private…you may get weird looks from others) and tell yourself, “I am good just as I am and I love me.” And choose to believe in that statement. You are not being arrogant or selfish. I think we are more often very critical and judgmental towards ourselves than to other people. Perhaps this is due to early religious, cultural, or familial conditioning that somehow distorted our thinking and feeling about our inherent self-worth and esteem. In difficult economic times like one we are facing now, many of us struggle with increased sense of guilt, resentment, anger, blame, and even physical or emotional abuse. We beat ourselves up or blame others over perceived wrongs. Even so, we have inner wisdom and power to overcome life’s challenges and create more meaningful, healthier life. The change begins with shift in our perception, belief, and action…consciously making small steps toward well-being of mind, body, and spirit. Start today!
Thought for the week of 11/02-11/08, 2008
Many of us lead hectic lives spent mostly indoors—be it the workplace or home. Also, many of us know that the indoor air is much more polluted than the air outside. So, I think it’s important for us to consciously make an effort to take breaks to step outside to bask in warm sun light or just marvel at the delicate beauty of flower in a garden or as the great poet, Tennessee Williams did, take a walk in heavenly grass…preferably bare-footed. Reconnect with the natural beauty around you and feel good…your mind and body will thank you for it!
Heavenly Grass My feet took a walk in heavenly grass. All day while the sky shone clear as glass. My feet took a walk in heavenly grass, All night while the lonesome stars rolled past. Then my feet come down to walk on earth, And my mother cried when she give me birth. Now my feet walk far and my feet walk fast, But they still got an itch for heavenly grass. But they still got an itch for heavenly grass.
-Tennessee Williams
Thought for the week of 10/26-11/01, 2008
Music can inspire, provoke, comfort, or energize us. I believe it is an art form that most effectively transcends our differences in terms of culture, language, religion, etc. It is inclusive; it binds us together.
"Don't Give Up” by Peter Gabriel is one of those beautiful, poignant songs that encourages us to hang in there when times are tough…that there are others who share our experience and we can find comfort in being with them.
He sings, “no fight left or so it seems, I am a man whose dreams have all deserted….I’ve changed my face, I’ve changed my name but no one wants you when you lose…don’t give up ‘cos you have friends, don’t give up you’re not beaten yet…don’t give up I know you can make it good….” Listen to it and may you be comforted and encouraged.
Thought for the week of 10/19-10/25, 2008
Well, these are certainly challenging, if not downright frightening, times economically and otherwise. We can feel hopeless and helpless. At times like this, I find the Serenity Prayer (by Reinhold Niebuhr) very effective because it addresses both our power and our limitation. It acknowledges our capacity to act to effect changes we want but also that there are some things we have no control over and it is okay to simply accept what is without beating ourselves up. I encourage you to repeat this simple and yet so powerful prayer as often as possible throughout the week and beyond. I am pretty sure the level of your inner peace would be greatly increased. So here is the well-known prayer that seems more relevant to our present time than ever (the word “God” can be replaced with any other word you are comfortable with, e.g., Spirit, Higher Power, Universal Force, etc.):
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Inspiration Year 2008
