Seasons of the Soul

Conscious Answering

As is the way of things, I haven't noticed anything for a while.  All of a sudden the wellspring of observation is refreshed, and today while driving, I heard portions of a program with Carolyn Casey on NPR (if you haven't heard her...she is WELL worth listening to). There was a discussion about becoming conscious of ourselves in relation to earth consciousness, and one caller asked how we could be conscious amidst the demands of daily work in an office. The guest mentioned that he has written a book that will be out in February called Field Guide To the Soul (neat title, eh?) wherein he gives exercises to do at the office that allow for consciousness to flow.

He mentioned that for him the telephone is a great disrupter of equilibrium. So rather than allow it to remain so, he decided to make a concerted effort each time the phone rings to let it ring three times and do deep breathing between each ring. He said that act of conscious remembrance created a deep calm in him and has made a major difference in his reaction on the phone and in the office.

Soon after he started doing this, he noticed that one of his secretaries would come into his office and sit by his desk on her breaks. He asked her what was up. She said that it was so peaceful in his office that she just wanted to hang out there. He said that was a real confirmation that his practicing of presence did indeed make a difference, not just to him, but to others as well.

As I listened to this, I was driving home from downtown, and realized how often I just zip around from point A to point B without really being present in my surroundings. I made a conscious effort of noting the ground and the trees and the sky, and suddenly I wasn't out of my body just navigating by rote, but was participating and being conscious as I traversed the terrain towards home. It felt good. The trees were healthy and green. They held out their arms in welcome. The road was sturdy and provided smooth pavement for me to travel on, and the sky, well...what can I say. Radiant Blue. A picture postcard rather than a mindless blip, because I took the time to be aware of it and appreciate the gift I am given in being part of this earth and part of this picture!
From Seasons of the Soul 1998

The Questions are Important

So many of us long to find the answers to our questions. We want to know right now. Yet, the need to take action prematurely can cause us to miss magnificent opportunities for growth and depth in our development. In a book I read, Fearless Creating, author Eric Maisel states that any work of art requires a period of anxiousness. In the following excerpt he talks about this process related to art, but the process can be applied to any major creative dilemma in life. He states:

“In order to bind the anxiety that naturally arises when one doesn’t know, an artist may determine to know anyway. The landscape before her is not held as a fantastic problem or a great mystery; instead, she knows what to do. She knows that if she puts down a wash like this and twists her brush like that, decent bushes will appear in the foreground. One sure way of binding anxiety is reflected in this knowing.

“But the artist who is more interested in creating deeply than in ridding herself of anxiety will refuse to know too soon. She will remain with doubts, worries, questions, and the burning desire to realize herself. She will courageously refuse to bind anxiety by knowing too soon, refuse for the sake of her art and for the sake of truth and beauty to reduce her encounter with the landscape to a matter of familiar technique and experience, beneath any surface calm, an internal war. All that not-knowing, all those doubts, all the sense data flooding her from without and within! This is the chaos of working, the necessary chaos that must not be avoided by too much knowing.”

The tendency for many of us to obtain the answer NOW releases the pressure and masks the appearance of an issue because we have “settled” it. This can be a dangerous illusion, and as a good friend wrote to me recently, in his experience “the deepest of questions are often mean and ornery; yet, in the longer run, are spiritually so inviting, potentially golden and ultimately fulfilling….hasty answers prematurely cut off great and noble questions before they naturally come to bloom. A true answer is only identifiable when the question is totally exhausted".

So...let's take our time. Let whatever is waiting to be discovered to percolate. It will arise in its own time, and we will be enriched in the process. Getting an answer too quickly may satisfy the ego, but waiting for that which is meaningful deeply satisfies the soul!
From Seasons of the Soul 1996

Thoughts to ponder by Albert Einstein

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the Mysterious - the knowledge of the existence of something unfathomable to us, the manifestation of the most profound reason coupled with the most brilliant beauty. I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, or who has a will of the kind we experience in ourselves. I am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with the awareness of - and glimpse into - the marvelous construction of the existing world together with the steadfast determination to comprehend a portion, be it ever so tiny, of the reason that manifests itself in nature. This is the basics of cosmic religiosity, and it appears to me that the most important function of art and science is to awaken this feeling among the receptive and keep it alive.

I sense that it is not the State that has intrinsic value in the machinery of humankind, but rather the creative, feeling individual, the personality alone that creates the noble and sublime.

Man's ethical behavior should be effectively grounded on compassion, nurture and social bonds. What is moral is not the divine, but rather a purely human matter, albeit the most important of all human matters. In the course of history, the ideals pertaining to human beings' behavior towards each other and pertaining to the preferred organization of their communities have been espoused and taught by enlightened individuals. These ideals and convictions - results of historical experience, empathy and the need for beauty and harmony - have usually been willingly recognized by human beings, at least in theory.

The highest principles for our aspirations and judgments are given to us westerners in the Jewish-Christian religious tradition. It is a very high goal: free and responsible development of the individual, so that he may place his powers freely and gladly in the service of all mankind.

The pursuit of recognition for their own sake, an almost fanatical love of justice and the quest for personal independence form the traditional themes of the Jewish people, of which I am a member.

But if one holds these high principles clearly before one's eyes and compares them with the life and spirit of our times, then it is glaringly apparent that mankind finds itself at present in grave danger. I see the nature of the current crises in the juxtaposition of the individual to society. The individual feels more than ever dependent on society, but he feels this dependence not in the positive sense - cradled, connected as part of an organic. He sees it as a threat to his natural rights and even his economic existence. His position in society, then, is such that that which drives his ego is encouraged and developed, and that which would drive him toward other men (a weak impulse to begin with) is left to atrophy.

It is my belief that there is only one way to eliminate these evils, namely, the establishment of a planned economy coupled with an education geared towards social goals. Alongside the development of individual abilities, the education of the individual aspires to revive an ideal that is geared towards the service of our fellow man, and that needs to take the place of the glorification of power and outer success."

Translation by David Domine. Essay courtesy of the Albert Einstein Archives at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Book Review - The Undomestic Goddess

I just read a wonderful book for fun - something I don't often do - and I finished it in one day. The book, The Undomestic Goddess, by Sophie Kinsella is the story of a driven young woman who is doing her best to be chosen as a partner in the most prestigious lawfirm of London. As you might expect, something has to come along to unsettle her - but what comes, and how she handles it, provides moments of deep belly laughs and nods of recognition from all women who have gone down the corporate career path, only to find they have been devoured by a job that has become their life. I thought the ending crumbled a bit, but not enough to keep one from reading the story. It's a good read with lots of laughs, and enough fodder for those who feel trapped in their professions to consider planting seeds of another kind to bring about a greater sense of fulfillment.

Peace Begins With Me

I AM the serenity of a cool, calm lake.
I AM the strength of an old oak tree.
I AM the sweet music of a songbird.
I AM the fountain that sings with delight.
I AM the candle that burns brightly in the darkness.
I AM the nurturing embrace of a loving mother.
I AM the teardrop of joy.
I AM the ripple of laughter from an innocent child.
I AM the hand that reaches out to hold another in compassion.
I AM the heart that believes with faith.
I AM the flame of eternal Love.
I AM the pillar of Truth.
I AM the inner knowing of Oneness.
I AM the Love of the Creator.
I AM you, who is me.
I AM THAT I AM.
I AM LOVE.
I AM PEACE.
~Author unknown

Nourishing the Child Within

    I found out recently that my oldest daughter is pregnant. She was shocked, as were we all, because she and her husband had finally given up hope of having a baby. And yet, that’s when they often come…just when you don’t think there is any possibility.

     One of the things we discussed is her need to make sure she is vigilant about her thoughts. Studies have shown that a mother’s frame of mind plays an important role in the amount of stress within her body, and stress can have adverse effects on the developing fetus. So we’ve talked about whenever negative self-talk comes up that she brings in an equally positive statement after, until a new habit pattern is formed that neutralizes the inner critic. Since the news has sunk in, she’s been very actively eating better, being more discerning of her thoughts, and taking care of herself all the way around.

     In a class I’m taking, we were talking about the tendency to worry, and how important it is to make sure that when we begin worrying, or being self-critical, we stop ourselves and find something good to focus on, and it dawned on me that when we think we’re doing this just for ourselves, we often don’t bother. But if each of us, regardless of where we are in life, thought that there was a little child inside – our “baby” – who is affected by these lapses in self-love, perhaps we might be more willing to adopt a proactive attitude of self-nourishment for the sake of that perceived “other” who needs our supportive actions. It is amazing how we will do things for others, but not ourselves, and in this exercise of perceiving the child within as needing all the love and support it can get, we are called to our higher and better selves. 

By taking care of all of who we are, we become more capable and interested in caring for others. If all of us would nourish the internal being, we would live in a very different world. So I pose this possibility. Let’s treat  ourselves as though we are carrying a precious baby inside. What changes will we make in what we think, eat, and do – knowing that our actions have a direct consequence to that precious being within who is developing and growing? We have an opportunity to nourish ourselves in such a way that the best of who we are will be welcomed into full bloom.
From Seasons of the Soul 2007
Update....baby has been born and is a little girl.

Beginning Anew

As the year begins, we have an opportunity to look at what works in our lives and what doesn't. We have the options to re-create ourselves with the dawning of a new day. Somehow the changeover from one year to another gives a psychological boost to refreshing ourselves, our vision, and our intentions.

Whether or not we follow our intention sets a tone for the year. When we take the steps required to unfold what we've promised to ourselves, we are strengthened each day in the doing. However, when we forget or slide back into old habits we've determined to break, we let ourselves down, and we are diminished. Therefore, it's important to set a tone in the beginning that we are steadfast about each day, so that we will strengthen our will and develop the fortitude to make a success of the new start toward renewal. And if we stumble or forget, we can pick ourselves up again, knowing that each day brings a new dawn and a fresh start.

For today - let us remember that we are an incredible resource, here to contribute our light and service in ways akin to our heart. Let us not  see ourselves as anything less than precious, for this life is a gift to us all - and what we do with it is our gift to the Creator.

from Seasons of the Soul 2007

Did You Know?

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little
"stringy things" off of it. That's how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh
much longer and not mold!

Peppers w ith 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the
grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful
minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic
and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simple chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples.
Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice
cream.

1. Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set
heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No
soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really
works.

2. Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all
broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up
mixing thoroughl y, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg.
Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

3. Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with
your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to
frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

4. Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place
them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will
keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

5. Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet
newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

6. Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you
can't see easily.

7. No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

8. Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with
cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the
squirrels won't come near it.

9. Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an
empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be
bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

10. Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a
clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when
wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and -- ta da! -- static
is gone.

11. Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot
water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your
ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right
out.

12. Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!   (make sure it is an old-fashion chalkboard eraser--the newer dry-erase erasers don't work as well)

13. Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include
something inside , just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an
hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

14. Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than
shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way
to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it
in your hair...

15. Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with
Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. You
will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

16. Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it
"home," can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so,
especially if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about
pets or small children being harmed!

Please Vote!

Tomorrow is a special election day for many of our states, California included.  I participated with my partner in the November elections as Field Tech and Ridealong, and found the experience exhausting, but very rewarding. We got up at 3:30 in the morning and returned home at midnight. Tomorrow will be a much more demanding day because of the expected voter turnout and potential issues with the machines, but it is an example of the opportunity we have as Americans to participate in the process of making our voices heard, and electing our officials.

If we don't vote, we can't complain that our leaders are unresponsive to our needs. The process of democracy only works if we overcome apathy and get out to choose candidates and vote for issues that we believe might make a difference. Of course we have no guarantees. But not voting guarantees that someone else's viewpoint can predominate, while we might make a difference through the vote we make.

Regardless of your choices, for those of you who live in states that are holding elections tomorrow, please vote. The more we participate, the more we signal to the leaders that we are not willing to abdicate our constitutional rights, and that we will not follow along like mindless sheep. 

It makes a difference.

Don't Give Up!

I receive a daily insight from www.insightoftheday.com

The following story is part of their Friday stories that are sent free each week.

"I can remember a period in my life when I was unemployed and money was running short. I needed a job very badly and it seemed as if no one was hiring.

A very good friend of mine approached me one day with an offer. "I'm going to have to let this job go and I was wondering if you would like to take it over?"

"That would be great," I replied.

I went to speak with the manager and he said he could use me, but never gave me a start date. Really needing the job, I made it a point to go and check in with him every day. I knew he would eventually get tired of me and give me a starting period. Finally one day he said, "You can start Monday morning."

Come Monday morning, I showed up for work extra early. I was ready to do my best. When I went inside I was informed that I would be buffing the floors. My friend was there to show me how to operate the buffer.

"It's real easy," he said, running the machine very smoothly.

He handed it over to me and said, "Here, you give it a try."

I grabbed the handles with a "no problem" attitude and gave it some gas. To my surprise, the buffer whipped around in a big circle, running over my friend's brand new pair of boots, and sending him jumping up on a check-out counter.

Several times, I tried to run it again and failed. I really had to fight that thing to make it go.

"What am I going to do?" I thought to myself. "I finally found a job and I can't do it. Am I going to have to tell them I have to quit?"

After several rough days of buffing, I finally made up my mind that I was going to do this. For about a week, I struggled with the buffer, putting all my weight and strength into it. Eventually, I learned the trick was not to struggle with it at all, just go with the flow of it, and by the second week, I was showing off and running it with one hand.

A few months later, I thought back and wondered what would have happened if I had given up that first week. I certainly would not have had the newfound confidence or a paycheck. Sometime after that experience, I started a new job that required the use of a buffer. I even had to train others to use it, and I always got a kick out of seeing them run it for the first time. I knew, though, if they stuck with it, they would do just fine; they just needed a little encouragement and a lot of practice.

Michael Jordan said, "Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

Kip Davis

Kip Davis is the city planner for a small rural town in Arkansas. He writes a weekly column for the town newspaper called "Positive Motivation For The Real World." Feel free to email Kip your reactions to: kip_davis27@hotmail.com