“Whether you have ten years left or a hundred years left,
your life is an incredibly brief moment. We know for sure you won’t be here in
a century.
But today? Today you are in the Great Game. And this moment you have right now might as well be the most important moment in the universe. Your time is thin. Go out and live fully now.”
~ James Clear,
Image: https://deepai.org/
Greetings all!
Today, I had an amazing meditation session! In fact, it was so good that I listened to it three times in a row. And then one more time so I could transcribe it for you!
“It’s good to do nothing. In meditation, you sit around and you do nothing, and at the same time, this doing nothing is an exploration that makes your life better.
And it all happens at once: the doing nothing, the exploring, and the making your life better. Somehow doing nothing improves everything.
You arrive here, in this present moment, and you let yourself be here. You let everything be here - the sounds happening outside you, and these feelings and thoughts and sensations happening inside you.
You just sit right here, in the middle of your life, and you do nothing and it’s good for you.
So this sitting here, doing nothing, is absolutely the essence of meditation. And sometimes it’s easy, and sometimes it’s hard because our mind can be skittering around like a squirrel on the linoleum floor. And if this is you today, you are in good company. [Side note: that made me laugh.]
And the move is to give your skittery mind something to do, something of your own choosing. You can choose to focus on your breath or on a sound outside. You choose something and then you do your best to stay with it.
And you are just sitting here, being here, in this moment, sinking in, not trying to change anything or upgrade your situation.
And you keep doing not much of anything.
Sometimes subtle resistance can come up - It’s hard doing nothing, I need to do something. And that is fine. You can try to notice any impulses like that with some humor, maybe even compassion. And then you go back to doing nothing. And you are trusting as you do this, that something deep down is getting calmed, down in the depths, ever if the surface still feels jumpy.
Nowhere to go, nothing to do. All these sounds and sensations are happening all on their own.
Part of what’s good about doing nothing is this clearing out that can happen. It’s a bit like the noise of our busyness, all this constant pushing and pulling and scheming, it starts to cool out, just a bit. And as it does, then it can be this very simple feeling of being just a little more available to life. Like you have a little more space. It was just waiting here, all along. All you had to do was nothing.”
I have to confess: I did 'upgrade my situation' before I started for a more relaxing experience - I wore toe separators, put a strawberry mask on my face, and had my legs up the wall. And after 3 rounds of doing nothing, I felt amazing and refreshed!
What did you think? Drop me a line! Or actually, don’t - go sit and do nothing!
Sources: CALM
un·be·liev·a·ble
adjective
Not able to be believed. Unlikely to be true. Extraordinary.
What a foolish word. A
rude and disrespectful word.
We think we use it to
flatter, to give credit. What an unbelievable play. What an
unbelievable film. What an unbelievable act of courage. What an
unbelievable sunset. What an unbelievable break.
But why would we define
things that are incredible and awesome - things that actually make us believe
more - with a word that means the opposite? Something spectacular, phenomenal,
outstanding, most excellent, is most definitely not unbelievable.
Awe-inspiring? Magnificent? Prodigious? Extraordinary? Yes. It just happened. You just witnessed it. You did it. Believe it.
Unbelievable? Quite the opposite. Give incredible more credit.
A man flies a suicide jet
into the World Trade Center. A coronavirus comes. Hurricanes ravage. Fires
burn. Enron’s a scam. The government lies to us. Our best friend lies to us. We
lie to ourselves. Our fiancée says “I do.” We won an Oscar. Our child says his
first words. One day we find a cure for cancer. One day we die in peace.
Unbelievable? No.
It happened. You witnessed it. You lived it. Believe it.
Acknowledge the existence
of greatness and phenoms, excellence and extraordinaries - pleasures and pains.
Recognize them as real entities, both beautiful and horrible, tragic and
heaven-sent. Be not naïve to awe-inspiring feats of good or good fortune, nor
gullible to mankind’s capacity for evil. Be not blind to the credence of
natural beauty or disaster.
Nothing God or Mother
Nature does is unbelievable. And if there’s one thing you can depend on people
being - it’s people.
So why am I bothered by
the usage of this word? Because we are not only saying it, we are also living
it. What I really think this comes down to is us - each of us - individually.
Unbelievable also puts constraints on what we believe we can reach AND it stops
us from enjoying our success and ease.
First, the
constraints we put on ourselves, the limits we assume about our potential,
those are man-made.
Who the hell do we think
we are putting ceilings over ourselves? We’re barely tapping into eleven
percent.
Take the Icarus story. We
think the wax on our wings is melting because we’re flying too close to the
sun. Most of the time, there’s still ice and snow on the ground. It’s not even
close to hot enough to melt the wax. We’ve got so much farther to fly than we
give ourselves credit for.
It’s arrogant for us
mortals to put a roof overhead and say, That’s as good as it can get.
That’s as much as I can succeed. That’s as much as I can love. That’s as sad as
I can be. That’s as happy as I can be. No more.
Secondly, we don’t
know how to enjoy success or ease, even the five-star treatment. I
struggled with a non-deserving complex for years. If things were going too
well, I’d get anxious, masochistic, judgmental. I’d interrupt the flow with a
faceplant instead of being cool - enjoying the grapes and palm fronds.
What I know now is this:
there’s no need to make it hard on ourselves when it’s going well. It’ll get
hard soon enough.
So take the roof off.
Say, No - this isn’t even close to as good as it can get. Trust that we
have far more capacity than we allow ourselves to believe. Putting a ceiling on
ourselves isn’t humility. It’s arrogance.
And learn the art of
running downhill. Don’t trip yourself while things are going well. That
mountain you want to climb? It’s just around the corner. Don’t invent drama.
It’ll come on its own.
Unbelievable happens all
the time. Sometimes it’s divine. Sometimes it’s a loogie in the face. Don’t
deny it. Depend on it. Expect it. Believe it. Enjoy it.
REASON
Here's a study a
lot of people call unbelievable. When in fact, the conclusion of it is that
belief is what makes it true.
Harvard psychologist and
researcher Ellen Langer ran the famous counterclockwise study. In 1979, she
took elderly people to a retreat designed to make them feel it was 1959. They
listened to songs Perry Como and Jack Benny from the 50s, watched Ed Sullivan
on black-and-white television, discussed 'current' events and even dressed like
it was 1959.
By the end of the week,
their physical health reflected the psychological reversal of time: They showed
improved flexibility, memory, hearing, posture, cognitive ability and
wellbeing. They even looked younger than before the retreat according to people
who knew them.
They believed it.
“If you'd like to get better at saying no, try this:
Keep a list of things you say no to. Whenever you ignore a
distraction or turn down an opportunity, add it to the list. As the list grows,
you begin to feel a sense of accomplishment for your ability to say no and
remain focused on what matters.
Turn each no into an achievement.”
I must go
down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.
“Be ’selectively ignorant.’
Ignore topics that drain your attention.
Unfollow people that drain your energy.
Abandon projects that drain your time.
Do not keep up with it all. The more selectively ignorant
you become, the more broadly knowledgeable you can be.”
Sources:
“You must cultivate activities that you love. You must discover work that you do, not for its utility, but for itself, whether it succeeds or not, whether you are praised for it or not, whether you are loved and rewarded for it or not, whether people know about it and are grateful to you for it or not. How many activities can you count in your life that you engage in simply because they delight you and grip your soul? Find them out, cultivate them, for they are your passport to freedom and to love.”
~ Anthony de Mello, as seen on James Clear’s site, https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/november-9-2023
Greetings all!
How often do we hear or say ourselves “The grass is always greener on the other side”?
Fun
fact: This phrase is often attributed to the Roman poet Ovid, who wrote,
"The harvest is always richer in another man's field". What is not so
much fun is that we are not on that other side, so why focus on the HAVE-NOT?
Recently I received an email from Reid Tracy, the CEO of Hay House, and I definitely love this outlook better!
Reid says, “I’ve always loved the quote “The grass is greener where you water it.”
Funny enough, I heard it from a professional football player who was being
asked whether he was going to be switching teams, and whether he felt that the
grass was greener on the other side of the fence.
I really love the idea that you don’t have to go anywhere to make things
better; you just have to put effort into making things better where you are.
It’s so easy to look at a situation from the outside and think, “that
person has it better,” and the only solution is to move in the same
direction and try to achieve or get what they have. But the truth is, their
success is likely a result of their actions, not simply because they are in a
different place.
I know I’ve done that before while working here at Hay House. For example, I’ve
attributed the success of other companies to better circumstances, not because
they worked hard to nourish it.
And of course, I have also done this on a personal level (as I think many of us
have). I’ve found myself feeling envious of someone else’s situation, not
realizing they probably put in a lot of effort to get to where they are. Again,
they took the time to water the grass.
So this week, I challenge you to think of some things in your life that you
want to improve, and take at least one small step towards achieving your goals.
Of course, it may take more than a week to see the result you want (this week,
you're just "watering" it), but hopefully you will see some progress.”
What did you think? Drop me a line! And in the meantime, have a great week and remember to water your grass!
“And one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.”
~ Mark Anthony
The Secret Day
My yesterday
has gone, has gone and left me tired,
And now tomorrow comes and beats upon the door;
So I have built To-day, the day that I desired,
Lest joy come not again, lest peace return no more,
Lest comfort come no more.
So I have
built To-day, a proud and perfect day,
And I have built the towers of cliffs upon the sands;
The foxgloves and the gorse I planted on my way;
The thyme, the velvet thyme, grew up beneath my hands,
Grew pink beneath my hands.
So I have
built To-day, more precious than a dream;
And I have painted peace upon the sky above;
And I have made immense and misty seas that seem
More kind to me than life, more fair to me than love —
More beautiful than love.
And I have
built a house — a house upon the brink
Of high and twisted cliffs; the sea’s low singing fills it;
And there my Secret Friend abides, and there I think
I’ll hide my heart away before tomorrow kills it
A cold tomorrow kills it.
Yes, I have
built To-day, a wall against To-morrow,
So let To-morrow knock — I shall not be afraid,
For none shall give me death, and none shall give me sorrow,
And none shall spoil this darling day that I have made.
No storm shall stir my sea. No night but mine shall shade
This day that I have made.
~ Stella
Benson
Sources:
“Whatever age you are today,
your future self would love to be it.
Most people do not consider 65
to be a young age, but when you're 75 you'd love to rewind to 65 and regain
those years. Few people would describe 35 as your youth, but in your mid-50s
your mid-30s will seem like the ‘young you.’
Today is a great opportunity,
no matter your age. Looking back in a few years, today will seem like the time
when you were young and full of potential or the moment when you could have
started early or the turning point when you made a choice that benefited your
future.
The moment in front of you
right now is a good one. Make the most of it.”
Greetings all!
If you are in the United States right now, this is the Thanksgiving week. Are you feeling thankful?
A friend of mine reached out and said, “My family is getting together but I honestly don’t want to join them.” Being around family isn’t always easy. Ram Dass once said that “if you think you’re enlightened, you should try spending a week with your family”.
Here are some CALM thoughts for this week:
“Gratitude feels hard sometimes. And that’s okay. When
stress strikes, burnout bites, or depression looms, it’s not always helpful to
force yourself to feel grateful. So take the pressure off.
Authentic gratitude only comes when you honor where you’re at
anyway — even if that’s sad or mad or lonely.
So here’s permission to *not* feel grateful this week. Feel
however you’re feeling. You can feel grateful next week, or next month. It’s
all good.
-> Remember: Sometimes growth comes from the being, not the doing
-> Reflect: Who are you most grateful for? Tell them
-> Reframe: Just be grateful → Just feel however you're feeling”
I hope you allow yourself to feel however you’re feeling! Have a great week!
“The most appealing daily schedule I know is that of a turn-of-the-century Danish aristocrat. He got up at four and set out on foot to hunt black grouse, wood grouse, woodcock, and snipe. At eleven he met his friends, who had also been out hunting alone all morning. They converged “at one of these babbling brooks,” he wrote.
He
outlined the rest of his schedule. “Take a quick dip, relax with a schnapps and
a sandwich, stretch out, have a smoke, take a nap or just rest, and then sit
around and chat until three. Then I hunt some more until sundown, bathe again,
put on a white tie and tails to keep up appearances, eat a huge dinner, smoke a
cigar and sleep like a log until the sun comes up again to redden the eastern
sky.
This is living … Could it be more perfect?”
~ Annie Dillard, as read on https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/may-25-2023
I look outside my window and see the leaves
Changing color, one by one trickling to the ground.
Fall. It's in my grasp. My favorite season, the one I long for.
I take a deep breath. The crisp, cool, clean air tickles my nose.
I think back to when I was little, sitting in my grandma's kitchen, watching
her bake.
The aroma of fresh apple pie wafting through the air.
My mind wanders off
To caramel apples with my mom.
The sweet, golden, caramel sticks to my lips
As the sour apple crunches in my mouth.
Then the image of a bonfire flashes into my mind.
Sitting with my sister on a teetering log,
Roasting marshmallows, watching them engulf in flames.
We bite into the s'more as the chocolate melts onto our bare hands.
My imagination deviates off to a hay ride.
The scratchy straw surrounds me
As I meander my way up through the maze of pumpkins.
All eyes are open to see who can spot the perfect one,
The one that we will take back home and make our own.
The once so near sight of summer has begun to fade.
Splashing waters have turned to cheering crowds at football games
And the giggles and screams
Of trick-or-treaters frolicking in the street.
My mind takes me back to reality,
And I look out my window once again.
Red, yellow, and orange hues flood my vision.
I can't help but smile
Because fall is finally here.
“If
you’d like to do something bold with your life, you will have to choose to do
something bold on a specific day.
There is no perfect day. There is no right time. For the trajectory to change, there has to be one day when you simply make the choice.”
~ James Clear, https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/february-24-2022
Image from https://pxhere.com/en/photo/87676
~William Martin, as seen on James Clear’s site, https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/november-2-2023
1. The Universe is always giving you clear direction – it’s up to you to pay attention.
2. The Universe responds to your energy, not your effort. When you attune your energy to the loving frequency of the Universe, you’ll always receive the guidance, support, and wisdom you need.
3. You don’t attract what you want; you attract who you are.
4. Trust the holdups and be patient until you understand why the Universe made you wait.
5. The more you appreciate what you have, the more the universe gives you to appreciate.
6. Small daily spiritual actions lead to unshakeable faith in the Universe. You don’t have to “get there” overnight. Take small right actions to release fear and return to love.
7. Let go of the “how.” Ask for what you want and let the Universe handle the rest.
8. Turn over your plans – the Universe has a better plan than you do.
9. Release the urge to interfere with the natural flow of the Universe.
10. It’s safe to be unapologetic about your desires. Your dreams wouldn’t be placed in your heart if they weren’t meant for you.
~ Gabby Bernstein / Hay House email
The only thing that is doing the thing is doing the thing.”
~Loopy, as seen on https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/april-3-2025
~James Clear, https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/april-23-2020
