What a beautiful day. Warm, sunny, breezy .... perfect. Thinking a lot about what a great Mom I have today.
I'm adding some pictures Bill took of the back yard this afternoon to show what a heaven we live in. Sure, there are weeds, and bees and hornets, bugs and skunks. But Central Texas is truly heaven, and I have a piece of that in my back yard. I'm so grateful.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
The Way
I know that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is The Way.
I've been listening (audiobook) to an interpretation of the Tao Te Ching and feel I'm already changing. It's difficult to talk to others about it, because its such a personal thing (you know .... pearls before swine and all, although I don't know any real swine) ... just not sure I'm ready to share.
Every day I listen to one of the 81 verses, and it seems every time I do that day's events give me an opportunity to practice The Way. All my life I've felt I've struggled with "being right", needing to be in control of things, trying to force myself to be different. And then, as soon as I gave up trying and practiced the ways of the Tao, I am already there, soft, fluid, kinder, gentler. It doesn't take work .... all you have to do is just let it all go ... just that simple.
This past week at work has been stressful .... lots of changes, lots of new processes being developed, the partners struggling with each other, figuring out their own place on the totem pole of power. Yet I feel I've floated through it all, and success in what I felt was needed just ... well, just kind of happened, once I let go of trying to control it.
The 18th verse rings true this week:
When the greatness of the Tao is present
action arises from one's own heart.
When the greatness of the Tao is absent,
action comes from the rules of "kindness and justice".
If you need rules to be kind and just,
if you act virtuous,
this is a sure sign that virtue is absent.
Thus we see the great hypocrisy.
When kinship falls into discord,
piety and rites of devotion arise.
When the country falls into chaos,
official loyalists will appear;
patriotism is born.
Don't ACT ... do. What did the great Yoda say *LOL*? "Do, or not do. There is no try." I took every possible moment this week to really fill my heart full of love for those I work with, replacing frustrations and thoughts of "aren't they a jerk" with empathy for them as another person created from the same energy I was created from. If I thought someone wronged me, I sent out feelings of love and compassion to them, knowing they intended no harm but were merely grasping for control. You know what .... it worked! Not only did I really feel the compassion and caring, it returned to me from them, with things seemingly smoothing themselves over without even really trying. Once I stopped struggling to be in control, everything worked smoothly and wonderfully. Had a terrific feeling of calm all week.
OK, OK, anyone reading this is going to ask if I lived in California too long .... pretty touchy-feely, I know. But hey, it worked, so what do I know?
I've been listening (audiobook) to an interpretation of the Tao Te Ching and feel I'm already changing. It's difficult to talk to others about it, because its such a personal thing (you know .... pearls before swine and all, although I don't know any real swine) ... just not sure I'm ready to share.
Every day I listen to one of the 81 verses, and it seems every time I do that day's events give me an opportunity to practice The Way. All my life I've felt I've struggled with "being right", needing to be in control of things, trying to force myself to be different. And then, as soon as I gave up trying and practiced the ways of the Tao, I am already there, soft, fluid, kinder, gentler. It doesn't take work .... all you have to do is just let it all go ... just that simple.
This past week at work has been stressful .... lots of changes, lots of new processes being developed, the partners struggling with each other, figuring out their own place on the totem pole of power. Yet I feel I've floated through it all, and success in what I felt was needed just ... well, just kind of happened, once I let go of trying to control it.
The 18th verse rings true this week:
When the greatness of the Tao is present
action arises from one's own heart.
When the greatness of the Tao is absent,
action comes from the rules of "kindness and justice".
If you need rules to be kind and just,
if you act virtuous,
this is a sure sign that virtue is absent.
Thus we see the great hypocrisy.
When kinship falls into discord,
piety and rites of devotion arise.
When the country falls into chaos,
official loyalists will appear;
patriotism is born.
Don't ACT ... do. What did the great Yoda say *LOL*? "Do, or not do. There is no try." I took every possible moment this week to really fill my heart full of love for those I work with, replacing frustrations and thoughts of "aren't they a jerk" with empathy for them as another person created from the same energy I was created from. If I thought someone wronged me, I sent out feelings of love and compassion to them, knowing they intended no harm but were merely grasping for control. You know what .... it worked! Not only did I really feel the compassion and caring, it returned to me from them, with things seemingly smoothing themselves over without even really trying. Once I stopped struggling to be in control, everything worked smoothly and wonderfully. Had a terrific feeling of calm all week.
OK, OK, anyone reading this is going to ask if I lived in California too long .... pretty touchy-feely, I know. But hey, it worked, so what do I know?
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