September 30--Compassion

The purpose of life is a life of purpose.  --Robert Byrne 

    As we close out September's theme of "purpose," I offer these words of Matthew Fox:

Compassion is everywhere. Compassion is the world’s richest energy source. Now that the world is a global village we need compassion more than ever—not for altruism’s sake, nor for philosophy’s sake or theology’s sake, but for survival’s sake.

And yet, in human history of late, compassion remains an energy source that goes largely unexplored, untapped and unwanted. Compassion appears very far away and almost in exile. Whatever propensities the human cave dweller once had for violence instead of compassion seem to have increased geometrically with the onslaught of industrial society. The exile of compassion is evident everywhere...

In acquiescing in compassion’s exile, we are surrendering the fullness of nature and of human nature, for we, like all creatures in the cosmos, are compassionate creatures. All persons are compassionate at least potentially. What we all share today is that we are victims of compassion’s exile. The difference between persons and groups of persons is not that some are victims and some are not: we are all victims and all dying from lack of compassion; we are all surrendering our humanity together.

    Let us each, as we can, offer compassion to ourselves and our world. That is an excellent purpose.

        Leta

September 29--Balance Required

Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.  --Gustave Flaubert 

    I looked up the definition of "violent" and I'm going with the option of "very strong or powerful." Flaubert's quote above makes sense with this description from the "Famous Authors" website:

A perfectionist by nature, Flaubert’s publishing frequency was much less than that of his peers. The reason being is his painstaking perfectionism. He would spend days and sometimes even weeks to compose a single page. And he was still never satisfied with what he wrote. Gustave worked very hard on his writing and refused to use synonyms, instead he believed in the principle of finding le mot juste (the right word) always. His ultimate aim was stylistic perfection for which he repeatedly revised his work.

    If he was that much into perfectionism, I expect the rest of his life was regular and orderly so as not to be a distraction from his writing. His best known work was "Madame Bovary."
    Speaking from personal experience, there is a fine line between "regular and orderly" and being a control freak. (I'm guessing Flaubert went quite over the line.) An organized, orderly life makes time for those things we truly value. If we are continually lost in the chaos of life, creativity, joy and expansion are the big losers in the effort to survive. Controlling every detail, however, is its own distraction.
    Trying to stay on that fine line,
        Leta

September 28--Staying Psyched for Life

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. 
--Sir Winston Churchill

    One of the emotions that has been most challenging for me to deal with is disappointment. On the flip side, for me the most valuable human quality is reliability, following through with one's commitments. I grew up in an unreliable environment which led to a lot of disappointment. That leads to life-long recovery work. 

    I've learned to handle disappointments relative to others pretty much. It's the disappointments in myself that are so troubling. I feel that I come up with good ideas and services, but they don't measure up to my view of success, so once again, I'm disappointed. 

    (Side note: I was MAJOR disappointed in my golf performance this past weekend. However, I love golf so much that I can go back to it without loss of enthusiasm. Golf is a good sport in that regard.)

    Fortunately I somehow, being a human, have a lot of resilience and an ongoing need to be useful in life. So despite my disappointments, I've been able to continue trying new things, learning, and expanding. That's a good life. 

        Leta

The practice green overlooking lovely Lake Ponca, 
Wentz Golf Course

September 27--Time to Simplify

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.  --Eleanor Roosevelt

These are the words of Minister Adele Ahlberg Calhoun as presented in Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation on September 25, 2021:

Simplicity creates margins and spaces and openness in our lives. It honors the resources of our small planet. It offers us the leisure of tasting the present moment. Simplicity asks us to let go of the tangle of wants so we can receive the simple gifts of life that cannot be taken away. Sleeping, eating, walking, giving and receiving love. . . . Simplicity invites us into these daily pleasures that can open us to God, who is present in them all.

Aging has always been about simplifying and letting go. Sooner or later we realize that we can’t manage all the stuff and activity anymore. We have to let go. The practice of letting go and embracing simplicity is one way we prepare ourselves for what is to come. One day we all will have to let go of everything—even our own breath. It will be a day of utter simplicity—a day when the importance of stuff fades. Learning to live simply prepares us for our last breath while cultivating in us the freedom to truly live here and now.

Here are some of the practices for simplifying Calhoun suggests:

• Uncomplicate your life by choosing a few areas in which you wish to practice “letting go.” Clean out the garage, basement, closet or attic. Go on a simple vacation. Eat more simply. . . .
• Intentionally limit your choices. Do you need six different kinds of breakfast cereal, hundreds of TV channels or four tennis rackets? What is it like to limit your choices? Does it feel free, or do want and envy surface? Talk to God about this.
• If someone admires something of yours, give it away. Find out just how attached you are to your things. . . .
• Make a catalog of all the gadgets you have in your home, from the dishwasher to the lawnmower. Which gadgets have made you freer? Which could you share? Which could you get rid of and not really miss?
• Where have you complicated your life with God? Consider what actually brings you into the presence of peace. Spend time there.

Less stuff, more peace,

        Leta

September 26--Texas is Troubling

Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.  --Helen Keller

    I want to offer hopeful view for the future, so here are the words of Patricia Pearce titled "The Mind's Lone Star State": 

I know many of us may be deeply troubled by what is happening in the state of Texas. I’d like remind us that this world is a form of dream, and if we look at these events from that understanding we can see how they can help us in our awakening if we are willing to allow it. So let us do some dream work.

As you know, Texas calls itself the Lone Star State. It places a high value on autonomy and individualism, takes great pride in being big, and sees itself as set apart from the rest of the nation.

In a dream, all characters and all elements represent an aspect of the self. In this sense, “Texas” symbolizes an inner state, a state of mind, in which the self believes itself to be alone in this universe, able to set itself apart from the Reality of Union. This, of course, is an impossibility. Nonetheless, the mind has inhabited this illusion of separateness and created a world based upon it.

Consciousness on the planet, though, is now undergoing a profound shift in which the idea of a “lone” anything is coming to an end. This is causing great fear in those who are deeply identified with the consciousness of the past.

Subjugation and Exclusion

In this “Texas” dream scenario we see two things happening: the attempt to subjugate the Feminine and control the Feminine’s power to bring forth life, and the attempt to suppress the right to vote, especially by those on the margins of society.

Yet this is exactly what humankind has done for millennia during the patriarchal era: subjugated the Feminine, excluded the “other.”

The present “Texas” dream scenario is helping us all by bringing to the surface these thought-patterns that have been held deeply in the collective mind so that they can be seen clearly, acknowledged honestly, and released completely.

All of these events now playing out in this “Texas” dream are born of fear. If the Feminine principle were not on the rise, there would not be such a desperate attempt to control and suppress it. If the collective mind, the collective consciousness, had not already chosen to “vote” in new ways, choosing a new reality for itself, there would not be such a desperate attempt to keep people from the “polls.”

And yet there is something else happening in "Texas:" groundbreaking research into vulnerability and shame (see the work of Brené Brown) which can help open the way for a human future that is free from the debilitating need to be "self-sufficient" and "invincible."

Awakening in the Dream

So the question is, what do we do with this information? How can we open fully to what this “Texas” dream is offering us? How can we become lucid characters in this collective dream? How can we embody the New in the midst of so much unconsciousness and fear?

First of all, understand that “Texas” is not an enemy. The idea of enemy exists only in the ego-mind (in truth, there are no enemies) and what we are witnessing is simply the patriarchy and ego’s last stand.

Secondly, rather than seeing this as an external drama playing out, take a moment to look inward to find the inner “Texas.” Acknowledge that there is a self within you that believes and experiences itself to be a “lone star,” living in fear of the “other.”

Thirdly, love that part of you that has suffered so terribly under this illusion of separateness. Hold in compassion the aspect of yourself that is so terrified of the Feminine Power within you—your own capacity to generate life and to co-create with the infinite Universe. Be gentle with this fearful “lone star” self that is so afraid of the epic transformation that is occurring on the planet. There is no need to mess with this little "Texas" self. There is only a need to bless it.

Finally, as much as they may frighten us, be grateful that these patterns are coming to the surface now in order to give us all the opportunity to recognize them in ourselves and release them.

When you do all of this you are already changing the dream. You are already weakening the collective mind’s allegiance to its idea of separateness. You are already making of yourself a portal through which Love can shine, bringing Its peace to a fearful world.

=================================

    We all have our inner work to do to bring about a world that works for everyone. 

        Leta

September 25--Are You Wishing Upon a Star?

Great minds have purposes; others have wishes.  --Washington Irving

    I'm heading out this morning on a two-day golfing adventure. I'm excited to play a new-to-me course and hang out with good golfing buds. Being honest, I'll have to say that I am an "other" wishing I will play well. A great mind full of purpose may get me into trouble and frustration. I'm better off golfing with the mind of a goldfish, needing always to forget the last shot, be it good or bad. 

    "Purposes" implies to me that the great minds are actually doing something to accomplish their goals, as opposed to the others "wishes" which amount to day-dreaming and no constructive action. I'm all for imagining. After all, everything starts as a thought. I feel certain in saying that many more thoughts have floated off as wishes than every became anything concrete. Great minds with purposes have brought us all the conveniences of modern life, and I am grateful.

    F-O-R-E!! (Just kidding, I can't hit a golf ball far enough to scare anyone. I wish!!!!)

        Leta

September 24--Einstein Rocks!

Out of clutter, find simplicity.  --Albert Einstein

    I must share some humor. This is the sign at a local equipment rental business: "This is my step ladder. I never knew my real ladder." 😉😉 Happy Friday!

    This is a topic I love--clutter! We take ourselves too seriously. We are too attached to our stuff and our status. They make life complicated and cluttered. Being the obnoxiously organized person that I am, clutter drives me nuts. This does not mean that I don't create my own level of clutter. As I look around the woman cave this morning, I see several piles of clutter that need my attention. My clutter meter is hitting the critical stage. I had a very tidy mother who made me clean the house every week (any wonder I despise cleaning?!?!), so I learned early on that clutter was not to be tolerated. Clutter disturbs my psyche--disorganization leads to muddled thinking. Clutter requires mental energy that could be used more productively elsewhere. 

    No clutter? AAAHHHHH... life is simple and easy. Everything is orderly, including my thinking. Einstein nailed it. He was pretty smart. 😉😉

        Leta

Normally I would put a 

photo here, but the 

photos of clutter made

me crazy. There's clutter, 

and then there's CLUTTER!!!

However, being a dog is simple.
Dusty (left), Barney (right), best buds