October 31--Little Bits

Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.  --Desmond Tutu

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

    Halloween in Wichita is a crap-shoot. I've lived here for 40 years (no way! yes way!), and we've had lovely warm weather, a flood, ice storms and snow all on assorted Halloweens. Not wanting to have candy hanging around calling our names, my husband and I plan to go out for dinner to celebrate our October birthdays. 

    Little bits of good are easy. I've been getting grandson photos printed at Walgreens (cheap and easy) and sending them to his great-grandparents and great-uncle. They are not smart-phone or computer-savvy, and they like looking at the photos. I am quite fond of hand-written notes sent by snail-mail, so this is a win-win activity for all. 

    Put some "little bits of good" together today,

        Leta

Creator Greg Cole sells these tiny cookies at
our Kansas Grown Farmers' Market

October 30--A Little Extra

Always try to be a little kinder than is necessary.  --J. M. Barrie

    Those are excellent words to live by! My husband is a fine example of this behavior. Each morning he brings me coffee in bed (where I sit and write these blog posts). Yes, I could go get the coffee, but I love his kindness. He cooks us fabulous meals from scratch. He goes the "extra mile" to avoid unnecessary chemicals and processed foods. He is currently in the middle of a huge project--cleaning out our laundry and storage room. He started that while I was in Europe. I'm helping, and I'd say we are about half finished. The room is already much cleaner and more organized with his addition of several shelves. It is a labor of love and kindness. 

    Kindness feels good,

        Leta

A new shelf, a nicer laundry setup

October 29--Free the Goodness

You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you, and allowing that goodness to emerge.  --Eckhart Tolle

    I look at my grandson, and goodness oozes from his pores. We all start that way. It is our essence. 

    I look at the man who is believed to have done the mass shootings in Maine. Someone early on had to have put considerable effort into ruining that innate goodness. Hate fed upon hate, and expanded until the troubled soul killed as a result. The suspect has been found dead. What was accomplished there, other than horrific fear and sorrow? And another opportunity for legislators to ignore sensible gun control? 

    Stay focused on the goodness,

        Leta

The Glastonbury Community Fridge-
goodness in action

October 28--Warm and Sunny

A kind word is like a spring day.  --Russian proverb

    I believe there is significantly more kindness in the world than violence. Alas, violence gets the publicity. What we focus on expands, so let's focus on kindness. Other "spring day" elements are a smile and using the name of the person with whom you are interacting. Tips are nice, too. 

    I saw a neighbor out walking in the dark the other morning (I was walking Barney), and she had on a light vest that changed colors and made her quite visible. I asked her about it later in the day, and she said she bought it on Amazon. She then went to the trouble (kindness!) to find out my cell number from her sister-in-law and text me the link for the item. 

    On the other hand, on my recent UK trip, there was one person whom I could describe as "Negative Nellie on steroids." She was loud and constantly complaining, and after just a few days, no one wanted to be around her. She was a "winter day" rather than a "spring day."

    Kindness is a choice. Be kind. 

        Leta

IMAGINE, by John Lennon

October 27--Gentle Care

Sometimes self-interested is the most generous thing you can be. 
--Tony Kushner

    We certainly tend to be generous with our resources, especially time, giving to others, but are we as generous with ourselves? One of my long-time MELT/yoga students is recovering from successful hip replacement surgery earlier this week. This is for her a time for massive self-interest--our bodies use an extreme amount of energy to heal such a procedure. It is time for her to be very generous and gentle with herself.

    Do we need major surgery to be kind to ourselves? I hope not! Good self-interest lies in adequate sleep, moderate exercise, healthy eating, time in nature, social connection, and some form of creativity. When an individual's "tank" is full, generosity can then overflow to others--a win-win for all. 

    Happy Friday!

        Leta

Stonehenge

October 26--Expectations--Not Helpful

What will matter is the good we did, not the good we expected others to do. 
--Elizabeth Lesser

    Hmmmm... my first reaction to this was: I don't expect others to do good. But wait! I expected those in my family of origin to be sane, considerate and loving in healthy ways. That was not often the case. What matters to me now is my recovery from that and the good I have done for others as a result of my experience. 

    I think it is mighty clear these days that expecting others to do the good and right thing is a prescription for frustration. All we can do to keep our sanity is to focus on our own do-good practice. The more good we do, the more good comes 'round to us. 

    Circulate the good stuff,

        Leta

At a shop in England

October 25--Don't Wait

It is no way to live, to wait to love.  --Dave Eggers

    Maybe we could also end this quote after "wait": It is no way to live, to wait. To wait to do whatever--we have no guarantees here. My travel buds and I consider this often. Let's go while we are able. 

    In a few weeks, I'll head east to spend time with my brother. His health is not great, and time with him is very precious. It is a very long drive of 1,000 miles, but I don't want to wait any longer to see him. 

    Do you love someone? Show it today!

        Leta

England loves at Buckingham Palace