August 7--Understand?

 We shall see but a little way if we require to understand what we see. 
--Henry David Thoreau

     There's so much I love that I don't understand. Electricity, for example, baffles me, but I doubt I could live without it. Same for vehicles and their engines. If I had to understand everything I use, I'd never go anywhere or get anything done.
     Thoreau's quote encourages me to explore life in a state of awe and wonder. There is so much magnificence to see that I can't explain, and don't need to. From a tiny seed, how do we get a sunflower or a tomato or a giant watermelon? Having to understand the psyche of every artist would make it difficult indeed to simply see and enjoy art in its myriad forms. How did Niagara Falls happen? The Falls are spectacular, and I don't need to know the geology and geography behind it all.
     Let's turn this quote toward ourselves as humans. I can testify as a yoga teacher for nearly a decade that most humans don't have much of a clue about the inner workings of their own body, but that doesn't stop us from living, thank goodness. Emotions can confuse us, too, but a fully alive human experiences them all, understanding or not. Then there's the soul...it's the very essence of who I am, I can't begin to understand it, but it surely is fun to explore.

     I'm really grateful that there is someone out there who does understand many of the wonders that we see and use. It gives me the freedom to explore.

     Seeing and learning,

            Leta

August 6--Universe

The universe is true for all of us and different for each of us.  --Marcel Proust

     There are lots of possibilities with this one! Let's look at "universe" being the one whole all-encompassing life energy, what some refer to as God. It exists (is true) for all of us, but each of us has a different relationship with it. It would be challenging indeed for me to attempt to explain my relationship with the Universe. It is personal and part of the very essence of me, that which makes me unique. The same is true for you. 

     Next, there's the actual universe that surrounds planet Earth. It's there, but each of us sees it differently. The perspective for an astronomer is the world of science and figuring things out. For me, it's a place of mind-boggling awe, wonder and beauty. The astronaut sees it as a place to travel. 

     Finally, there's our own personal life--our day-to-day universe. It's populated with typical chores, routines, and generally, a small number of people. This personal universe, unlike the infinite one, does revolve around us. It's the life we've created where our infinite spirit ("true for all of us") expresses its uniqueness. No one else has the exact same personal universe as you have. 

     Wait, there's one more perspective. Let's consider "universe" to be free will. It is the very foundation of our existence on planet Earth. Free will is true for all of us, no matter what appearances may be. The choices we make with that free will, however, are different for each of us. And you may have noticed that folks don't care for other folks messing with their free will. 

     It is truly a blessing that the universe is different for each of us. I close with an affirmation from Dr. Chris Michaels: I am not living in the universe; the Universe is living in me. 

     Made of star-stuff,

         Leta

August 5--Thanks

If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is "thank you," that would suffice. 
--Meister Eckhart

     Gratitude is a force. It sets up a vibration within us that attracts more to be grateful for. 

     As strange as things are now in the U.S. and the world, it may be a challenge to feel grateful. It's easy to be grumpy and disappointed that favorite events have been cancelled, routines have been turned upside-down, and health and safety are constantly in mind. Since we want to keep good flowing in our lives, we need to stay focused on the positive. A simple exercise to turn around negative thinking is to stop, take a few deep breaths, and think of two or three things you are thankful for. 

     I often promote gratitude in my yoga classes. I tell the participants to come up with three things they are grateful for, and not "family and friends." Everyone is grateful for those. Dig deeper. My slightly-surprising example is the sewer system. We'd be in a world of hurt without that. Another one is traffic signals and signs. It's fun to contemplate those things that we so take for granted. What comes to mind for you?

     Thank you for reading this!

            Leta

August 4--Joy or Roadblock?

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way.  --William Blake

     I go to a lot of estate sales, and often observe that one person's junk is another person's treasure. As with the tree mentioned above, it's all in how you look at it. 

     It's a bit amusing to me that a tree is the focus for this perspective quote. When I was growing up, the family business was a sawmill in the boondocks of Pennsylvania. There are zillions of trees in that state, and I miss them very much. But to my dad, each tree was money--walnut worth more than oak, oak worth more than pine. Trees supported our family, and my dad loved having his own business.

     How many times have we witnessed one or more lovely, well-established trees being wiped out for "progress"? There's an old song lyric that goes "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot." 

     Our beliefs determine the perspective with which we view things, so it's a worthwhile exercise to examine those beliefs. Some may be keeping us focused on obstacles rather than joy. 

     I still love the smell of sawdust,

               Leta

August 3--Lovin' Life

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. 
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

     "Best day yet!" This is a consistent reply from a 90-something gentleman when asked how he was doing. I read this a few years back, and practice applying this to my life each day. A friend chastised me recently for using a Christmas mug in July, to which I replied, "Every day is Christmas." Each extra day alive is a gift. 

     There is a "best day" gift in the routine of life. Familiarity with family and friends, doing the usual self-care tasks, household chores, work, exercise--all these contribute to a comfortable existence. There is some welcome security in the familiar. 

     There is a "best day" gift in the unusual in life, too. Travel, special occasions such as holidays, birthdays or anniversaries, guests visiting, or exploring a new place or skill--all these add to life's richness and break up the potential "rut" of the everyday routine.

     I like to remind myself often that when I get into "have to" mode, I must revise that to "get to." Truly, I don't have to do anything. Every action is my choice, so I get to do it. "Get to" makes even onerous tasks like house-cleaning more tolerable. I remind myself that there were times when I was not able to clean my house due to physical pain. I also get to enjoy the rewards of my efforts. 

     I've seen lots of comical social media posts about how much 2020 has been a huge disappointment. It makes all the changes, upheaval and election mess we are experiencing much easier to bear if we can think of each day as the best in the year so far. I don't care to write off a whole year of my precious life as having completely sucked. 

     Is today your best day yet?

              Leta

August 2--Selective Sight and Hearing

What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what sort of person you are.  --C. S. Lewis  

     I think it is appropriate, with the above quote, to add the following quote by Martin Luther King, Jr.:

Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethic of love to the center of our lives.

     The pandemic has spot-lighted the need to birth a kinder, gentler way of living in our country. We are mired in a chain of hate created by President Trump, his administration, and his supporters. It can be so challenging amidst this chain of hate to see and hear with the eyes and ears of love, but we must have sense enough and morality enough to do so, if we want to save ourselves, our democracy and our planet. 

     Non-violence, as lived by King, Gandhi, and others, is the heart of every major religion. It is Jesus' way. The sort of person who promotes violence toward others has no business labeling herself or himself as "Christian." Violence has never been a solution, and it never will be. 

     Does the "sort of person you are" enable you to see any individual with love, or are you afraid he/she might get some of what is or should be yours? Do you fear those who are different from you? Do you want others to fear you? Are you bringing experiences into your life (i.e., seeing and hearing) based on peace and love or on the chain of hate? 

     It is the responsibility of every single one of us to "have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate." That's our superpower, we can do it, we are resilient, non-violence is the way. 

           Leta

August 1--A Whole 'Nother World

Shut your eyes and see.  --James Joyce

     The theme for "Daily Peace" in August is "perspective."

     I can go a few ways with the Joyce quote. The first is to close the eyes and see one's inner world. It's a lifelong process of learning who you are, both in the eternal cosmic sense and human personality. It's learning how you see things in the outer world, and how you let them affect your inner world. And it's vice versa too--learning how your inner world colors how you see your outer world. 

     Another place this quote takes me is into imagination. Close the eyes and you can go anywhere, see anything, envision anything. Albert Einstein put it well: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution." Everything that exists is a result of imagination. That's a mighty power.

     Lastly, we are blessed, for the most part, with the ability to remember. Closing one's eyes can take us again through joyful experiences and loving memories which inspire gratitude, and that feeling of appreciation enables one to continue making more good memories. We can also use our memories to see where forgiveness, compassion or changes are in order. 

     Joyfully exploring my inner world,

             Leta