I want to be like a caterpillar.
Eat a lot, sleep awhile,
and then wake up beautiful.
Anonymous
That sounds perfect to me.
And that’s all I have to say today.
Photo by Karina Vorozheeva on Unsplash
Thursday thoughts…
Category: whatever!
Thursday thoughts,
Looking at beauty in the world
is the first step in purifying the mind.
Amit Ray
There are days when I go for a walk that I start out in a not so good mood. I start the walk with a whine about having to walk because I need the exercise, then go on to list all the things I’d rather be doing and all the things that need to be done that I don’t want to do. I complain about the weather, it’s too hot or too cold, too bright and sunny or too dark and cloudy, too windy or there is no wind. In general, just complaining and centered solely on myself.
Before long, I notice the trees or some flowers, birds chattering back and forth to each other, or a hawk soaring across the sky. I see a cat wandering or someone walking a dog, someone out for a run or walking with a baby in a stroller, or an elderly person who seems frail but still out and about enjoying a stroll. I stop and just look around at the world and I am stunned by the beauty of it all.
My mind lets go of the negativity and makes room for the positivity and possibilities that surround me. Nothing around me has changed, but within there is a cleansing that refreshes and energizes, not just my mind, but my body, too. My walk becomes something more than exercise. The heaviness in my heart is washed away and my eyes are open to the beauty of the world.
I laugh at my not so good mood and there is abundant joy!
Photo by Alex Bargain on Pexels.com
Monday musings…
The secret to your success
is found in your daily routine.
John C. Maxwell
If someone took a look at my usual daily routine they wouldn’t think I am a success, but I think I am. My days now are quiet, and for the most part doing only what I want to do. I am retired and that is part of my success. I worked full-time for 50 years and some of those years I also worked part-time. I am by no means wealthy, but I can pay the monthly bills. I may not have everything I want, but I do have everything I need.
The friendships I have are a big part of my success. I have wonderful friends that I love and respect. There are those that I know I can call if I need anything, and they will do whatever they can to help. Truthfully, there have been times that I would have given up the fight without them. And of course, there is family. The family I have left live in a different state and I haven’t seen them in quite a while. But, there is a bond that cannot be broken and I treasure my family. Friends and family are blessings. Precious gifts from God.
I am happy and content.
That is success to me.
What defines success for you?
Thursday thoughts…
Everything you can imagine is real.
Pablo Picasso
Imagination is a wonderful thing. It can take you lovely places. It can relax you. It can take you from boredom and inertia to the desire to move and do something you enjoy. It can help you see what needs to be done and how to accomplish it. It can help you make life better not just for yourself but for others, too.
Sadly, I have known people who imagined awful things were going to happen. There are people in my life today who imagine frightening things that could happen. There was a time I was one of those people.
I am happy to say I left the ranks of the doom and gloom army years ago. Oh, there are times that my imagination goes to the ugly, but I recognize the waste of time pursuing those thoughts. Not only is it a waste of time; it is dangerous. It can make you miserable. It can cause depression and even physical ailments. It can bring harm to others.
I don’t know if I agree with Pablo. I guess, like everything in life, imagination sometimes needs to be reined in and put in perspective in order to do the ordinary things of everyday. We just need to remember it’s meant to be a healthy and happy productive time.
Image from Free-Photos from Pixabay
Monday musings…
Walls turned sideways are bridges.
Angela Davis
To build sturdy and safe structures takes training and practice. I wouldn’t want to live in a house that was built by someone without experience, without help and advice from others who know what they are doing. Likewise, I wouldn’t want to cross a bridge over a swift running river or drive on a highway overpass that was built without trained engineers and skilled workers.
I have never built an actual wall or bridge. Not a wall you can paint or hang a picture on or a bridge over something that you can walk or drive on. But I have built a lot of metaphorical walls and bridges. I have lots of experience with those sort of structures.
I built walls usually because I was unsure or afraid of something or someone. Sometimes they were built because of stubbornness or spite or just because I didn’t want to do something. It took a long time for me to realize it was not a wise or loving way to live. It is difficult to break bad habits and to unlearn unhealthy thought processes and practices. Friends and family can help; often it takes professional help.
Building bridges takes lots of work and cooperation. The greatest hindrance to bridges is pride. Not just the pride of the builder but also the pride of those the builder is trying to reach. Building walls makes barriers. Communication is difficult when a wall has hurt someone. When someone has been shut out by a wall they often become defensive or hardened and in turn they may reinforce the wall on their side. Time and patience may breakdown the wall, but sadly, there are times that can’t be done.
It has been my experience that bridges are harder to build. They take more thought and time and consideration and the help of others. When they are completed and reconciliation happens it is wonderful, but some bridges may have a locked door at the other end. That happens. All that can be done is to accept the decision of the person with the key. Keep the bridge in place and clear of debris and open for travel. Forgive as you wish to be forgiven and move on.
Photo by fan yang on unsplash
Can’t have a post without a cat!
Monday musings…
I never put off until tomorrow
what I can do the day after.
Oscar Wilde
I always have a list of things to-do. Some things like dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, doing laundry, cleaning the litter box…stuff like that always get done every week. Everything on the weekly list is scratched off and the list thrown away. I always make a new list every week because it feels so good to draw a line through the things on the list and throw it away. Ta-da! Done!
Then there is the list of things that need to be done but I don’t like doing them. Like cleaning the floors and rugs. That is a bother because all the furniture needs to be moved and when the cleaning is done it all has to be put back. I think about this chore quite a while before it gets done. But not as long as I think about taking curtains and blinds down to clean them because when that gets done then the windows need to be washed. Can’t put clean stuff on dirty windows. You know that, right? And there is the need to clean kitchen cabinets and the pantry closet. Oh, and let’s not forget all the other other closets. Do I need to add that it takes me some time to start these sort of things? There are other things for this list but I don’t want to think about them.
Now to the reason Monday Musings is being posted in the evening instead of the morning. It’s because last night while thinking about what to write, which is a challenge and takes energy, I fell asleep. Then today, I had to do laundry, and other stuff, then I got on the computer and you know how that is…lost in internet land. That got wearisome, so I went for a walk and that made me hungry so I had to eat. And now, here I am typing away to get this done while it is still Monday.
I have always been something of a procrastinator but I am beginning to develop it as an intellectual art form. This takes a lot of thinking and pondering and wondering and considering…you get the drift. And as to the drift; that often leads to a nap. It is very challenging being intellectual, it takes a lot of energy and can be quite tiring.
It seems I am a bit like Oscar Wilde.
But it is still Monday where I live.
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