One Good Thing: A Wisdom Tale

A favorite lesson from The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book by Don Miguel Ruiz

There was a man who wanted to transcend his suffering so he went to a Buddhist temple to find a Master to help him. He went to the Master and asked, "Master, if I meditate four hours a day, how long will it take for me to transcend?"

The Master looked at him and said, "If you meditate four hours a day, perhaps you will transcend in ten years."

Thinking he could do better, the man then said, "Oh, Master, what if I meditate eight hours a day, how long will it take me to transcend?"

The Master looked at him and said, "If you meditate eight hours a day, perhaps you will transcend in twenty years."

"But why will it take me longer if I meditate more?" the man asked.

The Master replied, "You are not here to sacrifice your joy or your life. You are here to live, to be happy, and to love. If you can do your best in two hours of meditation, but spend eight hours instead, you will only grow tired and miss the point; you won't enjoy your life. Do your best, and perhaps you will learn no matter how long you meditate, you can live, love and be happy."

May you be blessed!

One Good Thing: Yeha-Noha

In the spirit of the season, I've decided to offer One Good Thing each day thru November 30 that might make you smile, lift your Spirit, inspire you to take a new direction, or simply give thanx for the blessings in your life.

This song is a gift in my own life, it transports my heart to a time of pure delight and wonder as my boys learned to catch and clean fish,  plant a garden, and learn to read scat and other secrets of the forest. It reminds me of driving in the car on the way to the lake, and they knew every word of this song (even though they made some of them up) and would listen to it and sing it over and over for an hour a more, "play it again Mom!"  This and the cassettes, "Keepers of the Animals," which are wisdom stories by Joseph Bruchac.

Although I did not know what the words (especially the ones they made up) meant, I did know they stirred something very beautiful in our souls and made a connection for us to something sacred and waiting to be discovered. This one song has the power to bring waves of great joy, and even a happy tear, hearing it again today. It is one good thing. Enjoy!

Answering The Call

The journey always begins with the Fool, the zero card of the Tarot deck, which represents innocence, enthusiasm and inexperience. Like a fearless child filled with curiosity, the Fool is ready for most anything. The Fool is oblivious, naive, and clearly in dire need of Divine protection. Luckily, the Fool is blessed.

The Fool is the quality in each of us that stirs at the thought of adventure and responds eagerly to a new challenge. The Fool stumbles in where others fear to go! Yes, Mother/Father God has a special love for Fools.

So, in the midst of what can only be described as ordinary life, a call to adventure rings out to the Fool. And the Fool responds with reckless abandon! The Adventure itself may be any number of things. It can be about destiny, purpose, or one's life work. It may be a short term adventure or it can be THE adventure of a lifetime, The Hero's Journey, your essential reason for having incarnated in the first place.

The Hero's Journey is always a quest, never a conquest. The process and the dedication to principles, virtue and morals in the most threatening moments of the quest is far more important than actually reaching some preconceived goal. It's the Journey that counts. The initial goal is most often just a temporary motivator to initiate the process of finding one's way to the fork in the road. The fork that leads to the Hero's Journey away and eventually, home.

It can be very exciting! And very frustrating. The call to adventure always includes cultivating patience. Patience is waiting for the precise timing, and avoiding the urge to swim against the current. It's got to be the hardest part. This is the perfect opportunity for the Fool to do foolish things, the space in which reflection trumps reaction but often is squandered. It's the the opportunity for Divine Intervention, and the special love reserved for Fools. It is in this holding pattern where we learn to count our blessings and say thank you even when things are not moving along as planned. I call it the Waiting Time. It builds character like nothing else!

In the Waiting Time, there is always the option to refuse the Call. Refusing the Call is refusing to do the very thing you think you cannot do, but must do. It will seem like a very good idea. People will tell you to do something different. They will give you choices, and try to decide for you. And, you can let them if you like. They will offer you yet another fork in the road, the path of their own choosing. But it is still your choice. It's not like The Call is going to go away never to be heard from again. Trust me.

It is wise to spend the Waiting Time preparing for the next part of the quest and finding the like minds that can understand and support you. Keep in mind that some allies will probably end up including your apparent adversaries. Quests make strange bedfellows, believe me. Your enemies are your greatest teachers and can provide more genuine growth possibilities than all the friends in the world.

But obstacles are plentiful in every heroes journey. They are many and varied and they will most certainly include betrayal, deception and humiliation – all deemed as essential as patience and love for the Fool's development of character and, more importantly, wisdom.

Wisdom is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow It's the holy grail, the prize. It's the Hero's return home.

Wisdom is the Voice that calls the Fool to action, every time.
"Come to me. Find me."

May you be blessed!

Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences

While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.

Consider the ripple effect, which refers to how positive or negative thoughts and actions expand outward to effect other's lives, who in turn will add to the "ripple" with their own thoughts and actions. It teaches that I should think before I perform actions because after the seed of action is sown I have to reap the fruit. Moreover, I do not receive only one fruit for every seed sown, I often get a whole crop, good or bad according to the action or seed. And so I practice mindfulness.

And, I watch. It's what do, I am a visual person. I see things hidden in the shadows that others may miss, because I practice awareness. I am always fascinated at how my perception of events evolves if I take a "time out" to gain insight before I take action, before I plant that seed.

According to Webster, perception is defined as insight, intuition, or knowledge gained by perceiving, and the capacity for such insight.

Judgement is different from perception. Judging is the formation of an opinion after consideration or deliberation. It is the mental ability to perceive and distinguish relationships and the capacity to form an opinion and to assess situations or circumstances, and draw sound conclusions. Good sense. Wisdom. Judgement gets a bad wrap. It's not an evil concept. It's the natural outcome of a good old "time out."

Lately, I have been watching a series of events in which judgements are passing as verdicts based on initial impressions, birthing lasting consequenses yet unrealized. There's a whole lot of reaction, and not much reflection going on. But I am watching, from the vantage point of my perch in the time out chair. It takes discipline to sit here, but I think its worth the effort. I have seen clearly that other people’s perceptions help build us, and judgements made hastily hinder us. As individuals, as communities, as human beings.

"Time out" gives me time to reflect about the things I see. Usually in the process of watching, what is unseen becomes more meaningful than what appears on the surface, much like an iceberg. Then, when I open my mouth to speak my mind, I do so with the intention of treating people the way I’d like to be treated by someone who has seen from another perspective: with honesty and caring.

"There's more here than meets the eye!"
"Might want to steer the ship in another direction!"
"Put your lifejacket on NOW!"

Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things. Just things. And opportunities to grow wiser, practice good judgement, and speak your truth.

It's a beautiful day!