Will not be offered again!
Will not be available
At any other time
I can let it slip
Through my fingers into the past
Or I can think of the ocean
And the ocean of energy I inhabit–
The solvent and the solute
The elixir and despair fixer–
If I only remember
*****
Or I will stay distracted
Affixed to what always has been
And morn my sad
Or mediocre
Predicament
I’m gonna get up and look up
Not down
I’m gonna smile not frown
I’m gonna see you for the first time
Not for the umpteenth time
I’m gonna stay with the profound
And for a while look around
Not at the things that aren’t right
But at all the things beautiful and bright
*****
This isn’t about living in denial, a fairy tale, or sugary sweet optimism. It is about finding the good before we forget it exists.
I made a promise to my partner to delight in him every day. That promise has rescued me from focusing on all the things that kill delight.
That promise will refresh every valuable relationship–even the one I have with myself.
Knowing we need no thing or no other to be complete gives us freedom to be ourselves. Freedom to be ourselves releases the magic of who we are–without longing, anxiety, or regret for the past or the future–into a relaxed strength in the present that is simply irresistible.
Contentment isn’t the property of the lucky or the wealthy. Contentment is free to whomever decides to stop the futility of complaining and reach out to claim it.
If we want the world, this is the only way to get it.
To attract happiness
I have to start with my face
But makeup and facials or even surgery
Won’t do the job that only joy can do
Only joy can remove the smirk
The worry, anger, fear, and cynicism
And the resting bitch face
Only joy will make my eyes candles
That can light up any room
Or any relationship
When I say “People are idiots.” or “Women are bitches.” or make any other grand indictment, I am reveling my own character, not theirs.
It’s too easy to look upon the world and decide I am above its flaws.
But I am a people too.
Life is much easier when I am not angry or dissatisfied with it.
It is a work in progress–just as I am.
I thought my challenges were too difficult to bear
And, sure enough, that’s how it felt
As my body grew older and my mind
Fought a losing battle against reality
I thought that I was equal to whatever life brought
And, sure enough, I made it through
As my body grew stronger and my mind
Fought bravely along side the omniscient Universe
To benefit oh, so many more concerns than my own
If our lives suck it might be because we suck
Meet the world with a sense of injury
And get more injuries
Meet the world with a sense of joy
Get more joy
Disappointed people gather disappointments
Delightful people gather delights
Duh. You coulda had a V8 and a Five-Star Life!
Yep. All that AND a bag of chips.
What makes those lovable whom I truly love
Is not their glitz and glamour
That never will remain
But their easy laughter at their obstacles
And their courage facing pain
And the fight they fight against the dark
And distorted images that remain
Wake up and love
The oxygen, the light, the bed where you laid your head
Rise up and love
The rising out of bed
Stretch out and love
The stretching of your face into a smile
As a dog stretches, yawns, and wags his tail
Walk out and love
The walking, the drinking, the brushing, the whatever you’re doing
You happy dog, you
(Living without whimpering)
Whether virtually or in person, with family, friends, or neighbors, there are at least three things we do best to avoid (beside politics, sex, and religion):
Ain’t no one got time for The Dreaded Three:
If we are nagging in our heads, it will always come out in our tone, eye-rolls, and body language. We gotta quit kidding ourselves and learn to ask strategically for what we need.
Two-Minute Tune-Up 