Thursday, March 22, 2012

Make time for someone

Isn't that a strange expression we hear all the time?
"George, can you make some time to review this report?"
George walks into the back room at work and prints up some time on the Time Manufacturing Counterfeiting Equipment, right? If only!
We call it making time, but really we are clearing away the clutter in the moment to move an item up our priority list.
Time dissipates, and we never seem to have as much as we want of it. Like greedy trick or treaters, who long to grab a handful of candy out of the proffered bucket, we cry for more. Since too much time on our hands is not a frequent occurrence for most people in this culture, we need to corral time to make it work for us.
And perhaps the most important way of making time work for us is to allow another person to take some time out of our "treat bag."
When I make time to help someone out, the reward is beyond measuring. And some day, when I need someone to make time for me in my "time of need", hopefully someone will return the favor.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Down with UGH.


Old habits die hard, they say, but what about archaic language? How long did it take to eradicate thee and thou from our vocabulary?
I thot about it at length. My thots lead to other thots
Why do we allow our thots to be invaded by negative impulses? Ugh. Don’t you think the word thot looks much prettier without it?We have to watch out where our thots drift into ugh.
Just think of all the keystrokes we would save if everyone stopped putting negative thoughts into their thots? Maybe we could change the planet! Maybe we can start a new word ecology. Think of the ink saved on all the printouts throughout the world.  Might we even save paper, and thus trees? 
If we start small with our thots, that will change actions. Often thots lead to actions.
Of course, the whole written language could use an overhaul. We have wasted letters everywhere. But it would be hard to get everyone to agree to pitching ughs and other hangers-on wherever they appear. I am just advocating starting small.
(I for one am grateful for people who text message are helping move to a more streamlined language. Some would call it a revolution.)
Perhaps we could easily do the same thing with through.  Who needs an ugh when they think something thru? Especially in thru traffic, it would be nice to eliminate one of the ughs during rush hour.
 I love taking UGH out of thought. I am hoping it goes viral. Don't we have enough ugh in our life without adding it to our thots? We are already overwrought, for too long have fought, too much have we bought and too often have sought. Plenty of extra ughs there.

Monday, March 5, 2012

You better be happy!

Life deals us certain circumstances that we cannot sidestep. True, some of our busy days are the result of poor choices on our part. But we live in a busy world, surrounded by busy people, and this reality will not change overnight. So we need to not only make the best of it, but choose to be happy within it. How we approach the busy world with its inevitable pressures determines whether we are happy or not. Do you get angry at the bird strike on your car, or do you smile that the old car is able to get you where you need to go? Do you watch your blood pressure rise as you play "beat the clock", or do you take a deep breath and enjoy the roller coaster ride?
Find the happiness within the frenetic.  It is there. You may have to hunt for it. Between the hectic and the chaos, you will find it. Ah! There it is! The glimmer of delight! The reason for joy!
We cannot control life. We can determine to see the beauty. The tree with branches just beginning to bud. A cloud  shaped like a rabbit slowly edging across the sky. Leaves emerging from tulip bulbs hidden for months.
What you focus on will grow. Sort of like when you buy a new car, and suddenly you see that specific make and model everywhere you go.  Choose to notice beauty, smiles, joy, nature, and reasons to give thanks.

Are you happy being busy? You better be! Because all you have is what you have.
 Don't be too busy to see what can make you happy in the very trials of today.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Marching into March

Have I been too busy to post some news here? Or have I just forgotten my priorities?  Oops.
A new month began yesterday- March is the third month, which means the year is one quarter gone. What??!!? Didn't I just say Happy New Year?
Admittedly, I am rushing things here; after all, March has just begun to march. But I recognize my pattern in life; the days march past and before I know it, I will be saying Happy New Year again.
I take a deep breath. Join me in that. Another deep breath. Let us appreciate the breadth of our lives and the joy in this moment.
Perhaps now is the time to look backwards at my future plan. Am I living the vision I hold up for my life?