Quotables

“I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”

Marilyn Monroe

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Holding Too Tightly

So, here’s a quickie.

My yoga teacher had me do it in class and then I came across it again in a book last night, so I am taking it as a sign that it must be shared.

Since there will be eye closing, you may want to read through the directions before jumping in.

• Close your eyes and sit in a quiet and comfortable place.
• Now squeeze your hands into small, tight little fists.  Hold on as if you’re going to drop your iPhone in the toilet.
• Without trying to control it, notice what your breath is like.  Does it take effort to breath?  Is there a weight in your chest?  Do you feel your brow getting furrowed?  Are you clenching your teeth?
• Without opening your eyes, release your hands.  Imagine them being immersed into warm, chocolate pudding (not that I know what warm chocolate pudding feels like, but you get the idea).
• Now, pay attention to your breath.  Is it easier to take a really deep breath?  Is there a slight smile on your face? Did your muscles relax?

If you are like me, you noticed the physical difference between holding on for dear life and just letting go.  Hopefully you see how letting go can be useful (not just in the ability to breath).  This week, pay close attention to your breathing and take note of the times you feel constricted…chances are good, you are holding on to something too tight.  Figure out what it is…and let go.

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Quotables

“Your work is to discover your work, and then with all your heart, to give yourself to it.”

Buddha

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Quotables

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

By Buckminster Fuller

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Quotables

“The habit of giving only enhances the desire to give.”

By Walt Whitman

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Label This

Having recently had a conversation about the “femininity” of Serena Williams, I can’t help but wonder what other people have to say.  Is it useful to use terms like “feminine” or “masculine” as a descriptor?  How about “acting black” or “acting white”….”Muslim” or “Christian”….”gay” or “straight?”

I find that I have a really strong reaction to labels.  Can’t a man possess “feminine” qualities that serve him well throughout his life?  Does the term “Muslim” really embody all of the beliefs and history of all of the different sects?  And, what the heck does it really mean to call something “gay?”

Do labels have a place in our culture?  How are they helpful?  How are they destructive?  When do you find that you use them?  Are you really saying what you mean to say?

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Millennials Have a Leg Up on the Happiness

Having just finished reading “But Will It Make You Happy?“, by Stephanie Rosenbloom I got to thinking about the Millennial generation’s experience with happiness.

I can’t help but wonder if the Millennial generation, largely coming into their own as independent adults during a pretty intense recession, are better poised to understand how best to spend their money to get the highest rate of return on happiness.  Really, we are coming of age at a time when “less is more ” doesn’t just feel right, but is actually en vogue.

Perhaps it is partly due to our generation’s interest in environmental sustainability?  We tend to be more aware of the impact humans have on the Earth and want to curb our zest for the unnecessary from that.

Also, we are one of the most connected generations via the amazing amount of technology at our disposal, so perhaps we already understand real value  lies in emotional connection and relationships rather than just things.  I mean, the major items I see our generation spend on are devices that keep us in constant contact (cell phones, laptops, etc) or ones that record our events to be re-lived later  (cameras, camcorders, etc).

Will this set us up to be a happier, less consumed by consuming, super connected generation, or am I just fooling myself?

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Quotables

If you stare at it long enough

the mountain becomes unclimbable.

Tally it up.  How much time have you spent

waiting for the soup to cool?

Icicles hang from January gutters

only as long as they can.  Fingers pause above piano keys for the chord

that will not form.  Slam them down

I say.  Make music of what you can.

.

By Charles Rafferty, from “Against Hesitation”

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Work Revolution

What I love is the universal truth that almost all generations have to butt heads with their parents’ generation in some form.  Our parents know the path that was before them, not necessarily the world and path that is in front of us.

The need to figure out what to do with our lives comes from the combination of a lack of exposure to the myriad of options, but also to the realization that the old model (work your butt off in school, get “the “job”, work there for at least a decade with a clear ladder to climb, climb said ladder and then move on) is no longer around.  Company loyalty and stability is not so steady, but we also are less interested in being anywhere long term.

The spirit of our generation is more adventuresome, more independent, more interested in using our work to define our values, more entrepreneurial.  I totally think we will be part of a revolution changing the way America works and am excited to see when it will get started (I am starting my own personal revolution now)!

(Written in response to the fabulous party that is Road Trip Nation)

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In Creation, There is Destruction

To create something new, something beautiful, know that something else must be destroyed first.  The inextricable connection between creation and destruction is part of many cultural traditions.  In Hindu, the god Shiva is responsible for destruction, but is always followed by Brahma, the creator, as well as Vishnu, the preserver.  In Buddhist traditions, the Buddha who brings enlightenment had a great friendship with Maya, who represents illusion.  In Christianity, God and the Devil play similar roles.

How do these dualities play out for you?  Where in your life must something be destroyed in order for something else, something more important to be created?  It can be as simple as limiting your internet surfing in order to take a walk at lunch time.  Perhaps less barbecue time on the weekends in order to create an amazing vegetable garden.  What important values are being destroyed in order to create distraction?  Wouldn’t you rather be creating things that feed your soul than ones that suck it dry?

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