A Simple Plan

A couple of days have passed since the national election and when I look outside everything looks the same: the trees, some still clinging to their red and yellow leaves that flutter and fall, thanks to a brisk breeze; the sky, blue today, lit by the same golden glow of the sun; the birds, still singing and foraging for food, waiting for me to put more seed out for them; and the hope that today I'll accomplish a few simple goals, like paring down my burdensome clutter, paying a few bills, writing words to heal my soul (besides this blog post), crafting and photographing new jewelry for the Etsy shop, and making time to meditate.

But the world also feels different now... There are things that make me a bit uncomfortable and sad... My mother is no longer alive, we have a new president who worries me, and there is a lot of unrest in the world. Yesterday I saw a Facebook meme that compared two dates: 9/11 and 11/9, calling them the two worst days in America. I wonder...

I realize I don't have much control over any of these things, so all I can do is work on how I feel about them and do what I can to help those less fortunate than myself. And the best way to do that is to write, to create, to process my grief and to let my humanity evolve in a positive way.

The wise Tibetan master, Djwal Khul, said: "At the center of a great tornado is a point of peace... And thus it is with all the storms of life. They lead to peace if you are not a leaf."

And James Allen, in his book As A Man Thinketh, wrote: "Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself... A particular train of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, cannot fail to produce its results on the character and the circumstances. A man cannot directly choose his circumstances but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances."

There's also this:
"Be not in any way discouraged... if you find the upward way stiff and hard to climb. You are in good company and are not alone." 
D. K.
"Be not afraid of loneliness. The soul that cannot stand alone has naught to give." 
D. K.

 

These words must sustain and guide me as I move forward and try to work toward the best possible outcome for myself and what tiny bit of the world I am connected to. I wish the same for you as well.