Celebrating Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin was to the United States and the world what Leonardo DaVinci was to the Renaissance and the world. Maira Kalman's visual blog celebrates invention and invites us to do the same.

We are Perfect, Now

God is the way out. Ultimately Reality awaits us there, in the arms of God. Yet to embrace God, we must embrace ourselves -- for we are One and the Same. We must love ourselves exactly the way we are. We must tell ourselves that it is okay just to be us; just to be who, and how, we are. We must tell ourselves that we are perfect, in the very way we are "showing up" today. There is nothing to be fixed, nothing to be corrected, nothing to be improved. We must understand that the path we are taking, and the way we are taking it, is perfect.

- Neale Donald Walsch, e-mail on December 3, 2006

Using Experiences to Grow

In the depths of winter, I finally found there was in me an invincible summer.

- Albert Camus, author

Hard times can yield great strength. I think of the weed that grows from concrete - what a hard task that is! And yet there it is green and flourishing and constantly growing back no matter what we try to do to eradicate it. It is strong perhaps because of the adversity. When I expect an end to the trial and look for the light resulting from it - I have hope and greater ability to accept my response to the difficulty as a part of the growing and strengthening process.

How you do anything is how you do everything

Don't be afraid to give your best at what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.

- Dale Carnegie

Concrete Ideas for Reducing Fear of Failure

For all of us afraid of "failing," I found this great little article: Secrets for Turning Failure Into Success. It contains the most useful ideas I've seen in a long time on how to recast failure as an asset and a goal instead of something to be avoided.

I'm going to try some of them, like "Set 'No' Goals" and "Intentionally Increase Your Failure Rate." Pretty radical reformulation of failure, isn't it?

It fits completely into my philosophy of using every experience as a learning opportunity and a chance to help other people. The more I "fail," the more I learn and the closer I am to my own goals.

This is what I mean when I say "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing badly." I'm learning as I take action, and action moves me further along my path, leaving no chance for stagnation, entropy, stuck-ness.

My message to a VERY unhappy woman

I am glad we had a chance to talk and to hear that you are still keeping on keeping on. Sometimes life does feel like a slog.

Perhaps you do need to make a radical change. Consider some of the possible radical changes you could make, and weigh the options. Just a reminder: radical change can involve actions, attitudes and situations. Everything is a choice and I've found that I feel less "at the mercy of" when I actively make a choice instead of feeling like I'm powerless and just have to submit.

I hear a lot of powerlessness in your venting, and I'm hopeful that by venting, you release some of that powerlessness and see that you are making choices. Yes, your choices are limited by circumstance. And yes, that sucks.

So what are you going to do about it? Choose how you want to feel. Choose how you want to talk about your life. Choose how you're going to approach your circumstances. Choose the goal toward which you're working. That means to articulate it - what ARE you working toward? Financial independence is not enough. What is your PURPOSE for being here on earth? And how are you fulfilling it?

Gurus

Someone told me "guru" spelled out is "gee, you are you."

AHA! This coincides with my belief that real gurus hold mirrors up so we can see ourselves clearly. They encourage us to find our own path, rather than blindly following theirs. Gurus have found a way that works for THEM. I can learn and use their tools and truths without giving over my being and power of choice.

Any guru who insists that I do everything the way they say is simply after power over me and others. True gurus help me learn how to find my own internal power, to govern myself according to my own life circumstances and the many universal truths and values I learn to live by.

Choosing my perspective

I'm building a new life based on the lessons I've learned over the past few years - and I'm not done yet. My perspective is that I'm fortunate to be someone who can learn, who can pick myself up, who can keep going and turn my fear and sadness into motivation. I don't deny my feelings, I channel and use them to keep me going on my path. And I choose to focus on all the positive aspects of my path - that by going through all I've experienced, I get to help other people who are on similar paths, facing similar challenges.