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It may be difficult, but the best medicine for yourself when someone has done you wrong, is to make certain you respond to that person in such a way that is congruent with who you are– or the kind of person you aspire to be. We all know that “stooping to their level” is never the way to go. I try to collect myself and try to act the way I think I should act. This may be very difficult to do, but when I respond in a way that I can feel good about myself, I leave the situation uplifted and feel sorry for the perpetrator. Unfortunately, they have not discovered what I have discovered. At the end of the day, I thank God that I am who I am and say a prayer for others. By no means am I always successful in all my responses, but the key is to try and to say that prayer for someone less fortunate.
Tags: personal aspiration, responding to negative people, true to oneself, try
Posted on November 1st, 2011 | Be the first to comment »
I remember a day a few years back. The sun shone bright as I was driving somewhere. The volume on my car radio was up a few extras notches. Totally at ease, I sang the song on the radio as onlookers in other cars smiled, while others poked fun at my expense. But most, I observed, didn’t even notice my frivolity as their cell phones appeared to be permanently affixed to their ears. As I stopped at traffic lights, one after the other, and gazed at the passengers of neighboring vehicles, I determined this was now the norm. Dangerous, but still the norm. I remember a time when driving gave us a respite from ringing phones and daily demands. There was a time when paying attention to the road was important—come to think of it, maybe I shouldn’t have been singing.
I thought about this situation. I decided that those people, me included, who depend on so many external gizmos to get through the day, need something more. What we need is to listened to the yarn within us and detach ourselves from, well, “things“. Think about it, things are dreadfully unimportant–really. But if we listen to ourselves, we may begin to realize what is important. Then again, what if we listened to others? We just might find our answers to our questions instead of avoiding them. If we let go of things and replace them with people, and we actually listen, wouldn’t we be on a path to a more fulfilling life? I think so, but that’s just me.
Tags: high value on people, listening, listening to self, materialism
Posted on October 31st, 2011 | Be the first to comment »
You can’t tell some people anything new. They respond by saying, “I already knew that.” A courageous spirit is open to newness and light, and ready to receive and to share. The time is right to come back to simplicity of thought, as so much may be learned from things so basic.
Tags: courageous, learning, simplicity of thought, values
Posted on September 17th, 2011 | Be the first to comment »
… or was it someone else’s neighbor who uttered,
“Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” Yes, it was someone else‘s next door neighbor, it was Auguste Rodin. But maybe it was my neighbor who said, “Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.” No, he wasn’t my neighbor, but was someone’s neighbor and that was John W. Gardner. Then there was that person who said, “If we could sell our experiences for what they cost us, we’d all be millionaires.” That was Abigail Van Buren (Dear Abbey). “We are shaped by our experiences but we also shape what we experience, ” my neighbor NEXT DOOR.
Tags: Dear Abbey, experiences, Gardner, Rodin, values
Posted on September 16th, 2011 | Be the first to comment »
I have included the wisdom of our diverse humanity in Zen Master Next Door. I agree with them… “it” is within us. Please read a few of the quotes I’ve included within the pages.
In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after the Truth. Gandhi
Seek not good from without; seek it within yourself, or you will never find it. Epictetus—second century
Ask questions from your heart and you will be answered from the heart. Omaha—Native American
Listen to the voice of nature, for it holds treasures for you. Huron—Native American
Be a lamp to yourself. Be your own confidence. Hold to the truth within yourself, as to the only truth. The Buddha
The Kingdom of God is within you. Jesus
Tags: Add new tag, Buddha, Epictetus, Gandhi, Jesus, native american saying, values
Posted on September 14th, 2011 | Be the first to comment »
One drop of water does very little, but many drops over time carved the Grand Canyon–such is the power and strength of patience. The long awaited, Zen Master Next Door– “the reboot” is coming! Humanics Publishing Group will release a second version at the end of the month so hold off until then to pick up a copy. I can see that you are sitting on the edge of your chair. I’ll let you know. Ed
Tags: Add new tag, patience, short stories, values, Zen Parables, zen sayings
Posted on September 12th, 2011 | Be the first to comment »
When we receive blessings for no apparent reason, this is grace. When we give of ourselves for no apparent reason, this too is grace. When we offer kindness and understanding instead of digging in and bitterly proving our way, we invite those blessings that one day we will so desperately need. When we practice “random acts of kindness” or love those who we find it difficult to love, grace finds us.
So on Thanksgiving Day, we are reminded that so much has been given to us–our blessings. So much, as well, has been given to us just because of where we were born. When you think of it, our prosperity was built upon generations of hard work and, sometimes, on the backs of others. But we sometime forget something that prosperity is not what we own, bequeathed or earned. Prosperity is what we give away. We are prosperous when we make more room, say in our wallet, our house and our heart, and give. When we do, we always find that something greater fills that void.
Happy Thanksgiving
Tags: blessings, grace, prosperity, random acts of kindness, Thanksgiving, to give, values
Posted on November 25th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
What is truth? This question over the ages has been mired with such complexities. Why? I can’t really say. I prefer to strip away the layers to find the essence of most things–that’s just me. I prefer to define truth with four simple words:
is, or is not. This is truth.
Truth is neutral. It’s neither good nor bad–it just is. And wishing or wanting changes nothing. But then again…
Many time we wish we could change the truth. We fanaticize, we dream and, well, we should do those things. After all, what is true today could inspire change. This is hope. Hope should always follow the truth or what is true today will always be a matter of fact.
Hope inspires our actions to change what is true in our present moment. We want to cure a disease, we want peace, we want good to prevail. Yes, we have cured some diseases, we have witnessed some peace, and most would agree that good should always trump evil. But today, the truth of the matter is that diseases are replaced with new strains, there is a segment of people who are evil, and we witness what is truly bad choking was it truly good. In the midst of truth, we must have hope.
Without hope, truth will always be what is, is.
Tags: hope, inspire, simplicity, values
Posted on October 18th, 2009 | Be the first to comment »
My Mom taught me compassion. I’m sure yours did too. It wasn’t just what she said, but it was what she did. In her small way she responded to the pain of others and understood their disappointments. She saw disappointments and struggles growing up during the Great Depression. She saw hardships and knew that, for the most part, everyone tried their best–then and now, but that we all don’t come from the same place and we all don’t have the same opportunities. We just don’t. Some of us get a head start. I know I did.
Mom showed me in real ways her empathy and compassion for people she didn’t know. She helped Native Americans as they suffered at the hands of injustice. Mom hasn’t a drop of American Indian blood in her, be she felt the bloodstream of their lives drain from what was rightfully their legacy. She opened her heart to attempt to feel an ounce of their pain. As she did, so did I.
If we can step away from that arrogant layer of ego we all have, and judge no one, we may begin to feel the pain and the joy of someone else. We may choose to help instead of fortifying the barricades that we hide behind as we blame others for all our ills. We all need a little help from time to time–you’ve needed some help.
When asked about compassion, Mother Teresa said, “…I can only love one person at a time–just one, one, one. So you begin. I begin–I pick up one person. Maybe if I didn’t pick up that one person, I wouldn’t have picked up forty-two thousand… . The same thing in your church, your community. Just begin–one, one, one.”
The Dalai Lama brings it home in a real personal way when he says, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
Tags: American Indian, compassion, Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, random acts of kindness, small miracles, values
Posted on October 11th, 2009 | Be the first to comment »
Once said, it’s difficult taking back.I fail, but I remind myself that it is a virtue to say little. But there are times in which it is appropriate to speak. Those are the times we need to express gentle words that are sincere and from the heart. Of course, we should be truthful but that does not exclude being truthful with kindness. It is when we allow our ego to consume us and ultimately speak for us, we run into trouble.
Perhaps, instead of ego, our words are propelled by ignorance or without thinking. Regardless of its origin, if we learn from our ways and offer an apology, we may humbly step back onto the right path and we may continue our journey.
Tags: apology, asking for forgiveness, speaking from the heart, values, zen saying
Posted on October 10th, 2009 | Be the first to comment »
