Edward G. Kardos

Going Viral With Friends

egkardos — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:41:47 +0000

Everyone, and I mean everyone, has some sort of quirk or, perhaps I can call it, flaw. That’s what makes us interesting and unique. Really it is. Sameness is good for a while, but it is deadly. However, I would have to say that it’s easy to like or love someone that fits nicely into what we think is the “perfect” personality or possesses all the kinds of traits we personally deem as acceptable or preferable. Perfect? Please. Loving people who love us is so easy. We may have to dig a bit deeper into our character, but we should choose to like and to love all we meet with their quirks, flaws and all. The way I look at it, if we like or love others and choose to accept them for who they are, it not only shows our own depth of character, it means we have an abundance of people we can truly call our friends. Talking about going viral. This would be so much more lasting and widespread than any social media. Don’t click “like” if you agree, just give it a try.

Right Action

egkardos — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 03:23:47 +0000

Only you know what’s in your heart. Act on it. Strive to do what’s right–what’s honorable. By striving to do what is right in our own eyes and not in what we think is in the eyes of others, we can rest easy as we are making the right choice we know how. That is all that we can do. When we begin to imagine what others want us to do or when we guess at what we think we should say or do, we cheat ourselves. We step in places we shouldn’t step. After all, even those friends who we hold so close to our hearts will, sometimes, be at our side and, other times, be nowhere to be found. Every moment we breathe, we live with ourselves. So doesn’t it make sense to make sure that when we act, we can live with the consequences? People come in and out of our lives. We do not have the luxury of doing the same, that is, with ourselves.

You may be familiar with this, but it’s worth reading again from time to time….

egkardos — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:21:24 +0000

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. “Lord, You said that once I decided to follow You, You’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed You most You would leave me.”

The Lord replied, “My son, My precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

— Margaret Fishback Powers

Success

egkardos — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:44:35 +0000

Notable folks in the past, in their own words, have said success in not found in our achievements but rather in whom we have become. I like to amend that by saying our success is in who we are becoming. Our life is constantly emerging and changing. If not, we live a very boring and predictable life. So as I get older, the more I think this notion of success is true. Although we would all like to find the cures for diseases or something remotely in that ballpark, most of our successes are limited to a different level, but still very wonderful professional and personal successes. For that, we should be very happy. But in today’s world we cannot rest on most professional success as the boss and others are likely saying something that resembles “what have you done for me lately” as opposed to “thanks, buddy”. So I am convinced that the kind, generous and grateful person who puts others first, are those who are most successful in all they do. They have found something in themselves that allows their humility to stand out and shine. For heaven’s sake, who wouldn’t want to be around someone like that? Heck, you’ve got to be around yourself all day long anyhow, why not be around someone who others see as successful. What a great way to be. What a great aspiration, and what a great way to measure your own success.

The Quiet

egkardos — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:56:56 +0000

When was the last time you experienced quiet? Stillness? I love the mountains and the woods as these are places that it seems easiest to pause, to be still and listen to the quiet. Sometimes the best time to experience the quiet in the wee morning hours when all is silent or when the snow falls and there is a certain hush throughout the neighborhood. Why do I think this is so important? When we are quiet and at rest, with no outside distractions, we hear that voice inside us that much clearer. You know that voice for which I am referring. It is telling us something new or helpful if we listen, but it is not always easy to hear and it is not always clear but it is there to guide us. We begin to hear our heartbeat and our breath and then that voice and we know we are closer to God. He uses this time to send us unfiltered thought and guidance. We just need to be still and be ready to listen to the quiet.

Courage

egkardos — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 01:51:49 +0000

How do we truly become ourselves? Many paths lead us to who we are today and who we will become with the hope of, one day, becoming the person we aspire to be. We need the daring and the guts to hold firm to our convictions, even if it seems the whole world is against us. Perhaps even more difficult, we need the courage to change some of our own beliefs that have become obsolete or even proven wrong as it relates to who we are becoming and want to become. It takes courage to stand up to others, but it takes a really different kind of courage to stand up to that voice inside of us that says this is the way I’ve always done this– or the way my parents always did this– or how I was brought up — or… and it continues. I’m not there yet, but I keep trying.

Marrow of Life

egkardos — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:25:27 +0000

What does living in the moment really mean? It means to be present in the here and now. It is like what coaches say to their team and that is to, “keep your head in the game.” Living in the moment is something we need to learn as it takes discipline. Nothing wonderful comes easy. When in the company of others, are we listening? Are we wishing we were elsewhere? Do we dismiss today looking for something better down the road? Does the mundane or serious issues in our life sabotage so much of our time? Right now, this very moment is fleeting and one that we will never experience again so why hand it over to anxiety, distractions or even people who take us down paths we would rather not go. Reactions to our moments in life can be stressful and cheat us from what is most important–the now and what is important like family, friends and contributing to the welfare of others. After all, this moment in time is the only real moment we have. We all know others who hanker for bygone days and others who forsake today to reach for some illusive nugget down the road.

One who lives in the moment knows how to suck dry the marrow of life. They get a hold of that moment and pull from it all that is has to offer. They find the sacred in the ordinary. They find the answer to a question. They appreciate someone else and find gratitude for all they witness. After all, don’t we sometimes have to scrap away the crud to find what something really is? Listening to others, liking where we are, getting the most out of today and detaching ourselves, more so than not, from the mundane and serious is to find to be mindful of the moment.

I keep trying.

Yellow Finch

egkardos — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:06:23 +0000

Many times when we think of Abraham Maslow, we think of his “hierarchy of needs”. Most times when I think of Maslow, I think of a quote attributed to him about something entirely different. Words that have been inspirational to me.

“The sacred is in the ordinary…it is to be found in one’s daily life, in one’s neighbors, friends, and family, in one’s own backyard…travel may be a flight from confronting the scared–this lesson can be easily lost. To be looking elsewhere for miracles is to me a sure sign of ignorance that everything is miraculous.”

Before I could remember, I practiced finding the sacred in what was ordinary. I didn’t really know that was what I was doing, but, in fact, that’s exactly what I was doing– what I was experiencing. That’s what I did…and that’s what I do. Maybe not all the time, but when I gather myself, I’m all about it. I often walk through my small yard and find something new in which to be amazed. I never saw a yellow finch until I was forty-eight and was absolutely entranced by its beauty. Sitting by a stream, I listened to the gush of the water over the smooth and uneven stones and heard music. I watched my children playing on a white sandy beach and wanted it to last forever. In the gloaming, I’ve seen the most magnificent sunsets and heard the most imaginative stories told by those who’ve joined me. I’ve chopped wood and felt life surge through my core. I had a hunch that I was finding the sacred in the ordinary.

“this moment as it is”

egkardos — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:50:24 +0000

The Zen circle is the enso. You’ve seen it. It is a very common symbol, perhaps the most common of Zen calligraphy. The circle is usually not complete although sometimes it is. I tend to feel that an incomplete circle symbolizes our imperfections and imperfections are what make us human. The symbol represents power, enlightenment, and the universe. I understand that translating it to English from its Japanese roots, it literally means, “this moment as it is”. There is no better moment than this one as there is no other moment other than this very moment. It makes sense not to overlook it. Appreciate this moment in time, not for what you might expect it to be, but for what it truly is. As we only have one shot at this moment as it is. What are you doing right now?

Everybody is a genius…says Albert Einstein

egkardos — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:03:12 +0000

Like so many others, I am fascinated with Albert Einstein but know very little about the man. I also love quotes and have accumulated some attributed to Einstein and wanted to share them here. As a man of science he was also a man of imagination and fantasy. He down played knowledge in these quotes and reminds us of how our individual experience lead us to our own discoveries–worthy to share. He thought about the world as a classroom. I could be wrong, but I think this genius had affection and a real respect for his fellow man. He knew how very fortunate he was as he captivated people with his true genius–a genius that, perhaps, may be discovered or uncovered in each of us. I especially like the first quote on my list…and as a writer, I like the last one too.

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited.

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.

I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.

It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.

A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be. Information is not knowledge.

Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

The only real valuable thing is intuition.

The only source of knowledge is experience.

The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.

There comes a time when the mind takes a higher plane of knowledge but can never prove how it got there.

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.