“As the actress poured some more vodka, the Count looked about the drab room.
How are the dogs? he asked.
Better off than I am.
To the dogs then, he said, lifting his glass.
Yes. She agreed with a smile. To the dogs.”
A Gentleman in Moscow
A Wise Man Celebrates What He Can
Expectations
“If you can’t live up to your expectations, lower them.” unknown older
This quote may sound odd, but our expectations often stop us from enjoying our lives. Career opportunities are cast aside that could lead to new fascinating experiences. Excursions aren’t taken because they are less than desired and people are over-looked who could be treasures to know.
Expectations can hold us back. Instead, take it as it comes – with eyes wide open.
We Have The Opportunity to…
Maybe we look at our lives the wrong way sometimes. Instead of, “I have to go to dance lessons”, it can be said, ” I have the opportunity to attend dance instruction.”
Sounds better to me and everything we do can be reframed into, “I have the opportunity to…”
There are many tasks we’d just rather not do because they are simply hard.
This technique flips the stress switch in the right direction.
Oprah- “Everyday is a day to start over.” This applies to our attitudes, as well.
Having Grace
Grace is all around us for the taking, but we often let it drift away-unused.
Grace can alleviate problematic scenarios and literally freshen the air.
Caroline Myss said, “When you get mad and want to say _ and something inside you says, ‘Do you really want to go there?’ that’s grace.”
Traditionalist
Some children love the tradition of family, especially family dinners where all the adults and the children sit together. They like when each has his spot and food preferences that are recognized. If the table setting looks new and different, all the better. Children grow and these are some of the important memories they establish and take into the future.
Ideas
- Ideas
“I believe that it is difficult to kill an idea because ideas are invisible and contagious, and they move fast. Ideas spring up where you do not expect them, like weeds, and are as difficult to control. I believe that repressing ideas spreads ideas.” Neil Gaiman
And so, our job is to allow time and space for our own ideas to germinate and grow.
Nail It Down
Secure a fine sheet of paper. Think about and record 25 things you love. Put the list aside for a few days. During the interim, notice what you really like, in art, music, people, adventures, scenery and life stories. Return to the list and revise. Repeat often and enjoy your new-found life.
Words, the Key to Thinking
Mysteriously enchanting. To have at the ready the perfect word to describe a scene, scenario or feeling feels good to the soul. The best days are those that include learning new words.
Special Moments in Childhood
Some moments in life are hard earned and take place with special new friends. Earning a blue ribbon for serious art work is just one example. Most days are not memorable, but some truly are.
Memories
“Was there ever a thing as pure memory? I doubt it. Even when we convince ourselves that we’re being dispassionate, sticking to the bald facts with no self-serving decorations or omissions, pure memory remains as elusive as a bar of wet soap. Or it does me, after a lifetime of blending experience with imagination.” John Le Carre
Thanksgiving family gatherings can provide the truth of this idea.
