Stay the Course...

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." -Winston Churchill

Early on I was taught that if you commit to something, you had to see it through. One of my first head-on experiences with this was after I joined the high school basketball team. A few weeks of unbearable practices had me wanting to quit. I asked my dad what I should do and he explained how important commitments are, not only to the person keeping the commitment but to anyone else involved. Although his answer didn't get me off the team, I ultimately knew he was right and kept going.

I suppose if I hadn't had such a great coach in my past, or experienced the feeling when a challenge is overcome, I may not have the willpower and resiliency I do today. In the future, I know there will be times when I'll be faced with the desire to give up, however, in the same moment, I'll remember my commitment and keep going. 

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek." - Mario Andretti  

On the Road Again...

In less than four days I leave for another adventure on the road. This time a 26- foot-long school bus will be my humble abode. I don't know many of the trip's details, other than I will be with my friend Peter (purple hat), and that we will be wading through rivers, taking dips in hot springs, and riding bikes on the Venice Beach boardwalk.

There is nothing like the feeling a blank slate of possibilities invokes. Nothing.

I'll leave you with a thought from Jurassic Park author, Michael Crichton, "Often I feel I go to some distant region of the world to be reminded of who I really am. There is no mystery about why this should be so. Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of food, your closet full of your clothes -  with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating."  

My soon-to-be bed.

Trust is Difficult but Necessary...

Trust means relying on a person's integrity, strength, and ability. As for me, my trust is shaken due to a recent purchase via the internet. The details are as follows: The Ebay seller said she would ship the item as soon as my funds cleared. I was hoping to receive said item prior to leaving for California, but learned my method of payment would take a week or longer, not in time, so I used a credit card to expedite the process. I then called to stop the initial check, but when I learned it would cost $35 to do so, I decided to email the seller to notify her of the double payment and ask that she send the check back to me.

I have yet to hear from the seller, despite my subsequent emails, and find myself caught up in what if and maybe scenarios. Maybe I should have paid the $35? What if the seller spent the money on a cruise? Maybe I'm too trusting? Or, just maybe I should take my own advice from my "Feeling Goal Time" post and let go of the details, accept the situation, and allow it to unfold how it will. Yeah, that's what I'll do...  

Stand For Something...

The conscious life is lived with an open mind and it asks for nothing less than all of you. It catches the imagination on fire, while illuminating a path of passion. And as for fear? Fear only serves to inhibit the road to awareness and what is truly possible.

"Come to the edge...We might fall. Come to the edge...It's too high. COME TO THE EDGE...And they came...and he pushed...and they flew!" - Christopher Logue

The conscious life will never give you more than you can handle, but the positive aspects it brings will be more than you ever thought possible. If, in each and every moment, we work to connect to our highest good while focusing and responding to positive aspects in the world around us, we will then create a truly worthwhile existence. ~The Psyhologist's Philosophy

Write Now...

Since my first journal, fit with lock and key when I was 5 years old, writing has been a part of my life. I currently have a stack of journals 15 deep on the hallway bookshelf and contained in those pages are moments of extreme pain and unrestrained joy. The words from my past remind me that the passage of time creates distance, and in that, lies healing.  

The article "Five Ways Writing Can Save Your Life," explains how the components of self-discovery, reflection, meditation, imagination and action are at the core of the writing experience. I can say from experience, as I near the end of my third month writing daily, the act of taking thoughts and emotions and translating them into words is a truly satisfying experience. I've learned there is no wrong answer, that the only expectations that exist are ones I set for myself, and it's better to try and fail than to do nothing at all. 

I'm glad I enjoy writing because as intimidating as 279 more days of blogging seems, I know taking it a day at a time will make the process go smoothly. 

Well, that's all for this evening. Good night, and if you too decide you may want to start a journal remember: "Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards." -Robert Heinlein

Unmask Thyself...

I've been told twice now about Phoenix Jones, the real life martial artist and superhero of Seattle who is part of a citizen patrol group that prevents crime. My childlike wonder came out at the prospect of bad guys being punished and banished from the streets. A little introspection about the man behind the mask makes me see a man with a big ego who seeks to avenge the bullies from his past by perpetuating the same cycle he believes he is ending.

There is a saying that goes, "don't fight fire with fire." So, if you don't like something, don't add more of what you don't like to it. It seems very backwards to right wrongs with more wrongs. When I heard Phoenix Jones was a martial artist, that about did me in. It appears he may need a refresher course in the philosophy of what makes a true martial artist: 

~One of the most priceless gifts of martial arts practice is to get to know yourself internally and externally.

~Our main goal is to use the body to reach and learn to master the mind. Once you have mastered your mind you will have no desire to ever fight.

~In real martial arts, even when faced with the situation, you can stay calm and centered.

~Through practice we become aware of what we think and why. What shapes our values and beliefs, then we can step back and look at it with more of a pure mind.

~Consistent effort over time is needed to achieve greatness in anything. 

Lastly, a conscious life is lived not behind a mask, but with eyes and a heart wide open ready to give one's strengths where they can best be served.