Month: September 2016

Share the duties

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

Thoughts to Ponder – September 30, 2016

“You take care of the inches, I’ll take care of the miles.

You just have to go first.”

The Universe*

What an encouraging statement! All we have to do is start our project and the Universe will take care of the rest. That doesn’t mean that we can start a task, then sit down and watch television while the project is completed.

Drat! That’s the way I like to work. I must admit right up front that I’m a world class procrastinator. Don Marquis said,

“Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.”**

How right he was. I’m usually working on yesterday’s task. I much prefer doing something fun than work. But, I know that if I want to accomplish certain things like paying my bills, cleaning my house or writing a New York Times best seller I have to do some work, probably a lot of work.

The Universe isn’t telling us that we don’t have to work. It is telling us that if our deep desire is to accomplish a goal, we should start it even if we don’t see how all the details are going to work out. The Universe will be sure that all that’s needed will be available.

An excellent example is right here in our area. Several years ago a young boy was killed in a traffic accident. Wanting to honor the child’s memory his parents began a program called A Gift from Ben. They went to a local grocery store and asked for a donation of food that was near its expiration date. Since the store management would have to destroy the food anyway, they gave it to the program. The parents then delivered the food to a few people in need and repeated the action each week. As word spread about their charitable project, other stores offered food. Then people who had plenty began offering cash donations. Now the project feeds several low-income neighborhoods and shelters. Some neighborhoods have now set up organized distribution centers. Resident volunteers separate and bag the food so that the other residents can just pick up a bag and return their homes. The parents took the steps of contacting a grocery store and buying an old pick-up truck to deliver the food. The Universe provided the rest.

I know this concept is real. I’ve seen it happen several time in my life. A few examples are: attending college in my 40s and paying the loan debt; buying my first house in my 50s through a low-income program; making repairs/remodeling the house and more recently being given a lovely sweater than wasn’t in my budget. All of us can think of several situations that worked out better than we thought they would.

Most of us have dreams that we don’t expect to come true. That’s our biggest problem. We see the impediments as much larger than the available resources. That feeds our procrastination tendencies. So how do we take care of the “inches”? We go to work, pick up the Windex and rag and sit “butt in chair” and type. Once we do that, we look for the next step and take it. Because we “go first” and “take care of the inches” the Universe will smooth the path to the next step, that is, “take care of the miles.”

Spirit,

Thank you for reminding us that you will always meet our needs and that we need to take the first step. If we do that you will provide the rest.

And, so it is.

* TUT – A note from the Universe, Mike Dooley, September 30, 2016

** Don Marquis, ‘certain maxims of archy’ in “archy and mehitabel”, 1927

© by Sharon D. Dillon, September 30, 2016

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net, http://energywriter.me “Laugh your way to peace, love and joy” Author of Echoes of your Choices, 2016, available as a paperback or e-book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other online sites.

Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Voices of Williamsburg Toastmasters Club.

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Truth is always calm

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

Thoughts to Ponder, September 28, 2016 

“Truth is always calm. Still. Quietly and intensely alive.”

Martha Beck*

That quote seems contrary to the way most of us think. We can all remember various famous people who spoke with anger and derision in their voices. They shouted their beliefs loudly and repeatedly to convince others to their points of view. A few that come to my mind are various rulers who sought/seek to conquer, politicians wanting to make a point and preachers seeking converts. They persuaded many to follow their teachings, but were ultimately deposed or faded from public awareness. We read about them in historic and current books that show us the folly of their stances and their short lived dominance and fame.

Many of us still think that the loudest person wins the argument. Today’s politicians, commentators, co-workers and neighbors try to prove that point daily. They think that many big words and volume are persuasive. Instead of being persuaded, we are tempted to argue. Soon people are taking sides and trying to see who can yell the loudest.

On the other hand we find that teachers like Jesus, Marcus Aurelius, the Buddha, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Dr. M.L. King, the Dalai Lama, Pope Francis and many others spoke/speak their truth calmly, quietly and eloquently. Their teachings have stayed with us for generations. We can feel the truth of what they had/have to say.

If we emulate those teachers I mentioned and others like them, we will find that we will be more persuasive and, overall, the world will be quieter and calmer. It’s hard to argue with someone who quietly states the truth with knowledge and wisdom. If we disagree with their premise, we tend to copy that person’s speech patterns which results in a discussion rather than an argument. Discussion solves many more problems than do arguments.

Spirit,

Thank you for showing us that quiet and calm speaks the truth better than anger and intensity. We choose to live our lives quietly, calmly and persuasively.

And, so it is.

*Martha’s Daily Inspiration, September 15, 2016, info@marthabeck.com

© by Sharon D. Dillon, September 28, 2016

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net, http://energywriter.me “Laugh your way to peace, love and joy” Author of Echoes of your Choices, 2016, available as an e-book or paperback at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other online sites.

Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Voices of Williamsburg Toastmasters Club.

Surprising News

by energywriter, posted in Humor

This morning I opened my email and began reading messages. Suddenly I saw this big headline:

“You should always consult with a physician before beginning any treatment for erectile dysfunction.”

Below was a photo of a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman obviously anticipating their impending pleasure. In the upper left corner the ad showed a blossom of three pills (Cialis, Levitra and Viagra) all pointing out with a red dot in the center and a caption reading:

“From $0.62 – Special Price – Order Now Men’s Trial Pack”

Then the picture shifted to a huge jet with its nose pointed at me, implying that I would soon have great elevation. This message was shorter:

“Fast delivery World Wide”

This ad might have been good news to some, but, it deflated my self-image. You see, I don’t have any body parts that need enhanced. I gave birth to three children, performed what has traditionally been considered women’s work and acted in ways that defined me as a woman.

But wait! This morning that email told me I am a man. Can this be true? Many people have told me that on-line advertisers target their ads to a specific audience who will use their products, so it must be true.

Do I need to buy tighty-whities instead of lacy undergarments and start watching sports and playing fantasy football? Perhaps I should take a lesson from my grandfather’s philosophy: “I don’t curse, drink or chew, nor associate with women who do.”  It would go well with the skill he taught me – how to roll cigarettes.

What’s a gal, er, guy to do?

© by Sharon D. Dillon, September 23, 2016

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net, http://energywriter.me “Laugh your way to peace, love and joy” Author of Echoes of your Choices, 2016, available as an e-book or paperback at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other online sites.

Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Voices of Williamsburg Toastmasters Club.

Take Care of Yourself First

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

Thoughts to Ponder – September 11,2016

 “When we let what others are doing or not doing become a part of our

every day life, it is we who are not doing our own life.”

 A Window of Wisdom*

How easy it is to become involved in another person’s drama. We spend hours trying to find a solution for a friend who is dealing with a seemingly unsolvable problem. We should be concerned about our friends. However, we need to find a balance between concern and obsession. Over-thinking anything – elections, football, weather, job, friends, lovers and so on is harmful to our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual bodies.

Being concerned without becoming involved in another’s problem is sometimes difficult, but doable. When someone shares a problem, we can say “I’m sorry you are facing this dilemma. How would you like me to help?” Usually she just wants a willing listener. If she is seeking a solution, we can offer a suggestion or two then remind her that she has to decide what action to take or not. Then we let go of the problem. It is not ours to carry.

We tend to get mired in our own problems. We spend hours, days, or weeks pondering our ability to resolve the issue and how this crisis will affect our future. These valid concerns deserve our attention, but not to the point of supplanting other facets of our lives. Our personal crisis tends to swirl around in our brains at the most inconvenient times. Trying to push it out of our minds is futile.

A better option is to allot a time to concentrate on that issue. Some ways are to read about the subject, talk to a trusted adviser, write a list of possible solutions, or meditate. Even better, do all of them. After evaluating the situation we will probably have a solution or at least a step or two to take that will lead to a resolution. For example, we can decide to take this action and if that works the problem is solved. If not, then we can try step two and see where that leads. Many times the result will not be what we think it should be, but will lead us in a direction with better options.

Spirit,

Thank you for reminding us to place our attention where it belongs and that we can’t resolve anyone’s problems but our own. You’ve given us steps to find solutions and the ability to decide the proper action. We chose to use those options.

And, so it is.

*A Window of Wisdom, September 2, 2016, https://awindowofwiscome.wordpress.com

© by Sharon D. Dillon, September 11, 2016

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net, http://energywriter.me “Laugh your way to peace, love and joy” Author of Echoes of your Choices, 2016, available as an e-book or paperback at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other online sites.

Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Voices of Williamsburg Toastmasters Club.