Category: Thoughts to Ponder

Thoughts to Ponder

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

“Today you are You,
That is truer than true.
There is no one alive
Who is Youer than You”
Dr. Seuss

Message

Dr. Seuss was the philosopher king of the 20th century. We raised our children with his silly verse and drawings, teaching them good behavior.

The only problem is that when we read Dr. Seuss to our children, we didn’t listen to what we were reading. Dr. Seuss spoke to adults as well as children. Please reread his quote and ask yourselves if you believe “there is no one alive who is Youer than You?”

Many of us grew up with questions like,
Why don’t you dress like ___?
Why aren’t you smart, athletic, or talented like your older brother/sister?”
When will you grow up and live up to your father’s/mother’s reputation/success?
What would your mother say if she knew ____?

Often those questions lead us to rebel in many little ways, sometimes in big ways. We didn’t know that we were actually just trying to be us, but we didn’t know how to do that. Often we absorbed the knowledge that we were “less than,” so how could we become the “you” we were born to be?

We were born unique and our life experiences were designed to teach us what we needed to learn to be the best “you” we could be. Some of us turned these learning experiences into opportunities. Some of us decided that we would always be second best or the worst, because we could not live up to others’ expectations. Now we know better.

It is never too late to become “you,” just “you” and no one else. If we haven’t started already, we can start right now. Before we make decisions or take actions, even small ones, we can ask ourselves, “Would the best me do this?”

Meditation

Creator Spirit,
Thank you for reminding us that we are unique. We each have our own goals and personalities. The more we remember that we are unique, the more we know that no one can be better or worse than we are in any moment. That knowledge will lead us to better words and actions. Today I choose to be the best me I can be.

And so it is.

© by Sharon Dillon, September 9, 2014

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net and Laugh your way to peace, love and joy at http://energywriter.me
Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists
Author of one of 14 stories in The Book of Mom: Reflections of Motherhood with Love, Hope and Faith, published by booksyoucantrust.com. Available in print and e-format at Amazon.com

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Passion, compassion, humor and style

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

Thoughts to Ponder

“My mission in life is not merely to survive,
but to do so with some passion,
some compassion,
some humor,
and some style.”
Maya Angelou

Message

Maya Angelou had the ability to tell us the hard truths gently. We knew she was telling us how to live fully. This quote reminds us that we must be multi-dimensional, rather than too focused on one part of our life. In order to live fully we must not just survive, but live with passion, compassion, humor and style. That sounds like a tall order, but it isn’t. This is merely a repeat of lessons taught us through the generations.

We must work, play and rest with our whole being, our passion. Working at a job or participating in a recreational activity we don’t like quickly drains our enthusiasm. Rest is particularly important. Our bodies do not regenerate if we limit our sleeping hours or if we’re reviewing our to-do lists as we begin to drift into Sandman territory.

Not only do we look at those less fortunate than we with compassion, but we must also treat ourselves with kindness and love. Throw the shoulda, woulda, couldas into the trash can. We must accept ourselves for who we are before we can become the people we want to be. That sounds backward, but is not. If we constantly go through our day thinking and saying, “I’d be better off if I could only lose 50 pounds or run a marathon,” we will accomplish neither. We need to say, “This is the weight I am and these are the physical abilities I have today. I choose to use them to the best of my ability.” With that attitude, miracles happen.

Have you ever noticed that when you have a headache and feel like your head is going to explode then someone comes along and tells you a joke. You begin to laugh, and soon the headache is gone.

Humor also heals relationships. For example, one person will tell another, “You’re acting like a stupid a$$. “
The other one begins to bray.
“What are you doing? We’re trying to solve a difficult issue here.”
“You called me ‘a stupid a$$,’ so I thought I’d act like one.”
Now both are laughing and the problem is solved by the pair working together.

Everyone has his or her own style. Maya Angelou carried her great height with flair and wore clothes that enhanced her appearance, but most of all she had her own particular way of relating to those around her. Often we say, “I wish I had so-and-so’s way of walking, talking, wearing clothes.” We don’t need that person’s style. We have our own. If we don’t like our style we can change it, as long as it fits our personality and environment.

We create our own passion, compassion, humor and style. What we do and how we do it is unique to each of us. We have no need to copy another person. We are unique and can carry that individuality with panache or we can schlep through life being invisible. Which would you rather do?

Meditation

Creator Spirit,
Thank you for reminding us that we are unique, yet we each have passion, compassion, humor and style. The more we remember that we are unique, the less we have a desire to fit in, to be one of the crowd. Crowds don’t solve problems or heal someone’s aching heart. Individuals do. Today we chose to be the very best unique people we can be.
And so it is.

© by Sharon Dillon, August 26, 2014

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net and Laugh your way to peace, love and joy at http://energywriter.me
Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists
Author of one of 14 stories in The Book of Mom: Reflections of Motherhood with Love, Hope and Faith, published by booksyoucantrust.com. Available in print and e-format at Amazon.com

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Which path?

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

Thoughts to Ponder

“When your life is over,
how do you want the world to be different
– in larger ways or small –
because you have lived?”
Martha Beck

Message

This quote requires much thought and introspection. Most of us would say we’d like to know we made life better for our families and others who have crossed our path.
How do we do that?

We must walk the walk as well as talk the talk about our own personal truths. What our truth is does not matter so much as living that truth. For many of us that means sharing our faith, however, sharing our faith verbally, is less important that showing it in our actions.

We’ve all heard of televangelists who have strayed from the path, spending the congregation’s donations on luxury items or building a huge worship center rather than giving to charities as they claimed in their sermons. These people’s misdeeds are remembered long after their good deeds are forgotten.

We’ve also seen people who act saintly in public, yet mistreat their families. In this instance the families often go along with the act and praise the “saint” while fear churns in their bellies. Eventually, the truth becomes evident, leaving the do-gooder to sit in the ditch. Their home is no longer a refuge.

On the other hand, we’ve seen people who never mention their faith, yet live it every moment. They do good deeds and encourage others without caring for awards or praise. This person is the one who makes the world a better place.

One way to check which road you are traveling is to imagine what words will be engraved on your grave marker. Will it say, “____ ____” born ____, died ____? Or will it say, “____ ____ made the world a better place?” If your imaginary marker does not say what you would like it to say, you can make changes in your words and actions. It is never too late to walk a new path and correct your wrongs.

Moving ourselves onto a new path is not always easy. Sometimes the old habits do not want to leave. You and they were comfortable with the old way. We can make a list of things we want to do and check it daily. We can keep a journal and watch our progress. We’ll know we have made the change when we feel content more times than not.

Meditation

Creator Spirit, thank you for giving us reminders when we wander from our true path. We know that if we don’t respond to the small reminders, larger, painful ones will follow. We thank you that when we are on the correct path we feel peace, love and joy.
And so it is.

© by Sharon Dillon, August 18, 2014

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net and Laugh your way to peace, love and joy at http://energywriter.me
Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists
Author of one of 14 stories in The Book of Mom: Reflections of Motherhood with Love, Hope and Faith, published by booksyoucantrust.com. Available in print and e-format at Amazon.com

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Formula One Thoughts

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

August 5, 2014

From “Agnes” cartoon, August 1, 2014
Tony Cochran

Agnes:
It feels like my thoughts are racing in tiny Formula One cars, up one side of my brain and down the other. Some crash and burn, some stall and hit the wall, some blow a motor and leave a toxic trail of antifreeze and busted parts. It just makes me crazy.

How do you keep your thoughts from driving you crazy?

Trout (Agnes’ best friend):
I don’t buy ‘em cars.

Message

Many of us experience life like Agnes does. Our thoughts race through our brains like Formula One cars: crashing, stalling, or blowing motors. Those thoughts clutter the track and don’t allow the thoughts that are still operating to drive through the mess and get to the finish line. Then, like Agnes, we feel like we’re going crazy. We can’t make good decisions because of all the debris.

Often we can’t sleep because of all the cars roaring around our brain. We don’t give proper attention to the task at hand, be it driving, developing a business plan, or playing with our children. We miss what is important.

– We don’t see the car that just cut off the driver ahead of us and miss taking proper precautions to avoid an accident.
– We type incorrect numbers into our business plan that should give us the information we need to succeed.
– We miss that precious moment when our child reveals what is on his/her mind. We only hear the words and not the meaning behind them. “I’m afraid of spiders” could mean “I’m afraid of my teacher.”

So what do we do about it? Like Trout, we “don’t buy ‘em cars.” We have to deliberately slow our thoughts to walking speed. Only in that way can we discern whether this thought or that one will help us and those around us. Yes, easier said than done. However, once we learn how to slow our thoughts, life will begin to bloom around us. Several years ago I arrived at a meeting and announced, “I saw flowers today. I heard the birds singing.” I had not realized how much of life was absent because I gave all my attention to my racing thoughts.

We have many ways to learn to slow our thoughts. We can notice our breathing is fast and shallow and take a moment to breathe deeply and slowly. After practicing a while, we’ll notice when our breathing is too rapid and automatically slip into conscious breathing patterns.

We can meditate. We can do formal practices like yoga or focusing on a candle flame, always good for our mental and physical health. Prayer is good, if done consciously. Sitting down and allowing the thoughts to float away helps. A walk in the woods is refreshing. When exercising we tend to start our routine with rapid, incomplete repetitions, but soon we slow into a deliberate pattern which helps both our body and mind. These are just a few suggestions. If we stop a minute and think about what works, we’ll recognize our best choice.

Those methods and many more have the same conclusion. They slow our breathing and our thoughts. We can focus on the issue at hand and make conscious decisions based on our needs and wants, not what just what seems easiest at the time or which race car is damaged least. Our thought tracks are clear of debris. We can stride to the finish line carrying that checkered flag.

Meditation

Creator spirit,
Thank you for teaching us to slow down and get more done. Thank you for giving us methods to slow those race cars in our brain. Thank you for giving us clear thought patterns. You made us with brains and bodies that help us reach our goals. This is a gift we treasure and use with care.
And so it is.

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net and Laugh your way to peace, love and joy at http://energywriter.me
Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists
Author of one of 14 stories in The Book of Mom: Reflections of Motherhood with Love, Hope and Faith, published by booksyoucantrust.com. Available in print and e-format at Amazon.com

Contents may be forwarded, but please give credit where credit is due and erase all email addresses on original message.

Fear or courage

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face . . . You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.”
Eleanor Roosevelt

Message

We all have fears, even those of us who think we are fearless. Some of us are afraid of spiders, flying or loud noises. Or we fear the dark, being alone or making a mistake. Each day, no matter how we try to plan our lives so we don’t encounter our fears, we face them anyway.

Many times our fears protect us from danger. We know that if we go swimming during a hurricane we will drown. If we play golf in thunder storm we have a good chance of being struck by lightning. Those fears are based on fact and have been proven many times. So our reactions to these events aren’t fear, but acting on knowledge, or what our parents called common sense.

Our worst fears are those involving the people who are closest to us. How do we know if he/she is our own true love? How will I feed my family if I lose my job? Am I a good parent? Will I ever follow my dream, or is this all there is? How do I tell my loved one that he/she needs professional help? What will happen if I become so disabled my family takes away my car keys? The list goes on and on. We all know the litany because we go through it almost daily, or even many times a day.

Often we allow our fears to control our lives by avoiding confrontations, high places or anything else that intimidates us. Usually our fears are based on previous experiences, especially fears of speaking up or challenging another’s statements. By avoiding these situations we live limited lives. It is only by standing up for our beliefs that we become the people we were meant to be. We were not put on this Earth to cower but to live fully.

In the quote at the top of this page Mrs. Roosevelt stated so clearly why we must face our fears. Only by doing “the thing which you think you cannot do,” can we grow to be better people than we were yesterday. Sometimes we have to face a situation many times before we can resolve it confidently.

Facing fear is like taking our turn at bat in a baseball game. Initially we learn that we don’t need to duck when we see the ball coming toward us. Then we get brave enough to swing the bat and feel warm inside. Then we hit the ball but it doesn’t go far, and we think we might learn how to play the game after all. Slowly we learn how to take a stance, hold the bat and swing. Finally, one day we step up to the plate, take a mighty swing and hit a home run. We did it!

As we become more confident in our own abilities, whether at home plate, in our families or on the job, so do others. We find that we are earning respect. Our friends ask for and listen to our advice when previously we asked them what to do. Doing what needs to be done makes us better people, someone we are proud to be. Learning to be the best we can be is why we were put on this earth.

Meditation

Creator spirit,
Thank you for teaching us that we learn by doing. Each attempt at a new skill gives us more confidence to do that thing and do it well. Facing fear is just another new skill we need to learn. Confidence doesn’t come easily. We have to learn and earn it. We thank you for presenting opportunities to help us grow into the people you want us to be. We thank you for the warm feeling you give us each time we learn a new skill, whether mechanical or psychological.
And so it is.

If you know someone who would appreciate reading “Thoughts to Ponder,” please suggest that he or she contact me at: energywriter@cox.net

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net, http://energywriter.me
Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists
Author of one of 14 stories in The Book of Mom: Reflections of Motherhood with Love, Hope and Faith, published by booksyoucantrust.com. Available in print and e-format at Amazon.com

Contents may be forwarded, but please give credit where credit is due and erase all email addresses on original message.

Thoughts to Ponder – July 9, 2014

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

“The most important decision you make
is to be in a good mood.”

Voltaire

Message

We can decide to have a good mood?

This is a shock to many of us who grew up believing that our moods were dictated to us. We learned to reflect the moods of those around us. As children, that meant our parents and teachers. We were we told, “You should be happy, because . . . . Or, “Why are you happy? Just look at what is happening . . . .” The pattern repeated itself as we matured. We learned to feel what we thought we were supposed to feel.

This is not to say that we shouldn’t empathize with those around us. Empathy is a gift to us as well as to others, but we don’t need to wallow in another’s pain.

Eventually, we began learning and integrating the revolutionary idea that we could feel how we felt. We finally gave ourselves permission to feel happy when others were sad – and to feel sad when others were happy.

We can choose to be in a good mood, no matter what is happening in our surroundings. We don’t need to mask our true feelings, but we can avoid getting sucked into another’s vortex of despair.

We learn that most of the time our good mood is contagious – to us as well as to others. Perhaps we wake up in a good mood because we slept well. We can hang on to that thought even though traffic is making us late for work or, or, or . . . . As the day progresses, we will notice that our good mood extends itself. We still feel good at the end of the day.

Best of all, good moods are contagious. Often a smile and a simple “thank you” is enough to lift another person from the doldrums. If not, well, there is always the next person.

Meditation

Creator Spirit,
Thank you for the gift of joy, the gift of knowing we are happy inside even if others are not. We know that being in a good mood, is an extension of gratitude. If we are grateful, a good mood naturally follows. Good moods are contagious.
And, so it is.

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net, http://energywriter.me
Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists
Author of one of 14 stories in The Book of Mom: Reflections of Motherhood with Love, Hope and Faith, published by booksyoucantrust.com. Available in print and e-format at Amazon.com

Ideas for peace, love and joy

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

June 20, 2014

This week I’ve been a bit under the weather so am offering you a few bits of knowledge I’ve picked up here and there. I originally thought this might be a Mid-year Resolution list, but know living in the moment is more important. Besides resolutions don’t work unless you think you are worthy of the outcome.

“Anything is possible. Stay open, forever, so open it hurts, and then open up some more, until the day you die, world without end, amen.”
George Saunders*

Message

Dr. Phil McGraw – Words to live by in 2014*
– Everybody has a personal truth.
– A strong sense of self is the foundation….
– A successful reinvention … happens when you love yourself enough to believe you can do better and deserve better.
– The Universe rewards action.
– The major difference between a dream and a goal is a timeline for progress … (and) accountability.
– We generate the results we believe we deserve.

Martha Beck’s Plan for finding joy*
– Have a vision.
– Let go of what doesn’t work.
– Don’t be afraid to fail.
– Pay attention to what really matters to you.

Brené Brown – Dare to play*
– Create a play list … activities you could do for hours on end.
– Carve out time on your calendar – protect playtime the way you protect work ….
– Play well with others …. things that make us all our most silly, creative, and free-spirited selves.

Iyanla Vanzant – How do I break a negative pattern?*
– Notice it.
– Know its cause.
– Slow down! … to see things for what they really are.
– Forgive yourself.
– Check in … What am I doing and why?

* All of the quotes come from the January 2014 O, the Oprah magazine.

Meditation

Creator Spirit,
Thank you for these wise people who offer their knowledge to us. We know that there are many more teachers circling us daily. We know, but sometimes deny, that we are teachers too, sometimes for good, sometimes for bad. Please show us how to step into our truth and be the best teachers we can be.
And, so it is.

If you know someone who would appreciate reading “Thoughts to Ponder,” please suggest that he or she contact me at: energywriter@cox.net

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net,
Go to http://energywriter.me to read postings at “Laugh your way to peace love and joy.”
Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists
Author of one of 14 stories in The Book of Mom: Reflections of Motherhood with Love, Hope and Faith, published by booksyoucantrust.com. Available in print and e-format at Amazon.com

Contents may be forwarded, but please give credit where credit is due and erase all email addresses on original message.

Thoughts to Ponder

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did, but
people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Maya Angelou

Message

This is not a tribute to Dr. Angelou, though I’d be glad to add my praise to all the others who’ve taken the time to write about her impact on their lives. I’ll just say that she gave me courage to keep on keeping on.

Her quote explains how most of us got to where we are today. Our station in life often reflects how people have made us feel over the years. Retrospectives are a pain, but they often teach us what we need to know today.

• Did our parents, teachers, friends and spouses let us know they valued our presence, knowledge and love?
• Did they show us that we were a nuisance, substandard and a drain on their emotions, money and time?
• Did they just ignore us and pretend we didn’t exist?

We’ve all felt valued, devalued and ignored. Which of those dominated our lives and made us the people we are today? How do we treat other people? Do we value, devalue or ignore them? How will our actions impact those people as they go out into the world?

No matter how we have been treated in the past, we can determine to be better people. We have a choice about how we treat ourselves. Are we kind, considerate, forgiving of our selves. How we treat ourselves is reflected in how we treat others.

As someone once said, “God don’t make junk. So don’t act like you are.”

Meditation
Creator Spirit, thank you for the gift of life and the ability to evaluate our actions and how they’ve been impacted by our experiences. We thank you that you’ve given us the ability to learn and improve. We choose to be messengers of love, kindness and thoughtful action that bring peace and confidence to those we meet on our journey.
And, so it is.

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net, http://energywriter.me
Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists
Author of one of 14 stories in The Book of Mom: Reflections of Motherhood with Love, Hope and Faith, published by booksyoucantrust.com. Available in print and e-format at Amazon.com

Contents may be forwarded, but please give credit where credit is due and erase all email addresses on original message.

Gratitude on Memorial Day

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

“Patriotism is merely a religion – love of country, worship of country, devotion to the country’s flag, honor and welfare.”
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twin)

Message

A grateful thank you to all men and women who have served our country in times of war and peace is due every single day, not just on Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. We must also extend gratitude to those who waited at home for their loved ones to return, hopefully the same strong young men and women who left to defend their country or protect another country’s right to exist. Honor all those who have answered their nation’s call, in whatever way that they could: Victory Gardens, assisting their neighbors, prayers for safety.

At the same time I yearn for the day we no longer hear those calls. Are we humans capable of living in peace? I think of songs we sing in church and contemplate their confusing messages: “Onward Christian Soldiers” and “I Ain’t Going to Study War No More.”

All religions teach peace. Often we greet each other by bowing and saying “Namaste,” or “The sacred in me greets the sacred in you.” Even shaking hands indicates that our hands hold no weapons. These behaviors are ingrained into our daily lives, yet we forget or disregard the meaning behind them. Is this dichotomy the reason so many of our returning veterans are committing suicide? We send them to war. The next day they are at home and expected to act like the horror never happened. We can’t forget violence in 24 hours.

Meditation

Spirit,
Mixed messages about peace and war assault us on all sides. On one hand we talk about war to impose peace. On the other we see the damage war has caused to the minds and hearts of all involved. Our holy books teach us peace. We ask that you implant a stronger desire for peace than we have for dissention.
And, so it is.

If you know someone who would appreciate reading “Thoughts to Ponder,” please suggest that he or she contact me at: energywriter@cox.net

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net, http://energywriter.me
Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists
Author of one of 14 stories in The Book of Mom: Reflections of Motherhood with Love, Hope and Faith, published by booksyoucantrust.com. Available in print and e-format at Amazon.com

Contents may be forwarded, but please give credit where credit is due and erase all email addresses on original message.

Start where you are

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

May 14, 2014

“The long and the short of it goes something like this . . .
When one stops looking for the quick and easy way,
and just deals the what’s on their plate,
the quick and easy way soon finds them. . . .
Actually, what could be quicker than beginning
with where you are, or easier than starting
with what you’ve got?”
TUT, a note from the Universe

Message

Wow! Those words put us on the spot, don’t they? The author is saying, “No more excuses.” How many of us are saying, at this very moment, “I’ll follow my dream – when I have more time, money, energy, clean socks and have memorized the dictionary. Or, “I’ll go to the beach after I retire.”

This procrastination also applies to ordinary daily tasks, “I’ll do the dishes after I check email.” “I’ll go for a walk after I finish the laundry.” How about walking while the washing machine is doing its work? There are so many ways we use excuses to delay living life to the fullest. Yet, we know that if we just do it, the task is smaller and time goes faster than we thought.

The TUT quote says to begin with where we are, wherever that is. Barbara Brown Taylor carries that thought further, “If you are in the dark, it does not mean that you have failed and that you have taken some terrible misstep. For many years I thought my questions and my doubt and my sense of God’s absence were all signs of my lack of faith, but now I know this is the way the life of the spirit goes.”*

*TIME magazine, April 28, 2014

Meditation

Spirit,
Thank you for these messages that keep popping into our awareness, just when we need them most. Often they come from surprising sources. Please open our hearts and minds to absorb the messages that can lead us to a better life. We can’t always know where or what that better life is. We ask that you give us the courage to follow the prompting, whether it is a big neon sign or a barely audible whisper in our ears. And, so it is.

If you know someone who would appreciate reading “Thoughts to Ponder,” please suggest that he or she contact me at: energywriter@cox.net

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net, http://energywriter.me
Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists
Author of one of 14 stories in The Book of Mom: Reflections of Motherhood with Love, Hope and Faith, published by booksyoucantrust.com. Available in print and e-format at Amazon.com

Contents may be forwarded, but please give credit where credit is due and erase all email addresses on original message.