Tag: Buddha

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.

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Balance

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

Thoughts to Ponder

 “The wiser the soul, the greater the simplicity. In everything.”

 The Universe*

That is an understatement if ever there was one, but it seems to contradict our current lifestyles. We hustle about from morning to night shuffling work projects, going to the gym, running errands and fitting school events and medical appointments where we can. Statistically Americans take fewer vacation days per year than any other nationality. Why is that?

Did we listen too closely when our elders told us, “Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop”? Are we expressing our determination to be the “best” in the world?” The best what? Manufacturer? Money maker? The smartest student? If those are the reasons, we are defeating ourselves with our keep busy at any cost mentality.

I’m not suggesting that we sit idly and wait for prosperity, fame and academic achievement to bless us with bounty. Yet, there is a point when we spend too much time doing and not enough time being. I once heard a wise person say, “There is a reason we’re called human beings rather than human doings.” She was telling us that we must find a balance between our overly rushed schedules and rest and regeneration time so we can resuscitate our souls and bodies.

Our current and past role models have set us a good example. The Dalai Lama spends hours each day teaching but he also meditates, eats good food, exercises and socializes. Mother Teresa was an example of charity in action, yet she found time each day to refresh her body and spirit. Even our presidents have taken frequent vacations from the demands of daily White House activities. They stay in touch with what is important yet, take a break from constant meetings.

If we study history we read that many of our national and international heroes took time to be quiet in the midst of chaos. We can also look at the lives of Jesus and the Buddha, both of whom spent hours teaching, yet also spent time socializing and praying.

Can we do less? I’m not suggesting any particular form of relaxation or meditation/prayer. Nor am I telling you what the ratio should be. I’m simply asking you to evaluate your life for balance and take the necessary action to set your priorities. Determine how much time to devote to your work, family, social activities and personal quiet time.

For a while you may need to pencil relaxation or meditation into your appointment calendar. I’m certain that once you develop the habit you’ll be almost instantly aware when you’ve missed your quiet time. It will be easy to spot. You’ll be irritable, stressed and overwhelmed. That will be your clue to take a few minutes to sit quietly, breathe deeply and remind yourself that calm produces more effective decisions and actions than forcing a solution.

Spirit,

Thank you for teachers who show us how to live balanced lives. Thank you also for giving us unease to show us when we are out of balance. Thank you for reminding us that finding our way from stress to calm is just a few slow, deep breaths and a moment of clearing our brain of its busyness. And, so it is.

*A Note from the Universe, August 12, 2016, www.tut.com

© by Sharon D. Dillon, August 18, 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.

Love Yourself

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

Thoughts to Ponder – June 7, 2016

 “Live today by the Buddha’s words: ‘You could search the whole world and

never find anyone as deserving of your love as yourself.’”

Martha Beck*

Many of us grew up with the idea that we shouldn’t brag about our accomplishments or show off in any way. That is true to a certain extent, but often we take it to heart and become people who turn a compliment into a put down. For example, some might say, “I like that dress/shirt/haircut.” In return we respond by saying, “Oh, see this tiny spot on the sleeve,” or “I really wanted my hair cut this way.”

Not only are we devaluing the sincere compliment, but also we are telling ourselves that we are not worthy of receiving a compliment. Over time we begin to think that we are not quite as good as everyone else. That insecurity shows itself in every facet of our lives. We settle for jobs that don’t use all our talents, loves who don’t respect our true selves and friends who like us because we aren’t competition.

Living by Buddha’s words is difficult when we first start to implement them. However, we find that each attempt comes easier. Eventually, we find that we are getting hired for better jobs, meeting potential love partners who honor us and actually trusting that we are worthwhile humans who have friends who respect our talents and choices.

Even after learning that we deserve our own love, we can slip back into old behavior. I did this recently. A man complimented my new hair style and I replied by saying something about not liking the way my hair looked that day. Then I chastised myself for negating his comment and learned from the mistake. A few days later another man mentioned he liked my new hair style. I just said, “Thank you,” and smiled. That felt much better and I’m sure he felt better than the first man whose compliment was rebuffed.

That’s a long way of saying that when we learn to love ourselves we also show more sincere love to other people. We can only reflect what we feel about ourselves.

Spirit, Please give us a gentle reminder each time we fail to love ourselves. Remind us that we are the best we can be and we need to honor and love ourselves. And, so it is.

*Beck, Martha, Daily Inspiration, info@marthabeck.com, June 7, 2016

© by Sharon D. Dillon, June 7, 2016

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net, http://energywriter.me “Laugh your way to peace, love and joy”

Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists

Author of “Twins! Oh no!” 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.

Thoughts to Ponder

by energywriter, posted in Thoughts to Ponder

“Your individuality is the most valuable thing you have.”

Martha Beck

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.”

Buddha

 Message

Life takes many twists and turns. It leads us up and down hills, eventually to the beach. Often we slog through a few swamps or deserts on our way to the beach.

As children and young adults we are taught:

  • You were born to be poor. So accept it.
  • This family has been farmers since 1607, so that is your destiny.
  • College is for people who are too lazy to work for a living

Somehow, we know deep inside that we belong on the beach. We can be rich, city people or well-educated. We don’t know how we know, but we do. So we nurture those thoughts in secret until one day they burst into bloom. Then we know that we have to move forward or die inside. We were not meant to be the person that we were told we should be. It is time to move forward.

This applies to our personalities as well as our outside lives. We may have grown up in a dour family, but our natural inclination is a sunny personality. We, like Ebenezer Scrooge, can through off life’s hard lessons and become the person we really are. We can be the person who “is the result of what we have thought.” When we reach that point we realize we no longer have to “fit in” but that our “individuality is the most valuable thing” we have.

So what if you want to be an artist or an actor. We must follow our inside path, no matter what our age. Grandma Moses became a famous artist in her 80s. Others have blossomed late as well.

One example is Abraham Lincoln. He was born to be a poor farmer, yet he sought to learn whenever and wherever he could. I doubt he ever thought he’d be a United States President during our nation’s most serious crisis. But he knew he didn’t belong on the farm and he followed that path. His life story doesn’t indicate that he was happy, but he knew he was doing what he was put on Earth to do.

No matter our age or station in life, we can look inside and know who we are supposed to be. We can recognize those thoughts we’ve nurtured and begin to live by their wisdom. What others think no longer matters. We become what we think we are.

 

Meditation

Creator Spirit,

Thank you for planting a seed inside us that guides us to our real selves. Thank you for nurturing it while we face challenges and must keep the seed hidden. We are grateful when the day comes that we can let the seed grow and we finally become who we really are.

And so it is.

© by Sharon Dillon, December 12, 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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