day 323 – The Cookie Thief

Here’s a gem that Wayne Dyer shared with us last Wednesday night.  

The Cookie Thief
 by Valerie Cox

A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shops.
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see,
That the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be.
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock,
As the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.”

With each cookie she took, he took one too,
When only one was left, she wondered what he would do.
With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other,
She snatched it from him and thought… oooh, brother.
This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude,
Why he didn’t even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,
Then she sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise,
There was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

If mine are here, she moaned in despair,
The others were his, and he tried to share.
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

This poem speaks to me about perception and how I can be soooooo wrong.  What did you glean from it?  The same?  Have you ever had a similar experience?  What are my judgments based on?  Is the basis of conflict always a misunderstanding?  Why am I so quick to make assumptions?  

Perhaps the reality and the truth lies in the bigger picture, the larger scale,  and on what really matters.  I also came away with the concept that what you see in others is a mirror of your own reflection.  

day 322 – Sunday Musing

Sunday musing, still accusing.

Restless mess and in distress.

Come by now and hear the plow.

Once is grass and never mass.

Blue is you and holy art thou.

Crutch and craze, wild amaze.

Such is that and point to joint.

Love this aqua, hate your fate.

Climb the green and fill the hill.

Garden to roam and trust we must.

Live the life and die on top.

Hell is here and watch the drop.

Jump no more and hear the score.

For the weather is better, the morels, stored.

day 321 – Wayne Dyer

I only own nine of his forty books published but I am a big fan of Dr. Wayne W. Dyer’s.   The friend who took me both times to see him is a much bigger devotee than I.  Thank you, L, for inviting me to see such a wonderful speaker who walks the walk, not just talks the talk.

He spilled his life story in snippets on Wednesday night at a PBS taping in San Diego.  He has come to understand, with time and introspection, to see clearly how everything in his life has led him to this moment in time.  He encourages us to do the same.

In five acts, he describes how we need willingness, determination, fearlessness, compassion and love to observe positively how our choices in our circumstances throughout life have made us the people we are.  He assures us when we do, we will notice how there have been forces at work and a strong, loving guidance has always been there, by our side.

It was truly an inspirational evening.

Some of my favorite quotes from Wayne that evening:

“ Don’t conform, be transformed by the world.”

“When you connect with your excitement, you will always be supported and things will align.”

“Don’t let anything interfere with your passion.  It becomes what you are.”

“Success is when you advance confidently and endeavor in direct relationship to your dreams to live the life you have imagined.”

“Under struggle and pain, empathy and compassion arises.”

“True nobility is about being better than you used to be.”

By the way, he mentioned many influential authors he has studied and one of them was (you guessed it) – Viktor Frankl, and his life changing view of the world book – A Man’s Search for Meaning which I just ordered after someone else went on and on about it: see previous post.  You know that is not just a coincidence.

The set

day 320 – another book

Someone AGAIN brought up a certain author and book to me and I said, “That’s that, I gotta get it.” I went right to Amazon and pressed click.  What hooked me was when she said the author spoke to her when he wrote, “It’s not why we live, it’s how we live.”  The book is Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl.

Meanwhile, I am coursing beautifully through Daphne du Maurier’s, Mary Anne.  It is an historical novel based on her great-great grandmother.  Riveting and risqué.  Although this book is rather long and I am a slow reader, I cannot wait to read it each evening and lose myself in the story instead of trying to admire or decipher her writing.

day 319 – Daily Meditation

“Today is going to be a good day because I said so.”  My friend T. says.

The choice is ours to be happy.

The choice is ours to be ok with any circumstances.

The choice is ours to be in acceptance.

The choice is ours to be compassionate.

The choice is ours to be in love with all of life.

Something to think about all day:

In every situation or interaction with others, pause and choose your attitude.  Respond rather than react.

day 318 – Becoming a Grownup

My friend prompted me to check out a Checklist for Emotional Maturity circulating among people in the Recovery world, be it Al-Anon, AA, OA, etc..  I found it interesting and alarming to say the least.  I am apparently still quite childish.  Thank Goddess, I am a work in progress. And, I hope to be inspired this evening when I attend Wayne Dyer’s PBS taping and listen to his words of wisdom.  I once heard that being in relationship with another is like sprinkling Miracle Glo on you own character flaws.  Any hermit can get along with himself but throw another personality into a group and the dynamics change.  I concede I have much more work to do on myself but a few of these points below are no longer at the forefront (although alive and well).  I also heard when you get cocky or complacent, you need to reevaluate yourself.  Hope this clarifies your self-diagnosis as to where you are on your way to becoming your best self and answers the question of “what do I want to be when I grow up?”

Checklist for Emotional Maturity

The difficulties of coping with another are much more effectively met when we ourselves reflect attitudes of mature adults.

A mature adult is one who:

1) Does not automatically resent criticism, realizing it may contain a suggestion for self-improvement.

2) Knows self-pity is futile and childish– a way of placing the blame for disappointments on others.

3) Does not readily experience a loss of temper or “fly off the handle” about trifles.

4) Keeps calm in emergencies and deals with them in a logical, reasonable fashion.

5) Accepts responsibility without blaming others when things go wrong.

6) Accepts reasonable delays without impatience, realizing that some adjustment for the convenience of others is necessary.

7) Is a good loser, accepting defeat and disappointment without complaint or ill temper.

8) Does not worry unduly about things that can’t be changed.

9) Doesn’t boast or “show off” when praised or complimented, accepts it with grace, appreciation and without false modesty.

10) Applauds others’ achievements with sincere goodwill.

11) Rejoices in the good fortune and success of others, having outgrown petty jealousy and envy.

12) Listens courteously to the opinions of others even when they hold opposing views; does not enter into hostile argument.

13) Doesn’t find fault with “every little thing” or criticize people who do things differently.

14) Makes reasonable plans and tries to carry them out in an orderly fashion; does not do things on the spur of the moment without due consideration.

15) Shows spiritual maturity by-

  • accepting the existence of a Higher Power and recognizing the importance of this power in life.
  • realizing each person is a part of mankind as a whole and has much to give: that each of us has an obligation to share with others the gifts that have been bestowed upon us.
  • obeying the spirit of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “

 

day 317 – Responsibility

I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MY THOUGHTS. 

Whatever you think of me is none of my business but how I respond and what I think of you IS my business.  And, if I come from a place of knowing whatever I think of you and how I treat you is how I think of myself and treat myself, then I need to tread lightly, attentively and lovingly. I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MY THOUGHTS. 

Whatever you think of me is none of my business but how I respond and what I think of you IS my business.  And, if I come from a place of knowing whatever I think of you and how I treat you is how I think of myself and treat myself, then I need to tread lightly, attentively and lovingly.  I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MY THOUGHTS.

I am the projector of the world I see.  I decide and I choose how I see you. 

This truth is the same for everyone.

We are only here for love.

day 316 – Stadium Fare

Here are two popular items – needless to say, I had a chicken caesar salad.  This had my daughter E’s name written all over it.  A hot dog with macaroni and cheese, bacon and salt and vinegar chips.

Helmet Nachos

Yes, that’s right.  A helmet full of warm tortilla chips dripping with nacho cheese and beef and bean chili with a side of jalapeños.  There was a long line for these in a not so crowded stadium before the game even started.

It’s always a good time for a silly picture!

day 314 – Semantics

I have been taught that instead of saying I have to do this or that, change it to I get to do this or that.  This brings in a sense of gratitude for doing anything and everything.  A victim has to do something as if tortured.  A healthy person gets to do something as if blessed.

I have learned that in place of I should…, I replace it with I choose to…This keeps the list of tasks down to a guiltless minimum not an overwhelming, heavy load of must do’s.

I have observed that when I say I cannot what I really mean is I will not.  When I pronounce I can’t this or I can’t that what I really mean is I won’t.  This shows my lack of willingness.