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Rule of Three
It’s been said that if you feel surrounded by three or more blockheads, the blockhead is you. (During the holidays, you might convince me to go to four; but under normal circumstances, three is the rule.) In this way, our perspective of others’ behavior is actually a helpful barometer of our own. Some people seem to stay wonderfully on the beam all the time. They don’t get rattled. They don’t “take it personally”. They are unflappable. They seem to have discovered ways to remain tolerant and kind effortlessly. I don’t think it’s effortless. Disclaimer: I’m no expert in this space…but I have learned a few things. I like you best when I’m okay with me. When…
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Once Upon A Time
Everybody loves a narrative. We talk in terms of our life stories. Really, it’s a bunch of little stories all woven together. Some are long; they can span decades. Others last only moments. But every human interaction contains a narrative. It is what we seek and what mean when we say we’ve made a connection. We are so attuned to narratives that we search for them everywhere–saying “that cloud looks like an old woman with an umbrella” or “when she talks to me like that, I feel like a little child.” Everything is relative to the stories we tell ourselves and others. This picture we paint is also the basis of affinity groups. It is their common narrative that brings groups of people…
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Honest Maps
The last week of the year is like the free space on the bingo card of life. Often, we are out of our usual routine. Businesses keep special hours. Folks are traveling or shopping After-Christmas sales. Some use the beginning of the week to recover from a sugar cookie hangover only to exchange cookies for cocktails on New Years Eve. This change in our routine lends itself to some reflection on what we believe–a precursor to resolution setting. What we believe is important, because it is the basis of our actions. What we believe about ourselves is even more important. It informs every interaction we have. When what we believe about ourselves is not current, it’s like we are…
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Christmas Morning
Tomorrow, we will resume our regular programing, but for today–a poem. Christmas Morning Fallen leaves hushed by frost Collect along the edge of the sidewalk. An old man, formal in a fur-trimmed hat, Echoes “Merry Christmas” from the shelter of his front porch. Leaded glass stars sway a vintage greeting Below the archway of the Grand Dame on the corner. Christmas Day begins with the deep quiet that cloaks reverence Like a velvety blanket of falling snow. Slowly, the brilliant sunshine shortens the shadows And awakens a desperate sparrow’s song.
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Humanness
“I’ve been around a long time and life still has a whole lot of surprises for me.” –Loretta Lynn We are busy. Our work is important. The household needs managing. We are taking care of our duties and responsibilities–going to the dentist, walking the dog, and saving for retirement. It is in the midst of these mundane activities that our lives unfold. With beauty and grace, life awakens us through moments of shared authenticity. People being authentically themselves do so unabashedly. Whatever the form the authenticity takes, it is done so without thought of an audience’s applause. It is simply one human being living their truth in the presence of others. This humanness is what makes us…
