Kathzoofus

This is from a rather new journal that I received from Krush last summer. I haven't officially named it yet but it tends to reflect some of the rules I have for my life. Specifically around what I will and will not tolerate from people around me. This entry is dated 10/08/2004: Broken, fearful & wounded are not attractive qualities. Ever.

If you take a looksy over to the left side of this page you'll see that I have a link to the website for Oriah Mountain Dreamer . I absolutely adore her work and have read and re-read her books many many times. Right now I'm reading (again) The Invitation . I remember the first time I read the book, reading a passage about solitude and it made me feel sad that I had no experience ever truly being alone with myself. Over the years I have gotten better at appreciating true solitude. The kind of solitude that leaves you sitting alone, in silence, lost in the sounds of your own thoughts. This is the passage that I read last night and as I read it this time, I was filled with happiness knowing that I can absolutely find peace with my own company: "When I ask if you can be alone with yourself, I am not asking if the idea of being alone appeals to you but if you can actually be present, with yourself, for longer than a couple of hours, without flipping on the TV or the radio ...

I believe that if we stand up and take responsibility for our mistakes we risk many things but the knowledge we gain is worth much, much more. I believe that risk and failure and success and experience and about a million other things build character ...or take away from it. I believe that happiness is not about good luck or good fortune but rather a decision that we make with each experience that we have. I believe that all peace and happiness starts within and moves without . I do not believe you can reverse that. I believe we can waste a lifetime blaming ourselves or blaming others for the problems in our life or our world or we can spend a lifetime doing something about it. I believe whether you make a conscious decision or not, you are setting an example for somebody. I believe like attracts like , who and what do you want to attract? I believe good memories are better than good inheritances . I believe what you say isn’t half as important as what you do . I ...

Have you ever received advice from someone that was CERTAIN that their recommendation was the ONLY possible solution? Have you ever encountered a person that made you feel like their attempt to help you was actually smothering the LIFE out of you? Have you ever received advice from someone that actually came across as UPSET when you decided to go a route other than what they suggested? Oh, haaaaaaaaaaave IIIIIIIIIIIII ever... I saw this quote today and my head almost bobbeled off I nodded in agreement so hard: "The true secret of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not, and never persist in trying to set people right." ~Henry Ward Beecher , US abolitionist & clergyman

"Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

"There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." ~Carl Jung

"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!" ~John Kerouac

"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent." ~Douglas McCarther Great leaders aren't just in the workplace. They lead volunteer efforts, churches, sports teams & communities. Where do you see great leaders?

"It is important that people know what you stand for. It's equally important that they know what you won't stand for." - Mary Waldrop

"There is an important difference between giving up and letting go." ~ Jessica Hatchigan (Found at Open Book )

"Being vulnerable doesn't have to be threatening. Just have the courage to be sincere, open and honest. This opens the door to deeper communication all around. It creates self-empowerment and the kind of connections with others we all want in life. Speaking from the heart frees us from the secrets that burden us. These secrets are what make us sick or fearful. Speaking truth helps you get clarity on your real heart directives." ~Sara Paddison

An excerpt from The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Collection of Aphorisms from the Works of Baltasar Gracian, translated by Martin Fischer : "Rate the intensive above the extensive. The perfect does not lie in quantity, but in quality. All that is best is always scant, and rare, for mass in anything cheapens it. Even among men the giants have often been true pygmies. Some judge books by their thickness, as though they had been written to exercise the arms, instead of the mind. Bigness, alone, never gets beyond the mediocre, and it is the curse of the universal man, that in trying to be everything, he is nothing."

"Tough times never last, tough people do." ~Robert Schuller

For as long as I can remember I have struggled with fitness. It isn't that I am opposed to it. I have no great issues with working up a sweat. My struggle has been in finding fitness routines or programs that can keep my attention. Today I ran across an article on Personality Fitness . I read the descriptions for all and felt I best fit into the 1st and 5th fitness types: Fitness Personality No. 1: Action and Adventure Bored by routine workouts Spends as much time as possible outdoors Prefers the trail to the treadmill Usually competitive when it comes to sports Exercises for the adventure and/or social experience Fitness Personality No. 5: Easy Does It Avoids the gym Uncomfortable exercising in groups Prefers low-impact fitness routines May be working around old sports injuries or other health concerns (such as back pain, etc.) Exercises to build resilience, stability and self-confidence There were exercises listed that definitely appealed to me and some that I had never hear...

"Take a lesson from the mosquito. It never waits for an opening; it makes one." ~Kirk Kirkpatrick Well dang...who knew those pesky little bastards were something to aspire to be like? I have a couple of friends that are presently feeling trapped by their jobs. For various reasons they hate where they are and what they are doing. These are not people that recently had a change in their current situation that isn't sitting well with them. These are people that have hated their career situation for nearly 10 years. I do what I can to help them explore their opportunities, find out what else is out in the world of employment that would be a little more satisfying for them but I think the reality is that these are people that won't ever make an opening for themself. Listening to them talk you would think that they are expecting that one day they are going to have some AHA! moment where finally they realize what career of their dreams is. Like mysteriously their caree...

I just read an article on Beliefnet.com and thought I'd share a paragraph that had me nodding my head: "The Bible admonishes, "Judge not lest ye be judged." But in my experience, it's impossible not to judge. We all do it, all the time. And it hurts us far more than those we judge. It isolates us, makes us small, and bars us from our spiritual essence." Everyone, everyone, everyone is judgemental. Our brains are wired to judge the words and actions of other people. The trick is to not let judging others consume us. The article goes on to offer a very practical approach to letting go of judgemental feelings and there is related article called The Seven Steps to Forgive and Forget which is also very good. Read the articles and let me know what you think.

"Everyone has a talent; what is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads." ~Erica Jong Without comparing yourself to anyone, think of things that you are good at. You don't have to be an award winning anything to have talent at it. What are things that you enjoy doing? Think of them now. It can be one thing or ten things, the number doesn't matter as much as being able to identify where your talent lies.

The following is a quote that I received from my daily MorningMantra today. It is from Anthony Robbins. I think my favorite part is about being an excellent example of being human. Part of that includes screwing up and I think that we tend to forget that mistakes are a part of life. Don't be too hard on yourself...or anyone else for that matter. We're all learning as we go. "Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human." ~Anthony Robbins

"Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can, paradoxically, make yourself a happier and more productive person." ~Dr. David M. Burns From Morning Mantra .

Today in my email was my daily subscription to a daily hindu message from Beliefnet . It read: Meditation is needed Only when the mind is distracted By false imagining. Knowing this, I am here. Without joy or sorrow, Grasping at nothing, spurning nothing, O Master, I am here. -Ashtavakra Gita 12:3-4 From "The Heart of Awareness: A Translation of the Ashtavakra Gita," by Thomas Byrom, 1990. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc., Boston. www.shambhala.com. I especially liked the first part - meditation is needed when we distract ourselves with false imaginings. It reminded me of Max Ehrmann's Desiderata . This passage in particular: Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. There are so many thing...