Being
Sometimes what is clear is that things aren’t always supposed to be clear.
Instead of thinking, being.
Being.
The Way
I immersed myself in the Tao Te Ching this morning. These words spoke to me today:
Verse 44:
Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
The whole world belongs to you.
Verse 77:
The Master can keep giving
because there is no end to her wealth.
She acts without expectation,
succeeds without taking credit,
and doesn’t think that she is better
than anyone else.
Yep.
Friday night
I have been seeking deep moral and spiritual answers this week. I have worked good and hard.
This evening, a quick, refreshing nap.
Tonight, a review of my closet as I plan my trip to Paris less than two weeks away. An escape into TV. Relaxation as I head into a weekend that is all mine.
A fine Friday night.
Working dreams
Those American Express print ads continue to inspire me. In this week’s issue of New York magazine, there are full-page ones by M. Night Shyamalan and Martin Scorcese. The highlights:
Shyamalan:
Wildest dream … Living in the South of France and writing a novel
Proudest moment … When I see my children overcome fear
My life … is about finding time to dream
Scorcese:
First job … Loading cardboard boxes on an assembly line at a vitamin factory – Summer 1962
Inspiration … Other filmmakers
My life … still working on it
Creatives never rest. They’re making art even in stillness.
I am
I am on a path.
I am on a roll.
I am on a mission.
I am abundant.
I am prosperous.
I am strong.
And so it is.
Music
Today I heard a beautiful, hearty laugh I hadn’t heard in a long time.
It felt just right.
Raisin reasoning
So I’m back to the Raisin Bran, the organic one that comes with the separate, stay-fresh pack of raisins in the box. I bought a box on Thursday and there was no pack of raisins. Just tasty flakes.
Now it was just a few weeks ago that there were two packs of raisins in my box and it gave me a sense of abundance to sprinkle twice as many raisins on my cereal. I took that as a sign.
So musn’t I read the lack as a sign as well?
While picking up some items at the grocery store yesterday, it occurred to me that I could just buy a big package of raisins and keep it in my cabinet. That would accomplish two things:
1. I could put as many or as few raisins in my cereal as I wanted every morning.
2. My sense of abundance wouldn’t be reliant on an outside source. It would come from me.
But then, that’s really only one reason, isn’t it?
Life’s classroom
Friday night I attended a celebration/roast for a professor who changed the course of my life. He is retiring after 33 years teaching journalism at Trenton State College (can’t bring myself to use the new name in this context). It was wonderful to see hundreds of people turn out for a man who has gone so far out of his way to impart his special brand of wisdom and fire.
You would think after courting me into sports journalism, setting up an interview for me at a daily newspaper long after I’d quit college and encouraging me throughout my entire career, there would be little left I could get from Dr. Robert Cole. But Friday night I heard story after story about his availability to students when they needed guidance. One professor and former department head got up and told a story about a student who, when asked on an evaluation form the most valuable thing he had learned at the college, wrote down Dr. Cole’s phone number.
It made me think about my own availability to my life coaching clients and former clients. Has it been all that it can be? The same for friends and family. Could I be more available? Flexible? Sometimes people reach out at times that are less than convenient. How have I handled that?
The next day I was at my parents’ house waiting for my sister to arrive and watching TV with my father. I caught the end of a John Wayne-Marlene Dietrich movie with him. Then he grabbed the remote and stopped on The History Channel, where they were airing a documentary about the Scopes trial that was fascinating. Again, I fould myself questioning my own flexibility and openness. I would never have watched either program on my own.
Topping off the weekend was a spiritual revelation that came over me like a wave this morning. It is about abundance and gifts and how to receive with grace.
It was a whopper of a weekend.
The reason why
Yesterday:
– I was supposed to get my hair cut and my stylist got the time mixed up. I left Manhattan as shaggy as when I had arrived in the morning.
– My plans for celebratory margaritas with a friend were postponed, meaning, much to my disappointment, my full evening suddenly became open.
– I put on sweats, got a cup of coffee, walked to the waterfront and gazed at the gorgeous scene from a bench. I called a steady, spiritual friend and had a good conversation. I went deep into thought. I felt peaceful.
Today:
– I met with a life coaching client. We were supposed to have a phone session, but I switched it to in person because he lives in the same neighborhood as my hair stylist (she was able to fit me in this evening). He was in a low place. He clearly needed steadiness, frankness and some tough love.
– I left Manhattan with saucy hair, certain this had all happened so one person could help another in need.
Frank talk
Today I had one of my favorite rites of passage for spring — the Gray’s Papaya Recession Special. Two hot dogs with sauerkraut and mustard and a Diet Coke for $2.75. I don’t know what they put in the mustard, but it’s a perfect blend of mild with a teensy kick. The hot dogs are right up there with the best I’ve ever had. Standing at the counter watching the bustle of 72nd Street and Broadway is part of the experience.
Yep, it’s spring.
