September 15, 2006 Chautauqua

From the Editor's Computer  

   Every day we see, hear, smell, taste and sense things in our environment.  In any given moment in the day we are bombarded with umpteen different sensory details coming at us.  This happens to us every second of our lives.

   Some days we completely miss the different clues that life is giving us.  We are oblivious to how our lives are like a jigsaw puzzle and we are given the next piece right at the exact moment we need it. 

   Some days we are so focused on what isn't happening, what isn’t going right, or what we don’t have that we completely ignore the various nonverbal signals that are showing us new opportunities and adventures that await us.

   We need to wake up and pay attention to the world around us and the myriad of clues and puzzle pieces life freely hands us to ease our journey through this life and its many twists and turns.

   We need to be aware of the absurdities and seemingly insignificant moments of our lives - therein lies some of our greatest treasures and wisdom. 

   We need to open all of our senses to the marvelous and wondrous mysteries that life shares with each and every one of us every moment of our lives.

   By focusing on what you are grateful for in life, you not only will find more of that, but more, and varied, riches and opportunities than you could ever possibly imagine existed in our universe. 

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X8ut0Q7eZJD0dyw3UxOU8l-JUYyAfVvK/view?usp=sharing

To contact The Chautauqua, email: thechautauqua@gmail.com.

September 1, 2006

From the Editor's Computer  

   While we don’t want to get so attached to our routines that they become ruts (or graves), there is a lot of good that can be said about having a routine that you can count on, especially when life throws you a curve ball or two.

   My usual routine was completely tossed out the window this summer due to fulltime employment at the library, in addition to running the paper and working on a graduate degree course.

   This is only my second foray into the world of fulltime employment in my 13 1/2 year career.  The first time was a seven-month stint where I alternated working in Alix and Lacombe.  The euphoria of finally being healthy enough to even contemplate fulltime employment, let alone actually work the hours, momentarily clouded my vision of what I really wanted out of life.  Plus, at that time I was only working the two jobs with very little extra-curricular activities in my life.

   This time round, I only worked 8 weeks in one location.  Like my rare delusions that I am computer guru material, I have now twice lapsed into thoughts that maybe I could work fulltime.  Well, truth be told, I can do the work, but it really cuts into my other activities and does take a lot of energy out of me, and is not the type of lifestyle I want at all.

   Truly, I’m not a fulltime kind of person, nor do I want to be.  If it works for you, great!  However, count me out!

   For me, the ideal is working two days a week outside the home, with an option to add a third day (mostly during paper delivery weeks).  That gives me contact with the public, a chance to catch up on any gossip, intrigue or momentous happenings that I may have missed otherwise.  It also allows me to connect with my friends and acquaintances and get updated on their lives, while I update them on mine.

   To balance that out, I prefer to work two days at home on the paper - either half days or full days.  That gives me a chance to do lots with minimal interruptions and interactions, but still allows for flexibility if necessary.

   The best part of this routine is that I then have three days left in the week to work on the paper, work on studies, read, or even just relax in a corner and contemplate the great mysteries of the world (with a book in my hand, of course). 

   Each of us has a different perspective on life and a different way of expressing that perspective through our work habits.  Don’t try to be someone you’re not, and you’ll find that work magically becomes fun!  

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sgRckFK0poJB2wA0T6RQqIj7sCO2s0sM/view?usp=sharing

To contact The Chautauqua, email: thechautauqua@gmail.com.