Wednesday, 31 December 2014

Happy

May you be happy.  
May you be healthy.  
May you be peaceful.  
May you live with ease. 
- Buddhist blessing

Monday, 29 December 2014

Dreams

Dreams are renewable.  
No matter what our age or condition, 
there are still untapped possibilities within us
 and new beauty waiting to be born.
  - Dr. Dale Turner 

Friday, 26 December 2014

Better

Make this day better than yesterday.  
– Robin Sharma

Wednesday, 24 December 2014

Gift

It is because the world is so full of suffering, 
that your happiness is a gift.
It is because the world is so full of poverty, 
that your wealth is a gift.
It is because the world is so unfriendly,
 that your smile is a gift.
It is because the world is so full of war, 
that your peace of mind is a gift.
It is because the world is in such despair,
 that your hope and optimism is a gift.
It is because the world is so afraid,
 that your love is a gift. 
- Robert Holden

Monday, 22 December 2014

Laughter

Laughter takes us from moping
 to hoping and then coping.
 - unknown

Friday, 19 December 2014

December 19, 2014 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   Without taking the time to celebrate how we are showing up in the world, we starve our hearts of acknowledgement.  Without pausing to celebrate, we continue to pile up things on our ‘to do’ list, thinking we haven’t done enough.  This is exactly how many of us create that sense of perpetual busyness, with no deeper sense of meaning for our efforts.  Celebration, on the other hand, allows us to stop and enjoy what we have accomplished.  It gives us that sense that we have made progress.  We are moving forward.   - Linda McLean

  We are right smack dab in the middle of one of the biggest celebration times of our year.  

   Are you celebrating?  

   Or are you frantically bustling about cramming your schedule full of activities, buying countless presents, attempting to re-create every Christmas tradition you had growing up (or wished you’d had growing up), and generally wearing yourself to an emotional and mental frazzle?

   Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace, of quiet reflection, of love, kindness and goodwill to others.  But all too often it isn’t.

   Could it be because we are trying to make Christmas into something it isn’t really supposed to be?

   As the quote above references, we tend to fail to celebrate the smaller, daily moments, so when a big celebration comes up on the calendar, we tend to burden it with all our unacknowledged baggage, hoping that “this year will be different” and it usually isn’t.

   Celebrating doesn’t have to be complicated or elaborate.  All you need to do is take a moment and say thank you for waking up this morning.  Even if you aren’t where you think you should be in your life, you can still say thank you that you have the strength you need to get through whatever comes your way.

And, by taking the time to celebrate the smaller things, you’ll be able to enjoy celebrating the bigger occasions, such as Christmas, with your family and friends, because what true celebration would be complete without some good food and fellowship involved?  Merry Christmas!

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UTunCxp8GnQ3Ob9Q8T-EZW0PvrQE-lGW/view?usp=sharing
 
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Wednesday, 17 December 2014

Self-acceptance

Self-acceptance is, quite simply, realism.  
That which is, is.  
That which I feel, I feel.  
That which I think, I think. 
 That which I've done, I've done. 
 - Nathaniel Branden

Monday, 15 December 2014

Battle

When we stop resisting 
who we are and what we feel, 
we drop the heavy burden 
of an endless, hopeless battle 
against our humanity. 
 - Tal Ben-Shahar

Friday, 12 December 2014

Direction

The good life is a process, 
not a state of being.  
It is a direction, 
not a destination. 
 - Carl Rogers

Wednesday, 10 December 2014

Achieve

The three great essentials to achieve
 anything worthwhile are,
 first, hard work; 
second, stick-to-itiveness; 
third, common sense.
 - Thomas Edison 

Monday, 8 December 2014

Work

I can do a year's work in nine months,
 but not in twelve. 
 - J.P. Morgan

Friday, 5 December 2014

December 5, 2014 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   When a big change occurs in your life it forces you to change direction. Sometimes the new path may not be easy, but you can be absolutely certain that there is magnificence for you on the new path…the new path contains things that you could not have experienced otherwise. – Rhonda Bryne

   For me, the past few months (and last couple of years) have certainly been a time of big change, with changes across the board in terms of my career path and volunteer activities, daily and weekly routines, habits and foods eaten, hobbies and interests, sleep patterns and activity levels, as well as emotional and mental upheaval too.  Practically every area of my life has experienced total and dramatic change. 

   Many of the changes involved eliminating or cutting out something.  A few introduced new things to my life.

   As a result of those many (and seemingly endless!) changes, I am healthier than I was, and despite still having a ways to go, in some respects, I’m healthier than I have ever been in my life.

   Every once in a while someone will ask me when I will reintroduce something I’ve cut out.

   Short answer: never!

   The reason I have been able to turn my health situation around is because I made the choice to change what needed to be changed.  Why would I throw it all away now and head back down the path to illness?

   For example, that means I still have to be careful what I eat and avoid pretty much all veggies and dairy products.  Now that I have a better idea what my body can handle and what it can’t, it is easier to make the right choices and know where I can take food risks and where I can’t.

   Also, I am not a Type A personality at all.  I joked to someone once that the only thing 9-5 about me is the time I spend in bed sleeping at night.  I work best, and feel best, when I have lots of flexibility and space in my schedule.  Being at a desk and required times creates a lot of stress and strain in my body.  Thus, returning to library work is not an option at this time.  Thankfully, the paper is a better fit, and allows me to continue to grow and explore my new reality.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PF97Wmo_mfrgJwnhJus0VEKZnhK2mKwr/view?usp=sharing

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Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Strength

Strength keeps leaning. 
 - Rick Hanson

Monday, 1 December 2014

Faster

We walk around this planet oblivious
 of the fact that our heads are
 running slightly faster than our feet. 
- Fred Alan Wolf 

Friday, 28 November 2014

Challenge

Our challenge each day is not
 to get dressed to face the world, 
but to unglove ourselves 
so that the doorknob feels cold, 
and the car handle feels wet, 
and the kiss goodbye feels like
 the lips of another being, soft and unrepeatable. 
- Mark Nepo

Wednesday, 26 November 2014

Waves

Most of us are working so hard. 
 It's like we're in a motorboat
 noisily zipping around,
 trying to find a place that is 
quiet, peaceful, and still...
we're just making more waves 
and noise wherever we go...
true freedom comes when we 
throttle back the motor and come naturally
 into stillness.  
- Tara Brach

Monday, 24 November 2014

Instructions

I have just two instructions for you...
One is to breathe, and one is to smile.
 - Thich Nhat Hanh

Friday, 21 November 2014

November 21, 2014 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings 

   How committed are you moving forward in your life?

   Not too long ago, the governor of the Bank of Canada gave some advice to unemployed youth and students suggesting they volunteer to get some experience instead of just sitting around doing nothing.

   His remarks have generated quite the backlash across the country and many people are disappointed and disgusted with what he said.

  I agree with him, and here’s why.

  What is the basic career advice given to older adults who are downsized out of a job, or who are nearing retirement, or looking for work after retirement?  What are mothers, returning to the workforce after a prolonged absence to raise their children, told?

   They are told to gain experience and re-establish a good employment record, volunteer in a field that interests you.  Once you have some experience and your foot is in the door, your chances of landing a job improve.  The job may be with the organization you volunteer for, and if it isn’t, you have gained a valuable reference as you continue your search.

   So why should it be any different for a student, or anyone of any age who is having trouble landing a job?

   And what it really comes down to isn’t whether there are any jobs.

   At the end of the day, all that matters is how committed you are to your life, career path, and your community.

   I recently read about an entrepreneurial workshop in which the presenter laid out for an attendee the actual dollar and time commitment required for the first year of their proposed business idea (it was a lot!).  The presenter then asked if the attendee was committed enough to spend that much time and money, because if they weren’t, the business wouldn’t last past the first month or hurtle, whichever came first.

   Yes, a paycheque is necessary to live, but how committed are you really to getting it, because if you are really committed to moving forward in your life, you’ll explore any avenue available to get you to where you want to be, even if it means volunteering.  Who knows what doors it may open for you, and directions it may take you.



Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hLFeBsi6AkcCLsQo_MWpobNUO8GFieuI/view?usp=sharing

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Wednesday, 19 November 2014

One

How can energy leak away from us 
or become corrupt if there is
 only one energy in the world, 
which is perfect and shared by us all?  
How can we lose soul when we are 
all one soul and part of all-that-is? 
 How can anyone's energy intrude on ours
 when we are all the same energy?
  - Ross Heaven

Monday, 17 November 2014

Nature

Watch the wind in the trees, 
the clouds in the sky, 
or the speed at which a stream flows;
 that's nature's pace. 
 Keep to that and breathe deeply. 
 - Ross Heaven

Friday, 14 November 2014

Leisure

Man learns more by “playing” 
with ideas in his leisure time 
than by sitting in a classroom.
 - attributed to Plato

Wednesday, 12 November 2014

Pause

[Pause]: nowhere you need to go,
nothing you need to do, 
no one you need to be. 
 - Rick Hanson

Monday, 10 November 2014

Empty

Finding yourself doesn’t require 
that you fly to Tibet, join a convent, 
or build a meditation room. 
Just consistently keep a 
minimal commitment to empty time.
- Martha Beck

Friday, 7 November 2014

November 7, 2014 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings 

Will this matter in 100 years?

   The statement above, along with multiple variations of years (5, 10, 20, 50, etc), has been repeated often in our family after many seemingly horrible or embarrassing events.

   One time when I was having difficulty with the university over something regarding my Masters program, and I was pacing around the house grumbling about the university staff making my life miserable, my mom asked if it would matter in 5 years.  I responded that it wouldn't matter in 5 minutes, however it really mattered right now!

   I was reminded of that situation when my computer stopped working unexpectedly the day before I had to have this issue finished.  Catastrophe in the extreme!

   Long story short, the problem was easy to fix - a single button had been accidentally pushed that had disabled most of the functions on my laptop.  Button pushed again and all was quickly returned to proper working order.  Whew...

   When looked at from the perspective of a longer bigger-picture view, it is true that the vast majority of what we fret, stew, worry, and get upset about isn’t that big a deal.  Within a few minutes, hours, weeks or years, it will have made no obvious difference to our lives.

   However, it does matter in that particular instant.  And that is the key. While it is always a good idea to look for the silver lining and not wallow in worry or gloom, it is also important not to suppress how we feel when things seem to go wrong in our lives. 

   A study I read once said that it takes a mere 90 seconds for an emotion to be felt and dissipate through our bodies - provided we allow ourselves to feel it.   If we don’t, it is stuck within our muscles forever, and the only way to remove, or process, it is through manipulation of the muscles by massage or other body work.

   By being honest and feeling what we feel in that brief 90-second moment, we can clear our minds and bodies like a summer storm clears the air, before moving forward to either finding a solution to our problem, or realizing that there isn’t actually a problem there at all.  

Beth

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Wednesday, 5 November 2014

Fully

Don't dance around the perimeter 
of the person you want to be.  
Step in fully and completely. 
 - Gabrielle Bernstein

Monday, 3 November 2014

Idleness

Work is easy, 
but true idleness takes 
courage and fortitude. 
- Johann Hamann

Friday, 31 October 2014

Step

I don't look to jump over 7-foot bars: 
I look around for 1-foot bars 
that I can step over.  
- Warren Buffett

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

Thorns

Impatience rails at the thorns; 
patience puts on a pair of shoes. 
 - Rick Hanson 

Monday, 27 October 2014

Flow

Patience knows you can't make
 the river flow any faster. 
 - Rick Hanson

Friday, 24 October 2014

Moment

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself 
that this very moment 
is the only one you know you have for sure.   
- Oprah

Wednesday, 22 October 2014

Tough Times

Maybe the art of life
 is to convert tough times 
to great experiences.  
We can choose to hate the rain 
or dance in it.  
- Joan Marques

Monday, 20 October 2014

Sunshine

Wherever you go, 
no matter what the weather, 
always bring your own sunshine.
  - Anthony D'Angelo

Friday, 17 October 2014

October 17, 2014 Chautauqua

Beth's Ponderings

   I love to dance.  

   I took Highland Dance lessons for 23 years and earned my Teaching Certificate.  I also took a year of Ballet, and as an adult, I enjoyed Irish Dance lessons for a couple of years.

   I also enjoy dancing waltzes, polkas, and two-stepping.  My favourite part of gym class was the dancing - which always was too brief.  When my sister was in Grade 9, I attended her gym class during the dancing weeks to provide another girl for the boys to dance with, and for the teacher to have a partner to demonstrate some of the dances.

   My Dad was a wonderful dancer, and it was a thrill every time I got a chance to dance with him.  The very first time was when I was 15 at my Grade 9 Farewell at Mirror School.  My Dad was from a family, and an era, where they all got together on the weekends to dance.  When my parents met, Dad was involved in three dance clubs in Calgary and dancing most nights during the week.

   Once, following our performance at the Robbie Burns night in Camrose, a couple of veteran dancers decided they were going to teach my sister and I how to social dance.  After a brief verbal lesson, the music started and we started dancing.  They exclaimed, “You know how to dance!”  Seemed very few “young” people they knew could waltz.

   I also enjoy dancing around the room with my 4 year old niece who enjoys any type of music or rhythm.

   Recently, I came across this quotation...

   “Optimist: Someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it's a cha-cha.” ― Robert Brault 

   It was also a very timely reminder that the healing journey I’m on isn’t a linear Point A to Point B to Point C, etc. journey, but more of a graceful dance circling around, sometimes revisiting a spot I’ve already been before - which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  And it reminded me of another famous dance quotation…

   “Life’s a dance, you learn as you go.  Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow.  Don’t worry about what you don’t know.  Life’s a dance, you learn as you go.” (sung by John Michael Montgomery) 

 Beth

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Wednesday, 15 October 2014

Effort

We are responsible for the effort,
 not the outcome.
- Unknown

Monday, 13 October 2014

Diamond

By shining our brilliance, 
we are part of a multi-faceted diamond. 
 - Sandra Ingerman

Friday, 10 October 2014

Crisis

Never let a good crisis go to waste.
  - Anne Harbison

Wednesday, 8 October 2014

Free Will

Free will is mere human myth, and that the time
 we spend planning and worrying 
about the future is folly…
most wild animals don’t plan ahead.  
They take what is available...
  – Mark Sundeen

Monday, 6 October 2014

Actions

A man sitting in a lifeboat…
begins to drill a hole under his seat.  
The other passengers challenge him, but he insists, 
“It is my seat and I can do what I want with it.”  
The passengers cannot convince him 
that they will all go down  together if the boat floods. 
 Each of our actions affects our fellow humans,
 sometimes in ways we cannot
immediately comprehend.
 – Michael Gold

Friday, 3 October 2014

October 3, 2014 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings 

   Scientists and researchers have told us that we’re victims of our genetics, that the neural pathways in our brains become fixed, and that we are born with a set point (level) of happiness and optimism.

   Yet, newer studies show beyond any doubt that not only can our genetics been altered by our environment/emotions/thoughts, that our brains are very plastic and our neural pathways can be changed or created at will, and our happiness/optimism set points are not set in stone.

   If we are able to change ourselves - even below the cellular level - why do some people seem incapable of changing, even when their existence depends on it?  Why do some people go around like they have a dark cloud over them wherever they go, spreading doom and gloom?

   We are - from very early childhood - encouraged to try new foods, new activities, learn new information and skills, go on new adventures, develop new habits and more.  

   That is a good thing and important for growth.  However, everyone is unique and what might appeal to one person will turn off another.  What may work like a charm for you, may not for me.

   As you try new activities, learn new skills, and go on new adventures, which ones do you want to repeat?

   The ones that most closely align with your innate personality.
 
   Someone who is naturally rhythmic and is always humming may benefit from activities such as learning how to play a new musical instrument, learning a new style of dance, or being introduced to a different form of music than they normally listen to.  

   On the other hand, they probably would not be drawn to activities that require them to do complex mathematical tasks, or that require them to remain completely motionless for long stretches of time.

   While there is much we can change about ourselves, the best and most lasting changes, are those that “come naturally” to us.  

   Could it be that optimism and pessimism - and thus the secret to success - have more to do with how “naturally” you are living your life, than about what is happening around and to you?

Beth

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Wednesday, 1 October 2014

Brighter

Do whatever makes your inner light brighter.  
– Judith Orloff

Monday, 29 September 2014

Truth

It is the hallmark of any deep truth
that its negation is also a deep truth. 
 – Niels Bohr

Friday, 26 September 2014

Forge

Traveler, there is no path,
 the path must be forged as you walk.  
– Antonio Machado

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Events

The events that happen in the moment 
belong to the moment.  They don’t belong to you.  
They have nothing to do with you.  
You must stop defining yourself 
in relationship to them, 
and just let them come and go… 
 – Michael Singer

Monday, 22 September 2014

Hearts

When you live in people's hearts
 don't be afraid to go through difficult times. 
- Author Unknown

Friday, 19 September 2014

September 19, 2014 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings
 
   “Home is where the heart is” - we’ve probably all heard this quote many times in our lives, and may have even used it a time or two ourselves.

   To some people, this refers to the building in which they reside.  They take great pride in their houses and yards, making them as large and beautiful as they can.  They invest lots of time, money and energy into these dwellings.  In some cases, to the point that it no longer appears as if real people live in the home, it is just so perfect.

   In other cases, the home in question could refer to the workplace, if that is where you end up spending the majority of your time and energy.

   Along a similar vein, time spent on special hobbies could be considered a home as you often put your best efforts - aka heart - into them.

   To others, the home refers to the people around them.  This includes family members, close friends, and work colleagues.  It is the daily interactions with the people you love the most that makes a home.

   But here’s another way to look at that quote.

   Where is your real heart?  I’m referring to the organ that pumps blood around your body and keeps you alive.

   It’s in the middle of your torso, in your body.

   So that means that home is literally your body.

   How many of us feel “at home” in our bodies?  How many of us can say we feel totally comfortable in our own skin?

   If we look around us, we see countless ads and products for improving our bodies from makeup to exercise equipment, diets to surgery, and much more.

   As a society, we tend to either put too much emphasis on changing our bodies - thus hiding them behind a mask or veneer - or too much emphasis on neglecting our bodies - through poor habits or certain mental or spiritual pursuits.

   We tend to have a public and a private persona and what other people see depends on our location.  What would happen if you let yourself be totally at home in your body?  As you are, who you are.  And what would happen if you shared that particular you with those around you?

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_8j4-_Z6x_hW3AUZoLIc3SL5ucOGvX8A/view?usp=sharing

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Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Beautiful

The most beautiful people we have known 
are those who have known defeat, 
known suffering, known struggle, known lose, 
and have found their way out of the depths.  
These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, 
and an understanding of life 
that fills them with compassion, gentleness, 
and a deep loving concern.  
Beautiful people do not just happen. 
 - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Monday, 15 September 2014

One

Never forget that you are one of a kind.  
Never forget that if there weren't any need
 for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth,
 you wouldn't be here in the first place.  
And never forget, no matter how overwhelming
 life's challenges and problems seem to be, 
that one person can make a difference in the world.  
In fact, it is always because of one person 
that all changes that matter in the world come about.  
So be that one person.
 - Buckminster Fuller

Friday, 12 September 2014

Miss

Slow down and enjoy life.  
It's not only the scenery 
you miss by going too fast –
 you also miss the sense 
of where you are going and why. 
 - Eddie Cantor

Wednesday, 10 September 2014

Power

Force is a movement – it goes from here to there 
(or tries to) against opposition.  
Power, on the other hand, is still...
Gravity itself, for instance, 
doesn't move against anything.  
Its power moves all objects within its field, 
but the gravity field itself does not move.  
Force always moves against something, 
whereas power doesn't move against anything at all. 
 - David R. Hawkins

Monday, 8 September 2014

Variation

An extremely minute variation
 over a course of time 
can have the effect of producing 
a profound change. 
 - David R. Hawkins

Friday, 5 September 2014

September 5, 2014 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   Does it feel like time is going by faster and faster the older you get?

   If it does, you’re not imagining it.  Time really is going faster, though probably not for the reason you think it is.

   Scientists, particularly quantum physicists, have discovered that time really is relative to where you (or the clock) are in relation to the gravitational field, and whether you (or the clock) are moving or not.

   The closer you are to the centre of the gravitational field, the slower time goes.  Additionally, if you are moving, time goes faster than if you are stationary.  Realize, of course, that we are never totally stationary as we are on a rotating planet that revolves around the sun.

   What does that mean?  

   Your head travels faster than your feet - even if (or especially if) you are standing still.  While the difference in speed is so minute you’d need a special clock to record the extremely small increment changes, your body registers the difference, and it does have an impact on you.

   That is one reason why time goes slower for children - they are closer to the ground.  Which is why it takes so long for Christmas or a birthday to arrive for a child, yet it seems like yesterday was Christmas to adults.

   The view of watching scenery go by you as you drive not only creates an illusion of time passing quickly, it really is passing more quickly.  Again, not enough for us to register on a normal clock, yet our bodies notice.  Ever experienced jetlag after a flight?  It wasn’t the time zone difference that caused it.

   How do you slow down time?

   One way is by not moving around so much in high speed vehicles - use a slower means of travel such as bike or walking.  Being active  is important to health, however we should engage in moderate activities with rests interspersed throughout, rather than rushing through one event and then rushing to another and then another all day long.  As well, put your feet and head on the same level for a few moments during the day - preferably as close to the floor as possible - will help to even out your body’s perception of the passing time.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w1zoeu9N4wWAjC-XH4t19SqsylAOETr2/view?usp=sharing

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Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Faith

If you have faith that the sun will rise...
if you have faith in the energy 
that orbits the planets around the sun, 
why can't you have faith 
that your energy will help you...?  
- Gabrielle Bernstein 

Monday, 1 September 2014

Good News

Everyone has inside of him
 a piece of good news.  
The good news is that 
you don't know how great you can be!  
How much you can love!  
What you can accomplish!  
And what your potential is!  
- Anne Frank 

Friday, 29 August 2014

Peace

Happiness means being at peace with ourselves 
wherever we are, whoever we're with, 
whatever we feel, 
whatever we're going through, 
and whatever we have or lack.
 - Melody Beattie

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Can't

[You] can either have what you want, 
or the reasons why [you] can't.  
- Alberto Villoldo

Monday, 25 August 2014

Familiar

People have a hard time 
letting go of their suffering.  
Out of the fear of the unknown, 
they prefer suffering that is familiar. 
 - Thich Nhat Hanh

Friday, 22 August 2014

Smile

Smiling is my favourite exercise. 
- author unknown

Wednesday, 20 August 2014

Be

Whatever you are, be a good one. 
 - Abraham Lincoln

Monday, 18 August 2014

Help

Don’t do anything that a person 
can easily do for himself or herself.  
If you do, you will not help them, 
but you will disempower them. 
 – Rhonda Byrne

Friday, 15 August 2014

August 15, 2014 Chautauqua

Beth's Ponderings 

   It’s been a while since I gave a health update, so I guess it is time for another one.  

   It has now been 15 months since my life turned upside down and I started on this particular journey.

   When I started, I was told that normal (i.e. relaxed) muscles look something like this…
________________________________________


with blood vessels and nerves in between

________________________________________

   With the liver stress, and everything else, mine were like this…
________________________________________
________________________________________

My blood vessels and nerves had to really strain and work overtime to try and get anything through.  No wonder I felt totally exhausted!

   So the past 15 months have been spent trying to release the muscles, as well as figure out what exactly was triggering them to constrict so tightly and stay tight.

   Through much trial and error, and various leaps forward, as well as great setbacks, progress has been made.  The muscles are releasing a bit at a time and are about halfway released.

   While the release is positive and necessary for healing, it isn't without what feels like drawbacks.  Now that the muscles are loosening, any toxins, emotional energy, etc. that have been chronically stuck in the muscles are also being released and flooding into my system.  Unfortunately, my liver is still not up to processing such a flood so is still acting stressed at times which means my energy levels tend to bottom out.

   As I explained to one person, it could be said that I’m improving by inches daily, however the scale is not a yardstick but rather a mile, so there still many inches to go.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YDEPhfmbfTax5gSk_PtBKWCz5BfnWTK7/view?usp=sharing

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 13 August 2014

Water

If you keep pouring water in a glass 
the dirt will rise to the surface and dissipate. 
 – wise saying

Monday, 11 August 2014

Positive

Strong positive energy can prevent or ease suffering  
But the most significant result 
of a positive attitude is not necessarily 
to keep suffering from happening 
but to keep it from becoming a negative force 
when it does come.  
- Tulku Thondup

Friday, 8 August 2014

Order

Where's the greatest order in my life?  
Where do things run most smoothly 
with the least amount of volatility?  
- John Demartini

Wednesday, 6 August 2014

Way

You have your way.  I have my way.  
As for the right way, the correct way, 
and the only way, it does not exist, 
there is no “The way” to do anything. 
 - Friedrich Nietzsche

Monday, 4 August 2014

Choose

We can choose, but we cannot know 
if our choices will be successful.  
The beauty is that by choosing to see spiritually, 
we...become one with our soul. 
 - Fred Alan Wolf


Friday, 1 August 2014

August 1, 2014 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   If you could say anything to anyone, what would you say?  
 
   I came across the above thought in a book I read recently.  Now, there are different ways of looking at this.  

   You could look at it from the angle of what wisdom would you like to leave behind for people as your personal legacy.  

   Or, you could approach it from the angle of healing a troubled relationship - past or present.  Or, do you need to say something to end a current relationship that is poisoning your life?

   Perhaps there is someone you really want to meet - famous or otherwise - whom you’d love to ask that single burning question that has been circling around your brain forever.

   Ever been in a situation where you couldn’t think of what to say at the time but had a great reply or rebuttal hours later?  

  You can probably think of someone, or a group of people, for all the above scenarios, as well as some I may have missed.

   So...if you could say anything, what would you say?

   So many of us think that we can’t say what we want, or need to say, because we fear the other person’s reaction, or because the person has died, or because we feel the person is too far out of reach for us to contact.

   But we don’t have to actually say it to the person.  Yes, we often feel we need to be acknowledged, listened to, and understood, but the most important aspect of this is not the other person.  

   And you can put your fears and concerns totally on hold.  Write it down.  Go somewhere where you are completely alone and say it aloud as you picture the person in front of you.  

   If you feel comfortable after that step, you can share it with the person if possible, however, that step isn’t really necessary because after you say what you need to say, you will probably be quite surprised to discover that what you said isn’t for the other person after all, but rather something you needed to hear at this time.

      What is it that you, and only you, can express, to be fully you? 

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IdCjqHvb5c_C9yma94JfENQFx6frySOA/view?usp=sharing

To contact The Chautauqua, email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or visit https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua.

Wednesday, 30 July 2014

Teach

You can learn only through teaching...
by taking the role of guide, 
[you are] able to find [your] own true path. 
 - Paulo Coelho


Monday, 28 July 2014

Act

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, 
the rest is merely tenacity.  
- Amelia Earhart 


Friday, 25 July 2014

True

We should find out what is true for ourselves, 
rather than just taking some authority's word for it. 
 - Tara Bennett-Goleman


Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Right

There is far more right with us
 than wrong with us. 
 - Jon Kabat-Zinn


Monday, 21 July 2014

Inside

You cannot see outside of you 
what you fail to see inside. 
 - Anothony de Mello


Friday, 18 July 2014

July 18, 2014 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   What is the first thing we want to know when the rug is pulled out from under us?

  Why?  Why did it happen?  Why did that person do what they did?  Why me???

   We all do it.  It is a very natural response.  Yet, ultimately, it doesn’t matter at all why, it only matters what we do after.

   After the rug has been pulled out from under you, do you move forward, or sideways, or do you try to stay put, or even go backwards?

   It is impossible to go back, no matter how much we may wish our lives to return to the way they were before.  It happened, it’s in the past, and it can’t be undone.  You can only live from where you are now after the fact.

   Despite some appearances, you also can’t stay put.  Life won’t let you remain in a static position.  More changes keep coming at you, forcing you to keep making decisions.

   Moving sideways (or laterally) tends to have a bad rap in the business world as corporate types are encouraged to climb up the ladder of success.  Yet, far too often, the worker is promoted right out of their area of expertise into a world of endless conference calls, meetings, and paperwork, which can result in chronic stress and health issues.

   Moving sideways - in business and life - gives you the chance to grow and be challenged, yet remain where your strengths and contributions are best served.  It also allows you to test the waters of endeavours you wish to explore without changing your entire life.  Instead of moving up a ladder, you are circling up a spiral.

   Moving forward can be thought of as the great leaps of life such as when you have to make great changes across all areas of your life.  While moving forward is considered the ideal, there is a dark side to it as some people use the massive changes involved in moving forward as an excuse to hide from whatever caused the rug to be pulled out in the first place.

   Whether moving sideways or forward, you know you’re on the right track if you feel a sense of timelessness and relaxing of body tension.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17UvgQgbbw4PPvUIVgngZzwurY1B9gt9t/view?usp=sharing

 To contact The Chautauqua, email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

Outcomes

There are no wrong choices.  
Some just have different outcomes than others.
 - author unknown


Monday, 14 July 2014

Pieces

Arrange whatever pieces come your way.  
- Virginia Woolf


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