Friday, 27 February 2015

Never


There's never been: 
a drought that didn't end, 
a storm that didn't clear, 
lightning that didn't retreat, 
an earthquake that didn't still, 
a flood that didn't recede, 
or a plague that wasn't eventually, completely
 and utterly overwhelmed by the healthy.
  - Mike Dooley

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Fall Down

Sometimes when you fall down,
 you just have to lie still, 
and hope that no one runs over you. 
 If they don't and you lay there long enough,
 taking care to be very still, 
breathing slowly, refusing to whine, 
God will lift you... 
- Iyanla Vanzant

Monday, 23 February 2015

Nots

 Dear God: please untie the nots.  
All of the can nots, should nots, 
may nots, and have nots. 
 - Iyanla Vanzant

Friday, 20 February 2015

February 20, 2015 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   Ever feel like you are a square peg trying to fit in a round hole?

   We live in a world of various sizes of squares (or rectangles):
  • we live in squares which are arranged in squares
  • we drive in squares on squares
  • we work in squares, where we sit on squares at squares
  • we cook our food in squares or eat out in squares
  • most of our food comes in squares
  • we work, communicate, and are entertained with squares all day
  • we sleep on squares, with a square under our head and squares covering our bodies
  • we use squares to purchase squares and pay squares

   Now, if you look around at nature, it is really hard to find a naturally occurring square at all. Circles and curves abound everywhere.
  • the sun, moon and stars appear as circles
  • the earth itself a circle, as are many rock formations and caves
  • standing water tends to form a circular shape, water flows in curves
  • storm and wind currents are circles
  • raindrops are circles, and snowflakes have circular shapes as well
  • the seasons cycle (circle)
  • birds and animals live in circular nests, dens, burrows
  • real food is circular and/or at least curvy

   In our species’ early history, dwellings were round, and communities were arranged in circles.  Fires were built within stone circles.  Many ancient sacred sites are circular.  Every culture has some form of meditation aid that is a circle (such as medicine wheels, labyrinths). 
 
   Humans aren’t really meant to live and thrive in squares.  We’re designed for natural curves and circles.  Perhaps if we replaced the multitude of squares in our lives with more natural circles, many of our society's ills, and illnesses, would vanish?

Beth

 Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TypV03tl2dfQ7hVUfWm-PkLVs7XTV73G/view?usp=sharing

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Wednesday, 18 February 2015

Quest

In the word question, 
there is a beautiful word – quest.
 - Elie Wiesel 

Monday, 16 February 2015

Further

We seek the wisdom of our ancestors
Not so we may walk where they walked,
But so we may travel further.  
- from the Declaration of the Sandia Mountain Grove of Druids

Friday, 13 February 2015

Love

Love, in whatever shape, 
in whatever disguise, is still love...
love is energy – the most powerful energy. 
 - Syed Hamraz Ahsan

Wednesday, 11 February 2015

Stop

The question isn't who's going to let me;
 it's who's going to stop me.
 - Ayn Rand 
 

Monday, 9 February 2015

Rush

[D]on't rush it.  There is plenty of time.  
In fact, there is forever – 
life after life – to grow.  
Go slow so that you may take the time 
to find the harmony of balance
 within the soul, and the peace of knowing 
one's place within nature.
 - Arthur Rowan

Friday, 6 February 2015

February 6, 2015 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you. - Eric Hoffer

   Our world has been through a lot recently and it seems that the right to free expression, as well as other basic human rights, is being targeted more and more.  Yet, society seldom allows you to demand for yourself, what you refuse to offer to others around you.

   While free expression has been an issue that has had its share of detractors, it is actually something far deeper at stake here than merely our right to “publicly” express what we want.

   What is REALLY being threatened is our CHOICE to disagree with someone, or an ideology, and for that be okay for all parties concerned

   There are over 7 billion people on this planet.  Everyone is not going to like you (yes, it’s true), nor is everyone going to agree with you, or support what you support, respect what you respect, protect what you protect, value what you value, love what you love, or believe what you believe.

   So. Be. It.

   No matter how kind, helpful, considerate, or even “politically correct” you are, you will - guaranteed - end up offending someone in this world.

   That is because we all perceive and experience this world differently.  Not even members of a family living under the same roof, experience life in the exact same manner.  What you see through your eyes, isn’t necessarily what I see through my eyes.

   If you set out to destroy those who disagree with you, pretty soon you will find yourself all alone as everyone you encounter will disagree with you over something at some point.  Guaranteed!

  So, support what you support, respect what you respect, protect what you protect, value what you value, love what you love, and believe what you believe.  If the person in front of you doesn’t agree…

   Let. It. Go.  Continue on your journey and leave them to their journey.

   If we ALL agree on EVERYTHING, we will never learn ANYTHING new.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vAzC1ypw9vQxnHPHwsMDBrfxZ-xCOVJr/view?usp=sharing

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

Wednesday, 4 February 2015

Maximize

Fulfillment comes through
 maximizing what one is capable of, 
not bemoaning not having more.  
In this we see that physical 
and spiritual limitations 
need be no real limit
 to the growth of the self.  
The challenge that enables growth
 is to apply what we have 
to master the obstacles before us. 
 - Arthur Rowan

Monday, 2 February 2015

Quest

[S]trength is in the quest, 
which itself is the goal...
There is always the need to move on 
and room to grow. 
 - Arthur Rowan

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