Wednesday, 30 December 2015

Destiny

Destiny is not a mystery.  
For better or worse, your destiny is
 the result of your daily decisions 
and defining decisions...
Those daily decisions add up...
We only make a few defining decisions in life, 
and then we spend the rest of our lives
 managing them.
 - Mark Batterson 

Monday, 28 December 2015

Rest

Taking time to rest is a way of saying 
that not everything in life 
is up to you. 
- Tricia Goyer

Friday, 25 December 2015

Merry Christmas

A heart-felt THANK YOU
 to everyone for your support of 
The Chautauqua this past year.
 
May the blessings of this special time of year 
reside in your hearts today and always.

Beth

Wednesday, 23 December 2015

WWLD

...when in doubt – when you aren't sure 
what the right thing to do is...
remember WWLD...what would Lassie do? 
 - Dr. Bernie Siegel 

Monday, 21 December 2015

Plot

 My life has a superb cast 
but I can't figure out the plot.  
– Ashleigh Brillant

Friday, 18 December 2015

December 18, 2015 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   How much did you try and cram into your day yesterday?  

   How much did you actually enjoy doing? 

   How much do you actually remember doing?

   How much did you actually accomplish/finish? 

   How much from yesterday will get crammed into today?

   We seem to think that the more we do, and the busier we are, the better we are as people.  But is that really true?

   We cram so much in to our lives and schedules, and the lives and schedules of our family members and friends, that we aren’t actually doing anything more than running here and there, and back and forth, like a hamster on a wheel.  

   We try to fit so much into a finite time slot, and then wonder why we can’t remember anything, or are feeling so pressured and stressed.

   We long for holidays to get away from it all, and yet continue our cramming habit by overfilling our holiday times.

   Society today is the most workaholic of any previous era - even European nations known for their generous holiday schedules, are getting on the bandwagon as it were.

   Did you know that hunter/gatherer societies - prehistoric and current (if contact with outsiders has been kept minimal) - only “worked” about 3 hours a day.  That’s roughly how long it took to gather their daily food supply.  The rest of the time was spent socializing, playing games, and other leisure activities which honed life skills, kept them fit and active, as well as in right relationship with themselves and others.

   It seems to me these “primitive” societies knew something valuable that we have forgotten today.

   The new year is just around the corner, and for some, it is a time of making resolutions and changes.  Yet, for many of the ancient cultures, the Winter Solstice was the beginning of the new year with the dawn of the new day following the dark of the longest night.

   As we celebrate the holidays this month, instead of cramming more into your life, why not create more space and quiet?

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hxwo628POS1YTmCxzuAqg3oY0nqwBIk3/view?usp=sharing

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

Wednesday, 16 December 2015

Time

The best way to create more free time...
is to take it. 
- Mike Dooley

Monday, 14 December 2015

Happiness

Happiness isn't a destination...
it's a realization that things couldn't possibly 
get any better than having
 the freedom to perceive as you please 
and to think as you choose...
- Mike Dooley 

Friday, 11 December 2015

Mystery

We must not allow the clock and the calendar
 to blind us to the fact that each moment of life 
is a miracle and mystery. 
 - H.G. Wells

Wednesday, 9 December 2015

Wrist

The difference between a helping hand 
and an outstretched palm
 is a twist of the wrist.
  - Laurence Leamer

Monday, 7 December 2015

Life Expectancy

The good news is that life expectancy is increasing; 
the bad news is that the extra years 
are tacked on at the end.
 - author unknown 

Friday, 4 December 2015

December 4, 2015 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings
 
   What are you missing or lacking in your life?  

   A refill for your coffee?  A parking space at work?  Money in your bank account?  Someone to love you?  Time?  Safety?  Peace on earth?

   No matter what you think is missing or lacking in your life, the truth is that NOTHING is missing.  

   We get so hung up on the “form” we want the elusive thing to appear in, that we are blinded to the many forms that it does manifest in our lives. 

   For example, if your coffee cup is empty, you aren't really “lacking” coffee as there is probably more in the pot, and if not, then there is coffee in the jar to make more, and if not, then you can buy a cup ready-made at the coffee shop, or go to the store to get another jar to make more.  There is no “lack” of coffee in your world.

   If you think you are lacking money, look at where you do have money - change in a jar or under the couch cushions (never underestimate how fast coins can add up), some money in a coat pocket, money in a savings account, or a paycheque arriving on payday.

   If you think you are lacking time, think again - you woke up today which means you potentially have another 24 hrs or 1,440 minutes or 86,400 seconds at your disposal.  That’s a lot of time.  

   If you think you are “lacking” love, look around – you are alive, the sun still rose this morning to ensure your continued existence, and there is oxygen in the air for you to breathe.  That's a whole lot of pretty significant love right there.  Add in the approximately 7 billion people on this planet and you’ll find that no matter who you are, there is at least one other person in this world who will find you and like you.

   No matter what you think you are missing or lacking in your life, it is there somewhere.  Be open to recognizing that there are a multitude of ways and means that our desires can be, and are, fulfilled every moment of every day.

   “Try not to get hung up on the how and instead allow.” - Gabrielle Bernstein. 

 Beth

 Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IlSKb9wlrEeOY5HDaC54bSm2mRkz9iFg/view?usp=sharing

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

Wednesday, 2 December 2015

Happiness

It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves,
 and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.  
- Agnes Repplier

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