Wednesday 30 October 2019

Rushing

When you’re rushing,
 it’s impossible to enjoy what you’re doing 
because almost by definition, 
you’re wishing you were somewhere else. 
- Kristine Carlson

Monday 28 October 2019

Label

Until you come to terms with the notion
 that you aren’t what you do, 
but rather a person who does many things,
 you may find yourself leading a complicated life...
Your life experience will become all the more rich and rewarding 
as you learn to do more things without labeling yourself. 
- Kristine Carlson

Friday 25 October 2019

Natural

Don’t be nice; be natural.
 - Wyatt Webb

Wednesday 23 October 2019

Risk

Be the risk you want others to take.
 - Tori Hartman

Monday 21 October 2019

Simple

Sometimes the questions are complicated 
and the answers are simple. 
- Dr. Seuss

Friday 18 October 2019

October 18, 2019 Chautauqua

     
Beth's Ponderings

We are in the season of Autumn, or Fall as we sometimes call it as the leaves are falling, the temperatures are falling, and the snow is starting to fall too!

   Autumn is an interesting time of year as it is a time of harvesting, gathering, and collecting before winter really sets in, but at the same time, it is a season of letting go.

   We tend to join groups, and book ourselves into more activities, in Autumn, but maybe we should be slowing down instead.

   Maybe we should let go of some of our activities so we can relax more?  Maybe we should let go of some of our group obligations so we can be home with our families more? 

   And, maybe we should let go of our (unrealistic?) expectations of what we can still accomplish in the remaining days of 2019, as we speed towards the Christmas season, so that we don’t end the year in a frazzled, regretful, burned-out state?

  Or, maybe what we really need to let go of this time of year, is our fears.  Fears that we are missing out if we don’t check every social media post, or sign up for every class being offered.  Fears that we are running out of time when we would find we have lots of time if we just change how we are using it, and what we are spending our time doing.  Fears that others are judging us, when the truth is that they probably aren’t even thinking about us at all as they are too worried about their own lives and being judged. 

   Those fears either drive us to keep pushing and going, long past when it is mentally/emotionally/socially/physically healthy for us to do so, or they stop us in our tracks, paralysing us from moving forward at all.

   If a leaf falling from a tree could think, as we humans do, it would probably freak out when it disconnected from the tree and started its free-fall to earth, and yet, a leaf never crashes down, it meanders, and it always lands safely, supported by the firm earth.


   We, too, will find that we are firmly supported, maybe not in the exact manner we expect, when we make the choice to let go.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://sites.google.com/site/thechautauqua27/home/October%2018%2C%202019%20Chautauqua.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

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

Wednesday 16 October 2019

Garden

Some people like to make of life a garden, 
and to walk only in its path. 
- Japanese proverb

Monday 14 October 2019

Nourish

When you recover or discover something 
that nourishes your soul and brings joy, 
care enough about yourself 
to make room for it in your life. 
— Jean Shinoda Bolen

Friday 11 October 2019

Duty

Duty makes us do things well, 
but love makes us do them beautifully. 
- Phillips Brooks

Wednesday 9 October 2019

Failure

Failure is an event, not a person. 
Yesterday ended last night. 
- Zig Ziglar

Monday 7 October 2019

Reason

Reasoning with a child is fine,
 if you can reach the child’s reason 
without destroying your own.
 - John Mason Brown

Friday 4 October 2019

October 4, 2019 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   Previously, I mentioned that I had a bumper crop of peas this year.  Plus I discovered I had lots of HUGE carrots - never before have carrots grown that large in our garden space!

   Some things were really delayed.  My raspberries just started a little over three weeks ago, and while there weren’t a lot, I still managed to pick enough to enjoy by the handful.

   But, not all was successful this year.  My Sweet Peas didn’t even break through the ground.  But even more disappointing, my melons - two watermelon and a cantaloupe - really struggled all season.


  One watermelon plant completely died, and the other bloomed two days before the weather turned colder.  But, the cantaloupe surprised me.  It bloomed around the Labour Day long weekend, and produced - in the space of one very hot and sunny week - a golf ball sized melon.  The next - also rather hot and sunny - week it grew to tennis ball-size!  When I picked it September 25, I really didn’t expect much, yet it was ripe and, though basically only 4 bites, was delightfully tasty.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://sites.google.com/site/thechautauqua27/home/October%204%2C%202019%20Chautauqua.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

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

Wednesday 2 October 2019

Action

Without making the actual attempt, without trial and strife,
 there can be no true knowledge, no progress,
 no high achievement, and no legend...
Only action reveals our true selves. 
Only action moves us to mastery...
[Being is an action.] Relaxing is an action.
 Meditating is an action. Dreaming is an action. 
- Brendon Burchard

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