Friday 29 January 2021

Challenge

If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.
  - poster

Wednesday 27 January 2021

Surrender

Surrender means you step back 
from holding onto the illusion 
that you have control over anything. 
 - Sarah Prout

Monday 25 January 2021

For a' That

The man o' independent mind, 
He looks and laughs at a' that.
~~~
Then let us pray that come it may, 
As come it will for a' that, 
That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth, 
May bear the gree, an' a' that.
- Robert Burns

Friday 22 January 2021

Present

Live in present tense. 
 - Patti Digh

Wednesday 20 January 2021

Magnet

Destiny is like a magnet that pulls you – 
not a brass ring that only goes around once. 
 - Laurie Beth Jones

Monday 18 January 2021

Consequences

Happiness is not a reward – it’s a consequence.  
Suffering is not a punishment – it’s a result.
  - Robert Green Ingersoll

Friday 15 January 2021

January 15, 2021 Chautauqua



Beth's Ponderings

   As I write this, it is the day traditionally known as Epiphany (January 6) - when the Wise Men arrived in the Christmas story.  But, an epiphany is about so much more.  It’s a moment of sudden realization that completely changes how you view something.  I recently had my own great epiphany as I was working on my year-end in December.

   Now to set the context, I have been beating myself up as it were for years, especially since my physical collapse over seven and half years ago, about all things I WASN’T getting done in my life.  And, these weren’t even big dream (or someday) type tasks, but just regular everyday/daily tasks that I just couldn’t seem to get around to, or keep on top of no matter how hard I tried.  I was frustrated, more often than not, at my inability to juggle the various tasks and responsibilities in my life, as I seemed to drop more and more balls as time went on.

   Since I started feeling better in 2020, and was able to complete more and more unfinished tasks, I could also see how much of my life I let slide, not just in the past seven years, but even in the decades before that.  Which led to even more frustration, and beating up of myself.

   Then, as I was going through paperwork for year-end, I realized that it wasn’t about the balls (tasks/responsibilities) I failed to juggle at all! 

   Knowing what I know NOW, about how sick I truly was, I am absolutely AMAZED that I was able to function to any degree at all!  I should not have been able to keep ANY balls in the air – and I have no idea how on earth I managed to keep this newspaper going for 19 years, as well as everything else I actually was getting done.

   Humans are incredibly resilient, and able to accomplish great feats when we are called upon to do so.  Never underestimate you capacity to amaze yourself, and cut yourself a lot of slack if you aren’t accomplishing what you think you should be.  There could be factors you don’t even know about that are impacting what you can and can’t do in any given moment.  Breathe, give yourself a hug, or a pat on the back, and remember that you truly are doing the best you can.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1icZTU1M8WMpnnf8o39cjRBNRDJRLCofF/view?usp=sharing

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

Wednesday 13 January 2021

Action

One’s action ought to come out of an achieved stillness: 
not to be a mere rushing on. 
 - D. H. Lawrence

Monday 11 January 2021

Simple

Simple solutions seldom are.  
It takes a very unusual mind 
to undertake an analysis of the obvious.  
- Alfred North Whitehead

Friday 8 January 2021

Decisions

Each day’s decisions add to the decisions of the day before..
.we can create a different future – 
one simple, beautifully mundane, daily decision at a time.  
- Patti Digh

Wednesday 6 January 2021

Stop

Sometimes our “stop-doing” list
 needs to be bigger than our “to-do” list.
  - Patti Digh

Monday 4 January 2021

Play

Sometimes we just need to play. 
 - Patti Digh

Friday 1 January 2021

January 1, 2021 Chautauqua



Beth's Ponderings

   Here we are at the beginning (according to our calendars) of a brand new year.  12 brand new months, 52 new weeks, 365 new days, with endless possibilities and opportunities, stretch out before us.

   At this point, 2021 is a blank slate just waiting to be filled.

   Now some people are fans of New Year’s resolutions (whether they keep them is a whole other situation) and have them all made and ready to go as soon as the 1st arrives.

   Other people prefer to pick a “word of the year” to guide them as they journey through the year.  The word can reflect a characteristic they want to embody more, or something they feel they need to bring more of into their lives.

   Some folks take out their calendars and make plans for every month and week.  They like to have their lives completely mapped out ahead of time. (I personally don’t understand these folks, but still love them anyway).

   There are as many ways to approach this new year as there are people in the world, as none of us do the same thing.

   What I found to be most effective for me - which I stumbled upon last year - is approaching life like it is an experiment.  So while I do have some firm plans in place (ie the Chautauqua publishing schedule, health-related appointments, and my weekly Zoom meeting with my two buddies in Australia), and 1 main focus for each week (ie a task that I want to complete), I wake up each morning open to whatever comes up, and whatever I get done. 

   Some days I get more done than I expected, and some days end up going in a completely different direction than I hoped or expected, but I don’t get bent our of shape or upset (other than the first few seconds reaction), because it’s all an experiment.  And we all know that not every experiment works out, so you just start over and try again. 

   By treating your life as an experiment, you stay curious and open to more possibilities when they arrive.  May 2021 be your best year yet!

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ph_ZQon6dzE0bTbTFNnJV-BLgVZrT2lU/view?usp=sharing

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