Three sets of threes

Our lives have different dimensions - the professional, the personal, the social, the spiritual, ..., the earthy, the divine. Dealing with the ups and downs of the times is far from easy. Mysteriously and hearteningly many others too face the same struggles and joys.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to draw on sources that help anchor us to who we really are. By identifying a handful of rules in each of the dimensions that affect us the most, we might be better able to find ourselves. Not necessarily rules made by someone else, but necessarily those which we can identify with. It might start by considering the dimensions which matter the most. Then, by trial and error, find or develop the rules in each dimension which guide us gently inwards. It could begin with just one set of one, move on to two sets of two, then three sets of threes, or more. Or just the reverse. Be secure in the knowledge that that no matter what other things happen, or what fierce winds might swirl around us, we can continue to chart our course to some pretty joyful places within us.

- Vigs

To have it all, one needn't have it all

One more hill to scale. One more project to complete. One more big raise to work for. One more work commitment to make. While the seasons change, the blooming flowers give rise to fall splendor unseen. We choose to trade in the joys of things that we trust will be around later, for the satisfaction of things done well now. The balance is hard to find and to keep. Find the balance. Find yourself.

- Vigs

To place ones head in god's lap

To experience unconditional acceptance, to nestle up and be comforted at the end of a long day, setting aside the feelings that trouble one. That would be nice. Seek the divine joy, whose origins lie in the mists of time and within ourselves.

- Vigs

Accept oneself by accepting ones feelings

Learning to accept the way the world is, and for gaining our sense of presence in the world asks for acknowledgment of the marvelous, and also of the terrifying realm of feelings within. The feelings which enthrall, frighten, relax, arouse, awe, embarrass, anger, sadden, cheer, warm and more. Including the ambivalent and contradictory feelings we might have about something or someone. Accepting ones feelings, knowing them for what they are at their heights or depths and everywhere else in between, does not require our acting on them. We know ourselves a little bit better each time when we acknowledge these feelings, even if only to ourselves.

- Vigs

The abundant joy of simple pleasures

Taking in the world. There is just so much of it. Ah, all those sights, feel, sounds, scents, tastes of life. Among other things, when we allow the senses to linger over the the simple, gentle, absurd, kooky things - those childish delights those can that fill ones being with joy. Other feelings often crowd out what most already have. The simple joys which bring a touch of smiles and tears and laughter in our lives.

- Vigs

The beauty of images - relish it with the mind's eye

Some words are simple, soothing, beautiful and breathtaking in the images they conjure up, regardless of the language used to express them. How could a beautiful image be described otherwise. A sample of just about everyone's childhood favorites too:

Rainbow

Butterfly

Waterfall

Springtime

Birdsong

- Vigs

We have a past, we have a future

Who hasn't looked back wondering about the paths not taken or the ones which didn't lead where we intended. Some of the things that shouldn't have happened but did nevertheless. Did someone write us off, are we in turn discounting what someone else has offered or given the chance is yet to offer. Look to the future where wonderful things are possible for others some of them through our efforts.

- Vigs

The present is always here with us.

Our past is always behind us. Our future always ahead of us. Undoubtedly, past actions and future plans affect the present, both with or without our consent. Determining the extent to which our consent whether it be deliberate or tacit is granted, may have a lot to do with where we choose to setup camp.

- Vigs

Weaknesses connect one to the world

... in a way that reveals we're about the same. While there are times when things are in control, there are all those other times when it slips away. What is it that makes us human while we search for the divine.

- Vigs

Wisdom of the ages in the songs of the day

Some ideas and expressions of feeling are universal and meant to last - their time does not have to come, it's here already. Popular songs of the day set these themes to music tapping into our being.

- Vigs

By doing the best we can, we get better.

What wonderful things will you do today and in the days ahead. The going may not always be smooth. The unanticipated will happen eventually. Stop if but for a few minutes to sit down and rework the plan, then put it in action. Don't worry too much about revising the plan so you can keep heading towards your goals. Bring others along. Share the view and their journey too. Tell me about mountains you climb the tops of which I cannot even see.

- Vigs

Be not afraid about being alone with ones thoughts for company

... it is one of the ways to drown out the noise - of the news, and of the views. Look across the world and look at the world within. You are the world, just as each drop is also the ocean.

- Vigs

Be glad for who we are.

I can only be me. And you can only be you. Nobody else. Recognize the drives which connect us all with gentleness and acceptance. I'm you. And you're me.

- Vigs

It takes a few times to get things figured out

Actually quite a few times. Especially for the things that whisper their wisdom gently to use, nudge us to keep looking, to keep coming back for working a bit more on it. Every time we look diligently, we'll find the answer we're meant to. Keep looking. Find the special answers meant for you.

- Vigs

There is sufficient time for ...

... words that help us find kindness

... a thankful smile

... a decadent treat

... a stroll through the past with an eye on the future

.. a forgiving though

...sitting down to think about what's to be done

...

...listening to the voices that inspire us to act for peace

- Vigs

Does no mean never

Sometimes. It also means not now, maybe later. So prepare well and try again. Difficult as it might be, in planning for the road ahead, examine the ones we have already traveled. Particularly the paths which did not lead quite where we intended for them to. Some lessons, with their joys and sorrows just need to be experienced personally, rather than vicariously. Even thought it might seem otherwise, we are the better because of the storms, that we may stand in the sunshine.

- Vigs

A sense of urgency. A sense of unruffled tranquility.

Ours in but a page in history. As it was for the dinosaurs. Are we the dinosaurs of this age, and if so what events lie ahead which will dramatically alter our world as it did theirs. Knowing that we have but a few years, for what is a lifetime such as ours anything but brief on a cosmic scale, how would we choose to spend it. What part of our life's work would we regret not having begun, let alone nutured. So buckle on the tool-belt. Take off the safeties. Pack your bags to make the trip of a lifetime - into your dreams. Let it define your life's work.

- Vigs

Seek the divine amidst the drugery

Can we put the divine in a box. If so what size would the box need to be. It just might have to be as large as the universe.

The divine is in what touches our innermost thoughts moving and inspiring us. Is it already in and around us. It in the special places we gather and out in the clamorous solitude of nature. Certainly around those balmy beaches with blue skies and also the fiery volcanoes. In the familiar and in the peculiar. Each on a transformational journey. We determine where ours will lead.

- Vigs

What fuels the stars, what fuels you

Fusion around and within us.

Stellar fusion with its enormous energies provides life giving light and warmth to our world. We are children of this star dust and of the planet. But what of our desires which burn so hot if left unchecked would consume their surroundings. Consider that the parts needed to make us whole - desires, inspirations, yearnings, experiences, ideals; are already present within ourselves. Prepare yourself acting with kindness towards yourself and others, take time to read, to bow ones head seeking guidance, to reflect, to be out in nature, and trust that there will be an answer. A suitable event will provide the catalyst for igniting the reaction within fusing the parts together in harmony. Creating a free flowing fountain of energy within which pours out including others in the process.

- Vigs

To turn the page

The facts and actions about what has occurred cannot be disputed. It happened. How does one look back and feel a sense of gratefulness for what happened, especially about those rough spots, the skids, the beat-up condition in which you traveled the winding backroads through treacherous terrain. Don't stop looking and reflecting until you find the special answer which only your heart knows is the right one for you. It is the answer which will make it possible for you to look back with feeling of gratitude about the misfortunes, mishaps that were part of the journey earlier on. The answer which will make the detours earlier on feel like they were scenic byways.

- Vigs

How would it be like to use the precious times we save up for ourselves

... to feel inspired ...

... to feel moved ...

... to feel captivated ...

... to feel aware ...

... to feel fascinated ...

...

... to feel at peace ...

; by viewing, reading, listening, touching, tasting, and reflecting on the things which are part of our lives - the simple, the befuddling, as well as, the contradictory.

- Vigs

For whom is the message

Proceed with the confidence that those who are meant to read it will do so, at the times in their lives which are right for them. It could be this very instant or generations later. Distance and time will not diminish the value of your ideas and actions. Will it be too late or too early for some. Perhaps. For the ones who choose to reflect on your message now or later in light of their own experiences, ideas, feelings and ideals, may find themselves warmly illuminated.

- Vigs

Tell your story firsthand

Each of us has a story, and only we can tell it firsthand - with our words, intentions, feelings, expressions, and actions. The way we choose to thread our story, linking the characters to the theme tells us who we are, and how we choose to live our convictions. We get to choose whether it is going to be a talk show or a soap opera; a thriller or a family feature which brings us to a more peaceful place. By taking the time, just a few minutes, a few times every week to think about how our very own storyline is told, is the only way we'll get it straightened out for ourselves. The time of day we choose to plan it, be it late in the night with a pencil next to the bed-stand, or in the early sleepy hours of the morning, or during the lunch hour, or relaxing on the easy chair in the evening, does not matter as much as the awareness that it is my story and it is up to me to see it is told. Many of the great stories told over the generations feature last minute reprieves - so whom will you rescue. And will that also show you how to save yourself. Find your voice.

- Vigs

Smarts offer scant protection to the vicissititudes of life

If anything it is the ones with the smarts, the ones voted likely to succeed, that are also among those who have the bumpiest rides of their lives. Bobbing up and down in the wake of life's great storms and coming out the better for having undergone it all, requires us to prepare ourselves in special ways. It is a gift accessible to those who seek it. Despite the lack of assurance about where, when and how this might come about know that it is yours if you seek it with perseverance. Listen to the quiet voice inside which says that there is an answer meant just for you to find.

- Vigs

Ubuntu - By recognizing others' humanity we confirm our own

Ubuntu is about witnessing, offering or experiencing unconditional acceptance for everyone. It is evident especially in its demonstration towards those who would and often are as easily excluded. Ubuntu is embodied in actions towards others which include and welcome, expanding like ripples in a peaceful pond. It is our connection to the larger human family in ways we do not fully understand but which exists nonetheless.

The African word 'Ubuntu' exists at a plane of understanding higher than words can capture - as do many words that stir the soul in their attempt to describe the human condition.

- Vigs

The things my students teach me

... teach and keep building on ideas that are interesting and are important

... show me how what I'm learning now fits in with what I want to do or will have to do someday

... don't hesitate picking others minds for strategies about what has worked well for them, especially about things which interest or intrigue me

... examples to work out together and applications to build on make the theory real

... it helps to hear and see the complex things explained several different ways at several different times

... if it's needed on the outside, and the connection to the class material is clear, labs can be kind of fun to do

... there is seldom enough time to make the class project work perfectly

... being responsible for evaluating requires providing direction on how to keep getting better

... covering the material in class requires more than covering the material in class

... if something learned in the classroom is used a couple of times while working professionally, the course has paid for itself.

...

...

... don't be too cautious about trying new things - even if it sometime means having to start over again, well behind the start line.

- Vigs

Is it "a" path, or is it "the" path.

... We are often so convinced that our beliefs are "the" right ones. Others feel the same exact way. Is one right or the other, or none or all ?

There is no one on Earth who's quite like you or like me, and the beliefs we hold or the paths each of us have taken, are taking now, or will take are our very own. Grant others the civility we take for granted.

- Vigs

On being kind and kooky

The manner in which opposites and contradictions in the world around us often work together to make our lives whole can be quite peculiar. The battle of ideas and ideals on the inside is in many ways as important as any we may take up on the outside. Many of these questions are timeless, coming to us through the ages, and we can take comfort in knowing that they will still be there for other generations to face as well. These call to us for resolution, a solution which is uniquely ours.

Do not be unduly concerned by the uncertainty which seeking out such answers requires. Be open to the world around - its wonders, sorrows and delights - they all have their lessons for us to learn from.

I've often pondered about how to relate to this slightly wacky world in way which is meaningful to others and myself, while being welcoming, helpful and insightful. The "Be Kind and Kind of Kooky ^TM" blog explores these ideas.

My take on life: Be a work-in-progress. Just like this blog. By steadily trying to improve, I maintain the hope that I'm also helping create a future where there's plenty of place for others to grow and spread their wings.

Along the way try to be Kind - to others and most of all to oneself. We're often much too hard on ourselves, or on those in close relationships, or those under our supervision.

Also be a bit kooky - one way to find what we love to do is by exploring our hobbies and interests, and generally being our goofy selves.

- Vigs