I Am NOT A Bottle of Wine June 8, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Lessons, Mindfulness, People.Tags: Happiness, Labels, Life Lessons, Mindfulness, People, Stereotypes
46 comments
I steer clear of labels for several related reasons:
(1) Labels are superficial. Hypocrites wear labels, claiming to be one thing while doing another. Actions speak louder than words.
(2) Labels are superfluous. We don’t have to call ourselves “feminists” to be pro-active in the fight for equality. All we have to do is keep coming back to the task.
(3) Labels are imprecise. Meanings shift from place to place, person to person, and with changing times. A label might mean one thing to me and hold a different meaning for you.
When we characterize our actions and beliefs with labels, we can get caught up defending ourselves against out-dated stereotypes and over-generalizations.
(4) Labels encourage people to pigeon-hole us, to presume to know more about us than they do, all based on a label applied to our countenance.
They ask what we do so they know which cubbyhole to stick us in:
Rich man? Poor man? Beggar man? Thief? Doctor? Lawyer? Indian chief?
Cocktail party questions are a convenient form of shorthand communication. Nothing more.
(5) Labels are misleading. The things we have done and the roles we have “played” don’t define the totality of who we are at THIS moment.
“If who you are is what you do, who are you when you don’t?”
(6) Labels are limiting. Words can’t encompass the essence of “me.” Trying to distill ourselves down to a single word or phrase is frustrating.
How could we ever hope to encapsulate our infinite awesomeness in words?
(7) Once we realize we are NOT the labels we wear, we see who we really are.
And we are FREE.
When I first stopped practicing law, I didn’t know how to respond when people asked the ubiquitous question, “What do you do?”
I didn’t have a “new label” to apply.
I decided I don’t need a label.
I am NOT a bottle of wine.
Or a banana.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Quote to Ponder: Our infinite worth lies beyond all labels.
The Boundaries of Your Mind’s Fullness June 3, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Mindfulness, People, Spirit & Ego, Spirituality & Faith.Tags: Ego, Mindfulness, People, Philosophy, Spirit, Spiritual Growth
36 comments
The Ego-Self is a projection of how we perceive ourselves vis-a-vis others.
An ever-changing paper mache mask.
The Spirit-Self is who we are underneath it all . . . our ever-constant unchanging essence.
The Self that never ages, no matter how many birthdays we celebrate.
Allowing the Ego-Self to have its way is akin to putting a toddler in charge of your life with all its incessant demands.
Gimme! I want! No!
Following the Spirit-Self, in contrast, leads to compassion, kindness, and a desire to help others.
If someone is trying to “find themselves” in order to bolster up the Ego-Self, it’s rather a waste of time since that “self” is merely a projection.
No more “real” than an actor playing a role.
If someone is trying to “find themselves” in order to uncover the essence of who they are at the core . . .
Underneath all the layers and labels and masks . . .
If they want to experience oneness with “all that is” . . .
That seems a rather valuable use of the limited time we have here.
No matter where we are in life, no matter what roles we are playing (from caregiver to bank executive to hippie), we find our true self by looking within.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Quote to Ponder: When we understand who we really are, we free ourselves from the illusions that hold us back.
* * * * *
Artwork by Maitte Van Arsdel ~ available at Island Gallery West.
Working With A BLANK Canvas June 2, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Art & Photography, Mindfulness, Poetry, Word Play.Tags: Art, Canvas, Existential crisis, Mindfulness, Poet, Poetry
29 comments
Can a poet create a poem with a single word?
NOTHINGNESS
Or no words at all?
(Perhaps symbolizing a true existential crisis?)
Can a blank canvas constitute Art?
Can the artist frame NOTHING and claim that it is something because poetry and artistry spring into being based on the interpretation brought to it by the viewer?
What if the viewer’s mind is a blank canvas as well?
Do poets and artists need to bring something more than nothing to the mix?
What say you?
Have you ever had a difference of opinion with someone about the intrinsic value of a piece of art, music, or writing?
Who was “right”?
Related posts: C.R.A.P. * We’re Getting More Stupider
Wrting Groups May 29, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Mindfulness, People, Word Play, Writing & Writers.Tags: Critique, Eric J Baker, Mindfulness, Writer, Writing circle
38 comments
Writing groups are not for everyone.
What I enjoy most about writing is its solitary nature, with nothing between my thoughts and the page but my pen. Writing “by committee” holds no appeal.
Some critiques “bash” the motivation out of would-be writers. Other critiques probably aren’t critical enough.
Due to loyalty, or fear of future reprisals, members may say what the would-be writer WANTS to hear, not what s/he NEEDS to hear.
Meetings are time consuming and often a waste of time ~ social niceties, feigned friendship, and pats on the back (warranted and unwarranted) eat up LOTS of time.
If you’re in the wrong group . . . you hear the wrong advice.
If you hear any advice at all.
When we first moved to Florida, I attended a few meetings of the Gulf Coast Writers. The group gathers once a month to read their writings to each other amid a smattering of polite applause ~ or deathly silence.
Occasionally, an outside speaker appears to elucidate writers in the group about how to get published or self-publish their words.
The meeting time, mid-day on Wednesdays, ensures that most members are retired from the workforce . . . with an average age of 73.1 years.
At the second or third meeting I attended, the group discussed holding a Writers Forum on the island. Excited, I attended the next meeting only to learn that a consensus had been reached to do nothing more than the group was already doing ~ acting as a polite audience for once a month readings.
At that point, I lost interest in the group, and I haven’t bothered to scout out another for the reasons cited above.
That said, if I stumbled upon someone and LOVED how they wrote and they agreed to read my WIP and give me an HONEST critique and it was HELPFUL and we started to share more of our writing with each other and . . .
That might work. 
Aah . . . that’s better!
What say you?
Have you ever participated in a writing group?
Did it help or hinder?
Related post: Writing Groups: Yea or Nay? (Eric J. Baker)
Quote to ponder: The only reason for being a professional writer is that you can’t help it. ~ Leo Rosten
When We No Longer Know May 12, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Life Lessons, Mindfulness, Poetry, Synchronicity & Mystery.Tags: Journey, Mindfulness, Poetry, Purpose, Wendell Berry
41 comments
It may be when we no longer know what to do,
we have come to our real work,
and that when we no longer know which way to go,
we have begun our real journey.
The mind that is not baffled is not employed.
The impeded stream is the one that sings.
The Power of Words April 25, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Life Lessons, Meditation, Mindfulness, Word Play.Tags: Meditation, Mindfulness, Words, Zen Wisdom
41 comments
A meditation master was asked to heal a sick child by saying a few prayers.
A skeptic scoffed at the idea that words could have such power.
The master replied, “What do you know? You’re an ignorant fool.”
Enraged, the skeptic shook with anger, “How dare you call me an ignorant fool!”
The master nodded and smiled, “If so few words have the power to anger you, why should they not have the power to heal as well?”
Aah . . . that’s better!
Paraphrased from The Zen of Eating, p. 113
Related post: Hidden Messages in Water
The Zen of Eating April 23, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Health & Wellness, Mindfulness.Tags: Diet, Food, Health, Mindfulness, Weight Loss, Wellness, Zen
23 comments
Want to lose weight? Without feeling deprived and frustrated?
Practice The Zen of Eating.
Be mindful of the tastes and textures of the food you prepare.
Focus on the nourishment it provides.
Be thankful for the abundance and variety of food in your life.
Say a blessing for your blessings.
Express loving kindness for all who contributed to growing and harvesting the food on your plate:
May you be happy
May you be healthy
May you be peaceful
May you be safe
Explore your pantry.
Note the origin of ingredients from differing cultures and traditions around the globe: Curry from India. Olive Oil from Greece. Pasta from Italy. Cheddar from Cheddar. Maple Syrup from Vermont or Canada.
Savor the sensation of . . . enough.
Aah . . . that’s better!
From Amazon:
When it comes to weight loss, the emphasis today is shifting away from fad diets and compulsive workouts toward sane, sensible techniques that incorporate both the mind and the body. This is the first book to apply the 2,500-year-old principles of Zen Buddhism to the modern struggle with the vicious cycle of dieting, losing, and regaining weight.
From a Buddhist perspective, overeating is a disorder of desire. This book will teach readers how to find freedom from eating problems and the tyranny of desire that triggers them. Filled with concrete, practical exercises and the wisdom of the ages, The Zen of Eating provides, at last, an alternative to ineffective diet programs, products, and pills.
Quote to Ponder: These words are simple. Mastering them is hard. ~ Tao Te Ching
The Anchor & The Wind April 20, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Balance, Life Lessons, Mindfulness.Tags: Life Balance, Life Lessons, Mindfulness, Sail, Wind
20 comments
Contentment can be an anchor . . . keeping us moored in “safe harbors.”
Discontent can be the wind in our sails . . . pushing us
to keep moving, growing, and exploring.
Quotes to Ponder:
* Because of our routines, we forget that life is an ongoing adventure. ~ Maya Angelou
* Throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbors. Catch the tradewinds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~ Mark Twain
* Boats are safe in harbor, but that’s not what boats are for. ~ Michael Lillie
* Dear comerado! I confess I have urged
you onward with me, and still urge you,
without the least idea what is our destination,
Or whether we shall be victorious, or utterly quell’d and defeated.
Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
Here’s to the dawning of a day filled with the uncertainty which arises with all exciting new adventures!
Aah . . . that’s better!
Related post: Happily Dissatisfied (Pix & Kardz)
Let Life Unfold April 7, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Art & Photography, Life Balance, Mindfulness.Tags: Barbara Hines, Island Gallery West, Life Balance, Mindfulness
39 comments
Fellow sojourners encourage us to map out our lives so they know what to expect from us.
Even the best map in the world won’t make life predictable.
Those hit by the proverbial bus seldom see it coming.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Artwork: Barbara Hines ~ Island Gallery West
It’s The Moment That Matters March 14, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Life Balance, Life Lessons, Meditation, Mindfulness.Tags: Breath, Life Balance, Life Lessons, Meditation, Mindfulness
46 comments
Instead of peering into the swirling mist to discern our Purpose, we can seek the purpose of each encounter by asking what we can bring to THIS moment.
Just letting people know they are loved and heard and not alone is incredibly important. Do it daily.
There are no insignificant decisions. Deciding to follow your feet out of bed in the morning is momentous. We impact others in a myriad of unseen ways.
Don’t miss the roses blooming in the garden by focusing on the thorns.
We are, each of us, a fire, a flame. No two flicker the same. We burn at our own speed and in our own time.
Ignited with passion, we mesmerize. And energize. We warm the hearts of those around us and spread light and love to all we meet.
It’s the moment that matters. We miss it if we fail to maintain our awareness of who and where we are.
Follow your breath.
It’s our connection to the wisdom within . . . the moving spirit that lights our way.
Here. Now.
Aah. . . that’s better!
Quote to Ponder: The journey between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life really takes place. ~ Barbara DeAngelis
Artwork by Monica Stewart . . . “Unity”
Related post: The Land of In-Between (Kate Shrewsday)
