How Does This God Thing Work?

"A sickness usually teaches a lot more than a sermon." 

Thomas Watson

"In accepting what God wills for us do we find our peace." 

Dante

"I asked God for a flower.  He gave me a bouquet."

Unknown

I don’t know how it works.  I don’t know the rules.  In fact, if I’m learning anything, I’m beginning to wonder, when it comes to God’s love, if there are any rules.  I’m not talking anarchy or license to do whatever one wants, but I think God’s grace is far greater than what I think.

Last night I had to deal with a situation that caused me unrest.  I felt scared and unhappy.  I stayed calm on the outside, but I was worried.  Then, when I got that under control, something else happened.   So I went on Facebook and I asked for prayer. Within minutes, I was feeling completely peaceful.  How does this happen?  How does this work?  And how can anyone tell me with a straight face that there aren’t spiritual forces at work in our lives, some meant to bless and others meant to harm?             

So how does the God thing work?  I really don’t understand it, because most of my life I have had a rules-based orientation.   A rules-based orientation goes like this:

1.              There are certain rules, especially the ones connected to God, which must be followed.

2.              Failure to follow these rules usually results in some sort of punishment or withholding or withdrawal of favor or love.

Now here’s what I understand intellectually about grace:

1.     I don’t deserve it.

2.     I cannot earn it.

3.     I don’t deserve it.

4.     It’s available to everyone.  Everyone, even to me.

5.     It seems to show up, or perhaps I notice it more, when I least deserve it.

6.     I don’t deserve it.

7.     I don’t deserve it.

Yes, I understand this intellectually.  But to experience it, to actually feel it at my worst moments – well, that’s amazing.  Because, maybe I haven’t said this enough, but I don’t deserve it.

And what does it feel like? 

Imagine being in physical pain and then suddenly the pain is gone. 

Imagine being told you’re going to lose your job, but instead you get a promotion and a raise.

Imagine being broke and then receiving a whole bunch of money.

Imagine having to say goodbye to a friend at the airport and then suddenly seeing an old friend you haven’t seen in years.

Imagine the end of a treasured friendship, but then restoring it and making it even better.

Imagine being pulled over by a police officer but then getting off with a warning.

Imagine any type of relief, the kind where you involuntarily sigh with relief and gratitude, the kind that completely makes your day so happy that you are even glad for the initial troubles that allowed the grace to enter.

That’s what grace feels like to me.

So I’m grateful for the peace I feel right now.  Because I feel peace, I feel deep love.  I feel freedom from fear.  I feel compassion for those who are hurting and for those who have hurt me.  It doesn’t mean I want to be around people who are toxic, but I feel compassion for them and hope they change for their own sakes.  I feel a stronger bond of love for those I love.

I started this blog off by saying I don’t know the rules.  And so, again, I wonder if there are any rules.  Maybe God is love.  If so, then there doesn’t need to be rules.  When I love someone, all I want is to be with that person as much as and as long as possible.  I want to go shopping with them and plant gardens and cook and make them lunch and talk and go see a movie with them.  The only “rules” are

 - I want to be with that person as much as and as often as possible.  Everything else will work itself out. 

- I want to know that person better.

- I want to share my life, at whatever appropriate level, with that person.

- I am aware of their failings but it doesn’t change my love.

What does all this have to do with Purpose?  Just this:  Being in Purpose feels very much like being in Grace.  When I am in Purpose I completely feel God’s grace.  I feel peaceful, joyful, determined and loving.  Everything else, especially problems seem to fade away.  Being in Purpose is another way I find and understand how this whole God thing works.

So to understand God a little more, I just need to Get Started and Keep Going.

No sé cómo funciona. Yo no conozco las reglas. De hecho, si yo estoy aprendiendo nada, estoy empezando a preguntarme, cuando se trata del amor de Dios, si no hay ninguna regla. No estoy hablando de la anarquía o la licencia para hacer lo que uno quiere, pero creo que la gracia de Dios es mucho más grande que lo que pienso.

Anoche tuve que hacer frente a una situación que me causó disturbios. Me sentía asustada e infeliz. Me quedé tranquilo en el exterior, pero estaba preocupado. Luego, cuando llegué a eso bajo control, sucedió algo más. Así que me fui en Facebook y pedí oración. En cuestión de minutos, me sentía completamente tranquilo. ¿Cómo sucede esto? ¿Cómo funciona esto? ¿Y cómo puede alguien decirme con toda seriedad que no hay fuerzas espirituales en el trabajo en nuestras vidas, algunos significó para bendecir y otros destinados a hacer daño?

Entonces, ¿cómo hace el trabajo que Dios? Realmente no lo entiendo, porque la mayor parte de mi vida he tenido una orientación basada en reglas. Una orientación basada en reglas es la siguiente:

1. Hay ciertas reglas, sobre todo los relacionados con Dios, que se deben seguir.

2. El incumplimiento de estas normas da lugar generalmente a algún tipo de castigo o suspensión o retiro de la gracia o el amor.

Ahora esto es lo que entiendo intelectualmente acerca de la gracia:

1. No lo merezco.

2. No puedo ganar.

3. No lo merezco.

4. Está disponible para todos. Todo el mundo, incluso para mí.

5. Me parece a aparecer, o tal vez me doy cuenta de que es más, cuando menos me lo merezco.

6. No lo merezco.

7. No lo merezco.

Sí, lo entiendo intelectualmente. Pero para experimentarlo, para realmente sentirlo en mis peores momentos - bueno, eso es increíble. Porque, tal vez yo no he dicho lo suficiente, pero no se lo merecen.

Y ¿qué se siente?

Imagínese estar en el dolor físico y de pronto el dolor se ha ido.

Imagínese que le digan que va a perder su trabajo, sino que se obtiene un ascenso y un aumento de sueldo.

Imagínese estar en la ruina y luego de recibir un montón de dinero.

Imagine tener que decir adiós a un amigo en el aeropuerto y de repente ver a un viejo amigo que no has visto en años.

Imagine el final de una amistad preciado, pero luego restaurarlo y hacerlo aún mejor.

Imagine que es detenido por un oficial de policía, pero luego de bajar con una advertencia.

Imagina cualquier tipo de alivio, la clase donde usted suspiro involuntario de alivio y gratitud, de esos que por completo hace que su día tan feliz que usted es incluso contento por los problemas iniciales que permitieron la gracia para entrar.

Eso es lo que la gracia se siente como a mí.

Así que estoy agradecido por la paz que siento en este momento. Porque siento paz, siento el amor profundo. Me siento liberado del temor. Siento compasión por los que sufren y para los que me han lastimado. Esto no significa que quiero estar cerca de personas que son tóxicos, pero siento compasión por ellos y espero que cambien por sí mismas. Me siento un vínculo más fuerte del amor para los que amo.

Empecé este blog por decir que no conozco las reglas. Y así, una vez más, me pregunto si hay alguna regla. Tal vez Dios es amor. Si es así, entonces no tiene que haber reglas. Cuando amo a alguien, lo único que quiero es estar con esa persona tanto como sea y siempre que sea posible. Quiero ir de compras con ellos y jardines de plantas y cocinar y hacer que comer y hablar e ir a ver una película con ellos. Las únicas "reglas" son

 - Quiero estar con esa persona tanto o tan a menudo como sea posible. Todo lo demás se resolverá.

- Quiero conocer a esa persona mejor.

- Quiero compartir mi vida, a cualquier nivel que corresponda y con esa persona.

- Soy consciente de sus errores, pero eso no cambia mi amor.

¿Qué significa todo esto que ver con el propósito? Sólo esto: Estar en Propósito siente muy parecido a estar en gracia. Cuando estoy en el propósito me siento completamente la gracia de Dios. Me siento en paz, alegre, decidido y amante. Todo lo demás, sobre todo los problemas parecen desvanecerse. Estar en Propósito es otra manera puedo encontrar y entender cómo funciona todo esto de Dios.

Así que para entender a Dios un poco más, sólo necesito para Empezar y Seguir Adelante.

Time is Not Money...Time is More Valuable Than Money

“The common man is not concerned about the passage of time, the man of talent is driven by it.”

 Shoppenhauer

The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.

Stephen R. Covey

"The love of flowers is really the best teacher of how to grow and understand them."


Max Schling

I need to write!  I haven’t written since Friday night.  I don’t like this, not at all.  I not only need to write.  I love to write and when I’m away, I feel like I’m away from someone I love.

There are changes occurring in my life, and I would like to make those the excuse for not writing, but the truth is always that I chose not to write.  Now it’s late and I don’t have that much time, but I’m still going to sit here and write, because I need to.

I’m looking forward to the day when I can have a scheduled writing time every day.  Of course, I can make that happen now; so the fact that I’m not tells me one of two things:

1.     I am not going to make this the priority I say it is, or

2.     I’m going to use my time differently.

This is how it is with Purpose.  I make choices.  I do one thing or the other, but I can’t do both.  I’ll be honest.  At the moment I don’t really feel like writing.  I’m not seeing any results from it other than added stress.  However, maybe I don’t always have to see the results.  We don’t always know how our actions may affect others, even others we don’t know.

The other day a friend shared one of my blogs on Facebook.  One of her friends read it and printed it so she could read it again, because the blog really encouraged her.  I don’t know the friend of my friend.  I don’t even know which blog it is.  I just know that something I wrote encouraged someone else.  Something I did made a difference in someone else’s life, even if only for a little while.  That amazes me.  It also humbles me.  It makes me realize that what I do matters.  What we all do matters.

This is not meant to put guilt upon myself for not always doing the right thing.  Nor is it meant to put stress upon myself by causing me to wonder if what I do makes a difference.

Quoting from the Bhgavad Gita, Stephen Pressfield reminds us that we have a right to our labor, but not to the fruits of our labor.  Another expression by John Henry Newman, is, “Virtue is its own reward, and brings with it the truest and highest pleasure.”  I get my pleasure from writing and the story my friend told me was a bonus, a gift.  But I can’t look for those gifts or expect them.  They can’t become the reason I do this.

My Purpose is not for my benefit, though it benefits me greatly.   It is not for my growth though I have grown much in the last few months because of it.  It is not for my happiness though I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.  It is not to help me fix my life though I’m finally making decisions that I should have made years ago.  My Purpose is simply that; it’s my Purpose.  It’s the reason I’m here.

Now the even better news is that I can have more than one Purpose.  So far I have seven:

1.     My children are spiritually and emotionally healthy.

2.     I bless as many people as possible with my writing, speaking and teaching.

3.     I am peaceful and joyful as long and as often as possible.

4.     I have a healthy relationship with God.

5.     All of my relationships are mutually healthy and loving.

6.     I study and learn in order to grow intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and professionally.

7.     I make enough money to provide for my children and my grandchildren.

So, as I’ve said before, everything I do should move me toward Purpose.  To borrow an idea from The Richest Man in Babylon, everything I do with my money should yield some sort of investment.  I should apply the same principle to my time.  This requires being consistently conscious and mindful of how I spend every moment.  This doesn’t mean I can’t relax or even waste time, but that I use even those times to move toward my purpose.

Every day…

Every single day…

I have Get Started…

And Keep Going.

"El hombre común no está preocupado por el paso del tiempo, el hombre de talento es impulsado por el mismo."

 Shoppenhauer

La clave está en no pasar el tiempo, pero en invertirlo.

Stephen R. Covey

"El amor de las flores es realmente el mejor maestro de cómo crecer y entender."

Max Schling

Tengo que escribir! No he escrito desde la noche del viernes. No me gusta esto, no en absoluto. No sólo tengo que escribir. Me encanta escribir y cuando estoy lejos, siento que estoy lejos de alguien que amo.

Hay cambios que ocurren en mi vida, y me gustaría hacer los la excusa para no escribir, pero la verdad es que siempre que he elegido no escribir. Ahora ya es tarde y no tengo mucho tiempo, pero todavía voy a sentarme aquí y escribir, porque lo necesito.

Estoy deseando que llegue el día en que pueda tener un tiempo de escritura programada todos los días. Por supuesto, no puedo hacer que eso suceda ahora, así que el hecho de que no soy me dice una de dos cosas:

1. Yo no voy a hacer de este la prioridad que digo es, o

2. Voy a usar mi tiempo de manera diferente.

Esto es lo que pasa con Propósito. Tomo decisiones. Yo hago una cosa o la otra, pero no puedo hacer las dos cosas. Voy a ser honesto. Por el momento yo no tengo ganas de escribir. No veo ningún resultado de la misma no sean el estrés añadido. Sin embargo, tal vez no siempre tengo que ver los resultados. No siempre sabemos cómo nuestras acciones pueden afectar a los demás, incluso a otros que no conocemos.

El otro día un amigo compartió uno de mis blogs en Facebook. Uno de sus amigos que lo lea y lo imprimió para que pudiera leerlo de nuevo, ya que el blog realmente la animó. No sé el amigo de mi amigo. Ni siquiera sé lo que es el blog. Sólo sé que algo que escribí alentado otra persona. Algo que he hecho una diferencia en la vida de otra persona, aunque sólo sea por un rato. Eso me asombra. También me humilla. Hace que me diera cuenta de que lo que hago las cosas. Lo que todos hacemos las cosas.

Esto no tiene la intención de poner la culpa a mí mismo por no hacer siempre lo correcto. Tampoco es la intención de poner presión sobre mí mismo haciendo que me pregunto si lo que hago hace la diferencia.

Citando el Gita Bhgavad, Stephen Pressfield nos recuerda que tenemos derecho a nuestro trabajo, pero no a los frutos de nuestro trabajo. Otra expresión de John Henry Newman, es: "La virtud es su propia recompensa, y trae consigo el placer más verdadero y más alto." Tengo mi placer de la escritura y de la historia que mi amigo me dijo que era una ventaja, un regalo. Pero no puedo buscar los regalos o esperar. No pueden convertirse en la razón por la que hago esto.

Mi propósito no es para mi beneficio, a pesar de que me beneficia mucho. No es para mi crecimiento, aunque he crecido mucho en los últimos meses a causa de ella. No es por mi felicidad, aunque no creo que he sido más feliz. No es para ayudarme a arreglar mi vida cuando estoy finalmente la toma de decisiones que debería haber hecho hace años. Mi propósito no es más que eso, es mi propósito. Es la razón por la que estoy aquí.

Ahora, la mejor noticia es que puedo tener más de un propósito. Hasta ahora tengo siete:

1. Mis hijos están espiritualmente y emocionalmente saludable.

2. Bendigo a tantas personas como sea posible con mi forma de escribir, hablar y enseñar.

3. Estoy tranquilo y alegre como siempre y tan a menudo como sea posible.

4. Tengo una relación sana con Dios.

5. Todas mis relaciones son mutuamente sana y amorosa.

6. Yo estudio y aprender para crecer intelectual, emocional, espiritual y profesionalmente.

7. Hago suficiente dinero para mantener a mis hijos y mis nietos.

Así que, como he dicho antes, todo lo que hago me debe avanzar hacia Propósito. Para tomar prestada una idea del hombre más rico de Babilonia, todo lo que hago con mi dinero debe producir algún tipo de inversión. Debería aplicarse el mismo principio a mi tiempo. Para ello es necesario estar constantemente consciente y consciente de lo que gasto cada momento. Esto no significa que no pueda relajarse o incluso perder el tiempo, pero que utilizo incluso aquellos tiempos para avanzar hacia mi propósito.

Todos los días ...

Todos los días ...

He Empezar ...

Y seguir adelante.

Can I Do Anything I Want To?

“We must make some effort and we must forget ourselves in the effort we make.”

Shunryu Suzuki-roshi – Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

“Wishbones need backbones.”

Claude Bristol – T.N.T. – It Rocks the Earth

“A flower blossoms for its own joy.”

― Oscar Wilde

Yesterday I wrote on Facebook, “You can do anything you want to, but you have to really want to.”  I quickly got a response from someone saying that he wanted to play starting center for the L.A. Lakers, but he couldn’t because he didn’t have the height or the skill.  I replied that I once saw a video of someone who was 5’4” and played for the NBA.  My friend told me that was Muggsy Bogues, 5’3”, a “one in a billion” exception.  My friend then went on to explain how not everyone could be a bio nano engineer without the necessary IQ.  Finally, he said that my statement was a misguided one that teachers used to inspire children, but that it was not based in truth.

So I considered this.  I’ve mentioned before, borrowing from Zig Ziglar, that I could not play for the NFL or be a brain surgeon, simply because I wanted to.  But then, the truth is, I don’t really want to do those things.   Desire does not preclude an accurate assessment of one’s own limitations.  Perhaps those limitations are circumstantial or self-imposed, but they are there nonetheless.  But maybe those limitations are there because certain wishes are only that, wishes.  They are not true desires.  I believe that our truest desires can come true but we have to work at it and towards it every day.

I define a wish as a whim, a fantasy, a daydream, an occasional thought that says, “Wouldn’t it be nice, wouldn’t it be fun if I could….?”  Most wishes I’ve had involve money, adulation or some sort of immediate gratification, like looking good in front of others.

When I was in high school, I fantasized about winning the championship basketball game so I could impress a certain cheerleader I had a crush on at the time.  Curiously, my fantasy sport was basketball, a sport I had never played and had no known talent for, instead of, say, football, which I also had never played nor had any known talent for, or even baseball, which I had played and had no talent for.

Let’s say, for argument’s sake that I really, truly wanted to play basketball in high school.  What would I have needed to make that happen?  I would have needed to practice for several hours every day, probably more than others because in high school I was 5’5”.  I would have needed to have started as early in life as possible.  I would have needed an innate drive that came at birth.  I would have needed private and team coaching.  I would have needed to study and immerse myself in all things basketball.  Then I might have been able to play.  Or I might not have.  It doesn’t matter, though because the results are often the least important.

Still, this does not preclude each person’s responsibility to give it his or her best and most consistent efforts.  While I agree with Erich Fromm, that a little pessimism may be healthy, I am not talking blind sunny optimism here.  But I really have no need or desire to look at those who have not achieved their dreams.

I realize that there are those who give it their all and do not achieve the results they want.   Consider the story of John Kennedy Toole who wrote A Confederacy of Dunces and The Neon Bible. 

His work was rejected during his lifetime. Toole killed himself at 31 in 1969.  His mother found the manuscript for A Confederacy of Dunces and gave it to novelist Walker Percy in the hopes of getting it published. Toole posthumously received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for "A Confederacy of Dunces" in 1981.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/16/famous-after-death_n_836245.html#s254050&title=John_Kennedy_Toole        

That is pretty unfair.  At least it seems that way.  Who knows, if perhaps Toole had been more persistent, his life might have been different.  In the past when I have not achieved my dreams, it has been for one or more of the following reasons:

1.     I’m not doing anything.

2.     I’m not doing enough things.

3.     I’m not doing the right things.

4.     It’s not the right time.

5.      I’m pursuing the wrong dream.

6.     Circumstances necessitate a new or different dream.

7.     I live in an unjust world.

Working backwards, I don’t believe reasons #7 or #6 excuse me from pursuing my purpose.  I experienced #5 when I pursued and stayed in the wrong profession for years, and though it cost me time, money, energy and happiness, I benefited professionally from finishing. 

Reason #4 occurred when I didn’t get a job I really wanted.  As a result I went back to school to get a teaching credential.  Shortly after returning to school, I was offered the job because the person they had initially hired was let go.  Had I gotten the job when I wanted, I would have never gotten my teaching credential.

 Usually, however, I don’t accomplish my goals are because of reasons #1, #2 and/or #3.  In fact, I have learned that if I just work on overcoming these three points of resistance, the others become irrelevant.  I find the right dream at the right time and how the rest of the world views my work doesn’t matter.

So back to the original question:  Can I do anything I want to?  No, I can’t but I don’t need to do anything I want.  I only need to do the right things.  And yes, I can do anything I want, provided I focus more on doing than wishing.  In other words, it’s time to Get Started and Keep Going.

"Tenemos que hacer un esfuerzo y tenemos que olvidarnos de nosotros mismos en el esfuerzo que hacemos."

Shunryu Suzuki-roshi - Mente Zen, mente de principiante

"Wishbones necesitan columna vertebral."

Claude Bristol T.N.T. – Oscila la Tierra

Ayer escribí en Facebook, "Puedes hacer lo que quieras, pero tienes que realmente quiere." Rápidamente recibí una respuesta de alguien diciendo que quería jugar en el centro de partida para los Lakers, pero no pudo porque que no tenía la altura o la habilidad. Yo le respondí que una vez vi un video de alguien que era 5'4 "y jugó en la NBA. Mi amigo me dijo que era Muggsy Bogues, 5'3 ", una" una en una "excepción de millones de dólares. Mi amigo entonces pasó a explicar cómo no todo el mundo puede ser un ingeniero de nano bio sin el IQ es necesario. Por último, dijo que mi declaración era una equivocada de que los profesores utilizan para inspirar a los niños, pero que no se basa en la verdad.

Así que pensé en esto. He mencionado antes, los préstamos de Zig Ziglar, que no podía jugar para la NFL o ser un cirujano del cerebro, simplemente porque quería. Pero entonces, la verdad es que realmente no quiero hacer esas cosas. El deseo no se opone a una evaluación precisa de las propias limitaciones. Tal vez esas limitaciones son circunstanciales o autoimpuesta, pero están ahí, sin embargo. Pero tal vez esas limitaciones están ahí porque ciertos deseos son sólo eso, deseos. Ellos no son verdaderos deseos. Creo que nuestros deseos más verdaderos pueden hacerse realidad, pero tenemos que trabajar en ello, y hacia ella todos los días.

Yo defino un deseo como un capricho, una fantasía, un sueño, un pensamiento ocasional que dice: "¿No sería agradable, ¿no sería divertido si pudiera ....?" La mayoría de los deseos que he tenido que ver con dinero, adulación o algún tipo de gratificación inmediata, como verse bien delante de los demás.

Cuando estaba en la escuela secundaria, yo fantaseaba con ganar el partido de baloncesto campeonato para poder impresionar a una cierta animadora tuve un flechazo en el momento. Curiosamente, mi deporte fantasía era el baloncesto, un deporte que nunca había jugado y que no tenía talento conocido por, en lugar de, por ejemplo, el fútbol, ​​que también nunca había jugado ni tenía ningún talento conocido, o incluso de béisbol, que había jugado y no tenía talento para.

Digamos que, por el bien del argumento que yo realmente, realmente quería jugar al baloncesto en la escuela secundaria. ¿Qué haría yo he necesitado para que esto suceda? Yo habría tenido que practicar durante varias horas todos los días, probablemente más que otros debido a que en la escuela secundaria que era 5'5 ". Yo habría tenido que haber empezado tan temprano en la vida posible. Me habría necesitado un impulso innato que vino al nacer. Hubiera necesitado entrenamiento privado y de equipo. Yo habría tenido que estudiar y sumergirme en todo lo relacionado con el baloncesto. Entonces podría haber sido capaz de jugar. O podría no tener. No importa, sin embargo, porque los resultados son a menudo el menos importante.

Sin embargo, esto no excluye la responsabilidad de cada persona para darle sus mejores y más consistentes esfuerzos. Aunque estoy de acuerdo con Erich Fromm, que un poco de pesimismo puede ser saludable, no estoy hablando ciego optimismo soleado aquí. Pero en realidad no tengo ninguna necesidad o deseo de mirar a los que no han alcanzado sus sueños.

Me doy cuenta de que hay personas que lo dan todo y no lograr los resultados que desean. Considere la historia de John Kennedy Toole, quien escribió La conjura de los necios y La Biblia de neón.

Su obra fue rechazada durante su vida. Toole se suicidó a 31 en 1969. Su madre encontró el manuscrito de La conjura de los necios y lo dio a novelista Walker Percy, con la esperanza de conseguir que se publicara. Toole recibió a título póstumo el Premio Pulitzer para la ficción de "La conjura de los necios" en 1981.

Eso es bastante injusto. Al menos eso parece. Quién sabe, si quizás Toole había sido más persistente, su vida podría haber sido diferente. En el pasado, cuando no he logrado mis sueños, ha sido por una o más de las siguientes razones:

1. Yo no estoy haciendo nada.

2. No voy a hacer bastantes cosas.

3. No voy a hacer las cosas correctas.

4. No es el momento adecuado.

5. Estoy persiguiendo el sueño equivocado.

6. Las circunstancias hacen necesario un nuevo o diferente sueño.

7. Yo vivo en un mundo injusto.

Trabajando hacia atrás, no creo que las razones # 7 o # 6 me exime de seguir mi propósito. Experimenté # 5 cuando me perseguía y me quedé en la profesión equivocada durante años, y aunque me ha costado tiempo, dinero, energía y felicidad, me he beneficiado profesionalmente de acabado.

Razón # 4 se produjo cuando no he tenido un trabajo que realmente quería. Como resultado de ello regresé a la escuela para obtener una credencial de enseñanza. Poco después de regresar a la escuela, me ofrecieron el trabajo porque la persona que habían contratado inicialmente se soltó. De haber conseguido el trabajo que yo quería, nunca habría conseguido mi credencial de enseñanza.

 Normalmente, sin embargo, no lograr mis metas son por razones # 1, # 2 y / o # 3. De hecho, he aprendido que si yo sólo trabajo en la superación de estos tres puntos de resistencia, los otros se vuelven irrelevantes. Me parece que el sueño adecuado en el momento adecuado y forma en que el resto del mundo, mi trabajo no importa.

Así que volvemos a la pregunta original: ¿Puedo hacer lo que quiero? No, no puedo, pero no tengo que hacer lo que quiera. Sólo tengo que hacer las cosas bien. Y sí, puedo hacer lo que quiera, con tal que se centran más en hacer que desear. En otras palabras, es el momento para Empezar y Seguir Adelante.

Why I Write Blogs

“People are afraid to concentrate because they are afraid of losing themselves if they are too absorbed in another person, in an idea, in an event.  The less strong their self, the greater the fear of losing themselves in the act of concentration on the non-self.”

Erich Fromm – The Art of Being

“I must have flowers, always, and always.”

― Claude Monet

“All my loving, I will give to you.”

Lennon and McCartney – All My Love

Can I write for a half an hour or 45 minutes?  Can I lose myself in this endeavor and then find myself?  Can I stay focused?  Can I concentrate?  Can I be committed to the writing process?   Yes, I can, but not without effort.  But here I go.  Then I’m going to go to bed.

As often happens, I approach this writing not knowing what I want to say.  Mostly, I’m just trying to reach my goals.  If I get this done, then I will have completed blog #86. 

Why are these blogs so important to me?  They are important to me because:

-       I said I would do them;

-       They are a good investment of my time;

-       They are a good investment of my talents;

-       There are very few other things I would rather be doing.

Let me review each of those reasons.

First, I said I would do it.  In The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, the first agreement is “Be impeccable with your word.”  When I have not been impeccable with my word it has hurt either me or others or both.  I feel that when I don’t write, even though I say I will, I may be hurting people, even people I don’t know because I am depriving them of the wisdom that comes through my writing.  It’s not that I am so amazing, but it think my writing often is and I am the only one who can do my writing.  If I don’t do it, it doesn’t get done and people, people I know, people I don’t know and even myself, don’t get blessed.

This is also a good investment of my time.  The Latin root of the word invest is investire, which means to clothe oneself in or surround oneself with.  I am surrounding myself with this writing, with Purpose.  It keeps me warm and safe.  Stephen Pressfield says that the professional does not take himself too seriously.  I don’t, but I do take this seriously.  The more time I have invested in this, the better I feel about my life and myself.

In the converse, I am using my time well when I write.  In Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller says, “I believe the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time.”  When I’m writing, I’m not wasting time.  And that is good, because time is a commodity that can never be replaced.

Writing is a good investment of my talent.  I don’t know why I was given this talent and not, say, juggling or being a zookeeper, or having a proclivity for mathematics.  It doesn’t matter.  This is the gift I’ve been given and I’m grateful for it, exceedingly grateful.  I can’t think of a more wonderful gift.  But then neither can the juggler, the zookeeper, or the mathematician.  The more time I put into this talent, the better it gets.  The more blogs I write, the better I get.  These blogs are an investment in my future and in eternity.

Finally, there are very few other things I would rather be doing.  I could think of a couple of things that involve spending time with people I love, but when I am alone, all I want to do is write.  I also love to study and speak and those also fit into my Purpose.  I love to do anything that fits into my Purpose.  In fact, like Monet, I must do this.  I have to do this.  If I don’t…well, I don’t want to think about the shape I’ be in if I didn’t write.  I just have to remember how I felt five months ago.

That’s it.  That’s why I write these blogs.  Oh, and I also write them because

-       they’re fun;

-       they’re hard work but they relax me;

-       I enjoy reading them.

That’s it.  It’s time to go to bed.  I did not stay completely focused but I still got it done.  And tomorrow I’m going to do another one…and then another…and another…and another.  And all I have to do is Get Started and Keep Going.

The Big Fat President and Purpose

“Nothing is really work unless you’d rather be doing something else.”

James Matthew Barrie

“Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work another day in your life.”

Confucius

“Flowers grow out of dark moments.”

Corita Kent

 

For some reason I’m thinking about William Howard Taft.  Taft, our heaviest U.S President, had a dream and it wasn’t to be the President of the United States.  No, his life’s ambition was to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  But his wife and his best friend at the time, Theodore Roosevelt, the previous president, talked him into being the next president.  Roosevelt thought that Taft would carry out Roosevelt’s policies.  But Taft’s heart really wasn’t in it.  He won the election and became president but he wasn’t a particularly good one.  He hated the job and this affected his health.  Already a heavyset man, his weight increased to nearly 300 pounds.

In addition to his physical problems, Taft’s personal and professional life suffered.  He was such a disappointment to his mentor, Roosevelt, that Roosevelt chose to run against his successor in the next election.  Because Roosevelt could not gather enough support from fellow Republicans, he created a new party, the Bull Moose Party.  Taft was forced to campaign against his former friend.  He went around the country by rail campaigning.  After a giving a speech denouncing Roosevelt, Taft went off by himself where someone found him crying.  With tears in his eyes, Taft said, “Roosevelt was my closest friend.” 

This split was not only personal; it was political.  It cost the Republicans the election.  In addition, Taft suffered the worst defeat in U.S. history ever handed to an incumbent President and Woodrow Wilson became President for the next eight years. 

Despite these setbacks, Taft stayed in public service and held on to his dream.  Eventually he went on to see his dream come true and he became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  He is the only U.S. President to do so.  He healed his relationship with Roosevelt and gained the admiration and respect of many for his work.  As Chief Justice he made the system more efficient.  In addition, the current site of the Supreme Court is due to Taft’s belief that it should not be in the halls of Congress, where it was, but on its own ground.  This was to prevent undue influence because of proximity.  

What strikes me most about this story is the contrast of Taft being out of Purpose and the incredible pain he suffered, and Taft being in Purpose and the legacy he left.

Look at the contrasts of Taft being in and out of Purpose and see if any of this seems familiar.

When Taft was out of Purpose, he

-          had health issues;

-          saw his relationships suffer;

-          damaged his reputation;

-          struggled with sadness and depression;

-          caused problems for those around him;

-          caused problems of historical proportion.

 

When Taft was in Purpose, he

-          felt better (and lost weight);

-          restored his relationships;

-          regained the public’s respect and admiration;

-          felt content and happy;

-          created a better life for those around him;

-          made positive contributions of historical significance.

 

Taft’s most telling statement about his presidency was, “I do not remember that I was ever President.”

Though not all of us may become a President or a Supreme Court Justice, the principles apply.  What we do matters.  Being in Purpose matters because it not only affects us, it affects those around us and it may even affect people we will never meet or know.  It affects our health, our self-esteem, our relationships and our place in small and large scheme of things. 

We are, all of us, here for a reason.   This is not a romantic notion.  This is the truth.  The more I understand and apply this truth, the better I will feel about my life and myself.   All I have to do is to Get Started and to Keep Going.

 

Tired, Miserable and Triumphant

“And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune

Then the piper will lead us to reason

And a new day will dawn for those who stand long

And the forests will echo with laughter”

Stairway to Heaven

“The flower that follows the sun does so even in cloudy days.”

Robert Leighton

Okay, it’s time to write and to not let anything stop me.  I started writing last night, but I fell asleep.  Then I started writing this morning but I didn’t start early enough and then my day started.  All day long I chose or was obligated to other things.  I don’t regret any of my choices because I got to be with people I love.  But I still want to write every day.  Who’s keeping track?  I am.

Already, I’m getting tired.  I’d like to sleep.  Not two paragraphs into it and I already want a break.  This is what happened last night.  I’m tired and I want to close my eyes, but I know if I do, I’m not going to get this done.  I didn’t get it done last night.  In The War of Art, Stephen Pressfield says that the best thing about U.S. Marines is that they know how to be miserable.  He says,

The artist must be like that Marine.  He has to know how to be miserable.  He has to love being miserable.  He has to take pride in being more miserable than any soldier, swabbie or jet jockey.  Because this is war, baby.  And war is hell.

Well, I’m miserable now.  I do not want to write.  I want to go to bed or watch TV or read comic books or do anything, anything, that will keep me from being in Purpose.  This is not a new attack.  I remember writing and falling asleep another time so I put Stairway to Heaven on the iPod to keep myself awake.

Maybe I’m genuinely tired.  But it’s funny how I was fine just a few minutes ago and now all I want to do is sleep.  When the Enemy attacks, when something is trying to keep me from Purpose, I think it comes from one of four sources:

1.              Internal.  This is the most common.  I sabotage myself.  I waste time.  I make good choices but not great ones.  Then when I finally get around to working I’m tired.  I’m literally falling asleep as I write.  Of course, I’m confident that once I finish, my fatigue will vanish, like the illusion it probably is.

2.              External.  This is all those outside forces, usually the people closest to us who consciously or unconsciously do whatever they can to keep us from doing what we’re supposed to be doing.  Often this is unconscious.  I remember hearing a story of a man who was dieting when his wife inexplicably brought home ice cream and cookies from the store.  When I am sabotaging other people’s growth consciously or unconsciously, it is because I am afraid of or resentful of the other person’s growth.  The fear comes from wondering if their growth will cause them to leave me.  The resentment comes from not pursuing my own growth.

3.               Spiritual.  There is an Enemy of our soul.  It hates us and it hates us most when we are in Purpose.  This might be where my fatigue is coming from. It might be where unreasonable fear comes from.  It might be why I start thinking about past hurts for no reason.  It might be why temptations seem stronger, especially the temptation to do anything else but my work.

4.              Coincidental.  Sometimes, things just happen.  These things keep me from being in Purpose.  They are not Internal, External or Spiritual.  They are just the stuff of life, such as hitting every red light when I’m trying to get home to write, or getting sick or having my kid get sick.

The one thing all of these obstacles have in common is that I can choose to respond.  And there is only one acceptable response for those who wish to be in Purpose: to get back to work immediately, or as soon as humanly possible.  Nothing must get in the way of our Purpose.  This does not mean I neglect or ignore those I love, or my obligations, but it does mean that I have to put everything in perspective.  This is the time to work.  By being in Purpose, I am expressing my love not only to those closest to me, but to God, the world and myself as well.

This was a hard blog to write, but not surprisingly my fatigue is now gone.  I won this battle.  Tomorrow the battle will begin again and the Enemy will use a different tactic.  But today I won.   Because I got started and kept going.

Inspiration for the Uninspired

“If I cannot overwhelm with my quality, I will overwhelm with my quantity.”

Emile Zola

“When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.”

Chinese Proverb

It’s Thursday night and I haven’t written a blog since Tuesday.  I hate missing a day because I find it very beneficial to write every chance I can.  I really do want to keep to my goal to have 125 blog entries by July 1.  I have done a radio show every day this week and that makes me happy.  At this point I’m not sure what to write about.  If I don’t know what to write about, perhaps it’s because I’ve forgotten why I’m writing.  So perhaps it’s time for a review.

The reason I’m writing this blog is because I am trying to remind myself that I have a purpose in life. 

My purpose is not who I am, but who I am is best expressed when I am in Purpose. 

There are two main guidelines for staying in Purpose:

1.     Get Started.

2.     Keep Going.

Getting started is often the hardest part. 

Some people take years just getting started.  I did at least. 

Once one gets started then the next part is to keep going. 

To keep going is to get started every day. 

Tonight, as I am writing this, I am forcing myself to keep going. 

I don’t know if I have anything new to say; I just know that I need to write as often as possible. 

Perhaps I won’t even publish this. 

Perhaps I’ll delete it and start over.

What matters most at times like these, when I don’t feel inspired or full of ideas is to keep writing anyway. 

I used to work in youth ministry and I remember a period where I wasn’t enjoying it.  I asked a veteran staff person, “What do I do when I feel burned out?”

His answer was, “Ride with it.”

I think that’s the answer here.  

“What do I do when I feel uninspired?”

I ride with it. 

I keep writing anyway. 

Maybe what I’m writing isn’t worth the page it isn’t printed on.  It doesn’t matter.

What matters is that I’m consistent. 

This is one of those Quantity vs. Quality arguments.  Quantity wins, but only barely.  I still have to put out the best product I can.  But I also have to put out a lot of them.

So this is my work.  This is my offering to God.  It is my way of acknowledging and giving thanks for the gift he has given me.  I give it back to Him by using it and sharing it with others.

It’s my two cents worth.  With my two cents I feed my soul by writing and I feed the world by putting a flower on the table.

Sometimes, especially when I’m tired and hungry, it feels like a pretty paltry offering.  But maybe when I give Him this offering at those times is when it’s the most valuable to Him. 

That’s the inspiration then:

How I feel doesn’t matter. 

How much I do doesn’t matter.  

How good I think it is or isn’t doesn’t matter. 

All that matters is that I Get Started and I Keep Going.

"Si no puedo abrumar con mi calidad, voy a abrumar con mi cantidad."

Emile Zola

"Cuando usted tiene solamente dos centavos quedan en el mundo, comprar una barra de pan con una, y un lirio con la otra."

Proverbio chino

Es jueves por la noche y no he escrito un blog desde el martes. Odio perder un día porque me resulta muy beneficioso para escribir cada oportunidad que pueda. La verdad es que quiero seguir con mi meta de tener 125 entradas de blog el 1 de julio. He hecho un programa de radio todos los días de esta semana y eso me hace feliz. En este punto, no estoy seguro de qué escribir. Si yo no sé qué escribir, tal vez sea porque me he olvidado por qué estoy escribiendo. Así que tal vez es el momento para una revisión.

La razón por la que estoy escribiendo este blog es porque estoy tratando de recordarme a mí mismo que tengo un propósito en la vida.

Mi propósito no es lo que soy, pero que estoy se expresa mejor cuando estoy en el propósito.

Hay dos pautas principales para permanecer en el propósito:

1. Comenzar.

2. Sigue y Sigue.

Comenzar es a menudo la parte más difícil.

Algunas personas toman año acaba de empezar. Lo hice por lo menos.

Una vez que se inicia a continuación, la siguiente parte es seguir adelante.

Para seguir adelante es comenzar cada día.

Esta noche, mientras estoy escribiendo esto, me obligo a mí mismo para seguir adelante.

No sé si tengo algo nuevo que decir, yo sólo sé que tengo que escribir tan a menudo como sea posible.

Tal vez ni siquiera voy a publicar esto.

Tal vez voy a borrar y empezar de nuevo.

Lo más importante en momentos como estos, cuando no me siento inspirado y lleno de ideas es seguir escribiendo de todas formas.

Yo solía trabajar en la pastoral juvenil y recuerdo de un período en el que no estaba disfrutando. Le pregunté a un miembro del personal veterano, "¿Qué hago cuando me siento quemado?"

Su respuesta fue, "paseo con él."

Creo que esa es la respuesta aquí.

"¿Qué hago cuando me siento sin inspiración?"

Me paseo con él.

Yo sigo escribiendo de todas formas.

Tal vez lo que estoy escribiendo no vale la página no se imprime. No importa.

Lo que importa es que soy consistente.

Este es uno de esos argumentos Cantidad vs Calidad. Cantidad gana, pero a duras penas. Todavía tengo que poner el mejor producto que pueda. Pero también tengo que poner un montón de ellos.

Así que este es mi trabajo. Esta es mi ofrenda a Dios. Es mi manera de reconocer y dar gracias por el regalo que me ha dado. Le doy vuelta a Él, al usarla y compartirla con los demás.

Son mis dos centavos. Con mis dos centavos doy de comer a mi alma por escribir y le doy de comer al mundo, poniendo una flor en la mesa.

A veces, especialmente cuando estoy cansado y hambriento, se siente como una oferta bastante insignificante. Pero tal vez cuando yo le doy esta oferta en esos momentos es cuando es el más valioso para él.

Esa es la inspiración entonces:

¿Cómo me siento, no importa.

¿Cuánto me da igual.

¿Qué tan bueno que creo que es o no es, no importa.

Todo lo que importa es que puedo Empezar y Seguir Adelante.