In just a moment, we usually know right now and quick the difference between thinking really, really great things I mean, imagining the impossible versus doing just really simple things, good things: paying for a guy’s cup of coffee, paying for a couple that you look across the room and you see they’re sitting at the diner you’re in and you pay for their bill, or you see a little girl asking her daddy if she can have a doughnut and he said, Oh no, not today, honey, we don’t have the money,” but you go up to the cashier and you make sure that they do have the money or, or maybe it’s just a simple somebody popped into your head and you think about “wouldn’t it be nice not to buy him a big gift, but just to send them a card or a text to say, “HEY, you just popped in my head and I thought I’d send you a text just to see how you’re doing for no other reason than (the most power two words): JUST BECAUSE. . .It’s shameful and I’m not proud of it, but I do so many great things that I think about that I imagine in my head, that I never actually do, and if in fact, I did half the things that I thought about for the good of somebody else, I can’t imagine how much better the world would be or individual people.
“I thought it was a good idea at the time,” and then I didn’t act on it. So it’s not so much my New Year’s resolution as it is my Lifetime resolution: When somebody pops into my mind or when I wake up, thinking of them or when I see them I just wanna text them, or stop by, or send them a card let him know that I’m thinking of them; and if I just did that one thing, nothing more just that one thing, what a difference it might make not just in them, but just their simple day and their day-to-day routines to know that somebody thought about them and acted on itI don’t know if this will make a difference. I hope I am A Caring Catalyst enough to find out and more, inviting you along with me to find out, too.
Here’s your LICENSE to go a little past
THINKING
and
D O I N G
the next best thing. . .
COLOR YOUR WORLD WITH KINDNESS
Kindness is in short supply these days. Will you help make the world a better place?
The world is as divisive as we’ve seen it, but one way to stem the tide of negativity is through kindness. The award-winning social psychologist Dr. Barbara Fredrickson talks about “micro-moments of positivity”, the short and fleeting day-to-day experiences that have the power to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. A held door, a thumbs-up, a happy glance—research shows these small kindnesses have a cumulative effect on our emotional health and well-being.
Will you take 5 seconds of your day and Be A BetterWorldian: Smile. Let someone in front of you. Pick up something that someone has dropped. Listen intently. Empathize. Share. Give. Be kind.
THE PAUSE OF BEING OUT OF CONTROL
Ok, here’s the Truth of my TRUTH. . .Uhhh. . . I never have a shortage of words. I always have something to say ask Erin she’ll tell you I talk even in my sleep, but sometimes even though I have a lot to say there’s a lot more going on in my mind that I don’t say and even more in my heart that I can’t say so every once in a while, I run across something that says it much better than I can and when I find that at a moment that I’m not even looking for it, I share it~~ENJOY:
Me: Hey God. God: Hello, My love. Me: The world is completely out of control! God: I know. It's such an adventure, right? Me: No! It's like being on a runaway train! I need to feel like I am in control of my life. God: You want to be in control? Me: Yes! God: You are living on a spinning wet rock of a planet that resides next to a constantly exploding fireball in the middle of an ever-expanding universe that is filled with mysteries beyond your wildest imagination. Me: Um, okay.... God: And on this planet that you are hurtling through the great expanse in - you are coexisting with billions of other people who have free-will and their own experiences that shape their perspectives and beliefs. Me: Yeah...? God: And while all this is going on your soul is residing in a physical body that is such a miracle of delicate engineering that at any given moment could produce its last heartbeat. Me: Right... God: What is it about your existence that you think you have any control of? Me: Um… God: Come on - you know the answer to this. What can you control? Me: How kind I am to people? God: Yep and one other thing. Me: What's that? God: How kind you are to yourself. Aside from that - most of everything else is a bit outside of your design. Me: This is a bit terrifying... God: All great adventures are! **** ~ john roedel
JUST A MOMENT: THE GRIT OF OUR GRIT
It doesn’t matter if you’re religious or not, the universal truth is the universal truth, which is from dust we come and to dust we return; it’s not a new revelation that we’ve known where we came from and we know where we’re going to return, but it’s the NOW; it’s THE MOMENT that lets us know there’s so many moments in our lives; lifetimes within lifetimes, which define us, and more, lets us know we have a grit about us that’s much stronger than any ash or speck of dust that’s ever challenged us.
GUILTY: I wrote this poem weeks before Ash Wednesday, as a matter fact, because I was having an Ash Wednesday Moment where I felt just about as low as a speck of dirt and even less meaningful. We live Ash Wednesday moments almost on a daily basis because we don’t live in a perfect world and we certainly are not perfect people. And yet, and yet, look at how much we can accomplish by being more than just a mere speck of dust that we ever seem day by day to be returning. So, rise up and let the wind take you where it may, and as it does, leave your smudge, your mark along the way. . . .
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ORIGAMI–THE FOLDS OF YOUR LIFE
Today, a treat: “Origami,” a short animated film by Kei Kanamori that was shortlisted for an Oscar, plus a poem of the same title by Joyce Sutphen. By the time you’re viewing and reading this, it may have well won an Oscar
Origami is the Japanese traditional art form of paper folding. Are you among the origami makers on The Raft?
How will you fold the paper of your life?
ORIGAMI Joyce Sutphen It starts with a blank sheet, an undanced floor, air where no sound erases the silence. As soon as you play the first note, write down a word, step onto the empty stage, you've moved closer to the creature inside. Remember— a square can end up as frog, cardinal, mantis, or fish. You can make what you want, do what you wish.(My thanks to both the filmmaker and the poet, via Poetry Foundation.)
Sometimes, maybe more often than we’d like to admit, our lives feel not so much like an art piece of Origami so much as a scrunched up ready to be waste paper basket food. . .
LOOK
at the FOLDS of your Life
some of the greatest wrinkles/crinkles/folds aren’t the ones you planned or expected
which makes us always question:
IS YOUR LIFE FOLDING
UN-FOLDING
as you planned or even begun to imagine. . . ?
MORE OF A COMMA THAN A PERIOD
There’s always something in our lives that makes us feel like:
THE END
THIS CAN’T GET ANY WORSE
or just question:
W H Y
HOW COME
WHAT FOR
The unexpected illness
The sudden death
Divorce
Unforeseen job elimination
Breakdowns
. . .the list is endless and always painful
making us question and more
trying to find
A N S W E R S. . .
but the FIGUREOUTABLE
takes some time
some slower than an ice thaw in Antartica
(or so it seems and feels)
which is when I either tell
retell
or remind myself
(A G A I N)
this story told by an old friend, Max Lucado.
Max heard the tale from a missionary in Brazil many years ago and included it in his book (appropriately titled) In the Eye of the Storm (Word Publishing, 1991. Unedited version below used with permission.)
Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before—such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength.
People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. “This horse is not a horse to me,” he would tell them. “It is a person. How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend?” The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.
One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. All the village came to see him. “You old fool,” they scoffed. “We told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and you’ve been cursed with misfortune.”
The old man responded, “Don’t speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I’ve been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?”
The people contested, “Don’t make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse.”
The old man spoke again. “All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don’t know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can’t say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?”
The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was a fool; if he wasn’t, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool.
After fifteen days, the horse returned. He hadn’t been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once again, the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. “Old man, you were right, and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us.”
The man responded, “Once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don’t judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read only one word of a phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase?”
“Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. All you have is a fragment! Don’t say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don’t.”
You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge?
“Maybe the old man is right,” they said to one another. So they said little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong. They knew it was a blessing. Twelve wild horses had returned with one horse. With a little bit of work, the animals could be broken and trained and sold for much money.
The old man had a son, an only son. The young man began to break the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from one of the horses and broke both legs. Once again, the villagers gathered around the old man and cast their judgments.
“You were right,” they said. “You proved you were right. The dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son has broken his legs, and now in your old age you have no one to help you. Now you are poorer than ever.”
The old man spoke again. “You people are obsessed with judging. Don’t go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments.”
It so happened that a few weeks later the country engaged in war against a neighboring country. All the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he was injured. Once again, the people gathered around the old man, crying and screaming because their sons had been taken. There was little chance that they would return. The enemy was strong, and the war would be a losing struggle. They would never see their sons again.
“You were right, old man,” they wept. “God knows you were right. This proves it. Your son’s accident was a blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is with you. Our sons are gone forever.”
The old man spoke again. “It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this: Your sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God knows.”
The old man was right. We only have a fragment. Life’s mishaps and horrors are only a page out of a grand book. We must be slow about drawing conclusions. We must reserve judgment on life’s storms until we know the whole story.
Contact Upwords to order copies of Max Lucado’s In the Eye of the Storm.
NICE THOUGHT. . huh. . .but a tough one to remember when you’re in the
WHY
HOW COME
WHAT FOR
of IT all
Psssssssssssssssssssssssssssst:
just remember:
and this isn’t a bad after thought either,
again. . .JUST REMEMBER:
JUST A MOMENT: FILLER UP
So by now, you really know if you just got done watching this little video, this little clip that asks you the question: REALLY, JUST WHAT KIND OF A PERSON ARE YOU?
You already knew in just a moment, you knew before the question was fully asked, didn’t you? You probably knew just when you saw the screen. Are you that person that fills it up or are you the person that’s content with ‘just enough?’ Now, in the end it really doesn’t matter because both of them are going to get us down the road until we have to FILLER UP or to be content with JUST ENOUGH again; but it’s interesting to know or maybe recognize, even if it feels a little bit uncomfortable, in this FILLER UP world are you comfortable with JUST ENOUGH, or are you always looking for just a little bit more. . . ?
Psssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst:
YOUR NEXT MOVE WILL SAY MORE ABOUT YOU THAN YOU MAY WANT. . .
SHARING NOTES
KINDNESS WILL GET YOU NOTICED
It’s one of those TRICK QUESTIONS:
IF YOU WOULD BE ACCUSED OF BEING KIND, WOULD A JURY OF YOUR PEERS FIND YOU NOT GUILTY. . . ?
A worker at a frozen fish factory experienced an event he would never forget. During his shift, he was accidentally trapped inside the industrial freezer. Desperate, he shouted for help, but the shift had ended, and the factory was completely empty. As the freezing cold consumed him, he realized his fate seemed sealed.When all hope seemed lost, something unexpected happened: the door opened, and the factory’s security guard rescued him at the last moment, saving him from certain death.
The next day, the manager, shocked by what had happened, asked the guard:
“How did you know he was inside and hadn’t left with the others?”
The guard replied with simplicity but deep meaning:
“Out of all the workers, he was the only one who greeted me every day. He always smiled at me and asked how I was doing. That night, I noticed his absence. I hadn’t heard his voice or seen his smile. I knew something was wrong, so I searched for him. . .and I found him.”
A small act of kindness can make the difference between life and death.
Credits: Sobre literatura
NOW. . .SERIOUSLY. . .On any given day or just a mere, chance moment, are you a Caring Catalyst kind enough to be that noticed or UN-forgotten. Would you be found INNOCENT of being kind or undoubtedly-throw-the-book-at-you-GUILTY. . . ?
Can it be just this Simple:
JUST A MOMENT: LOVE ON SALE
THEY SAY that love is in the air. THEY SAY that love is for free. THEY SAY that love is the greatest force in and out of this world. THEY SAY a lot, but what do THEY actually really show, or to get real personal, what do you show and what do you really say?
Come on, listen a week ago we were hunting for Valentine’s Day deals because love was for sale; now it’s on sale or flat out, by the empty shelves testimony, SOLD OUT and don’t be mistaken, there is a huge difference and we usually show it after thinking or even saying IT. . . .
So, what kind of love are you selling then? Does it have a price tag on it? Even though we say that the greatest force in and out of this world, is it unconditional? Is it really conditional in your case? What would it take for you not to be in a relationship that you’re in; what would it take in any relationship for you to say that’s the dealbreaker? Because whatever IT is, is most definitely a condition so love may be in the air, (just not seemingly as much as on February 14) but there’s a huge difference between it being in the air and FOR SALE, ON SALE, at a discount, SOLD OUT, or unconditionally 100% guaranteed and given, no IF’S, no AND’S, no EXCEPTS, no UNTIL’S, no BUT’S. . .
What did THEY SAY? Usually in less than just a moment, we know, and even quicker than that. . . so does everybody else
by what we do or what we don’t show. . .
OR IN JUST A MOMENT. . .
N O T