And if they can do it...why can't we?

New Year - Old Me

I've always been introspective. Am I the person I should be? Do I try hard enough? Am I good enough? Am I smart enough...healthy enough...kind enough...philanthropic enough? So normally resolutions are simply reiterations of fifty odd years past, made with the intent of improving upon myself...as probably most of us 'insecure' types do.

This year will be different! ;) Things I am doing as we speak...starting a heart healthy diet and setting a docs appointment to have my blood pressure checked, which I already know is too high. I'm getting that in order this year! Setting a 'learning objective' for each day...I'll never be smart enough, but I'll never quit trying! A daily exercise regime...this year I'll quit looking in mirrors when I walk by and wonder who the heck that old chubby lady is! And, a regular reading from a book I've tried to get through many times before, "How to Practice The Way to a Meaningful Life," by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Each time I blog, I will attempt to make some sense of what he says and how it relates to my life and how I live it...how I hope to live it!

I've held a curious fascination for Eastern philosophies since reading some of
DeePak Chopra's books during the mid-nineties. This interest reawakened during my trip to Thailand last spring and then again with the Dalai Lama's book.

In the introduction, Dalai says (or is interpreted as saying,)

"...but more dangerous than guns or bombs are hatred, lack of compassion, and lack of respect for the rights of others. As long as hatred dwells in the human mind, real peace is impossible. We must do everything we can to stop war, and to rid the world of nuclear weapons."

So, many of us know that...how do we do it? He goes on to say the we are all one in the same. Even though we come from different backgrounds, political structures, religious beliefs...we are all the same. So we all must come to the following...

"practice of compassion and love-a genuine sense of brotherhood and sisterhood-is the universal religion. It doesn't matter whether you are Buddhist, or Christian, Moslem or Hindu, or whether you practice religion at all. What matters is your feeling of oneness with humankind."

Once we realize we are the same, one we understand we all have similar hopes and fears, once we realize that without compassion, calm and insight that he prescribes to, we face angry reactions with deadly consequences. So...that's what we'll do over the next year. Cultivate compassion, calm and insight...here goes...

Birthday Girl - Aubrey!

Exercising your brain...

Hmmm...as I contemplate going back to school I'm also contemplating how this aged brain is going to compete with all the younger, firmer specimens in my class...came across this as a result of looking for brain exercises...what do you think?

It's a cold Sunday

Cold, overcast, pink skies...the kind of day that freezes nose hairs. Hmmm...and why AM I in Michigan? Playing Mexican music with the furnace on high does not take me to a warm beach. Recent car repairs puts the kibosh on a warm week-end escape...that along with the anticipation of additional college loans makes my balance sheet look very unbalanced and fewer trips on the horizon.

Ok, so I'm bucking up...breathing deep, going for a cold walk with Frida. I'm sure things will look better when I'm back...

For the love of chocolate

Can you tell we're related?

Civil War in the family

Well...what an interesting outcome. The elections are over, our candidate won by a landslide. Proposals I thought critical were passed. My local candidates won too. But now, at what cost? What price did I personally pay for the outcome of this election?

First, the benefits...my immediate family and I were one voice in this election outcome. We were united in our beliefs...and I am proud of the choices we made. There is hope for change...economically, internationally, domestically and socially. As I listened to both of Obama's speeches...the night of the election results and his first press conference, I was awed. Logical, thoughtful, hopeful and inspiring...words of a great leader yet to be tested...and based on what I have seen and heard thus far, he will pass the test if we support him.

Next, the challenges...my not-so-immediate family chose the opposite camp. The differences and our conversations about those differences were emotionally charged. We forgot to focus on the process...forgot to focus on the issues. Some very personal disparaging remarks were exchanged...some in jest...some seriously.

Finally, do I want to mend those relationships? Do I want to step back to where we were before the election? How important is this relationship? How important is it to understand diverse points of view? Family or not?

I applaud appreciation for differences. I applaud tolerance and acceptance of others' religious and social beliefs. I applaud open-minded and spirited debate...then why is this one so difficult for me to accept? Maybe because I expect more from them. I expect them to see clearly the right (my?) way.

Hmmm...guess somebody needs to start 'walking the talk' and accept them for who they are, no not just accept, appreciate! This will be a hard one.