Tag Archives: philosophy

It’s a Great Day in Kentucky!

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Life has been so hectic lately, it’s hard to FIND the roses, much less stop for a little sniff. But, I think I’ve decided that life will only slow down when I force that to happen. I’ve also decided that it has very little to do with outside forces and events, and much to do with my own decisions and choices. So, I’m deciding to slow down a bit. Yeah, yeah, I know… I’ve said it before. Only time will prove my earnestness this time…

But this week, I got a new lease on life with my health — and a clean bill from my doctor following a year of less than glowing health. I’m in the middle of figuring out how to pay a whopping tax bill (because I buried myself in work as my health went south, but didn’t put money back for taxes — foolish, foolish…) and I watched my best friend make arrangements to bury her tiny great niece — who was not even three months old.

I continue to watch her sacrifice her life and her happiness and her mental well-being to take care of everyone else. She worries over things that don’t belong to her. She’s a saint, but her life is slipping through her fingers and she’s not even aware of it. And when I try to talk to her about it, she turns the tables. She says I have no room to talk — that I can’t learn to “just be” either — and that I’m always planning and doing and dragging others along. She says she agrees with me, and that she will stop being who she is, when I stop being who I am. I disagree… this is WHAT I am, not WHO I am. And it’s time for a change… Continue reading →

Eureka! I Think I Finally Figured It Out… Karma, Ex-spouses and the Balance in the Universe

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Challenges abound when you have an ex. Anyone who has one, or knows someone who has one, understands. I actually had a friend ask me yesterday if I killed someone brutally in a previous life to deserve my own ex nightmares. I had to laugh… ok, maybe it was more of a whine. But then it hit me… and I figured it out.

Into every life, a little rain must fall. That’s a given. But, in my life, I have a great husband, healthy and happy children, a job that I adore, both parents (still married to each other) only a phone call away — and always available for me no matter what happens, true friends that are never “too busy,” no matter what’s going on in their own lives… basically, I have it made.

So my rain, my balancing and equilibrium to this much GOOD in my life… well, it had to be something, right?

This hit me yesterday when I was returning from a client appointment. I had two Indianapolis real estate agents (with a great new service business) come down and spend Saturday in a fairly intensive 10-hour consultation session. We made an incredible amount of progress, and as we left, they (a husband-wife team), were so sweet and thanked me for my time (especially on a Saturday) to meet with them. I don’t usually work on Saturdays, but this was enjoyable and I’m glad I met with them. It was a seriously productive day. And, I love days when I make good progress. I adore my clients — each and every one, and these two are particularly special.

I don’t work with people I don’t truly enjoy and admire. I don’t have any “jerks” in my professional world. I do what I enjoy most, with and for people I honestly like, and I get paid well to do the work. I’m not sure, but I think that may be the definition of heaven.

So, that gives me a new perspective on the ex situation. Yeah, maybe I don’t get why some people are so negative and act so ugly, why they must try to sabotage other people’s happiness in an attempt to achieve some of their own. When I’m not irritated to the point of anger, I honestly feel sorry for that personality type.

So, driving home last night, it hits me… I scraped and sacrificed and worked around the clock for years to get to this point. I thought on multiple occasions during the first three years in business that I’d never make a go of if. I wondered if I should give up and get a “real” job but, I never gave up.

This is my reward. Making my living by helping good people to do good work and build their businesses and find their own bliss… that’s a pretty dang wonderful calling. So yeah, into each life a little rain must fall. And, thankfully, my rain isn’t my job, my husband or my children (usually). My rain, when it falls, doesn’t even really matter… if I can just manage to keep the rest in perspective.

Karma – Comes Around Again (And Bites Me in the *Ahem*)

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Today was one of those days when I was able to completely shock and disappoint myself with a totally judgmental attitude. I hate when that happens. It’s been awhile (thankfully), but I’m apparently still subject to such unexpected and, well, horribly judgemental views from time to time (unfortunately).

But, this provided a perfect opportunity for my belief in Karma to be reaffirmed…

I was fussing to my mother, who was irritated by my judgmental attitude (and rightly so)… it was one of those “I’m on a rant and I can’t shut up” moments that you can only have with your parents and REALLY close friends. (Because they have to love you anyway, even after the stupidity passes, you see.)

Anyway, mid-rant the UPS man arrived. He had the dollhouse I’d ordered from eBay for Alexzandria. It was a steal on eBay. Lovely woman packaged it up and sent it to me right after the auction ended. I was so excited for her — she’s wanted one for ages, and this was going to be a fantastic surprise.

But, apparently UPS was the great equalizer for my bad karma-making today… the box looked like it had been through a war zone. And, when I opened it up… it was broken in three places. (It’s not really repairable either.)

So, on the day I planned to devote to catching up on projects that are bearing down on me… I’ve been on the phone with UPS, trying to get this resolved. It’s blown a hole in my day. I was getting really upset until it hit me…

I deserved this.

Dang! Karma strikes again!

That will teach me to be all negative and judgemental, won’t it? I should have learned this lesson already. Sometimes I’m a really REALLY slow study. *sigh*

It Feels Like Winter

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Cold weather makes me take a moment to think about life. Life is good. This morning, when I got up (from a toasty-warm bed), it was cold in the cabin. Quite a chill hung in the air.

Then my husband got up and said “Want a fire? Are you cold?” and immediately began the wood-burning stove ritual to get a blazing fire roaring.

Life is good. I spent some time with my sister yesterday and she stayed the night. After I finished work, we went to the Amish food store and got an armload of nuts and dried fruits and fresh fall apples. Then, we went to my favorite cheese place — a family owned business in Casey County called Zimmerman’s Homestead Cheese. They make the BEST cheese in the world there. We buy several pounds from them every month. (There’s a reason I say my family is “cheesy,” I suppose.) When we started eating organic, cheese was the thing we missed most — then I found Zimmerman’s. Continue reading →

Leap and the net will appear…

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The first portion of a new year is a wonderful thing to me. It really is. I know you can “turn a new page” or “get a fresh start” at any point in your life, on any day, but there is something magical about a new YEAR — and I cling to the theme of rebirth and renewal and a fresh start…every year…After a relatively rocky end to the old year, this one is beginning to really shape up. And as I review things, I tripped across one of my favorite quotes, a Zen saying, “Leap and the net will appear” in my re-reading of The Artist’s Way — one of my fresh-start exercises.

My personality is such that planning has always been the key… I’m a little anal about planning and having things in order. So much so, that I’m beginning to wonder (in retrospect) if my penchant for planning was actually just an acceptable format for procrastination.

I now believe that if you know you are doing the right thing, no matter what your exterior forces are saying, you can leap safely. If you listen to your inner voice, it won’t lead you astray. But, you must have faith.

And I know that, as a creative being, that leaping is required. Until you are brave enough to do that, you aren’t really brave enough to handle success.

As I reevaluate my creative life, and my professional direction, I come back to this time and time again.

Leap, and the net will appear.

And to think, I used to think that before walking a tightrope across any abyss… I had to first judge the distance, grow the silk worms, weave the strands into thread, the threads into rope, the rope into a net and then torture myself with how to secure it underneath the tightrope.

Now, I know… You can’t protect yourself against failure as you pursue your bliss.

Leap and the net will appear!

And when walking that tightrope across the abyss… keep your eyes focused ahead and your feet taking baby steps. Feel free to admire a butterfly or the landscape, look up to regain your focus and let the sun warm your face… but don’t look at how far you have come while still on the rope. And never retreat.

Once on the other side, you can look at the rope and be proud of the accomplishment. Once there, you can determine if you want to look for another rope going in the same direction, or if you need to select one facing another way, or if your next step is to leap into the chasm with the confidence that you will, indeed, fly. Once there… the other life options open up and you have a chance to rest, briefly, with your feet firmly on the ground.

This is true for everyone. It is more obvious for entrepreneurs and especially for creative-types who select the entrepreneurial path.

So, be confident. Listen to your inner voice and leap already!