Think!

Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinion drowned your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

-- Steve Jobs

Fault

When you think everything is someone else´s fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy. Pride leads to violence and evil. The truly good gaze upon everything with love and understanding.

-- Dalai Lama

Key to Happiness

As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery… we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness.

-- Dalai Lama

Dreams..

This song from the 90's was in my head the other night. It is still a great music.

Oh So True!

I think in many ways narrow minded-attitudes lead to extreme thinking.

-- Dalai Lama

Huh...I never thought

Today was the reception for Years of Service where I work.  They start honoring you once you reach 15 years and then every 5 after that.  I have been here for 15 years.  I have learned a lot these past 15 years.  I have learned a lot about my current profession, about myself and about people in general.  I have learned what I like, what I will tolerate and what I don't like.

One thing I do know for sure is I won't be here for 20.  What I like and willing to tolerate are quickly shifting to the negative.  Why?  Because watching people push other people's buttons for the fun of it and the "it's all about me" attitudes don't make it a fun place anymore. Too bad...I used to like it here.

Be Creative

“Imagination is more important than knowledge."
-- Albert Einstein

Happy Halloween

Steve Jobs

Earlier this month, Steve Jobs passed away.  He left a a hole in the fabric of creative brilliance. Today the NY Times published the eulogy given by his sister.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/opinion/mona-simpsons-eulogy-for-steve-jobs.html?pagewanted=1&ref=general&src=me

It was beautiful and touching.  I am glad she was willing to share.

And the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize goes to.....

Awarded jointly to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman "for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work".

YES!!!!!

Leymah Gbowee' message about being awarded this prize "that the other 50 percent of the world – the women of the world – that their skills, talents and intelligence should be utilized. And I think this message is a resounding agreement to all of our advocacies over the years. That truly women have a place, truly women have a face and truly the world has not been functioning well without the input, in every sphere, of women"  brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.

I know how that feels

My yesterday morning

Gluck: Dance of the Furies

It is Nobel week

Yesterday started the Nobel Prize week. It was an interesting start because one of the Nobel Laureates passed away just three days before the announcement that he had won. The day was uncertain since the award is not to be given to someone posthumously. Fortunately the right thing to do prevailed.

Congratulations Ralph Steinman and may your work continue to help others.

To start the week off with a smile

Moments

A good way to start off my day

How many rabbits?

One thing I learned today that no matter how many rabbits one pulls out of their ass and saves everyone else, it isn't quite good enough.

I should have left.

I wish I was here today....

Muse: Uprising

A strange thing about birthdays...

Here I am...another trip around the sun.

Wheee!

Emotion through a piano

Yuma Scorpians

Take me out to the ball game in a hundred degree heat.  Why?  Simple. Jose Canseco still plays...still hits...can't run....but looks good.
So was the hot dog. :-)

Need an Ice Cream Fix?

This weekend I visited two Ice Cream shops. The first was Sweet Republic.  It is artisan ice cream made from pure ingredients.  It was delightful.  They are located a couple of blocks east of the 101 on Shea out in Scottsdale.  I had the (sorry no picture):

Campfire S'more
double scoop Belgian chocolate with toasted-to-order handmade marshmallows and hot fudge on waffle bowl.  

The second place was Sugar Bowl.  It has been there since 1958!  This is a classic ice cream parlor decorated in pink white and black.  I had the Rootbeer Float.   Perfect Heaven.

Michael - Glad you found them!

Bach - Little Fugue in G-minor BWV578

Just beautiful.

Beethoven: Symphony Number 3 'Eroica' - II. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai - Knappertsbusch (1951)

My Favorite movement from Beethoven's 3rd Symphony

Compassion

True compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason.
-- Dalai Lama

Ever feel like...

A yo-yo, punching bag and a piñata all rolled up in one?

Lana Del Rey - Video Games

I heard this today on BBC Radio 1 - UK Pop Hits on my way in this morning. It is amazing. Here is the video.

Ripples

Make efforts to consider as transitory all adverse circumstances and disturbances. Like ripples in a pool, they occur and soon disappear, Insofar as our lives are karmically conditioned, they are characterized by endless cycles of problems. One problem appears and passes, and soon anther on begins.

--Dalai Lama

And somedays...

My job just sucks.

You ever...

...have one of those people in your life that no matter what you do, you will never please them?

Yeah.  It sucks.

Yeah...no

You know if I hear another person tell me that you get what you really asked for and not what you think you asked for, I am going to just going to explode.

Today...

... I am broken.

Weakness

Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.
-- Dalai Lama

Wind

Oh wind... why do you literally smell like dog crap?  Not a good way to go to lunch.

Argh!!!!!!!!!

Enough said.

What is Need? Continued

It is interesting how people perceive need.  Should a woman be seen as more masculine if she is self-sufficient?  It seems for me, that is how I am perceived.  Hmmm.... strange.  I am still trying to wrap my head around that one.  I have always felt that if I had to wait for someone to do stuff for me, it would never get done.  I am usually not at the top of anyone's priority list.

So now I am thinking...do I "need" a support structure? 

Not so simple exercise continues - Need

My not so simple exercise has wandered down many paths these past few days.  These wanderings have brought my support structure into a purer definition for me.  But from that definition, I now have another component to look into - "Need".

So what do we "Need"?  This is truly a dilemma for me.  I learned a long time ago to be self-sufficient in nearly everything.  Need to change a tire?  Yep this woman does not need AAA.  Need to change out a light fixture or sink, faucet, build a garden or anything else?  Yeah...no problem.

There is a fine line here. What really defines "Need"? 

Adele - Rolling in the Deep

Support

Support is a very interesting concept.  We all look at and define it differently.  The random thought that went through my head the other day was "What is my support structure?".   So in my favorite meditation spot, I thought about how I would define mine.  During the process I had a phone call.  During the call I made reference to what I was contemplating  and I surprised them.  Why? Simple. I thought they were part of my structural integrity...my support structure.  They had me in theirs but didn't expect to be part of mine.

Huh.

So my simple exercise has turned into not so simple exercise.

A good definition

I don't suffer fools lightly.

Oh...so true.

Dear Universe,

Bang...bang...bang...

That is the sound of my head against the wall.  I don't get it...I really don't get it.


me

Me and Change

So for the past 4.5 years my life has been in a huge flux of change.  I know I am suppose to embrace it but sometimes I really just can't.  Yesterday was one of those days for me.  I don't mind change in small chunks but when it comes through as the size of an iceberg that sunk the Titanic....ummmm.....yeah no.

I know people need to find new paths to take but Mongolia? Now?  Not a happy camper.

Green

Ireland is in my heart and in my soul.  It makes me smile and makes me dream. I am connected there.  I feel home there. Today, I wish I was there.

I wish you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day.

A funny thing that made me smile today

...someone brought me tea.

What is important....and what isn't.

As I scanned the days headlines, one stopped me and made me think.  A person that I never met passed away at 110 years old.  It was Frank Buckles, the last U.S. World War I veteran. Now for many, this event will go unnoticed.  Sad actually.  Besides representing a generation from long ago, he was fighting for the re-dedication of WWI memorial in Washington, D.C. into a memorial honoring all Americans who served in the war. The D.C. monument honored the local residents who fought in World War I. The sad thing is, he never got it.  Our voted in members of Congress seem to fight for pork fat but don't seem to realize that many have fought for freedom.  Unfortunately we are in a day and age where we as a society are ruled by our fears instead of our hearts.  Have we really become so selfish, self-centered and jaded that we forget that many a soldier died in the Argonne Forest?  Looks like it.  Our nation and our Congress need to bow their heads in shame.

It is time to learn from history instead of turning away from it.

Please....

Blame someone else and get on with your life.
-- Alan Woods

Oh Really.. Spring is coming????

Hello little creatures who tell us that Spring is coming soon.  Were you outside this morning?????  It was MINUS 4F!  This is February...we don't get -4 in February.

It's Groundhog Day

Both Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania and Gen. Beauregard Lee in Georgia are predicting an early spring. I am not so sure today. It is 2 °F and feels like -22 °F.

Spring coming....yeah right.

I believe the latter

There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
-- Douglas Adams

It's about balance

So the smart brain must be balanced with a warm heart, a good heart--a sense of responsibility, of concern for the well-being of others.

-- Dalai Lama

Jar of Hearts

It's 2011

I have made several posts in the last couple of years referring to standing at a fork in the road. My life isn't just a single path with points of decision but multiple paths for the different aspects of my life. It is that way for me because I don't look at life as one dimensional but multidimensional.

I have alluded to it before but my 6 days in Tibet has been very influential on my thoughts and understandings. I knew when I came home that I was standing on a powerful point in the timeline of my life. It is kind of a weird thought for most. But there I was. I was now to take the "right" path and not the one I want because the one I wanted had not come to fruition. I had been on the path of what I wanted for 25 years. But on the day I came home, I chose to follow what I wanted instead. A few months later an event occurred that sent me down the "right" path. It is one that makes everyone else happy but, unfortunately, I will not be. Since that time I have made treks to go after what I want...back to the other path. I keep falling back to the "right" path because I have found ways to self-sabotage. However, today I stand at this fork in the road that is indicating there will be no more side paths to what I want and that I need to accept the predefined. This isn't occurring just because it is the first day of the new year. Calendars are just how we humans feel we need to track time. For me, it is a bit different than that.

So here I am...looking at the predefined because I failed and the shrouded mist of what I want because I know. Do I try to stand here as long as possible because I want what I know? I really want to head down that path of shrouded mist but it seems I won't.

Sigh...sometimes filmstrips need to be burned.