Life Well Lived #7: Change
To change is to be vulnerable. And to be vulnerable is to be alive. –Alexis De Veaux A phrase that makes me smile [sometimes grimace] are Seneca’s words about how those who go willingly are guided by The Fates while those who resist are dragged. I smile thinking of times I’ve resisted changes of habits, work and associations and had to be dragged in new directions. Change can be difficult. It means stepping away from the familiar and into the unknown. It can also be vital. In researching good reasons for change, I found a list of ten reasons, including new opportunities for happiness and the fresh starts that add excitement to life. Read more. Another list offers twelve benefits, such as the increased resilience, versatility and confidence that build strength. Read more. Change. Hmmm. Now I’m thinking: What must be modified before The Fates drag me again? What door must close so that new ones open? How can I feel more alive? The answers are challenging. How about you? When has a change helped? Why not share a few words? Comment on this post [Leave A Reply below]. * Fireballs & Star Showers Social distancing and quarantining has definitely limited entertainment options. Next week, the heavens offer two marvelous and free shows. With a waning, quarter moon, they will be easy to see. Here’s how to find the celestial star shows. [Fortunately, as Earth spins, Pittsburgh will turn toward those constellations at night, rather than during daytime,] For summer’s best and brightest, see the Perseids Also view The Delta –Aquariids and alpha Capricornids Comment. Leave A Reply [below] if and where you see the star shows. Enjoy. * This Week’s Special Offer Each week, my Featured Art is offered at 25% off [plus any discounts offered by my Galleries]. Shop here. Thank you for visiting my galleries and for your purchases. They support Succeed and Soar.
Path to Joy: 9th of 12 – Where the Stars at Night are Really Big and Bright
I believe very much in the idea of kindness. … It lies at the core of beauty. – Jan Morris One of my happiest memories is of driving around the big island of Hawaii with a Swiss woman who taught me to sing, in German, “The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas!” My goal was to surprise a darling friend made during those six weeks on Hawaii’s eastern side, in the rainy jungle. Karin rehearsed me over and over, insisting that I get the Germanic pronunciation right. Two days ago, I asked my German friend to remind me how to write those words. Thorsten EMailed back at 2am Hamburg time: Die Sterne in der Nacht sind groß und hell, tief im Herzen von Texas! Twenty-plus years after circling Hawaii’s gorgeous coast, I think of the 9th Path to Joy and how we can all be stars in our own worlds while shining big and bright in the lives of others. As Bishop Desmond Tutu said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Benevolence is good will, good wishes and wanting good for others. Beneficence is the joy of putting those intentions into action. Seek joy and stay safe! PS Jan Morris’ full quote is: I believe very much in the idea of kindness. I think kindness is the answer to all our problems. It lies at the core of beauty. Source: Battleship Yamato This Post’s Featured Art, “Beneficence,” An Illustrated Wisdom “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” Howard Zinn 1922-2010 What I like best about the picture I like the starbursts that, on second thought, look like fireworks. Why Ever since I first saw the Leonid Meteor Showers [behind the screen of a drive-in movie] and saw those shooting stars sprinting across the sky, I’ve understood how spectacular and uplifting unexpected lights in the night can be. Fireworks displays have the same effect. They’re such gifts to the eye the heart and the spirit. They’re so uplifting. So joyful. What does this picture teach me? Shooting stars are natural parts of the universe, just like kindness. How joyful if our lives glittered with lots more. How can these insights lead to joy? I think these words answer best, If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path. — Buddha NOTE: These ‘Paths to Joy’ are adapted from The Treasure Chest, an old book I found years ago. Page 117 contained “The Twelve Rules of Happiness.” Of special delight is using paints markers and ink to illustrate meditations inspired by this wisdom. The technique is adapted from the book Visual Journaling, Going Deeper Than Words, by Barbara Ganim and Susan Fox. THE ART: For information and to purchase the Paths to Joy art, visit Sandra’s Galleries.