Money
English: dollar,symbol,money,shadow,3d,render (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“What’s the use of happiness? It can’t buy you money.” – Henny Youngman
TBIF – Lesson from the Stage
September – Time (Photo credit: listentothemountains)
TBIF – Labor Day Weekend
Common thought is this weekend marks the end of something….the end of summer. To kids, the end of summer break. To beachgoers, the end of summer tanning. To winter-phobes, the end of good weather.
But the truth is – it’s not the end of anything. It’s just the cycle of things. Where one season ends, another begins. There is no dividing line that we cross, no hurdle we must clear. Moving through the calendar, day by day, is a flow thing – like blinking our eyes or taking a breath…it happens with or without our permission.
It’s because we fear change, that we grapple with endings. We see them as heavy, anxiety-inducing, worrisome. Because we don’t know what’s on the other side, what’s around the bend.
When I was a musical performer, the closing night of a show always filled me with such melancholy. Partly because of all the hard work that had gone into the production, but mostly because I knew that I was experiencing an ending. The ending of the show – this cast, these costumes, this theatre, those audiences – that whatever was created until that moment would now cease to exist – forever. All the elements that made up this particular production would never, could never, be reproduced again. The never again part is what would get to me – if felt so…final.
What made it feel so sad, is also what made the experience so special. The fact that it was unique, a moment in time, was a wonderful reminder that all of life is that way – a journey and not a final destination. It’s what makes life exciting and thrilling – that something new is soon to begin. As odd as it sounds, it’s the knowledge that we will die that makes life all the more precious – because it is finite, there is an end.
Take this weekend and use your inner Buddha Balboa as a guide – be thankful for the time that has passed and look forward to the days still to come. BBQ, hang with friends, have a swim, play with the kids, cut the grass, or do nothing at all. It’s simply another day on your path. – BB
Success and Age
F Scott Fitzgerald (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“The dream had been early realized and the realization carried with it a certain bonus and a certain burden. Premature success gives one an almost mystical conception of destiny as opposed to will-power – at its worst the Napoleonic delusion. The man who arrives young believes that he exercises his will because his star is shining. The man who only asserts himself at thirty has a balanced idea of what will-power and fate have each contributed, the one who gets there at forty is liable to put the emphasis on will alone. This comes out when the storms strike your craft.” Excerpt from Early Success by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Any Questions?
Questions are fuel for my spirit.
P question (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Stay curious. Wonder at the world. Ask questions.
“There’s no such thing as a stupid question,” said many a teacher of mine. And for some crazy reason – I believed them. I ask a lot of questions. So much so, that a number of my friends jokingly call me the Question Lady.
I can’t help it – I’m a seeker of information. I’m a junkie. But in asking questions, I come to learn and understand the world around me – and what others are thinking and feeling. I ask people, “Where did you buy that?” because I want one myself. I’ll ask a friend about their trip – and what was their experience. I ask anyone to repeat what they just said if I didn’t completely hear it. I ask because I’m curious. I ask because I need to know.
Have you ever noticed a child will continue a long line of questioning until they either get to the core answer or until they get bored? They will peel away the layers through questions – to get to the pit. And that’s how I feel. It’s an unending need for me…it fuels my sense of excitement as I believe I can always learn something new.
In asking a question, our world expands. Don’t be afraid – knowledge is power.
The Wise Fighter wants to know. – BB