Nov 28/2024 Thanksgiving

    

        Thomas Jefferson the only president who did not celebrate  it. I wonder why? Probably one of the smartest of presidents. I don't get it.

        When we are greatfull, it opens us up to other good things to come into our life.  It's such a little thing that can reap big things for our future selves. I am greatfull for many things, people and experiences. Divine spirit as well for all that it helps me with. Not everything because some things I have to figure out for myself. But it is all worth it. When you allow God into your life, it can can give you perspective that you didn't have before. Our thoughts and actions from the past and present set the tone for our lives. We can change the present and future events by changing our attitude and thoughts in the present. By looking at things with the question what do I have to learn from this experience. Will make us better understand ourselves in why we do certain things. Mitigating those thoughts and actions will give us knowledge and power in making our lives better. By being a vehicle for positive thoughts and actions we lift all boats. This is the goal for ourselves and with that we uplift others around us as well. To be spiritual is to be kind in word and deed to everyone, everyday. It is so simple as that. These people will remember that in their dealings with others as well. We should do this everyday, no matter how bad things will get. Going down the hole of negativity will take us further from the light. Positivity will stop that descent, at least for you. Others will take that trip down but you don't  have to follow. Don't follow the pipper. It is ruination. 

       Being greatfull for what we have allows us to live in a state of gratitude. This sets us up for a more beautiful life.  We may not get what we want, but we will get what we need.

Nov/22/2024 Stupid Stick

       So there it was a 8 inch long  3/4 inch thick oak branch laying in the grass. Was I paying attention, no. My shoe tip hits the end of it. It flips and jabs my front part of foot at the ankle. Takes off about 3 layers of skin but no  blood. Why, not living in the moment. These are little wakeup calls. This was 2 days ago. Today dropped a sock on basement floor transfering clothes to dryer. A small thing. Usually I'm conscious about not dropping any clothes. These are little things. They point to not being focused in the now. This month I decided to live more in the now. I think that this skill will help in my future endeavors. Learn through these little instances so as not to get bit by bigger issues later on.  Say like when you are out on the road. I learn here on the road as well. Always look for potential problems coming your way. Like stopping 20 ft from car in front of you while at a light. Then watching the rear view mirror for car coming up behind you. If he's moving too fast you can move forward. This helps me a lot on the road. Let other drivers merge ahead of you. It makes you feel good and them as well. Then they pass the courtesy on to someone else. People can be bone heads on the road, but so can you. Give them slack. No justification for getting mad. Ever.

       I try to pre plan my day. How I want the day to go. You are living in the future at this time but doing it in the now. Does it always work out. No. But a lot of times it does. And always be thankfull to divine spirit. I do see benefits to living in the now. You do what you can one day at a time. If you hit a road block, reach into your spiritual tool box. And ask divine spirit for it's assistance. No matter where you happen to be.

Nov19/2024 The Store is on the Left

        I have to go to Chipotle and pick up lunch. I'm in a new area. I'm sure the store is to the left but GPS tells me me to hang a right. I go right. My Micheal Scott moment. The show is the Office. Micheal and Dwight are on a business call. Michael's driving and GPS tells him to hang a right. Dwight says no it means make a right 50 ft up the road the road. Micheal says no, it says make a right. As he makes a right, Dwight is screaming. Yep, Micheal puts his car into a pond. That was me in a way, sans the pond. You know better but let your life be led by a glitch in technology. Like those people who fall asleep while driving a Tesla. So stupid. Putting themselves in danger and others. Must think twice before putting your faith in technology or others for that matter. I ask for God's protection, when out and about. It can't hurt.

       We either focus or suffer the consequences. Sometimes those consequences can be severe. In the past I would leave the house forgetting something, wallet or the phone. Not everyday. This month I've been working on mindfulness. Now I  catch myself walking down the driveway and then remembering I forgot something. Before I would be on the road and have to turn around and go back. So, there is some progress. When your thinking about the near future you can mess up the now. It's a hard habit to break. Breaking this habit will make your life better.

       So this month has been good in the mindfulness department. Every month will have to be this way. But good results are happening.

Nov/02/2024 It's Funny in a Way

        Couple days after the last blog.  I committed  another mindfuless act. This one bit me good. I'm making dinner and it's going to be a tuna fish sandwich. Put the mayo in and mix it up. Then I had to go into another room. I set bowl on counter. Then I thought  wait. There is a cat in this household .  Where to put it? I know in the fridge.  15 min later I'm getting the loaf of bread out of the fridge top shelf. It's behind the tuna. Catches the lip of bowl and now it's on it's way to the tile floor. Tuna and Pyrex all over the place. I get most of it up. Then my wife comes out. So she is worried about the cat's paws. I have to get on knees and wipe the floor with sponge to get up little fragments of sharp pieces. One hr and 15 min later, the floor is done. That lack of  mindfulness  cost me bigtime. I saw the irony of it all as the bowl went south. So sometimes I'm  mindful and it pays off and when I'm not, I get this.   Focus, Focus & Focus.

Oct 27/2024 Being Mindful

        It is hard. Back in August, I pick up my heart meds. Get it home there are only 90 pills. Suppose to be 180.  Call my Doctor, tell him what happened. The script was for 90 pills,  cost $20.00.  Last week pickup my heart meds again, thinking it was all fixed , same result 90 pills $20 .00. Can't  bring them back. 

       I assumed the order was now correct. Wrong. Should have checked in the store, then refuse to take them. The new pills are also $20.00.  Now I will have to pay another $20.00. So I lose 40 dollars during this minor chore over 3 mos.  Why?  Because I wasn't  mindful.  And when your not mindful, it bites you.  This lesson is hard to learn. I have learned it in some areas but there is much work to be done here. I guess a lot of times it's about slowing down and letting yourself think more carefully.  This lesson cost me 40 bucks and I don't have money to waste.  Hopefully lesson learned, at least in this department.

Oct/24/2024 He who Hesitates

        Is not necessarily lost. The other day, I'm in my car exiting a shopping center, making left at the light. I'm the first car. The road is  4 lanes wide. The green left  arrow is on. I hesitate. 10 secs later a car comes barreling through his red light. Accelerating  as well. He would have hit me on driver's  side. So when at lights always hesitate especially if your the first car. It is a habit for me. But this one was close.  Focus on driving. It takes one little mistake to mess up your life. Look in your rear view window  when slowing for a light. I usually stop 40 ft from car in front of me looking in rear view mirror, to make sure the guy is slowing down. Then I close the gap.

       Around here I see many cars with body damage. I can see why. Always look for potential problems. If I see like a minor road rage episode, I will turn around to avoid them.  Go out of your way just in case. Also be polite on the roads. Don't drive when your upset  or too tired. Letting people merge and not blocking an egress.

       I am thankful that I hesitated this time. You just can't forget. It's being mindful or living in the now.

Oct 18/2024 Black Plastic

        More bad news on the use of plastics. Black plastic kitchen utensils and food containers have high levels of a flame retardant in them. They may have come from cross contamination during the recycling process. Like the plastic that is found in tvs and other electronic cast offs. Plastics continue to mess up the earth and it's inhabitants including getting into us. California initially banned the use of grocery type bags. Over a couple years they found that people switched to the heavier plastic bags. They treat them as one and done and toss. Poundage wise it's 10 times more waste than the initial thin bags. Now California is going to ban almost all plastic bags. Good for them. Another thing is not to use weed block in your landscaping. It is full of plastic.