Today's theme song
Today was a good day to finally use some Blue.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
#9
The Ripple Effect
The Master was walking through the fields one day when a young man, a troubled look upon his face, approached him.
"On such a beautiful day, it must be difficult to stay so serious,"
the Master said.
"Is it? I hadn't noticed," the young man said, turning to look around and notice his surroundings. His eyes scanned the landscape, but nothing seemed to register; his mind elsewhere. Watching intently, the Master continued to walk.
"Join me if you like." The Master walked to the edge of a still pond, framed by sycamore trees, their leaves golden orange and about to fall.
"Please sit down," the Master invited, patting the ground next to him. Looking carefully before sitting, the young man brushed the ground to clear a space for himself.
"Now, find a small stone, please," the Master instructed.
"What?"
"A stone. Please find a small stone and throw it in the pond."
Searching around him, the young man grabbed a pebble and threw it as far as he could.
"Tell me what you see," the Master instructed.
Straining his eyes to not miss a single detail, the man looked at the water's surface.
"I see ripples."
"Where did the ripples come from?"
"From the pebble I threw in the pond, Master."
"Please reach your hand into the water and stop the ripples," the Master asked.
Not understanding, the young man stuck his hand in the water as a ripple neared, only to cause more ripples. The young man was now completely baffled. Where was this going? Had he made a mistake in seeking out the Master? After all he was not a student, perhaps he could not be helped? Puzzled, the young man waited.
"Were you able to stop the ripples with your hands?" the Master asked.
"No, of course not."
"Could you have stopped the ripples, then?"
"No, Master. I told you I only caused more ripples."
"What if you had stopped the pebble from entering the water to begin with?" The Master smiled such a beautiful smile; the young man could not be upset.
"Next time you are unhappy with your life, catch the stone before it hits the water. Do not spend time trying to undo what you have done. Rather, change what you are going to do before you do it." The Master looked kindly upon the young man.
"But Master, how will I know what I am going to do before I do it?"
"Take the responsibility for living your own life. If you're working with a doctor to treat an illness, then ask the doctor to help you understand what caused the illness. Do not just treat the ripples. Keep asking questions." The young man stopped, his mind reeling.
"But I came to you to ask you for answers. Are you saying that I know the answers?"
"You may not know the answers right now, but if you ask the right questions, then you shall discover the answers."
"But what are the right questions, Master?"
"There are no wrong questions, only unasked ones. We must ask, for without asking, we cannot receive answers. But it is your responsibility to ask. No one else can do that for you."
Author Anon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks, Michi, for sharing this.
The Master was walking through the fields one day when a young man, a troubled look upon his face, approached him.
"On such a beautiful day, it must be difficult to stay so serious,"
the Master said.
"Is it? I hadn't noticed," the young man said, turning to look around and notice his surroundings. His eyes scanned the landscape, but nothing seemed to register; his mind elsewhere. Watching intently, the Master continued to walk.
"Join me if you like." The Master walked to the edge of a still pond, framed by sycamore trees, their leaves golden orange and about to fall.
"Please sit down," the Master invited, patting the ground next to him. Looking carefully before sitting, the young man brushed the ground to clear a space for himself.
"Now, find a small stone, please," the Master instructed.
"What?"
"A stone. Please find a small stone and throw it in the pond."
Searching around him, the young man grabbed a pebble and threw it as far as he could.
"Tell me what you see," the Master instructed.
Straining his eyes to not miss a single detail, the man looked at the water's surface.
"I see ripples."
"Where did the ripples come from?"
"From the pebble I threw in the pond, Master."
"Please reach your hand into the water and stop the ripples," the Master asked.
Not understanding, the young man stuck his hand in the water as a ripple neared, only to cause more ripples. The young man was now completely baffled. Where was this going? Had he made a mistake in seeking out the Master? After all he was not a student, perhaps he could not be helped? Puzzled, the young man waited.
"Were you able to stop the ripples with your hands?" the Master asked.
"No, of course not."
"Could you have stopped the ripples, then?"
"No, Master. I told you I only caused more ripples."
"What if you had stopped the pebble from entering the water to begin with?" The Master smiled such a beautiful smile; the young man could not be upset.
"Next time you are unhappy with your life, catch the stone before it hits the water. Do not spend time trying to undo what you have done. Rather, change what you are going to do before you do it." The Master looked kindly upon the young man.
"But Master, how will I know what I am going to do before I do it?"
"Take the responsibility for living your own life. If you're working with a doctor to treat an illness, then ask the doctor to help you understand what caused the illness. Do not just treat the ripples. Keep asking questions." The young man stopped, his mind reeling.
"But I came to you to ask you for answers. Are you saying that I know the answers?"
"You may not know the answers right now, but if you ask the right questions, then you shall discover the answers."
"But what are the right questions, Master?"
"There are no wrong questions, only unasked ones. We must ask, for without asking, we cannot receive answers. But it is your responsibility to ask. No one else can do that for you."
Author Anon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks, Michi, for sharing this.
#5
Taken on yesterday's bike ride.
I had stopped at a bench to read a chapter of Harry Potter and I literally looked up and saw this statue across the field.
#4
Bike route - 1/9/12
Had a panic attack yesterday, so I decided to go for a bike ride to calm down. Above is a map of the route I took. All told it was a little over 7 miles, which isn't too bad considering I haven't done regular exercise for years. That ride ended up saving my day.
Had a panic attack yesterday, so I decided to go for a bike ride to calm down. Above is a map of the route I took. All told it was a little over 7 miles, which isn't too bad considering I haven't done regular exercise for years. That ride ended up saving my day.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
#3
#2
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
And so it begins
I am beginning this project as a form of catharsis. I want to get that out there right now. If any of you know me personally, you know I suffer certain abnormalities that affect my overall health. Today, I have decided to do something about it. My project for 2012 is to find beauty in every day. I am a musician. I am a writer. I am a photographer. I am a poet. I am a comedian. I can do this.
This forces me to look for beauty around me. It's there. I know it is. My problem is I have trouble finding it. I'm not sure where this project will take me. My goal is to come up with 366 pieces this year - one for every day. If someone else created it or I create it myself, it doesn't matter. If I go a week without finding anything beautiful, but on Sunday find seven beautiful things, it doesn't matter. By the end of this year, I want to look back and see one good thing for every day I survived. This may fall flat on its face. This may change my life. I have no idea how this will come out.
But one thing I do know - it begins today.
1/3/2012
This forces me to look for beauty around me. It's there. I know it is. My problem is I have trouble finding it. I'm not sure where this project will take me. My goal is to come up with 366 pieces this year - one for every day. If someone else created it or I create it myself, it doesn't matter. If I go a week without finding anything beautiful, but on Sunday find seven beautiful things, it doesn't matter. By the end of this year, I want to look back and see one good thing for every day I survived. This may fall flat on its face. This may change my life. I have no idea how this will come out.
But one thing I do know - it begins today.
1/3/2012
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