Category: Inspiration

More wisdom from "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life," by Wayne Dyer. The 21st verse of the Tao is a poetic musing on the mystery of the all-knowing, all-providing energy that surrounds us always. The last two lines read:

How do I know the ways of all things at the beginning?
I look inside myself and see what is within me.

The Tao comes from the truth that is inside of us at all times. Another version of this, from the Sufi poet Hafiz:

If you think that the truth can be known from words
If you think that the sun and the ocean can pass through
That tiny opening called "the mouth". . . .
Oh! Someone should start laughing!
Someone should start wildly laughing –
Now!

One of the categories of GOforChange is "Inspiration." I’ve always been fascinated by the etymology of words that we tend to throw around unconsciously. "Inspiration" comes from the Latin, inspiratus , or inspirare : "inspire, inflame, blow into," from in -"in" + spirare "to breathe." Breathing is such a part of life that we often are completely unaware of it. When we take a bit of time to notice our breath, we become more open and expansive. This stillness helps us navigate the challenges of life.

I’ve been listening to Wayne Dyer’s "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life," which is his exploration of the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching , as applied to our modern world. Each day, I listen to a verse of the Tao, along with his musings on what it means to us today and how to apply it in simple, practical terms. For example:

11th Verse of the Tao Te Ching

Thirty spokes converge upon a single hub.
It is on the hole in the center that the use of the cart hinges.

Shape clay into a vessel.
It is the space within that makes it useful.

Carve fine doors and windows,
but the room is useful in its emptiness.

The usefulness of what is
depends on what is not.

As an architect, I have always been attracted to this verse, with its embrace of the void, of the spaces between. Continued

Even
after all this time,
the sun never says
to the earth
“You owe me.”

Look what happens,

with a love like that –

it lights
the whole
sky.

- Hafiz, “The Gift”

What is the difference
Between your experience of Existence
And that of a saint?

The saint knows
That the spiritual path
Is a sublime chess game with God

And that the Beloved
Has just made such a Fantastic Move

That the saint is now continually
Tripping over Joy
And bursting out in Laughter
And saying, “I Surrender!”

Whereas, my dear,
I am afraid you still think

You have a thousand serious moves.

Hafiz

“To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.” - Emily Dickenson.

Why is it - no matter how well you manage (or think you manage) your time there never seems to be enough? We all say- time goes by too fast. Actually, what I’ve realized is that time doesn’t go by any faster than it ever has - it’s just me getting older - and, every day that goes by, I feel it more and more.

The issue of time comes up in most of my conversations, not just my professional ones! It’s a universal concern - and so curious - we are all given one precious life to live within the parameters of some unknown lifespan and most people constantly struggle with a lack of time. This paradox is definitely a cosmic set up - and also our greatest opportunity to find freedom.

This is not going to be an article on time management. Suffice it to say there are many excellent tools and models for managing your time. I propose the ultimate solution isn’t time management at all, it’s time mindfulness. Continued

“Just yesterday, someone sent me an email with a quote attached that caught my attention. It was attributed to Eamon Kelly (president of Tulane University from 1981 to 1998), and read “My success resulted from moving from one failure to another failure with enthusiasm.” This got me thinking about failure, and how I view it in my own life.

When I was in my mid-20’s, I once had a job interviewer who asked me to tell him about my failures and how I handled them. I was quite unprepared for this line of questioning but was able to come up with a list of what I then saw as failures, starting with my unsuccessful bid for Student Council President in high school and continuing on through my decision not to attend law school (or rather, to not apply to law school) as my father the attorney had always hoped I would. In the past 25 years, I’ve certainly experienced failures in my life. But I’ve never thought of myself as a failure. There is a big difference. Continued

Breathe Books is a multifaceted books-and-accessories store, located on the famed "Avenue" in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood, and offers its patrons more than just books — its products espouse the concept of "conscious living, personal growth, and spiritual awareness" touted by founder and proprietor Susan Weis. In addition to the offerings of the store itself — with themes such as shamanism, acupuncture, ghosts, numerology, magic, Chinese medicine, and tarot — the bookstore’s website features "Susan’s Musings," the owner’s blog about her travels, talks, and discoveries.