THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Are you controlling your attitude or allowing others to control it.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Have you taken responsibility for your attitude

BLAME

It is so easy
to point the finger at others
and blame them
for the condition
of my life, however
it is not their fault.

When I blame others,
it means I am giving away
my power,
my honesty,
my integrity
and my spiritual wealth.

it means I am giving away
the opportunities for me to grow,
to evolve,
to transform
and to take responsibility
for my own life

I may not be able to change
the legacy I inherited,
however, I can create the life
I choose to live.
I begin by taking responsibility
and not blaming others

What I have done
or not done in my life
is about me
not you.
What you have done
in your life is about you.
How I respond to it
and what I do with it is about me

if I do not like my life
then I cannot blame you.
I have to accept
responsibility
and then be responsible
for doing what I can
to transform my dreams
and my realities

So when I hear myself blaming others
I need to stop and
focus on my own life
and begin to be the change
I want to see in my life
and in my world.

I AM

I teach about injustice.
I teach about inequality.
I teach about oppression.
I teach about injustice.
I teach about my role
as an activist,
but I also teach about
how I contribute to the
system of inequality.

It is one thing for me to
speak out and do what I can
to fight,
to resist,
to dismantle,
to make this a better world.
However, I must also speak about
how I am part of the system,
passively or actively,
which contributes to the oppression.

I am
a resisister,
and I am
guilty.
I am
part of the problem and
I am
part of the solution.

I am
created by the great
I am
and in the image of
I am
I work to bring about change,
but I am
also part of the problem
I seek to change.

I am
created
by I am
to do the work of
I am
with all of who
I am.

HAVING INTEGRITY

It has been years since we had a television and the only thing I miss is my cooking shows. Go figure. I especially love it when you can see someone grow, take a risk, push themselves, or step forward with integrity.  One of the shows I enjoy watching on YouTube is Master Chef. While I prefer the other countries over the US version most episodes, I have been struck by two episodes of Master Chef US where the judges gave those who had the least successful dishes the opportunity to act from a place of integrity.

I can only begin to imagine the pressure contestants on cooking shows are under. To want to stay in a competition which will give you additional training and mentoring as you begin to move into a new career is important. To then voluntarily leave, knowing it is the right thing to do, takes courage, integrity, and honesty. I appreciated in the two episodes I saw this happen how the judges gave the home chefs the opportunity to leave on their own. As you watched the contestants you could see the struggle within them. You could see the battle between wanting to stay and grow and knowing your opponent deserved to be the one to stay more than you.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

RELEASING THE SHAME

A few years ago, I asked you to work with me and help me continue to grow and evolve spiritually. Ever since then you have provided me with opportunities to do just that. Most recently, you have reminded me to let go of self-judgment and blame. As Don Miguel Ruiz reminded me, in his writing about the first agreement, it is important to take responsibility for my actions but I should not judge or blame myself for anything. I thought I had been doing well at this until the last few weeks when I have found myself getting angry with myself for being incontinent at times. I would feel myself, especially when tired, getting upset with myself for not being able to make it to the bathroom. Thinking about this in terms of being impeccable has helped. I have had to work at being able to say what happened, but not feel shame or blame myself for something that is out of my control at this point in time. I am so grateful for my wife who has been so supportive and understanding, especially on those days when I am tired and begin to shame myself. She gently reminds me that I am the only one who is shaming me, nobody else in our household is. It has also reminded me how important it is to be the sacred observer and question what I believe about myself to say shameful and blaming things to myself.

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