“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.”
-Denis Waitley
The Sonnet of the Bumblebee
The Sonnet of the Bumblebee
You went against their theories, you broke all their rules
By soaring above them, just out of reach.
You laughed as they stared, those arrogant fools
Eager to name your scientific breach.
If you let them catch you it might be fun
Allow one to hold you; small greedy hand.
And just when he thinks the game has been won
You move forward with your martyrs stand.
You sting the bastard who’s trying to steal
The secrets behind your majestic wing.
One venomous prick, with quick pain he’ll reel
Squealing retreat from your dignified sting.
They actually thought you’d let truth be known
Uncivilized man, your secret to own?
-Angie Kopshy
I greet you, Madam, the stars seem to say
Finally the sun disappears altogether and them the moon, shining still more brightly, proudly ascends the throne of the the sun. I greet you, Madam, the stars seem to say.
-Anaïs Nin
“Choose only one master – Nature”
Once upon a time…
a woman and her family moved to the mountains of Montana before she succumbed to the ratrace of Portland. She could see mountain peaks from every window of her house and was just minutes from a trailhead. Stepping outside and breathing in the bitterly cold air, she felt her soul burst forth from the grimy shell inside which it had been slowly choking. Eyes lifted to the glorious sun and arms outstretched to the majestic winds, she felt the Great Spirit Mother wash over her as if she stood under a waterfall.
She was now utterly convinced that Rembrandt had it right:
“Choose only one master – Nature”
The Right Not to Remain Silent
“The melodious song mesmerized me and cloaked my soul in a most liberating embrace I had never known. The emotion enveloped me, and smothered the emptiness.”
― J.D. Stroube, Caged in Spirit
I just read theSkimm’s take on Weinstein. I don’t mean to come across as a man hater with this post. I’ve seen both men and women do horrible things to others because they had the power to do so. And although most of us don’t have as much power as a Hollywood exec like Weinstein, a yogi mogul like Bikram, or even an attorney who would do anything to destroy those around her, many of us actually hold power over someone. There are more and more conversations about the challenge of staying ‘good’ as your power grows.
In Jack Stern’s The Right Not to Remain Silent: Living Morally in a Complex World, he has a chapter on the use of power. At the end of the chapter, he shares his translation of the prayer, Aleinu. I am neither Jewish nor Spiritual in the traditional go-to-church-every-Sunday sort of way, but I am sincerely interested in living the best life I can and treating others with love and respect. These words touched my heart with their simple brilliance.
That on this earth we are all kings and queens and princes and princesses in the personal places of our power, whether we corrupt it or ennoble it or both…May God bless us with a true knowledge of our powers. May God give us the courage to ennoble and not to corrupt. May God give us the strength to stand before God and render an account of our powerful and powerless selves on this day and all the days of our lives. Amen.
Yes, we live in a society where men are typically the ones with the most power and yes, it seems like the mistreated are feeling more and more empowered to stand up for themselves. That takes courage and I am grateful for anyone who has the courage to stand up and speak up for injustice. It also takes courage to remain vigilant of corruption within ourselves. I am grateful for so many friends, family members and strangers who put the extra effort into remaining good people. You are role models for a beautiful future and you give me hope.
Food for thought…
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Beholding Beauty
There are days in which I am inspired by the exceptional beauty of nature – like an exquisite waterfall at the end of a long hike. Then on my way back down the trail, my curiosity and anticipation satiated, I happen to notice the exceptional beauty I passed along the way without a second glance. Even while beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the eye must be open to perceive and behold that beauty.
“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.”
“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Patience and Perseverance
“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.”
-John Quincy Adams
live the present moment wisely & earnestly
“The secret to health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
– Buddha
It’s snowing again in Basin, Montana. ☃️
Recycled Affirmations 