A Local Leader

I had a meeting with a local political official today about an urgent and acute issue facing our community. The official was open and honest in his communication. He was creative and innovative in his thinking about solutions. He clearly did not think he already knew all the answers and genuinely sought out ideas. He asked for help and for resources.

I came out of the meeting wanting to offer him anything I could to support him as a leader in solving this problem. I was energized to give. I am excited to do all I can. What a difference his attitude and approach made for me. He is very intelligent but it is not his intelligence that makes him a great leader. It was asking me to contribute and knowing that my contribution will be valued.

Thank you.

Say Shhh to Should

In talking with Bobbi this long, wonderful weekend, we were both off on Friday also, she shared about totally deleting the word "should" from our vocabulary. She was reminded of this from a book on language she's reading.

When she was older and wiser, my mother used to say, "Don't Should on Yourself!" I think she got that from some mental health book or group. Funny and true.

So, this morning while driving to work Bobbi and I agreed to "Say shhh to Should." Using the word Should just automatically disempowers, makes excuses for not being in action, creates guilt, shits on yourself, etc. Try it out - delete the word from your vocabulary.

As the televangelists say, "Make the pledge now, Say Shhh to Should." See what happens. Don't let any guilt or judgement get in the way. Do it, observe what happens, do it some more. Find our true selves.

Perhaps the last (with more in between)

The full moon reclaims an eye.

the rain an ear, anise our nose.

A muddy foot opens the door

we enter and never again close.

Verse second

The tilt of our earth is no mistake

we are what we are in full due cause.

Her seasons are grace, her nights awake

nocturnes within, without and away.

Raking at dusk

Tonight I begin a poem:

The doom began with the streetlamp,
when the moon lost our eye’s easy glance;
when we found sight for ground-dark leaves
not illumined in time’s half-moon dance.

We are gates

How do we exist?
Opening and closing gates -
Wind blows east and west.

From brother Jack Ricchiuto

#35 from "Conscious Becoming" (Jack's latest book - a modern Tao Te Ching)

Whether we like it or not,
whether we approve of it or not,
Whether it makes sense to us or not,
things are the way they are,
because they have become fully possible.

And if in the process, we realize
that what we do right now
makes something else more fully possible,
we discover our power,
and dwell in a calm sense of possibility.

Pain and suffering

I don't suffer well. Or perhaps it is that I don't deal with pain well but suffer well. How do I change this?

Waking up with a Hi.

How would we live our life if we realized that every aspect of our lives, "external" and "internal", was truly impermanent? We discussed this question at the Zendog last night.

My answer was, "I'd wake up in the morning and say to myself, "Hi, who are you?"

Working outside today

Bobbi and I worked outside the house today. I raked leaves and cut the grass. But this year was different. This year I planned to put the leaves in my new compost bin and I was using my new push-mower.

Because of this I do think I felt different about the work. I felt that the work was part of the cycle of earth and the season. Returning dead leaves to become humus. Using my own power and not that of a gas engine to trim the grass and leaving the clippings on the yard to decompose. This is a way of being in harmony with the way things are.

Power is not a human trait that takes us anywhere near happiness; mindfulness of the way and discipline to be in harmony are. Good times.