I have moved all the MaXIMIze posts to a new blog:
http://maximize-2012.blogspot.com/
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
MaXIMIze - Choice
Robert Frost's poem The Road Not Taken has been on my mind a lot lately, due to a myriad of life changes that have come and are still coming my way this year.
Since it is in the public domain, here is the poem in its entirety:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Standing at the crossroads can be a terrifying feeling at times, however, we all stand there at one point in time or another, and sometimes many times depending on where our lives take us.
What some of us never get to though is described in the third stanza of this poem, which is being able to truly continue on our journey instead of ending up in a repeating cycle. And this boils down to making choices - sometimes difficult ones - in order to truly move forward in life instead of spending it in the roundabout.
Instead of rushing willy nilly into what life throws our way, we need to stop, breathe, and listen to that small, still voice each of us has inside of us. We need to fully process what has gone on before rather than locking it in a box, throwing away the key, and hoping it never finds its way back home.
Putting what has gone before in a box temporarily, to take the time to stop, breathe, and listen, is one thing. However, you need to remember to open the box, take out what has gone before, and really examine it in the cold light of day in order to process it and move forward instead of repeating the same patterns over and over and over again.
I know this can be a scary thing - moving from the known to the unknown can be terrifying at times, even if the unknown you are moving toward is a good thing. However, this is how we grow as human beings - by moving forward. Some of us never grow, but instead remain like trees stunted by lack of water or lack of sun. Unlike those trees, who are rooted in place and cannot move to better conditions by their own volition, we do have the freedom to move on to better things.
So what is your choice today? Will you be a stunted tree, never reaching the sun, or will you take the time to stop, breathe, listen to the small, still voice inside of you and release the patterns of the past so you can move on to a bright and wonderful future?
Since it is in the public domain, here is the poem in its entirety:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Standing at the crossroads can be a terrifying feeling at times, however, we all stand there at one point in time or another, and sometimes many times depending on where our lives take us.
What some of us never get to though is described in the third stanza of this poem, which is being able to truly continue on our journey instead of ending up in a repeating cycle. And this boils down to making choices - sometimes difficult ones - in order to truly move forward in life instead of spending it in the roundabout.
Instead of rushing willy nilly into what life throws our way, we need to stop, breathe, and listen to that small, still voice each of us has inside of us. We need to fully process what has gone on before rather than locking it in a box, throwing away the key, and hoping it never finds its way back home.
Putting what has gone before in a box temporarily, to take the time to stop, breathe, and listen, is one thing. However, you need to remember to open the box, take out what has gone before, and really examine it in the cold light of day in order to process it and move forward instead of repeating the same patterns over and over and over again.
I know this can be a scary thing - moving from the known to the unknown can be terrifying at times, even if the unknown you are moving toward is a good thing. However, this is how we grow as human beings - by moving forward. Some of us never grow, but instead remain like trees stunted by lack of water or lack of sun. Unlike those trees, who are rooted in place and cannot move to better conditions by their own volition, we do have the freedom to move on to better things.
So what is your choice today? Will you be a stunted tree, never reaching the sun, or will you take the time to stop, breathe, listen to the small, still voice inside of you and release the patterns of the past so you can move on to a bright and wonderful future?
Sunday, March 04, 2012
MaXIMIzing - Getting Back Up
Yep, I fell off the blogging wagon there for a while - at least on the theme of MaXIMIzing for 2012 (and beyond).
Life happens, and my life struck in spades - January was a yin/yang month and February was all about recovery time. However, falling isn't failing; not getting back up is.
So, this is me getting back up!
Let's review my thoughts on MaXIMIzing your life thus far, shall we?
In my January 2nd post, I challenged you to set out at least three things you want to MaXIMIze this year. I then suggested you set smaller goals to help you achieve those things - monthly, weekly, and daily goals. Then I said you have to follow through in order to gain those things you want to MaXIMIze.
In my January 8th post, I challenged you to minimize the baggage you carry, both physical and otherwise. I showed you how you could do anything for fifteen minutes per day. I suggested using yoga and/or mediation to help lessen the otherwise baggage, as well as journaling and having a strong support group.
In my January 16th post, I encouraged you to follow your dreams. If we can conceive it, we can achieve it. I encouraged you to seek advice when need be along the path. This is also where I introduced the concept that falling isn't failing; not getting back up is. You cannot win if you do not play.
In my January 22nd post, I suggested you live your life by your values and your virtues. I shared that my strong ones are honesty, dignity, respect and honor.
In my January 29th post, I touched on the concept of Karma - something that is found in all major belief systems in the world, whether it be the Golden Rule, the Rule of Three, or some other description. I reminded us all that even though we work to change, the things we put out in the world in the past will continue to ripple through our future, until the ripples dissipate, as they will over time. Then, if we have truly done the work, the new things we are putting out in the world will replace those ripples with new ones.
My February and early March posts were focused on one of the things I do want to MaXIMIze this year - my writing! So, while I fell down on the posting to help you along your path to MaXIMIze your life this year, I was still traveling down my path towards that same goal!
For the last few weeks (perhaps even the last two months), I have seen the following saying on RUOFS (a fiberglass steer who hangs out on the sidewalk near Ruland's Used Office Furnishing on 16th Street in Sacramento):
A setback is a set-up for a comeback.
So, here is my hand held out to you, if you have fallen and need a lift to get up...now get back to MaXIMIzing your life!!!
Life happens, and my life struck in spades - January was a yin/yang month and February was all about recovery time. However, falling isn't failing; not getting back up is.
So, this is me getting back up!
Let's review my thoughts on MaXIMIzing your life thus far, shall we?
In my January 2nd post, I challenged you to set out at least three things you want to MaXIMIze this year. I then suggested you set smaller goals to help you achieve those things - monthly, weekly, and daily goals. Then I said you have to follow through in order to gain those things you want to MaXIMIze.
In my January 8th post, I challenged you to minimize the baggage you carry, both physical and otherwise. I showed you how you could do anything for fifteen minutes per day. I suggested using yoga and/or mediation to help lessen the otherwise baggage, as well as journaling and having a strong support group.
In my January 16th post, I encouraged you to follow your dreams. If we can conceive it, we can achieve it. I encouraged you to seek advice when need be along the path. This is also where I introduced the concept that falling isn't failing; not getting back up is. You cannot win if you do not play.
In my January 22nd post, I suggested you live your life by your values and your virtues. I shared that my strong ones are honesty, dignity, respect and honor.
In my January 29th post, I touched on the concept of Karma - something that is found in all major belief systems in the world, whether it be the Golden Rule, the Rule of Three, or some other description. I reminded us all that even though we work to change, the things we put out in the world in the past will continue to ripple through our future, until the ripples dissipate, as they will over time. Then, if we have truly done the work, the new things we are putting out in the world will replace those ripples with new ones.
My February and early March posts were focused on one of the things I do want to MaXIMIze this year - my writing! So, while I fell down on the posting to help you along your path to MaXIMIze your life this year, I was still traveling down my path towards that same goal!
For the last few weeks (perhaps even the last two months), I have seen the following saying on RUOFS (a fiberglass steer who hangs out on the sidewalk near Ruland's Used Office Furnishing on 16th Street in Sacramento):
A setback is a set-up for a comeback.
So, here is my hand held out to you, if you have fallen and need a lift to get up...now get back to MaXIMIzing your life!!!
Friday, March 02, 2012
Percopotomus - Day 10 - Saving Souls
Well, here we are, down to the final entry for this year's run of Percopotomus.
Prompt: saving souls is risky business
Writing can save a soul
or destroy it
writing for cleansing
or for closure
can loose more demons
than it destroys sometimes
The soul that can release
the demons loosed
can find redemption
and thus be saved
The soul that holds on
to even one demon loosed
in this manner
can only be consumed
by the demons it holds
For those who stare
into the abyss
fall
into the darkness
Those who turn away
from the darkness
and leave the demons
in the abyss
find freedom
find light
find life again
So what do you do with the demons loosed by writing?
Prompt: saving souls is risky business
Writing can save a soul
or destroy it
writing for cleansing
or for closure
can loose more demons
than it destroys sometimes
The soul that can release
the demons loosed
can find redemption
and thus be saved
The soul that holds on
to even one demon loosed
in this manner
can only be consumed
by the demons it holds
For those who stare
into the abyss
fall
into the darkness
Those who turn away
from the darkness
and leave the demons
in the abyss
find freedom
find light
find life again
So what do you do with the demons loosed by writing?
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Percopotomus - Day 9 - Memories
Prompts: cradled in the velvet darkness; There are many new opportunities waiting to be presented to you.
Cradled in the velvet darkness, Annaliese contemplated the fortune cookie she'd cracked open after lunch at the upscale Asian place near her work.
"There are many new opportunities waiting to be presented to you," it read.
For some reason she was reminded of the scene in the movie History of the World Part I where Madeline Kahn as Empress Nympho went through the supposedly eunuch guards lined up for her review. As she walked down the line, she peeked behind each guard's strategically placed shield, saying "no, no, no, no, yes..." as she went down the line.
Annaliese smiled as she drifted off to sleep, her purple teddy bear held tightly in her arms.
Cradled in the velvet darkness, Annaliese contemplated the fortune cookie she'd cracked open after lunch at the upscale Asian place near her work.
"There are many new opportunities waiting to be presented to you," it read.
For some reason she was reminded of the scene in the movie History of the World Part I where Madeline Kahn as Empress Nympho went through the supposedly eunuch guards lined up for her review. As she walked down the line, she peeked behind each guard's strategically placed shield, saying "no, no, no, no, yes..." as she went down the line.
Annaliese smiled as she drifted off to sleep, her purple teddy bear held tightly in her arms.
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