Category: Love

Mind your own business

If you’re confident in who you are, might it be that you’re in offense mode? Those not comfortable with themselves are defensive, right?

Do you ever find yourself around people that get defensive if you’re so much as to point something out(?)… that they’re unaware of; something you see yourself as sharing in their best interest.

Mind my own business comes to mind. Avoid those people also comes to mind.

Sheesh.

Philosohy 101?

As I see it.

We (all) live in a state of meditation. Many (if not most) don’t recognize it; they’re unaware of this reality. Many don’t know about meditation. Many others don’t understand it and tell themselves, I don’t know how to meditate, or, I’ve tried and it’s too difficult and/or, I don’t have the time or patients (discipline).

I believe it accurate to say that many, consciously believe that there exists this place called enlightenment, and that it’s unachievable. Therefore, by default, we’re seeing ourselves in a negative light, and confined to an existence that will never be what it could be. Most reconcile with resignation, and seek comfort; an ignorance is bliss kind of existence.

I suggest, we’re all always in some state of meditation, and that we’re all breathing, as we are, more or less aware of our breath, while engaged in one activity or another. We’re all more or less aware of ourselves, of our surroundings, and of what we’re doing, and why we’re doing it… And how our actions are affecting ourselves, those around us, as well as the organizations and systems we’re a part of.

What then are our foundational beliefs and perspectives? What is our purpose? What are our plans? How in control of ourselves (our body and mind) are we?

Check out Napoleon Hill if you’re not familiar with him. He’s said some pretty meaningful and profound things as it relates to the human condition and our experiences, and our bodies and minds.

I share this with the belief in self and in the collective, with the hope for progress…and that we collectively move towards a better understanding of progress. Leaders, of all shapes and sizes, everywhere, need to step up, and to hold themselves and others accountable for standing for what’s right. Too many are caught, aware of it or not, going through motions that are beneath right living, and proper spirit. It’s all around us. Ironically, I think our answer for ourselves in response to, I’ll never be enlightened, is to tell ourselves, I’m present. And, I’m in the moment. However, you can’t be in the moment if you don’t know the moment. It is what it is? Nope. It’s not. We all have different ideas of what it is, but we won’t admit to ourselves that we’re only so perceptive and only so aware of our reality; the make up of the present moment.

Blessings,

Work in Progress

Pushed and yet trapped

Is the way we all know.

Tend to awareness

If your hope is to grow.

___

See life like a symphony.

Conductor or not,

You’re playing a part.

Your stance is your lot.

___

See-how folks are moving

And reacting to things.

How do they handle

What life takes and brings?

___

There’s a chorus and choir,

Instruments common, and new,

Players all over.

They’re mixed-up about you.

___

Unsure of themselves

And unsure of their place

They can’t see the truth;

Their own tail’s what they chase.

___

So YOU decide

To see what is here.

But you can’t know the moment

If you don’t know your fear.

___

You can’t know the present

Without knowing the past.

And, you can’t catch the future

If you’re unwilling to cast.

___

You can’t be in the moment,

Not with what it can be…

If the past holds you down,

You’re unable to see (clearly).

Smile and Keep Your Shoulders Back

I believe …

Radiating from each of us is our spirit.

Our bodies hold our experiences, and because we’ve not been taught the right way to experience life, most often our experience brings weight, pain, and disease.

Given our circumstances, a simple way to be… Is to smile and keep your shoulders back. My Gram would always repeat this to me when I was young, and I now understand this teaching with perspective that can only come with aging. Smile and keep your shoulders back means to be mindful of your posture and to face whatever it is your facing at ease, with an open mind and heart, and with confidence and belief in yourself; holding yourself above the the way most respond and react to life and their situations.

Decide to emanate your light; your spirit, holding others in a positive light. Rise above circumstances and situations, and find the higher road.

Tragedy to Treasures

(read the first lines slow, then the paragraphs fast, is how I flowed it.)

All the sudden he got you.

All the sudden he shot you.

All that sudden I’m watchin.

All the sudden the cops in.

But not before Dad’s dead.

Took two shots to his fucked head.

38 and I’m seein red.

Pool of blood around your head.

Mother’s day up in Buckhead (GA, ’83)

It becomes about my head.

Way to young is what they said.

But they weren’t in the shit. Didn’t see what I saw. Didn’t feel what I felt. They were tryin to help. Lookin in on the hell, didn’t hear the death bell and The ring in my ears.

Just imagine the weight that I held. And hold. Gotta be bold to move on with that tragedy. See? Without out them (parents). 7. What’s heaven? That’s where they went right?

Or did dad go to hell? And, am I like my dad? All these questions I had. No choice but move on. And that moment was gone. But now stuck in my head. Always. Brutal, to move through it. With it. Horse shit. Pissed off. God’s fault…or a while.

So many days. Just in a haze. Felt I didn’t belong. Joe, you gotta be strong, as you movin along. And it all just seemed wrong. Robbed from my mom.

Acceptance was the way. But, even now, not sure I accept it. Still like, what the fuck was all that shit. No way to know Dad but as sick.

I Just know it’s still with me. And I’m blessed to have had love around me, from that moment on. Thanks mom(s) and Pop. Thanks family and friends and everyone.