by Geoffery Moore | Apr 24, 2023 | Blog |
Guest post by J. M. Hawkins
Dear Soul,
I don’t feel that I’ve found my place.
Dear Life,
No wonder. You’ve been sifting through the garbage of the past, trying to paste it together to make a life. You haven’t realized that life is a feast in your honor. Come on up to the head of the table—see, there’s a place card with your name on it!
That reminds me of a story…
The Philosophy Student and the Rubber Stamp
There was a young philosophy student who always walked around furrowing his brow, pondering the meaning of life. One night, he dreamed that he was walking down the aisle in an office supply store when suddenly a rubber stamp spoke to him saying, “Looking for the meaning of life is really just homesickness—the wish to feel, everywhere, at home. Here, let me save you about forty years.” At that, the rubber stamp came flying off the shelf and hit the philosophy student in the head.
The philosophy student woke up and, remembering the dream, muttered, “I must be out of my mind.” But then, when he went to look in the mirror, he found stamped on his forehead the words:
Home Sweet Home
“That’s it!” he said. “If I’m at home in my own mind, I’ll be at home in the universe.”
Today, I’ll know so deeply that I belong, and with that serenity
I’ll help those around me feel at home.
*The Dear Soul/Dear Life dialogs by J.M. Hawkins are used by permission. They are taken from his collection, Word From Soul City and were used in discussion groups that met in cities across America in the 1990s and early 2000s.
by Geoffery Moore | Apr 17, 2023 | Blog |
Guest post by J. M. Hawkins
Dear Soul,
Sometimes I think I play it too safe. I remember once reading the line, “Live dangerously and you live right.”
Dear Life,
Well, at least you’re beginning to read dangerously. The quest for security can become a trap that stifles your life. Begin to learn the wisdom of insecurity. Which reminds me of the story of a certain lizard…
Overheard in a Lounge for Lizards
“Just look at me—I’ve lost my tail again. How can I go home like this? My kids won’t understand. At their school everyone is so careful and proper. The most feared put-down is, “You lost your tail, you fail.”
“I hear you, Mac,” said the bartender. “Our society is ‘safety-firsting’ us to death. Why, if I had a dollar for every inch of tail I’ve lost, I wouldn’t be tending bar. But you know what I say? Life’s too short to overdo caution. So bob the old head up and down, puff out the throat, and go for it! That’s the lizard way!”
“Yeah, you’re right! I guess if you’ve never known the joy of running all out and not even looking back to see what’s grabbing for you, then you’ve never known the true adventure of life.”
Today, I’ll remember that the brave venture everything. And I’ll at least venture something—not so much for what I might gain, but for what I might lose if I don’t.
P.S. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Always do the thing you’re afraid to do!” The best way to get comfortable in life is to keep daring, keep venturing, keep stretching our comfort zones!
Geoffery Moore
*The Dear Soul/Dear Life dialogs by J.M. Hawkins are used by permission. They are taken from his collection, Word From Soul City and were used in discussion groups that met in cities across America in the 1990s and early 2000s. Some dialogs were also included in a book I co-edited, Life That Loves To Happen…No Matter What Happens, by Landon Saunders. –GM
by Geoffery Moore | Apr 10, 2023 | Blog |
Guest post by J. M. Hawkins
Dear Soul:
Do you have maybe a little bit of encouragement to help me get going today?
Dear Life:
Sing a song of courage, a pocketful of heart, four and twenty reasons to make a joyful start. Twenty-four hours a day, what unspeakable wealth! Twenty-four times to rejoice—and good for your health!
Which reminds me of the story of The Little Boy and the Blackbird…
The little boy was uneasy about the nursery rhyme he’d just heard. So that afternoon, when a blackbird landed near him in his backyard, he just had to ask, “Are you afraid of getting baked in a pie?”
The blackbird laughed and said, “I know what you’re talking about, and you’re right. That rhyme is not for children. It’s for adults. You see, when people get older they sometimes get so busy they tend to suffocate the four and twenty blackbirds—otherwise known as the twenty-four hours of the day.
“But if you are wise, then, first thing every morning, you kick that old oven door open and save your day. You listen to your birds all day, for the bird of each hour sounds a different note of joy. Let each one tell you the secret you need to hear for that moment in your life. ‘Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie, and when the pie was opened the birds began to sing.’ (and this is my favorite part) ‘Now wasn’t that a dainty dish to set before the king?’”
“Just remember,” said the blackbird to the boy, “When you grow up, if you want to live like a king, early in the morning let the sweet, joyful birds of your youthful day sing. And listen for them all day long. Then you are going to have to ask yourself, ‘I wonder if the world can handle the tremendous aliveness I’m going to unleash today?’”
Today, I’ll listen deeply…and beneath all the noise, I’ll hear the joy of my life, singing to me throughout the day, and I’ll be filled with courage.
*NOTE: The Dear Soul/Dear Life dialogs by J.M. Hawkins are used with permission. They are taken from his collection, Word From Soul City and were used in discussion groups that met in cities across America in the 1990s and early 2000s. Some dialogs were also included in a book I co-edited, Life That Loves To Happen…No Matter What Happens, by Landon Saunders. –GM
by Geoffery Moore | Apr 7, 2023 | Blog |
Guest post by J.M. Hawkins*
Dear Soul,
My life has completely run out of gratitude.
Dear Life,
To think is to thank. Stop for a moment and think about the people who have made your life possible. Gratitude is like the oil in an engine—it reduces friction and makes human relationships run smoother. Which reminds me of the story of the Last Drop of Gratitude and the Bit of Grit…
The last Drop of Gratitude lay dying, surrounded by broken, rough-edged shards of human emotions, all turning into grit. But there was one Bit of Grit who, with dread, said to the Drop of Gratitude, “You know, as soon as you’re gone, people will attack each other like never before. Because without gratitude, everything grates on us. When gratitude goes, all we’ve got is ‘grititude’—and in a state of grititude, the breakup and breakdown are coming soon to a life near you!”
The Bit of Grit looked around, then continued: “See, it’s already starting. Just look over there at those two people. They really care for each other, but now they are in the screeching process of grinding each other away. Uh-oh, they’ve attracted the attention of the Big Grit himself. His motto is: If I’m not grateful, I get hateful…But wait! Something happened—the two people have burst into laughter. One is saying, ‘I’m grateful we can still laugh together.’”
The Bit of Grit turned back to the Drop of Gratitude and said, “Maybe, if you can stay alive for just a few more moments, other people might rediscover how grateful they are to be alive—and gratitude can go on smoothing life’s roughness.”
Today, I’ll remember the love, care, and sacrifice others have made for me, and I’ll honor that with my attitudes and actions of generosity and gratitude.
by Geoffery Moore | Apr 3, 2023 | Blog |
Guest post by J.M. Hawkins
Dear Soul,
I’m not even out of bed and, already, thinking about the day ahead, I’ve got qualms—you know, those sudden disturbing feelings.
Dear Life,
Yes, I know about your qualms. You’ve tried for some time to calm your qualms. Now it’s time for stronger action.
Yes, I see them—a whole nasty flock of qualms—they almost totally cover your bedspread. Now, here’s the plan: gather all your strength and, with all your might, kick both feet straight up into the air—and then grab your top sheet and pop your arms straight up like a circus tent. That’s it, and now, free of qualms, trot straight to the shower, and relax…ahhh.
Today at work, people will be amazed at your serenity. And when things really get tense, a co-worker will ask you how you manage to remain so focused and together. And you will say, “My secret is, simply, I feel no qualms.”
That’s right, you can’t keep qualms from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair. And remember, if you begin to feel qualms, then dropkick those babies as if they had rabies. Break into the control center of your life and push the stop button.
Today, I will stop the vicious cycles before they start.
I won’t be anxious about anxiety.
I won’t worry about worry. I won’t fear fear.
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