You've probably had this experience. You're reading. And, an idea or two strikes you as so important at the time that you stop. You read it out loud. And again. And, then you just want to SHARE it.
You'll recall, because you're hangin on my every word of every Blog post, that I won a book at the Ridge Theatre sometime in the past month from the doctor who was speaking about why giving, or more specifically loving kindness, is good for our health.
Here it is. From Why Good Things Happen to Good People. Here's my stop and read out loud statements...
Three lies:
1. The lie that we are what we have
2. The lie that we are what we do for a living
3. The lie that we are what other people say about us
Now, I believe that I was never that tied to lie No. 1. That's just a no brainer. And, I've never been able to afford an Emerald Green Jag, a private island or a pool boy. I'm so far from that reality, I don't even know what I should be wishing for. What it's called. Who makes it. The name on the label. My monetary reality makes not buying into Lie No. 1 pretty easy. George Carlin set that one straight a long time ago.Just stuff, Baby! Nice stuff in some instances, really beautiful stuff, but still, the monkey on your back, the Albatross around your neck, the Garage Sale covered in dust, this guy is trying to get the damned thing for free and I'm only asking $5 stuff.
My big problem lie was definitely No. 2. Especially when I was younger. It may have been because I had such lousy jobs.
But don't be fooled. It works both ways. Don't lie to yourself because you're the President. Don't lie to yourself, underestimating yourself, because you're the janitor. Who are you really if you know what I mean. As a person? How do you treat other people? What does your inner self bring to the world. It's got nothing to do with how much you're being paid and what your job title is. At some point, you won't be attached to any title. Then what? Just you and the mirror staring back.
This past 10 months, which I like to think of as "the pause" between the first and second half of my life, has been fantastic at allowing me the luxury of time to take a more objective look at those things that we sometimes just accept but may no longer be valid for us.
The past 10 months has definitely been about getting closer to the truth.
What are you hanging on to that just has no place, anymore, in the present? What's the hardest thing to let go of? What does it say about you? Does it really say what your ego is saying it says. Check it out!
Maybe you can come up with a few more - lies we tell ourselves. Feel free to add them as comments so we can think about those as well.