Silly Ol' Bear

When carrying a jar of honey to give to a friend for his birthday, don’t stop and eat it along the way. 

   --Wisdom from Pooh Bear

There is an understanding of the Universe that everything we need is available to us, and that there is enough for everyone. Still, we sometimes find ourselves being a little stingy, making sure we have what we need for ourselves and our little nuclear family, and rationalizing that others can get what they need their own darn selves!  Yes, ideally everyone would be open to what is “out there” and this would be a perfect world; realistically not everyone is ready to accept that there is no need to scramble over others to get what is needed, and that by helping others we help ourselves.  Someone needs to be the good example!

There are many facets to this issue:  You need to keep your Self in good working order to be able to help others -- when the oxygen masks drop, put yours on first or you won’t be able to assist anyone else!  Some people don’t have it in them to take care of themselves, and we need to see this as an opportunity, not a drag.  Every person, whether CEO or Somalian refugee, has the same worth.

But remember that there is Enough!  Take what you need and no more, and then help others to take what they need for themselves. 

Oh, and by the way, there is a reward for this kind of giving life.  And it’s worth the trouble.

Turn it around

Instant access to current events and unbridled sharing of personal information often bring instant access to negativity.  I have a Facebook “Friend” whose status updates are, six times out of ten, about the bad things happening to her.  She laments, Why do bad things seem to find me so easily? and I hate waiting, and I feel completely run down.  Interspersed are happier thoughts, mostly about her children, and comments about how she plans to spend her day. 

Moaning and groaning may get you sympathy, but harboring negative thoughts – and even worse, putting them in writing -- about yourself and others, is a sure way to keep yourself down in the dumps.  Some people advocate writing down 3-10 positive thoughts every day, either first thing in the morning or last thing at night.  A good idea, but too easy to skip.  I say,

Catch yourself in a put-down of yourself or others, and immediately turn it around in your head.

As a trite example, “My thighs are huge!” morphs into, “My thighs are strong and get me places with ease!”

Try it.