Journal Snippets 5/22/13

Daily Reminders:

Remember to loosen up the tension. Remember to be like water. Remember to be unabashedly yourself. Remember to smile. At everything. Remember to make things. Return to your breath. Remember that when you allow yourself to feel grateful and happy, goodness abounds. Remember to slow down.

"If you want to be given everything, give everything up."
- Tao Te Ching, chapter 22

Every time I open up the Tao Te Ching, I open up myself. I always find the advice I need to hear in that moment.

"The Master does his job and then stops.
He understands that the universe is forever out of control [of his tiny, personal, conscious self]
and that trying to dominate events goes against the current of the Tao.
Because he believes in himself,
he doesn't try to convince others.
Because he is content with himself,
he doesn't need others' approval.
Because he accepts himself,
the whole world accepts him."
- Tao Te Ching, chapter 30

~

Sitting with my notebook, writing, trying my darndest to convince myself to accept things right now--everything--no matter how uncertain and scary it all seems. Life is always uncertain. You can take this as something to be afraid of (Lordy, what do I do? I've lost control!) or you can choose to look at this as something exciting--opportunities abound! Things are wide open!

(A few hours later, I bought a copy of "Keith Haring's Journals." I spend way too much money on books, but I only bought it because I found the following passage on page nine to be particularly relevant to what I wrote above:

"People can, however, realize that they are constantly changing products of their changing environment, and changing situations, and time. They can live, at least, in harmony with the knowledge and coexist with it instead of working against it.")

~

Fulbright scholarship: this is my newest goal.

~

I should, and want to, remain open at all times. Open to receive and reflect. Sometimes I'm much too general. I've got to get to the bottom of things. What am I really talking about?

Well.. I'm talking about figuring out what my dream is. Committing to something. Should I commit to anything, though? I want to explore and learn about so many things. Only through continued exploration, exposure, and reflection, I think, can I find out what "it" is.

So, for now, the restless journey continues..

~

I am grateful for all of the old friends I bumped into today. At times like this, when I'm feeling incredibly lonely, these encounters serve as welcome reminders that I'm really not alone.

~

Sometimes, when I realize that I'm getting caught up in a stream of negative thoughts, I tell myself, "Don't worry about it, baby. It's all good."

This is probably weird, but it works for me.