I’ve started working at least one day a week outside my usual work environment. I find that when I’m elsewhere, where the phone doesn’t interrupt me, and the cats don’t want to be cuddled, I can be exceedingly productive.
This week, I’m doing it twice; I did it this morning, and I’ll do it again on Thursday.
As I was working at Panera today, three glorious things happened:
As I was driving home and feeling ridiculously happy because of the three things I mentioned above, I gave a moment of thanks for the fact that I’m so open—to possibility, to new experiences, to people I’ve not met, and to those small, serendipitous events that happen all the time, and that bring magic to life if we happen to notice them.
Immediately after that moment of thanks, I thought about you, about what I was going to write today, and in the pondering came this question: “How open are THEY?”
You know how I feel about standards, and you probably know that, in general, I think that compromising them is a horrid thing for a person to do to himself (tantamount, IMO, to self-rape), and you may even know that I believe it’s ok to compromise when it’s done consciously, and when you can absolutely afford to do it. But I’m betting you don’t know that, IMO, all that standard creation and staying true to yourself stuff is not a license to shut down, turn off, tune out, or box yourself up so that you can’t wiggle (wiggling is often just plain fun!).
Bit O’Moxie: The best of the best is when you know where you stand as sure as you know the nose on your face, and are still open—realizing that being open doesn’t in fact, put you in any jeopardy at all, and can, in fact, lead to some amazingness that you might not have had access to, otherwise, like meeting new people who can become referral resources to you, having new experiences that can open your eyes so that they can see the world you live and work in very differently, having conversations you may never have thought you’d have with people you never thought you’d have them with…there are so very many possibilities when you’re open to everything.
Rumi said: “There is a way of breathing that is a shame and a suffocation, and there is another way of expiring...a love-breath that lets you open infinitely.”
Being open doesn't mean you have to go through with everything you find, or get close to every person, or get involved in every case. You aren't, after all, a lemming. Be open, take a taste or two of something new, and then decide whether it's something to move toward, or away from. But be open. Please.
This week, I’m doing it twice; I did it this morning, and I’ll do it again on Thursday.
As I was working at Panera today, three glorious things happened:
- My friend Pat stopped by to visit me
- I reconnected with a teacher from high school; I’ve not seen him in 28 years
- I met a very interesting and funny older gentleman—and added him to my Christmas card list at his own request
As I was driving home and feeling ridiculously happy because of the three things I mentioned above, I gave a moment of thanks for the fact that I’m so open—to possibility, to new experiences, to people I’ve not met, and to those small, serendipitous events that happen all the time, and that bring magic to life if we happen to notice them.
Immediately after that moment of thanks, I thought about you, about what I was going to write today, and in the pondering came this question: “How open are THEY?”
You know how I feel about standards, and you probably know that, in general, I think that compromising them is a horrid thing for a person to do to himself (tantamount, IMO, to self-rape), and you may even know that I believe it’s ok to compromise when it’s done consciously, and when you can absolutely afford to do it. But I’m betting you don’t know that, IMO, all that standard creation and staying true to yourself stuff is not a license to shut down, turn off, tune out, or box yourself up so that you can’t wiggle (wiggling is often just plain fun!).
Bit O’Moxie: The best of the best is when you know where you stand as sure as you know the nose on your face, and are still open—realizing that being open doesn’t in fact, put you in any jeopardy at all, and can, in fact, lead to some amazingness that you might not have had access to, otherwise, like meeting new people who can become referral resources to you, having new experiences that can open your eyes so that they can see the world you live and work in very differently, having conversations you may never have thought you’d have with people you never thought you’d have them with…there are so very many possibilities when you’re open to everything.
Rumi said: “There is a way of breathing that is a shame and a suffocation, and there is another way of expiring...a love-breath that lets you open infinitely.”
Being open doesn't mean you have to go through with everything you find, or get close to every person, or get involved in every case. You aren't, after all, a lemming. Be open, take a taste or two of something new, and then decide whether it's something to move toward, or away from. But be open. Please.
I love your thoughts on this and agree completely.
Marianne
Posted by: Marianne Semenoff | December 10, 2009 at 01:18 PM
This is a wonderful post and very inspiring. Reminds me of that old song by Jessica Andrews "Who I Am". Thank you for making my day a little brighter with your post.
Posted by: Julia | December 10, 2009 at 05:13 PM