July 6, 2010

Subject Matter

Lately I've been at a loss for good subjects to blog about. Topics to get my audience (how many of there are you, I wonder?) thinking, and inspire kindness through learning how to be a kind person. I am in no way close to being the person that I'd like to be, and I am always thankful to know that there are plenty of opportunities to be a joy in someone's life and "practice makes perfect"!

This can be quite challenging, especially since working at the SeaCrest Resort- not that the SeaCrest in and of itself is the problem, but rather the constant interaction with generally happy but also sad, grumpy, angry, argumentative, and sometimes flat-out rude people. I was commiserating with my co-worker Alyssa today about how you can walk into work with the best intentions, but after a few angry guests it's all you can to not to answer the phone droning, "Thanks for calling the SeaCrest, whatdya want..." It's definitely a constant discipline that I wasn't anticipating at this job and that I don't always enjoy...but those are often the disciplines we need to incorporate into our lives the most, true?

The whole reason I'm contemplating this is because of an email I received a couple days ago. It was from FlyLady, a website devoted to help people everywhere find a method and set a pattern for keeping their homes in order. This email didn't strike me because it had a magical formula for folding laundry; it caught my eye because it was titled "20 Good Karma Notes from the Dalai Lama." I don't believe in karma, but I do think that these notes are food for thought and starting tomorrow, I'll blog about each one individually and how they apply in my own life. I hope you're encouraged to take a fresh look at your own life and circulate kindness in your realm of friends and family.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R's:
- Respect for self,
- Respect for others and
- Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
20. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

~VLP~