Idle Ramblings and Ruminations
Since my last ramble was so well received and I was at a loose end at the close of the day, I thought I would bestow upon you another ramble – aren’t you the lucky ones!
All joking aside, did anyone out there have some wonderful life event take place when the planets aligned this week? In case you missed it, six planets aligned on June 3, and astrologers were jumping for joy. Isn’t it funny how we, as humans, clutch at those who prophesize in the expectation that they hold the key to our future? When indeed it is ourselves that have the key, we just need to believe in our value and, no matter what, keep moving. As a twenty-something, I used to say, “If you see something you want go after it, and don’t come back until you get it!” I am sure I did not invent that phrase, but that is actually comforting, because it means someone before me did, and it journeyed to my awareness and I carried it forward. You really do have the power to make the craziest things happen in your life if you just believe in them and, most importantly believe in yourself!
Anyway, this is a ramble and not a public service announcement so let us continue…
Things often happen in my life that serve to remind me of the fragility of life itself, this week was no different. For my entire life, or at least it seems that way, I have spent an inordinate amount of time overthinking every situation and justifying my every action. Even the purchase of the smallest personal item has to be accompanied by an endless and ultimately tiresome (for the listener) list of reasons why that purchase was made. Have you ever done this? Or do you still do this? Feel free to comment…
Why do I do this? Why do we do this? If we stop to consider the fragility of life then why do we spend so much time crucifying ourselves over nonsensical trivialities? The ‘monkey mind’ is indeed a pesky rascal capable of upturning even the most perfect situations with its incessant chatter. Perhaps we have to create a sub-personality to filter out and dismiss the disorientating noise so that we may remain on course.
Moving swiftly to the next topic, I find myself in a position of having pretty much finished my memoir, Misfit. The once onerous task is 100 yards from the finish line and I can’t help but feel that it is somewhat anticlimactic. Yes…there is a very strange absence of emotion towards its near completion. In a conversation with a friend late last night I compared it to pursuing something, which at one time seemed beyond reach, and capturing it. Once captured and in our grasp, it fails to provide the excitement of the chase, or perhaps that is my own character flaw. However, if it is a flaw I feel it is a flaw shared by many. So how do we keep the excitement of the chase once what we desire is in our hands? I guess maintaining the excitement is yet another thing people will say you have to work on. Wow, this life thing can be so much work, but at least it keeps us occupied!
Two other things that happened in my world in this week of great planetary alignments also gave me cause for thought. A friend of mine had transplant surgery, a life-saving kidney donated to him by his sister. That is probably the most wonderful gift you can give someone, the gift of life. At one time in my life, I also signed up to be a kidney donor but unfortunately, the recipient left this earth before the donation took place. However, back to my friend…the surgery was a success and, after a short stay in the hospital, both parties can return to their daily lives, one with renewed health and the other with the knowledge that they have made a major difference in their siblings’ lives. They have given him life. What a wonderful gift!
On the other side of the coin, someone I knew briefly in recent times left this earth prematurely. The cause is at the time of writing uncertain but death by suicide is suspected. I had, as I said, a brief association with this person when we worked on a project together for a friend. It was very brief, perhaps two or three weeks, after which they sought to upturn my life so I disengaged with them completely. That being said, it was not the news of their departure that made me pause for reflection so much as the way life just carried on for those who knew them. I believe no close family was involved, but a mystery still shrouds that. So, what was the reflection this incident bestowed upon me? It was not the first suicide (if that was indeed the cause) that has crossed my path but, having had suicidal thoughts during my lifetime, it did solidify the belief in the precious nature of life. Also, the frequently insular nature of life.
Returning to ruminations on thought processes, our thoughts can either make or break us. As the English poet John Milton (1608-1674) once said, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven out of hell or a hell out of heaven.” Truer words have never been spoken. Many people who could be classed or class themselves as misfits, may harbor at times self-destructive thoughts. Some constantly battle them, some overcome them and some are simply defeated by them. As far as my own life is concerned, I am forever seeking the positive in situations as I feel that dwelling on the negative can consume you to the point of no return.
So, in the space of one week, one soul was in some ways reborn and another departed. The giant takeaway for me was the preciousness of life. Indeed, perhaps this ramble’s resting place is on that thought. You cannot depend on your environment, those around you, self-proclaimed gurus, or indeed astrologers and planetary alignments to dictate your day, your week, your month, your LIFE. Life itself is the most precious gift you have and it is probably the one you can have most control over. Of course, it can take twists and turns and provide challenges but the garden of your mind is the ground in which you can grow either roses or weeds.
One final, somewhat humorous, recent moment in my life I will end this discourse with …
I was recently working at my friend’s store in downtown Manhattan and restocking some of the intention candles. These candles come with intentions such as abundance, manifest a miracle, joy, love, positive energy, etc. On returning from my basement excursion to find new supplies, I ran to my co-worker with the news that my trip to the basement had proved very fruitful and that, “It was incredible, I found so much Joy and Positive Energy in the basement”. So yes, in closing, joy and positive energy can even be found in the basement, you just have to look for it!”
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Thank you for the Re-Stack:)