Yesterday is Here

Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude

Claudia – Thank you, immensely, for generously awarding me the Liebster Award. Your touching blog Living on Borrowed Days is simply amazing and as a show of my humble gratitude, and because I don’t follow directions very well … This post is dedicated to you and your inspiring readers.

The sun is gently rising now and I’m standing at my desk, savoring the first sip of hot coffee in my fave Kahlua cup, and I’m moved by the gratitude I feel, this deep appreciation for all that I have and for all that is.

Finding the time for gratitude has not been easy for me this week. I’m commuting on bike more, a little tired and worn out, plus dealing with traffic really tests my nerves. I don’t feel much gratitude towards myself either, leaving my change of clothes for work today – at home, neatly folded on the back of the couch. Thinking about the events of the past week – I want to drown in self-pity, moaning and complaining.

Moments like these though, are the best times to seek out and surrender to – Gratitude.

Daily Meditation:

The cool thing is Dear Reader(s), gratitude is not limited to my Friday morning sob story. Gratitude can be accessed by anyone, anywhere, anytime and all it takes is a single moment Be well and have a beautiful weekend!

CultFit Perfect

 


Requiem

Today
is the
perfect day

The sky
just so
clouds moving
fast

Drops of water
on leaves 
of Russian sage

Dog sitting
her chin
on crossed paws

Light streams
through branches
of locust tree

I sit
just so
at the
small table



Everything is
perfect 
just like this
you would have said

– Abigail Gramig  – Dusting the Piano – 

CultFit Shine


Comfort : Zone :

A good traveller is one who knows how to travel with the mind

What a jerk! I know, I just know that he cut me off in the pace line, on purpose none the less! Here I am, falling off the back of the pack The race is over 20km in! Or is it?!?

Like you, I am an expert in regards to mind-reading. I used to walk through life ass-uming that if another person’s behavior caused me distress in any way, they must have intended to make me feel this way. Those filthy bastards!

 

I was addicted to attributing my negative motives and thoughts to someone else and their behavior. Why not – their actions did sting a little bit and they kinda pissed me off. My subjective (and biased) interpretation of other folks, rather than their behavior, finally made me lose my, cool.

Then something truly cool started to happen. It started with a deep breath, and then gently changing my inner dialog, slowly, patiently – I subdued the thoughts of starting a confrontation, replacing them with – “I won’t assume anything; These thoughts will pass” “No mind-reading today, not now.”

Daily Meditation:

Tuning into myself, rather than magnifying the stress when I was beginning to get upset, needing to address the other person, eyebrows furled, sweaty fists clenched  “It’s Saturday afternoon dude, the NHL and NBA playoffs are on, the sun is up! We’ll get ’em next time around!”

Have a beautiful weekend friends and please take care!

CultFit Ride

 


A Final Affection

I love the accomplishments of trees,
How they try to restrain great storms
And pacify the very worms that eat them.
Even their deaths seem to be considered.
I fear for trees, loving them so much.
I am nervous about each scar on bark,
Each leaf that browns. I want to
Lie in their crotches and sigh,
Whisper of sun and rains to come.

Sometimes on summer evenings I step
Out of my house to look at trees
Propping darkness up to the silence.

When I die I want to slant up
Through those trunks so slowly
I will see each rib of bark, each whorl;
Up through the canopy, the subtle veins
And lobes touching me with final affection;
Then to hover above and look down
One last time on the rich upliftings,
The circle that loves the sun and moon,
To see at last what held the darkness up.

Paul Zimmer

CultFit Tree


Up(rising)

The world isn’t fair, Calvin.”
“I know Dad, but why isn’t it ever unfair in my favor?

I want to go back and touch on “should” thoughts for a moment before we move onto today’s post. Contemplative thought is truly a brilliant tool to exploring your true potential, just not when its time to perform. I like to call these – trigger happy thoughts or reactive thoughts. Let’s dive a little deeper and to maintain some clarity, I’m relating the post today to competitive outings and more specifically: Running.

What are your initial thoughts and feelings when I tell you that “Fairness” – Is a fallacy? Fairness is rubbish and compete utter nonsense?

Many of us (maybe this hits close to home for you)  Cloak ourselves with the falsehood that there exists only a single standard of fairness and – SPOILER ALERT! – It’s our very own! What we consciously choose to ignore, and this is when we start our “should” thinking, is that fairness is a completely subjective concept, based on our individual needs, expectations, and values. The big boy truth, is that your definition of what’s fair? Is completely self-serving (mine included).

If your buttons have been pushed in the past, or even right now because you thought you were being treated unjustly? Let me share a classic example most runners have lamented about: “I should not be in the 30-39 year old age bracket! It’s too competitive! If only the race organizers would change the ages – my time in a different bracket would get me on the podium!”

Daily Meditation:

The next time you find yourself questioning fairness, your mind clouded with “should” thoughts? Try this on for size at the starting line – What I see as fair? Is a direct reflection of my own deeply held personal preferences. Then proceed to run the race of your life!

CultFit Fair