Sometimes it is not easy
Ray Mitchell
Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.
Hermann Hesse
I am still trying to make peace with my less active life style. While some of the changes are due to health restrictions the bottom line is I have made a choice to take a more practical approach to my day-to-day activities. The problem is I have yet to be comfortable with my no longer spending time with others doing good works.
Over the years I have always found that I could let go and move on to a new and more meaningful venture, My leaving the computer industry and working with Kiwanis International and UNICEF is an example. The difference now is that I am letting go and moving to a more practical and sedentary lifestyle and I feel twinges of guilt in the process. I am learning that I do no favors by promising to do more than I can do so I now send my spirit and best wishes to my friends who continue to make our world a better place while I sit back and cheer them on.
Here is a story that reminds us of why we need to be ready to let go, sometimes to be more productive and other times, like in my case, to be more realistic.
Letting Go
In exactly the same way that birds have to find the courage to let go of a branch in order to actually fly, we must also let go of our emotional branches if we are to experience the exhilaration of soaring to our highest potential in life!
The branches we hold on to are our innermost attachments: our beliefs, our bad habits and those memories which keep us stuck. And then there are the outer attachments: they are people, possessions, positions and privileges - to name but a few. We must be aware that as long as we hold onto them, we will actually live in fear (of letting go and loss) and we will never feel the freedom that we all deserve. Once you become aware of those birds and the initial courage they display when they let go of their branches just prior to flying, you will be capable of experiencing life in a totally different way.
This can be your new recipe of how to live a life where you learn to let go of one branch at a time, and learn to have new experiences, one at a time. The birds have found that by letting go of one branch, they are then able to spend the rest of their lives trying many other branches, one branch at a time, and they can enjoy the view from each new vantage point. What a way to live!
Are you actually flying and soaring in your life, or are you stuck on one branch, resenting others as they fly past?
You can do it, go on, just try letting go!
Remember this - not letting go of old stuff is the same as driving through life with a flat tire on our cars; not stopping to change it; hoping that it will fix itself; pretending that the ride is smooth; knowing that it isn't; until one day it gets so loud and bumpy that we are forced to stop and take a look, and actually get help!
Author Unknown
~~~
All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.
Havelock Ellis
~~~
There was a feud between the Pastor and the Choir Director of The Hicksville Southern Baptist Church. It seems the first hint of trouble came when the Pastor preached on "dedicating yourselves to service" and the Choir Director chose to sing: "I Shall Not Be Moved."
Trying to believe it was a coincidence, the Pastor put the incident behind him. The next Sunday he preached on "giving." Afterwards, the choir squirmed as the director led them in the hymn: "Jesus Paid It All."
By this time, the Pastor was losing his temper. Sunday Morning attendance swelled as the tension between the two built. A large crowd showed up the next week to hear his sermon on "The sins of Gossiping." Would you believe the Choir Director selected: "I Love To Tell The Story?"
There was no turning back. The following Sunday the Pastor told the congregation that unless something changed, he was considering resignation. The entire church gasped when the Choir Director led them in: "Why Not Tonight?"
Truthfully, no one was surprised when the Pastor resigned a week later, explaining that Jesus had led him there and Jesus was leading him away. The Choir Director could not resist: "What A Friend We Have In Jesus."
~~~
"Remember that happiness is a way of travel - not a destination."
Roy M. Goodman
~~~
Her "Helpful Tips To Make Life Simpler"
Old telephone books make ideal personal address books. Simply cross out the names and addresses of people you don't know.
Fool other drivers into thinking you have an expensive car phone by holding an old TV or video remote control up to your ear and occasionally swerving across the road and mounting the curb.
Avoid parking tickets by leaving your windshield wipers turned to fast wipe whenever you leave your car parked illegally.
No time for a bath? Wrap yourself in masking tape and remove the dirt by simply peeling it off.
Apply red nail polish to your nails before clipping them. The red nails will be much easier to spot on your bathroom carpet. (Unless you have a red carpet, in which case a contrasting polish should be selected).
Save on booze by drinking cold tea instead of whiskey. The following morning you can create the effects of hangover by drinking a thimble full of dish washing liquid and banging your head repeatedly on the wall.
~~~
I told my wife I feel old, fat, bald, useless, and stupid. She said, "Don’t be silly you’re not old."
~~~
Young Larry stopped by the corner grocery store and read the following list to the clerk: 10 pounds sugar at $1.25 a pound 4 pounds coffee at $1.50 a pound 2 pounds butter at $1.10 a pound 2 bars soap at $.83 each "How much does that come to?" asked Larry.
"Twenty-two dollars and thirty-six cents."
"If I gave you three ten dollar bills, how much change would I get?" said the boy.
"Seven dollars and sixty-four cents," stated the clerk who appeared to be irritated by all the questions.
Larry said, as he disappeared through the door, "I don't want to buy anything...that's our arithmetic lesson for tomorrow, and I needed some help with it."
~~~
Want a little peace and quiet around your house??? Buy a phoneless cord.
~~~
He said:
I was teaching my 6-year-old daughter how to unbuckle her seat belt. She asked, "Do I click the square?"
I said, "Yes."
She asked me, "Single click or double click?"
~~~
Letting go helps us to live in a more peaceful state of mind and helps restore our balance. It allows others to be responsible for themselves and for us to take our hands off situations that do not belong to us. This frees us from unnecessary stress.
Melody Beattie
~~~
Stay well, do good work, and have fun.
Ray Mitchell
Indianapolis, Indiana
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.
Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at rayk...@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.
1