Quotes, Part 2

“I have long looked forward to the time when we could devise a political system, suited both to our traditions and to the demands of the modern world. A democracy that has nonviolence and peace at its roots.” Dalai Lama

 

“During the day…practice cherishing the ‘simplest’ person…or people you dislike” Dalai Lama

 

There is so much conflict in the world and in our personal lives. A lot of times instead of trying to reduce tension we seem to try and make it worse. I see a lot of that in my job. Their are a couple of people whose main pleasure seems to be trying to get other people in trouble and in back biting and tearing others down. As the Bible says “let he without sin cast the first stone.” These women are far from perfect and they need to get the mote out of their own eyes before they start criticizing others.

 

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” Dalai Lama

 

There are a lot of things that make me happy. I find happiness in my art and writing. I find happiness in watching the cats play and acting silly. I find happiness in the love of my family. I find happiness in reading. I find happiness in cooking and trying out new recipes. I find happiness in inventing new recipes. I find happiness in taking a walk and looking at nature. Lately I take my digital camera with me on my walks so that I can capture the beauty of nature and keep it with me. I find happiness in talking to family and friends. My niece and I talk often and we have a great time talking about politics and our favorite science fiction shows. Happiness is not something that we are owed by life. We make our own happiness or unhappiness. Find the positive things in life and you can be happy. If you wallow in misery and the things that aren’t perfect you will never be happy. You owe it to yourself to try and be as happy as you can.

 

“No matter how insignificant the thing you have to do, do it as well as you can, give it as much of your care and attention as you would give to the thing you regard as most important.” Mahatma Gandhi

 

When I was growing up one of the things that was stressed is that if you are going to do something do it right. Why do a sloppy job? It only makes sense that you don’t want to have to do things over. I always make it a point of trying to do my best because I want to be proud of my accomplishments. I like to try and do new things so that I can get new experiences and grow as a person. I hate the feeling of stagnation and it is something that I have always promised myself that I would never do. I love learning new things and new skills. You are never too old to learn except in the case of Merlin who is incapable of learning to stop whining. But then Merlin is a cat and they have special dispensation from things like not irritating humans. They say it is in their job descriptions to do so.

 

In things that are important to me like my art I am always trying to improve. I have lately started redoing pictures that I wasn’t totally satisfied with. I have realized that with the computer art as I get new tools and as I learn and improve that I can go back and make changes and try and get a picture that is what I really want. I have learned that art is fluid and should grow as I grow. That is a good thing.

 

“In general, I always state that I have three commitments in life. On the level of a religious practitioner, my second commitment is the promotion of religious harmony and understanding amongst different religious traditions. Despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create better human beings. It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognize the value of each other’s respective traditions.” Dalai Lama

 

I have always believed that there is one race and that is the human race. I respect the value of other religious beliefs and would hope that others would respect mine.

 

The picture is called Winter’s Beauty because in spite of the fact that it is cold, snowy, and pretty darn miserable to drive in the winter snow outside is beautiful.

 

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Quotes Part 1

Between the latest McAfee download knocking me off of AOL and my cold just plain knocking me out it has been a while since I've been here. I'm going to try something a little different. I found a lot of good quotes these past few days and thought I'd explore them and how they can apply to life.

"In spring, hundreds of flowers; in autumn, the harvest moon; in summer, a refreshing breeze; in winter, snow will be there with you. If useless thoughts do not lurk in your mind any season is a good season for you." Thirteenth-century Chinese Koan

We have been getting clobbered with winter and more snow is coming in. Of course that means there are lots of complaints about the weather. There is nothing that can be done with the weather so why keep complaining? I think the amount of whining at work is really excessive. Some people are never ever happy. You can find beauty any where you are if you are willing to look.

“When I look at birds and animals, their survival is without rules, without conditions, without organization… That’s nature.” Dalai Lama

Nature works. Things made by man don’t always work. We have a computer system at work that doesn’t work and they keep adding more and more code to the program and the system gets worse and worse. We are at the point where we really need to cut our losses and go elsewhere with a system that does work and learn to adapt to it rather then throwing more money at a broken system. Nature just automatically evolves and survives. It doesn’t over think everything to death. We can learn a lot from nature.

“Pleasure is a freedom-song, But it is not freedom. It is the blossoming of your desires, But it is not the fruit.” Kahlil Gibran

I am a huge fan of the writings of Kahlil Gibran. I was introduced to his writings by looking through my Dad’s library.  I think the quest for pleasure is sometimes looking in the wrong direction. A coworker is always whining about hating work however their are many people who would love to have her job. Instead of whining about how you hate to work you should be thankful you have a job and can support yourself. My job supports my writing and my art and that is a good thing.

The picture is called Winter Wonderland because more snow is coming in.

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Age

"You wander from room to room hunting for the diamond necklace that is already around your neck!" Djalal ad-Din Rumi

I came back from lunch yesterday to be greeted with "you're old" by some of the people I work with. It turns out I am next to the oldest in the office. Big deal! The other woman who is older then I am works to help people get the assistance they need to live and pay their medical bills. Both of us look younger then the people gloating about how old we are.

I look back over what I have accomplished in my life and wouldn't change my age for the world. I have raised thousands of dollars for charity. I have worked at jobs where I have earned the respect and love of people because I have helped others to live a better life.

I have acted and sung on stage. I have worked with big name actors, directors, producers, and writers and earned their respect. I have run what one guest called "the premier science fiction convention" in the United States. I am respected in the science fiction community.

I have had my writings published in an on line magazine and been honored as “writer of the month.” I have won awards for my art. I am accepted in the art community. I have fans all over the world.

I have the love and respect of family and friends. I have stayed true to myself and my beliefs.

I have done more in my life then all of them put together and there is still more to come.  As the old song says “I am woman hear me roar.” There is a lot of life in me and I intend to live it to the fullest.

The picture is called “Jealousy” and that is all that those women have going for them in their lives. How pathetic.

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Touching on Tuesday

"I pray for all of us, oppressor and friend, that together we succeed in building a better world through human understanding and love, and that in doing so we may reduce the pain and suffering of all sentient beings." Dalai Lama

In studying ourselves, we find the harmony that is our total existence." Maezumi Roshi

It is in the teens so for chillin' ready chilly. Pixie is huddling on the floor heater trying to get warm. Merlin is whining as usual. No particular reason just whining.

I have a coworker who whines all the time. I have to bite my tongue to keep from calling her Merlin. She whines how poor she is and blows in money she doesn't have. She whines about work and then is always away from her desk so the work piles up. Everyone knows that I do the majority of the work in that department.

I don't think it is my imagination but I really feel that there is an upsurge in whiny people these days. You look at the news and someone is always whining about something. I'm not sure what is being accomplished other then irritating other people who are stuck listening to the whines. We sell no whine before its time. ;-)

I started to update my web site again last night and hope to finish it tonight. I'm adding another new section putting all the holiday pictures in one spot. I also have a new theme gallery of cats inside the house that I am working on. This one is called Watching TV.

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Saturday Such As It Is

"Give with faith, and never without faith. Give with humility. Give with joy. And give with understanding of the effects of your gift." The Upanishads

The last couple of days have seen the deaths of a couple of favorites of mine, actor Roy Scheider and comic book artist Steve Gerber.

Although Roy Scheider is best remembered for his performance in Jaws my favorite performance of his was in the Bob Fosse film All That Jazz. Bob Fosse was a brilliant choreographer and All That Jazz was directed by him and based on his life story. Roy Scheider was absolutely brilliant in the part. It is a movie that doesn't appeal to all tastes but for someone whose background is in theater, it is one of my favorite films.

Steve Gerber created the cult favorite Howard the Duck. I normally don't go for comics that much but Howard the Duck really captured my fancy. It was weird, funny and a little on the subversive side. For someone that a colleague described as "a little out there" it was definitely my type of comic.

I was amused at the description of a colleague as my being "a little out there." I am well aware of the fact that the people in this little small Midwestern town find my involvement in art and science fiction as a bit weird. Sometimes I feel as if I am in a time warp and landed back in the 50s. I really miss the conventions and people with interest in my fields. It is one of the reasons that I will not be making a permanent home here. After Mother goes I will probably move down to the Winston-Salem area of North Carolina to be closer to my niece and her family.

I am putting the finishing touches on my St. Patrick's Day picture for this year. I normally have it finished before now but just couldn't think up something this year. Last night an idea came to me and I really like it.

This picture is called Emerald Sea.

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Happy Valentine's Day

"The practice of cherishing can be taken very deeply if done wordlessly, allowing yourself to feel the love and appreciation that already exists in your heart." Dalai Lama

"Those who are wise practice love." Dalai Lama

Two beautiful quotes from the Dalai Lama for this Valentine's Day. I hope your day is full of love.

The picture is called Hearts On Fire.

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And The Answer Is

What type of picture do you do if the weather is in the teens, a major snow storm is coming in, and you have a cold to boot? Obviously the answer is Fun In The Sun. And for my mother's sake yes the little black cat can be Pixie and since this is a fantasy picture the silver tabby playing with the beach ball can be Merlin who in real life wouldn't be caught dead a) playing or b) doing exercise of any kind. Actually if you look down at him he looks like he swallowed the beach ball.

 

Sailing Through Sunday

"God is the life surging within us; the life by which we see and love one another." Paramahansa Yogananda

"Love, compassion, and concern for others are real sources of happiness. With these in abundance, you will not be disturbed by even the most uncomfortable circumstances. If you nurse hatred, however, you will not be happy even in the lap of luxury. Thus, if we really want happiness, we must widen the sphere of love. This is both religious thinking and common sense." Dalai Lama

Okay so Merlin is spooked because the wind is blowing and it is only 15 degrees out there. Why he should be concerned about the temperature I don't know. He has multiple coats of fur and enough, uh let's see if we can be polite here, padding that even if he ever went outside he wouldn't feel the cold. Since he never goes outside I guess it is a moot point. Pixie on the other hand is just happy that people are up to pay attention to how cute she is. The joys of cats. Once I get my clothes ironed for the week I am going to play on my art computer because I have a cute cat picture in mind.

I did my good deed for today and programmed the numbers into my technologically challenged big brother's new cell phone. I also got him through setting up the voice mail and picking a ring tone. I still need to see how he can use the camera portion of the phone.

I do like today's quotes a lot. The Dalai Lama quote is something I have always believed in. When you "hate" someone you are only damaging yourself. The object of your hatred could care less. Negative emotions can only harm the person harboring them. When you act on negative emotions like hatred and jealousy they boomerang and come back on you. It is only when we act in a positive manner that we can achieve anything.

The picture is called At the Beach and I really would like to join the Doctor and K-9 there as we have more snow coming in and I could use the warmth.

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Happy Chinese New Year

"Guard your tongue, for it is highly dangerous; unguarded words can cause terrible distress." Valluvar

I meant to get this up yesterday but ended up working real late. Any way Happy Chinese New Year. We are now in the year of the rat which happens to be the sign I was born under along with my niece and her oldest son. You can find more about the signs and which one you are born under along with my art work for each sign at my art web site http://members.aol.com/artbymichele/zodiac.htm

Jealousy is a real ugly emotion. I found that out the other day when my boss brought me something and asked why I posted it that way saying that it was an error. My coworker who hardly works at all chimed in saying how I had done this and this wrong until I snapped at her to let me look it up. It turns out there was NO error on my part. She and another person had only pulled part of the paperwork. Fortunately the proof was scanned in and I showed my boss that. When I went to the head of Accounting it turns out she knew that I had posted correctly and told the other coworker that but she kept it to herself. Both of these women make multiple errors and are jealous of the fact that I am careful when I post. They were so anxious to try and get me in trouble that they were willing to lie. The Head of Accounting called my boss and told her the truth that I had done my work properly.

Jealousy is one of the most self destructive emotions there is. When you are jealous of someone for whatever reason you are actually damaging yourself with your envy and pride. You should be happy for people. If someone is beautiful you should be able to look on that beauty and rejoice in it. What good does it do you to be jealous? It doesn't change your appearance. You can do something abouthow you look by the way you dress, wear your hair, put on makeup, etc. If someone is talented be happy for them. Then find and develop your own talents. Being jealous accomplishes nothing as my coworkers found out.

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Winning

"Mischievous people often use religious faith for their own interests and create conflict. We have to look at the real message of all these traditions." Dalai Lama

"The question of whether or not there is a God or truth or reality, or whatever you like to call it, can never be answered by books, by priests, philosophers or saviors. Nobody and nothing can answer the question but you yourself and that is why you must know yourself." Krishnamurti

Although I love football I ended up not watching the Super Bowl. My cold was bad enough that I went to bed real early and slept. I read about it the next day and was happy for the Giants. Way to go guys! However something really rankled me when I read about Coach Belichick walking off the field before the game ended. Granted he was disappointed his team lost but still that was sportsmanship at its worst. He should have stayed around to congratulate the winning coach. Bill Walsh wouldn't have behaved in that manner but then Coach Walsh was a class act.

The message impressionable kids are going to get from his walking off like that is that winning is everything and good sportsmanship doesn't play a part in sports. That is simply not true. You play to win however you play fairly and within the rules. If you are out played and lose you swallow your disappointment and congratulate the winners. Later you analyze your game and see where you can make improvements so that you may win the next time.

I wonder sometimes just what are we teaching our young people by our examples. Tom Brady teaches it is alright to get your girlfriend pregnant and then run off with a fashion model. Coach Belichick teachers that good sportsmanship and manners aren't necessary. Steroid users teach that you should win at all costs and whether it is legal or safe is not important.

There are a lot of storms in a young person's life and many of them learn from watching people in other professions like sports and entertainment. It is time some of those people realize that they are leading by example and ask themselves "is that how I really want other people to live?"

The picture is called Windy.

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Roundup at the I Guess Its Okay Corral

"To know our soul apart from our ego is the first step toward accomplishing the supreme deliverance." Rabindranath Tagore

"When I consider the lack of cooperation in human society, I can only conclude that it stems from ignorance of our interdependent nature." Dalai Lama

Sigh, my coworker comes in with bronchitis and coughs her head off without bothering to cover her mouth and I now I have to battle it. I've struggled through work and came home and went to bed most evenings this week. Hence the lack of posting here.

We have been hit with real cold weather here but fortunately we didn't get as much snow as they were originally predicting. It is just enough to make it slick and the most appropriate song is Slip Sliding Away.

I was shown the power of a compliment earlier this week. I always try and dress nicely. I admit that I am a clothes horse and love dressing up. I was in the elevator with a young intern and she told me how much she likes the way I dress. She loves the fact that I will wear the knee length boots and will pair them with the shorter skirts. She likes that even though I'm older I still dress young. She ended up by telling me that I looked adorable. Talk about making my day. It had been a horrible week at work but I floated through the rest of the week.

I was startled awake at two in the morning with the sounds of a horrible crash. I saw Pixie running out of the computer room. The little brat had been up on the bookcase that holds my porcelain dolls and knocked two of the dolls on the floor and one of the fairy statues my Mom had bought me for my birthday. I am trying to mend it now. Fortunately the dolls didn't break because they are no longer making those dolls and I wouldn't be able to replace them. Pixie ran down stairs and spent the night with Mom because she knew I was mad at her. She has been trying to make up all day.

I like both quotes for today. In the first quote we are reminded of the importance of the soul. Too often we are driven by ego and don't stop and nurture the soul which is our connection to God within us. I get very weary of big egos. Praise when it comes from ourselves really has no meaning. It is when others give you praise that you know you are accomplishing something. For the self it is staying connected to the divine in you and nurturing the soul that is really important. It shows that you understand what life is really all about.

The Dalai Lama again reminds us that we are part of the whole. We are one race, the human race. We can not go it alone. We are dependant on others. We are one people, one world.

Today is Groundhog's Day and today’s picture is a humorous tribute to that holiday. As far as this little fellow is concerned you want the weather forecast check out the Weather Channel. He isn't going to look for his own shadow with that monster shadow out there.

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