Now I Can Be Sticky For Hours

It's all about what one can get used to.

We've been in Taiwan almost three years now, and we're going through the hottest part of the summer. This is what it looks like from the Central Weather Bureau's site:

25 ~ 35

COMFORTABLE~EXTREMEL

They don't have room for the "LY HOT AND MUGGY" bit. So, as the temps get more "extreml," we strip down more and more, but there's a limit to how much you can take off and still greet people at the front door. What about after you hit that limit?

Reset

My cellphone acted up recently:
   It heated up for no good reason,
   was less receptive to calls,
   and its battery drained faster.
Fortunately it's still under warranty so I sent it to the manufacturer to have a look. When I got it back, it was like a brand new phone--a fast phone without excess data or apps. I was given a chance to start fresh! I carefully loaded only stuff that enhances the quality of my life. It's not all that different from our lives, is it? Metaphorically, we pressed a big "Reset" button when we moved to Taiwan, and we've pressed several small ones since. With each "Reset," we learn to seek understanding, accept the situation, forgive, let go and move on, with gratitude and honesty.

Getting Through the Fog

A close friend once told me, "When you have your mind made up, you're one of the most productive people I know." That's what clarity of purpose does for me. I can tell when I'm not clear: I'm not moving. And when I'm not moving, I'm not productive. I might be busy, but that's not the same and I know it.

On some days, though, the fog is so thick! Stephen Covey talked about having a compass, a way to maintain our direction when we can't see the landmarks. I'm slowly getting better at paying attention to mine. I start to feel that pull. Then it's a matter of putting one foot in front of the other.

I Ponder

I took this picture from the ladies' room at a rest stop. It is not unusual to see poems or reminders to ask people to keep the bathroom clean. They are usually positive and kind, some even witty. I rarely see any repeats. Since these are public restrooms which get rated periodically, I wonder if such creativity was somewhat motivated by the competitive spirit. The sign here is interesting. Not only does it not belong to the "clean up after yourself" category, the English translation also takes on a life of its own. I ponder and I ponder...

Commitment

I've noticed that I don't always follow through. I was willing to try--or I thought I was--but I couldn't keep up with it. This happens sometimes when I'm just trying to be accommodating or helpful. Other times, I'm being confronted with a behavior or an aspect of my character that seems to require change.

Sometimes, when I'm urged to take certain actions or make some change, I may agree with all the arguments, assent to their reasonableness and logic, perhaps even chide myself for not having come to the same conclusion. I may even set out a program and take steps to follow it, hoping that if I just go through the motions long enough, I'll eventually get in line.

It's unsustainable. (...more)

The Best Possible Conditions

Over the last few years, I've often said: "You being fully yourself and me being fully myself are neither mutually exclusive nor mutually dependent." For you to be fully yourself, you don't have to wait for me, and if I'm fully myself, that shouldn't stop you. That's true, but recently there seems to be more to it than that.

The more I think about it, the more I see a deep interconnection between you being fully yourself and me being fully myself. When I am living authentically, when I am true to who I am, I help create the best possible conditions for you to be fully yourself. When I am not, I don't.

So being myself, living authentically, directly benefits everyone around me. The freedom and responsibility that come with this are vast. I am not only free to follow my own path, it is imperative that I do so with courage, facing the paper tigers that appear as mistakes, failure and misunderstandings. If I do, I can take the place where I belong, fulfill the role for which I am uniquely designed, and help create the best possible conditions for you to do the same.

"Consumer" Alert

Since when did this term "consumer" become acceptable to the general public?
It makes me feel less...less what? Less humane, maybe.
It's as if they ignore all my goodies of being a human--such as kindness and a caring and giving nature--and only focus on my "consuming" capability.
I know I am way more than that.
I refuse to be called a "consumer."