7 Commandments for Peace Of Mind
1. Don’t argue with reality.
2. Don’t play God.
3. Don’t compare.
4. Don’t cling to expectations.
5. Don’t try to prove anything.
6. Don’t create or engage in drama.
7. Do follow the simple directions that are given by intuition.
I began thinking seriously about peace of mind (which sounds like a contradiction) after reading an interview with Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione in which they said that they get up every day dedicated to maintaining peace of mind. Then last week Debbie Call did a terrific blog post about a technique for fostering peace of mind. And last night the topic came up again in a dinner conversation.
Don’t Let The Limits Get You Down
I surprised my audience (and even myself) by talking about the Mona Lisa in response to a question following a keynote to a group of project managers. The keynote was about one of my favorite themes – the potential for any work to be approached as an art form, with accompanying opportunities for personal fulfillment and creative expression. A man in the audience respectfully asked about the difficulties of finding such luxuries as fulfillment and creative expression within tight budgets, limited job opportunities, and relentless pressure for measurable bottom-line results. It is a familiar refrain today. As I listened to the question, the image of DaVinci’s masterpiece floated across my mind.
Why You Are Here
You are here because at least some of us, and perhaps all of us, need you to be here.
You are the proverbial butterfly in the Amazon; the flutter of your wings makes a difference even if you don’t know about it. It may ultimately contribute to a storm appearing hundreds of miles away, or it might prevent the storm. I have had recent experience during which I discovered a difference made by actions I took nearly thirty years ago. The other person involved expressed gratitude. It seems that what I did then prevented a deadly storm. I have had several such experiences.
Applying The Law Of Silliness
In the previous post I provided a rationale and suggested a guideline for how much any person should indulge in silliness. On reflection I want to elevate that guideline from the status of a “suggestion” to that of a “law.” Like the Law of Thermodynamics, or the Law of Unintended Consequences, or the newest rage among laws, the Law of Attraction. I’m tempted to call it “Richards’ Law” in the hope that the name will catch on and forever tie me to this important principle (like Murphy), but I’ll be happy enough to let go of that presumption if the law becomes famous and does some good.
The Gifts Of Age: Part 2
[This is the second part of a two-part post co-authored at my invitation with Deb Call and Dan Oestreich. Read Part 1]
Whatever we believe to be our gifts of age, it seems impossible to conclude anything but that they derive from experience. This is true not only for the gifts mentioned in Part I — freedom from making judgments, inner confidence, acceptance, and fruition — but for so many others unmentioned so far, such as wisdom, peace of mind, continued commitment to a purpose, or enjoying the fruits of former accomplishments. It also seems impossible to conclude that these gifts are given to all. There are many who have them in great measure, and who revel in them and use them wisely, but there are also many cranky and unhappy old men and women who seem not to have them at all. If the gifts are truly gifts of age, then it is probably more accurate to say, rather than that the gifts are not given to all, that all are not able to receive them.
The Gifts Of Age: Part 1
[This is the first part of a two-part post co-authored at my invitation with Dan Oestreich and Deb Call. You will find the same post at their blog sites.]
Life has a way of stripping away the nonessentials one year at a time, until we’re left with our real selves, unashamed before the world, refined by experience, shaped by the things we’ve learned and the passions we’ve pursued… — Author Unknown
Doing My Part As A Bad Example
A former colleague told me, “Every person has a purpose. For some that purpose is to serve as a bad example.”
I laughed when I first heard that, but it does have the ring of truth about it as I cannot imagine life without bad examples. Someone, it seems, must at all times bring the mythic energy of bad-example-hood to life.
Fortunately, many who have studied and written about life purpose (including me HERE) have observed that people’s purposes can and most likely will change from time to time during their lives. It is unlikely that most of us are doomed to a entire life of bad-example-hood.
My Place In The Grand Scheme Of Things
Two recent experiences showed me just how insignificant I am when measured on a scale more grand than my own immediate concerns (which can loom as monumental if I let them).
Grains Of Sand
The first experience was stimulated by an exhibit in the underground Johnson Geo Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The exhibit consisted of four clear acrylic towers, standing in a line, each of them containing a quantity of sand, each grain of sand representing one year.
