[at-l] Take the time (was Animals...) & go light life

[delita@mindspring.com (Delita Wright)]

Now I almost regret have skipped the animals on the trail thread. ;-)

I deleted it because I can either filter email or get ready to hike in a few
days.

Teresa, you struck a strong chord.  *One* of the main turning points in my life
was when I realized I was going around miserable most of the time - and that
misery came not from present circumstances, but from either dwelling in the muck
of the past or projecting it's mud onto my future (and being miserable about
whichever - past or future - happened to be in my mind).  It suddenly occurred
to me that I didn't have to:
    a)    wallow in the bad stuff of the past;
    b)    poison the future by thinking all the time that what has happened will
somehow happen all over again tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow;
    c)    today - on it's own merits - ain't that bad.  It has no major
challenges, time to be constructive, and I *could* choose to enjoy it. : )

Which brings me to (thanks for the perfect platform the *flash* I had last
night:

    Today is the kindling for my tomorrow.

Or, er, maybe most of us spend all of our time bemoaning the lack of a big
campfire in our lives, run around looking for a bonfire to start, when could
instead pay attention to the *kindling* of the moments we are in.  Uh, that's
how we get that big campfire glowing...

But I decided this was to schlocky to explain.  Until I saw your post.  Which
brought me full circle again.

Because another breakthrough in my life was learning to filter - and I'm still
learning that one, but I suspect I am starting to get some real mileage out of
it, see some effect, so to speak.

There is no way I can live the *best* things available to me if I spend all day
in the hum drum mediocre, or, even the *good* or even the *very good.*  I am
learning to live a *go light* life.  So many are caught up in habits
(traditions) and lifestyles (learned) and I know they are most going to get to
the end of their days, or at least at some point do *What's it all about?*  (The
unexamined life...)

The more I free myself from *stuff* and *motions,* the more fun I have, the
*lighter* I am, AND the more I get out of it all.  Like, I have discovered how
to handle those 3-20 meaningless little gifts people give you this time of year
because they want to give you *something.*  And, I mean, how many Christmas mugs
do you need?  How many truffles are enough?  I have discovered I can turn right
around and give those bath beads to my waitress and that little gift certificate
to the kid checking out my groceries.

Hmm.  So it really is more *blessed* (and fun, too!) to give than to receive.
BTW, *blessed* means *empowered to prosper.*  I think thinking about that.  It
empowers me more to prosper when I give rather than when I pile up loot at home
- that I have to take care of.  I don't wanna be buried in *stuff* - at home or
on the trail.  I don't want to have so many clothes, etc. that I spend all my
time getting them, replacing them, taking care of them, making a place to store
them...

I *like* the go light life style. : )
I *like* filtering out the ordinary, the good and even some very good to leave
room for the wonderful and awesome.  Some time to *do* AND *be.*  (Do I have to
choose???)  : )
I *like* recycling the neat? stuff people give me as quickly as possible - turn
it around and turn it into blessings - for me and for the hard worker who didn't
expect to get anything but a paycheck.

Now I better hush and go tend to my kindling of today because I want a nice warm
fire for all the rest of my Christmas week, and I have family to play with, a
hike to get together, gifts to give away....

Thanks, Teresa!

God bless us, everyone!

Peace and joy,
Delita

--
Delita Wright
Chapel Hill, NC

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>> pray for the peace of Jerusalem