Posts by Pat:
Time for some spring cleaning?

While we’re cleaning out closets and garages, we can think about this: spring house cleaning, while worth the effort, will only last for a season.
But personal, inner, spring cleaning can have a long-lasting influence.
So we don’t just want to dust behind those books on the bookshelves. Let’s give ourselves the gift of taking our spring cleaning to the deeper level, our inner self.
Thus we can purge not just things, but unnecessary activities and outworn beliefs. It’s always amazing how much “stuff” we have accumulated.
Catherine Ponder, author, wrote the following affirmation that can help remind us.
“I now let go of outworn things, worn out relationships. Divine order is now established and maintained in my world.”
Inner cleaning, though, requires some deep cleaning. It’s housekeeping that goes beyond what others see and hear. It’s from the inside to the outside. And as we clear our hearts and minds, our language should follow.
This is not just talking about bad language, but also negative talk and pessimistic thoughts (including the challenge to stop complaining!)
Taking out the garbage is important! After all, the old computer algorithm”GiGo” (garbage in=garbage out) applies to our minds as well.We want to get rid of the old thoughts and harmful emotions.

We all know that if we squeeze a lemon, only lemon juice can come out. If we don’t want lemon juice, we need a different fruit.
Letting go, forgiving ourselves and others, is an ever-continuing process. Releasing our attachments to those negatives from our past is a gift we give ourselves.

An image I like is that of a meadow where there was a path that is now overgrown with weeds. To restore it we would not need to create anything, rather we would remove something. As the shrubs and weeds are cleared, the path appears.
We may remove the mental weeds of negative imaginations, fearful attitudes, unrealistic ideas just like Michelango chipped away all the marble that was unlike David and created a masterpiece.
So this spring, what are you clearing out and chipping away to create a fresh, sparkling and happy you?
Need to be grounded?
“I can’t. I’m grounded!” Does that message ring a bell with any of the rest of you? When I was growing up, getting grounded meant that I wasn’t allowed to do the things that I valued most at the time. These days, I often feel called to ground myself when I feel like I need […]
A choice in the race?
Like it or not, the race is on. It doesn’t matter whether the person belongs to “our” party or not. If we thought the mud was slinging before today, just wait. It’s only going to get worse. Why? Because that’s the nature of politics in America, particularly for a presidential race. But this post isn’t […]
Do not blame the lettuce!
When you plant lettuce, don’t blame the lettuce if it doesn’t grow well. Look into the reasons why it’s not doing well! Maybe it needs fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You don’t blame the lettuce! (The well-known spiritual teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh is credited with this lesson!) Yet when we have problems with […]
Will you eat that frog?
The frog in this Mark Twain quote has been long adopted by the business community and by productivity advocates to represent the one task or activity you are least looking forward to completing over the course of your day. The idea is that once the unappealing task is done, the rest of the day is […]
2 sides to every coin…
Since I’ve started back to Tai Chi, this symbol has renewed significance for me. Reminds me that life/ events/ people are NOT just black or white, but an integration of opposites. And I remember the line “can’t have one without the other” from that song about love and marriage! Coins have a front and back…can’t […]
More chocolate?
We’re halfway between two major reasons/excuses for chocolate! Yep…Valentine’s Day and Easter. When my sister and I had our chocolate store in Seattle, Valentine’s Day was our favorite holiday! We are still chocoholics and any excuse for chocolate works for us. And since chocolate doesn’t keep… it’s important to watch for those chocolate sales after […]
2 things to know…
ONE: we are each capable of more than we think. TWO: AND it always will take more work than we think. I know the first one because this has been true of everyone I’ve ever met (and it’s true of me too!) We are poor judges of what we are capable of and each of […]
The power of just one word…
Sometimes it is critical to add words to our communication – specifically to add one word to a statement or question which dramtically changes its impact and import. For example…the word “yet.” Think how often we say things relating to what we have not achieved or where things are not as we want them to […]
An interesting theory!
There’s a concept in law enforcement known as the Broken Windows Theory, which says that we take cues from our environment. In addition, the theory also suggests that if we address these minor infractions, people start to behave better. It’s a controversial theory of policing, but I believe it’s the truth when it comes to […]