TBIF (Thank Buddha It's Friday) Archives - Page 3 of 5

TBIF

It’s a rainy Friday here in NY….and I think that’s perfect for today’s Thank Buddha It’s Friday.

Although rain can be a bit of a nuisance in our lives – wet clothes, soaked shoes, bad hair – it really is essential to all living things. Without the rain, we wouldn’t have any clothes to dry, shoes to air out, or hair to brush. We, as a species and a planet, would not exist (as we know it, at least.)

I’m still awed by the miracle of rain every time it happens. It reminds me of science class, learning about evaporation, cloud formation and condensation, and how crazy it seemed that nature just did these tasks all on her own, without prodding or pushing. She just did it (regardless of our objections.) How cool is that? Nature has a way of being its own cyclical sprinkler system, its own garden hose, to keep the land moist and alive.

Yes, sometimes the rain has its way with us – battering our umbrellas, homes and sea walls – which can be quite devastating at her worst. Yet nature does not mean us harm. Her only job is to sustain herself and keep the rain coming – so that future generations may splash in her puddles.

Thank you clouds. – BB

TBIF: Crack

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

Leonard Cohen – Anthem

For this Thank Buddha It’s Friday (TBIF), I’m thankful for cracks. For the little holes, spaces, fractures that allow the light to shine through. For the imperfections in everything and everyone. Is it not the best when the sun pierces through the clouds to shine its rays upon us? Isn’t that the greatest reminder that darkness is fleeting…that the light will always, and I mean always, find its way through?

And why is that? Because the light is meant to shine. And so are you. – BB

Four Letter Word

Thank Buddha It’s Friday my friends.

There is a four letter word – that starts with an F….and it’s really powerful. (No, it’s not the one that ends with a K.) The word is Fear.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Although it’s an unassuming little word, it’s a master at its game. Fear is the mask that blinds us, the chain that immobilize’s us. And even though it is part of our nature – our species – to feel fear as a means of physical protection, it is the emotional and imagined fears that wreak havoc in our lives.

I had 3 thoughts recently….

Fear the Fear.
Feel the Fear.
Face the Fear.

Fear the Fear – What seems interesting to me here is that we should fear, fear. Fear is the one thing that keeps us from moving forward. We have these fear tapes playing in our heads – we are afraid to do so many things because we fear rejection and pain. And the funny thing is, since we can’t predict the outcome of events, we are simply projecting from our imaginations. It’s not real. Fear keeps us in its grip….good reason to fear, fear itself.

Feel the Fear – Feeling the fear can make it powerless. Embracing our fears and accepting them for just that, that we are afraid of something, is one way to deal with them and move on. I went to a seminar years ago that discussed the book, “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway”….which pretty much says it all. Feel it….and do it.

Face the Fear – Now, here is the tricky part. You can be afraid of fear and feel the fear, but can you face the fear? Facing it will make it disappear – you will pass through it and come out the other side. Then you will see that fear has no hold over you, no legs to stand on. Facing our fears – whether they be anything from going to the dentist to opening our hearts to love, will make us stronger and happier.

I am trying to practice these ideas…to identify what makes me afraid, find its source, feel it and face it. It’s not a walk in the park, more like an obstacle course. But it’s worth it. – BB

TBIF

TBIF – here’s something to snack on this Thank Buddha It’s Friday.

“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.” e.e. cummings

It does take courage doesn’t it? Courage to get up each day and face whatever the world throws your way…courage to be honest and true with oneself…courage to become the person you truly are. Sometimes we feel unsure – and in that case, I think it takes courage to find out. I want that courage.

Be yourself. Feel good in your skin. Know that who you are is good and strong and wise. – bb

(Now, get out of here and have some fun.)