Living It

It is not the critic who counts
Nor the man who points out how
the stong man stumbles
Or where the doer of deeds
Could have done better.
The credit belongs to the man
Who is actually in the arena;
Whose face is marred by dust
And sweat and blood;
Who knows great enthusiasm,
Great devotion and the triumph
of achievement.
And who, at the worst, if he fails
At least fails while daring greatly-
So that his place shall never be
With those odd and timid souls
Who know neither victory nor defeat.
You've never lived until you've almost died.
For those who have had to fight for it
Life has truly a flavour
The protected shall never know.

-Theodore Roosevelt

Life Lessons

Pretty cool lessons to reflect on. Shamelessly stolen from SwissMiss. Thanks!

Routine

I'm feeling philosophical today, and thought I would start a discussion. Dom and I do this all the time: bring up a topic and then start analyzing it from unconventional angles with an open mind (I love this about him!). So, the topic I am thinking of today is -

ROUTINE.
I have realised that I am really bad at routine, and really dislike it. Some people thrive on knowing exactly what they are going to do, have checklists and do it! These are also the people that can carry through an exercise or diet program by force of routine. My theory is that this personality type is respected in our society and seen as a goal.

Since my teenage years, I have started to-do lists and felt really great about checking things off (still do, even in my blog! eh.). And then inevitably feel guilty or stressed when I don't finish something in the time frame I set. Why do we do this to ourselves? Can I just do what I want when I want? I know you are probably thinking "Sure Leah, we would all love to do that, but nothing would get done and we would all lounge around the house watching tv eating crap and waiting for the wanting to happen". I would have to disagree. There are days when I feel like sleeping in, days I feel like waking up early, days I feel like spending 4 hours cooking an amazing feast for dinner, and days I feel like not stepping foot in the kitchen. Every time I listen to these intuitive feelings, those activities are filled with joy and purpose and I believe create a better result. Is it better to get up every morning no matter what and exercise even when you are sore and grumpy vs. feeling some energy and going for a run and loving every minute of it? Which is better for your body?

Along with this realization that I suck at routine, comes also the reason why I don't really get along with a 9-5 job, and most schooling. If I am having a day where my brain is not firing for work, and I'm out of creative juice (come on we've all been there)... wouldn't it be better to recharge and do something besides work? Which leads of course to what the heck am I supposed to do to make money (which unfortunately I need) in this over-achieving routine place? Any jobs out there for us creative want to live in the moment types?

It seems like most humans (and dogs) like routine... is this true? Are we just used to it? Brainwashed into thinking this is what is acceptable or to be expected?

A few quotes on routine (looks like maybe I'm not the only one?):

"The less routine the more life" - Amos Bronson Alcott

"So much of our time is spent in preparation, so much in routine, and so much in retrospect, that the amount of each person's genius is confined to a very few hours." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge." - Henry Van Dyke

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Very interesting and inspirational words from the Dalai Lama. This is a portion of an article from the UK:

"It is fascinating," he says, speaking in slightly stilted English. "In the West, you have bigger homes, yet smaller families; you have endless conveniences - yet you never seem to have any time. You can travel anywhere in the world, yet you don't bother to cross the road to meet your neighbours; you have more food than you could possibly eat, yet that makes women like Heidi miserable."

The West's big problem, he believes, is that people have become too self-absorbed. "I don't think people have become more selfish, but their lives have become easier and that has spoilt them. They have less resilience, they expect more, they constantly compare themselves to others and they have too much choice - which brings no real freedom."

He has lived as a monk since childhood, but the Dalai Lama views marriage as one of the chief ways of finding happiness. "Too many people in the West have given up on marriage. They don't understand that it is about developing mutual admiration of someone, a deep respect and trust and awareness of another human's needs," he says. "The new easy-come, easy-go relationships give us more freedom - but less contentment."

One With Life

" How to be at peace now? By making peace with the present moment. The present moment is the field on which the game of life happens. It cannot happen anywhere else. Once you have made peace with the present moment, see what happens, what you can do or choose to do, or rather what life does through you. There are three words that convey the secret art of living, the secret of all success and happiness: One With Life. Being one with life is being one with Now. You then realize that you don't live your life, but life lives you. Life is the dancer, and you are the dance."

-Eckhart Tolle - A New Earth

That for me is glamor.

I believe in a set of values I cannot live by. I set high goals for myself, I seek perfection, dream of exotic faraway places. But ultimately, what I long for isn't far away at all. It's in my own backyard. Imperfection charms me, familiar things move me... a celebration of what we have, instead of what we long for. That for me, is glamor.

-Isabella Rossellini