“Practice at any stage is just being who we are at that moment. It’s not a question of being good or bad, or better or worse.” – From the book of Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck
Wow!! This is my 14th post this year and that is saying a lot for me. I hope that I am getting better at this and not boring you dear reader too much. I like writing a blog and I am trying to make it a habit. Funny how “BAD” habits come much more easily than the ones you want to incorporate as good habits…. Well…. They seem to come a lot harder!! What is that about?? LOL- I did find a book this summer that helps with this. A book by the author Stephen Guise.
Stephen gives us a strategy to help develop habits that we want for lasting change. I think that we do some of these behaviors already but because we don’t have a systematic way of doing them we don’t get lasting or consistent results. In writing the book Stephen tells his own story of how he came to this realization and helps you to see how it can work for you. From the book: “A mini habit is a very small positive behavior that you force yourself to do every day; a mini habit’s “too small to fail” nature makes it weightless, deceptively powerful, and a superior habit building strategy.” He goes on to explain that the problem is not with you. It is your strategy. And this is where the trouble begins in trying to achieve a goal. I first listened to this book as an audio book and was so impressed with its simplicity and message that I bought the paper back version so that I could read it again and to have for easy reference. This is a down side of audio books – no easy reference. You can find the book at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mini-Habits-Smaller-Bigger-Results-ebook/dp/B00HGKNBDK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1533228099&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=mini+habits&psc=1
On a different note. I did see in the news that the Attorney General of the United States – Jeff Scession created what he calls a “Religious Liberty Task Force.” The idea I guess is to protect religious freedoms. But I am wondering whose religious freedoms and if your flavor of religious mythology does not go with my flavor of religious mythology does that give you the right to discriminate against me? I believe that the quote from Rachana Desai Martin hits it on the head. And this will be “Interesting” to see how this plays out in the future.
“This is just another in a long line of thinly veiled attempts by this administration to sanction discrimination in health care, often to the detriment to the health and rights of women, the LGBTQ community and other communities,” said Rachana Desai Martin, a federal policy advisor for the Center for Reproductive Rights.
I have come to believe that all religion is mythology. People try to say that there is a difference but I think Joseph Campbell was right – “They are one and the same.”
I remember watching a lecture by him and he was talking about the “biggest religion on earth” and that got my attention because it was not what you thought it was going to be. He stated, if I remember right, by saying that all religion is mythology. And the “one mythology” that all cultures on earth believe in, all cultures accept, and the only one that has ever come true?? Then he pauses and keeps you in suspense for a moment… He finally states: “It is Science Fiction.” And I am thinking What?? He then goes on to explain how SF is all mythology – it is all made up in the minds of men and women, just like religion. The only difference is that all cultures at some point have practiced it, still believe in it and most of all, it occasionally comes true. Every thing that we take for granted in the world today, from the technological to the social, was once just a thought in someone’s mind. Again you might be thinking What?? It does take a little time to get your head around it. The first thing is to come to the realization that SF covers everything in life. From the Scientific to the Social, not just Robots and Spaceships, but all of the human condition. SF is the world’s largest and greatest unrecognized religion. Oh well, interesting idea when you start to think about it.
You can find lots and lots of books on Amazon that touch on this thought.
Well I think that this is going to be it for me. It has been a good week running but still a lot of smoke in the area from California wildfires. I guess it could always be worse. So, until next time. Adios Amigos!! And I hope to see you out there!!