Tuesday, May 13

A Special Day and My Inventory: A Partial, Semi-impartial View 5/13/14

I am the only person on earth who can make my well-
being my number one priority. Doing so let's me drink
and appreciate the little things in life. 
       Today is special. It marks the thirty-eighth month when this inn opened.  Much has happened since.

    Thanks, for cooling
your heels here, for a moment.  I like your visits.  Yes yours, you who drink from the well of this inn with nary a comment, you, my Silent Readers.  You share your appreciation for life when leaving your gratitudes.  If you don't know how leave a comment, ask your kids, they'll show you.

     Life is good, often similar to spinning plates on poles.  You have to stay at it, or things start dropping off.  Today, I spent time tending my needs.  Good idea.  I busy tonight, seeing clients.

     Being an innkeeper for three years and two months taught me balance, like the spinning plates.  I am happy to serve.  But it is critical to maintain equilibrium. Reading poetry helps.  It enables me to spend time with one of my best friends.  Me.  Writing poetry is nourishing too.   I do that also.

     For twenty-five months----until April of this year----I went without a car.  Not one mile did I drive.  It was a good experience.  Being in touch with nature, while on two wheels, was a soothing antidote to stress.  Recreational rides were opportunities to celebrate life.

     Working as the innkeeper for the past two years has developed my writing.  I am a public speaker.  Writing is different.  Each word and syllable count.  It is exacting, demanding discipline.

    The nuances involved while scribing, has a side-benefit, becoming acquainted with the soothing, quiet rhythm it provides.  Writing slows down my mind and time. I become aware of my breathing, temporarily freed from the harried lifestyle common to living in this century.

     What I say, when giving a talk, vanishes, like the wind.  Written material remains.  I like the results of pushing a pencil, capturing the perspectives shared here with you.   Thank you, for your patience with me, as I am still grow in this area.

     Since July, I've had 20,000-30,000 views as the monthly average for this cozy place in cyberspace.  Thank you, for visiting this place.  It is an inn of solace for travelers on the cyber highway.

     If you didn't know, I'm open to guest bloggers.  That would be great.  My perspective is limited.  Having a broader perspective presented here, I am all for.

    This year will be the best in my life.  I'm nearing my birthday.  It is happening later this month.   Such a marker is a time for reflection and personal inventory.

     I've learned that doing an inventory of my life can be done without fear.  Not because I am courageously taking an honest look at my life, but because there is no need for judgment, when doing one. We simply look at where we are.  Our assets are noted, as well as the areas requiring growth.  That's all.

      There's much I can say about my inventory. Here are a few observations:

1.  I am responding and not reacting, when stressed or mistreated. This provides serenity.  My private world will not fall off a situational cliff, when I face problems.

      Just because circumstances look bad, that does not mean they are.  The loudest voice---my frightened feelings---are not necessarily the truest.  What a relief it is, knowing that.

       I no longer allow past drama and tragedies to trigger younger Pablo that lives within, when I am in an overwhelming situation.  Yaay!  A balanced and tranquil life is about placing principles----exercising them---instead of living by our default mode, the vulnerable parts of our personality.

2.  I would be emotionally dead, if it were not for the good company I keep, my Balcony/Safe People.  Bonding and being authentic with others prevents me from wandering through the desert of emptiness, despair, fear, anxiety, anger, resentment and bitterness.

      Because of the love I receive, from the Safe People in my life, I am resilient. Even when sucker punched by unexpected events.  They become no big thing.

3.  My recent inventory revealed my emotional reservoir is full---to the brim, because of the emotionally healthy people who are my supportive network.  I'm loved by an amazing community of friends, who deeply care about my welfare.  They are they are there for me, when I slip.  They prop me up, when I am too weary to handle life, by myself.

       My emotional tank is topped off with great memories and love.  This is the result laughter, closeness and intimacy shared with others.  Living by practical, supportive, empowering principles helps too.

      Healthy friends and knowing how to shake off emotional vampires is the result of discernment.

 4.  I no longer live in my head.  What a waste.  My joy is visceral. My joy is real.  I know joy in real time. It is not a concept, an intellectual stimulation, the result of  watching a TED talk or reading a book.

      That's all for now.  I need to get back to work.

How About You? 
As you inspect your life, what are you noticing?  Please share.  You have a concerned and curious innkeeper.
May you have a great and grateful day on this 36th month anniversary, when the inn opened its doors!  I know I will!
                          Pablo
                  

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Quotes from the Posts

"I'm mindful that our thoughts affect the words we use, our words influence our actions, our actions shape our character and our character determines our destiny."

From "My Character Determines My Destiny." To read it, please click here.

"Progress not perfection, is better than no progress at all, especially when we're trying to rid ourselves from unwelcome dragons that dwell within the closets of our soul."

From, "Still Learning" which, within four days, became the most popular post
written. To read it, please click here.

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its trouble, but it does empty today of its strength"
From the post: "Life Is Not a Correspondence Program." Click here to read it.

"Even though we cannot control our circumstances, we can control how we choose to respond to them."

From, "Handling Stress and Dealing With an Emotional Bully."Click here to read this post.

"Nope, being busy isn't exciting. Boring is good. Because boring is not boring; boring is being healthy, living a balanced life that has serenity"

From: "Do You Know What It Means If You Are Too Busy?" For more, please click here.

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