promise yourself

I think this is very thought provoking just before the New Year. I shall go on my Christmas break without taking any link to cyberspace with me, I need me-time and man-time, so I'll leave you with these words by Rob Brezsny as food for though till I return in January. I'm not doing copy and paste, but typing it out, as to take in every part. It really appeals deeply to me because it is so close to my own philosophy of working to make yourself better and happier, so making the world better and happier.

Do you promise to push hard to get better and smarter,
grow your devotion to the truth,
fuel your commitment to beauty,
refine your emotions,
hone your dreams,
wrestle with your shadow,
purge your ignorance and
soften your heart-
even as you always accept yourself for exactly who you are, with all of your so-called foibles and wobbles?

Do you pledge to wake yourself up,
never hold back,
have nothing to lose,
go all the way,
kiss the stormy sky,
be the hero of your own story,
ask for everything you need and give everything you have,
take yourself to the river when it is time to go to the river,
and take yourself to the mountaintop when it is time to go to the mountaintop?

May your days over the Christmas season be pervaded by Love and Light.

Surprises in loony land

A wonderful gift might not be wrapped as you expected. JL Huie

I had a lucky day today, a good flowing one. I had to renew my car registration and have been putting it off for weeks. Procrastination on these issues happen for many reasons, but this time particularly because Ollie is 10 years old this year and cars of 10 years or more need to go through a check here.

Recently in a bit of an absent-minded moment on the road...one should really never have those moments on the road at the best of times, but especially here in loony land... I clipped his right side-mirror. Immediately alarm bells went off in my head, dollar signs flashing in my mind's eye. I took the car to my trusty Bangladeshi carfixer just around the corner who unscrewed the mirror and told me to come back in a couple of days. My new housemate commented later that evening, 'What happened to Ollie's ear?"
I answered that he was sympathising with the scraggely one-eared wonder kitten Rufus we acquired recently. Or should I say, he acquired us, but that is another blog. 

In any case, long story short, the trusty carman was not able to find a new side mirror and took it on himself to cut a piece of normal mirror and stick it quite roughly into the place of the old one. It has to be added that he did charge me next to nothing. The loved one advised me to clean the glue off the mirror with nail polish remover, which did not work. Very unusual for any advice coming from him.

 I was therefore apprehensive about the whole visit to the police this morning. What would happen if they didn't accept the mirror? I would have to get a new one, hassle.. time... money..., I don't need this just before my holiday blah blah blah. What's that thing about expecting the worst and then it will probably not be that bad. This does not apply to any kind of official process in Oman, expecting the worst is just being realistic. 

Well, I arrived there, didn't have to wait, everyone really friendly, paid immediately, got the new card, no one mentioned anything about checking the car and I left within 15 minutes. It was incredible!
This set me up for a smooth ride for the rest of the day. I just took one step at a time and went with the flow. It was a GOOD productive day.

I learnt that one should be weary of putting lables on things, constantly having negative expectations just because of negative experiences from the past. It is important to give life and processes and people a fresh chance every day to actually evolve, break out of patterns and surprise you.

I wish you all one unexpected brilliant moment that permeates and sets the tone for the rest of your day.

Good night!