Living like the Dalai Lama

My fiance loves to use a quote he heard when we had the chance to hear the Dalai Lamahttp://www.dalailama.com/ speak a year ago at Rice University. Someone in the packed lecture hall asked him (the Dalai Lama, not my fiance) what was the secret of happiness? His reply: be happy. Our purpose as human beings is to be happy. He gave a similar answer when prodded to spill the beans on world peace. In other words, get along.

Hmmmm. Can it be that simple?

My fiance has built a business on the basics. Me, I believe in the basics, but always make things more complicated.

But, I think both the Dalai Lama and my fiance are on to something.

In this case, happiness probably starts with just being happy. Accepting that it is my responsibility to just be happy. Now, I realize, you are probably a bit like me. Things happen to us in the course of a day that derail our good intentions. In my case, spending 30 hours of my last work week, on the phone with an Internet provider, which disconnected all of my service when performing a simple account transfer, has driven me and everyone around me nearly crazy. I have spent hour after hour spewing about this company until finally my mother reminded me how crazy I had become. It was one of those aha--I could have had a V-8 moments. What was I doing? Besides giving myself a headache and backache, absolutely nothing. My negativity certainly did nothing to help the situation. And, as frustrating as it can be to deal with a huge company that does not care whether it actually solves your problem, I needed to take a breath.

Life is short. And, I doubt it is comforting for God to see me and you discontented. I am not suggesting a pie in the sky, rose-colored glasses approach. But, I am going to do my best to get up with a smile and end the day with a word of thanks. Even if I have to fake it until I make it.

I think the Dalai Lama and my fiance would agree that is a good first start.

Howling at a non-existent moon

My urgings have been all over the place of late. Could be the fact that my hormones seem to be raging out of control. Or the fact that my unstructured days have left me feeling out of sorts. Hard to pin these emotions down. My mamaw is in the hospital and some days I have the urge to cry as I watch her drift in and out of this lifetime and days long gone. Hospitals seriously do not tend to help one shake the heebie jeebies. But, I have to say I am always amazed at the true care givers of this world. The nurses who after a 24/7 shift are still going strong. My grandmother, who is now being nurtured, has always been the nurturer. And, even though most days she is waving her hands around in the air swatting at some imaginary bug, she wants to make sure I am fed. I tell her I am good and that she needs to eat her own dinner. When I leave the hospital I remind myself life is short. The lesson never sticks. And I don't know why. The world is full of people far less fortunate than myself. And, that hospital is full of them. Poor souls left to fend an entire day alone in a hospital without anyone to make sure they get the correct pills or that they eat. My grandmother, although not coherent, has round the clock caretakers. Without that she would no doubt fall flat on the floor as she tries to escape to drive her non-existent car to a house she has not lived in for 10 years. When my caretaker shift is over I am usually speed walking to the elevator to escape, but I really do have the urge to make sure all those poor souls without family are OK. Maybe, like the grandmother whose birthday I share, I have a little nurturing in me.

A smoothie with a message

I started this blog and called it "Urgings" because of a visit I had with a friend's father that passed away the day after my visit. And, because I believe we all have urgings/callings/messages that sometimes we listen to and sometimes we don't. That little voice nagging at us to do something.

Yesterday mine was to stop taking on work or projects that were not fulfilling. Or that I just did not want to do.

Now--like most things in life that is a great thought. Just do what really resonates with me personally. The flip side is my mortgage company might not understand that I was not called to go to work and hence could not pay my bills.

So--granted there is a balance in life. Yesterday, over a smoothie at Starbuck's, I had the opportunity to visit with a woman that I have known for years. But, never really spoken with. Meaning--yesterday we just connected on a very spiritual level. And, of course, she had a really good message for me. No doubt the reason for consuming 270 calories with a chocolate, banana smoothie. The conversation was worth every delicious calorie.

She offered me a different view on taking on jobs that certainly are not paying me what I should be billing. That perhaps the project was a way of giving back to a universe which does continue to give abundance. I like that. I took on the project because I believe in the organizational mission and purpose. And, rather than begrudge it because it does not pay enough, I will gladly be thankful for it.

We have all seen, read and sometimes absorbed the idea that there is power in positive thinking. And, that the more we say thank you or recognize that in every day we have something to be grateful for how much better off we and our world would be.

So, thanks to a Starbuck's reunion--my smoothie came with a powerful reminder. When the urge strikes to begrudge, instead be grateful.