Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Sunday – Doing Things for God

Tags

Content, Detached, Discrimination, Eckankar, Forgiving, God, Humble, spirituality, Sri Harold Klemp, The Loving Heart, Tolerant

Do everything, large or small, as if you were doing it for God alone. That means the task will be done with love, joy, and (don’t forget) thoroughness.

Sri Harold Klemp – The Loving Heart

Each of us have our daily duties. Cleaning up, laundry, self-hygiene, taking care of pets, and so on. When we do these things for God, we open ourselves to a love that comes without strings attached.

The ego or what we call the “little self” is minimized when we do things for God. The ego is a much-needed part of us here in the lower worlds, because without it we would be trampled on like a door mat. However, it is also the source of most of our problems here. The ego can be insulted, slighted, and upset. It can be jealous, intolerant, unforgiving. It can be lustful, greedy, and vane. It likes to attach us to things like certain beliefs or ideas, foods, drugs, and causes all kinds of problems.

When we minimize the ego, it is harder for us to be upset at others, lust after things we want, but do not need, and all the rest. This minimization causes us less heartache over the long term and also helps us become more loving. If we lust after less, are angered less, are less greedy, less attached, and less vane, things tend to smooth out in life for us. We can begin cultivating the virtues of discrimination (making good choices), tolerance and forgiveness, contentment, detachment, and humility.

Do things in the name of God and your life will take a turn for the better.

May the blessings be.

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Sunday – The Power of Gratitude

Tags

comfortable, Content, Contentment, Eckankar, Grateful, Gratitude, Happy, spirituality, Sunday

Happy Sunday!

Gratitude is one of the acts that can bring us huge rewards. Gratitude brings us to a place of contentment where we realize we have enough. We’re okay. We have enough clothes. We have enough food. We have a comfortable living space. We have a reliable way to get around.

Here’s another free e-booklet from ECKANKAR that discusses the spiritual aspects of Gratitude. Enjoy!

Click to access The-Power-of-Gratitude_ebooklet.pdf

#Free booklet

I hope you enjoy this one.

Have a great Sunday, everyone.

May the blessings be!

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Gratitude Journaling

Tags

Content, Grateful, Gratitude, Gratitude Journaling, Happy, journaling, Thankful

As each of you know, I write about something each Thursday I am grateful for. This is an easy exercise, because I write down all the things I’m grateful for in my Gratitude Journal each day. It is a terrific exercise, because it focuses me on the good in life, rather than the bad. A quick flip of the switch and I am in a better mood for the whole day. The real trick, however, is capturing what I am grateful for during the day and writing these down before bed.

It is nice waking up and thinking about the things I’m grateful for, and I sleep so much better, when I realize how blessed my life has been. If you have never tried gratitude journaling, give it a whirl. I developed the habit using The 5-Minute Journal. After using it for a bit, I decided to add this to my Onenote app. I use Onenote for all of my journals. It’s nice to have everything in one place, and have access to it everywhere, since Onenote is a cloud-based app.

Give this a whirl. Start small. Maybe you only write down one thing you are grateful for starting out. I stick with three. Sometimes I have more, though. It’s your journal. Make it what you wish.

I hope all of you have a terrific Thursday, and have something to be grateful for when you go to bed. I always do. You just have to look around a little bit.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday – 5 Quotes

Tags

Chinese, Content, Daoism, kindness, Lao Tzu, Life, Love, Nature, Philosopher

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

Lao Tzu

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.

Lao Tzu

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

Lao Tzu

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

Lao Tzu

Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

Lao Tzu

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/biography/lao-tzu-biography

Lao Tzu is credited as the founder of Daoism. If you’d like to learn more about this Chineses philosopher, click the link above.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Grateful for Content

Tags

5-minute journal, Articles, BrainyQuote, Content, Flipboard, Google News, Pocket, Quotes, WordPress

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you’ve probably figured out I am not a huge fan of the mainstream media. The bulk of it is regurgitated news written by real reporters and twisted to fit a narrative.

Particularly now, you don’t know what is true, what has been fact-checked, and you have no idea who or what they are promoting. The days of just reporting the news are long gone and so am I as a former consumer of news. Now, it’s just one political argument from one side against the other and I just don’t want any part of it. I scan the news, but rarely dig into an actual article.

That’s why I’m thankful for my fellow bloggers who post real, heart-felt content. I’m also a fan of the Pocket and Flipboard apps. You can tailor what you see, save what you like, and both of these sites provide you with new articles that align with your interests and not theirs. They are also free. So it’s quite a bargain. I also enjoy Google News, but again, just to scan the news to gather what’s going on and forget about the details, which are a waste to read, anyway.

I enjoy sharing articles and quotes I enjoy with my social networks. I love Brainyquote and the 5-minute journal, both of which provide me with great quotes without a lot of digging around. So there you go. These are the sources online that I get all of my online content, other than WordPress.

What I do is pick an article from each of these sources and read them. Once I’ve read them, I’ll share them to Facebook. My quotes go to Instagram and Facebook. I enjoy article on outer space, history, writing, comics, video games, productivity, and other self-help topics. I also follow news streams and articles related to Python (programming language), JavaScript, and other languages I’m interested in. It’s great fun!

What’s interesting is the current lockdown has had ZERO impact on the way I live my life. I have always enjoyed relaxing days in my office or living room (when my laptop is up and running). I do my writing, reading, learning, and programming between 12 am and 3 am. This serves two purposes. First, it’s really quiet. Second, it frees up my time during the day to help my wife or around the house, when the folks need it.

So, today I am grateful for online content. It is a real service that provides me with learning, entertainment, and ideas to think about during the day.

Until next time…

Dave

 

 

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Grateful = Happy

Tags

Content, Fulfilled, Grateful, Gratitude, Happy, Joyful, Thankful

Gratitude is the topic each Thursday on this blog, because I believe it is important to express thanks for what we have. According to HealthBeat (2019), a product of the Harvard Medical School, Gratitude will make you happier.

If you look at most folks, they are always pursuing more. We can lay credit for this at the feet of the advertisers and marketers who blast our email boxes, fill up our social media, and bombard us with advertisement after advertisement while we watch our favorite sports team. Subsequently, we work harder, to make more money, to buy more stuff, which cause us to go into debt, and work harder, and so on. They tell us we don’t have a big enough home, a newer car, nicer clothes, expensive trips, and a cooler phone. They don’t do this directly. They show us a family enjoying themselves in front of a large-screen TV or walk out of their home to see two brand new cars sitting in the driveway with big ribbons on them. You see how this works?

Gratitude counters this social pressure, but acknowledging we have all we need. We have a roof over our head, food to eat, and a reliable piece of transportation to get us where we need to go. This allows us to preserve our capital because we aren’t spending ourselves into oblivion.

As we approach the holiday season, cultivate your gratitude for all you have, not what you do not have. It is a great way to live life. Here are a few ways you can grow your sense of gratitude in the upcoming months. To start out, just pick one

• Write a thank-you note to one person each month
• Thank someone mentally if you lack the time to write
• Keep a gratitude journal expressing your thanks and appreciation for other people in your life or something you enjoy
• Count your blessings
• Pray (if you are religious)
• Meditate

I dedicate a day each week to discuss gratitude. How to build it, how I do things to build my gratitude state, or express my gratitude for the things in my life.

If you’d like to read more, the article I used for this posting is below.

Thanks for your attention. If you use another technique or if there’s something you are particularly grateful for, feel free to drop me a note in the comments.

Until next time…

Dave

Reference

Healthbeat. (2019). Giving thanks can make you happier. Retrieved from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Thank You Followers!

Tags

Blessings, Blogging, Content, Grateful, Gratitude, New Followers, Ramblings, Thank you

Today’s edition thanks you, my followers. I really appreciate all of you who follow Daily Ramblings and hope to continue to provide great content in the years to come. Like all blogs, evolution is continual. We find a topic we enjoy writing about and our followers result because of the content we are discussing.

I really appreciate the comments you provide. I also appreciate you spending time reading my postings. I try to keep these postings brief out of respect for your time, but will hit pockets that spur me to write much longer postings.

Blogging has been freeing. It allows me to write daily and contribute to this forum. It also allows me to record my thoughts and feelings daily, which fluctuate over the days and months that precede a posting. Sometimes my posts are impacted by the news, a holiday, or an event in my life that is meaningful. At other times, I just write and the topic develops itself.

I hope all of you are having a terrific week! We are enjoying some rain today. It is really relaxing to look at the rain from my office chair and relish that I’m inside, warm and cozy. In my Army days, you couldn’t escape the weather. It always seemed like whenever we went to the field, the weather turned sour. In reality, the weather didn’t change at all. You don’t notice the weather until you are in it and have no means of escaping it.

Yesterday, I fired up my grill for the first time this year. I enjoy a good steak fresh off the grill. Today, I’ll be pan frying my food, as the rain won’t allow me to grill today. For those of you who have the opportunity to grill today, enjoy! The food tastes so good on the grill.

Well, that’s it for today, folks! Have a great Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Contentment

Tags

Content, Contentment, Grateful, satisfaction, Satisfied, Thankful, Thanks

When was the last time you looked at your life and said, “I’m satisfied?”

It is so easy to complain about our lives or compare it with the lives of others. Complaining focuses us on the lack in our lives—some deficiency that needs filled—something we need or some place we need to go. If only we had this or that we would finally be happy.

We all need ambition and need to survive, but endless worry and concern about what is missing in our lives is unhealthy. Instead, we should look for the things we are thankful for—the things that satisfy. When you combine ambition with the thought “I have enough”, life takes on a whole new meaning.

 

Earlier in life I found myself in a predicament. Disappointment and discontent overtook my life. I wanted more. I didn’t like my job; I didn’t like my living conditions, and I didn’t enjoy being single. I contemplated my life for a few days. Then the answer came. The answer was gratitude.

Gratitude gave me the opportunity to appreciate my job, my home, my life. It gave me the opportunity to be thankful for the little things. Little things like a sunny day, a warm breeze, a cup of coffee with a good book. When you can appreciate what you have, life is more satisfying. You can still have goals. You can still have aspirations. You can still have a desire for things you want. Your desire, however, changes. It evolves to a desire disconnected from feelings of discontent, jealousy, or unfairness. Your desire to achieve is more about the challenge, not what you will receive at the end of the race. Do you see the difference?

We could always live in a better place, drive a better car, have a better job, or lose weight. Set goals and aspire to these things. Do not let your current lot in life prevent your happiness. Look for things in your life that make you happy. Happiness is not out there, it is inside of you. It is so much easier to accomplish goals from a place that is happy rather than sad and deprived. When you have enough, anything that comes into your life is a bonus.

As always, thank you for following Daily Ramblings. We’ve added 24 followers over the last month. I appreciate your patronage. Don’t be a stranger. If you like something I’ve written or disagree with a posting, I’m all ears. Comment below.

Until next time…

Dave

 

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday –

Tags

Content, Contributing, motivation, passion, Unique, Walt Disney, Writing

“I believe in being an innovator.” Walt Disney

Read more at: Brainy Quote

There is so much content available online and it continues to perpetuate itself. Making your own contributions online is daunting, particularly when you second-guess yourself. You ask yourself questions like: Who will find my work? Who will like my work? Am I good enough?

You are unique. You have a voice. This voice is different. There are people who want to hear your words. Get it out there.

I love blogging. I love writing. I blog and write because I have things to say. I like to put my “two cents” out there.

When Disney came on the scene, there was no such thing as a theme park or full-length animated film. He brought both ideas to the market. Today, millions of people flock to Disney’s theme parks and watch his movies. Mickey Mouse is an icon known across the globe.

You never know who will read your words. You never know who will enjoy them. Get them out there. Pursue your dreams. You’ll never know until you do it.

Some people don’t like to write. That’s ok. Pursue the things you love. Pursue your unique interests. We all have a place in this world. Your passions are where you need to focus your time and effort. There is a need for your unique contribution.

Every single person we consider great, started with an idea. Henry Ford’s idea was the automobile. Edison’s idea was the light bulb. Disney’s idea was creating products that allowed people to escape their normal lives and experience “The Happiest Place on Earth”. Disney sold happiness and wonder. Who wouldn’t want to buy that?

If you know where your passions lie, pursue them. Even if you only have time to dedicate an hour a day, use that hour to pursue that passion. You’ll feel more alive during that hour than the rest of your day.

If you want to make money pursuing your passion, research. You could write a book about your passion, write a blog about your passion, or even teach others about your passion by creating course content for YouTube or an online education hub like Udemy. There are people who have monetized their passions in the same way. Look around. You’ll find these people and learn how they did it.

My Week

I’ll be working on my 2^nd draft of my book. I’m doing a chapter a day. This week will be chapters 6-10. My daily exercise regimen is in the home because of the bad weather we are experiencing in Michigan. I’ll be getting back to the gym in March.

I’m reading 5 books. I enjoy reading multiple books at a time. I read one fiction book, a book on history, a religious book, a self-help book, and a book on philosophy. I use a service called Scribd. Scribd is a service that gives you access to books, magazines, audio books, and papers. It is a terrific service for the $8.99/month. I recommend this service if you read as much as I do.

I read digitally. It takes a while to get used to reading this way. My folks have had a real difficulty reading digitally. They still enjoy reading paper books. Print books take up too much space. Digital books allow me to get as many books as I want. They take up zero space, other than the digital space they consume on my phone or computer.

I hope all of you have a great week!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesdays

Tags

Compassionate, Contemplative, Content, Curious, Detached, Disciplined, Discriminating, Forgiving, Humble, Minimalist, Patient, Tolerant

“Talent is God-given. Be humble.

Fame is man-given. Be grateful.

Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”

–John Wooden

Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_wooden_386606?src=t_wisdom

Humility and contentment. Awesome traits but hard to cultivate. When I was at the top of my game in technical recruiting I changed. I became boisterous, over-confident, and vain. I didn’t like myself that well. I was an absolute ass. I learned at that point that I was not destined to be wealthy.

With all the hoopla out there about living the good life—a life of comfort, wealth, security, and all the rest, it is hard to escape the images that bombard us daily. We have people telling us what to buy, what to eat, what not to eat, where to live, where to travel and so on. 1 out of every 2 advertisements on the television tells us what drugs to take, along with the laundry lists of side-effects that come along with eliminating your physical problem.

I believed all these images and pursued a life I thought I wanted. What did I find out? I didn’t want any of what I bought, consumed, or achieved. I also didn’t like the feeling that I had when I was making a lot of money. Why? I was worried all the time about losing it.

I also didn’t like the person I became when I was making a lot of money. I was conceited and overconfident. These two attributes caused me more pain than I am comfortable writing here. All the wealth, cars, and toys I accumulated went away, along with my high-level of income.

I don’t have any problem with people who pursue wealth, a comfortable lifestyle, and all the rest. It just wasn’t for me. I enjoy living on my retirement income at the young age of 54. I also enjoy spending time with my folks in their senior years to help them around the house and help my Mom take care of Dad. Had I continued to make the money I was making, I would have never come home to help. I love the freedom that I have.

Over the last 2 years, I have learned a great deal. I have embraced minimalism, journaling, daily exercise, eating right, and practicing a few character traits I have adopted. These traits are:

• Discriminating
• Tolerant
• Forgiving
• Content
• Detached
• Humble
• Compassionate
• Patient
• Disciplined
• Curious
• Minimalist
• Contemplative

I have decided to write another series of articles addressing these traits. This series will be presented on Sundays. My new title for my Sunday postings will be “Series Sundays.” I hope you stop by and read them.

Each of us has traits we like and those we do not like. Changing these traits is tough but well worth it in my opinion. My first article in the series launch will be this upcoming Sunday.

Until next time…

Dave