Ripples, version 1.28 [7/26/99] ©1999 Stone Soup Seminars
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them
and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the
brightest gems in a useful life.
Original Source: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Submitted by Jody Yerges
BOULDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Life, like art, is a work in progress.
The fun is in the process.
Don't always be in a hurry to do things.
Sometimes, it's better to just sit and enjoy a beautiful scene than to
paint it.
Your body is just your Earth suit.
It's not who you are.
That's inside.
Don't worry about what other people thing of you.
Do something because you like it, not because you think you should do it.
Don't try to run other people or things.
They'll end up running you.
Original Source: Chuck Haberichter (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 6/24/99),
Submitted by: Rebecca Wisdom
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Time Management. Popular Topic! This week I spend some time with credit
union managers from around the country to explore effective ways to manage
time.
Participants usually expect to learn some secret that will unlock a hidden
storage vault of efficiency along with extra hours to do it ALL! Here is
the secret: THERE IS NO VAULT! The key to effective time management is
facing that you have 1,440 minutes every day and you have some CHOICES to
make about how you are going to spend them.
I dare you to spend a few minutes today thinking about your priorities and
if you are spending enough time on the IMPORTANT stuff.
Enjoy today!
-Paul
Monday, July 26, 1999
Monday, July 19, 1999
Ripples v1.27
Ripples, version 1.27 [7/19/99] ©1999 Stone Soup Seminars
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
If nature has made you a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your
heart. And though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart
is always full, and you can give things out of that.
Original Source: Frances Hodgson Burnett, Submitted by Kyle Erickson
BOULDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ <a bit long, but READ THIS!>
Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on
Spreading - spreading from the centre, flowing on out to the sea
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.
Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading, from the centre as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you've started them to flow.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash, and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.
Original source unknown (Taken from a Camp Tawingo Publication entitled Spread
a Little Sunshine from Huntsville, Ontario, 1987), submitted by Laura Dicke
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This week I returned from my mountain adventures via Duluth, Minnesota so I
could attend a conference of the National Coalition for Sex Equity in
Education. This annual meeting is filled with passionate people from
around the country who are committed to creating a positive learning
environment for ALL students. I was discouraged to learn that federal and
state laws are being passed every day that reduce funding and make it
harder to do this important work. At the same time, I was inspired to hear
details about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on peer harrassment
that will support efforts to build safe spaces for students.
I heard many people attempting to assess the current climate: is it
helpful or harmful? The conclusion some of us reached: it just IS the
current climate. There are some good things which serve to empower us, and
there are some bad things which can serve to challenge us to dig in our
heels and work even harder!
Is this a good time in YOUR life? Is this a bad time in YOUR life? Well,
perhaps it just IS a time in your life and YOU need to decide whether it is
empowering you or challenging you.
Whichever it is, I wish you success and happiness this week as I return to
Madison so I can sleep in my OWN bed with my OWN pillows!
-Paul
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
If nature has made you a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your
heart. And though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart
is always full, and you can give things out of that.
Original Source: Frances Hodgson Burnett, Submitted by Kyle Erickson
BOULDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ <a bit long, but READ THIS!>
Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on
Spreading - spreading from the centre, flowing on out to the sea
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.
Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading, from the centre as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you've started them to flow.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash, and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.
Original source unknown (Taken from a Camp Tawingo Publication entitled Spread
a Little Sunshine from Huntsville, Ontario, 1987), submitted by Laura Dicke
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This week I returned from my mountain adventures via Duluth, Minnesota so I
could attend a conference of the National Coalition for Sex Equity in
Education. This annual meeting is filled with passionate people from
around the country who are committed to creating a positive learning
environment for ALL students. I was discouraged to learn that federal and
state laws are being passed every day that reduce funding and make it
harder to do this important work. At the same time, I was inspired to hear
details about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on peer harrassment
that will support efforts to build safe spaces for students.
I heard many people attempting to assess the current climate: is it
helpful or harmful? The conclusion some of us reached: it just IS the
current climate. There are some good things which serve to empower us, and
there are some bad things which can serve to challenge us to dig in our
heels and work even harder!
Is this a good time in YOUR life? Is this a bad time in YOUR life? Well,
perhaps it just IS a time in your life and YOU need to decide whether it is
empowering you or challenging you.
Whichever it is, I wish you success and happiness this week as I return to
Madison so I can sleep in my OWN bed with my OWN pillows!
-Paul
Monday, July 12, 1999
Ripples v1.26: Rockies Ripples II
Ripples, version 1.26 [7/12/99] ©1999 Stone Soup Seminars
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When we tug at a single thing in nature,
we find it attached to the rest of the world.
Original Source: John Muir (slightly adapted by ptw), submitted by Bev
Petska
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Everything I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Colorado
These are a few thoughts I had after spending another week on my retreat
into the Rockies:
THINGS CHANGE. One minute I was basking in the sunshine with a bright blue
sky and it was 90 degrees; 30 minutes later a dark mass of clouds moved
quietly in and soon it was hailing pea-sized ice chunks and the temperature
dropped to 50 degrees. This helped me to enjoy every minute of sunshine
because I never knew how long it would last. I also didn't get so bummed
out about the yucky weather because it would only be around for a little
while.
THERE ARE UPS AND DOWNS. Of course when you go into the mountains there
are ups, and the other side is just as steep going down. What I always
forget is that even on the way up there are times when you can coast, and
sometimes the way down is more uphill than expected. In the long run, you
can can't on some ups, some downs, and a few stretches of flat.
GO WITH THE FLOW. During a two-hour float on an innertube down the Yampa
River in Steamboat Springs, this control freak spent much of his time
trying to be in just the right place. After tiring out, I began to let the
river decide where I should be. Imagine my surprise: it was much more fun
and much less exhausting!
TRUST IS IMPORTANT. My new friends Kenny & Billy took me on a hike to see
an amazing waterfall. We wanted to get up close and that meant a bit of
rock climbing. More than once I found myself stuck and Kenny would say
something like "put your left foot in that crevice and your right hand up
on that root and you'll be fine." Each time it didn't look possible but
when I did what he said, it worked!
YOU CAN'T SWITCH FEAR OFF. Before I headed into the mountains, my good
friend Robin and I had a long talk about how fear often seems to rule our
thinking. We acknwoledged that fear is not the most productive thing
because most of the time our fears are never realized. Even when they do
come true, the events are rarely as catastrophic as we imagined them to be.
The rest of the trip found me discovering how often fear creeps up on me.
I tried so hard to just TURN IT OFF and that proved fruitless. Then, I
tried a DIMMER SWITCH. Instead of turning it off completely, I just turned
down the volume and moved it into the background. Frequently that was
enough to calm me down and something usually then distracted me so I wasn't
focusing on the fear.
CHALLENGE MAKES THE GAME MORE FUN. This was my first summer trip into the
Rockies in my SUV and I was ready to get off the beaten path. With the
goal to visit some of the same destinations that I have enjoyed during
previous trips, this time around I traveled different routes that included
dirt roads and rocky trails filled with steep climbs, major ruts, and
narrow passes. These adventures uncovered new heights of fear in me
(sometimes the dimmer switch doesn't work!). And every terrifying minute
was unbelievably satisfying. I admit that on some of these excursions I
did not even appreciate the panaromic views or dense pine and aspen
forests. My heart was often racing too fast and I was busy praying to help
me understand why I had decided to get off the main road. The answer was
obvious: the easy route just isn't as satisfying. This revelation, by the
way, explains some of those darn bumpy spots I've had in my life!
Sometimes the easy route looks better when we are in the middle of a
crisis, but after things have settled down we often realize that these
challenges develop a more satisfying and productive life.
I hope you are creating some adventures in your life!
-Paul
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When we tug at a single thing in nature,
we find it attached to the rest of the world.
Original Source: John Muir (slightly adapted by ptw), submitted by Bev
Petska
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Everything I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Colorado
These are a few thoughts I had after spending another week on my retreat
into the Rockies:
THINGS CHANGE. One minute I was basking in the sunshine with a bright blue
sky and it was 90 degrees; 30 minutes later a dark mass of clouds moved
quietly in and soon it was hailing pea-sized ice chunks and the temperature
dropped to 50 degrees. This helped me to enjoy every minute of sunshine
because I never knew how long it would last. I also didn't get so bummed
out about the yucky weather because it would only be around for a little
while.
THERE ARE UPS AND DOWNS. Of course when you go into the mountains there
are ups, and the other side is just as steep going down. What I always
forget is that even on the way up there are times when you can coast, and
sometimes the way down is more uphill than expected. In the long run, you
can can't on some ups, some downs, and a few stretches of flat.
GO WITH THE FLOW. During a two-hour float on an innertube down the Yampa
River in Steamboat Springs, this control freak spent much of his time
trying to be in just the right place. After tiring out, I began to let the
river decide where I should be. Imagine my surprise: it was much more fun
and much less exhausting!
TRUST IS IMPORTANT. My new friends Kenny & Billy took me on a hike to see
an amazing waterfall. We wanted to get up close and that meant a bit of
rock climbing. More than once I found myself stuck and Kenny would say
something like "put your left foot in that crevice and your right hand up
on that root and you'll be fine." Each time it didn't look possible but
when I did what he said, it worked!
YOU CAN'T SWITCH FEAR OFF. Before I headed into the mountains, my good
friend Robin and I had a long talk about how fear often seems to rule our
thinking. We acknwoledged that fear is not the most productive thing
because most of the time our fears are never realized. Even when they do
come true, the events are rarely as catastrophic as we imagined them to be.
The rest of the trip found me discovering how often fear creeps up on me.
I tried so hard to just TURN IT OFF and that proved fruitless. Then, I
tried a DIMMER SWITCH. Instead of turning it off completely, I just turned
down the volume and moved it into the background. Frequently that was
enough to calm me down and something usually then distracted me so I wasn't
focusing on the fear.
CHALLENGE MAKES THE GAME MORE FUN. This was my first summer trip into the
Rockies in my SUV and I was ready to get off the beaten path. With the
goal to visit some of the same destinations that I have enjoyed during
previous trips, this time around I traveled different routes that included
dirt roads and rocky trails filled with steep climbs, major ruts, and
narrow passes. These adventures uncovered new heights of fear in me
(sometimes the dimmer switch doesn't work!). And every terrifying minute
was unbelievably satisfying. I admit that on some of these excursions I
did not even appreciate the panaromic views or dense pine and aspen
forests. My heart was often racing too fast and I was busy praying to help
me understand why I had decided to get off the main road. The answer was
obvious: the easy route just isn't as satisfying. This revelation, by the
way, explains some of those darn bumpy spots I've had in my life!
Sometimes the easy route looks better when we are in the middle of a
crisis, but after things have settled down we often realize that these
challenges develop a more satisfying and productive life.
I hope you are creating some adventures in your life!
-Paul
Monday, July 5, 1999
Ripples v1.25: Rockies Ripples
Ripples, version 1.25 [7/5/99] ©1999 Stone Soup Seminars
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
We will all encounter mountains in our lives. We can either climb over
them, turn away from them, or, with the help of others...MOVE THEM.
Written and submitted by Shawn McGuirk,
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This Ripples comes to you from the Colorado Rockies, so thank you Shawn for
submitting a pebble that is so appropriate! I am out here on my
semi-annual retreat into the mountains where I find my soul becomes a
little quieter, my mind slows down, and my body gets to enjoy some magical
hiking, biking, and swimming. I guess I'm enjoying some independence on
this July 4th holiday. I hope you are too!
Monday morning will find me leaving Denver and heading up to Steamboat
Springs where a Ripples subscriber is going to show me some of the beauty
in that corner of the Rockies. I'll have stories for you next week!
If you have any good ripples about the mountains or about nature, this
would be a good week to send them as I'll be out here for a few more weeks!
-Paul
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
We will all encounter mountains in our lives. We can either climb over
them, turn away from them, or, with the help of others...MOVE THEM.
Written and submitted by Shawn McGuirk,
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This Ripples comes to you from the Colorado Rockies, so thank you Shawn for
submitting a pebble that is so appropriate! I am out here on my
semi-annual retreat into the mountains where I find my soul becomes a
little quieter, my mind slows down, and my body gets to enjoy some magical
hiking, biking, and swimming. I guess I'm enjoying some independence on
this July 4th holiday. I hope you are too!
Monday morning will find me leaving Denver and heading up to Steamboat
Springs where a Ripples subscriber is going to show me some of the beauty
in that corner of the Rockies. I'll have stories for you next week!
If you have any good ripples about the mountains or about nature, this
would be a good week to send them as I'll be out here for a few more weeks!
-Paul
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