Ripples #792: The Ecstasy of Today!
A splash of inspiration
from The Ripples Guy
28 July 2014
PEBBLE:
Get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually.
-Abraham Joshua Heschel
BOULDER:
This is the gift—
to have the wonderful capacity
to appreciate again and again,
freshly and naively,
the basic goods of life,
with awe, pleasure, wonder,
and even ecstasy.
-Abraham Maslow
PONDER:
While you are kicking off what I sincerely hope will be a day/week filled with ecstasy, I would like to share some news with you about the future of Ripples. Since 1999 we have steadily grown from our original 75 readers (some of whom are still with us!) to our current batch of over 27,000. Over the last 12 months we have hit a major roadbump as we are increasingly labeled as spam. We’ve lost over 4,000 subscribers that didn’t CHOOSE to unsubscribe, and many new subscribers are consistently finding Ripples in their spam/junk folder.
We considered moving away from email delivery and just posting Ripples via social media and blogging platforms, but ultimately determined that enough people still prefer to find Ripples in their email inbox on Monday mornings. So, in a few weeks we will transition to a new platform that is significantly more expensive (a few hundred dollars a MONTH vs. a few hundred dollars a YEAR), but will ultimately provide a reliable way to continue our legacy of inspirational splashes. And let’s face it: you’re worth it.
Your patience and persistence will be kindly requested as transitions such as this invariably encounter road bumps. Or perhaps “dams” or “rapids” if we’re sticking with the water metaphor? I’ll share more information soon.
Peace,
Paul
((( The Ripples Guy )))
P.S. If you are reading THIS message, you may be one of the people who have signed up for our temporary "text-blog" version of Ripples to get you through the transition. Please know: HELP IS ON THE WAY and within a few weeks you will be the FIRST to get a peek at our new design/layout and test drive the new sending method. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE THUS FAR!
Monday, July 28, 2014
Monday, July 21, 2014
Ripples #791: Invincible!
Ripples #791: Invincible!
A splash of inspiration
from The Ripples Guy
21 July 2014
PEBBLE:
We all have an unsuspected reserve of strength inside
that emerges when life puts us to the test.
-Isabel Allende
BOULDER:
In the midst of hate,
I found there was, within me,
an invincible love.
In the midst of tears,
I found there was, within me,
an invincible smile.
In the midst of chaos,
I found there was, within me,
an invincible calm.
I realized, through it all, that…
In the midst of winter,
I found there was, within me,
an invincible summer.
And that makes me happy.
For it says that no matter how hard
the world pushes against me,
within me,
there’s something stronger – something better,
pushing right back.
-Albert Camus
PONDER:
Most of us are unaware of just how strong and resourceful and talented we can be until something comes along that requires us to stand up and jump into action. Few people recognize that it is often the INTERNAL obstacles (fear, doubt, insecurity) that keep us from revving up to our potential. Of course there are very real and powerful EXTERNAL obstacles that provide legitimate challenges; it’s just that they are rarely enough to prevent your FULL and BEST self from rising to the challenge and eventually triumphing over difficulty.
I invite you to unleash your best invincible self for the day just to see what magic you can whip up.
Peace,
Paul
((( The Ripples Guy )))
A splash of inspiration
from The Ripples Guy
21 July 2014
PEBBLE:
We all have an unsuspected reserve of strength inside
that emerges when life puts us to the test.
-Isabel Allende
BOULDER:
In the midst of hate,
I found there was, within me,
an invincible love.
In the midst of tears,
I found there was, within me,
an invincible smile.
In the midst of chaos,
I found there was, within me,
an invincible calm.
I realized, through it all, that…
In the midst of winter,
I found there was, within me,
an invincible summer.
And that makes me happy.
For it says that no matter how hard
the world pushes against me,
within me,
there’s something stronger – something better,
pushing right back.
-Albert Camus
PONDER:
Most of us are unaware of just how strong and resourceful and talented we can be until something comes along that requires us to stand up and jump into action. Few people recognize that it is often the INTERNAL obstacles (fear, doubt, insecurity) that keep us from revving up to our potential. Of course there are very real and powerful EXTERNAL obstacles that provide legitimate challenges; it’s just that they are rarely enough to prevent your FULL and BEST self from rising to the challenge and eventually triumphing over difficulty.
I invite you to unleash your best invincible self for the day just to see what magic you can whip up.
Peace,
Paul
((( The Ripples Guy )))
Monday, July 14, 2014
Ripples #790: Restoring the Broken.
Ripples #790: Restoring the Broken.
A splash of inspiration
from The Ripples Guy
14 July 2014
PEBBLE:
What do we live for,
if it is not to make life
less difficult for each other?
-George Eliot
BOULDER:
Your job is not to judge.
Your job is not to figure out
if someone deserves something.
Your job is to lift the fallen,
to restore the broken,
and to heal the hurting.
-The Essence of life, shared by Jeremy Haddon in Mossman, Queensland (Australia)
PONDER:
I don’t believe that we have an *obligation* to help every single person we encounter.
I do believe that there is an *opportunity* to help every single person we encounter.
Every. Single. Person.
The lost ones, the frustrated ones, the nice ones and the mean ones. And the magnificent secret that I hesitate to share with you because we took a solemn oath at the last meeting of the “Benevolent Order of Those Who Strive To Be As Nice As Possible to Everyone We Encounter”: the person who benefits the most from all the helping is often YOU! Serving others feels great; it reminds us to be grateful for blessings that we take for granted, and as a bonus it replenishes our “karma credit card” so we can be in great shape to receive help from others just when we need it most.
Just remember that helping works best when it emanates not from a sense of duty or obligation, but instead from a source of joyous opportunity. So keep your eyes and ears open for a friend or colleague or stranger who needs you.
Peace,
Paul
(((The Ripples Guy)))
A splash of inspiration
from The Ripples Guy
14 July 2014
PEBBLE:
What do we live for,
if it is not to make life
less difficult for each other?
-George Eliot
BOULDER:
Your job is not to judge.
Your job is not to figure out
if someone deserves something.
Your job is to lift the fallen,
to restore the broken,
and to heal the hurting.
-The Essence of life, shared by Jeremy Haddon in Mossman, Queensland (Australia)
PONDER:
I don’t believe that we have an *obligation* to help every single person we encounter.
I do believe that there is an *opportunity* to help every single person we encounter.
Every. Single. Person.
The lost ones, the frustrated ones, the nice ones and the mean ones. And the magnificent secret that I hesitate to share with you because we took a solemn oath at the last meeting of the “Benevolent Order of Those Who Strive To Be As Nice As Possible to Everyone We Encounter”: the person who benefits the most from all the helping is often YOU! Serving others feels great; it reminds us to be grateful for blessings that we take for granted, and as a bonus it replenishes our “karma credit card” so we can be in great shape to receive help from others just when we need it most.
Just remember that helping works best when it emanates not from a sense of duty or obligation, but instead from a source of joyous opportunity. So keep your eyes and ears open for a friend or colleague or stranger who needs you.
Peace,
Paul
(((The Ripples Guy)))
Monday, July 7, 2014
Ripples #789: Fulfillment or Fiasco?
Ripples #789: Fulfillment or Fiasco?
A splash of inspiration
from The Ripples Guy
7 July 2014
PEBBLE:
Embedded in the edge of risk and fear
is the authenticity that makes life worth living.
-Mark Nepo, shared by Pat in Cincinnati, OH
BOULDER:
Over and over again, you are called to the realm of adventure, you are called to new horizons. Each time, there is the same problem: do I dare? And then if you do dare, the dangers are there, and the help also, and the fulfillment or the fiasco. There's always the possibility of a fiasco. But there's also the possibility of bliss.
-Joseph Campbell, Pathways to Bliss: Mythology and Personal Transformation, shared by Kerry in Cincinnati, OH
PONDER:
You don’t get to know exactly how today is going to turn out, and you don’t get to know whether the thing you’re itching to attempt is going to help you soar to new heights or leave you sobbing like a forest mole trapped in a smoldering pile of beaver dung (I have no idea where that image came from. Just go with it, okay?). The precise outcome is mostly beyond your control, so it might be more useful and more powerful to focus on your effort and determination and passion and anything else you can toss into the early part of your adventure. Quite simply, I think you need to go for it.
Give this week your absolute best, and let any fulfillment be your reward while any fiasco will be a learning opportunity (and a good story for some day when you’ve triumphed at last).
Peace,
Paul
((( The Ripples Guy )))
A splash of inspiration
from The Ripples Guy
7 July 2014
PEBBLE:
Embedded in the edge of risk and fear
is the authenticity that makes life worth living.
-Mark Nepo, shared by Pat in Cincinnati, OH
BOULDER:
Over and over again, you are called to the realm of adventure, you are called to new horizons. Each time, there is the same problem: do I dare? And then if you do dare, the dangers are there, and the help also, and the fulfillment or the fiasco. There's always the possibility of a fiasco. But there's also the possibility of bliss.
-Joseph Campbell, Pathways to Bliss: Mythology and Personal Transformation, shared by Kerry in Cincinnati, OH
PONDER:
You don’t get to know exactly how today is going to turn out, and you don’t get to know whether the thing you’re itching to attempt is going to help you soar to new heights or leave you sobbing like a forest mole trapped in a smoldering pile of beaver dung (I have no idea where that image came from. Just go with it, okay?). The precise outcome is mostly beyond your control, so it might be more useful and more powerful to focus on your effort and determination and passion and anything else you can toss into the early part of your adventure. Quite simply, I think you need to go for it.
Give this week your absolute best, and let any fulfillment be your reward while any fiasco will be a learning opportunity (and a good story for some day when you’ve triumphed at last).
Peace,
Paul
((( The Ripples Guy )))
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