Carpe momento!!

“The spirit of celebration and togetherness is a great source of inspiration.”— Nandita Mahtani

The ninth of Lauryn Axelrod’s Ten Words: An Interspiritual Guide to Becoming Better People in a Better World is “celebration.” Celebration requires community. One cannot celebrate in isolation. As we move through the Ten Words—attention, acceptance, authenticity, benevolence, balance, contemplation, creativity, collaboration, celebration, and care—we must first come together. As we collaborate in our creativity, we develop solutions that warrant celebration. Celebrating together—especially when we celebrate with people who are different than us—brings us together.

“We all have life storms, and when we get the rough times and we recover from them, we should celebrate that we got through it. No matter how bad it may seem, there’s always something beautiful that you can find.”—Mattie Stepanek

One of the great lessons I learned from Mattie Stepanek is to “play after every storm.” This is celebration. We will face countless storms in life. We don’t experience these in isolation. We may not agree with the others in the storm, but we have the common goal of surviving the storm. In the eye of the storm, we are not divided. To what benefit is it to come out of the storm only to go back to our divisive positions. We come together in collaboration to survive the storm. When we make it through (together). It is time now to celebrate. Celebrate!

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

“Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.”—Mattie Stepanek

The eighth of Lauryn Axelrod’s Ten Words: An Interspiritual Guide to Becoming Better People in a Better World is “collaboration.” One of the most important factors contributing to longevity and health span, I have learned, is social connectedness—more specifically, Purposeful social connections. We are strengthened (or weakened) by the company we keep. Jim Rohn suggests that we are “the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” I have seen some pushback against this statement, but there can be little doubt, that others either elevate us or hold us down. Choose people who support your Purpose. As Mattie stated, “unity is strength.” “Wonderful things can be achieved” when we work together. Likewise, horrible things can be achieved when we have the wrong mission.

We often have different thoughts about how to accomplish our mission. Often, we have opposing missions. Working against one another gets us nowhere. As we work through the “Ten Words,” we move toward a common mission (the welfare of all) through cooperation and collaboration. Attention leads to acceptance. Acceptance leads to authenticity…to authenticity to benevolence… to balance… to contemplation… to creativity… to collaboration… to….

When we can work together more can be accomplished leading to us having something to celebrate. When we work collaboratively, we grow to understand one another (to care for one another… to accept one another…).

We choose today. We chose to oppose or collaborate. There is no unity in opposition.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

“Everything that’s created comes out of silence. Your thoughts emerge from the nothingness of silence. Your words come out of this void. Your very essence emerged from emptiness. All creativity requires some stillness.”—Wayne Dyer

The seventh of Lauryn Axelrod’s Ten Words: An Interspiritual Guide to Becoming Better People in a Better World is “creativity.” Without creativity we can see no growth. Remember: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” (I always attributed this to Albert Einstein, but, according to the Internet, this incorrect. It isn’t clear who is the original source.) The point is that we can’t keep doing what isn’t working.

Wayne Dyer’s statement lends continuity to the following of creativity after contemplation. As contemplation acts as the fulcrum of the ten words, creativity is the first step in changing our behavior. (Remember: attention, acceptance, authenticity, benevolence, and balance equate to belief, and contemplation, creativity, cooperation, celebration, and care equate to behavior.) Contemplation leads us to our what, why, and why not, but creativity leads us toward how.

So, how we be creative today to…?

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

“Contemplation is an alternative consciousness that refuses to identify with or feed what are only passing shows. It is the absolute opposite of addiction, consumerism or any egoic consciousness.”—Richard Rohr

“Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you. Go outside and turn your attention to the many miracles around you. This five-minute-a-day regimen of appreciation and gratitude will help you to focus your life in awe.”—Wayne Dyer

The sixth of Lauryn Axelrod’s Ten Words: An Interspiritual Guide to Becoming Better People in a Better World is “contemplation.” Contemplation is the fulcrum of the ten words. It stands as the balance point between belief (attention, acceptance, authenticity, benevolence, and balance) and behavior (contemplation, creativity, collaboration, celebration, and care). Contemplation enables us to look inward so that we and behave outwardly. It redirects us from self-centered to other-centered. It takes us from “why me?” to “why not me?”. It capitalizes the “p” in Purpose.

I have often considered the difference between Napoleon Hill’s “think and grow rich” and Robert H. Shuller’s “possibility thinking.” The latter suggests action. Contemplation means little if it does not lead to change—to growth.

Contemplation is the difference between “gratitude” and “grattitude.” Where it becomes the fulcrum of the “Ten Words” is when it take the act of looking inward to looking outward to acting outwardly.

Take Wayne Dyer’s suggestion and gift yourself (and others) with the gift of just five minute to contemplate with grattitude the miracles around you.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

“Every account of a higher power that I’ve seen described, of all religions that I’ve seen, include many statements with regard to the benevolence of that power. When I look at the universe and all the ways the universe wants to kill us, I find it hard to reconcile that with statements of beneficence.”—Neil deGrasse Tyson

The fifth of Lauryn Axelrod’s Ten Words: An Interspiritual Guide to Becoming Better People in a Better World is “benevolence.” Benevolence refers to the inclination to do good—to be kind.

It is hard to disagree with Neil deGrasse Tyson’s comments. However, I don’t believe that the nature of the Universe reflects a God that is not benevolent. I see a God that is intentional– a God that allows a certain harshness to our existence that we may grow to be benevolent. There is no need for acts of kindness in a world that is inherently kind.

Over the last several weeks, I have reflected and meditated on attention, acceptance, authenticity, balance, and, today, benevolence. I believe these are intentional steps toward growing toward care (which, spoil-alert, is the tenth word).

To address Neil deGrasse Tyson’s words, I consider the parent who gives their child everything they ask for. Unless we are that child who has been thusly spoiled by our parents (and if we are we are probably in denial of being spoiled), we are aware of the consequences of such parenting. Personally, I am grateful (grattitude) that my parents made me work for things and said ‘no’ quite often. I would want no more from my God that, I believe, intends good for me—“in all things God works together for the good” (Romans 8:28, NIV). This verse goes on to suggest that this is for “his purpose.” I would contend that this “purpose” is to instill benevolence and grow caring hearts.

One of the most impressive assignments I did as an undergraduate student in college was to read and write a reflection of Garrett Hardins’ essay, “The Tragedy of the Commons.” The Tragedy is that mankind lacks the benevolence to care for the Commons. To me, the “Commons” is a metaphor the Spiritual—for the concept that there is something greater than self.

In all the ways that the Universe wants to kill us, there is opportunity for benevolence, for kindness, for love.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”—Albert Einstein

The fourth of Lauryn Axelrod’s Ten Words: An Interspiritual Guide to Becoming Better People in a Better World is “balance.” It may seem like one of the easiest words in practice, but life is constantly throwing things at us to disrupt our balance—work, health, finances, relationships, etc.

“Balance”, biomechanically, is the ability to maintain posture within one’s base of support. According to Carmine’s Law, Balance = Strength + Posture.
Well-centered fitness is all about balance—Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social (SPIES). It is in the name, after all.

So, how do we practice balance in our lives? With continuous effort. Life is, indeed, like riding a bicycle. We must keep moving to keep our balance. Balance is about making small (sometimes major) adjustments to regain our center. Journaling and mindful practices like meditation are a start. Keeping physically active with purposeful exercise and recreational physical activity need to be habitual. Conscious effort and planning in our relationships are essential. Having a “growth mindset”, Spiritually, Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, and Socially, is keeping the “bicycle” moving.

Opportunity costs. Our efforts in life are either moving us toward our center or away from our center—toward balance or away from balance.

Initially, like learning to ride a bicycle, maintaining balance requires a great deal of effort and there will be times when we “fall.” With practice, however, balance will become more reflexive, more automatic. Keep moving forward.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson 

“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.”— Brené Brown 

“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”— Oscar Wilde

This week’s word from Lauryn Axelrod’s Ten Words: An Interspiritual Guide to Becoming Better People in a Better World is “authenticity.” This is a hard one. We often believe ourselves to be authentic all while wearing the façade that we think others want to see. This, I believe, is what the authors above are admonishing us not to do.

Finding our authentic self is a life-long process for most. Some figure it out earlier rather than later (and some figure it out but hide their authentic self for whatever reasons).

Trying to be someone or something other than who we are is an insult to the world and to the Creator. The world needs us to be who we are.

The second of the Ten Words is “acceptance.” To be truly authentic, we must first accept ourselves. We don’t have to like who we are per se. We can change, and we must grow. Acceptance of oneself is to embrace where we are, and authenticity is the willingness to be vulnerable and open about who we are. These are challenging but necessary actions that will prepare us for the remaining 7 Words and catalyze our growth.

Authenticity is the window that permits others to have a peek at who we really are and us to begin to grow into who we are becoming and to become.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

“Our uniqueness, our individuality, and our life experience molds us into fascinating beings. I hope we can embrace that. I pray we may all challenge ourselves to delve into the deepest resources of our hearts to cultivate an atmosphere of understanding, acceptance, tolerance, and compassion. We are all in this life together.”—Linda Thompson

My meditation this week in on the second of Lauryn Axelrod’s Ten Words: An Interspiritual Guide to Becoming Better People in a Better World—acceptance. Acceptance is essential if we are to have unity and peace. The world is a fascinating collection of unique individuals.

“Unique individuals.” That sounds a bit redundant, but too often we only want individuals who are just like us. Is that an oxymoron? It has been decades since my last English course.

We need diversity—and not just Human Resources DEI—to grow and to be successful (individually and as a society).

As I ponder my acceptance of others, I am considering, not only who and what I need to accept, why ‘who’ or ‘what’ is critical to my growth and success. I would add to the Linda Thompson quote that “our collective uniqueness, our collective individuality, and our collective life experiences mold us into fascinating beings.” A celebration of personal individuality demands that we celebrate one another and accept our differences.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

Attention

Acceptance

Authenticity

Benevolence

Balance

Contemplation

Creativity

Collaboration

Celebration

Care

I had the opportunity to interview interfaith and interspiritual leader and author of TEN WORDS: An Interspiritual Guide to Becoming Better People in a Better World, Lauren Axelrod on The Aging Well Podcast. It was inspiring to see the connections with “well-centered fitness.” There is a circularity as one moves through the ten words from attention to caring and back to attention. Like growth in well-centered fitness, there is an asymptote to which we are led. Putting these concepts together has inspired me (more to come on that).

In the coming weeks and months, consider how these ten words apply to your growth—Spiritually, Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, and Socially. Note how the first five words (attention, acceptance, authenticity, benevolence, and balance) are associated with our beliefs. The second five words (contemplation, creativity, collaboration, celebration, and care) are associated with behaviors. Contemplation is the fulcrum.

Allow time in your daily meditative practices to consider how these ten words and their connection to well-centered fitness (SPIES) are working or not working to impact your growth and your efforts to…

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”—Helen Keller

I woke up the other day with a palpable sense of optimism. Amid the flood of uncertainty among many in my community of friends and neighbors, I felt a sense of calm and positivity.

(Positivity is not always one of my strong suits.) It trying to understand why I felt this way, I could only attribute it to hope.

The United States has been increasingly divisive. I know many don’t think this will end, but I see opportunity. I see an opportunity for us to challenge this divisiveness and come together to make change.

We are at a crossroads. (Personally, I believe every step of life is at a crossroads—carpe momento.) We have before the path of pessimism and stagnation (the status quo) or the path of optimism and growth.

The blessing of differing views is the options for solutions. There is a lot in the world that is broken. Will we keep complaining or will we get to work? Will we keep applying band-aid solutions or will be treat the underlying problems?

Many fear that institutions will be torn down. Many likely will. This can be scary. It can also be an opportunity—an opportunity to get it right this time when we rebuild. I prefer to see the opportunity.

We can come together as United and other-centered or keep going down a path of division and entitlement. I am optimistic. I am hopeful.

Let’s ask ourselves why we disagree and what the obstacles are to having our needs met. Let us….

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!