Tao of Té - 38 Ideas I have learned in 38 Years - Installment 1

Tao of Té -  38 Ideas I have learned in 38 Years

 

I want you to pay attention to the title of this blog. It isn't "beliefs" it is "ideas" and you might be asking yourself why you should be noticing one single word. The truth is that, to me, beliefs are rigid. They don't change very often and are hard to change at that. An IDEA, though, can be changed when you receive new information or gain a new perspective. Ideas are fluid and for me, the following are simply ideas I have garnered, gathered and come to realize are applicable to me. If you find one that is applicable to you then use it. My thought is that it never hurts to read what another has come to the conclusion of based on life experiences. And these are my experiences and my life is not yours as yours is not mine.

There are several of these but I promise you a surprise at the end if you read through them. J

1) Age isn't just a number.

                Age really isn't THAT big a deal until you no longer have a birthday. I'm sure there are millions of people that have passed the veil that would love nothing more than to have one more birthday. This also applies to people that don't "act" their age. You know what? Don't. Never act a certain way because a number dictates.

 

2) Be Grateful

                Be grateful for the little things in life and be ecstatic for the big things. It really is those little things in life that can make the difference. I'd rather a lifetime of little small things than a few enormous. A life that appreciates the little gestures, moments and things is a life well lived.

 

3) Never forget courtesy and politeness

                We are swiftly becoming a society that no longer views "Ma'am" or "Sir", along with "Thank you" and "You're Welcome," as necessities. They are. I never address an unfamiliar adult with their first name even if it is on a badge or name tag. If I know their last name they get the Ms. or Mr. treatment. If I don't then they get "Ma'am" or "Sir." It really is a showing of respect and courtesy to remember your manners.

 

4) Learn Patience

                This is one that I'm ALWAYS working on. I have very little patience and my husband knows this, bless his little heart. ;) When we are waiting at Winco for the hellacious lines to move along, he will often lean over and say, " Breathe. It is okay. I know the lines are long but they are moving." Most of the time he has hit the nail on the head but here lately I'm okay with simply waiting. Why? Because someone Is waiting on me and if I hate someone pushing me along then I shouldn't do it to others. You will have to cut me  some slack though because this one is a constant work in progress.

 

5) Envy is a TERRIBLE shade of green.

                This one is simple. Don't wear it. We ALL know someone who seems to have it better off than we do. This may be true and they simply blessed. OR, and I'm going with 95% I'm right on this mode, they have a wealth of their own problems and we simply do not see them. Let me give you an example. I had a friend say to me, "Oh my gosh you are so together and lucky. You have already written a book and working on your next one. Most authors take years and years to get to your point." Now let me tell you the truth of the matter. Yes, I have written down one book. I haven't published it. I am looking at MAJOR revamps because I have decided I no longer like it and it isn't written well. This book as consumed hours, days and even weeks of my time. As for having the others lined out…I've been working on this series in my head for more than 15 years. Don't envy me in the least and I'll do my best not to let that hideous shade of green be on me.

6) Learn to Meditate

                Meditation and prayer have a lot of the same things in common. You are in the moment and you are concentrating. Perhaps you are asking for forgiveness. Perhaps you are asking for a favor. Regardless you need to learn to meditate. Why? It makes you focus on your mind, your body and your environment. Don't think it is a pointless exercise where you become the Buddha. It isn't that. It is about finding yourself. OH and it isn't limited to one philosophy or religion. Enjoy!

 

7) Learn something new every single day.

                Simple. Learn a new fact each day and commit it to memory. Unless you have a degenerative brain disease or are missing your hippocampus, you can commit one fact to memory. Here is my latest knowledge fact. I learned more about Mary Queen of Scots. Did you know "God save the Queen!" came about after her beheading? Oh and her dog was hiding in her skirts during and after her execution. Fascinating stuff!

 

8) Laugh at least once a day.

                I'm trying to find the lighter side in life and to do so I find something , or someone, to make me laugh at least once a day. Often it is Dave but occasionally Kennedy and Maesin will whiz a zinger at each other that has me dang near belly rolling. It's good for the soul so keep laughing!

 

9) Say "Sorry" only when you truly are and don't hesitate to say it.

                People know an insincere apology when they hear it so don't let one fall from your lips. If you absolutely MUST issue an apology due to a confrontation, a work snafu etc but you don't feel the least apologetic then apologize for the situation. Don't say you are sorry for what you did or said. Does this make you a gigantic dick if you don't apologize or say sorry? It depends on what you did or said. But know that there is a huge difference between offering up a PR related "apology" and offering a sincere "I'm sorry." You're a big kid. You'll figure it out.

 

10) Learn how to be comfortable with yourself.

                Listen honey bears…if you aren't comfortable with yourself and comfortable being alone then you are most certainly not going to be comfortable by yourself with someone else. Why? Because you don't know yourself. Do you know what makes you tick? Do you know what pisses you off? Do you even know what your strong suits really are? If you don't know the absolute answer to all three questions then you don't know yourself. Am I comfortable with myself? Not all the way but I'm getting there. Yes, I realize I'm in a relationship and I jumped into one before I truly gained a sense of knowledge about myself. However I'm not in a suppressive environment which is a major plus. Dave pretty much has a philosophy that lets people be who they want to be provided they aren't dicks about it, or that they create much noise.

 

So yes, I'm stopping at 10 because I really don't think you want to read all 38 in one sitting. Tomorrow you'll get another 10 and so on and so forth until 38 is reached. As for that surprise I promised you? SURPRISE!!! You get three more installments. Yay you!!