Ecstatic Friday, March 20, 2015

First day of Spring and Ecstatic Friday is a day of contradictions for me.

It's been 5 years today since we lost Liz Carpenter (Secret Service code "Springtime") and yet, even in the face of that loss, spring arrives, wildflowers grace the land and blossoms pop on trees. As Mrs. J fought to preserve the natural beauty of this country, Liz walked every step with her. I think this tribute of David Mixner's for Mrs. J works for Liz, too: "Every spring, this country will be reminded of the Lady from Texas. As trees bloom and flowers carpet our nation's capital, Lady Bird Johnson will be remembered. Only Lady Bird Johnson could, with her vision of a beautiful America, lay claim to spring as her memorial." Want to celebrate life like you're a former First Lady? Go outside and look at the colors... really see them. And, then give thanks for this riotous party known as Spring! You have been blessed with sight. Use it. Happy Spring!

Ecstatic Friday, February 20, 2015

Ecstatic Friday and I am feeling drawn to something read long ago in The Art of Racing in the Rain. Enzo, the dog, says: "Here's why I will be a good person. Because I listen. I cannot talk, so I listen very well. I never deflect the course of the conversation with a comment of my own. People, if you pay attention to them, change the direction of one another's conversations constantly... Learn to listen! I beg of you. Pretend you are a dog like me and listen to other people rather than steal their stories.” So, my day will be spent listening. Please, tell me your story.

Ecstatic Friday, February 13, 2015

I proclaimed 2015 the year of removing what doesn't belong to reveal the masterpiece beneath (à la Michelangelo.) Two months into it, here's what I know: chipping away and discarding is heavy, discouraging, confusing work. Masterpieces do not reveal themselves quickly. So, for this Ecstatic Friday, I'm clinging to Anne Morrow Lindbergh's wisdom: “Every step, even a tentative one, counts.” So, if you find yourself in your own winter slog, take heart... spring will come and there will be cherry blossoms, daffodils and the magic of bumblebees. Already the days are longer and the sun is brighter. Every step counts. And, that's the truth.

Ecstatic Friday, February 6

Celebrating Ecstatic Friday with Paulo Coelho: "You have to take risks, he said. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen. Every day, God gives us the sun--and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy... If people really pay attention to their everyday lives, they will discover that magic moment. It may arrive in the instant when we are doing something mundane, like putting our front-door key in the lock; it may lie hidden in the quiet that follows the lunch hour or in the thousand and one things that all seem the same to us. But that moment exists--a moment when all the power of the stars becomes a part of us and enables us to perform miracles.” Come on, unexpected! I'm ready for a miracle today.

Ecstatic Friday, January 30, 2015

Before opening my eyes this Ecstatic Fri morn, two things crossed my mind. One was Johnny Cash singing the old hymn "In the Garden" and the other words from Franz Kafka: "You need not do anything. Remain sitting at your table and listen. You need not even listen, just wait. You need not even wait, just learn to be quiet, still and solitary. And the world will freely offer itself to you unmasked. It has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet." What divine paradox! If you want the world to unfurl its mysteries, be still. It's that simple. Namaste.

Ecstatic Friday, January 23, 2015

Happy Ecstatic Friday! I've been thinking this week about the company we keep. Why do so many of us surround ourselves with the petty, the jealous, the small-minded? Take some advice from Mark Twain: "Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great, make you feel that you too can become great." And, then, we must heed Daniel Burman, "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's souls." So, what are we waiting for? Let's go be great!

Ecstatic Friday, January 16 2015

The first Ecstatic Friday appearance for Hafiz in 2015: "You carry all the ingredients to turn your existence into joy, mix them, mix them!" Don't you just love that? Joy -- that life affirming, everlasting happiness which bubbles deep inside --- only requires you mixing-up what you already have right now. What are you waiting for? And, that's the truth!

Ecstatic Friday January 2

The first real Ecstatic Friday of 2015 is all about beginnings. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." Well, with the new year, strength and out-of-box thinking should come rushing in exponentially. Sign me up! Why don't you join me, please? The world needs us all to be more creative.

Ecstatic Friday, December 19, 2014

Happy Ecstatic Fri in a month of miracles! I've been thinking about Mark Twain's quote: “The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance under the prompting of a brave, determined spirit.” What I (and others) miss about miracles is that we must put our lives into "drive" first; we initiate the miracle. Across most ancient religions -- be it Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc -- it is taught that we take one step towards God, and God takes 10-20-100 or 1 million steps towards us. Notice, though, we must initiate the step. That's the key to having a miracle. Take the first step and expect a miracle today.

Ecstatic Friday, December 12, 2014

Happy Ecstatic Fri! From my earliest memories until her death, my mother told me that my birth was an answer to her prayers. Having lost a newborn son too weak to live before me, she prayed incessantly for a strong baby girl.

All snickering aside about being careful what you pray for, I've been thinking lately how we would all behave differently if we realized that at even our most imperfect moments, we are still the most perfect divine answer to another's prayer --- be it the prayers of our mother, grandparents, partner, children or friends. Somewhere along the way, someone prayed for a miracle and were given wonderful YOU! Namaste!