Life with the General

“As a general rule...people ask for advice only in order not to follow it; or if they do follow it, in order to have someone to blame for giving it.”  Alexandre Dumas

We all seem to talk about
The general rule......

Things in general

Generally speaking

We have quite a little army of generals going....

But in private, it gets a little harder

Just in general

We  eat right and exercise

But in private their seems to be some challenges

In general,

We are right on target

But in  private, our goals may seem far away

So…here is the deal

Drum out the General!

Pipe in the private

And get it done!

generally speaking, that is....

and that's poetiquejustis

What I Learned from a Chocolate Chip

There’s  new kid in town….

The Eagles

Nothing for it.

You put the day to bed

and wake up to find 

someone has rearranged the formula

Changed the recipe

Moved your piece on the chess board

Maybe it is a  new hire at work and now the personality of the place is different

Or you find yourself in a whole new story where everyone seems to know the ending but you

But one thing you can count on....

Wherever you go, you are there.

That does not change

Take a chocolate chip.....

A chocolate chip is still a chocolate chip if it is in a cookie

or a brownie

A chip does not think about where it is-

It just jumps right in to the bowl

It just keeps being a chocolate chip

Doing its chocolate chip thing and adding to the recipe

So, Go!

Be a chip for all seasons and reasons

Because wherever you go….there you are

And that’s poetiquejustis

S0 Be IT

Every good painter paints what he is. Jackson Pollock

First, you have to 

BE

      then

 BE

            BEtter

                               at 

                                             BEing

 BElieve in yourself and what you have to say

Let this brave life BEgin  anew everyday

BEstow kindness on yourself and others

BEhave as though we are all connected 

BEcause we are

No matter how old you are or how young you are

 you are a BEacon

 For those who are learning how to BE

 

So BE it

and that's poetiquejustis

 

Never a Day Without Failure, Please!

Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement. C S Lewis

Any day where I have not failed at least once is a wasted day

It means I am doing the same old tried and true
Not moving forward, 
Not doing those things I am afraid to do, 
Not really living!




I have not stumbled and fallen,

So I have not learned how to pick myself up and get moving again

I have not lost my way, so I must have walked this path before

Everything feels the same, so I must have been hanging around here a while

A day without failure means I am working only with the strength I have, 

not with the strength I need to build

A day without failure is just another day
and that will never do!
and that's poetiquejustis

A Life of Value Added

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve. " Albert Schweitzer

Today, I get to play in the in the dirt
and get my hands dirty

Some friends of mine and I are going to" help out"

 at an inner city community garden

I am under no illusion that I will be much of a help with the garden

The people who live around that garden
have probably forgotten more about gardening than I will ever know

But they are being gracious and letting my friends and me think we are helping and letting us

I know I will learn a lot
more about myself

and my friends

and just about getting out there and getting your hands dirty and your heart clean

Albert Einstein said:
Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.
It is a new day, and we all get a chance to be of a bit more value.
and that's poetiquejustis

An Intentional Onion

An original is a creation motivated by desire

Man Ray

My husband and I were talking about "intention"- that state of being where things actually get done.

He pointed out that 'intention' is the step beyond desire,

  -a step you cannot skip-

but  desire is just not enough

                                                *  

wishing...hoping...dreaming...all good starts, but they do not get you there

As the writer Sonya Levien said:

Good intentions are not enough- they never put an onion in the soup.

Life can be like a broth, you know.

Good for you...keeps you going...but not very imaginative

No one wants life to be just a simple broth

 So....

  Put an onion in your soup!

Dress it up....fill it with good things

OK...here is the recipe...

You add a pinch each of 

courage

joy

fun

love

ambition

One A big dash of desire

 You got to put your heart in it!

And a pound of intention

Soup does not make itself. 

You got to want it

Today, life has RSVPd and is coming to dinner

So go, put an onion in your soup!

and that's poetiquejustis 

*"desire" by elanorg