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SELF EXAMINATION NO PASS NEVER FAIL

Saturday July 30, 2016

This new word invaded our lexicon when we weren’t expecting change: the selfie.

It needs to sit at the back of the bus with hula-hoops and other passing fads.

Will the selfie last? Not sure …

Self lasts.

Whole lives live. Partial ones too. Even if they aren’t especially deep – don’t change the world (like hula-hoops and selfies have for a minute in time), don’t make a real difference. Or do they?

Duration and degree of magnitude matter less than the self in self-control, self-directed, self-selected …

For a real trip – spend time on someone besides yourself. Not all your time, but some of your important time. Magic only takes moments, and we DO have time. Take care, of your whole self your whole life …

Self-centered, we’re told – avoid in ourselves, in others. Self-focused, root of achievement and over-achieving. Self-less, root of much good. Self-centered and self-less seem opposites, or yin-yan halves of one self-mingled whole?

Psycho-bable-mishmash, self-abused or self-amused, have we grown self-sewn seeds? Is yourself: self-destructive, self-aggrandizing, self-made, self-actualized, self-preserved, self-effacing?

Self-regulating, moderation of our modulation, self-composed, you are the only one you can always count on for that.  Self-indulgent? Perhaps, but isn’t there some of that in our self-worth?

Anyone can have a moment of self-contained self-explained joy or self-pity. Let it show, or hide it. We can all do that. Isn’t that all we need? Self-satisfied, self-gratified, we don’t need anyone else. Don’t need so much as a shirt or a pencil, we are easily self-indulged, self-involved, and self-contained. As children we were taught (or were we scolded?) not to be selfish.

Self-confidently self-activating, we are all about self. If not we’d be nothing going nowhere in search of nothing at all – wandering around till we self-plant ourselves in some plate glass window because we were looking outward for answers we only find inside. Self-contained, self-confined we are self-sustaining. Self-interest, self-assured, self-controlled, self-care. In spite of ourselves.

Tomorrow will come after today. It seems to always work out that way …

Just as it did today, and everything is the same; well, nearly everything for nearly everybody. For some, perhaps many, today is massively different due to circumstances they cannot control.

What if, what if, what if we could control circumstances – could make life altering decisions at a moment’s notice, flip a switch, click a mouse?

We can, you can, I can – take a deep breath …

Enduring, or endearing? Ask yourself … 

 

written / published from Calgary, AB

morning walk with Gusta:  15C/60F, sunny/clear, light breeze – quiet streets except for one jogger with large yellow dog (not sure what giant breeds made that one) that tested Gusta’s pulling power and my pulling-back power but we persevered, returned with leash and rotator cuff intact – beautiful morning, I’m so energized to do new things I don’t know which pile of work to ignore first …

Reader feedback:

WORLDLY THINGS ARE FLEETING

I too find it challenging to remain focused. I have found my Zen training to be somewhat helpful here;what I continue to learn is that the reward is in the work. The right path is the path you are mindfully walking on. Being with a dog does help--my standard poodle pup, Louis, is an exemplary Zen master, EB


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