Compilation

Every day last month I posted an idea, a thought, a provocation somewhere on social media. Some posts resonated and some were train wrecks. Because I have realized that I write voraciously so that I get a glimpse of what I am thinking, I need to write a lot of junk in order to free up space for something worth considering. My filters hide gems behind a fence of feeble glibness so that I don't need to work hard at the digging and tunneling that deep reflection requires.

Verse 16 of the Tao Te Ching or the translation that resonates with me seems appropriate.

Become totally empty.

Let your heart be at peace.

Admits the rush of worldly comings and goings,

observe how endings become beginnings.

Things flourish, each by each,

only to return to the Source . . .

to what is and what is to be.

To return to the root is to find peace.

To find peace is to fulfill one’s destiny.

To fulfill one’s destiny is to be constant.

To know the constant is called insight.

Not knowing this cycle

leads to eternal disaster.

When wrestling with a decision, think for yourself, not about yourself. #thoughtfortoday

InTELLegence is recognized in the acquisition and understanding of knowledge, not in the telling to make others look small. #learn #listen #thought4today

Every morning you have two choices, continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them. #tought4today

Attempt to be radically and unreasonably patient today, and see what happens. #though4today

If we are unable to fit others into our worldview, do they become invisible or vilified? #thought4today

A bee won’t directly benefit from the honey she makes; instead, it will allow future generations to thrive after she is gone. #thought4today

Being a citizen (someone who is a dweller of the land) should invoke a sense of community, connectivity, and responsibility. #thought4today

The message is magnified when it is shared by hundreds. #makemeaning #becourageous #thought4today

Does avoiding awkward situations or absolving yourself of responsibility fit with the view you have of yourself. #thought4today

Is our collective memory fading after only a few years? Does it matter? #thought4today #JohnLennon

Do you ever wake up wishing you were somewhere else? What is stopping you? #thought4today

Gravity is the most impactful force in our universe and yet we ignore it almost all the time. #thought4today

Gratitude is the second most powerful force in our lives and we ignore and reject it in favor of negativity. #thought4today #begrateful

Economic prosperity and social prosperity need to be synced in order to build diverse and robust communities. #thought4today

Each day I get to choose between words that inspire and words that intimidate. #thought4today

Our belief in ourselves and others impacts the outcome. If you think you can, you are more likely to succeed. #thought4today

Hope isn’t a strategy but no strategy can succeed without hope. #thought4today

My imagination isn’t limited by my circumstances. #thoughtfortoday

In our most awkward moments, we have the opportunity to be the most authentic. #thought4today #askanawkwardquestion

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder where does unattractiveness reside? #thought4today #seebeauty

The first small step is just a first small step, but the second and third and … are what propels movement. #thought4today

It feels good to do good, so make this Feel Good Friday. #fgf #thought4today

Playing an active role in your community makes the nearly impossible idea of democracy possible.

Maybe, sometimes I’m wrong, but I’m wrong sincerely. #thought4today #confession

I find myself increasingly perplexed by Artifical intelligence but even more perplexed by the politic of the world. #thought4today

If we continue to manage social issues, social issues manage to continue. #thought4today #findsolutions

Kind words can dampen the fire of anger. #thought4today