2 RELUCTANT ARCHITECT OF THE TRUE ENEMY

If you teach yourself, 

to lie to yourself,

Then...

Your biggest worry, is not the enemy from outside.

It is the enemy from within.

For you are then, the architect of your own adversary. --D.S.B.S.Rhapsody Phoenix

©D.S.B.S.Rhapsody Phoenix 

1 MAKING THE BEST OF IT

Life, making the best of it no matter what rolls your way is a choice you get to make.

You get to choose how you cope.

D.S.B.S.RhapsodyPhoenix

6 CHANGE, LIFE'S CONSTANT

Change is constant, a certainty. Most fear change however nature continually demonstrates the valued necessity in its repeated yearly transformations. We need to heed Nature's lessons about change and embrace it rather than soak in resistance for that which is inevitable.

AUTUMN IN TORONTO CANADA BY D.S.B.S.Rhapsody

2 INTENTIONAL CONVERSATION

What you say about others also tells a story about you. 

Be mindful of the intent of what you say, to whom you say it and why. 

D.S.B.Rhapsody

9 BE TRANSFORMATIVE

Like the trees we must learn to be transformative and transform ourselves in order to navigate different/challenging situations. Life at times will requires us to shift and access diverse aspects of our selves/personalities in order to appropriately deal with what is to come. Every living thing is life does it. Below the trees are showing off their colors preparing, eventually shedding their leaves before leaving for the winter season.

6 BE YOU

On my mind in this moment:

I often find myself with a particular thought and or concept that will take hold and will not let go until I have written it down, either pen to paper or letters to blog. Hence my entry today is titled….BE YOU.

If who you are and who you aspire to be is solely dependent upon how others see and perceive you. Then you are in trouble. You see, who you are now and who are to become cannot and should not be solely predicated upon others ideas, ideals, philosophies and ideologies. Though some of what you see, hear, experience and learn will undoubtedly shape and influence you to some degree it cannot be all that you are.

It is important to learn the value of you, in you. Go on the adventure of the “I” and learn the lessons inherent in living that are specifically designed for you. Learn how to respect and honor yourself and create standards, ethics, ethos and philosophies that support that and though you may discover that you are flawed like the rest of us homo-sapiens. Like the rest of us, you will find the wisdom in self-acceptance and gain the understanding that you are enough and perfectly imperfect.

Just, Be you, you will find that you will be better at it than trying to be someone other than. After all, you are the only one living with you 24/7, 365.

 

 

21 As I am

---This week’s willful reminder---

I Am Enough As I am

“If you figure out what perfectness look like, taste like, feel like, live like, walk like, talk like, smile like, survive like, love like, forgive like, give like, take like and what is required to achieve it, maintain it and sustain it, let me know, till then I’ll remain As I Am, a imperfectly imperfect work in progress learning from my mistakes and from those of whom I am blessed to be privy too, consciously and mindfully applying the lessons to my continuing journey through life as I move forward.”

I AM ENOUGH

AS I AM

 

Written by D.S.B.Rhapsody 2010 © all rights reserved

16 Breathe of LIFE! Walk the TALK

Inhale…. Exhale…. Breathe….. The breath of life can never be taken for granted. Be thankful.

Mindfulness Thought:

“It may be convenient to talk the talk because it makes you sound good however, it is more meaningful and fruitful to walk the talk because you are putting words into action and creating transformation” --D.S.B.S.Rhapsody

D.S.B.S.Rhapsody©All rights reserved

0 Be Thankful

14 ONE CANNOT DECIDE SOLELY ON THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE

“If merely feeling good could decide, drunkenness would be the supremely valid human experience”. --William James

14 Stress–ARE YOU THE CAUSE OR THE RECIPIENT?

If you allow yourself to become a point of stress. You will be the point of which everyone runs from.

“When old stresses are triggered, walk away.” --Deepak Chopra & Rudolph Tanzi from The Book Super Brain.

 

KNOW YOUR PLACE….

It is wise to understand the boundaries in your relationships so do not unknowingly do things to erode it or destroy it all together.

All relationships has boundaries, know  yours.

20 FREE YOURSELF

 

Often we suffer in silence, muted, we are caged by fear, afraid of being judged, dismissed, ridiculed and laughed at. While we die in degrees, haemorrhaging, pretending all is well. Silence though golden can also be deadly. 

“Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.” –Sigmund Freud

There is no one perfect way to healing and living life abundantly however truth is the key. The truth we must tell ourselves, the truth we must own on the journey to true healing.

We must be honest and  hold fast to personal integrity. I don’t claim to  have the “perfect” solution(s) to all of life’s ills . I do know however that bottling and suffocating on what distresses and pains us is certainly not the answer. It is toxic and it poisons us from the inside out saturating and debilitating our being finding an avenue of release with or without our consent.

SO WHAT DO WE DO NEXT?:

We  express ourselves in ways that is freeing, productive, positive, nourishing, healing and life affirming while doing the work necessary for living life abundantly.  

Happiness is a choice. Choose to be happy.

D.S.B.S.Rhapsody© All rights reserved.

Art: Humble You by Joseph Masila

26 Happiness-Simplistic Key: Truth, Knowing, Understanding & Trusting Self

Be mindful of those that always have an opinion of who they think you should be, could be, what you should look like, act like, think like. Know who you are or be forever be cast adrift by the unsolicited opinions and advice of those who know not who you truly are but seek to cast you asunder from those that truly have your back. Careful not to sell your head and give your power away to those with malice intent whose intention is to isolate you so you look only unto them for solace and succour.

By all means be open to learning, listening, growing, transforming however do not dishonor yourself by negating your spirit and  completely dismiss your instincts.

Written by D.S.B.Rhapsody

46 Worry - A heavy load

When unexpected things happen that we cannot immediately fix or have to wait through a successions of tasks before things can even out or be amended we worry.

If we are living hand to mouth, pay cheque to pay cheque and have to carefully stay within the parameters of a tight almost impossible budget, always having to strategically determine the priority (most important to what can wait a bit) in which to pay our bills, we worry.

When unexpected expenses occurs that was not budgeted for or is way above our means and ability to pay because there is little to no savings to draw from, we worry.

Sometimes in life the wisest course of action is to take things one day at a time and try not worry, operative word “try” (easier said than done I know) because worrying really does not help; what it does is adds to the problem, it perpetuates negative stress levels and make coping unbearable. Worrying is not a proactive solution, it offers no resolutions. Think of it this way…

If worrying about a particular situation or circumstance is not contributing positively, making things better, helping make the load easier to carry or supporting you in remaining healthy and strong so that you are able to face whatever there is to come, then what’s the point of worry? "Let It Go". Unless of course worrying puts money in your bank account, clothes on your back, pays the rent/mortgage, puts food on the table, takes you to and from work, assist with childcare and mows the lawn all without your assistance …then by all means, worry! If not, then, let it go.

Worrying is an unproductive self-deprecating waste of time and good energy that does nothing to foster self-confidence, good will or hope.

Mindfulness Thought…

When faced with what feels like insurmountable challenges in your life, first things first, breathe! Take some deep breaths from the diaphragm to center yourself and counter the panic racing through your mind and threatening to overtake your body. Most of all, think. Be proactive, ask yourself these questions:

• what are the things that are in my control?
  • What can i proactively do about the things that are within my control, to make things better, minimize the fallout/damage, to salvage anything salvageable?

What are the things that are not within my control?

• How do I set in place healthy coping mechanisms that minimize my stress levels and support me staying emotionally, psychologically and physically healthy and positive through this process?

Sometimes coping maybe mean taking it day to day, one day at a time, hour at a time, one moment at a time. It may mean asking for assistance where you would not have ask for help. The key  is to be proactive and take care of yourself inside out/outside in. No one said it would be easy but no one said it would be hard either. You choose which it would be for you.

DSB Rhapsody © All Rights Reserved.

Repost, first published June 1, 2009

30 A THOUGHT

“Character is primary everything else is transitory”

No matter whom you claim to be, who you say you are, where you are from, your ethnic background, your social class, your religious practices and economic status, figuring out the kind person you want to be is important.

In the end….

When it is all said and done….

 

WE are not as different as we think, as we are led to believe, regardless of our skin color, hair texture, culture, creed or class.

 

Question….

• Who are you and how does your physicality, ethnicity, cultural identity, social class and ideology inform and transform your character or does it?

 

D.S.B. S Rhapsody©All rights reserved.

36 Some Things Are Better Left Unspoken

Some things, once unravelled cannot be re-wound precisely as it were before to presented with an untouched quality as the slightest change leaves its mark even if it’s invisible to the eye.

 

MY POINT:

Not everything felt should be expressed; some things are better left unsaid because once spoken, it cannot be unspoken.

 

COPYRIGHT OF D.S.B.RHAPSODY OF RHAPSODY PHOENIX

24 Obligation

Obligation – duty, responsibility, commitment, requirement, contract… etcetera, etcetera, etcetera

OB-LI-GA-TION

Is

Not

Truth

It is a choice

33 A Thought [08]

“Character is primary everything else is transitory”

No matter who you are, where you’re from, your ethnic background, social class, religious practices and economic status, figuring out the kind person you want to be is important.

D.S.B.Rhapsody©All rights reserved

Art: Diva in Blue by Frank Morrison

13 A tête-à-tête

If every time you’re engaged in conversation

the other party have nothing to say…

What’s the point?

A conversation is reciprocal,

A two-way dialogue jiving in synchronicity,

It should not be like watching grass grow

Or lying in wait for a hair follicle

A short mutually stimulated exchange

Is preferable to...

A lengthy discussion inflated by extensive bouts of abhorrent silence

Know when to say enough...

And...

Be wise to the repugnant stillness of disinterest

D.S.B.Rhapsody© All rights reserved

21 ONE DAY/MOMENT AT A TIME

Sometimes in life there are no obvious solutions other than taking things one day at a time and from moment to moment.

D.S.B.Rhapsody©2008 and beyond - all rights reserved