Where Did You Grow Up?

Did you grow up in a cubicle?

Did you grow up without inspiration?

Did you grow up without creativity?

Do you know how to enjoy a museum, a dance concert, a symphony or string quartet?

Then what are you doing on this earth?

Do you enjoy a large vocabulary?

Do you read great literature?

Can you write a poem?

Then what are you doing on this earth?

Do you know the history of man through anthropology?

Have you seen the original creative spirits?

Are you just a bean counter?

Do you hire a lot of bean counters?

Do you really think “he who dies with the most” wins?

Then what are you doing on this earth?

Do you practice business with a generous spirit?

Can you make money following the rules that are in place for everyone?

Do you need special rules, special concessions, special tax breaks?

Does your business uplift humanity?

Then what are you doing on this earth?

What are you truly investing in?

Do you just live for now?

Do you just live for yourself?

Is your life enriched or just rich?

What makes you think you are superior?

What are you afraid of?

© 2013 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

News and Persuasion

After reading Seth Godin’s blog about Thomas Midgeley Day, http://sethgodin.typepad.com, I am reminded about the difference between news and information, and advertising and persuasion.

As a parent, I am responsible for teaching my children about moral behavior.  As a teacher, I am responsible for making sure my students learn to work in correct and sincere and honest ways.

I expect both my children and my students to grow up to be responsible members of society.

There are ways to be successful that are honest and moral and which contribute to uplifting society.

Why would there be anything else we could call success?

© 2013 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

Seeping Ideas

What is true is that there is one Universal Spirit which connects us all, and which expects us to see all of Its creation as wonderful and to provide for each and every one of us well.

When we each individually live our lives from that viewpoint, we have an entirely different approach to solving society’s and civilization’s problems.

What can I do, right now, right here, to embrace and activate this viewpoint?

I can stop criticizing myself and other folks.

I can see the “down and out” person as reasonable, that is, as having reasons  to be affected as you see them.

So start there.

See them as having had more problems than solutions, more problems than resources.

Where is the first place you would start to help lift them up?

Easy.

In your own mind.  

See them.  

They are not invisible.

Now, what types of things put them there?

It is uncomfortable to think about.

But it is worth the discomfort.

With your thoughts, with your mind, just acknowledge them.

Change that one practice and let the next idea seep in.

Do it over time, and let the next idea just keep seeping in.

I am not talking about activism.

I am talking about seeping ideas.

Just take that as a practice for a while.

See where that takes you.

You will be surprised.

© 2013 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

The Age of Reunion

(after reading Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein)

http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Economics-Money-Society-Transition/dp/1583943978/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368042887&sr=1-1&keywords=sacred+economics

You would want to unite with everybody, go up to complete strangers, and express recognition and appreciation for their gifts and their beauty of expression.

You would just want to see more and more of this happening from everyone around you.

We are here to create a more beautiful world for ourselves and for everyone in it.
This only depends on our attitude.
Then the tools at our disposal, communication, technology, manufacture, would all be for the benefit of everyone here on earth.
We would become compassionate.
No longer competitive, authoritarian, and superior.
But cooperative, supportive, and equal.

What a concept.
It boggles the mind.
But it also engages the mind.


© 2013 Kathryn Hardage
www.InspiredPractices.com