Good Contacts

I am in contact with so many sources of good ideas, good motives, unselfish services.

I am reading Jan Phillips’ book, The Art of Original Thinking, with its breadth of documented good practices by businesses, individuals and organizations.

I just read the newest offer from Darn Good Yarn, which connects the producers in poorer parts of the world with crafters in affluent parts of the world.

And I got enjoy today’s creative idea from The Inbox Jaunt, a virtual Friday Sewing Circle, plus great machine quilting tutorials during the rest of the week.

I subscribe to many other upbeat and positive-turning blogs.

These are people who are looking at the problems and offering solutions.

As we all get under way with our solutions and connect with each other to continue uplifting our own lives, we touch many more lives in the process.

We are approaching a tipping point.

Do what it takes to keep yourself upbeat.

Keep adding to your opportunities for service.

Do not get dragged down.

I am so uplifted today by the action and inspiration of so many people who are sharing their ideas with the general public.

I am inspired to do so, too.

 © 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

World Views

Listening to the news, I hear one type of view presented.

Watching a movie, (Finding Happiness), about the Ananda community presents a different view.

Thinking about how I raised my children presents a third view.

Each view represents a philosophy which leads to certain practices.

The basis of each viewpoint is highly significant.

Who is important in the world, in the community, in the family?

Are there some who are more important than others?

Are there some whose needs are more significant than others?

Each country and organization operates according to how it thinks about its members.

When I was teaching music to three hundred pre-schoolers each week, I came to the conclusion that everyone is precious.

We grow up from being precious pre-schoolers to being precious adults.

We are precious at all the stages in between.

Since then, I have adopted the viewpoint of, how do I treat everyone as precious?

How do I show that I value them?

My expanding view sounds something like this:  What if we treated everyone as precious all the way from their earliest moments all the way throughout their lives?

What new policies would result?

What kinds of training and evaluations would be possible?

What new innovations would we see from really happy, secure and respected populations throughout our communities all over the world?

As I practice my view of the people around me, they feel it.

From time to time, I read about companies and organizations which operate from this basis and enjoy better business practices and better profits.

I am certainly looking forward to seeing this idea become the deep reason for all civic and business practices.

What an amazing world we live in where this is an actual possibility.

© 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

When We Stop Using Money...

When We Stop Using Money...

as a measure

as a definition

as a rating system

as an evaluation

as a way of judging

and we start using...

compassion

thoughtfulness

generosity of spirit

humor

intelligence

service

as a way of relating to each other,

we will truly change our society.

In fact, just trying it out for myself is resulting in an entirely different kind of life experience I never expected, right now.

© 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

Eye and Light

Either word could be used to describe something “beloved or admired” to the preclassical Greeks, according to Leonard Shlain in his book, Art and Physics.

To me, the preclassical definition is wonderful!

Eye, beloved.

Light, admired.

Every time we see something with the eye, we are seeing it as beloved or admiring it.

Every time something comes to light, we are cherishing it as beloved and admiring it.

As I convert more of my conscious thoughts to positive energy, I find this concept very empowering.

I like the idea of directing my thought to admiration and love.

The old negative habits of criticism have found a much more uplifting replacement.

As I change a larger and larger proportion of what I see to be taken in as beloved and admired, I feel my entire being shift direction and receive uplifting energy.

I am just imagining the effects of more and more of us doing that.

Watch the world reach the tipping point of care and compassion, love and admiration, for every one and every thing we see.

I am glad to be participating in this new step of consciousness that has come to me.

© 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

Worthwhile Success

I have a new book to teach me how to draw flowers.  

While thinking about them, I had the urge to look up the history of the Native Plants Society of Texas.

As usual, it was started by one man with a dream.

Carroll Abbott was called in by the president of TWU, Dr. Huey, to help with a 1930’s wildflower garden at TWU, which later received a Historical Marker from the State Historical Commission.

The Native Plant Society of Texas was established at TWU with the organizational skills of Dr. Huey and her students at TWU in 1980.

Carroll Abbott worked on his passion for years, while  serving as a political writer and campaign manager, which finally culminated in his acquaintance with Ladybird Johnson.

She, of course, established the National Wildflower Research Center, using seeds from Abbott’s company, Green Horizons.

In the course of reading about the efforts required to lobby for wildflowers, educate legislators, sell seeds, start a company, support a family, sell calendars, do whatever was required, I realized that here is one more life story of a worthwhile cause.

That is our gift.

To find a worthwhile cause that truly defines our nature and to follow it to its success.

That is all.

© 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com