Ray’s Daily
January 14, 2020
You may do this, I tell you, it is permitted. Begin again the story of your life.
Jane Hirshfield
One of the hardest things for many of us to do when we retire is to free ourselves from our past so we can take advantage of what our new life has to offer. I feel sorry for the folks I have met who are restrained by the barriers they have retained from their past.
Possibly some are frightened by stepping into the unknown, not realizing that a happier life is just waiting to be discovered. When people talk about seniors seeming to step into a second childhood, they are not too far wrong for some of us. You see we are busy spending time learning to take advantage of our freedom to do new things with new friends while retaining fond memories and old friends.
Letting Go
In exactly the same way that birds have to find the courage to let go of a branch in order to actually fly, we must also let go of our emotional branches if we are to experience the exhilaration of soaring to our highest potential in life!
The branches we hold on to are our innermost attachments: our beliefs, our bad habits and those memories which keep us stuck. And then there are the outer attachments: they are people, possessions, positions and privileges – to name but a few. We must be aware that as long as we hold onto them, we will actually live in fear (of letting go and loss) and we will never feel the freedom that we all deserve. Once you become aware of those birds and the initial courage they display when they let go of their branches just prior to flying, you will be capable of experiencing life in a totally different way.
This can be your new recipe of how to live a life where you learn to let go of one branch at a time, and learn to have new experiences, one at a time. The birds have found that by letting go of one branch, they are then able to spend the rest of their lives trying many other branches, one branch at a time, and they can enjoy the view from each new vantage point. What a way to live!
Are you actually flying and soaring in your life, or are you stuck on one branch, resenting others as they fly past? You can do it, go on, just try letting go!
Remember this – not letting go of old stuff is the same as driving through life with a flat tire on our cars; not stopping to change it; hoping that it will fix itself; pretending that the ride is smooth; knowing that it isn’t; until one day it gets so loud and bumpy that we are forced to stop and take a look, and actually get help!
Author Unknown
~~~
The past doesn’t determine your future unless you carry it with you into the present. Forgiving yourself and others, you free the universe to begin again at any moment.
Marianne Williamson
~~~
A man asks his guru, “Do you have anything that stops the aging process?”
The guru responds, “Sure. What kind of disease would you like?”
~~~
A husband and wife were involved in a petty argument, both of them unwilling to admit they might be in error.
“I’ll admit I’m wrong,” the wife told her husband in a conciliatory attempt, “if you’ll admit I’m right.”
He agreed and, like a gentleman, insisted she go first.
“I’m wrong,” she said.
With a twinkle in his eye, he responded, “You’re right!”
~~~
My home church welcomes all denominations, but really prefers tens and twenties.
~~~
While trying to explain to our five-year-old daughter how much technology had changed, my husband pointed to our brand-new personal computer and told her that when he was in college, a computer with the same amount of power would have been the size of a house.
Wide-eyed, our daughter asked, “How big was the mouse?”
~~~
A positive attitude will not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
Herm Albright
~~~
A priest and a rabbi were traveling on a plane. After a while the priest turned to the rabbi and asked, “Is it still a requirement of your faith that you not eat pork?”
The rabbi responded, “Yes, that is still one of our beliefs.”
The priest then asked, “Have you ever eaten pork?”
To which the rabbi replied, “Yes, on one occasion I did succumb and tasted pork.”
The priest nodded in understanding and went back to his reading. After a while the rabbi asked the priest, “Father, is it still a requirement of your faith that you remain celibate?”
The priest replied, “Yes that is still very much a part of our faith.”
The rabbi then asked him, “Father, have you ever fallen to the temptation of the flesh?”
The priest replied, “Yes, rabbi, on one occasion I was weak and broke with my faith.”
The rabbi nodded understandingly for a moment and then said, “A lot better than pork, isn’t it?”
~~~
“A mother becomes a true grandmother the day she stops noticing the terrible things her children do because she is so enchanted with the wonderful things her grandchildren do.”
Lois Wyse
~~~
They tell me that:
Only a true Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption, and that you don’t “HAVE” them but “PITCH” them.
Only a true Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, beans, etc., make up “a mess.”
Only a true Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of “yonder.”
Only a true Southerner knows exactly how long “directly” is – as in, “Going to town, be back directly.”
Even Southern babies know that “Gimme some sugar” is not a request for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl on the middle of the table.
All true Southerners know exactly when “by and by” is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well.
Only a true Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who’s got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. (If the neighbor’s trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin’!)
Only true Southerners grow up knowing the difference between “right near” and “a right far piece.” They also know that “just down the road” can be 1 mile or 20.
Only a true Southerner both knows and understands the difference between a redneck, a good ol’ boy, and po’ white trash.
No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make a turn.
A true Southerner knows that “fixin'” can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.
Only true Southerners make friends while standing in lines. We don’t do “queues,” we do “lines”; and when we’re “in line,” we talk to everybody!
Put 100 true Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they are related, even if only by marriage.
True Southerners never refer to one person as “y’all.”
True Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.
Every true Southerner knows that eating tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits, and coffee is perfectly wonderful; that redeye gravy is also a breakfast food and that fried green tomatoes are not.
When you hear someone say, “Well, I caught myself lookin’… ,” you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!
Only true Southerners say “sweet tea” and “sweet milk.” Sweet tea indicates the need for sugar and lots of it – we do not like our tea unsweetened. “Sweet milk” means you don’t want buttermilk.
Only true Southerners ask for “light bread.” That means you don’t want cornbread or biscuits.
And a true Southerner knows you don’t scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say, “Bless her heart” and go your own way!
~~~
Practise wonder today – be present, begin again, know nothing, and allow everything to surprise you, inspire you, excite you, entertain you, teach you. Be fully open to life, today, and let yourself live wonder-fully.
Robert Holden
~~~
Ray Mitchell
Indianapolis, Indiana
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.
Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.
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