I mentioned how much Beethoven changes the mood in my house. (his music, not him…he’s not around…lol) I also get a lot from Leo Buscaglia who was a Professor and lecturer and was known as Dr. Love.
I don’t know if I am just getting older and mushier, but I find myself drenched in things that make me feel good. I try not to be in circles that promote hate, revenge, anger or violence although I like to write on those topics sometimes in my extracurricular writings and ramblings on occasion. I wished I would have stumbled upon this guy in my youth. He has a fantastic array of videos on youtube which even though some are closing in on 40 years ago, still hold up today. It’s part of why I tend to read and watch messages from people who lived well before me. They have marinated in a good way; time, tested and true.
Leo Buscaglia was not only promoting love as the most powerful force on the earth, but his energy was infectious and his lectures were contagious. I always walk away feeling excited about the mysteries not yet discovered and he gives a child-like perspective on adult issues. I like that his messages while very deep and layered, maintain a sense of simplicity.
Some of my favorite quotes come from him. You’ve probably heard some of them before, but today I felt the need to revisit them even though I know them.
One of my favorites;
“I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things... I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind.”
In a society where we are taught to strive for the big things, I am finding more and more I love the little things. What I find interesting about the quote is that the leaves and wind are actually NOT little things! That is part of an enormous magnificent weather system. I think we feel as though they are insignificant because we are simply used to them and we starve for new things. How fun it is to stay connected to this force and how good it is for our soul! I think nature is becoming a retro movement again, but how can we have a relationship with it that keeps us connected rather than a passing trend? I view the rain as part of my life now rather than something to bring me down…we should be in awe of it!
Another fantastic quote by him which I try to live by;
“Don't smother each other. No one can grow in the shade.”
Until I realized that I needed to ditch the idea of controlling anyone around me, I think I was contributing to their stunted state. We tend to complain that we hate how someone is acting, how little their thoughts are, how much they annoy us, but we speak down to them and keep them stifled. True growth needs room to grow and may have to go through some awkward, gangly stages before reaching their glow.
“Only the weak are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong.”
This was something many of us were taught as child. Don’t be a ‘wuss’, ‘tree-hugger’ or some other cat-like phrases. Lol I am still knee-deep in the lesson of gentleness actually being a strong trait and attribute. That one has taken me a very long time to digest. Generally, people who are cruel are in self-defense mode and may have reached a point where their decisions are based on desperation. If you hang out with enough gentle people, you soon realize that the cruel ones are only hurting themselves and are not triumphing over the weak, they are the weak.
This quote is really wise;
“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.”
I have spent most of my life worrying. Worry doesn’t spawn action, you have to actually convert it before it works. I am learning to distance myself from things which rob my happiness, that is, if I can’t convert it.
And I’ll end with this quote from him;
“Don't brood. Get on with living and loving. You don't have forever.”
Something I find interesting is that living and loving are things I can do while the world is going crazy. I don’t have to wait for things to get better and I don’t have to push other problems aside in order to practice living and loving. If I realize it can be inserted into everything I do quite effortlessly, I can stand back and allow my new mindset to take over the bad stuff. I don’t have to put so much responsibility on myself to fix it all, just by living and loving, the attitude shift can make my conversion to a healthier lifestyle seamless.
It can seem redundant to revisit the simple messages we were taught, but when our lives become increasingly cluttered and crazy, we sometimes have to go back to the beginning and return to the simple message which has proven to work; love. Love started it all, has proven itself and I try to stay aware of the things which distract me from it; the news, the bickering, the gossip, the arguments, new techniques, new science. They are all parts of our life meant to be experienced to some degree for our own growth and wisdom, but returning to love is what keeps me grounded in a very fulfilling way and strips the cobwebs, not to mention fires up new life.
Off to jump in a puddle,
Karen :)
Quote quota used up. ;)
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