The point in developing any relationship or making a work of art—the point of “existence” at all, the reason for and incentive of it—is to create and express “good.”

Why should we do something?  Because doing so is and produces good, and that is reason enough.  And if it doesn’t produce good, don’t do  it.  After all, Life is complete.  

Thank you.

     To me, it was quite comforting, anyway—I always find that it makes me feel safe (a very comforting feeling) when some notion affirms for me the fact that the universe is working.  Especially in the face of so much testimony to the contrary. 

     I was on the bus.  I overheard the two women behind me talking.  One was telling the other her woes.  The listener responded by saying, “Don’t worry, God never gives us more than we can handle.”

     Now, I usually lose my patience over this kind of canned “Christian” band-aid meant to soothe and lull but which rarely heals anything: “God works in mysterious ways;”  “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away;” —you’ve heard them—and this was no exception.  But since I’m working on trying to be more patient, less reactive, lately, (keep working, right?) I chilled myself out by reminding myself that they were entitled to their own opinions, thank you very much, and that their conversation was none of my business, anyway. 

     Then, suddenly—and I don’t know why, the channels opened, as it were, and I saw that the woman was right.  We’ve sort of figured out by now that “Earth” is a cosmic school of some kind, and that we’re each working our lives out, trying to discover our power and our coolosity, and how we fit in and who we really are, etc., and it suddenly made perfect sense, and it does, that God, Life, the powers that be, Reality—whatever we like to call It, the great computer in the sky, would not give us challenges to handle that were greater than our ability to survive them, because what would be the point of that?  We’d fail, and feel badly, not learn anything, and croak, and what kind of stupid way would that be to run the universe?  I mean, assuming that Life is intelligent—which It has to be, at least as much as we are, right? 

     Yes, the woman was right!  And that means, we can cope!  Whatever comes our way, it won’t be more than we can handle.  So we can relax.  Isn’t that great?  Challenges are coming, because that’s how we learn.  That’s how we develop.  And we’ll have to rise to them.  But we don’t need to be afraid of them.  We can handle them, each one.  Because Life is smart and It won’t blow us away, and then have to sit there with egg on Its face and say, “Fuck.  Maybe that was a little too heavy.”

     Yes, we have a long way to go.  But, then again, to go where?  To get where?  It’s an eternal journey, is it not?  And we never really get “there” anyway because “there” will have changed by the time we get there, as our definition of it as a goal will have altered.  So the only hope we have of ever ”getting there”—if by “there” we mean “success and satisfaction” in some tangible way, is to somehow get hold of that state of satisfaction now.  We know this, of course, but are we truly trying to do that?  Or are we paying it lip service but really living for “the day when…” fill in the blank?    

     One way to “get there,” I think, is to take a moment now and then to celebrate how far we’ve come in getting here.  In other words, instead of thinking (and moaning) about how far we have to go, let’s pat ourselves on the back and celebrate our progress in how far we have come!  It wasn’t easy to get this far.  We’ve done a lot of work.  There have been a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

     This has come home to me so strongly in the last week in watching the Eqyptian protestors maintain their stance of non-violent resistance in Tahrir Square.  How marvelous!  Good for them!  Good for us, as a people, because people from all countries, over time, have contributed to this successful revolution, this successful evolution.  

     Let’s celebrate that progress.  Let’s not say, “boy, things are a wreck in this world,” or in this or that country, “and only getting worse!”  Instead, let’s make a concerted effort to recognize and celebrate our collective steps of progress by claiming and exercising our freedom and our dominion—especially our progress in achieving dominion over fear.  As the Egyptians have reminded us time and again these last three weeks, the only true barrier each of us really has in our continuing progress is the psychological barrier of fear.  So, “to get there,”—to really be here—that’s got to go!  

The norm, the average, the down-beat, the normal state of any idea, any thing, any person, even, is the idea in it’s ideal—it’s spiritual—its perfect, purely-conceived state. 

Take a chair, for instance; the idea chair.  What comes up?  A useful, fully-functioning chair.  Not some twisted, broken-down, derelict of a chair.  But “chair” as a spiritual (or pure) idea, without error, without ”evil”.  Now that doesn’t mean that you can’t be fully creative in your design, your application, your use of the idea of chair, which, like all ideas in their pure forms, is available, or belongs, to everyone.  Your chair can be a tiny speck of some as yet undiscovered substance that follows you wherever you go and, sensing your requirement of its service when you wish to sit, automatically blossoms into a lovely, delicate but strong, “chair” that resembles a gentle tree branch, and reduces itself back to barely more than the notion of itself when you no longer need it.  But, whatever the expression of the idea—chair, in this case—the idea remains in tact, integrous, ideal.  It reflects a standard.  It either is, it fully functions as a chair—it successfully hosts your bum when you want it to—or it isn’t truly a chair.  A broken chair is not a chair.  Not while it is broken, anyway.  The ideal, the pure conception—the perfect—is the norm.

I find this idea fascinating, and very helpful with regards to “health” not only of chairs, but of businesses, relationships, and our bodies.  We are within our rights as children of not only a “self-correcting universe,” as one surgeon calls it, but a “self-maintaining universe” that, because the standard, the normal state, is good and healthy, does not falter to the necessity of needing correction, but remains good.  Following this reasoning, it means that what is normal is health, not ill-health (no matter how long we’ve felt ill), success in our businesses, happiness in our relationships.  It’s not “par for the course” that things suck.  It’s par for the course that we are healthy and strong, joyful, and happily related, and very successful!  Why?  Because good is the norm.  Good is normal.  But why is good the norm?  Because “goodness” or harmony or well-being is the only condition that is sustainable.  Anything less would result in chaos and self-destruction—and really be the way it now only sometimes appears to us when we unwittingly accept the deviation from the standard of goodness as the real condition.  Thank goodness, it’s not.  So we don’t have to think it’s miraculous and, therefore, unattainable to be healthy in our bodies and our lives.  It’s normal.  It’s how it’s meant to be.  It’s how it is.  It’s “God’s (good’s) will.”  Ain’t that cool?  That includes our understanding that, accepting it, and, therefore, experiencing it.  All good!

It occurred to me the other morning that the reason that planets—ours, at least—are round, falls somewhere kin to the motive behind Arthur’s Round Table.  His table was round so that all seats would be considered equal; there was no “head of the table.”  All planets are round so that the perspective of each individual—no matter where he may be on that planet—is equally unique and valid.  Hey, somebody was using the old noodle, huh?  Anyway, just thinking.   

Passive-aggressive woman willing to sacrifice aspirations and give her power away to bossy man with self-centered personality and ego-centric goals, for a false sense of security and pseudo-relationship that will deterioriate into mutual cruelty and loathing.

There are reasons for raisins, though I do not know them

(Those reasons that I have just alluded to),

But I am quite certain we wouldn’t have raisins

If there were not also good reasons we do.

This kept playing over and over in my head.  Why, I wondered?  Alliteration?  Yes, always good.  But where was the truth in it?  “There are reasons for raisins.”  I eat raisins, as a normal person would—nothing weird in it, and they exist as proper food.  Was that it, the aspect of its existence, which justified it, that it was proper?  

I thought about it; I let it play in my head.  This is as far as I got—but I found it quite satifying.  As long as somebody is driving the car, you know what I mean?

Holy Mother-Father God
Promise me you ain’t no fraud
Help me keep my faith alive
But only if this ain’t no jive

I love you with all my heart
When I can see the better part
But when I’m feeling low and mean
I only know what I have seen

And that don’t look too good, you know
With all this fear and not much dough
I’m sure that you can see my point—
You’ve been around, you know this joint

Not that I place the blame on you
I don’t; but then again I do
Because it really seems to me
It’s your responsibility
To make things run or fall apart
And yet, that said, with all my heart
I’m on your side, no matter what
Unless you make me out some mutt

And I know part of this whole fuss
Depends upon the rest of us—
The things we do, the things we say
Still, can’t you make that go away?

Now, if things really are all right
Then I’m prepared to fight the fight
But you’ll still have to help me out
On days I’m drowning in my doubt

So what I’m trying to say is this:
God, please be real—or I’ll be pissed
And I’ll be kinder, I’ll stay true
Those days when I don’t have a clue

(c) 2010 Kathryn Bild

That’s it.  Labor Day’s over.  We’re “back to school.”  It’s the new year.  As in “new;” if we let it be.  It wants to be—the year.  It’s natural to progress, and the new year knows it in the same way that a chocolate bar knows it is supposed to be delicious.  There are no unconscious elements nor is there purposeless activity.  It’s all part and parcel of the one Intelligence manifesting itself as life.  And it keeps coming up with new cool ideas.  (So it shouldn’t get bored—life being eternal and all.)

So what do you think?  Remember how exciting it was, going from seventh into eighth grade?  Or that first day of high school?  Oh, my goodness!  How about a  little more of that?  It’s not too late, we’re not too old.  Life hasn’t played its hand. 

Of course, we can just coast, say “I’ve already worked hard enough.”  Or, “I’ve blown my chance of becoming a rock star, so forget it.  I’ll just kick back until my next life-time, please God.”  Lots of people do that.  But how about we don’t?  How about we take the pro-active route?  Cool?  Good.

So how is this year going to be better than last?  Here’s a little ”new school year” guide/check list to help you.  (You’re welcome.  Just send money.)

1.  Have you got your new “school supplies”?  You know, notebook, paper, pens.  A computer, books, etc.  What do you need for your new year?  I’m an artist and an artist coach, so I’m going to address the issue, and you, from that angle.  What does the artist in you require as supplies to facilitate your artistry?  A guitar, a music stand, a CD player?  Paint, paper, a quiet place?  Think about it, take it and yourself seriously, and gather the supplies you need.

2.  Have you updated and supplemented your wardrobe?  Are you seeing yourself as that which you wish to become?  Are you presenting yourself that way—via the way you dress and behave, and your website and (as my dad used to say) your “philosophy of life”—to the world?  I’m not saying be a poser; I’m saying walk the talk.

3.  Have you selected and committed to your “major,” and enrolled in the right “classes”?  You’ve got to choose something, and you’ve got to commit to it.  Otherwise, nothing gets done.  If you’re not ready to do that, fine.  But just realize that you really do reap what you sow.  If you decide to learn to play the guitar, and work at it diligently, no matter how dorky you may think that you are, unless you mentally sabotage yourself you are going to progress in your guitar-playing.  No miracles, no exceptions.  On the other hand, if you refrain from deciding and just futz around—a little of this, a little of that—then you reap “futz-aroundness,” which doesn’t get you much on the open “what shall I become?” market.  And once you’ve committed to something—make it the thing you think would be the most fun, because it’s all valuable—then get people who already know how to do it to teach you.

4.  Are you using the appropriate “extra-curricular support groups”?  “Student politics?”  “The Drama Club?”  “Band?”  “Counseling?”  To you, this could range from anything like clubs and associations, to an improv group, church, AA, or an Italian cooking class.  Our society is full of wonderful supportive classes and activities just ripe for the picking, many of which are free—almost all of which are helpful in some way.  Use them, and contribute to them, too, if you can.

5.  Do you know how fabulous you are and that you are going to ace this year?!  Tude, baby.  Attitude.  Got to love yourself.  Sometimes I think the only really unforgiveable sin is self-doubt.  I mean, with self-doubt, the game’s pretty much over.  Self-respect, self-esteem, self-compassion and support, on the other hand, and you can fly.  They, in fact, are your wings.  And you are entirely justified in loving yourself, because you are lovable!  You are the expression of all that is magnificent in life.  The child of God, if you’d rather.  So knock yourself out!

So there you go, kids.  We’ve got a lot to do this year.  This year we inch our dreams forward, we permit ourselves to blossom.  But we won’t—we’ll be like those pathetic unfulfilled kernels at the bottom of the microwave popcorn bag that never quite popped—if we don’t do things a little differently this year, if we don’t take a little more conscious control.  Which we can do.  Which we are willing to do.  And which we really want to do as the world’s artists of today.  Hey, it’s our mission.  It’s our privilege—if we accept it.  It is our right.  Have a good (not only day) but year!  And please keep in touch.  Let me know how it’s going!

Love,

Kathryn

The truth remained true all the time it seemed that our attention had wandered-and imagined-elsewhere and otherwise.  But did we get to realize it, enjoy it?  Not so much.  But we’re learning!

In the pressure to prioritize, to bring meaning, to be slick, please don’t forget to have fun.  It’s one of holiest things you can do because it is so darn inspiring.  Truly.  “Imagine,” as John Lennon encouraged us.  Imagine a world in which everyone is having fun!  And remember, it starts with you!

Love you.