"We become what we think about." ~ Earl Nightingale

Welcome to Sacred Ruminations

I hope you'll look around & leave comments
then visit me at my new blog ...

Giraffe Journal

and/or website ... Labyrinth Journal
both self-hosted at WordPress
where I publish as myself
rather than under a
pseudonym.

I've not had much time for posting or blog visits, but if you're interested I hope you'll find time to check out my new blog, Giraffe Journal or my Labyrinth Journal website ... both self hosted at WordPress.

Thanks for your visit and have a delightful day ;--)
Hugs and blessings,


Wednesday, December 12, 2007

What My Handwriting Says About Me and other Random Thoughts from the Universe (with Loosely Related Musings from my own Mind)

This result is surprisingly accurate, except for the "detailed and meticulous" part. Most of my family and friends would be rolling on the floor laughing (visualizing the clutter in my home because if it's a horizontal surface, it has reading material on it) except when it comes to some things ... like my Blog posts. They'd have to agree that I do spend time trying to make things as perfect as possible when presenting my ideas. So ... I'm curious how accurate YOUR results turn out to be and hope you'll share in a comment.
What Your Handwriting Says About You

You are a laid back person with rather low energy. You aren't lazy... you *are* sensitive and empathetic.

You are somewhat outgoing, but you're not a natural extrovert. You think first before you act. You tend to be independent, rational, and logical.

You are very detail oriented and meticulous. You are a careful thinker and a true intellectual.

You need a bit of space in your life, but you're not a recluse. You expect people to give you a small amount of privacy, and you respect their privacy as well.

You are somewhat traditional, but you are also open to change. You listen to your head and your heart.

You are a decent communicator. You eventually get your point across, but sometimes you leave things a bit ambiguous.
What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?

The Daily OM sends email messages to my gmail account (that I usually ignore, but for some reason looked at today) and my Horiscope had THIS to say about me :

Benefits Of Compassion
Pisces Daily Horoscope
"Your sympathetic nature could cause you to be more aware than usual of other people’s challenges. This could cause you to reach out and make a difference in their lives. Even if you assist in small ways, such as making a monetary donation or mentoring someone with learning challenges, you will be creating a win-win situation that benefits everyone involved. Not only will you be helping others and putting your feelings of compassion to good use, but you will feel good about your actions. If you take a look around during the course of today, you will be able to determine where your assistance might be needed most. You may discover that there are many opportunities for you to express your sympathetic nature.

Expressing our compassion by helping to improve the lives of others will initiate a positive cycle of energy that will return to us in many forms. Though our genuine desire to help others is what fuels our actions, the universe often responds by sending us a flow of abundance. The more we share our care and concern for those less fortunate, the more positive energy will be returned to us. This then gives us even more resources to make a bigger, more lasting difference in the world. As you share your time and energy with others in need today, know that you are calling forth powerful energy that will enhance your life."

This DOES "resonate" with me ... and I'm wondering

whether it might be useful to LOOK at

these Daily OM messages

before deleting

them?

So ... I've been "ruminating" as I often do as I wander the Blogosphere ... trying to keep my Google Reader "count" under 150. This morning it was over 650, but it's currently at 183 so I've made significant progress. The problem is, the minute I get things under control (as in down to a manageable number), I encounter someone new & interesting, add their blog (assigning it a category like "Blogs to check out" ... changing it later once I figure out where it fits best), and ... because I'm in the middle of something else, whatever posts are "new" raise the count, remaining unnoticed until much later when I return to "catchup up with virtual friends" ... (a practice that perhaps helps to explain why I dump Daily OM posts without reading them?) ... whereupon I face the dilemma of whether or not to mark all those imported posts as read, something that always makes me feel as though I might be "missing" something important.

My MSN email usually has 500 or more "unread emails" because I check it only once or twice a week. Likewise "snail mail" collects on my desk (and/or in a basket I keep for such things). I often stand by the trash can once weekly on "trash day" before putting the bins in the alley for pick-up, unless I forget ... rushing to put the bins out when I hear the trucks coming. Life could be so much simpler without "junk" mail! But that's a subject for another day ... as is, come to think of it, the new "improved" automated trash-collection procedures instituted in our city ... including separating recyclables, green waste, and trash. I could write REAMS (now that's a term soon to be obsolete) ... and perhaps shall, but not today.

It's not that I don't know HOW to approach all this in a more disciplined & organized manner. I just don't CHOOSE to enforce "rigidity" on my "happily retired" self. And yet ... I'm aware that I'd like to simplify my life (and clean up my surroundings, much as I've reclaimed my front yard). Hence ... these ruminations.

I do know from personal experience, that what I need comes to me when it's needed ... even when I worry that it won't. Giving up "worry" (along with guilt) requires regular attention. Both consume time & energy I could devote more productively to other things. Reading Lucy's posts yesterday here and here reminded me how essential it is for me to make time to write in my journal each morning.

How odd! When I clicked over there to get the "links" for this post, I notice SHE'S used one of these "Blogthings" today as well. How wierd is that? Let's hear it for coincidence! LOL

In the broader scheme of things ... all of this is "much ado about nothing" as illustrated by this touching videoclip about a child named Christine I discovered at Living On Purpose accompanied by this introduction:

“Though her precious life was short, she teaches us how to live fully, helping others, bring joy and friendship even in the most dire circumstances. She continues touching hearts and changing lives, even after she's gone. She reminds us to stop complaining, stop blaming, and start smiling. …”

This clip illustrates why it's challenging
for me to "mark all as read" in
Google Reader, for I might have missed it entirely.
I urge you to check it out if time permits.
And now ... I'll stop
for now.


7 comments:

Kayce aka lucy said...

storyteller--first of all, thanks for the links :-) i just love those coincidences that somehow i don't think are coincidences at all.
and the handwriting thing (as well as other blog things) i just too weird. how do they do it? be so accurate with so little info, i mean. are we really all so predictable? i like to think i am this fabulously individual creature and then i take a simple test and a computer program pegs me. what's with that???
i admire your tenacity in surveying the blogosphere. i am still doing things the "old-fashioned" way and checking to see if my favorites have new posts without using google reader (principally because i haven't taken the time to figure out how to use it!)
glad you are here with us and i am honored that i have made it onto your favorites list :-)

Mary P Jones (MPJ) said...

I don't have a solution, but I just wanted to say, I have a problem keeping up with Google Reader and e-mail too. Just too much interesting stuff in the world to read and respond to!

storyteller said...

Lucy -- You're quite welcome :)
I love serendipity myself . As I've written somewhere, I've heard (and tend to believe) that coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous. As for the Blog-things, some seem to be better than others ... but I've been pleasantly surprised at some of the uncanny results of these short surveys. Regarding exploring the Blogosphere (it helps to have few demands on my time recently) and using Google Reader, Annie suggested it some time back and in many respects it's simpler (and quicker) than visiting all the links in my "favorites" lists.

MP J -- I'm proud to announce my GR count is down to 127 this morning ... and that's after visiting multiple T-13 participants & adding more new Blogs. How did I accomplish this you ask? I was ruthless and hit the "mark all as read" button for every new entry (as well as every old entry) because it finally dawned on me that doing so doesn't delete the old posts, it just doesn't include them in the count. I can visit them later (or not) as time and curiosity dictate.

So ... my mental musings had SOME practical affect on my life. I wonder what would happen if I did the same thing (as in mark all as read) in my MSN mailbox? Nope ... methinks it's better not to mess with it, at least for now.
Hugs and blessings,

Karen said...

I'm sensitive and empathetic--according to my handwriting. I can't figure out how to paste the whole thing, or else I would.

Gosh--giving up both "worry" and "guilt"--how's that coming? And could you give advice? That topic actually came up during my alone time over Thanksgiving. While journalling, I got a glimpse of what it would be like to be free of worry and guilt. I actually knew for a moment how to do it, and how it would feel. And then I lost it.

Has that happened to you? You get a glimpse of insight, and then it vanishes?

storyteller said...

Karen - I don't think you can copy the whole thing, but you should be able to "select and copy" the text within and paste it here ... though now that I type that, I'm not sure whether or not that's possible with these Blogthings and/or the comments. There are some things I've not been able to figure how how to do yet myself, but I'm often surprised at what I have learned in less than two months.

As for giving up worry and guilt, it's and up and down thing. Sometimes I'm more successful than others, but it takes constant watchfulness and a forgiving attitude to keep myself on track.

My best "insights" tend to come in the shower ... and sometimes, when reading my journals ... I wonder who wrote that stuph! Seriously!!! LOL

Vanishing insights ... that's familiar indeed :)
Hugs and blessings,

Kara said...

Storyteller you make me laugh. Especially the part about the google reader - I guess I can relate to the whole dilemma of how to manage it all.

storyteller said...

Kara - Laughter is good ... laughter is healing :)
I'm glad to bring joy into your day ... no matter how! Seriously. I'm hoping your unexpected "snow" day was enjoyable and that you got a good start on your holiday cards. I'm still trying to come up with an idea for mine. Sigh! It's good to see you back publishing on your blog and visiting others again, but do take it easy. I'm wondering what you pulled together for dinner?
Hugs and blessings,