6th July 2022

Apologies if you’re receiving this and you haven’t subscribed to Mid Week Motivations, but for several reasons (including increasing costs of my old mail servers) I have been incentivised to find a new home for Mid Week Musings.

This means that MWM readers will now get the Friday Clear Mind newsletter and the Clear Mind readers will get the MWM newsletter.

I hope this works well for you.

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That being said…

Here’s issue #261

Last week I heard the very sad news that two friends had unexpectedly past away.

I had known both for several years.

There is always sadness with such loss, but knowing the approach to life these two people had, there is also a sense of gratitude and celebration for having known and worked with them.

As I get older, it is the case that I will hear similar news about my contemporaries, my mentors, and my friends…

Such is the way of life in its beautiful impermanence.

A couple of days before one of these friends died he sent me a copy of a poem that he had found; he said in his message “I thought you’d like this”

I certainly did and certainly do, and I’d like to share it with you today.

“As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth.

Today, I know this is “AUTHENTICITY”.

As I began to love myself, I understood how much it can offend somebody if I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me.

Today I call it “RESPECT”.

As I began to love myself, I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow.

Today I call it “MATURITY”.

As I began to love myself, I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment. So I could be calm.

Today I call it “SELF-CONFIDENCE”.

As I began to love myself, I quit stealing my own time, and I stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm.

Today I call it “SIMPLICITY”.

As I began to love myself, I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything that drew me down and away from myself. At first, I called this attitude a healthy egoism.

Today I know it is “LOVE OF ONESELF”.

As I began to love myself, I quit trying to always be right, and ever since I was wrong less of the time.

Today I discovered that is “MODESTY”.

As I began to love myself, I refused to go on living in the past and worrying about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where everything is happening.

Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it “FULFILLMENT”.

As I began to love myself, I recognized that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick. But as I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally.

Today I call this connection “WISDOM OF THE HEART”.

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born.

Today I know “THAT IS LIFE”!”

This was written by Charlie Chaplin

I hope you can find some inspiring ideas in those words.

Until Next Time

Have the best week you can

Alan /|\

In memory of PKS and SF