Do. Be. (And Sign Up...)

 I was sitting upstairs yesterday, looking out the window.  To the casual observer (that being my husband. and my son. and my daughter.), I was doing nothing - and therefore, available for playtime and responding to questions.

In my reality, however, I was deep in the midst of exploring my thoughts and a form of meditative breathing.  (Yeah, I could have moved.  I was just too lazy to leave the couch.)

It did make me question, though - how can I explain to them why I'm unavailable?  (Not that I need to.  I've perfected "the look".  But in fairness to them and myself, I decided to reflect on the answer.)

In order of difficulty, from "fairly easy" to "nearly impossible", I find these things a challenge:


     1) To Try
     2) To Do
     3) To Be

In our society, the first two are highly rewarded.  "Try, try again", right?  Ah, and to do....and succeed....to set a goal and reach it?  Isn't that what we train kids for in school and reward people for in jobs?

I was a total nerd in school.

That's me, on the last day of high school, still concerned about impressing others.

I learned how to do homework and tests and essays juuuust right.  That training got me a scholarship. Then a degree.  And jobs with accolades.  I did what I learned to do - then did more.

But to be??

To know myself well enough that "trying" and "doing" are guided by my being?  It is a challenge I accepted many years ago yet with which I still struggle.  Ironic, as "being" should be the simplest form of existence.

All of us must DO to exist.  "Doing" is not "bad".  We must eat, earn money or some form of shared energy, contribute to society, ...and if we are lucky and have the resources, we Do more - create art, take vacations, go shopping, watch t.v., etc.

But what we have forgotten is that 

all of us must BE 

in order to live.

In order to be, you must be aware of who you are.

Even if it means staring out the window every now and then.

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DON'T FORGET: Sign up for The Fine Print (because you WANT to).  As a bonus, if you sign up by this Sunday, November 7th, you will also be entered to win a signed copy of Chris Guillebeau's new book, The Art of Non-Conformity.

Sign Up HERE

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Also: I am going to be a contributor for Mindy's new class, THIS Moment!  Mindy runs the fabulous site, WishStudio, with oodles of great guests & regular contributors.  I am honored to be contributing to her class.

You can still get the early-bird discount if you sign up for her class today!  (Class begins November 15th)  Learn more and register HERE (http://wishstudio.com/2010/04/09/workshops-and-eventsthis-moment-with-mindy-tsonas-2/).

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Go. Do. Be.