Random Quotes for Today

"Cleverness is not wisdom." ~ Euripides

"Write in recollection and amazement for yourself." ~ Jack Kerouac

"Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?' The answer is usually: 'Yes'." ~ Paul Tergat, Kenyan professional marathoner

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought." ~ Buddha

"He who knows best knows how little he knows." ~ Thomas Jefferson

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." ~ John Bingham 
  
"From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached." ~ Franz Kafka


"All you need is ignorance and confidence and the success is sure." ~ Mark Twain 


"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." ~ Lao Tzu 


"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." ~ Confucius

Karma....from the cheap seats

I was talking to a friend yesterday about Karma.  My friend was coming from the point of view of judgement, sort of a "they will get theirs" attitude.  For a long time I thought that was a major tenet of Karma...that there was some ultimate judgement that would balance things out.  I thought that someday the kid down the street that beat me up would get beat up by some bigger, meaner kid and that would even out the score for me, even if I didn't see it happen or even realize it happened--Karma would balance things out.

Well I've come to realize that thinking this way allows suffering to continue...both in my own mind for the retribution I'm hoping for--realized or not--and for the kid down the street who will get beat up someday.  So raised in a Christian eye-for-an-eye upbringing I'm used to expecting some justice, and as I've outlined above, I was taught to seek it out.  I've managed to set aside the seeking it out part, and recently I've been able to dispense with my expectation of it.

And my suffering is less because of it.  I no longer look for justice, and I feel that doing away with this need for retribution has lifted a weight from me.  What's done is done.  The past cannot be changed, and we will do better to make the present the best we can.  This cannot be done with cloudy thoughts that obscure all of the goodness that is in reach.

This is taking me practice, and it isn't always easy.  But I cannot pretend to feel good when there is suffering around me, and I cannot do away with my own suffering if I participate in the suffering of others.  Is this forgiveness?  Is it simply forgetting the transgression or ignoring it?  No, it is a refusal to be sucked in by hate, fear and disillusionment and letting these overrule my disposition.

This is how I view Karma.  It is a gift.  Karma has its own methods that I'm merely supposed to observe and take part in when asked.  Karma is a peach that can only be eaten once it's ripe.

July comes in with fireworks

Now that it's summer I am doing long runs on the weekend, and I continue to increase my mileage during the week...my weeks are now 20 miles or more total. In June I married my beautiful running partner and best friend. Training for the marathon with Chris has been a wonderful experience, and knowing that we're both raising funds and awareness for LLS has been so worthwhile. Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission.