"No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."

The above quotation is from the venerable Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A potent voice in American human rights struggles. And a man of great wisdom and prescience whose legacy has grown over the years. His words here and in other memorable quotations have a way themselves of uplifting and inspiring people around the world.

It seems that this quotation alludes to two things:

a) that all work or actions have an impact in the world -- there is nothing humanity does that is insignificant
b) that when such work is focussed on uplifting and freeing human kind, it must be practices with an awareness to doing it precisely and carefully...or in his words "with painstaking excellence".

Too often we are overwhelmed by feelings of insignificance. Who am I in this crazy world of 7-billion people? What difference does my little voice and my small actions make in and on the world? And from this, an inevitable resignation and apathy can stream forward to WHY BOTHER!!!!

WHY BOTHER indeed! IN DEED! Every action is significant and every human engaged in good work is impacting not only him/herself but those around them. We are all creating a legacy, a world, a context for continuing human existence. And no person and no endeavour is too small and without impact.

SO...speak up, take action, reach out, be/do/have that DREAM of which Dr. King spoke of in another famous speech. It inspires all in ways we cannot know at the moment. It reaches beyond us and sets the stage for others and other actions. It's a snowballing effect. And with the increasing interconnectedness of the planet through social networking (email, internet, facebook, twitter, etc.) we are NOT living in or on an island.

THIS IS PLANET EARTH AND YOU ARE AN IMPORTANT CITIZEN!

"Striving for perfection is the greatest stopper there is... It's your excuse to yourself for not doing anything..."

"Striving for perfection is the greatest stopper there is... It's your excuse to yourself for not doing anything. Instead, strive for excellence, doing your best." - Sir Laurence Olivier


Admittedly, doing SOMETHING is way better than doing NOTHING. When you do nothing, you get/have/be NOTHING! Perfection is the false promise/premise. There is no such thing as PERFECTION...just perfecting. Excellence on the other hand is a viable destination or goal...it's also a natural (potential) outcome of doing consistently. PRACTICE DOES MAKE EXCELLENT (if not perfect).

I look to my life -- even this blog -- and see how many times I have been STOPPED by my fears of inadequacy or worries about my ability. Everyone (except perhaps freakish protoge's or savants) starts out a "beginner"! In fact, in Zen and particularly in the work of WRITING DOWN THE BONES author, Nathalie Goldberg, she talks a lot about returning to BEGINNER'S MIND. This is a fertile place to be, to explore, from which to draw and create. A perfect mind is not likely to go places that it's been before or knows are fruitless...or dangerous. A beginner's mind will venture there...and discover newly whatever there is to discover and create what there is to create.

RISK / REWARD!

Risk embarrassment and be rewarded with accomplishment. It's all about ACTION ACTION ACTION. Too often, I / we are satisfied with merely "thinking about" or "dreaming about" the lives we want to have...rather than taking bold action towards fulfilling upon it. What's the worst thing that can happen? We fail? We shame ourselves? We make a fool of ourselves? WHO CARES! We are all going to die one day and having risked and lost than never risked at all is a way better way to live and die than a life full of regrets.

Not unlike love, taking action, risks, chances NOW is a sure-fired path to making something happen!

"Forgiveness is the economy of the heart & hell; forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits." - Hannah More

I read an essay from my blog and a few old poems at my recent SAVAGE NIGHTS: An Arts Salon. It was great fun and has encouraged me to blog/write more. It's been a challenge with my schedule to find or rather, to make the time necessary to do this. But the rewards of that evening are an inducement to make the necessary effort.

About this quote:

"Forgiveness is the economy of the heart & hell; forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits." - Hannah More

I am at a loss to opine more succinctly than the author of the quote has...but to give it a go:

FOREGIVENESS is divine or as Alexander Pope wrote:

"To err is human; to forgive is divine."

We all make mistakes. We all ERR. But we don't all forgive. Forgive our own errors and erroneous thoughts and ways...and those of others. If we cannot forgive, we are forever locked in an old mode of morality...one that posits A RIGHT WAY and A WRONG WAY. This duality is very dangerous because it puts US in the seat of moral rectitude. And truly, who are we to judge. Of course, every day and every way, we are exercising judgement or choice. But to impose our choices on others and further, to be unwilling to accept our own mistakes and those of others, leaves us righteous and unhappy. And when institutionalized, creates a very circumscribed and tight world. A morally repugnant world. A world without grace or joy or beauty.

SO forgive.

Forgive yourself your trespasses and those who trespass against you.
Forgive your lapse in good judgement.
Forgive your neighbour for their indiscretions.
Forgive the world for it's erroneous ways.
Forgive God for his/her mistakes.
FORGIVE AND YOU SHALL BE FREE AND HAPPY!