Looking for the Good

"Whenever humanity seems condemned to heaviness, I think I should fly like Perseus into a different space. I don’t mean escaping into dreams or the irrational. I mean that I have to change my approach, look at the world from a different perspective, with a different logic and with fresh methods of cognition and verification. (Terence sent me this quote the other day. A good battle cry, I believe... and one I wholeheartedly respect.)"
— Italo Calvino

Hello Readers! Day Two of our Inspirational Gala is here! Today's focus is on looking for the good, whether it be in each other, in ourselves, in our talents, in our trials and in our futures.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, the Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus of Latter-day Saints shared this talk:

https://lds.org/ensign/2011/03/looking-for-the-good?lang=spa&clang=eng

that has given me something to be inspired about.

"Have you ever noticed that people can usually find whatever they are looking for? Look hard enough, and you can discover both good and bad in almost anyone and anything...There is no end to the creativity, ingenuity, and tenacity of those who look for reasons to criticize. They cannot seem to release their grip on grudges. They gossip and find fault with others. They nurse wounds for decades, taking every opportunity to tear down and demean others...

President George Q. Cannon (1827–1901) knew President Brigham Young (1801–77) well, working closely with him for many years, both as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and as his counselor in the First Presidency. After the death of President Young, President Cannon wrote in his journal: “I never criticized or found fault with [Brigham Young’s] conduct, his counsel or his teachings at any time in my heart, much less in my words or actions. This is a pleasure to me now. The thought that ever was with me was: If I criticize or find fault with, or judge Brother Brigham, how far shall I go; if I commence, where shall I stop? I dared not to trust myself in such a course. I knew that apostasy frequently resulted from the indulgence of the spirit of criticizing and faultfinding. Others, of greater strength, wisdom and experience than myself, might do many things and escape evil consequences which I dare not do.” ¹

President Cannon’s powerful counsel is something we members of the Church should consider with great care. The word of God admonishes the followers of Christ to be “pure, … peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” For those who make peace, “the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace” (James 3:17, 18).

We have a choice. We can seek for the bad in others. Or we can make peace and work to extend to others the understanding, fairness, and forgiveness we so desperately desire for ourselves. It is our choice; for whatever we seek, that we will certainly find."

I believe that as we strive to seek good things in others, our self worth and respect for others will increase, and will come to make our days brighter, lighter and kinder.

For the Daily Challenge, I dare you, (oh, yes I dare) to find the good around you. To start, look at these photos that portray people and events and see if you can see the "goodness".

(photos courtesy of nationalgeographic.org and campaignforfamilies.org)

Salut, I'm Back!

Well folks:

It's minutes until 12 am... and that means that there is still time to post this entry before April 2... we are close. I'd like to announce that everyday this WHOLE month will be my Inspiration Gala... the Word Clambake so to say. Everyday this month, I'll post: some of YOUR inspired writings, some "ginger peachy" quotes, pictures, poems, short stories, excerpts from books, movie lines and music. What a sprawl!

Well to start it off with a BaNG, this is a poem written by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers (French?) that I grew up with:

Keep a poem in your pocket
and a picture in your head
and you'll never feel lonely
at night when you're in bed.

The little poem will sing to you
the little picture bring to you
a dozen dreams to dance to you
at night when you're in bed.

So-
Keep a picture in your pocket
and a poem in your head
and you'll never feel lonely
at night when you're in bed.




I hope that this month will help give you readers, family and friends something to "feast" on! Words and language are to be celebrated and shared! I think what we say and what we read go hand in hand in what we do. Surrounding ourselves with things that make ourselves cheerful can enrich and bless our lives in so many ways!
Maya Angelou once quoted:
"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song"

I don't have the answers to everything, but I do know that when we pick something we love whether it be stamp collecting, cleaning, music, sports, children, dancing, Spanish Soap Operas, and even quilting (anything you choose to fancy), our lives can bring a little bit more spirit into our everyday routine. I'm here now to trumpet what many others throughout the ages have celebrated: the human voice.

ENJOY!
(get ready...you're in for some romping, and tomfoolery)

(like this guy below...)



(see how merry?)(Or... like other chap below:)



(There we go... that's more like it. Great enthusiasm.)
*NOTE* I am not promoting his cigarettes in anyway... just his face.
Oh... and Happy April Fools!
(I'm not fooling around though, I really will be clambaking with words. Don't fret.)

A Quest FOR YOU!

Hello Readers!
I am in the need of your assistance to help me find AMAZING, BRILLIANT, STUPENDOUS, FAR OUT, WILD, LOVELY, and SWANK poems/readings/essays/quotes/talks or any snippets of writing that you love, were inspired by, laughed, cried, cherish or find yourself reading over and over again. I want to compile mine and your favorite writings on a blog (soon to be created...!!!) where others can feel free to look at and admire. I also want to take this blog a step further and create it into a "zine" where I'll continue to post things about me, my life, and little facts about me. You can send me your own personal writings or of someone published, someone you know or etc. Let the games begin! Thank you so much!

Please send me YOUR copy at:

herdyherd18@hotmail.com

or email me if you'd like to give me hard copy or a zerox print.
or post a comment of a link for a website, or questions

Rats.

Lately, I've been trying to finish reading Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger: which I highly recommend. But instead of getting into the whole book, I'll just share my favorite passage that I found reading today. It explains my feelings over the past week and how sometimes the truth really does hurt.

"Dad asked, "You remember what the Lord said about enemies?"
In fact I did remember some passages about enemies. Once, sick of whinners, the Lord caused the earth to crack open like an old bun and a crowd of them fell right in. And how about that prophet Elijah, slaughtering four hundred priests of Baal in one afternoon? Then there were the twisted fellows of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the time before that when God killed pretty much everyone in the world except Noah's family. The Old Testament, boy, it suited me.
"Love your enemies," Dad said. "Pray for those who persecute you."
He would pick those verses.
"Rats, huh?" he said."

Well I just sat and laughed about how true that it and how Heavenly Father is trying to tell me that too. Except that my enemies aren't human. They are complaining, sarcasm, insults, gruffing, pity, idleness and the core of it all: not being grateful. What a great lesson to realize just hours away from Thanksgiving. I really do have a lot to be thankful for, its just hard not to add up your troubles and trials before you count off your blessings.
Dear sweet Marjorie Hinckley wrote:

"We are His children. And if we ever got that through our heads thoroughly, understood that completely, we would never do a small thing, we would never say a cross word, we would not use bad language, we would not criticize anybody, we would love everyone the way the Savior loves us."

I read that, and my heart drooped. Who was I to condemn anothers actions, when I looked not at my own? Who was I to complain? Who was I to be upset?
Well being frustrated at myself is something I'm an expert at. Then I woke up this morning and read this quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley. I sure miss him.

"My plea is that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully in the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life, we "accentuate the positive". I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment and endorse virtue and effort."

What a slap in the face I got! I understand that this doesn't mean that I have to be perfect everyday in words and actions, but that I should and I need to be trying harder to do so.
What a lesson to be learned.