Lessons to Learn

William Martin has written a number of interpretations of the Tao Te Ching. One of my favorites is his book for parents. It is wonderful, both for the wisdom it contains and for the brevity of each entry. Perfect to read right before bed – a little something to think about as i fall asleep, but not so much that i fall asleep while reading.

If you’re interested in checking out one of his books, you can find more about him (and them…and the Tao) here.

For now, a sample to enjoy. Be careful, it might blow your mind a little bit!

(The Tao blows my mind a LOT. i have to read and re-read…and then re-read again. The Tao of Pooh is an excellent place to start if your mind is easily blown, like mine…)

56. You Have Lessons to Learn

The lessons we most want to teach our children
are the ones we have not yet learned ourselves.
So we continually try to teach
what we do not know.

This is futile.
Try instead to refrain from talking.
Look carefully at the situation.
Listen attentively.
Let your mind be open to new understandings.
You will learn what you need to know.
And you will thus teach your children
how to learn their own lessons.

Nothing teaches children more
than a parent who is willing to learn.
What behavior in your children
makes you anxious?
What does that tell you
about yourself?

The Reality of My Reality

It’s 9:30 on Sunday night. We got back into town this afternoon, did all of the unpacking stuff, watched football, had dinner, and just now got the kids settled into bed.

i’m tired, i want to see if the Giants or 49ers won, and i want to go to bed, too! So that is what i’m going to do. i’ll pick up with a good quote or two on Tuesday!

Hope you had a great weekend.

And yes, this is a totally gratuitous funny kid shot to somewhat make up for the lack of content in this post!

Carpe Some Kairos

We are out of town this weekend, so i don’t have time to write much. Actually, i just want to share a link with you going into the weekend, because i don’t think i can say it any better than Ms. Melton.

She wrote a great article called Don’t Carpe Diem that i think you should definitely read. You can find it here.

Don’t worry if the Chronos sometimes sucks – it does for all of us. The important thing is recognizing the Kairos moments when they come your way. Have a wonderful weekend!