>Day two of my thinking about dogfights due to wiggle dog and stumpy dog getting into a nasty fight a few days back.
I like the idea that in the fight between good and bad we all have inside us, the winner is which one we feed. How simple is that? What do you pay attention to? Which one do you nurture and pet and let sit on your lap? Which one do you give treats to?
Obviously I am talking abstractly. But the decision about which way to respond to an event or situation in life is often determined quickly, and quick decisions usually will follow what you are most practiced in; meanness or kindness, defensiveness or openness, love or hate, anger or understanding.
> Ok, for any of you that were born without humor DNA she is NOT talking about REAL evil, like murder, abuse, addiction, etc. Good, got that out of the way.
But for the other ‘evils’, the fun and non-destructive ones, there is something to be said for being open to new things, whether it is a new decadent chocolate candy bar or a new idea for you and your partner to have fun with. In other words, don’t get in a rut with your indulgences, branch out, have fun!
The quote is by Mae West, a movie star from the 1920s and 30s. Those of you too young to know who she is, think of the biggest celebrity now and add a very saucy, sexy, funny, witty and bold personality to that person, and you would have Mae West. Oh, and add a very curvaceous figure as well. She was the queen of one liners with outrageous sexual innuendo, and she was very funny. Look her up some day, she will make you crack up.
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Don’t forget, my Napkin Drawing exhibition is up from now until June 6th. If you are in the Tulsa/Oklahoma area you should come check it out. Tell me when you are going to come by and I will come have a cup of coffee with you if I can! Of course you can come to the opening reception as well on May 14th, 6-8p
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The easiest thing in the world to do is to sit back and do nothing.
But it really is true that if we want ‘evil’ to diminish we must not just hope it goes away, we must actually speak and act against it. I am not talking just about the big protests or letter writing campaigns you can be part of (I don’t do well in either of those categories either). I am talking about standing up for what is right with the person right in front of you.
The courage to confront someone who cuts someone down because they have a disability, or are of another race or nationality. The willingness to defend someone who isn’t there when they are talked about. The desire to stop innuendo or rumors in their tracks when you hear them. Those are the real day to day work of changing the world to be a better place. That is what defeats evil right where you live.
For those of you who worry about ‘confrontation’ or what my friends will think, then there is no easy way around it. You will likely lose a friend and have a confrontation. But if you practice speaking the truth in love, with a kind heart towards those who said the offensive statement, you can often become closer and more of a friend to the person, not less.
In the end, confrontation or none, you will become a person you and others can be proud of.
I often reflect in variations of this. People always see things through very specific filters that they have created over the course of their lives.
The one who is envious suspects envious thoughts when someone complements them on a new car or new found wealth. They genuinely do not suspect that person has good thoughts about their good fortune.
I read the other day about Simon Cowell of American Idol not wanting his fellow judges to do well in their careers. His quote on it was (paraphrased) ‘nobody wants their co-workers to succeed, it’s against human nature’. There is a person whose filter makes hi suspect others of thinking exactly like him. He does not suspect there are those who are positive and happy about their co-workers success.
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Day two of my thinking about dogfights due to wiggle dog and stumpy dog getting into a nasty fight a few days back.
