Blog the change you want to see.

During a recent get together with a good friend who has been going through some rough times, I realized how much I have used this blog to help me sort things out, and put things back together.  Often, by the end of the entry I describe intentions I have set forth for upcoming situations. When I say that, I mean, I often describe how I'd like to see myself dealing with (if not a good situation), or enjoying (if good) a particular situation.

It really came to me when we were discussing some advice that her counselor had given her..."be the change you want to see".  My friend had mentioned this coping mechanism to me some time ago and I liked the sounds of it.  It happened to be during my quotes phase, so, of course…….. I Googled it….. to see if anyone famous had said it.  What do you know but Mahatma Gandhi, himself, had said….”Be the change you want to see in the world.” 

Upon further research of Gandhi, I’m now ashamed to admit I had not known more about him before.   For a Man born in 1869, in India, this guy did some seriously progressive things. You can check him out at Wikipedia: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohandas_Karamchand_Gandhi

But, I’m going to summarize a few of the things that he did and said in his lifetime that are particularly cool to me. 

Politically, as a leader in the Indian National Congress in the early 1920’s, Gandhi “led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights (wow! This is 1920’s…India!), building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, increasing economic self-reliance, and for achieving the independence of India from foreign domination.”

Regarding his philosophy, I found these things very interesting:  He stated that “the most important battle to fight was overcoming his own demons, fears, and insecurities.” And, Gandhi had initially summarized his beliefs when he said "God is Truth". Then, he would later change this statement to "Truth is God".

Here is another quote of his that I liked: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do, are in harmony.”  I think he’s got a real strong point here, and I’m thinking that this is what I’ve been striving for with this blog.   It has been an instrument that has helped me harmonize the 3.  

Last post I mentioned that I had failed to schedule something fun for myself to do on my Cancerversary. My best friend from High School had even invited me to come out to lounge with her and some friends by an infinity pool on this very weekend, and I had forgotten the date, and let my husband make other plans.   After blogging about this, I began to think and ask myself…. How can this work for all of us? How could Richie record on Saturday and Sunday, Adaline and I ride ponies on Saturday, AND I still be able to lounge by the infinity pool with my friend to celebrate making it through this year and?....and I came up with an answer!  Infinity Friday! I asked for the day off of work, and it worked out beautifully.  Infinity Friday, Here i Come!