One Of My Teachers

I had a teacher that dropped by the other day. This was a teacher about joy and this is something we can be benefiting from - all of us can we - it's so easy to forget that joy is something that we love.

Very often you can get a little booster shot on that can't you. You're in the supermarket, maybe walking on the street. Someone walks by with a baby and the baby gives you a big smile and your heart lifts doesn't it.

Well the other day I had a wonderful experience too. I happened to be looking out the window, and I can see the ocean from where I live, and something caught my eye - a motion - and I looked again.

It was a whale. We have whales that go by here this time of year and this was just one whale - normally there is quite a few traveling together but in this case it was one whale and all of a sudden the whale leaped out of the water - breached I think it's called and I could tell that this was something that was joyous.

I had the most wonderful feeling of warmth pass over me and as I watched the whale moving along the whale leapt out of the water, just for happiness, six more times as it passed by the area where I lived and then it just swam further out to sea.

You know, something like that is just such a thrill - not only to see this beautiful being leaping for joy and enjoying its life but the wonderful feeling of love that was present. You know, this kind of thing reminds you not only that joy is something worth experiencing but that it reminded me that being in the present moment, noticing, experiencing and being reminded of the good things in life is really what it's all about.

It's hard in our world now with all our distractions and all of our worries and things that stimulate us to worry - but then in that moment I was reminded that joy is not something that requires thought or worry but simply that requires being.

Goodlife.

Heroes

Do we really need to be superheros with super powers to be honored, appreciated, respected and loved?

When I was looking the other day at the TV schedule I was struck by how the entertainment industry is catering to our needs - are they - or are they providing us with needs. I am not certain but what's going on is the idea of presenting a world as too complicated for human beings to resolve - problems - but superheros can do it.

I am not at odds with the entertainment industry for providing much needed entertainment and relief but I am a little concerned that every day heroes are not always appreciated.

Mother and Father working hard to make a good life for children - and older children working hard at school to succeed and perhaps helping out younger brothers and sisters and guiding them and yes, at times protecting them - and what about people in jobs - ordinary everyday jobs - not jobs identified with the heroic such as police or district attorneys as sometimes celebrated in entertainment world. While we appreciate and need them there are other jobs that are vitally important as well.

Teachers who guide and form and support our morals and values and principals. Yes, parents do this - yes religion and philosophy does this but what we are taught at school has such a great deal to do with how we perceive the world doesn't it? And teachers, even within the curriculum that they are provided which has certain rigidities, can often inspire us and encourage us not only to be interested with the answers and explanations but to learn how to ask questions and to feel safe in asking them.

We have so many heroes amongst us - look around. Look around in your town, look around in your neighborhood, look around in your family and look in the mirror. There's a lot more than we think about.

Goodlife to you all and goodnight.