Poem: The Game of Life
I’ve been sent back to GO
without collecting $100,
without acquiring Park Place,
without accumulating
massive amounts of cash.
My journey back to GO
was self-imposed -
I needed to regroup,
reset my dial,
regain my bearings.
The game of life
Is fraught with missed turns,
sucker punches,
pulled rugs,
conspiring fates,
and absent muses -
I just got tripped up a bit.
A little stumble isn’t enough
to keep me down;
I’ll be rolling the dice again
very soon
and taking my chances on
The Game of Life.
I’ve been sent back to GO
without collecting $100,
without acquiring Park Place,
without accumulating
massive amounts of cash.
My journey back to GO
was self-imposed -
I needed to regroup,
reset my dial,
regain my bearings.
The game of life
Is fraught with missed turns,
sucker punches,
pulled rugs,
conspiring fates,
and absent muses -
I just got tripped up a bit.
A little stumble isn’t enough
to keep me down;
I’ll be rolling the dice again
very soon
and taking my chances on
The Game of Life.
Rita: I share this altho it is long. A friend of mine on a retreat passed it on. I like it a lot. I think it fits with your poem quite well. Libby
ReplyDeleteSLOW DOWN THERAPY
Written by Linus Mundy
1. Slow down; God is still in heaven. You are not responsible for doing it all – yourself – right now.
2. Remember a happy, peaceful time in your past. Rest there. Each moment has a richness that takes a lifetime to savor.
3. Set your own pace. When someone is pushing you, it’s OK to tell them they’re pushing.
4. Take nothing for granted: watch water flow, the corn grow, the leaves blow, your neighbor mow.
5. Taste your food. God gives it to delight as well as to nourish.
6. Notice the sun and the moon as they rise and set. They are remarkable for their steady pattern of movement, not their speed.
7. Quit planning how you’re going to use what you know, learn, or possess. God’s gifts just are; be grateful and their purpose will be clear.
8. When you talk with someone, don’t think about what you’ll say next. Thoughts will spring up naturally if you let them.
9. Talk and play with children. It will bring out the unhurried little person inside you.
10. Create a place in your home…at your work…in your heart…where you can go for quiet and recollection. You deserve it.
11. Allow yourself time to be lazy and unproductive. Rest isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity.
12. Listen to the wind blow. It carries a message of yesterday and tomorrow – and now. Now counts.
13. Rest on your laurels. They bring comfort whatever their size, age, or condition.
14. Talk slower. Talk less. Don’t talk. Communication isn’t measured by words.
15. Give yourself permission to be late sometimes. Life is for living, not scheduling.
16. Listen to the song of a bird – the complete song. Music and nature are gifts, but only if you are willing to receive them.
17. Take time to think. Action is good and necessary, but it’s fruitful only if we muse, ponder, and mull.
18. Make time for play – the things you like to do. Whatever your age, your inner child needs re-creation.
19. Watch and listen to the night sky. It speaks.
20. Listen to the words you speak – especially in prayer.
21. Learn to stand back and let others take their turn as leaders. There will always be new opportunities for you to step out in front again.
22. Divide big jobs into little jobs. If God took six days to create the universe, can you do any better?
23. When you find yourself rushing and anxious, stop. Ask yourself why you are rushing and anxious. The reasons may improve your self-understanding.
24. Take time to read – the Bible, poetry, great books. Thoughtful reading is enriching reading.
25. Direct your life with purposeful choices, not with speed and efficiency. The best musician is one who plays with expression and meaning, not the one who finishes first.
26. Take a day off alone; make a retreat. You can learn from monks and hermits without becoming one.
27. Pet a furry friend. You will give and get the gift of now.
28. Work with your hands. It frees the mind.
29. Take time to wonder. Without wonder, life is merely existence.
30. Sit in the dark. It will teach you to see and hear, taste and smell.
31. Once in a while, turn down the lights, the volume, the throttle, the invitations. Less really can be more.
32. Let go. Nothing is usually the hardest thing to do – but often it is the best.
33. Take a walk – but don’t go anywhere. If you walk just to get somewhere, you sacrifice the walking.
34. When things are in chaos and you are in a frenzy, ask yourself: “What is right about now?” Chances are, you already know what is wrong.
35. Count your blessings – one at a time and slowly.
Thank you, Libby. I don't mind that it is long - the thoughts are all quite nice. I am printing it out so I can read it more frequently. You were kind to take the time to share this with me. Slowing down can solve many things.
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