Today, marks the 19th Message of the Day, I've spoken in the 641-715-3800, ext 55310 Voice mail box. I have 21 more to go, to reach my goal of posting 30 messages in 30 days.
Well, yesterday, I finally stopped improvising and wrote the rudiments of a script before talking into the telephone.
The script follows, on the theme of Participating. Do you see any worthwhile thoughts here?
Participate!
The Message of the Day is "Participate, participate in your experience..."
I was reflecting:
What does it mean to be fully engaged?
What does it mean to be fully embracing life?
The key is participating, participating in your experience and experiencing your participation.
I just like to read a few quotes and share a simple story.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French writer and aviator:
“The notion of looking on at life has always been hateful to me. What am I if I am not a participant? In order to be, I must participate.”
Goethe, German writer:
“We are forced to participate in the games of life before we can possibly learn how to use the options in the rules governing them.”
John Dewey, American philosopher
Such happiness as life is capable of comes from the full PARTICIPATION of all our powers in the endeavour towrest from each changing situations of experience its own full and unique meaning.
So here's a story:
A long time ago, I participating in an Insight Training Seminar, among the many human potential seminar that were big in the 1980s and 90s. It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot about myself. One thing I distinctly remember was the beginning of the seminar and the seminar leader encouraging participants to participate as much as possible, and to not sit back and watch the seminar unfold before them.
So five days later, after the seminar was over, a bunch of us testified as to the positive impact the seminar had on their lives. But there were several -- perhaps even a majority -- who said what the seminar leader had predicted they'd say: "I wish I would have participated more. I wish I would have gotten more involved."
From time to time it is easy, I think, to sit back and be a spectator on this moving train that is life. But we miss out on a lot by sitting back and watching the dance go on all around us.
We need to get involved. We need to participate in our experience. And experience our participation.
So, to close this message of the day, I 'd like to close by a quote from William Arthur Ward, one of America's most gifted writers of inspirational sayings.
“Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.”
And that's the message of the day.
Have a wonderful day.
PS: All of the other messages are posted here.
