======================= VOTT IF ... you could get a short, humorous, informative e-mail each week that was insightful and meaningful to your life? ======================= Valuing Ourselves The game of chess gives us a valuable lesson in life. Most people think that in order to be good at the game you have to plan 20 moves ahead. While planning 20 moves ahead is an impressive feat, doing this does not ensure success because your opponent just may not 'cooperate'. The very best chess players, though capable of planning far more than 20 moves (sometimes on several boards and even blindfolded!) are more interested in improving their position, making it stronger. They make the best move possible, with what they've got at the moment. From that position of strength, good moves flow. Some people take on life as though they were prophetic chess players. They plan out everything in great detail and weigh out alternatives and backup systems to the an extent that might make even a computer blush. All this is fine, but then, life may not cooperate (indeed "the best laid plans of mice and men ..."). It's not that planning itself is a bad thing, but a lot of it becomes another form of 'wishful thinking'. On the other hand, we do have the option of making the most out of our situation without trying to direct the course of events in the future. We can take actions that are worthy, ethical, compassionate. We can do things that go beyond personal gain and contribute to the betterment of all lifeforms. That will strengthen not only our position, but that of humanity as well. That's making our best move with what we've got at the moment. And guess what? Those 19 other moves will be taken care of quite nicely! Time Tippies There are certain things that we seem to want to rush through: like eating (hence the fast food industry), like cleaning (hence the superduper cleaning products industry), like gardening (hence the pesticide and fertilizer industry). There are many more. Interestingly enough, these things that we so badly want to rush through are very important to our well-being. For example, we have many contraptions to speed up food preparation, yet the act of getting together as a 'family' to make (and eat) a wholesome meal is one of the most important activities we can participate in. Cleaning is a work of art when given the appropriate honour - for through that involvement we ourselves become cleansed. And gardening is probably the most 'down to earth' task there is. Why is it this way? Our lifestyles have gotten 'future directed' and 'present ignorant'. We put far more emphasis on 'planning' for what might be rather than dealing with what is. As John Lennon sang, "Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans." So one of the best things we can do is to take those rushed over activities and give them due attention. We won't create more time, but we will create more value. Inspiration Thornton Waldo Burgess (1864-1965) was a naturalist and conservationist. He loved the beauty of nature and its living creatures and wrote about them for 50 years producing more than 170 books and 15,000 stories for daily columns in newspapers. Many of his outdoor observations were used as plots for his stories creating characters including Peter Rabbit, Jimmy Skunk, Sammy Jay, Bobby Raccoon, Joe Otter, Grandfather Frog, Billy Mink, Jerry Muskrat, Spotty the Turtle, Poor Mrs. Quack and Old Mother West Wind with her Merry Little Breezes. Burgess' father died in the year of his birth. He and his mother lived in humble circumstances in Sandwich, Massachusetts. As a youth he worked year round in order to bring in enough money. After graduating from high school and business college, he bought a place in Hampden, Massachusetts in 1925 and made it his permanent home in 1957. However, returned frequently to Sandwich which he claimed to be his spiritual home. Indeed, many of the settings for his characters came from habitat of woodland and wetland of that area. Burgess was actively involved with conservation efforts. Some of his projects over his lifetime included: 1."The Green Meadow Club" for land conservation programs 2. Help pass laws protecting migrant wildlife 3."The Bedtime Stories Club" for wildlife protection programs His book about Poor Mrs. Quack was a direct effort to bring attention to the atrocities of duck hunting (for which, in his time, there were no regulations whatsoever). In all his stories, children and adults experience life through the eyes and hearts of the creatures of the wild. The lessons taught are invaluable not only because Burgess wrote accurately regarding the habits of his characters, but because he skillfully worked in timeless and universal morals of existence (that apply to all living beings) through them. He won many awards for his literary works and in 1976, the Thornton W. Burgess Society was formed "to inspire reverence for wildlife and a concern for the natural environment." Funecdotes This farmer spots a burglar on his property engaged in stealing.. He rushes out yelling, "Hay! Hay! Hay!". The burglar pleads with him saying, "Oh please do not report me I am out on bale." The farmer exclaims, "You guys always have an excuse - but this is the last straw!" The burglar replies, "Well, most people aren't as lucky as you - they go to school, then to loonyversity and they still can't find the work they were trained for - unlike yourself, who gets to work in his field." The farmer says, "Look I think you're stalling." The burglar retorts, "Well, I could be horse." So the farmer tells the burglar, "I think you're cowardly, but I'll give you a job anyway." The burglar feeling guilty exclaims, "Barn it all! I don't deserve it." However, he accepts and the two become friends after declaring a farmistice. ... with you on your journey Towards Freedom mailto:about@towardsfreedom.com (autoresponder) http://www.towardsfreedom.com (website) information, imagination, inspiration - truly a site for soaring I's ======================= If you ever wish to unsubscribe just do so at http://towardsfreedom.com/suvottif.html#subscription_handling =======================