my new favorite quote

"Strain every nerve to acquire both inner and outer perfections, for the fruit of the human tree hath ever been and will ever be perfections both within and without. It is not desirable that a man be left without knowledge or skills, for he is then but a barren tree. Then, so much as capacity and capability allow, ye needs must deck the tree of being with fruits such as knowledge, wisdom, spiritual perception and eloquent speech."
-Baha'u'llah

And as my mentor so dubiously pointed out when we were studying this quote-we must strain EVERY nerve to acquire both inner and outer perfections. Straining EVERY nerve implies just how hard one must work to do this and at all times, too. I also like the part where it says inner and outer perfections. To me that means spiritual and physical and mental etc......which is why I started running.

OK well not entirely why, but I am certainly committed at this time in my life to attaining better physical health. I am going to the dentist for the first time in seven years. Aack! I've been avoiding it but no longer! And also the running. I have a woman who is helping me put together a running schedule. I started to get shin splints the other day but managed to do some things to avoid the debacle. Today, for the third time this week, I am going to run two miles before I go off to a wonderful event where I will be blessed to spend time with other wonderful people and vote for wonderful people for a wonderful cause. YAY!

In other news, some of the people I have attempted to contact this week have returned my calls and emails, others haven't. Grr. They better recognize! No one avoids me, NO ONE! Ima call them agin, you know what I'm saying?

get er done

Why is it I am always so much more effective at getting things done when I have little time and lots to do then when the opposite? I thrive off busyness. But become slightly sluggish when there is time to spare.

Last night on my way home from work I made like a thousand phone calls 'taking care of business' and today I tried to tie up the loose ends. I did the IL portion of my taxes on lunch and in a moment I am whizzing off to a B4 study session, tomorrow I plan the reflection meeting, thursday laundry, friday voting, saturday field trip with the kids and sunday reflection meeting, not to mention work and the fact that I have to go running at least 3 more times this week.

But I am happy and content, if not a little anxious that the people I contacted (the ball is in their court) get back to me soon....

Anyway one thing I have learned about myself is that I am persistent and annoying. Ok re-phrase that. My last job and my current job have developed in me a shameless aggression (my journalistic roots reveal themselves) in making sure I get the information I need. I call people ALL DAY requesting information. And most people, best friends included, can be 'distracted' and forgetful about returning calls and returning requested information. And many people (not sales people or journalists) seem to feel it is a bit rude to persist and keep calling someone when they've already left a message.

This is why sometimes some things never get done. Good intentions fall by the wayside with busy lives......my sales skill helps me to push it like I need to at work. My customer service/friendship side helps me to plead with shameless dignity to my friends....


Anyway, part of me feels a bit guilty at my pushiness. I think I will manage to accomplish certain feats (one website development comes to mind) that have been waited for and longed for. Anyway...that is all

TURTLES!

I belong to the Turtle Clan of the Ojibwe tribe. I'm not kidding. That bit of knowledge and the online 'family tree' I found a couple of months ago represents the majority of cultural knowledge I possess about that half of my chemical makeup. Oh, Booshoo is hello in Ojibwe.

But I say this all not because I am hankering to investigate or even emunerate. (is that a word? geez) But only because my twin brother is obsessed with turtles (they represent wisdom in my culture) and he has about a thousand strewn about his home and I have the good luck of taking care of two very live and very charming turtles this week while their adoptive parents are away.

I am about to go hang out with Michelangelo and Leonardo? I hope to goodness the names are right...these guys are not teenage but I've seen some pretty ninja-like moves over the last couple of days and I'm quite enjoying them a lot. (I'm also quite taken with the British accent of my co-workers and seem to have found a way to work their wording, if not their tone, into my writing....they would be having a bit of laugh at me if they knew...)