September 2024 Poem of the Month’s subject is near and dear to my heart, and something the world, and all it’s peoples, have not experienced to any degree over the past few weeks, months, years!!!

And that subject is OPTIMISM!

Was it Covid that put a damper on our good old “Can Do” attitude? Was that the final thing that tried to show us that no matter what we did, we weren’t going to win? Was Covid the undoing of the proverbial camel whose back was broken? Was it Covid that put a pall of pessimism on the peoples of the world?

So, what are we going to DO about it? Are we going to lie down and be sad and accept that the world has gone to hell in a hand basket?

Changing our attitude from pessimistic to optimistic is the first step to changing not only the way we see the world, but the world itself. Andre Henry, award winning musician, writer and activist, shares this wisdom: “History and data have convinced me that change, from the bottom up, is possible. I’m hopeful because history is a story we’re writing together, not something happening to us — which means we all get a say in how the story ends.”

The 14th Dalai Lama tells us, “Optimism doesn’t mean that you are blind to the reality of the situation. It means that you remain motivated to seek a solution to whatever problems arrive.”

He also said, “Choose to be optimistic. It feels better.”

I hope you enjoy the poem.

And, remember: Whatever the question, love is always the answer.

OPTIMISM

It’s said that optimists are the architects of progress;
They navigate adversity with hope and determination.
Optimism deals with prospects… with what can be;
It’s a catalyst for good results in every situation.

Optimism is not a belief that things will automatically improve,
But a conviction that we can improve on the way things are.
You do not need to wait for conditions to be just right.
Just jump right in and do the work, and start from where you are.

Optimism is a strategy for making a better future
For yourself, your community, your country. Although,
Unless you believe that the future can be better,
You’re not likely to expend any effort for making it so.

The best way to not feel helpless is to get up and do something.
Pessimism leads to weakness, while optimism leads to power.
Don’t wait for good things to magically happen to you.
Colin Powell says, ”Perpetual optimism is a force amplifier.”

And finally, we hear from our old friend, Willie Nelson.
It’s aimed at children, and also at adults:
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones,
You can’t help yourself from having positive results.”

My August 2024 Poem of the Month is all about the benefits of Listening… the necessity, as it were, of truly listening to others in conversations.

It’s said there is a great difference between hearing and listening; that when you hear, words just pass through your ears… but when you listen the words touch your being. It’s also said that when we listen, we hear someone into existence.

As Raquel Welch has said, “You can’t fake listening.”

Craig D. Lounsbrough, a counselor and life coach from Colorado had this to say about listening: “Effective communication is eighty percent listening, which you cannot do if your head doesn’t shut up long enough for your mouth to do the same.”

I ran across a tongue-in-cheek comment by author Sarah Dessen about listening that I want to share with you. It made me smile, and I hope you enjoy it:

    “This is the problem with dealing with someone who is

    actually a good listener. They don’t jump in on your 

    sentences, saving you from actually finishing them, or 

    talk over you, allowing what you do manage to get 

    out to be lost or altered in transit.

    “Instead, they wait, and you have to keep going.”

Another bit of wisdom: “Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.” (Thank you, David W. Augsburger.)

And finally, whatever the question, love is always the answer.

THE ART (AND NECESSITY) OF LISTENING

“There is a great difference between hearing and listening.”
So said G. K. Chesterton many years ago;
And Malcolm Forbes offered this on the subject:
“The art of conversation lies in listening,” (don’t you know).

While hearing is the sense by which sound is perceived,
Listening is giving attention to the words that you hear.
It’s impossible to listen while waiting to respond.
Put your argument to rest, and “sweeten” the atmosphere.

You cannot truly listen to the other person
And do anything else at the same time.
“LISTEN” and “SILENT” have the same letters…
An anagram speaking wisdom for communication sublime.

The most basic of all human needs is to understand,
And be understood by others around.
Obviously, the best way to understand others
Is to listen to them. Listen to each and every sound.

Your silence creates a vacuum for others to fill.
The key is to keep listening and staying present.
Your silence of holding steady while the other one speaks
Is different from the silence of holding back a comment.

The reward you receive for a lifetime of listening,
When you would have preferred to talk,
Is WISDOM. It’s true! You’re all the wiser
For having learned how others have walked their walk.

When you listen with curiosity there’s no intent to reply.
You’re listening to understand, not to be heard.
No, there’s no intent to reply with your “answers.”
You’re listening for what is behind each word.

July 2024’s Poem of the Month, KEEP MOVING, is an attempt to shed light on the importance of “staying the course,” or to “keep moving,” as one goes through life.

Healthwise, exercise (do it the best way you can) is the key to just simply feeling better… feeling like participating with friends, with family… heck, with the world!

And, staying the course with your world around you… your friends and family, your place of residence, your community. And, let’s not forget your own personal reasons for being… your interests, your creative talents, what you have within you to share with the world…

NONE OF THAT WILL HAPPEN UNLESS YOU KEEP MOVING!!!

Scientists can back up the importance of keeping moving for better brain power, better communicative skills, and better attitude. Along with feeling better, one’s curiosity is tweaked, and there are more reasons to explore answers to the questions you raise. 

So then, I’ll step down from my soap box and give you all an opportunity to read the poem. I do hope you enjoy it.

And remember, whatever the question, LOVE is always the answer….

KEEP MOVING

For health? Of course, it’s good to keep moving…
To tighten the tush and increase endurance…
Walking is good; climbing stairs works, too;
Or try Pilates or Yoga for added insurance.

Body, Mind and Spirit are all part of the whole.
One cannot affect one without affecting them all.
Move the body, clear the mind and your spirit soars!
The joy in your heart is your own trumpet call!

Success in your life is connected with action.
You might make mistakes, but that’s how you learn.
And, movement is the only way to affect those around you.
So, take the next step. Have no concern.

Keep moving forward… onto the next page.
Learn as you go to avoid unnecessary mistakes.
Nobody has a jump on the future, my friend,
But not playing the game will not win the sweepstakes.

L. L. Cool J., the rapper, spoke of attaining one’s freedom
“When you move past your fear and go after your dream,
You become free.” (The doubts disappear, they do.)
It’s never scary, or as difficult as it seems.

The key is movement and the lesson is ‘keep doing it.’
Keep moving… the motion will take you through.
Body, Mind and Spirit — they go hand in hand 
To create a happier, more complete you.