Being Real is Both Substance and Style
Like a Bach concerto or a Monet still life, being real is an art.
It is a combination of both discipline and finesse-the perfect blending that creates the extraordinary.
With discipline, we hone our skills to razor sharpness, and with finesse, we create with a uniqueness that is all our own.
Combining both, we attempt to forge a life that has both substance and style.
With discipline, we are committed to the act of Self-discovery, and we hold the course, no matter what.
We may get weary, but we never lose our resolve.
Often when we feel like running, we stay, and many times when we want to cover our ears, we listen.
Like warriors till the finish, we remain steadfast.
Discipline is never easy, and it rarely feels natural.
It's called discipline because it is an act of will-we consciously put off immediate gratification of our needs and do something that we know in the long run will be of greater benefit to us.
We do this because we know we can sometimes be fooled.
What often feels most comfortable is not always in our best interest, but merely the way we have always done it.
If what we keep getting is not what we want, we need to do things differently.
So we employ our will, use our ability to think, and put force behind our decisions when we know we are on the right track.
As we sharpen our skills, our minds become quiet.
These are the rewards of a disciplined life.
When Einstein said, "God lies right behind a quiet mind," he was acknowledging a force greater than the thinking mind, a power that wakes only when the thinking mind is silent.
To experience this power frees the spirit...
and the essence of who we are rises to the surface and begins to bubble.
Like a geyser waiting to explode, we are pregnant with possibilities.
A still mind is the bedrock of creation, and it is here that we ply our craft.
If we are able to stay in the silence for even just a short time, we are graced with a fresh peek at life.
Looking from this angle, we have dramatically changed our perspective.
We are no longer limited by what we previously thought was possible; we have just enlarged the vista.
This is the moment that finesse kicks in and gives us an opportunity for an artful life.
Finesse is the dance of style, the human quality of uniqueness waiting to express itself.
Sitting firmly on the mind's stillness, it reaches to the far corners of the universe and creates with bold strokes.
It says, "There is something special about me, and I am eager to see what it is.
" Sitting on solid ground, we reach for the stars.
Chapter 36 from Reality Works Copyright © 2002 Chandra Alexander
It is a combination of both discipline and finesse-the perfect blending that creates the extraordinary.
With discipline, we hone our skills to razor sharpness, and with finesse, we create with a uniqueness that is all our own.
Combining both, we attempt to forge a life that has both substance and style.
With discipline, we are committed to the act of Self-discovery, and we hold the course, no matter what.
We may get weary, but we never lose our resolve.
Often when we feel like running, we stay, and many times when we want to cover our ears, we listen.
Like warriors till the finish, we remain steadfast.
Discipline is never easy, and it rarely feels natural.
It's called discipline because it is an act of will-we consciously put off immediate gratification of our needs and do something that we know in the long run will be of greater benefit to us.
We do this because we know we can sometimes be fooled.
What often feels most comfortable is not always in our best interest, but merely the way we have always done it.
If what we keep getting is not what we want, we need to do things differently.
So we employ our will, use our ability to think, and put force behind our decisions when we know we are on the right track.
As we sharpen our skills, our minds become quiet.
These are the rewards of a disciplined life.
When Einstein said, "God lies right behind a quiet mind," he was acknowledging a force greater than the thinking mind, a power that wakes only when the thinking mind is silent.
To experience this power frees the spirit...
and the essence of who we are rises to the surface and begins to bubble.
Like a geyser waiting to explode, we are pregnant with possibilities.
A still mind is the bedrock of creation, and it is here that we ply our craft.
If we are able to stay in the silence for even just a short time, we are graced with a fresh peek at life.
Looking from this angle, we have dramatically changed our perspective.
We are no longer limited by what we previously thought was possible; we have just enlarged the vista.
This is the moment that finesse kicks in and gives us an opportunity for an artful life.
Finesse is the dance of style, the human quality of uniqueness waiting to express itself.
Sitting firmly on the mind's stillness, it reaches to the far corners of the universe and creates with bold strokes.
It says, "There is something special about me, and I am eager to see what it is.
" Sitting on solid ground, we reach for the stars.
Chapter 36 from Reality Works Copyright © 2002 Chandra Alexander
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