Keep Calm And Carry Water

Keep Calm and Carry Water

   I should preface this by saying that I am an above average driver (I do my best to fight the stereotype). I get to my destinations smoothly and efficiently, have never caused any accidents, and have never even received a speeding ticket. That being said, I do not enjoy the act of driving. Due to a combination of some traumatic experiences in the past and my own sense of self-preservation, getting behind the wheel generally instills a certain anxiety within me. Even under the most ideal conditions, I tend to get an elevated heart rate, sweaty palms, and other symptoms of nervousness.

And of course, we almost never drive under ideal circumstances. Whether we are driving someone else’s car, facing the sun, or even just having a bad day, the situation on the road is honestly filled with hazards that could easily lead to a turn for the worse. But if we take a moment to breathe before we get started, we can find our center enough to move forward with confidence and purpose. Even when facing down something that terrifies us, indulging our sense of fear and dread will only make the situation worse. This is, I believe, the best mindset for approaching any of life’s darker moments. It’s not about denying the existence of fear, or denying the existence of danger. Recognizing the truth of the situation is the first step in working through it. Once we have grounded or mental state in reality, we can start to put our emotional state on the same level footing. And then, as the saying goes, we can continue to carry on down the Path.

(via 109. ZEN FABLE: The river crossing)

always room for words from the old man.

- Lao Tzu

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.

We should all care, all the time.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." -MLK

I just found myself pondering: You do a lot of public support for racial/ethnic diversity in media, which I very much support! Do you ever get questioned as to why, as a white person, this means so much to you? Because I've done a lot of LGBT-supporting stuff in the last five years or so, and every once in a while get asked/told that because I care about it so much, I must be SECRETLY GAY. I need to know your answer because I'm sure people don't call you SECRETLY ASIAN or something.

My white Israeli boss, when we got into a discussion about Trayvon Martin a while back, asked “What happened to you?” when I was explaining racism, as if some tragic event must be behind a white person caring about racism.

My parents are often baffled by it too. They have asked, “Who told you this?” and “Why does it matter?” and “What made you feel this way?”. It’s especially weird to them because when I talk about sexism and stuff they like to accuse me (subtly) of playing the victim, but they hate when I do the opposite and say “Hey, we’re kind of wealthy and have benefited from whiteness.” Like, they don’t think that’s true and also don’t see the benefit of claiming it and they ask me why a lot. (One conversation in Disney World a couple years back about the white princesses being so overtly first tier while the POC princesses were second tier comes to mind, where my mom said something like “I remember you loving having your blonde dolls! Why do you want less of them?” and “What would be wrong with it if the princesses just were all white, anyway?”) [you would seriously never know, until you bring these things up very directly, that my mom feels this way]

White people, especially in public forums or online where people are mostly strangers, have also asked me, “What, are you dating a black guy? Why do you care?”

And I have been, at least once, asked if I was mixed only after talking about racism (so I guess that’s the SECRETLY ASIAN thing).

In short, yes, I get questioned as to why, as a white person, it would mean so much to me.

I just don’t understand why it WOULDN’T. I mean, people are being mistreated. I’m benefiting from it. Of course it’s important to me that that stops.

Optimism is Not Insane (by vlogbrothers)

This is what gives me faith in the Path.

Oh shut up. Every time it rains, it stops raining. Every time you hurt, you heal. After darkness, there is always light and you get reminded of this every morning but still you choose to believe that the night will last forever. Nothing lasts forever. Not the good or the bad. So you might as well smile while you’re here.

I Wrote This For You  (via cold-winter-days)

I suppose this is also Dao.