Use Public Transportation

Posted on July 8, 2026 by B

face drawn on bus post Sometime in 2015, I decided not to own a car: one more dramatic dent “appeared” on the car I had (well, a bit more dramatic than a dent), I have eyes that don’t always work together (but somehow that doesn’t keep me from driving), plus I have great sons who in all probability would never take away my license no matter my age, health, or eyes. So, I did it to myself. I sold the car and somehow still got where I was meant to be. I still have a license and sometimes drive, but usually not willingly. Which is a long way of saying that I’ve learned, even where it isn’t obviously easy, how to use public transportation. And if public transit doesn’t work, I seem to have acquired friends who matter of factly expect to pick me up and drop me off when that’s the best option for getting together.

There have been major benefits. Using public transit has expanded my sense that time works for me rather than being a limited resource, allows me to more fully experience the diversity of a city (which for me is enriching), is budget friendly, and has provided interesting challenges when in new locations. The fact that it helps both the environment and the economy is important too and is the main reason it is a Spirit Moxie little thing that can change the world.

Bus “But,” you say, “I need my car. I have to get places quickly and promptly. There are errands and work and last minute social obligations, to say nothing of having to carry a lot. Plus, there isn’t any reliable public transit where I live. In fact, there aren’t even unreliable options.” Fair. I’ve lived there, too. I have friends even now that are impossible to visit unless someone picks me up and drives. It means that for now, I am choosing not to live in smaller towns or somewhere rural. But when you have the option, try it. At the very least you won’t have to worry about parking.

The concept of public transportation and the reality of it benefits both the municipality offering it and the individuals using it. Statistically, there are lower emissions per capita (statistic speak) and a decreased use of fossil fuels. Plus, for those using it, it not only saves money (gas, insurance, parking, that new battery – to say nothing of buying the car itself), it often has health benefits such as having to walk to the transit stop, which is a small way to stay active in today’s sedentary world.

Sunset out plane window Plus, you probably do use, or think about using, public transportation even now. Or some form of shared transportation that isn’t funded through the government. For instance, airlines, cruise ships and ferries, and trains. While these modes are just beginning to be more fuel efficient, they have always moved large numbers of people and large quantities of things around the world. And that means less congestion.

I don’t expect you to believe me that using shared transportation can be expanding and freeing, safer, cost efficient, and, yes, fun. I can only tell you that I’ve found that is true for me. I can say that because of its overall benefits for a city or region, it really is a way to change the world.

What are your reservations and what is your experience?

_______________
All photos by Spirit Moxie – from the top

Commuter train graffiti
Portland, Oregon bus
Sunrise from a plane

The Case for Investing in Public Transit

Different Friends

Posted on May 31, 2026 by B

“Have friends very different from yourself” – This is #22 on Spirit Moxie’s original list of 100 Ways to Make the World Work. (They’re in alphabetical order. There’s no order of importance!)

Why and how might this help make your world work and the world work? If you have been following and reading these Conversations, you know I already think you are fabulous and perfect and open to positive change for yourself and the world. Hopefully, you also have a glimmer that change is most effectively possible when explored and practiced in community. A major way to strengthen community is through our differences. None of your friends is as fabulous (and perfect) in the same ways you are. Having very different friends expands your world so it can be the best it can be. (Remember pet rocks? For those of you who delighted in that trend, a friend probably doesn’t get more different than that. So include your dog, cat, or bird. Houseplants. That tree in the back yard. But back to humans….)

two hands with linked pinky fingers Note that having friends is not the same as just being around people who are different. For example, travel “broadens” us, but that exposure probably doesn’t include a one-on-one conversation about food, clothes, and insecurities. One can go to an ethnic festival, read about job loss, and admire different music and art, but do you know the cook and their dreams, have ideas for the new job that actually reflects someone’s ideals and abilities, and attend all that artist’s concerts and art exhibits? I am guessing that you try to do that for your friends. Plus remember conversations work both ways. You learn about each other. How do they support you? How do they expand and support what is possible for you?

A classic example of differences in supporting someone is the slightly unorganized CEO who has a detail driven assistant, who may or may not be a friend. For me it is a friend who thinks in straight lines, is challenged in a good way by the things I share which despite my best intentions are never quite linear, and always asks when coffee is not part of one of my food pictures. Since we’re friends, I depend on her to know my ideas are at least comprehensible. Through me she is challenged to look at things in new ways. It is the variety around us that completes us.

Another community I have suddenly found myself immersed in is that of drag queens in Portland, OR, where I now live. (I’d say at least four consider me a friend. Really.) One considered her 35th birthday weekend a super major happening. I wanted to change schedules to actually attend one of her events, but my previous commitments made this impossible. Except, finally, a late Friday night event showed up. She had to share two links with me so I could actually buy a ticket! So, that Friday I picked up a stem of yellow roses (yellow for friendship – who knew?) from a real florist, headed to my usual Friday night commitment, and arrived at her later one just as the show began — which meant I was greeted by name as I walked in and handed her the flowers in front of everyone (which is also a story about how time works). Ah, but how does she support me? Hugs. Making sure I have a seat at events where she isn’t performing. Answering messages. Differences? For the record I’m not male, gay, or 6’10”, and I was 35 a long time ago….

Ethnicity, economic status, and country of origin are a few other ways you might be different from a friend. But to really practice and understand diversity, you must know who you are — and be comfortable with that. I always go through the basics. For me these are age: over 21, gender: female, race: Caucasian, and sexuality: heterosexual. I was born and raised in the United States and would probably be called “middle class.” Since some people include other data such as education and marital status in this mix, I’ll include that too, although I don’t think about it much (college, divorce, etc.). From there we could go to traits, like allergies or even preferences, but the statistical box, so to speak, is what you need to claim about yourself in your bones.

And I do claim it. Knowing who I am and being comfortable with that allows me to easily interact with a huge variety of people and “things.” This place of self knowledge is where trees talk; travel becomes not only “enriching,” but easy and full of real connection; and dogs that usually ignore everyone except their owners pull towards you on the street. It means you’re not threatened by different skin colors, speech patterns, or sexual orientations (yes, “heterosexual” is an orientation) .

Central to this is an affirmation and appreciation of the world as it is. But it means that we need to see it as a whole. It means things can and should change. But it also means that change as far as someone’s basic characteristics isn’t the goal. If someone is young, black, and homosexual and maybe from a different country, we can still be friends. Friends that hang out together. It means sharing food, noticing if they’re the only black person in the room, and listening when things aren’t going well. And as with any other friend, you know what they like and don’t like whether it’s food, a sports team, or cats. You encourage their dreams and laugh at (or tease them about) their awful jokes.

So, change the world and expand yours. Have friends very different from you. How does this show up for you?

__________________________

Photos from the top:

two hands with linked pinky fingers (8ob43mw658c.jpg) – Womanizer Toys
Inanna Miss– Spirit Moxie

Go Slow

Posted on April 27, 2026 by B

Ibis grazing Maybe “slowly” is better — but “slow” feels right. But why is this something to make a difference or change the world?

Let’s start with an example. This morning I planned an early breakfast at a place I’ve been wanting to revisit to be followed by a couple of errands and some library time before I headed off for some fairly close together scheduled appointments. But this morning was slow. A bit more time in bed. A leisurely shower. Packing my computer and a couple of other things I needed for the first appointment. Deciding what to wear wasn’t simple today so I kept changing my mind. Plus, the library didn’t open until noon, and I planned on walking to breakfast. So, by being slow – and leisurely – I thoroughly enjoyed breakfast. I did a banking errand that wouldn’t have worked a couple of hours earlier. And I got to the library at 12:10. Was any of this world changing? One never knows what changes the world because usually that’s a cumulative and subtle thing (unless of course it isn’t, but that’s another conversation). But this pattern I fell into certainly made the beginning of my day easier, more enjoyable, and a bit curiosity provoking as I wander to what’s next.

Being slow actually allows you to see and delight in things. The world can certainly use more delight!

Ah, but in today’s fast paced world, is this even feasible? On a practical level, how does “going slow” affect things? The anomaly is that often it seems to make things happen faster. The slow consideration of a problem usually results in a simple and quick solution or the realization that there isn’t really a problem at all. It’s forgetting a meeting that was cancelled without your being told. Coming late to a party that is just starting. (You’ve done that, right?) Handing in a report no one had time to read before. Sometimes we don’t know exactly why it worked. Sometimes the few more minutes caught the mistake that would have otherwise ruined the outcome.

Outdoor labyrinth If you still feel you must hurry, go ahead. Recently, I was helping host a public labyrinth walk happening in a private space. One woman sat very still, took a long moment to begin her walk, and then moved so quickly through the labyrinth it was hard to see if she actually followed the design. In the middle she sat quietly for a long time. And them moved so quickly out that my companion asked me if she’d just headed for the exit. (No, she again “walked.”) Certainly I don’t know her story. But the slow, even motionless, part of her “walk” was clearly central. The hurry just allowed her to get to the places where, for her, “slow” was essential.

What’s your pattern? When you have too much to do or, perhaps, don’t know what to do, go slow. Stop for a moment to notice your breathe. Sit. Then move at whatever pace feels right. There will be enough time.

_______________________
All photos by Spirit Moxie

From the top:
White Ibis grazing on a slow walk in Florida
The labyrinth at the Cincinnati, OH, waterfront

Focus

Posted on March 30, 2026 by B

Rocky beach As a topic, the importance of focus has cost me nine months of writing (I started this in June 2025!) and at least one friend (which I won’t amplify with an explanation). I’ve become entangled in politics when my main idea has always been the importance of focus for us as individuals. I think this is a third draft. Let’s see where the conversation on focus leads us today.

The impetus for this post, and a source of frustration since I like the guy, is a good friend’s insistence that the world sucks, his life sucks, and, unless (and I’m betting not even then) he gets a sudden influx of cash, it will always suck. Looking on I can see multiple ways this isn’t true, but for him, there are people who have let him down, jobs that don’t pay enough, no love life, health issues, a very old car, and a house needing pricey repairs. That things aren’t going and won’t go well in the future is a daily mantra. There seems a certainty in this focus that shuts out any possible change, growth, or joy. I know other in people similar situations who focus on the positive things that happen. It probably does not surprise you that more positive things appear for them as a result.

When it looks as if things aren’t 100% going your way, there are three concepts that help transform those things:

Poster: If nothing ever changed there would be no butterflies The first is curiosity. If you live as if the world is on your side, what is unfolding? There’s a word for this. Pronoia. The opposite of paranoia. The curiosity comes from assuming this as real and seeing how it’s true.

The second is expectation. Where is that next positive thing for you. How is it manifesting? Related to pronoia, this is more a place of waiting than action. If this idea seems a bit untenable, it might be useful to keep a list of the things that do show up for you whether it’s an unexpected conversation or a financial windfall.

And the third is simply clarity. Without limits, what do you really want to have or have happen? (But here’s a warning. I’ve learned the Universe has a sense of humor. What actually happens might not look exactly as you envisioned it. But you’ll realize when it shows up that it fits right now.) This was shared beautifully on Facebook by the performance coach Thommy Sandvick. “You get what you focus on. For years, I focused on what I didn’t want — and I kept recreating it. The moment I got clear on what I did want — and started making decisions from that place — everything changed.”

Ah, clarity. Often knowing what you don’t want feels clearer. Does what you don’t want have an opposite? What would things be like if what you didn’t want was absent? Extensive focus on what is wrong or what you don’t want usually either strangles possibility or creates walls. Plus that negative focus almost guarantees that you’ll have more of what you don’t want. Note that obsessing about what you do want also strangles. Obsession emphasizes its absence.

Poster: If nothing ever changed there would be no butterflies Presence and curiosity (those words again) combined with positive action — even if that action is only baby steps — allows the positive in. What positive thought (yes thoughts have power) or action, even one so small you think it couldn’t make a difference, wants to happen?

When you focus (without obsession) on what you want, on the positive, you start seeing how something might be true. You see things and to your amazement things change. It can happen quickly, but even if it takes time, you are comfortable waiting.

So, what’s your focus? Are you getting in the way of what you would like to have happen, or are you finding joy in what is emerging?

____________________________________

All photos by Spirit Moxie

Rocks! — Waimanalo Beach, Hawaii
Yes Sign — Portland, OR
Butterfly (poster?) — Cincinnati 2018

Like Difference

Posted on October 21, 2025 by B

Cheese display On the original list of “100 Ways to Make the World Work,” there are at least four suggestions that embrace either difference or diversity. And at some point you may very well see a Conversation on every one of them. It’s a simple acknowledgement that variety enriches us.

“Of course!” you say. But do people really think so? There are tourists abroad who always seek out McDonald’s. There are people I know who won’t go “downtown” because of their visions of panhandlers, crazy people collecting soda cans, and others who don’t look or act like they do. There’s the food you don’t like because of texture, taste, or just, well, because.

So, if difference and diversity (if one dare use that word), enrich us, how and why can’t we embrace this? But why should we? We still don’t like those foods and are uncomfortable when that person on the corner gets a little loud and moves oddly. Most of our friends look like us, talk like us, and are on the same social level. We watch the same shows on television every week, repeat our usual social patterns, and have preferences on clothing, pets, and sexual partners. In the process we reflect, positively or negatively, values passed down from our parents and the opinions of our friends.

Difference? Where, when, why, and, in today’s world, how?

First of all, I’m guessing that when I said, “variety enriches us,” you agreed or you would have stopped reading. There’s an agreement that variety stretches us in good ways, perhaps helps us at least seem smarter, more productive, or increasingly creative.
So? Where does this variety show up for you? Perhaps you love traveling. Whether a new town down the road or a new country across the ocean, when you travel there are different foods, faces, and festivals. Do you find all this interesting, fun, challenging? Sit with it. How do these differences impact you? Do they change you? Expand how you think or look at your daily life?

For one scientific example, in horticulture, variety has been proven to help plants develop resistance to disease. Developing a single strain of something eliminates responding to disease and unexpected pests or can challenge users of that particular plant. Less artificial manipulation of crops, e.g., “non-GMO,” has produced crops that cause fewer allergic reactions (at least for some of my friends).

That said, where else can you see differences? In people? Maybe your Uncle Frank gets angry easily and you’re more mellow. Perhaps most of the people, or even one or two, at that event or in that store have a different skin color or talk with an unfamiliar accent or are in a different age range. How might that enlarge your understanding and experience of the world? Could there be another way to look at something you assumed?

When was the last time you tried, if you dared, an unfamiliar food or drink? Did you like it? Did it put you off trying something else? (For whatever reason, food is one of the things that brings communities together, which is something to remember when traveling or exploring other cultures.) When did you last retry something you were sure you don’t like, but weren’t allergic to? Any change?  One of the best ways to embrace the idea of difference being positive — maybe the only way — is to take a moment to really know yourself and liking what you are. Race. Sexuality. Nationality. Age. And, yes, also the things that seem to be given about you that in theory could change, such as religion, language, food preferences, skill base, interests. Where have you changed things in those categories? While I don’t easily learn other languages, I can be polite in several. From my teen years through now, I went from always using cream and sugar in my coffee to adding just milk to drinking it black, with a several year preference somewhere in there for drinking tea in the morning. At least one unexpected interest change, that came through a brief relationship, is that I am now a Formula1 fan and can, in a pinch, watch or listen to conversations about auto racing.

Superficial? Maybe. But change can be subtle. In fact. it’s seldom abrupt.

How does this serve you or change the world? When you know who you are, diversity and difference don’t threaten you. And most of the world isn’t like you. In fact, none of it is because there is only one you. Seeing difference becomes interesting and exciting rather than threatening and creates peace, calm, and lovely options when we step outside our own doors. It might make it possible to listen to someone you don’t agree with but would love to understand. It might be fun! It certainly changes the world.

___________________________

Photo by Spirit Moxie:
Part of the cheese display at Gibb’s Cheese,
Findlay Market, Cincinnati, Ohio

Pronoia

Posted on May 28, 2025 by B

Computer with blank screen Last night, tired and slightly under the weather, I came home, made a hot toddy, and went to my computer. The cord said, “fully charged,” but no matter what I did, the screen stayed an unresponsive black. There wasn’t a way to turn it off and on, and I couldn’t find a reset pinhole (wasn’t there one of those on laptops?). It didn’t matter what keys I pressed. So, I put down the lid and imagined, in the morning, writing a frantic email on my phone to some folks I had planned to connect with via zoom and an unplanned trip to the Apple Store.

And I went to bed. Apparently, I needed sleep, and I actually slept rather than worrying. One of the things I say is that my electronics support me—and if you let them, I’m betting they do you as well. I do believe in doing things moment by moment, so all I could do at this point was sleep.

Sure enough, when I woke up the computer was working just fine, thank you.

So how does the world work for you? Where does unexpected support come from? Or is the positive alien to your experience? Yes, you have the choice of either possibility being true.

For some there is the expectation and experience of everything going wrong. Electronics don’t support you; they need to be replaced. People can’t be trusted. Everything is too expensive. Yes, I have had to replace things. I could use new electronics. Most of my jeans and shoes and some of my shirts seem to be all worn out at the same time.

black dress with butterflies On the other hand, a new friend gleefully took it upon herself to rescue a dress I love that had embarrassing holes by adding butterflies and has repaired at least one pair of pants. I’m told she’s working on other things now just from the pure joy of it. Plus, all my electronics do work, thank you very much.

Right now, I’m in the process of finding my next place to live. After some discouraging “no”s, both from where I was looking and from my feeling a place wasn’t right, I went back to a couple of places I viewed last February. The price had gone up in the building I thought I liked the most, but in February nothing was available. Another, while still in a great location, was a bit iffy re management and didn’t have an apartment that would have overcome my concerns. But the third! Well, the price for this one is less than the others; the reasons it didn’t quite work in February have disappeared; and there are financial incentives for moving in now. No, the application process hasn’t been smooth, and assistance for a physical move isn’t in place quite yet either.*

So again, I’m called to presence. There are lessons here, including knowing it’s ok to depend on new friends, dream a little about all the options, and, apparently, the need to finish this Conversation.

This isn’t a Pollyannish existence. It is considering “pronoia,” that the world is working in your favor, vs. paranoia, that others (and everything?) are against you. While writing this I am conscious of a lot of evil and disaster in the world. You don’t need a list. How can one say that pronoia is possible when people suffer and cause suffering? When the housing doesn’t come through?

Pronoia isn’t really about what’s happening. Neither is paranoia. They’re about your reaction to what’s happening. Paranoia is seeing the Universe as out to get you rather than expressing curiosity as to how and what might unfold. Being willing to buy a new laptop, to explore other cities as places to live, and to rearrange one’s spending plan one more time for unexpected bills without viewing those bills as personal threats. It’s getting three hugs instead of one (because I actually like hugs), meeting two people headed out on trips that have at different times called me, and being reminded that one can get a lot of things just by asking (all flats for my wings and extra celery please).

teddy bear on window sill So, when things aren’t going well, where can you see pronoia vs. paranoia? Can you offer gratitude in your current situation? (Gratitude and curiosity are two major responses if you want a happier and more abundant life.)

I don’t know about you, but, while I am realistic about the world, I’m voting for happiness and ease. I think it improves our actions, and our future, as we effectively hold to the premise that what we do changes the world.

_______________________________________

* Of course after this was written, assistance for the physical move appeared from multiple places.

All photos by Spirit Moxie. From the top:

Computer with blank screen
The resurrected dress with butterflies
Bear supervising the set up of a new apartment

Use Your Turn Signals

Posted on April 10, 2025 by B

“It costs money to add those!” I can hear my mother’s voice muttering at a driver turning without signaling.

turn signal controls for an FUV “Why should I use them? There’s no one around,” retorted the voices of random friends.

“What a metaphor for all that is going on!” said the Spirit Moxie Advisory Board members as they suggested new Conversation (what we call these posts) topics.

As someone who is more pedestrian than passenger or driver these days, and who therefore needs to predict the actions of vehicles that happen to be nearby and heck, who tries to predict the actions of people as well, turn signals are golden. Yes, they can save lives, although thinking someone is turning when they’re just changing lanes can be unsettling or dangerous, too. Remember that when you think there are no other vehicles, or no pedestrians around, you could be wrong. Yes, even in rural areas or on a seemingly deserted residential street. Just yesterday, a car making a familiar turn clearly hadn’t seen me at all. I know it was a familiar turn because it then whipped into a driveway.

The question here is, what turn signals do you use? Let’s begin with that car or truck you drive, assuming you drive. When I learned to drive, the rule was to use turn signals every time, whether someone was around or not. Doing this gives you the advantage of habit and a bit of insulation in case there really is a pedestrian on that dark corner or a traffic cop behind that pole. I’m curious if you have any stories.

Finger pointing right As a frequent pedestrian, I often signal to cars as to whether I really will cross the street or if I am letting the car go first. Sometimes the car won’t go first because they’ve learned to not trust walkers or other drivers. (Is that car really letting me in?)

In the larger scheme of things, similar signals are needed in simple day to day life. Little things like keeping your word (OK, so that isn’t so little). Bring home the milk you promised to get or show up at least close to 5 p.m. as scheduled. Sometimes little things backfire and are misinterpreted as signals. The person listening decides your voice tone is off, and you are really criticizing and not just commenting. They were expecting a turn signal although the driver hadn’t engaged one since they were actually driving straight ahead.

Sometimes a major change in direction is anticipated by the driver, but the simple turn signal isn’t enough of a clue. So the divorce or job change surprises other participants and leads to accidents, or at least stalls (if we keep the car metaphor going). How do you interpret turn signals from colleagues, family, and friends?

Do you ignore them? Experience might lead us to not pay attention to family or friends, colleagues or politicians. They didn’t mean what they said. They never do whatever. It couldn’t possibly affect me. While there are no words of wisdom on this, I suggest taking people immediately around you at their word, however mistrustful part of you remains. Listen*. If nothing else, it confuses things for them. You can call them out if they lie and are prepared if they do act on whatever they said. Also, by being clear yourself, you encourage trust and confuse people who aren’t trustworthy. The bottom line here is what you do.

So use your turn signals. Be honest. Listen. Be grateful when you’re heard. Yes, it’s part of changing the world.

__________________________________

Credits and notes from the top:

Turn signal controls on an Arcimoto FUV – Spirit Moxie
Handspiel – marfis75 on flickr
*Listen is move #6 in Moxie Moves: 10 ways to make a powerful difference

Mattering

Posted on October 22, 2024 by B

Book (Moxie Moves) and Bear on bed When I first had the, “I really need to publish a book, plus I am tired of no one really understanding Spirit Moxie” conversation with my self, I chose the working title, Mattering. But I soon discovered that the problem with that title was that no one really understood what it meant. Mattering didn’t invite one to grab a copy off a bookshelf.

So when I first tried to save a draft of this Conversation piece, I got the message, “An item with the same name “Mattering” already exists in the same folder. Do you want to replace it?” Ahhh. I’d forgotten my book’s working title. So now those initial files are safely in their own folder under the book’s final title Moxie Moves:10 easy ways to make a powerful difference.

Shirt reading you are exactly where you need to be Today it is “mattering” as its own topic that is haunting me. Spirit Moxie, which has become part of my identity, now has a life of its own. Most of its fairly original ideas, which were once a tad controversial, are now common place. I’m single and alone a good deal of the time. I was pretty tired when the feeling that “I don’t matter” hit me a few days ago. Even while I was tired, I could journal a bit. I remembered that my children can’t really imagine a world without me, that I have great friends who love me, and that there are at least one dog and one cat on this world who miss me terribly when I’m not around—or at least their behavior when I reappear is indicative of that.

On a larger scale, why do we find claiming that we matter so difficult? Here in our Conversations and on our YouTube channel, I’ve repeatedly reminded all of us that we make a difference. But I’m betting that many readers put themselves aside as the one exception. Other people matter. But how could I?

As I write this, we’re approaching an election in the United States. Do you really believe it matters that you vote as we have claimed it does? And what was that about sleep which is one of the 10 ways to make a difference discussed in Moxie Moves? How could my sleeping, tired or not, change the world as a whole? Plus what about recycling? Does it really make a difference? Don’t they just throw everything away anyway?

I’m writing this during a MeetUp hosted by my housemate. While no one cares, really, what I’m writing, it’s not mirroring the group’s official writing genre. Does it matter that I’m mainly here to support?

decorative shelf And so it goes. Who, me? Matter? Turn it around! In the upcoming election, it matters that there is a person I’d prefer have elected. A vote at the very least acknowledges that and affirms the importance of participating. Getting a good night’s sleep makes me more productive and a lot easier to be around as well as healthier. And, when I was working on the “Recycle” Conversation post linked here, I visited a recycling plant, so I have seen recycling work. Plus, here at the MeetUp, I just lent some paper to a guy who asked what we are doing and sat down to join us. The participant sitting next to me signed up for Spirit Moxie emails and voiced interest in “mattering” as a topic. So, I mattered to them, and they mattered to me.

It works that way. One of my favorite social media hashtags is #makingadifference. Much of this is accomplished by claiming that you do, indeed, matter. If you can’t see it right now, take a breath. Look around – and at yourself. Yup. No one else sees or acts as you do. It is the claiming that is key.

Thank you for mattering.

____________________

Images from the top:
Bed, book, and bear — Spirit Moxie
Shirt – you are where you need to be — Spirit Moxie
Shelves, MeetUp location, Bula Kava House — Noël Ponthieux

Pay Attention

Posted on October 7, 2024 by B

Several years ago, I began a speech with the words, “I am an ostrich.”

Ostrich My friends know I seldom watch the news or pursue a newspaper, real or online. This is, perhaps, one way of not paying attention, although it feels more like emotional preservation. The world makes sure I know about any essential events.

But another way of not paying attention literally hit me a couple of weeks ago when I almost walked into a moving train. One had passed going right and it was only the whistle from another one coming from the right, and the gasp (and maybe a hand?) from the person behind me, that stopped me.

Extreme examples? Maybe. But current events for most of us are at such a peak with such things as global conflict and the United States’ (where this is being written) upcoming election that almost all “work with me” or “attend this” invitations assume fear and overwhelm in people based on simply knowing and sharing reactions to what’s going on.

MAX train - Portland So where is the balance? How is one accountable and so not hit either physically or psychically and still able to avoid most fear and paranoia? How does one know what to pay attention to while remaining calm and grounded? And how do we do that?

First, remember that what you continually focus on expands. We know some positives of this. Love of someone worth loving. Talking to plants helps them grow (really). Learning to listen to the needs and wants of your physical body contributes to health and wellbeing. But we get in trouble when we either obsess or delight in the negative. We obsess about wanting a better job or bills we’re not sure how to pay. Or, we find someone with whom we disagree doing something incredibly stupid and delightedly share this information. And share it. And share it. With friends, on social media, and in conversations with our cats. These sorts of focusing give power to the negative.

Energy by its nature expands. Remember? So all these actions and thoughts, but maybe particularly the negative, gives power to things we don’t want to give power to. What do we want to expand? Pay attention and focus on what gives joy and life. There’s a perfect tomato in my kitchen. What’s the best way for me to enjoy it? The cat wants extra time sleeping on my lap. Perhaps I, too, am called to be still. And, yes, you see positive news and share it. You take positive action by supporting a cause, listening to a friend, and loving your body. So look. Drown yourself in what’s beautiful.

Philodendron If you’re having trouble finding the positive, take a minute right now and look around. What are you noticing? One of my most negative friends loves black. If he were here, he could appreciate my black sweatshirt and the “sexy” black mic sock on the microphone by my computer. Breathe. Ah! You can breathe. There is that. Plus your heart is pumping quite independently. You can find the positive in that. It can be that small. If all you know is news, appreciate that you get it and stop there. If you’re called to real action appreciate the opportunity and community. (Most of those bits are always in community.) If you love puzzles, make it a puzzle to find five things to notice and appreciate right now: Our potential lawn guy just lowered his estimate by $50. I got an invitation for dinner. I know where my phone is! This Conversation piece is almost finished. I’ve heard that my friends who were in the path of Hurricane Helene are struggling, but basically OK.

So breathe. Pay attention. What do you see? If it’s negative, weed it out by knowing but not obsessing. Fertilize the positive. Spread energy accordingly.

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Photos from the top:

Ostrich – William Warby
(Note: Ostriches burying their heads is a myth, but has become a metaphor for avoidance and they do lower their heads when scared,}
MAX train – Spirit Moxie
Philodendron growing nicely – Spirit Moxie

What We Can Do

Aside

What can we do?????

guys sitting on curb by grungy street If you feel uncertain about politics, violence, economics, the environment, or any other current issues, global and personal, you may also feel a tad helpless about “things.” Perhaps as a reader or follower of Spirit Moxie, you’ve forgotten that there really are little things we can do to change the world. Or maybe you’ve never really thought that little things might work to affect big issues.

But little things do make a difference. First consider energy. Yup. Consider how you’re feeling right now. Energy spreads. Think of anger and how it can morph into a riot. Well, it works the same way with peace and calm. Think of a meditative space such as a cathedral or even those quiet spaces in airports. You walk in and can feel your whole body relax because of the energy of others who are there or have been there. At a recent Corner of Calm, a half hour virtual event where we simply share calm, I talked about this. You can hear this reflection on YouTube. Perhaps monitoring or changing your emotions doesn’t come easily, but meditation, exercise, and multiple basic exercises can help. What energies do you want in your world? List them.

Moxie Moves on coffee table Then go back to those little things we talk about in Spirit Moxie. If you have a copy of Moxie Moves: 10 easy ways to make a powerful difference, go look at that list. It really is a start! Below I reiterate the 10 easy ways—but in an order different from that in the book. (The number after a Move shows its order in the book. If there is a highlighted link, it goes to a Conversation post on the same topic.)

Smiling (1.) at people and things is a way to positively change energy as we go about our day. Being grateful (2.) is another way to make it easier to have positive emotions.

“You can’t change the world unless you are willing to engage with yourself as well as whatever is around you.”* Remember this engagement is all catching and a stronger you gives you more power. So, love your body (7.), whatever it looks like or feels like. We are bodies and yours is worth love and care. With this, remember the importance of sleep (3.) which actually affects those around you as well as yourself. There are other Spirit Moxie Conversations not in the book that relate, such as brushing your teeth and washing your hands, which we are constantly reminded are things that affect more than ourselves. There are two other chapters in the book that are more cerebral. Learn (5.) and play (10.). These two activities keep our minds active and curious, informing both our being and our doing.

Hand inserting ballot in ballot box Then there are the concrete actions that make a difference as we can we clearly see. An area without litter (4.) is healthier and safer as well as more attractive (back to emotions!). Keeping your word (8.) presents a world that’s trustworthy. Plus lying has a negative effect on your body so it, too, circles back. Listening (6.) and really, really hearing what others are saying rather than plotting our witty responses, whether we agree with them or not, lays a needed foundation for a better world. Plus, it circles back to learning and, for me, being grateful. Finally, there is the one thing that I’m assuming is completely obvious. Vote (9.) In the chapter on this action there is one more suggestion. Vote for yourself. Everyday. As someone who matters. Let’s start the Make a Difference party.

What you do matters.

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* Moxie Moves: 10 easy ways to make a powerful difference, p. 56

Images from the top:
Despondency Jessica Watkins DeWinter
Moxie Moves on table Mary Barr Rhodes
Voting Spirit Moxie