Exercise: Fortune Cookie Exercise

I had an idea for a mental exercise. The Fortune Cookie Exercise.

The idea is: Take a fortune cookie (or an app), crack it open, make a small motivational speech from the message inside. The idea is to flex the brain muscles in creating speeches and finding ways to interpret statements into new meanings.

I go into more detail here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IaBytDGiYkV7teyAgNPPj4oCrVTSghcTzY2QuzVZZ0U/edit?usp=sharing

I hope someone finds this useful, or even fun to try out!

Fortune: "What belongs to you shall come to you"

Meaning: You can be inspired by external influences to hope for something more, and greater, than what you consider to have and hold in your hands right now. Fact is though, after that initial inspiration, there's often some activity, and also of course, the waiting. Time comes towards you where you stand, watching, perhaps even anxiously, since it's carrying that future with it. Will it be as you expected? Will the something greater be there when it arrives? At the end of the waiting, you realise that the thing you might obtain, the thing that is greater, is actually everything you had anyway - the inspiration itself gave you what you were looking for. The waiting only highlighted for you the value of that which you already had. So yes, what belongs to me now more fully belongs to me. I know it better, and in this manner it comes to me, until I an inspired to think of it again.

Just got this one: I am in the perfect place at the perfect time. I am always safe.

Where ever I go there I am so it must be the place to be otherwise I would be there. Every place gives an opportunity to learn and what ever happens this is the experience I must make and I choose to make consciously or unconsciously. So it really doesn't meter where I am at what time its always perfect

Image inserted, so people know that any "wisdom" spouted here is directly proportional to my tea consumption.

Fortune: "If we give happiness to others we will end up happy"

Well isn't that just lovely. My instant response on reading this was to think of the creed, and I am sure a number of minds here will have done the same. The power of the words of that piece of wisdom are huge. It turns our desires into a reciprocating inclination to give, allowing us to become the masters of those same desires; channels of peace in this world. I am a HUGE supporter of gathering experiences through doing. "If you don't get it when you read it, just go out and do it". But this line about happiness is not there; and I think for good reason.

Happiness is one of those poorly defined terms that it seems all the rage for people to posses in modern society. What do we mean though when we want to be happy? Do we want to be successful? Do we want to be financially wealthy? Do we want to be well respected? I've recently heard "but I just want my son to be happy" - really, what does that mean you want for him? Do you just want him to get lucky? Do you want him to learn to be good? Or do you simply want him to grow up safe from harm? We all need to work our bliss out. Mine will differ from yours. But when we all know where we want to go; what it is we're searching for; then we can take steps in the right direction.

Desiring a poorly defined happiness is a bit of a fools errand. But joy? That feeling that wells up simply from being? Yeah - that one you can be more sure of. Have a joyful day; and I shall have some joyful tea before it gets cold.

Fortune: "Not Sharing is not caring"

I've been trying to work out how I know certain things to be true recently, and something I've found quite useful is to flip it. "Oh my word, Zimtsterne are so good" (they are a type of "cookie"/biscuit/delicious thing) - I had a huge obsession with them last month - but then if you take the Zimtsterne away, does the "goodness" of the world really diminish? How important ARE Zimtsterne? Without them, there are Spekulatius, Vanillekipferl, Plätzchen and Lebkuchen (these are ALL type of "cookie"/biscuit/delicious thing). The world would not be so bad a place. But I WOULD miss the cinnamon with that little bit of icing sugar on top? Ah - heaven.

It's in the absences, we can often see what we miss. Why we love the things we love, what we really value. So not having things really can be of benefit - it can be something to rejoice in, as it can get us in touch with our real desires. I could just have well concluded that indeed Zimtsterne were not so important after all - there are other biscuits; all equally lovely to go with this now cool enough to drink cup of tea.

Before I go though, I want to say something to "sharing" - the actual subject of the teabag. I think sharing can really can fall into this ambiguous category of neither being better or worse. Sharing your cold; generally not appreciated. Sharing your time, generally appreciated. But if you want to share your worries, see the "Contact Clergy" link top right.

Fortune: "Every beat of your heart is a rhythm of your soul"

I Love music. I have had a song in my head since forever, and my sister will attest to my ability to find a song to match any situation. I also dance a lot. Badly. But I don't mind. It's my way of being in touch with the rhythm of my soul. Every heart beat is a reminder of the present, where I know I can stay, and find infinite space for peace to well up; and let it flow out too - with every heart beat.

This also reminds me of a poem by Jenny Joseph, "When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple, with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me". It speaks of a liberation that comes with old age, as your heart beats are nearly spent, because the poet is no longer shackled by the expectations of others. She goes on to say she perhaps ought to start practising now, so people are not too surprised later in life. I heartily agree with her. I see no integrity in conforming to others' expectations, to their mould. That's no way to live a life! With love for our own unique qualities, I think we should all be making our own moulds, and casting old ones to the fire of a past memory. We may well be surprised by how little anyone gives a second thought to the lady who likes to skip and whistle on her way to work.

---- Nakis, I think I've got it now, and I love this idea. Such a good use of the bits of a tea big I usually just throw away! I'm going to start keeping them in a journal now I've got the gist; but I highly recommend folks give this a try!

Fortune: If you continually give, you will continually have.

This plays really well with the Knight's Code, "For it is in giving that we receive". Give freely, give always, and you will be filled with the happiness that giving provides.

This is very much a heart issue. Some people get little to no joy from giving.I find this mindset, this receiving joy from giving and helping others is something that has to be lived, taken to heart and mind and lived at all times, to give for the purpose of giving, not for the purpose of receiving. The joy of giving comes from giving without hope of receiving that joy.

You will be an inspiration to others.

Every interaction we have will leave a bit of ourselves with other people. Whether through conversation or observation we have an affect on those around us. As Jedi we should be like a beacon of peace and strength for others. Remember that.
Remember that when someone is trying to make you angry. Remember that when someone seeks your help. Remember that when your team does well. Always remember the influence we have on the lives we touch.