Author Archives: Ryan Calvert

“When it comes to finding reasons to be grateful—I think of them as avenues of appreciation—it helps to follow a practice I call the POET approach, which stands for People, Opportunities, Experiences, and Things. I put People first because taking note of their greatness in your life feeds your confidence in others. I put Things last because they cause us to focus on material items that can either be in short supply or be taken away entirely.” ~ Tim Sanders from Today We Are Rich

Gratitude.

We talk about this all the time.

It’s a huge part of being rich and I just love Tim’s POET approach.

Let’s take a quick inventory now:

P: I am grateful for these amazing People:___________________________________________

O: I am grateful for these Opportunities:_______________________________________

E: I am grateful for these Experiences:________________________________________

T: I am grateful for these Things:____________________________________________

Here’s to becoming grateful POETs!!!

Via Entheos and Brian Johnson

Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Wayne Levin traveled there and captured some of its marine inhabitants in a breathtaking series of black and white photographs. Check them out here.

One of the themes on Lucid Practice has been how imperative it is to truly be yourself. When one wholeheartedly (with your WHOLE heart) accepts oneself, a world of peace and happiness opens up to them. Check out 10 choices one can make to help lead an authentic and blessed life — Here.

“One decision can develop into a habit, and the habits you form create your reality.”

Hakuna Matata

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

by Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look ’em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And then things start to happen,
don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump,
you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you’ll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…

…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or the waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for the wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying
You’ll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You’ll be as famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t
Because, sometimes they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times
you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win
’cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike,
And I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never foget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
You’re off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

At first blush, it might seem odd to post a children’s book for this week’s poetry corner. However,  the works of Mr. Theodor Seuss Geisel (one Dr. Seuss) have so much to offer to people of all ages. To begin with, you can’t take yourself too seriously to fully enjoy Dr. Seuss. All of the crazy, made up places and creatures may seem childish to some, but if you view them that way then you have missed the point. There is real beauty in being able to invoke such positive feelings in people of all ages, and Dr. Seuss was blessed with the ability to do just that.

O, the Places You’ll Go! brings to mind one of my favorite Lucid Practices, travelling. Nothing opens one’s eyes like exploring new countries and learning about different cultures. Regardless of the differences in languages, genders, or religions, so much can be learned by opening yourself up to a new area of the world. Keep your mind open and immense joy will come from your travels. The same joy that is felt in Dr. Seuss’ poetic imaginary world can be found exploring our own beautiful planet.

Furthermore, Dr. Seuss talks about the ups and downs of a life that has been lived to the fullest. If one just sits around and waits for things to happen, life is going to pass that person by. Yet, that is not the way of the Lucid Practitioner. You step up to life’s grand buffet and make the most of each course. Due to this sense of wonder and adventure, not everything is going to work out as planned… AND THIS IS OK! Bumps in the road are some of the most important occurrences  because when you do succeed (which is “98 and 3/4 guaranteed”), then the learning experience was that much sweeter.

Whether one chooses to read Dr. Seuss for the simple enjoyments of his fantastic rhymes, or look deeper into the life lessons he was so kind to offer, O, the Places You’ll Go! is truly an epic poem for all. Today is your day!

Hakuna Matata

Author George Saunders gave the convocation speech for the 2013 graduates of Syracuse University. I find myself unable to add anything meaningful to his amazing words. Please enjoy and feel the love—-Here.

Hakuna Matata

Phil Mickelson defeated a loaded field to win his first Open Championship this past weekend at Muirfield, but that is not what makes him such an extraordinary individual. No athlete comes to mind with such a perfect work-life balance. One might argue that being a professional golfer makes this a lot easier, and that argument could be perfectly valid. However, the degree to which Mickelson has his priorities in order is amazing. The heartfelt embrace that he shared with his wife and children after his victory explained everything one needs to know about Mickelson.

He arrived on the red eye right before the US Open last month, eschewing valuable practice time, because he had refused to miss his daughters 8th grade graduation. In 1999 he played the US Open with a pager on in case his wife went into labor during the tournament, knowing full well that he would leave the course immediately to be with her. He suspended his tournament schedule indefinitely to be with his wife when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. These are only a few obvious examples of his devotion to his family.

This is one of the greatest golfers in the world, one of the best of all time, who understands what is truly important. There is nothing as significant in life as one’s family, in my opinion. I feel blessed any time I get the opportunity to spend time with my parents, brother, or sister. Yet, it seems that I don’t get to spend as much time with them as I’d like because of other responsibilities. Phil is a shining example of the fact that one doesn’t need to sacrifice this time spent with family to succeed in other areas of life. It is refreshing to see someone who is an amazing athlete but even a better man.

Hakuna Matata

One of my favorite activities in the world is a post-work yoga practice. Yesterday I was blessed with the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful 55 minutes of Vinyasa yoga with my roommate, who decided to attend a class with me for the first time. Normally, as I lay down for Shavasana, a subdued elation comes over me as I relax and regroup. However, yesterday was different because I could not shake the feeling that I had gone about the day’s practice incorrectly.

For many of us who grew up playing competitive sports, the need to win was everything. This wasn’t an unusual feeling as our society is predicated on having a winner and a loser in all situations. In business, sports, and even social interactions, the drive to best someone else dictates many of the actions people take. The end result is an ego driven society, which is not what Lucid Practice is all about.

During Savasana I came to the realization that I had been comparing my own practice to those around me. I was looking around the room to see how I stacked up against everyone else’s Warrior 2 pose, instead of concentrating on my own breath. The need to “win” has stuck with me apparently, but instead of being an issue, this awareness is a beautiful opportunity. Now I know what I have to work on, and I can’t wait to get back on the mat and find my own breath, without worrying about winning or losing.

Relax that ego.

Hakuna Matata

Credit to Kev Ollier for the photo

The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost