Wise Selfish People

Foolish selfish people are always
thinking of themselves,
and the result is negative.

Wise selfish people think of others,
help others as much as they can,
and the result is that they too
receive benefit.

~The Dalai Lama


Of Note: Wise selfish people know about karma. That's one of the reasons they are called wise. They also know that as karma is cleared, not only do they receive benefit, but all creation is gifted as well. Some have an idea that karma is predetermined or fatalistic. That is not the case. Sogyal Rinpoche pointed out that "karma means our ability to create and to change." What he's saying is that karma is not something done to us. Wise selfish people know that we are in control of our little sphere and thus responsible for the consequences, providing just one more good reason to reach out with a loving heart.

Today's Weather Report: While Chicago and the surrounding area all the way into Wisconsin were pummeled with snow and ice today, we enjoyed sunshine and temps in the low 20's. Our shopping trip to Ashland yesterday ended with the sunset above captured out the car window. The whole scene was spellbinding for miles and miles and much better than the stormy one we would have had southeast of here had we gone on that trip Wednesday.

Watch For Change Snippet: A few months back, I developed a taste for rice. My husband, the cook in the family, is of German descent; unsurprisingly then, potatoes are his stock in trade. Thus, my desire to eat rice fell on deaf ears for a little while until I started eating it for breakfast. I found no better way to greet the day than a bowl of rice, raisens and cut-up apple drenched in soy milk. Then a small rice cooker was purchased so that the smell of scorched rice would not continue to plague the process. One day I made a rice roll containing fresh vegetables wrapped in seaweed. My husband eyed the Japanese-inspired concoction and proceeded to eat almost all on the plate. He made me promise to serve the delicious rolls once a week. As a matter of fact, that's what we are having tonight. In doing so, we will be joining a majority of people in the world today eating rice in one form or another. Could be that my Germanic guy will come around after all.