December's Virtue

So here's a fun fact (not really fun, I just like the expression) a week ago today, November 23rd was the two-year anniversary of my mom's accident. To catch you up, she was at a soccer game and fainted on the cement floor, putting a five-and-a-half inch fracture into the back of her head. Remarkably she's made a near full recovery. Am so thankful for all of the thoughts and prayers that so many people had sent.

It was around that time or shortly after that I'd gotten back into meditation. The stress of the situation among other things drove me to need some sort of momentary reprieve. Since then I've been going steady and I make it to the meditation cushion almost nightly. It folds in nicely to the monthly virtues that I try to practice each month.

As I've been busy knocking myself out trying to break into television, I'd been trying to work out virtues that might compliment that work. For example in October I'd practiced "Good Timing" as my virtue, closely followed by "Authenticity" in November. So when it came to choosing the virtue for December, I wanted to keep it in a similar bent but found myself stuck for what might work.

And then I read this quote by Oscar Wilde: "An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all." I liked that. 

Then He Who Shall Not Be Named shared a quote with me by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that said: "If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough." Hmm, that's some food for thought right there.

Dangerous ideas, big dreams, a career in Film and Television - there's a connection in there somewhere I'm sure of it. As mentioned in my previous, rather political Thanksgiving post, I have an idea for a show that is going to be an extremely hard sell because it's going to rock the boat and nice girls shouldn't rock the boat. 

So do I pick Courage or Fearlessness as the virtue? Been there, done that. I wondered if "to dream" was a virtue, but even if it was it feels a little too passive. I am tired of dreaming. I want my dreams to be my reality.

Because we're talking about quotes, this one by Emily Dickinson came up: "Dwell in possibility." I like it, it feels stronger than 'to dream'. There is so much power in an idea. So I dug a little further and came across a webpage that had a list of great quotes about strong ideas.

"If at first an idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it." Albert Einstein.

"An idea is salvation by imagination." Frank Lloyd Wright.

Actually check out the page HERE.

Then I stumbled across this gem by the great leader, Nelson Mandela: "It always seems impossible until it's done."

That's it right there. Today's stretch is tomorrow's yawn. We are infinitely capable of anything. So I think Emily Dickinson has it.

December's virtue is an action virtue and the action will be to "Dwell in possibility."

I wish not only for each and every one of you to carry the light of a dream in your hearts, I wish for you to find the path to that dream's realization!

Happy December, lovelies.
Shan