A Holiday Muse

The Ten Signs and Symptoms of Inner Peace

1. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fear based on past experience.

2. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

3. A loss of interest in judging other people.

4. A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

5. A loss of interest in conflict

6. A loss of the ability to worry. (Curious idea huh? The “ability to worry” like it is rehearsed!)

7. Frequent overwhelming episodes of gratitude.

8. Increasing tendency to let things happen rather then control everything

9. An increased susceptibility to love, like it is a verb, and the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

10. An appreciation of the talents, strengths and gifts our Creator and creation has bestowed
upon us.

Saskia Davis Copyright 1984 “symptomsofinnerpeace.net”

My comments:

And who is the enemy of this path to a harvest of contentment? 24/7 Cable News! Turn off the lathered up news that is all story and little information. Send the radio ranters home for the holidays. Walk the dog, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, write a letter. Take back the Tower of Babel from the Babylon of Media mavens and usher in an era of silence. Prosperity will spring forth from more silence and less rant. It always has.

11 thoughts on “A Holiday Muse”

  1. Hello, Mike,
    I am writing as the author of the excerpted and freely modified piece above, under the title of 10 Signs and Symptoms of Inner Peace. I invite you and your readers to  visit my website, symptomsofinnerpeace.net ,  where you can view the the entire SYMPTOMS OF INNER PEACE™, as well as history, copyright and reprint permission information.   Oh,   and there is also  a beautiful little poster available there with the message!
    Also, on this posting, if you would please add my name as author of the the list, (the paragraph at the bottom is not my work, in fact, has replaced mine, and add a copyright date of 1984, I would be grateful.  SYMPTOMS OF INNER PEACE™ has been passed friend to friend for so many years, sometimes my name has been left off and then it just gets passed on that way; so this is not about blame.  It would just help me, as well as those who wish to reprint it if they can find my authorship, the whole piece and how to contact me.
    A link would be wonderful if you can do it.  I’ll be looking forward to hearing back from you.  If you would please reference the URL where it is posted, I would also be grateful.
    All the best,
    Saskia Davis, author

  2. Wow, the  power of the Internet. I never would have known you without this faupa! I have had your “Symptoms of Inner Peace” for years and have taken it with me on retreats. I think I first got it at the VA Hospital here in Tucson.
    So of  course I will  meld the real author to her own creation. I will also inform the folks who hand them out. And, I am going to your site right now.  Maybe you can meet more of our vets who are seeking some peace of mind, and help us with our workshops…eh?

  3. My word, you all have to read Saskia Davis’ story at her website. I guess this marvelous little treatise has traveled all over the world without its author.
    The very act of attaching the author back to the original is a rather odd sort of inner peace just in and of  itself.
    Saskia’s posters would make a wonderful Christmas gift.  Thanks Saskia, for your beingness.

  4. Cash,  It is because of the possibility of economic gain from someone’s intellectual property. Original works of authorship that are fixed in a “tangible medium of expression”, include literary works like this one, sound recordings and moving pictures. Copyright protection extends only to the expression of an idea or concept. Meaning the style, language and structure of a work as a whole. Ideas in the form of facts , procedures, processes, methods of operation, principles  and discoveries, no matter how original are not protected by copyright laws.   (compliments of Arizona Reporters Book on Media Law 5th Edition)
    So the idea of “How To Get On Game Show” is not protected.  Publishing it in Woman’s Day  is!
     
    There is, however an exception called the “Fair Use Doctrine” that allows a third party to use material based on intent, such as commercial gain, educational purposes or the effect or lack thereof on the market value of the material.
    I hope this helps. As you can see from the author, she has no concern in this case, as 7/8th’s  of the Bloggers here are volunteers, and there is no commercial gain for anyone. And, if you go to her website you will see that this has been going on for her for two decades.
    In my case, this piece was distributed in a PTSD program at the Veterans Hospital. It never had an author noted, and neither did it read anonymous.  With the reach of the internet, this fine woman may be getting more exposure by these innocent inclusions then all the paid promotion could provide. I am buying one of her posters!
     

  5. “…who is the enemy of this path to a harvest of contentment? 24/7 Cable News!
    Actually the news organizations are only part of the story. 

    You’d best add to them commercial advertising on both TV and radio.

    It used to be TV and radio were treated as friends.  We invited them into our homes, and they would entertain or inform us, while we in turn would politely listen to the message of those who paid to bring this information or entertainment to us.

    Somewhere along the line that relationship changed, and kept changing, until today we have the equivalent of an unstable, strident, slightly psychopathic relative with an overweening sense of entitlement and a pair of 20″ cymbals, whose sole goal in life is to make sure YOU GET THE @!*•#$! MESSAGE AND BUY OUR STUFF *FATHEAD*!!

    Of course that’s just my 2¢ worth, but I’m stickin’ by it.

  6. That is funny, maxload, hope you hang around. You would chime with my brother in Texas who would like your 2 cents  worth. He says that pop culture has ambushed us.  The goal of course is to become a full time consumer. China and Phillips Electric would love nothing more.
    He says that, ” advertising is like a home invasion where the invader hangs around to help you feed the dog!”

  7. Thanks.  Funny you should mention Texas, as I’m actually an ex-pat Tucsonan who gets his “fixes” via links sent from relatives still there.  : )
    I have to add that “advertising is like a home invasion where the invader hangs around to help you feed the dog!” should include “… and does a damn poor job of it at that!
    Cheers, and have a *great* holiday season [the preceding was not meant as hyperbole].

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