Cause in the matter

When I was a practicing Unitarian Universalist, I was particularly fond of the Principles:
There are seven principles which Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote:
* The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
* Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
* Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
* A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
* The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
* The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
* Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Although I'm no longer affiliated with the church, the principles are still a decent measure of my philosophy.

I had an experience this morning of the last principle. Yesterday I had a hell of a time getting my schedule arranged. I was putting one appointment on top of another or leaving something out of my planner or a half a dozen other problems. The result of my inability to get my Palm Pilot under control spread like a brush fire. Everywhere I looked people around me were rescheduling this or that. Four of the people scheduled to call me, called to reschedule their calls.

This sort of thing happens to me once in awhile. My calendar just falls apart and I can't seem to recover gracefully. My spastic juggling ripples through the people around me causing frustration, killing productivity, and creating havoc.

So what was happening with me that caused all this to go south? I had resisted putting something into my Palm Pilot last week. I resisted so well that I didn't put it in. It was something I didn't want to do. A family obligation that really felt like an obligation rather than a celebration. Two of the young people are graduating from college and we are having a celebratory dinner. Rather than viewing this as an opportunity for fun and frivolity, I saw it as an opportunity to be bored, uncomfortable, and agitated.

The interdependent web of all existence got a yank from me yesterday that threatened to knock half a dozen people off their strand. :)

I've decided that scheduling gets a much higher priority from now on 'cause I don't know my own strength. :)

Love.