Reverse Psychology

Don't look...
You might see.
Don't listen...
You might hear.
Don't think...
You might learn.
Don't make a decision...
You might be wrong.
Don't walk...
You might stumble.
Don't run...
You might fall.
Don't laugh...
You might cry.
Don't live...
You might die.

This statement was engraved on a brass plaque I found in a gift shop years ago. I hung it in the bathroom so it could be contemplated.  I enjoyed having it because it's total negativity is so unavoidably obvious and the reverse psychology of the statement worked for me.

It represents the imprisonment we put ourselves in when we choose the cautious life. It's where we all manage to get stuck sometimes; that holding pattern of stagnation from which we need a jolt. And this was the jolt I needed to get me out of my complacency at the time.

Change

fascinate me
calm me
give me a sensation
beyond knowing
all that changes
remains unchanged

-Elizabeth Munroz

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