THE TRAITOR - 310/365

is it necessary or wise to deceive

the cause one is committed to

in order to pledge allegiance to another?

THE WHIMP -296/365

the ability to stand

for a conviction

may depend on how

necessary it is to be liked

THE CONFORMER - 258/365

to blindly follow the rules

is to deny our own inner compass

THE STRATEGIST - 226/365

the best plan

is the one laid

on a solid foundation

THE PLANNER - 153/365

the values taken from the past

are the seeds that plan the future

Question:

What are yours?

Clay Ingredients:

Super Sculpey

THE BARGAINER - 142/365

to gain at the expense of someone else

is to loose far more than something is worth

Question:

At what price are you willing to "win?"

Clay Ingredients:

Sculpey Translucent

Holtz Distress powder (peeled paint)

THE BORROWER - 120/365

"Can I borrow your values? I don't have any of my own right now....I used to but I gave them to someone else and they passed them on to who knows who and now I don't have any idea where they are."

My Reflection:

Like a thumb print or a set of teeth...no two people have the exact same values. Yet, there are times when I might think less of someone because theirs doesn't match up with mine.

Perhaps richer, more meaningful relationships can be experienced if I simply spend less time trying to impose my own values onto others and more time trying to understand theirs.

Question:

How do you value another person's "values?"

Clay Ingredients:

Sculpey Translucent clay

Holtz Distress powder (vintage-photo)

THE CHEATER - 95/365

"My eyes are closed...I can't see a thing...promise. No, really - I'm not looking...I wouldn't do that...I swear!"

My Reflection:

While I'm not a "cheater," I suppose there are times when I cheat myself. "Oops...where did the time go...just can't make it to the gym today."

While this isn't going to kill me, the fact that I'm pretending I don't know any better eats away at the fabric of my integrity leaving me with a sense of uneasiness and mistrust.

Perhaps the next time I try and fool myself or let "time slip away", I'll remember that to build "trust" requires a willingness to tell the "truth" and that one can't exist without the other.

Question:

How do you "cheat" yourself?

THE STORYTELLER - 89/365

"A wild cougar was terrorizing the neighborhood - overturning garbage cans, killing pets and leaving gifts of fertilizer on our lawns. No one knew what to do so I took matters into my own hands. Wearing this disguise, I hid behind a tree and waited for just the right moment to scare the beast. You can't even imagine how frightened he was when I jumped out and yelled..........."BOO."

My Reflection:

Sometimes I wish I had more exciting stories to tell like killing a wild boar in Africa or climbing the highest peak in the Himalayas. But the truth is, the longer I'm around, the more I realize that it's often the little things that I find most meaningful. A loving conversation, a laugh-out-loud moment with friends or just some quiet time to myself.

Perhaps in the end, the most "interesting" life isn't the one filled with the most "dramatic" events but rather the one filled with the most "meaningful" moments.

Question:

What "meaningful" stories fill your life?

THE SOUL ACCESSORIZE R - 74/365

"My motto? NOTHING is beautiful on it's own...EVERYTHING must be accessorized including the "spirit." Currently I'm shopping for a cloak of "virtue" and a dress of "good deeds."

My Reflection:

While I do believe in the positive effect of good wardrobe accessories, choosing just the right one requires some thought and attention to detail.

Dressing up the inner spirit, however, is an entirely different matter and unlike The Soul Accessorize R, it isn't something I can purchase. Instead, I adorn my spirit by the integrity of my actions - motivated by my heart.

Question:

What enhances your "soul?"

THE STOIC EXAMPLE - 73/365

"Go ahead, dress me up in whatever makes you happy...I'm here for your enjoyment. It matters not that you laugh at this contraption on my head - a contraption that others may find humiliating. Instead, I see it as a symbol of my commitment to your pleasure and "commitment" is by far more important than anything one may "feel."

My Reflection:

I sometimes find "values" and "feelings" don't want to cooperate with each other. There are times I am compelled to take action on what I consider to be an important "value" even when I don't "feel" like doing it. On the other hand, I'm not a proponent of ignoring my "feelings."

Perhaps acknowledging "feelings" while understanding "values" will create an environment where they can work together more effectively.

Question:

How do your "values" and "feelings" drive your "actions?"