Live Inspired!
Color Quote of the Week: colors Silver, Gold and Yellow Appreciate! “Maybe you weren't born with a silver spoon in your mouth, but like every American, you carry a deed to 635 million acres of public lands. That's right. Even if you don't own a house or the latest computer on the market, you own Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and many other natural treasures.” --John Garamendi (politician, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, California member of congress) What do you think? We’re richer than we thought we were. Each of us has a stake in the “every day” areas of this wonderful land, and we also have a “deed” to some of the country’s most valued national treasures, including (if you want to limit it to color) Yellowstone and The Golden Gate Bridge. (Wow, some colorful names!) In case you haven’t thought for a while about how spectacular these areas are, consider. Covering over 2.2 million acres in parts of 3 states, Yellowstone National Park was thought to get its name from yellow-colored rocks found along the Yellowstone River; it features a variety of lakes, canyons, rivers, mountain ranges and even a supervolcano, and it is actually the oldest national park in the country. You can even cross the continental Divide three times as you traverse the area. In turn, The Golden Gate Bridge (official color is actually international orange) is a pretty iconic place. Interestingly it didn’t get its name from the California Gold rush or from the fact that California is the golden State. “Explorer John C Fremont named the strait 'Chrysopylae', or 'Golden Gate', after Istanbul/Constantinople's Golden Horn, in 1846, just two years before gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, California. But the Bridge served as a symbol of hope during The Great Depression and has since been a key gateway to and from the west.” I like the outdoors, so I like the idea that I have more of a “deed” to a part of the natural world (and other areas of life too) than I had ever realized. We know the government provides services, for example running the national parks, investing in education or providing for the national defense. I never thought about those services in terms of having a personal deed or stake in the process. You go to a national park; you check in with the people at the visitor’s center, you have a meaningful vacation, you go home, and that’s that. Mr. Garamendi’s thought takes the connection to a deeper level, for me identifying and appreciating rights I hadn’t thought about in a particularly personal way along with the responsibility that comes with those rights. It’s not just about going to a national park on vacation, sending your kids to school or watching young people go off to war. Each of us has a more profound “deed” or stake or investment in each of these aspects of society too. These aren’t activities that are necessarily removed from us; rather they identify for each of us a set of rights, responsibilities and even ownership inherent in the democratic process. It’s easy to forget that that’s what democracy is all about. Especially if you weren’t born with a “silver spoon” in your mouth. And that’s the other part that really appeals to me. Whether it’s the wonders of being in the great outdoors; being part of the great democracy we live in; or just sharing the good things that are a part of our everyday lives, whatever our circumstances, Mr. Garamendi’s quote reminds me to take a few minutes to simply appreciate. How do these ideas resonate with you, and what are one or two actions you might want to take in the next day or so on that basis?
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AuthorI am a Life Coach, a Color Wisdom Card Practitioner, and yes, even a Professor (political science, State University of New York at Albany). I use the Color Wisdom Cards to support clients in exploring priorities and taking concrete actions to stay on track with the goals they set. Because in my own life I have overcome a lot of self-doubt, I want to work with people towards more confidence and self-empowerment. You can do it! What is it you want to do? Categories
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June 2021
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