24-073 Reliability

The Mandala Lady, , , , , , , , ,

Reliability

”the quality of being able to be trusted or believed”

When I think about reliability I think about a time in my much younger life when I used to do a lot of babysitting. I started around 10 or 11 years old taking care of kids in the neighborhood…it was usually for daytime sitting. As I got older, I did evening babysitting. Those were the days when one of the parents (usually the father) would pick me up and then bring me home afterwards. btw…this was in the 1960s…a much different time than now. Also, I was thrilled to be paid $1-$1.50/hr. Can you imagine that now?

Because I built a reputation of being reliable, I did a lot of babysitting jobs. And then one day, when I was about 16, that all changed…not because of something I did but because of how it was perceived. I had a daily afternoon sitting job where I took care of this 10-year-old boy until his mom came home from work. He was rather playful and imaginative. It was an easy 2-3 hr gig.

This one day he was extra rambunctious. It happened so fast. He’d taken his shirt off and jumped on my back, knocking me to the floor with him on top of me. As the mother walked in, the boy said “let’s play doctor”. I was mortified to say the least. Nothing I said or could say would change her mind about what she saw or how she saw it. She wouldn’t believe me and she no longer trusted me. She asked that I never come back. I stopped all babysitting after that.

This happened over 50 years ago and it still haunts me to this day. I took pride (and still do) in being a reliable person. It made me aware that sometimes things happen that are out of my control. The best I can do is be more present with what’s going on around me while maintaining my integrity.

How about you? Is reliability a core value for you?

BTW…this is what it looked like before I started…

joyfully,

Maureen
The Mandala Lady

inspiring and encouraging creativity, curiosity, and play through the art of mandalas

About the 2024 Mandalas of the Day

Each day I will create and post a mandala inspired by one of 366 “value” words chosen randomly. The objective being to discover for myself which ones would best represent my core values…and by doing so, I hope it inspires you to determine your own.

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Published by The Mandala Lady

My Mission: connecting with our Inner Light in delightful, inspiring ways For me, creating mandalas is more than just coloring pretty patterns in a circle. I do it because my spiritual evolution and creativity require it of me. My mandala designs come about within an active meditative state, connected with my higher self, my spiritual guides and nature spirits. Together, we bring into form, mandala art the allows me to re-connect with my own inner peace and joy, letting me explore and expand my own creative spirit to however far and in whatever direction I want to take it. As part of my own spiritual journey, I encourage, and hopefully inspire, others to explore their own creativity, to help them re-connect with their own inner peace and joy. As a means to that end, I make all of my mandalas available for people to color. Why should I have all the fun?

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