Staying on Track

From the Victorian Romantic Tarot, the Chariot:

"Know the Self as lord of the chariot,
The body as the chariot itself,
The discriminating intellect as
The charioteer, and the mind as the reins.
The senses, say the wise, are the horses;
Selfish desires are the roads they travel.
When the Self is confused with the body,
Mind, and senses, they point out, he seems
To enjoy pleasure and suffer sorrow.
When a person lacks discrimination
And his mind is undisciplined, his senses
Run hither and thither like wild horses.
But they obey the rein like trained horses
When a person has discrimination
And the mind is one-pointed."
(Katha Upanishad translation by Eknath Easwaran)

As I look at this image, I realize that not only are there a myriad of outer distractions in my life (like the "backseat drivers" in this card), but there are plenty of inner diversions and disturbances as well.  Only through self-discipline and one-pointed focus can I stay on track, as the Katha Upanishad so eloquently reminds me.

From the Flowers' Messages comes "Daylily - Cooperation:"

With the cooler temperatures (as opposed to the "hotter than 10,000 hells" my husband uses to describe our summers), the daylilies have started blooming again.  They remind me of my grandmother and are some of my favorite flowers, even though their blooms only last one day.  The brevity of each flower's bloom reminds me how quickly special moments or opportunities can slip away, particularly if I am distracted by other things.  Groups too can have so many special interests that they never accomplish anything.  Cooperation and working toward a common goal, whether as a group or individual (with my mind, body and spirit on the same page) will accomplish what needs to be done before the chance wanes then disappears.