I love water...I love it falling from the sky, crashing on the shore, pouring from a cliff, flowing over rocks, or rippling gently in a lake or pond. I love to hear it, see it and feel it. In spite of this innate love of water, somewhere and sometime, something made me fear water. I can play in it, swim in it, and even swim under water, but any time that water flows across my nostrils, I feel panic...an unreasonable, unexplainable, but very real, panic. Sometimes I can keep from gasping...sometimes the panic takes over. When I am totally submersed and water is all around my nose, I am fine...but when coming out of the water, or standing in a shower, or when rain is on my face and dripping around my nose, I feel the fear. I don't know why I have that fear...I don't know where it came from...but I have never been able to overcome it, so I have found ways to circumvent it. I still walk in the rain..I still swim in and under water...but I've learned to prepare myself for those times when I know the panic will come, and I'm able to still enjoy water.
We all have fears...some we can explain...and some we can't, but to enjoy life, we must face them and do the things we like in spite of our fears. We can't try to ignore them...they are there. We must move forward, feel the fear, and yet move on. Whether it is meeting people, giving a speech, performing a task, taking on a project...whatever it is that we need to do, we must admit we are afraid, but still face it. Find a way to do what you need or want or love to do. Sometimes the fear will eventually go away. Sometimes, like my fear of water, the fear will never completely go away, but we can't let that fear keep us from something we love, or from striving for our goals.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Broken? It's okay...
Someone posted on my Facebook page, "We are all broken; and that's okay." There are many ways to be broken -- in heart, in spirit, in health -- but the resilience of the human race is phenomenal. Although some are shattered by these things and never recover, many are able to survive, overcome and thrive in spite of these traumatic events.
People have survived car accidents, falling from the sky, caught under water too long, "fatal" gun shots, "incurable" cancer -- the list goes on -- and they have survived. People have had their spirits and hearts broken -- by family members, religion, supposed friends, spouses or significant others -- and even though it feels as if they exist in a living death, they have survived.
The survivors have been broken and their lives have been fractured and cracked by these things, but some seem to have melded their fractured lives back together to become beautiful mosaics of life. Whether the fractures are melded together with gold, silver, lead or simply clay, their lives are a colorful mosaic lit by a warm glow or nearly blinding brightness from within, and the beauty of their lives brightens the lives of everyone around them.
People have survived car accidents, falling from the sky, caught under water too long, "fatal" gun shots, "incurable" cancer -- the list goes on -- and they have survived. People have had their spirits and hearts broken -- by family members, religion, supposed friends, spouses or significant others -- and even though it feels as if they exist in a living death, they have survived.
The survivors have been broken and their lives have been fractured and cracked by these things, but some seem to have melded their fractured lives back together to become beautiful mosaics of life. Whether the fractures are melded together with gold, silver, lead or simply clay, their lives are a colorful mosaic lit by a warm glow or nearly blinding brightness from within, and the beauty of their lives brightens the lives of everyone around them.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Inspirational contradictions?
Inspirational contradictions...sounds like an oxymoron...but it seems to be everywhere. Examples:
"Stay away from people who are negative."
"Accept people for who they are."
"If the relationship isn't right, get out of it."
"If the relationship isn't right, fix it."
These inspirational generic quotes do contradict when each is taken separately, but if a person uses the correct judgement to determine which "quote" to follow, based on each individual situation, all of them are simply inspirational. In the same way, the Bible seems contradictory, and this is because religious people pick and choose specific parts to "prove" their own points. When taken overall, the general theme of the Bible is to love God and love your "neighbor." An example: If taken literally, as written, "love your neighbor" would mean the person who lives next door; however, when Jesus was asked the question, "Who is my neighbor?", He demonstrated that "neighbor" included everyone -- even those thought of as enemies.
The seeming contradictions are guidelines that include "recommendations" for actions to be taken in various situations.
"Stay away from people who are negative."
"Accept people for who they are."
"If the relationship isn't right, get out of it."
"If the relationship isn't right, fix it."
These inspirational generic quotes do contradict when each is taken separately, but if a person uses the correct judgement to determine which "quote" to follow, based on each individual situation, all of them are simply inspirational. In the same way, the Bible seems contradictory, and this is because religious people pick and choose specific parts to "prove" their own points. When taken overall, the general theme of the Bible is to love God and love your "neighbor." An example: If taken literally, as written, "love your neighbor" would mean the person who lives next door; however, when Jesus was asked the question, "Who is my neighbor?", He demonstrated that "neighbor" included everyone -- even those thought of as enemies.
The seeming contradictions are guidelines that include "recommendations" for actions to be taken in various situations.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Directions...
On my desk is a paperweight. It looks like a mountain with trees carved along the sides and back to lend a feeling of perspective. In the side of the mountain, it says, "SUCCESS: It is not the position in which you stand, but the direction in which you look." (author unknown)
Standing in the midst of trouble -- laid off, ill, injured, broken-hearted -- and just looking around ourselves at the mess we see in our lives, success may seem very distant and even unattainable. Lifting our eyes to look in a different direction can give us a totally different feeling.
Looking to the past, we can see success in goals we have already accomplished, such as, getting a job, finishing school or a level in school, completing a craft project, raising children, completing a project or homework assignment on time...many little, or big, moments of success. If we have succeeded in the past, we can, and will, succeed again.
Looking to the present, we can see success in things that we currently have, such as, friends, a significant other, a pet, clothing, food, shelter...small things, or large things, that demonstrate success in our lives.
When we can look to the past and see those successes, and look to the present and see those successes, we can then look to the future and find the faith in ourselves to see success also is alive in our future.
We can look beyond the mess we see around ourselves, see the successes we've had and the successes we have, and look forward with confidence that we will have more success. Set your goals and follow your dreams...
Standing in the midst of trouble -- laid off, ill, injured, broken-hearted -- and just looking around ourselves at the mess we see in our lives, success may seem very distant and even unattainable. Lifting our eyes to look in a different direction can give us a totally different feeling.
Looking to the past, we can see success in goals we have already accomplished, such as, getting a job, finishing school or a level in school, completing a craft project, raising children, completing a project or homework assignment on time...many little, or big, moments of success. If we have succeeded in the past, we can, and will, succeed again.
Looking to the present, we can see success in things that we currently have, such as, friends, a significant other, a pet, clothing, food, shelter...small things, or large things, that demonstrate success in our lives.
When we can look to the past and see those successes, and look to the present and see those successes, we can then look to the future and find the faith in ourselves to see success also is alive in our future.
We can look beyond the mess we see around ourselves, see the successes we've had and the successes we have, and look forward with confidence that we will have more success. Set your goals and follow your dreams...
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Memories
Memories...good ones...sad ones...they are all little pieces of our lives that fit together and form a kaleidoscope of emotions...
My mother has many memories...
I recently resigned from a very good job to move in with my 85-year-old mother who is suffering from memory loss. Today, I had a pan of scraps to which I had added water to make a "soup" to pour over my pups' food. She saw it and, because of the color, asked if it was tea. I told her no, and she said, "Okay," but during the time she was doing the few dishes we had, she asked three more times, and twice, she started to get a pitcher so she could help me by finishing fixing my "tea." Her short-term memory is pretty bad right now due to a reaction to some seizure medication she was given in the hospital recently. Her long-term memory, however, has been very good. I'm still not sure how good the long-term memory is now...since her last hospital stay...but until then, it was very good.
She often would talk about my dad...how much she loved him...and tell about how they ran away to get married, even though their families were against it...how she was told that my dad was no good, but he had proved everyone wrong by being a good husband and father, and by providing a good living, as well as, a good retirement. This year, my mother and dad would have been married 68 years. He passed away nine years ago, but she still gets tears in her eyes sometimes when she talks about him.
My mother has many good memories...and that is what she talks about...the good memories. I never hear her say anything different than, "I've had a good life. Oh, I've had some troubles, but not like some people. I have had a good, long life." Her good memories certainly must outweigh the others.
We are making memories every moment. Some of our memories may be short-lived in our conscious mind, but some will remain even after our minds no longer work for us...some even until the day we die, so keep making memories...and dwell on the good ones...lock them in...hoping...they'll last forever...
My mother has many memories...
I recently resigned from a very good job to move in with my 85-year-old mother who is suffering from memory loss. Today, I had a pan of scraps to which I had added water to make a "soup" to pour over my pups' food. She saw it and, because of the color, asked if it was tea. I told her no, and she said, "Okay," but during the time she was doing the few dishes we had, she asked three more times, and twice, she started to get a pitcher so she could help me by finishing fixing my "tea." Her short-term memory is pretty bad right now due to a reaction to some seizure medication she was given in the hospital recently. Her long-term memory, however, has been very good. I'm still not sure how good the long-term memory is now...since her last hospital stay...but until then, it was very good.
She often would talk about my dad...how much she loved him...and tell about how they ran away to get married, even though their families were against it...how she was told that my dad was no good, but he had proved everyone wrong by being a good husband and father, and by providing a good living, as well as, a good retirement. This year, my mother and dad would have been married 68 years. He passed away nine years ago, but she still gets tears in her eyes sometimes when she talks about him.
My mother has many good memories...and that is what she talks about...the good memories. I never hear her say anything different than, "I've had a good life. Oh, I've had some troubles, but not like some people. I have had a good, long life." Her good memories certainly must outweigh the others.
We are making memories every moment. Some of our memories may be short-lived in our conscious mind, but some will remain even after our minds no longer work for us...some even until the day we die, so keep making memories...and dwell on the good ones...lock them in...hoping...they'll last forever...
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Reflections in a raindrop...
The raindrop hangs heavily from the flower petal, waiting for any tiny movement to set it free and send it on its way...to continue its journey to the earth and on...soaking into the earth...down, down, down...finding its way to a spring, a stream, a lake...an ocean...
Water is a liquid mirror, reflecting images that conform to the ripples, undulations and swells as the water responds to the currents, the winds and obstructions.
Smooth water reflects an image that retains the perspective of the elements within the image. Rippling water still retains the perspective of the elements, but adds its own interpretation, transforming the image into slices and chunks of elements, making it difficult to visualize the entire image. Volatile, rolling waves reflect images much too quickly to comprehend the elements or the perspective. But the raindrop...tiny, seemingly insignificant...reflects an image that transforms the elements...
When life is smooth, it is easy for us to see how we fit into the various elements of life...easy to clearly see our path, our goals, our destination...but when currents, winds and obstructions distort that image, we start to miss significant elements within the image. Our path, our goals and our destination become bits and pieces of elements that we try to put together. When the ripples grow into waves, volatile and convulsive, the image of our path, our goals, and our destination becomes obliterated.
...and that is when we catch a raindrop.
In the raindrop...this tiny drop of reflection...we see ourselves...and all of the elements of our life are reflected around us...but in a totally different perspective. In the raindrop, we are the largest element. Our path, our goals, our destination, and all of the other elements...people...troubles...difficulties...failures...successes...all of these are smaller and seemingly less significant than before. The image in the raindrop can remind us that who we are is what really matters, and while all of the other elements are still there, they are only small pieces of a very large image representing all of the little parts of our life.
Water is a liquid mirror, reflecting images that conform to the ripples, undulations and swells as the water responds to the currents, the winds and obstructions.
Smooth water reflects an image that retains the perspective of the elements within the image. Rippling water still retains the perspective of the elements, but adds its own interpretation, transforming the image into slices and chunks of elements, making it difficult to visualize the entire image. Volatile, rolling waves reflect images much too quickly to comprehend the elements or the perspective. But the raindrop...tiny, seemingly insignificant...reflects an image that transforms the elements...
When life is smooth, it is easy for us to see how we fit into the various elements of life...easy to clearly see our path, our goals, our destination...but when currents, winds and obstructions distort that image, we start to miss significant elements within the image. Our path, our goals and our destination become bits and pieces of elements that we try to put together. When the ripples grow into waves, volatile and convulsive, the image of our path, our goals, and our destination becomes obliterated.
...and that is when we catch a raindrop.
In the raindrop...this tiny drop of reflection...we see ourselves...and all of the elements of our life are reflected around us...but in a totally different perspective. In the raindrop, we are the largest element. Our path, our goals, our destination, and all of the other elements...people...troubles...difficulties...failures...successes...all of these are smaller and seemingly less significant than before. The image in the raindrop can remind us that who we are is what really matters, and while all of the other elements are still there, they are only small pieces of a very large image representing all of the little parts of our life.
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