Wednesday, February 29, 2012

What Doesn't Kill Me.....






What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger.....

Seems like I've been saying that a lot lately.  As I've started working out and my body is saying....What the Heck are You Doing......
I keep repeating it like a mantra....What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger.

Sadly, I see just how blind folded we can be at times in facing the world around us. My attempt to get in better shape, has taken first place in my life right now, but, I'm always brought back to reality when I turn on the news.  Kids killing kids, dictators killing hundreds of their own, Hollywood's finest decked out in all the extravagance, politicians spending millions of dollars to slander each other just to get a vote.

Sooooo, what kills us.....really does kill us.  People die of starvation while others waste so much on political adds, diamond necklaces and frivolity.  It seems we've lost our sense of responsibility, our compassion and our humanity. I understand if we let the world around us, consume us, we are doing more damage to ourselves than good.  But, I think that when we forget to accept our responsibility, show our compassion and love, we do even more damage.

It seems like the world and it's woes, have been in my thoughts a lot lately. I know we have to find a balance in living our life to the fullest, as well as seeking out ways to make a difference in the world. We have to get the most out of this life, keeping one eye on our road and one eye on the travels of others.

So, as I work on improving my strength and endurance, I have to lift those with struggles, much bigger than mine, up in prayer.  As I find a spark of joy in my life, I have to spread that joy to the stranger I meet on the street. As God blesses me in my life, I have to turn those blessing into blessings for others.

Maybe I do allow myself to feel too deeply at times about the woes of the world. But with recognition, comes possibilities, a plan, that first step of our personal journey to make a difference, right a wrong, sooth a broken heart, or just be there with a warm hug.

and the Journey Continues........



Friday, February 17, 2012

Living In The Real World






We live in an age where everything is judged on how fast it is, how modern or how up to date it is.  We want the newest gadget, the best phone, the best in computers, so we can keep up with the world, without missing a thing.

When I watch the TV advertisement, about the two guys sitting at the tailgate party, always being 30 seconds ahead of everyone else, I have to pause.  They are so involved with being the first to know, they are missing out on living the life around them.  

It's interesting to see how we've evolved, from living in the real world, to living so much of our lives on line, with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so many other sites, apps and profile pages. 

I'll admit, I am one of those who love to see what's new in the toy department, so to speak, and love getting the chance to get my hands on the newest in electronic devices. I'm also amazed of the wonder of the internet that allows us to meet and experience the lives of so many people around the world, an experience we would never, ever have had the chance to in our own little world. But, because of the need to always have a phone to our ear, have our eyes glued to it's screen, keeping our life updated on a computer, or keeping up with everyone else's going on's or where a bouts, we've forgotten what it is.......To Live......

I look back with envy at the days of my childhood when we played.....Yes Played....out in the yard.  We laughed and giggled at nothing in particular because we were having......FUN. Today, most kids idea of having Fun, is talking on the cell phone or texting back and forth,  oblivious to the world around them.  And adults are the same way, talking and texting, their lives away.

I guess I should explain what brought all this up in the first place for me.  I had a list of things to do to improve my mind, my body, my life and my joy.........but somehow, the time for my goals, kept being taken up by keeping up with my electronic world. Every time I had a day planned to work on a little bit of me, I would get sidetracked with a little bit of what seemed to be more important on line, on Facebook, or what I thought I had to check on my iPod so I wouldn't miss out.

In other words.......I kept WASTING MY LIFE AWAY with the trivial and not the REAL.

I spend more time pulling my iPod out every few minutes making sure I haven't missed a message or an update than I do taking care of Life.....Living Life.....Every Moment of Life.

So....Today....
I'm going to disconnect from the world, I'm going to do something creative, I'm going to learn Tai Chi, I'm going to start a book or finish a song, I'm going to sit out in the sun and breath some fresh air, I'm going to talk with God for a while.......and I'm going to do it again tomorrow.....and the next day and the next day..... till I relearn the Art Of Living........

And what I'm not going to do...............

Is Waste Time, Waste My Life Away........

As Auntie Mame said......I'm going to Live.....Live....Live........


Monday, February 6, 2012

Let The Faucet Drip





Emotions.......

They can be a powerful force in our life, whether we keep them bottled up or let them flow freely. The roles we play, or the ones that have been placed upon us, all have a way of determining how we express our emotions.

Those who take on the caretaker role, whether by choice or by providence as it were, tend to push all emotions aside, to take care of the situation at hand. There is no room for tears or grief when things need to be done.........or so we think.

As the one year anniversary of my Mom's passing comes this week, it's given me a different perspective on the subject of dealing with emotions. Strangely, I envisioned the analogy of a dripping faucet.  Every year, we are given the advice on those extremely cold winter nights, to keep the faucets dripping, so the pipes won't burst.......

Keep The Faucet Dripping
So The Pipes Won't Burst


Being one who has gone through the last few years keeping so much emotion bottled up, never....never.... allowing it to show itself in any manifestation, form or release, has taken it's toll on my mind and body.

Looking back in retrospect and seeing the damage it has caused, I've discovered that even though the trial seems so heavy and the task seems so big......

It Can Be Accomplished, 
Along Side The Tears, The Laughter,
The Anger And The Love

Sadly, so many times we have to see things in retrospect to learn.  We keep the Faucet of Emotions closed tight. When the coldness of winter comes, our pipes burst, leaking out more mixed emotions than we can take.The damage to our mind, body and soul can be irreparable or take years to overcome.

So.........maybe now.....we can Let The Faucet Drip....take Time to let the Tears Flow, the Laughter Come and Embrace the Joy of Life, to realize that we can take on the task at hand and reveal our human side at the same time. We can let the emotions make us Strong instead of Weak. We can Live Life with a Strong Mind and A Warm Heart......

And the Journey Continues.......



Wednesday, February 1, 2012

I's and My's






I seldom like using the words....I....My...or Me in the connotation of things being about Me, Myself and I, but with this entry I find myself making an exception.

On my Notepad, I've been adding things to remember, words of wisdom, or scriptures for a better way of Life.  I called it The Plan.  Looking at it with a deeper sense of meaning, I realized that each one was about what You should do, changes in Your Life.  It hit me that if I really meant to make these changes, I had to make them more personal, more about Me.  So The Plan became My Plan:


1.  I need to be Honest with Myself so I can be Honest with Others.

2.  I need to Respect Myself so I can truly Respect Others.

3.  Life is Shorter than I Think so I need to Make a Difference Today.

4.  Why Worry when I Can Pray?

5.  Become Who I wish the World Would Be.

6.  What Changes do I need to make in My Life that will Really Make Me 
     Happy, Content and Proud of My Life?

7.  How much Time do I pull out My iPod or My phone and Check
     ......Whatever......?

8.  I Will Seek First the Kingdom Of God and His Righteousness.

9.  I will let My Faucet Drip (my next blog).
 
      ...........and the List continues



So Today I Choose Life, I Choose Joy, I Choose Love and I will Always Remember To Dance..........