Author: Lauras

Compromise.. What We Need…

The other day I attended a webinar on personal growth (personal transformation) and received some pretty valuable advice on the topic. However, during the following mornings walk, and lost in thoughts over this webinar, another word came to mind. Along with this word, came thoughts on how it fits in to personal growth. I find that it is a necessity in my life and in all our lives really and something I find lacking in today’s society. That word is compromise. Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary defines it as “to bind by mutual agreement, to adjust or settle by mutual concessions”.

There is something I do in my life, more for someone else than I do for myself, because I love that person and I wish them to live happily. I for sure would do it much less often. But, I compromise and put my complete happiness aside for theirs. Yesterday’s compromise taught me that sometimes we miss the awareness that comes in moments of doing this, that are meant for our personal growth. Because I am becoming more aware of every second, of every minute, of everyday, immediately I recognized what was beneficial to me that was a result of this compromise. I am also becoming keenly aware of the intention behind compromise. Yesterday, my compromise came from a place of love, of making someone else happy, and because of this I was rewarded. So why in today’s society can we not find our way to this word – compromise?

Well, something I read this morning is food for thought. It was the words of Benjamin Franklin in a speech given to George Washington, President of the Convention, on June 28,1787. I found it in a book written by David Barton – Original Intent (The Courts, the Constitution, & Religion). He excerpted it from James Madison, The Papers of James Madison, Henry D Gilpin, editor (Washington DC: Langtree and O’Sullivan, 1840), Vol. II. pp. 984-986, June 28, 1787. I will leave you with additional thoughts after you read the speech. Here it is:

Mr. President:
     The small progress we have made after four or five weeks close attendance and continual reasonings with each other - our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ayes is, methinks, a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the human understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom since we have been running about in search of it....
    In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights, to illuminate our understanding? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?
     I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, sir, in the Sacred Writings, that "except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel: we shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and byword down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.
     I therefore beg leave to move - that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.

My additional thoughts are these, that I do not like the word empire and the feelings the use of the word conjures up in me. Notice, however, I say nothing about the word nations. That is a topic of discussion left for another day. That I too, believe we should humbly apply to the Father of Lights to illuminate our understanding. And that all things are possible, if we can find away to put our egos away in compromise, and add in the spirit of love that exists in each one of us. Any thoughts?

The Seen.. And The Unseen..

In my last post, I told you that I was exiting the matrix of fear, hate, anger, and envy, and that I was trying to come from a place of faith and love moving forward. I realized in researching, in meeting new people, and in sitting back and perceiving, that I was not only ignorant, but I was also manipulated by powers that be. This is the reason why I wanted this to be a place to learn about each other, and a place to learn in general. A social media post yesterday and the quotes on my daily planner for yesterday and today made me want this even more.

I will preface what happened yesterday, with the two quotes from my daily planner. Yesterday’s quote by A. W. Tozer “We must shift our interest from the seen to the unseen. For the great unseen Reality is God” and Today’s quote – 2 Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”. In thinking about those, I realize I am learning a similar lesson for the second time in my life. Long ago I met someone who I did not like very well because of what I could see, or more what I thought I was seeing. To their credit, they actually had the chutzpah to approach me and say “you do not like me very much do you?” to which I responded “not really”. Then the big discussion begins with the question “why?”. So we sat, and I explained from my viewpoint, why. This allowed him to make some admittance to truths that I had only partially correct. But, there was so much that I couldn’t see and he took the time to broaden my view. Needless to say, although it has been many years since I have seen him, that day and that discussion changed much in our relationship for the better.

Fast forward to today’s world. I believe there is far more unseen, than seen. And we continue to allow what we see to shape us, instead of allowing the unseen time to surface. This leads me to yesterday’s post. A friend was pointing out people’s hypocrisy in relation to their responses to different acts committed by the same person. I responded that one problem is that not everyone is being held to the same standard, and that many are defending people they shouldn’t with whom they politically agree and then not defending people they should with whom they politically disagree. And even more so that neither is showing love and both say they want it.

Today I gave further thought to her post and my comment. Today I began to question was I a hypocrite. Was I commenting based on only what I could see and not allowing for truths that might be unseen. We all say we want to have really needed, hard discussions. Do we really? Because if we did, we would be coming from a very open-minded, open-hearted place. We would be willing to not only speak our truth, but to hear and feel the pain of the truth of someone else. For if I am to believe, and I do, that WE ARE ALL created in the likeness of our creator and that likeness is the spirit of love, than I also must be willing to share the pain of what takes people away from that spirit and I must be willing to do my part in helping not only myself, but them get back to it.

Also, today I saw an additional comment had been added to that post by a new commenter and I responded to that. I wanted to also share this, as it is food for thought for us all. The additional comment to the post was “How are the mighty fallen?” and my response “The mighty fall from the weak and the wise fall from the foolish”. The actual verse from 1 Corinthians 1:27 is “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty”. So until next time, I leave you with this: It is my goal moving forward, that no matter the topic, I will try to address it from the foolish and wise, the mighty and weak, and the seen and unseen.

Exiting The Matrix…

They say in order to heal, we first must admit that we are hurt, that we have a problem, that we are damaged, or that we are diseased. I built this blog in hopes that we could all begin a healing journey. A journey away from the pain, anger and hatred that is so prevalent in today’s society. At this point, I am unsure of the depth of healing that has actually taken place, if any. I have noticed moments in which I have been pulled back into states of confusion, and states of stagnancy. In recent days, however, I am realizing a few things. One, that I must first put my admittance out there in order to completely heal. And two, that healing will not be easy or quick, and that I may have set backs.

So to begin, I am finally admitting to myself and to you that I have been in the matrix for far too long. I do not mean I have been in a pod, needing a pill, or do I? I have begun to recognize, that as things arise in my life, and I search for the truth, I may never know what that is. And that is a very scary place to be. So I must do my best and seek it, but seek it in the light. For I have been in the darkness for far too long. And the darkness loves company, so it uses great powers to try to keep me here. But, I refuse to stay in this place any longer.

What is the matrix?? It is the place where we reside and are taught to fear, to hate, and to envy. The lessons start even when the adults do not know we are learning. When they speak in front of us, when we are but babes, of the things that they fear; leaders of other countries, people of different races, people of different religions, people who speak other languages, people with money and power, etc.. It does not end there, lessons continue in our schools, in our religions, in our governments, and in our countries, when our differences are pointed out and used to divide us. It is easy to fear, that which we do not know, especially if we are trusting someone else to guide us and tell us who the other is. And do not get me started on the media that, because it sells, shows me what they want me to see of any and every bad situation. In our own quest for whatever it may be, money, power, success, we have learned to use these divisions for our own advancements. We even erase history (that which reminds us of places we have been, advancements we have made, and evils we do not want to repeat) in order to keep us in this place. Well, I do not know about you, but I cannot live this way anymore.

Do not get me wrong, I believe there are many that are and have made strides to awakening people like me. I do not think that the masses are evil, just that we somehow lost our way. I started this to get to know you, so that I would not fear you or our differences anymore, so that I would know that you have lived a similar life to mine. On its path, in my writings, my experiences, my meetings with other people, I realize I must unlearn everything I think I know and have been taught, and I must begin anew. So as I exit the matrix I have two desires: to live free and to live a life of love.

With that said, as I take my first steps and begin to let this site evolve into what it needs to be or will become, my first thoughts are these: It matters not your religious affiliation, those of faith, all believe that we have a creator. It is my belief that we are made of his spirit; the spirit of love. That love is the only thing that can calm a fear, that can fill the void of loss, that can bring a community together in joy and laughter, that exudes great power, and that it takes courage, persistence, strength, faith, truth, purity, and innocence to walk in it. So as I proceed, I hope to bring each topic, to you, from its vantage point and hope that you come along and join in.

The Journey Continues – All About New Mexico..

If I remember correctly, at the end of my last journey post we were through the Panhandle Plains region of Texas. So today’s post begins with, Maruawe, how the Comanche greet us, in their language, as we cross from Texas into New Mexico and drive through the small area where they reside. As in every state there is a sign that welcomes us in. This one says “Welcome To New Mexico – The Land Of Enchantment”. I suppose it could be the Land of Enchantment, as its 121,590 square mile landscape ranges from beautiful rose-colored deserts to broken mesas to stunning snow-capped peaks. The one thing it is in short supply of though, is surface water. As only 250 square miles of the total 121,590 accounts for this. Even though there is so little water, a significant portion of the state is still covered in forested mountain wilderness.

This day, we continued driving another 351 miles to our stop in Gallup, which is approximately 21 miles from the border of Arizona. I am fortunate to be able to look at the scenery as we make our drive. Sadly, however, we stop only briefly and I must be quick to snap a few photos. These are not the best, but they are real, rich in the rose color and blue skies. I would have liked to photo shop out the utilities, but I would so rather keep it real. And reality is that we, no matter where we are, are so accustomed to luxuries like electricity. On my next trip, I intend to get some stunning photos and not put you through ones like these. With that said, thank you for bearing with me on this trip.

Now I am not one to only stare out the window as we drive, even if the scenery is stunningly beautiful. I find it necessary to also use my mind.

So, I take moments in between the images my brain is capturing to try to educate myself to things I may not have known about New Mexico.  I thought I would share some of these with you.

I learned that the Native Americans inhabited this area for thousands of years before the Spanish Settlers colonized it in 1598. These Spanish Settlers had named it Nuevo Mexico after the Aztec Valley of Mexico in 1563. The Mexican-American war created the US New Mexico territory and it was later admitted into the union as the 47th state on January 6, 1912. It also is the 5th largest state in the United States, Santa Fe is its capital and cultural center, and it is one of the four states that make up the famed “Four Corners”. The other three are Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.

On our trip we travel through Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city. Like all large cities, there is plenty to do in Albuquerque, however, the world’s largest hot air balloon festival every October is surely a sight to see, definitely a bucket list item. And have no fear if you like to stay grounded, as I do, you can observe only – no need to ride. But if you are an adventurer, take a ride and gain a new perspective.

We wave goodbye to Albuquerque, and soon enter the Pueblo Indian Reservation. Guwatsi Hoba is the greeting, in their language, the Pueblos would offer us. Though very short-lived, I did get to browse a shop with artifacts, loved that. Time moves so fast, however, so we must get back on the road. The next area we travel through is the Cibola National Forest. I was shocked to learn that this national forest covers 1.6 million acres in New Mexico, holy smokes that is a lot of acres.  It also has elevations that range from 2,700 feet to 11,300 feet. Our travels will keep us in the mid to lower elevations.

Getting towards the end of day one, we make our way just north of the Zuni Indian Reservation (and miss their greeting Keshi) for the final miles into Gallup and our stop for the night. Although we chose not to stay at the famed historic El Rancho Hotel & Motel on Route 66, we did stay close enough to walk over to view the site and have a very good meal in their restaurant. After dinner, and the walk back to our hotel, it is time for sleep. It has been a long day and we have 376 more miles to get to our first visit with friends.

I hope you have been enjoying my trip, next post into Arizona. Any comments?? You know what to do..

Death.. What We Live For?

Today was supposed to be another day of sharing my last trip with you, however, the last 24 hours taught me there are things far more important to share. This post will be long, and I apologize for that. But I hope you will stay with me until the end and live this one day in my life. For it was a day of truths, of awakens, of admittance, of love, of joy, of fun, of sadness, of giving, of sharing, and of grief. Today I felt a need to discuss it further.

It begins like this. Yesterday on my way to a benefit for a friend who had recently lost her husband, I stopped to pick up a few items for the auction and bake sale. While finishing up with her last customer, the cashier says “hello” to me. We proceed into a small conversation in which she says “all I know is I am waiting for you to give me a piece of that cheesecake”. Although a big part of me wants to open it up and give her a piece, I decide  to explain why I am purchasing the items. She expresses sympathy and then, my first light bulb moment, I say “a truth I do not want to admit, but that is what we live for isn’t it?”. She says “to die? I guess you are right, cannot deny it”. Even her last customer, as she is walking away, who I am sure was uncomfortable saying it, agreed.

Then, my second light-bulb moment, as the cashier and I continue with a brief conversation. I say “because of this awareness, I want to, and am trying to live a complete, joyful, and happy life. A life, true to myself, sharing moments like this. Admitting truths and getting to know a little more about a stranger”. She says “too bad it does not always work out that way”. As I leave, I say “you are right, but at least we can try”. I told her, I once did her job and by experience know it is not easy, as there may be moments of great joy and laughter, there are also moments of being the recipient of someones bad day, their anger, frustration, or just pure evil. So I wished her luck, kindness, happiness, and all else and continued on my way.

Now at the benefit, sharing brief moments of conversation with different people, word comes to me of another friends loss. Her daughter, only recently turned 21, whom I also was getting to know both in person and on social media, was killed in a tragic accident in the early morning hours of this day. A brief conversation starts between a few of us, about the hows, when’s, and whys of someone’s death. Something none of us will ever understand. And here comes the third light bulb. Maybe it is not for us to ever understand. But instead, for all of us with passage of time, to find our will. Free will to decide whether we will stay in our grief and anger forever or whether we will allow others to share this pain with us, to help us take baby steps out of the chasm we find ourselves in. No one will ever fill voids that cut us to the core, but the love and support of others can sure bridge some gaps, if we allow this to happen.

Soon I got dragged into moments of darkness, remembering lives lost in my life. I knew I could not stay there long, that I must return to the light and become a beacon because my friends needed me to be. So, as my thoughts bounced between life and death, a fourth light bulb came on. A remembrance of a friend, also taken away too young, spoken of in a prior post, and something she said that took me until today to figure out. She told me people were ugly to me because I possessed something that many had given away a long time ago. Whatever this was, she said, they could never get it back. She begged me to never let them take it from me. All these years, in the moments she would appear in my memory, I never understood what she meant. It came up in conversation yesterday.

You see, what I had not given away was my child-like qualities; my faith in my creator and others, my pure and loving heart that many times had been broken, but found a way to heal, my innocence to evils that some had protected me from, and my ability to speak the truth no matter how painful to myself or others. Some or all of these are lost when we experience a death that we feel to our core. Some are even lost in our quest for success, money, and material things when we make choices from our evil sides. The longer we stay in these dark places, the more away from these qualities we move and the more damage we cause to ourselves and others.

In that light and truth, for those of you past, present, and future that are street smart, that teach me lessons, and protect me at the same time so that I can retain these qualities, please know that even though it seems like I may not be learning my lessons, I am. I just am praying that I will never have to use them, but I will be prepared for the day that I will. I know why you are here and cannot love you anymore for it. You may never know how truly grateful I am. To everyone else, forget about needing to hit a reset button with Russia, I think we need to hit a reset button for ourselves. A reset back to the qualities of our younger years. I realize that evil exists and some are cut too deep and are in a darkness they will never get out of. But for many, I believe there is hope. So please join me in hitting the reset button and beginning a fresh new journey in trying to live a full life with these qualities.

As I wait for the people I need to come into my life to change this blog into what I really want it to be, a place of healing light, of teaching, and sharing, I leave you with this: Yes, life can be full of disappointments, sadness, frustrations, obstacles, compromises, and death, but it is imperative that we find a way to still find joy, happiness, positivity, and fulfillment in it while we are here – alone and together.

The Journey Begins – All About Texas..

One thing I am learning in my transformation, is that time is very fleeting and far too much of it is wasted on negative energy. We spend far too much time rushing to get to somewhere, that we completely miss the joy of the journey. Of course, that is sort of what we did, rushed to our destinations. Being the passenger, however, allowed me to gain information and take in the sites, even if we did not stop that often. It did not allow for a lot of picture-taking though, so I did the best I could. With that said, I am trying to savor every moment, to live my life fully, sharing it with others, if only for small moments at a time. That is what this trip was about, about spending time with old friends, family, and about attending a wedding of a pretty special girl. So as promised, here is a post about the beginning of our journey.

We set out on part one of our journey, from our home in East Texas to visit a friend in Fort Mohave, AZ, early on a Sunday morning. The total distance of this part would be 1,325 miles. Our first day was a 949 mile drive that ended at a hotel in Gallup, NM. This post has us traveling the 598 miles through the Piney Woods, Prairies and Lakes, and Panhandle Plains regions of Texas. The remainder of our first days journey will be completed on the next post. Rest assured that you will make the complete journey with me, only in smaller increments, so that we can take time to savor it.

So to begin, the Piney Woods, where I live, are a region of Texas consisting of 23,500 square miles. Its elevations range from 200 to just over 500 feet above sea level. It is a region of thick forests of pines, that are part of a larger forest that extends into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The small rolling hills have wet bottomlands that grow hardwood trees. Along with our pines, we have everything from oaks, elms, ash, birch, and maples to red mulberry and farkleberry on our property. To give you an idea of the size of some of our trees, we have cut down a few that had reached the height of 110 feet and taller. It is also a good thing that I love my critters, as this region is home to all kinds of woodland wildlife. We have everything from snakes, birds, squirrels, rabbits, and opossums to raccoon, deer, fox, and more.

On into the Prairies and Lakes region next. A region consisting of 45,000 square miles. The elevations here range from 300 to 800 feet above sea level. Patches of woodlands, like those in my area, sprinkle throughout the grassland prairies in this region. The hills roll gently and there are several lakes and state parks that people go to, to enjoy activities, like fishing. They have found fossils of 17 different dinosaurs in this region, so we know that even giant dinosaurs once roamed here.

Onto the final miles in Texas, the Panhandle Plains region. This region consists of 81,500 square miles, whose elevations range from 1300 to nearly 4000 feet above sea level. It is a region of mostly flat, grassy lands or plains. According to Texas.gov, “The plains here are actually part of the same flat land that extends from what we call the Great Plains of the Central United States”. Kansas, Nebraska, and North and South Dakota are just a few of the states that make up the Great Plains. The Panhandle Plains are mostly treeless and on a high, flat plateau. If you are lucky enough to view the divide between the more rolling, lower elevated eastern, and the higher, more flat western, parts of the panhandle, then you will see some breathtakingly beautiful deep canyons carved by rivers. Though my brain has images of here, sadly my camera does not. Perhaps a reader that has been here or lives here can help us with a picture.

I stop here at the Texas border and will continue on my next post, where we will say goodbye to Texas and complete our first days journey. If you have pictures of your own from any of these regions in Texas, or a story to tell of a trip you took, or just thoughts on this part of our journey, please share when you are ready. We are here waiting for you to join in.

 

Is It All About The Customer??

I know, in my last post, I promised to share with you, the places I have been recently, and I will. Sadly, I am still trying to upload pictures and reorganize. While at the same time, trying to get back to my normal routine. In the meantime, I wanted to talk about something else that we all come across daily, and for sure come across when we travel. That is customer service. I am really, really big on customer service. I am one who is all about finding ways to make others happy, even if it is sometimes detrimental to my own well being. In my journey to discovering who I am, or changing who I am into someone I believe to be better, I am trying to find ways to make us all happy.

So today, I was going to share with you some stories, involving customer service, we experienced, before, during, and after our trip. But, I decided to leave them out as rehashing them only upsets me and does nothing to bring about the positive changes that are needed. I will let you know, however, that some of our stories did have happy endings. I just do not understand why we cannot provide great customer service in the first place. As in all of my posts, when I recognize that something is missing or wrong in our society, and wonder how we got here, I begin to look at my part in it. Another thing we are all good at, blaming someone else and never looking at ourselves. So first let me ask the questions that came through my mind from my prior work experiences and recent travels.

Who do we blame for poor customer service? Do we start at the top? Do we blame the CEO’s and Boards Of Directors for paying more attention to making money and expanding the business, than to those working on the front lines? Do we blame middle management for wanting their bonuses and for cutting staff hours in order to get it? Do we blame location managers for putting people with no customer service skills in such positions? Do we blame the worker, who may be overworked and under paid, who may be doing everything from cleaning restrooms to cashing us out, who may not like to be working with people, or who may be goofing off and not doing their jobs? And should we add, do we blame ourselves for going into places with the mindset that something is someone’s job and they get paid to take care of us? Should we consider their pay? Should we not take time to recognize different situations and actually help a little if someone is overwhelmed and could use the assistance?

Maybe everyone is a little bit to blame. And to fix it, maybe it all needs to change a little. Maybe the worker could take a little more pride in doing a good job, or maybe they should not take a job working with the public if they are not people people. Maybe the location managers could be a little better at recognizing each employees best attributes and utilizing them. Maybe middle management should spend a little less time shuffling papers and data and a little more time on the front lines helping the staff. And maybe the top should be a little less worried about lining pockets and expansion and a little more worried about doing what is right for the customers; the people who actually are the reason they are in business. And lastly, maybe we the customer, should be a little more patient, a little more understanding, a little more observant to the situation we find ourselves in. Maybe our voice and/or our actions can help, but we must learn that they need to come from a positive place, not a negative.

Maybe one day being considerate of each other, no matter what side of the counter we are on, will become trendy again. One can only hope. Have you any thoughts on the matter? Ready to join in the discussion? We are here wanting to share and listen when you are ready.

Changing My City Attitude…

I spent 15 years living in what I would consider a big city environment and have said to some that living there cured me of ever wanting to live in a big city again. No offense to all of you that choose to live in one, were born in one, have grown up in one, etc.. There are some wonderful things, wonderful people, wonderful places in each one of them, and I do miss some people and places that I left behind. I just have never really been a city person. I grew up in a small town and now live in a smaller town. I seem to thrive in a less congested, less traffic, less stressful situation.

With that said, I am currently on a trip and will share photos and more of where I am and have been in future blog posts. Today, however, I wanted to share with you thoughts that entered my mind on my travels about things that I observed. You see the closer I got to the bigger cities, to the areas with millions of people, the more I noticed things that many of us do in society, and I began to question the whys and the hows.

Take for instance, why do we drive 100 miles per hour to get to our destination? Knowing we are going to have to slam on our brakes as we approach the bottleneck. Many of us drive without regard for anyone else on the road except ourselves. Another one, why do we do things that are completely uncomfortable for us physically in order for us to be considered cool or trend setters? We act as if we do not care about our own safety, let alone anyone elses. Or why do we continue to make the choice of our careers over the protection of our own well-being and that of others who are our peers or are to follow in our footsteps. I have not figured out the answers to any of these or the answers to the following: How did we get to where we are today? When did we become so detached from each other? and why in the world do we continue to allow, people we are supposed to trust, to further divide us?

I know that as I continue to search for answers, I continue to try to change myself into someone who includes you, or at minimum, thinks about you in the decisions I make, in the road I walk, in the life I live. I am trying desperately to further educate myself to everything in life so that no one has any influence over what I think about you or anyone else. I am also trying to look all of you in the eye when we meet so that you know that I see you and am there to get to know about you and your life. More importantly, I try desperately to be a positive in your day, in hopes that the here that we are all at, will become a more positive place one day.

Among the many things I have learned in my life, there are two I thought I would share. The first is to always be grateful and thankful. If I wake in the morning and am grateful that I live to see another day, then maybe I can be grateful for every other little thing, good or bad, that I must experience in this life. I realize there are reasons for all of it. The other is to try to be beautiful from the inside out. I have learned that those that are beautiful in this way actually radiate and that such radiation enhances their exterior no matter what that looks like.

I keep thinking, that if we can try to remember these two things in our daily lives and possibly act upon them, then maybe our days can begin to get a little bit better. What about you? Do you have your advice to share with all of us? Do you have observances that make you shake your head that you want to share? We are all here, ready and waiting for when you are ready to share whatever is on your mind.

The Need To Weed…

Today I am here to admit that I have never been much of a gardener. But, I am beginning to recognize that there is a need for me to learn to become one. Several days ago, as I looked out my kitchen window, I saw that the weeds were out growing one of the trees we planted late last year. So I put on the gloves, went outside and began to pull up everything, except the tree itself. I then went to the other trees we planted, which were a bit bigger, and did the same thing. I ended my excursion by tending to our blueberry bushes in the same way. As I was pulling what I thought to be useless or “plants of no value”, the definition of weed according to Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, my mind began to wander to the books other definition “to remove the less desirable portions of, to remove that which is harmful or offensive”.

As I think about those definitions, I realize there is other literal weeding I need to tend to. Thoughts race of the less desirable things that keep creeping into my life consciously and subconsciously that I definitely need to learn how to weed out. I would love to have them leave permanently. I have a feeling though, they will continue to creep and I will need to be a constant gardener. I am conscious of the fact that I like to do things perfectly. And well life just does not work that way. I am also conscious to the fact that I hate to say no. But yes all the time, can make life confusing, hectic, and even stressful. On the subconscious level I continue to recognize when fear and lack of confidence start to creep back in. So as I learn to weed out my yard, I am also learning to weed out my life.

When it comes to my environment, I normally do like to think before I act, and am always researching whether or not what I am about to rid myself of has a beneficial use.  So I knew that my trees and bushes would continue to grow irregardless of if I pulled the weeds or not. They would just grow at a slower rate. But, on this day I wanted my trees, my new growth, to have all my love. So I yanked everything within a foot around them. While doing so, I also began to recognize that when I am out in my yard, surrounded by plant life and wild life, I am truly at peace. It really does not matter what kind of work I am doing, I just know it is very calming for me. Light bulb on, I guess I need to be out there doing whatever more often.

So as I learn how to embrace everything that is imperfect about who and what I am, and make all attempts to weed the things out of my life that are holding me from taking risks and/or learning new things (like how to weed a garden), I invite you to share with all of us, anything that you need to weed. Whether that be a new garden you planted for the first time, or the wardrobe you no longer wear, or like me the inner being that is trying not to be insecure or afraid anymore, it does not matter. What matters is that you recognize that you, like all of us, have unwanted plants and that you take the time to remove those undesirables from your life. And when you are ready to share with us we will be here wanting to hear what you have to say.

 

Mental Health.. Whose Responsibility??

The last time I was home, one of my sisters and I got into a conversation about our view of the worst problems in society. At the time, she had put mental health as the number one. Although I had ranked mental health in my top 5, I chose lack of personal responsibility. We agreed that both were among the top issues not being discussed. In the few years since, and walking this journey with you, I have begun to rethink that conversation. My conclusion, is that they are equal, even go hand in hand, I would say. To my point, in a more recent conversation with someone about mental health and tragedies, they brought to question, where are the parents? Where are the teachers? I stepped in and requested they not say, where is the government? And next said “where are you and I”?

We all recognize huge tragedies that arise of mental health issues as they rock the entire world. After each one I wonder, how did we get to this place? Then wonder if you think the same thing too? Sadly, I am beginning to recognize my part in getting us there. I am beginning to recognize my avoidance of very small personal tragedies that when shared could completely change a perspective. I am beginning to recognize that each one of us has issues (fears maybe) that affect our mental or emotional state. These issues fester into all that is bad if we let them. Maybe you are like me, and are becoming more aware that if we can affect someone who is in a bad place, even if it is just to say I am here if you need me, then maybe we can help heal small mental health issues so that they do not become large mental health issues.

What if we took time to effect the lonely high school student, the person we work with, a stranger dining alone? What if we took a minute for the person we happen to notice with a tear streaming down their face? What if we not only saw the person being bullied or made fun of, but learned the why about the bully? What if we helped the weak, the poor, the downtrodden, the hungry? What if we recognized all of them in ourselves, and each other? Could we change the dynamic to stop the next tragedy?

I do realize that some people have chemical imbalances, medical issues, and/or brain misfiring and they cannot control what it is they do at times. They should be helped medically and we should somehow learn to protect ourselves without destroying them. For others, a path is chosen because they cannot resist the evil side that lives in all of us. We again need to find away to protect ourselves from such evil. But, there are many that may agree with me that a little bit of love, added to any situation, can have enormous impact on outcomes. And so when we invite people in with love, or inject ourselves into a situation with it, then maybe we can change someone’s mental health, change their life, their path, stop a tragedy. Maybe the one life that we impact in a minute by simply seeing someone, saves thousands, either by our changing an attitude or by starting a cycle that somehow alters time.

I do not know for sure what impact you or I could have in a minutes time of spreading all that is good. All I know is it is worth that minute for us to try. I firmly believe that the brain and the heart can recover if only… The fact that you are here reading this gives me hope that you may possibly be making adjustments along with me. So if you have a mental illness and would like to educate all of us about it, or you have a story about a life you changed, or one that changed your life, please share it. Or if you are ready to just make a comment, we are ready to hear you, and accept you with open arms.