Enveloped within in each tiny seed is hope. There is more than a wish within its contents. There is promise and potential and grand purpose.
We must reach beyond what we can see.
Life is enveloped within the seed.
Humans.
Dandelions.
Oak trees.
Nourishment.
Dreams.
It’s hard to imagine the full potential in small beginnings.
But it’s there.
Waiting.
Unfolding it is simple.
Don’t hold too tightly to what is.
Release.
Give in and accept change.
Allow time.
Reach for what can be.
I grabbed one of these little weeds yesterday and walked out onto the rocks on the beach. My plan was to take some photographs in macro. Then, I planned to blow the seeds and watch them float away (and maybe … Continue reading
let’s talk about how to handle the emotion called anger.
if you have been following my blog this week i shared a couple of blogs on anger: the path fear follows and to whom is anger most dangerous.
anger is a valuable emotion when managed properly.
to a great extent the sudden excitement on the reception of an injury is involuntary, and consequently innocent. anger is excited when a horse kicks us; when we stub our toe on a chair or when someone raises his hand to strike us. the purpose is rouse us to an immediate defense of ourselves when suddenly attacked. it prompts immediate action to self-protection. however, when that is done its proper purpose ceases.
beyond this purpose, anger is like poison.
this is why Paul offered the wisdom to “Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry.” (MSG) you might be more familiar with the KJV that basically says to anger and sin not; don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.
either way, the wisdom in this advice is that anger should be dealt with quickly and not allowed to sit within our heart boiling away until it fuels a desire to extract revenge.
valuable advice…
difficult to practice.
following a very volatile divorce and custody battle, i found my heart broken and full of pain.
each unresolved, threatening issue caused me to feel more and more vulnerable and at risk.
there were valid reasons for my anger and i desperately wanted to save myself from real and perceived danger.
anger began to fill my heart.
my heart was becoming a storage vessel. mark twain stated that anger is an acid that can do more harm to a vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.
this was true in my case.
not only, was my anger ineffective in dealing with my ex, but my heart was so full of anger that i became explosive at minor annoyances in other areas of my life. the anger was refusing to remain contained.
i was losing my ability to walk my journey in peace.
this made my existence miserable.
the price was far to high…i began to crave the return of peace in my life. i had held on to this anger far too long.
i had to get a grip on this emotion.
first, i had to stop treating the anger as a cherished treasure. no more defending my right to be angry. it may have had a purpose but it was not something to cherish or continually reflect upon.
i had to “let it go!” i could not sleep on it one more night. this was difficult because i wanted justice.
Or rather i had convinced myself that justice was the reason i needed to hold on so tightly. the reality is that i had been harbouring a desire for revenge.
i also cherished ill-will against the person and not the action.
i started by making a list of appropriate responses; speak kindly or don’t speak at all; make maintaining peace a top priority; listen more carefully to what was being said and not what i perceived as being said; take a “time out” if i felt my anger levels rising; and no matter the action-forgive and release quickly (stop rehearsing how i had been wronged in my head and to others).
it took practice. it required restraint. sometimes I had to just be “quiet” until i returned to a calm state of mind. and i prayed a lot…”Lord, give me strength!” my southern friends will know what I mean. 😎
i did get there.
if you find, your heart constantly exploding in anger, remember:
-anger may not be unavoidable.
-anger has proper bounds. do not allow it to overstep them.
-do not cherish it.
-do not let it remain in your heart all day long. let it go as quickly as possible.
-let the last rays of sun find you always peaceful and calm.
peace is far more rewarding and makes life’s journey enjoyable.
D
there are days when working toward a successful outcome is exhausting.
when i turned 40 i entered a triathlon with my best friend. we ran, swam and rode our bikes several miles a week in preparation.
there were training mornings that i wanted to cover my head with my blankets and go back to sleep. yet, I was dedicated to the goal I had set to do something beyond my abilities to mark this time in my life.
knowing that i am not a strong swimmer combined with my great fear of the water, i decided that i would swim the back stroke on the swimming leg of the triathlon. i had never witnessed anyone swim the back stroke in a triathlon. however, in order to reach my goal of a successful finish, i knew i had to take a different approach.
it was not going to make me the winner of my age bracket, but it was the stroke that i could make my best effort at swimming.
success for me was the goal of crossing the finish line having completed all three legs of the event.
this goal was aimed at pushing myself past my comfort zone, to work hard to accomplish a task that required great effort both mentally and physically and experience the satisfaction of finishing.
the price of success is hard work, dedication and determination. the reward of applying the best of ourselves to the task at hand makes the price a valuable exchange.
success isn’t handed to us. many times success proceeds from a string of failures. determination to keep giving the best we have to give as we learn from the failures, provokes us to keep going until the goal is attained.
is the price of success worth the reward?
most definately!
work hard, be dedicated, stay determined… succeed.
D
i feel asleep early last night and was awaken early, 1:30 am to be exact, by my husband who was unable to sleep. the weather is wild and blowing outside and i am wide awake. i decided to use the time to look at some women who over came unbelievable circumstances and brought change for others in amazing ways.
i was reminded as i read of an amazing woman, Harriet Tubman.
it becomes so easy in my day to day life to want to feel overwhelmed by circumstances. i am sure you can find it the same. i like to arrest those feelings by bringing a balance to my thoughts by reminding myself of women that i have known and women i have never met but can read about who displayed great courage in the face of trying times.
life seems pretty smooth for me at the moment, which is a welcome retrieve. i think it is in the really good times, when i feel strong, that it is good to add wisdom, look at how i address, process and work through difficulties. by doing this, i prepare, guard and fortify my heart for when life is trying.
as i read about Harriet this morning, my heart resounds with gratitude for the many blessings i have experienced in my life. i am reminded that there are women who have faced what i deem such injustice and yet emerged with triumphant spirits and hearts that reached out from their pain to make someone else’s life better.
this amazing women survived incorrigible abuses from a very young age. at the age of 5 years old she was hired out to care for a slave owners young child. if the child woke and cried, she was beaten. what in the world could a 5 year old child do to prevent what most infants do so naturally…cry.
early in her life she suffered a head injury inflicted my an overseer attempting to restrain a slave who had left the field without permission. he threw a heavy metal object intending to hit the slave, missed and she was struck in the head. the injury caused her disabling seizures, narcoleptic attacks, headaches, and powerful visionary experiences throughout her life. rather than feel sorry for herself, she attributed the visions as powerful revelations from God and allowed them to inspire her.
that in itself is amazing to me. it’s far too easy to accept a victim mentality and feel regret, disillusionment and accept incidents like this as a reason to become inactive, bitter and sullen.
not Harriet, she allowed it to make her more determined to put an end to this way of life for herself and if not all, as many as possible, of those who were suffering similar experiences.
she did escape. she freed herself from the torture. once she was free, she returned and helped 300 more slaves to escape to Canada where slavery had been abolished.
sitting in the year 2013, in my warm home safe from the blowing gale outside, i could think, “oh, that’s so nice. good on her! well done Harriet.” it wasn’t that simple. her escape in itself was miraculous. many slaves were caught before getting away and severely beaten-sometimes even to death. not only did she escape, but she went back for one. when that one was freed, she went back for another…and another…and another.
i wonder if as a woman living in 2013, if i might have escaped and headed for a warm fire, a hot bath and looked after myself? it causes me to wonder what deep of strength i possess and if sufficient strength does not exists…i must grow…because i desire to live beyond myself in service to others.
i remember asking God this week why and how people are born into the life they live. basically, my reasoning was this: i love helping people. i am empathetic to the suffering of others and want to do more than i feel i am currently empowered to do. why was i not born with more resources that would enable me to help more?
this morning, the question was posed back to me…maybe God is reversing the question on me: why was i not born into worse circumstances? ones that would create such a fire with in my heart to act despite my resources?
how many times do we hear the Bible, quotes or motivational speakers tell us that the way we think limits what we do?
by reading about this little slave girl this morning, i learned something about my thought patterns. this story helped expose something in my heart. don’t get me wrong. i do what i can, i reach out, i help, i encourage…but i was finding a discontentment setting in and a longing for the “one day”, the “if i won lotto, I could…” or “when business is better…” mentality.
the reality is that i have at this moment what i need to do my purpose. i must be faithful with what is within my power now. live aware. see with eyes that are open. listen carefully for the places that i am needed and can offer benefit.
i can’t do everything but i can do something.
the danger of living in the future hope of being able to do more than now is that we miss the opportunity that exists in today. big or small…the part i play is important to the one life or the many that i am able to effect.
we are not called to hopes of grandeur. we are to live and help the one. if possible, go back for the second. then back for the third…and when what we are able to do is completed, whether for one, 300 or many more, we move on to the next task.
it’s interesting to me, the things that we can find within our own heart. it happens to us all. we get caught up in the doing and sometimes forget…the why.
thank Goodness that we can be reminded by meditating on what is good and right and wise to draw our heart and thoughts back to their intended purposes.
think of some moments in your own life when you have risen to some extraordinary occasion, some emergency that called for you to behave in a way you would normally find difficult. meditate on this experience for a few moments. what qualities did you find that you did not realize you had?
those qualities are part of the resources you currently possess to do good in your life, to help others lives become better and to produce positive change in the world.
well, i might try to head back to sleep for a little while. i hope you have a great Monday or Tuesday- depending on where you live in the world.
thank you for sharing this part of your day with my heart,
D
what are you wanting to achieve? are there barriers that seem impossible to overcome? is it taking more time than you expected or want? are you thinking of giving up? do you wonder if you have what it takes?
Paul Smith was born with spastic paralysis, a nervous disorder. the video sites that it took him 32 years to learn to walk and half that to learn to talk. somewhere in the middle of his journey, he learned to paint with a typewriter. although he could not master the muscles in his body, he learned to master a machine and create master pieces of art.
this video crossed the pathway of my journey yesterday. you know the movie The Vow? The husband in that movie talks about moments of impact. yesterday, i had a moment of impact in my heart with this video. i have not been able to rid my thoughts of the adversity this man had to overcome in order to use his unique gifting.
consider it for a minute:
here is the lesson in achievement for my heart:
dear reader, i want to encourage you today to set aside your insecurities, your fears, your excuses and doubts…a go for it!
who you are is a gift to the world.
what you have to offer is as important as the offering of the Mona Lisa.
your gift may be different but you can achieve what is in your heart.
all you have to do is use what you have!
i often say…and will again today…DO NOT GIVE UP!
NEVER ` NEVER` NEVER!
D
who’s armour are you wearing?
children find playing dress up a lot of fun. my granddaughter loves grabbing my shoes and walking around the house feeling big. wearing my winter boots is the most amusing…they cover her entire leg and she trips a lot because of the extended, unused portion in the toes. quite cute, though.
i find that even adults play dress up, of sorts, but doing so is not as fun as when we were children. in fact, wearing someone else’s armour (as i call it) can cause grief.
let me share this story with you then i will explain further.
there was a young boy who lived in Israel. one day his father sent him on an errand to take lunch to his soldier brothers. as he approached the military camp, he noticed a bit of a ruckus going on.
he watched curiously. before him was a massive soldier taunting his brothers’ battalion. his brothers and the other men did not look as brave and threatening as he would have imagined them to be in response. in fact, they weren’t doing anything but shaking in their boots.
his steps quickened, he didn’t feel his age, courage seemed to be building within him…bullying is just not right, something needed to be done.
he located his brothers and questioned, “what’s his problem? someone should put him in his place!”
his brothers’ laughed, thanked him for lunch and suggested he retreat back to his father where it was safe. frontline battle was no place for their kid brother.
in the distance he could hear the huge man yelling, “Come on, you cowards…is there not one of you brave enough to fight me! come on, let’s do this! get over here, i’ll wipe the floor with you!”
the taunting angered the young man, “why are you all just standing there? somebody do something. there is no way this guy can win!” no one replied. “then i’ll go! what’s the prize?” laughter erupted. “yeah, right!”
he went to the King who was leading the army and offered to go. he explained how he had successfully protected his father’s sheep from dangerous animals because his God had given him wisdom and strength.
it sounded pretty far fetched but, honestly, there was no one else stepping up to take this bully on. at the resistance of his men, he gave the order for the young man to be dressed for battle. in fact, the King would give him the best armour available…his. he would also give the boy his fine sword. maybe the boy’s blood would satisfy the angry enemy enough for him to retreat back to his camp for the night.
when the men finished fitting the boy with the armour, they presented him to the king. he was ready for this crazy plan. the king questioned whether he was sure he wanted to go through with the whole thing.
“absolutely! i’m not afraid! I trust my God to be with me!” he started to take a step and nearly tripped. the armed host roared in laughter. “i can do this but not with all this armour…it doesn’t fit…it wasn’t made for me. get it off me!!”
the boy laid down the sword, took off
monstrous armour and walked toward the battle field leaving all the men behind him shaking their heads in doubt, “he’s gonna get slaughtered.”
he didn’t, though. he took that gigantic man down -in his own clothes and using his own simple weapon. once down, he finished the bully off with his own sword.
his brothers and their comrades were no longer laughing…they were cheering for him. the enemy wasn’t laughing either…they were running.
who’s armour are you wearing?
are you wearing your own armour or someone else’s?
sometimes, we see what someone else is doing and think, “i should put that on and let it work for me.” the problem is that someone else’s armour (what works for them) was custom made to fit them and their situation.
what fits their life probably won’t fit you like it does them. you might stumble around and end up falling on your face.
you and i must be confident in what custom fits our life in order to achieve the best results.
my husband and i refer to this story often. we all know that men and women think, act and produce in deferring ways. sometimes, i think my husband should just suck it up and do things the right way…my way. 😜
however, he will say to me, “i’m going to go ahead and just where my armour on this one.” in other words, ” it might be a differing approach to yours but i’ll function better if i use my skills, my way.”
sometimes, i have to remind him of the same.
we all want to succeed. we may admire the success that others have achieved. we may be able to learn wisdom from their journey but we cannot put on their armour and it fit perfectly to our situation.
nor can we expect others to put on our armour and make it fit their lives. parents have difficulty remembering this when it comes to their adult children.
i have had times that i wanted my daughter to take my approach to raising her children or caring for her household. i have also had to respectfully take a giant step back and allow her to take my armour off and be free to put on what fits best for her.
we must trust the person to make their journey in their way using the special specific gifts and skills uniquely designed for them.
we also have to trust the same in our own lives. there are many things that i would love to do but i just don’t possess those specific skills, personality traits or talents. i love to laugh. i enjoy sitting with my witty brother and hearing what he comes up with off the top of his head. i laugh and giggle.
i decided one day that i’d give being a comedian a shot. i chose a handicapped person in the grocery store that i wanted to make smile…and i went in for the kill wearing my brother’s armour that I dearly admired.
i died out there…or probably should have!
firstly, i had terrible material, an inappropriate audience (an unwilling one as well) and my timing was way off. witty, funny or encouraging…those words do not describe my performance at all! i was more like a creepy weirdo. i wanted to crawl in a hole ( and should have!)
my armour would have been to stop, have polite, caring conversation and see if i could assist reaching something that they could not reach. that approach fits me better…works much better for me and people i encounter.
i learned that day that i have no sense of humor 😍 but i am good at offering kindness and a helping hand…and i should stick with that.
it’s difficult at times…
but truly, the best approach is…
wear your own armour with confidence and assurance…it will fit better than anything else you might try!
D
Dustin Hoffman’s video came across my path recently. i was touched as i listened to his heart concerning playing the part of a women in the movie Tootsie. for a moment in time, he was given the opportunity to see inside the heart of a woman and how easily dismissed they can be because the package is not well received.
it made me think of one of my friends. my friend and i stood in front of a casket. hearts heavy and tears falling. she whispered, “he’s the only man who ever made me feel loved”. honestly, she is one in millions, crying out for someone to, “look at me”… the diamond she is, the value she has to offer and the love within her heart to share.
while i would dearly love to eradicate appearance judgement; magically causing the world see through compassionate eyes, i can’t. what i can do is encourage you, as a woman, to look at yourself through eyes of compassion.
when others reject us, we often turn that rejection inward and feel like we are un-loveable. we may be flawed by unfortunate circumstances experienced along our journey but they do not render us unworthy of love. we may need and be willing to change when possible but we need to give ourselves a break during the process.
our lives are full of relationships. many of them can be disappointing. however, the most important relationship that you have in your life is with you. you spend the most time with yourself. developing a healthy respect, acceptance and love for yourself is key to emotional well-being. learning to be patient, gentle and kind with yourself is the most valuable lesson you can learn so that your journey is unhindered. encouraging yourself to be the best you can be and to have the courage to carry out your purpose will help to guard your heart against the pain of rejection.
i was looking at the photo yesterday that i had taken of the pink lily. when i shot the photo, i didn’t even notice the little bee buzzing near the center of the flower. my thoughts went to the way the bee had just carried on doing what it did in its existence. it didn’t seem concerned about its size, or purpose or acceptance. i’m not sure it matters to the bees in the world if the honey they make will be valued by anyone. i’m not even sure they realize that we eat it. they just work away producing what they produce…and others benefit.
we should be like that. we should accept who we are and what we have to offer…just buzzing along down our path and produce a beautiful product…others will benefit.
when we invest the effort to love and accept ourselves, whether others love us as we wish they would or not, we gain the ability to live happily and emotionally strong.
i believe you are a diamond with your own unique cut and brilliance. all diamonds have a few flaws that occur during the formation process but the flaws don’t have to prevent your sparkle or refraction of light.
don’t believe the lie that value is directly related to anything other than being exactly the you that you are. acknowledge your flaws, continuing working on them and be like a diamond -reflect light and love in spite of them…they are part of your brilliance.Do you know your
D
i’ve never given much thought to how small or insignificant i might be. i’m far too busy gathering what i need to produce sweetness. i am not concerned whether my product is accepted, approved or required. what i do nourishes me and others…that’s all that matters.
i am far too busy to worry that the flower overshadows my existence with its beauty. i bring it opportunity for multiplication. it offers me morsels for creativity. we need one another. mutual respect for the other’s purpose.
i am happy with my place in the world. i don’t know how long i’ll be around to do what i do…today, the sunshine, the flower and flight. that’s enough – for now.
buzzing, busy, purpose-full…resulting in sweet, golden success. that’s all…but that’s enough!
isn’t it awesome to be you?
D
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