Friday, March 19, 2010
Five Question Friday
Well...in an effort to post more frequently I am participating in fun things like Five Question Friday. It's easy...just copy these five questions and answer them on your blog then grab the McLinky to share. Thank you Five Crooked Halos for setting this up. Looking forward to stalking all of you, I mean, visiting your blogs today!
1. Have you ever had a celeb sighting? I had a pretty cool one when I was vacationing in Hollywood. I was walking around scoping out the Chinese Theater, the famous footprints and the Walk of Fame and there is 80's teen heart throb Kirk Cameron with a camera guy. He was interviewing people on the street for that show he does on Christian TV. I would have jolly well gone up and gave my opinion to him but I had to catch my little tour bus to the Hollywood sign. Wish I had that picture...but it is lost somewhere on another computer! OH! I also got to go see a taping of Ellen on that same trip and she danced right by us!!
2. What temperature do you keep your house? I like it around 70 all the time, but here in Texas where we live you have the AC on one day and crank the heat the next!!
3. Do you notice dust at other peoples homes? No, because my house is so dusty I am totally immune to noticing it elsewhere. Unless it is like knee high or something... but it's not like I would judge or anything!
4. What's the worst job you ever had? When I lived in Alaska I worked in a fish cannery. It was THE worst! Cold, wet, boring and stinky!!
5. What is your most sentimental possession? My wedding ring and family photos.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
What I want to be...
I've never been a big fan of growing up. Didn't want to when I was little, don't want my kids to either. Being a grown up is SO over rated. Just ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that yes indeed, I am very childish, I mean ummm...child like. Whatever.
Lately I've been having a real hard time deciding what I truly want to do with my life other than the obvious things of being a good wife to my husband, a good mom to my kids, and keeping the dogs and cat alive and the house clean enough to keep the Health Department away. I love to write and draw and paint and create all sorts of things, and I like to do about a million other things as well.
A friend pointed out to me this week that I am blessed (or did she say cursed?) with the ability to do many things fairly well, and I just need to pick one and go with it! Yeah, thanks Linda! But which one do I pick? One of the things I am really excellent at is procrastinating. My philosophy on that...procrastinate NOW! Don't put it off! Making decisions is definitely not one of my talents.
On the one hand I to LOVE to make stuff...all things artsy, craftsy, and creative make me positively giddy. On the other hand I have come to enjoy the little luxuries in life like gas in the car and food in the fridge. I want to be an artist but I don't really want to be a starving one! If only there was a way I could make money doing what I really love....
Hey, if any of yawl have figured that out, I would LOVE to hear about it. I have lots of dreams of books to publish, works of art to create, cool crafty classes to teach to kids, awesome topics to blog about, fun businesses I'd like to start...in general I am just kind of a big old mess of confusion!
Well...while I try to sort all this out, I will leave you with some fun stuff to ponder.
Hey...thanks for stopping by, and let me know you were here, okay? I want to visit your blogs too!
Chris
OK, there are some things that are just too dang funny not to share. This most certainly is one of those things. Enjoy.
A first grade girl handed in the drawing below for a homework assignment...
After it was graded and the child brought it home, she returned to school the next day with the following note:
Dear Ms. Davis,
I want to be very clear on my child's illustration. It is NOT of me doing a pole dance on a stage in a strip joint. I work at Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the recent snowstorm. This drawing is of me selling a shovel.
Mrs. Smith
OK, I saw this on someone's blog and thought it was kinda cool. Try it on your own blog if you want! C'mon! It'll be fun and we'll get to pick the recesses of your brain. (That sounds really ewwww...sorry)
Lately I've been having a real hard time deciding what I truly want to do with my life other than the obvious things of being a good wife to my husband, a good mom to my kids, and keeping the dogs and cat alive and the house clean enough to keep the Health Department away. I love to write and draw and paint and create all sorts of things, and I like to do about a million other things as well.
A friend pointed out to me this week that I am blessed (or did she say cursed?) with the ability to do many things fairly well, and I just need to pick one and go with it! Yeah, thanks Linda! But which one do I pick? One of the things I am really excellent at is procrastinating. My philosophy on that...procrastinate NOW! Don't put it off! Making decisions is definitely not one of my talents.
On the one hand I to LOVE to make stuff...all things artsy, craftsy, and creative make me positively giddy. On the other hand I have come to enjoy the little luxuries in life like gas in the car and food in the fridge. I want to be an artist but I don't really want to be a starving one! If only there was a way I could make money doing what I really love....
Hey, if any of yawl have figured that out, I would LOVE to hear about it. I have lots of dreams of books to publish, works of art to create, cool crafty classes to teach to kids, awesome topics to blog about, fun businesses I'd like to start...in general I am just kind of a big old mess of confusion!
Well...while I try to sort all this out, I will leave you with some fun stuff to ponder.
Hey...thanks for stopping by, and let me know you were here, okay? I want to visit your blogs too!
Chris
OK, there are some things that are just too dang funny not to share. This most certainly is one of those things. Enjoy.
A first grade girl handed in the drawing below for a homework assignment...
After it was graded and the child brought it home, she returned to school the next day with the following note:
Dear Ms. Davis,
I want to be very clear on my child's illustration. It is NOT of me doing a pole dance on a stage in a strip joint. I work at Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the recent snowstorm. This drawing is of me selling a shovel.
Mrs. Smith
OK, I saw this on someone's blog and thought it was kinda cool. Try it on your own blog if you want! C'mon! It'll be fun and we'll get to pick the recesses of your brain. (That sounds really ewwww...sorry)
Yeah...I don't think my dream job is on Monster...and I have already had years of having a brown nose! No thanks!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Blog Hop
Howdy!
I am trying a new thing called a blog hop. Someone gives you a topic and you post a story or something about said topic and everyone visits each others blogs. Sounds like fun!
So for this special post, I decided to post a short story I wrote a while back...it actually won second place in a Faith Writers challenge. The prompt was to write about the color black.
All righty then, without any further ado, here is "Jed's Lucky Day."
“Jed's Lucky Day”
Christina Janzen
Jed picked through the garbage can, looking for a scrap of bread or anything to eat. He was accustomed to getting his meals this way. He'd done it for a long time. His search was fruitless so he hunkered under the cardboard box that was home, trying to get warm in the bitter October wind. Lying on his concrete bed, he watched the brown leaves swirl and dance on the sidewalk. His mind drifted back to happier times.
He saw his beautiful Jet Black mother and the rest of his large family. He had many siblings and they had such fun together playing games and sharing adventures. They were always warm, safe, and fed; well cared for by their capable mother.
A siren blared and Jed was startled back to his harsh reality. None of those things were true any longer. His mother had died and he and his siblings had all gone their separate ways. He had no idea where any of his brothers or sisters were.
He knew it was difficult to be Black, but he never understood it. His ancestors had been royalty. From the first time he realized he was being treated differently because of his color, he was outraged. It was so unfair. He was as strong and smart and good as anyone else. What right did anyone have to make assumptions about him because of his color?
He thought how unjust it was that black was always associated with evil, death, and bad tidings. He wondered why it was the chosen color for mourning. Why did the villain always wear a black hat and the hero white? Who assigned these arbitrary meanings to his proud and beautiful color, and what right did they have?
Jed repositioned himself under his box, trying to get comfortable. He thought of earlier in the day when he had been out walking. The disgusted stares of people were hard to ignore. Some even went so far as to cross the street when they saw him coming.
He may not have been the most handsome, but he was hardly hideous. He'd certainly had his share of companions. There were plenty who liked his “kind.”
There were plenty of others who did not.
Jed was startled by the sound of footsteps. A beautiful young white woman was walking towards him.
“Ugh,” he thought, “just what I need...some snooty white girl and her attitude.” He was more than a little surprised when she walked right over to him and said hello. He remained silent. He had learned not to like her “kind.”
“I'm Abby,” the young woman said, “and I'd like to help you. No one should have to sleep out here on the street on a night like this. I want you to come with me. I can help.”
Jed didn't understand. No one had ever spoken to him with such kindness. This was most unusual.
Abby reached down and picked him up very gently. He immediately started to purr. “This one is nice,” he couldn't help thinking. She wrapped Jed up in her coat and started to sing one of her favorite hymns...
“All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful,The Lord God made them all.”
She continued singing all the way to her house.
“He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell, How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well.”
She brought him in and fed him a can of tuna, which he eagerly dug into. “Goodness, you were hungry, weren't you boy?” He purred his response and gratefully devoured the bounty she had provided.
Abby gave Jed a warm bath, washing off the grime and smell of his life on the street. She very gently and lovingly scrubbed and rinsed his fur, then dried him off with a big, fluffy towel. He couldn't believe his good fortune. He had never felt so wonderful.
All his life he'd heard he was unlucky, undesirable, a bad omen...even accused of witchcraft. Now here was this beautiful creature treating him like the royalty he always knew he was. Finally someone had recognized him!
“I'm gonna name you Jinx,” Abby said with a smile, looking into his brilliant green eyes. Jed didn't know what the name meant, but concurred with a purr, thinking “this is my lucky day.”
p.s. The theme for this blog hop was PETS, but I didn't want to give away the twist till after you read the story. Thanks for reading! Have a great Monday.
I am trying a new thing called a blog hop. Someone gives you a topic and you post a story or something about said topic and everyone visits each others blogs. Sounds like fun!
So for this special post, I decided to post a short story I wrote a while back...it actually won second place in a Faith Writers challenge. The prompt was to write about the color black.
All righty then, without any further ado, here is "Jed's Lucky Day."
“Jed's Lucky Day”
Christina Janzen
Jed picked through the garbage can, looking for a scrap of bread or anything to eat. He was accustomed to getting his meals this way. He'd done it for a long time. His search was fruitless so he hunkered under the cardboard box that was home, trying to get warm in the bitter October wind. Lying on his concrete bed, he watched the brown leaves swirl and dance on the sidewalk. His mind drifted back to happier times.
He saw his beautiful Jet Black mother and the rest of his large family. He had many siblings and they had such fun together playing games and sharing adventures. They were always warm, safe, and fed; well cared for by their capable mother.
A siren blared and Jed was startled back to his harsh reality. None of those things were true any longer. His mother had died and he and his siblings had all gone their separate ways. He had no idea where any of his brothers or sisters were.
He knew it was difficult to be Black, but he never understood it. His ancestors had been royalty. From the first time he realized he was being treated differently because of his color, he was outraged. It was so unfair. He was as strong and smart and good as anyone else. What right did anyone have to make assumptions about him because of his color?
He thought how unjust it was that black was always associated with evil, death, and bad tidings. He wondered why it was the chosen color for mourning. Why did the villain always wear a black hat and the hero white? Who assigned these arbitrary meanings to his proud and beautiful color, and what right did they have?
Jed repositioned himself under his box, trying to get comfortable. He thought of earlier in the day when he had been out walking. The disgusted stares of people were hard to ignore. Some even went so far as to cross the street when they saw him coming.
He may not have been the most handsome, but he was hardly hideous. He'd certainly had his share of companions. There were plenty who liked his “kind.”
There were plenty of others who did not.
Jed was startled by the sound of footsteps. A beautiful young white woman was walking towards him.
“Ugh,” he thought, “just what I need...some snooty white girl and her attitude.” He was more than a little surprised when she walked right over to him and said hello. He remained silent. He had learned not to like her “kind.”
“I'm Abby,” the young woman said, “and I'd like to help you. No one should have to sleep out here on the street on a night like this. I want you to come with me. I can help.”
Jed didn't understand. No one had ever spoken to him with such kindness. This was most unusual.
Abby reached down and picked him up very gently. He immediately started to purr. “This one is nice,” he couldn't help thinking. She wrapped Jed up in her coat and started to sing one of her favorite hymns...
“All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful,The Lord God made them all.”
She continued singing all the way to her house.
“He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell, How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well.”
She brought him in and fed him a can of tuna, which he eagerly dug into. “Goodness, you were hungry, weren't you boy?” He purred his response and gratefully devoured the bounty she had provided.
Abby gave Jed a warm bath, washing off the grime and smell of his life on the street. She very gently and lovingly scrubbed and rinsed his fur, then dried him off with a big, fluffy towel. He couldn't believe his good fortune. He had never felt so wonderful.
All his life he'd heard he was unlucky, undesirable, a bad omen...even accused of witchcraft. Now here was this beautiful creature treating him like the royalty he always knew he was. Finally someone had recognized him!
“I'm gonna name you Jinx,” Abby said with a smile, looking into his brilliant green eyes. Jed didn't know what the name meant, but concurred with a purr, thinking “this is my lucky day.”
p.s. The theme for this blog hop was PETS, but I didn't want to give away the twist till after you read the story. Thanks for reading! Have a great Monday.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Do You Do Windows?
When people ask me if I am a "glass half full or half empty" person, I usually say something like, "my glass overflows..." or something to that effect. However I know people who run the gamut from an overflowing glass, like I try to visualize, and others who say their glass is "almost completely empty." I'm not exagerrating! Someone said that to me recently!
Sometimes it is hard to realize or understand how full your "glass" is. Lately mine has felt bone dry at times...and I know logically it is not. But those pesky emotions get stirred up sometimes and it is hard to see how good we actually have it. When we are struggling, it clouds our thinking and affects the way we view everything.
I heard Joel Osteen, my favorite preacher, talk about a woman who looked out the window at her neighbor's clothesline. Every day she would comment on how dingy and dirty the lady's clothes were. She was aghast that she would allow her children to go out in public in such dirty and improperly cared for clothes. Day after day this went on, with the woman becoming more and more critical of her neighbor and her ineptness at doing the laundry. Then one morning the woman was having her coffee, and looking out the window was amazed at how bright and clean her neighbor's laundry was. She called her husband in the room, and said, "Would you look at that! She finally learned how to get her family's clothes clean!" Her husband smiled, and said, "No, I got up early this morning and cleaned that window...it was filthy."
I know I have been guilty of looking at the world through a dirty window. When things are not going as well as you would like it is easy to see everything that is wrong and not remember all the things that are right with your world. Maybe it's time to get out the Windex.
Have a great week and Live Postive!
p.s. Here is a great article from The Mayo Clinic about the Power of Positive Thinking. I hope it helps you see your glass as at least half full, if not more so. :-)
Positive thinking: Reduce stress, enjoy life more
Sometimes it is hard to realize or understand how full your "glass" is. Lately mine has felt bone dry at times...and I know logically it is not. But those pesky emotions get stirred up sometimes and it is hard to see how good we actually have it. When we are struggling, it clouds our thinking and affects the way we view everything.
I heard Joel Osteen, my favorite preacher, talk about a woman who looked out the window at her neighbor's clothesline. Every day she would comment on how dingy and dirty the lady's clothes were. She was aghast that she would allow her children to go out in public in such dirty and improperly cared for clothes. Day after day this went on, with the woman becoming more and more critical of her neighbor and her ineptness at doing the laundry. Then one morning the woman was having her coffee, and looking out the window was amazed at how bright and clean her neighbor's laundry was. She called her husband in the room, and said, "Would you look at that! She finally learned how to get her family's clothes clean!" Her husband smiled, and said, "No, I got up early this morning and cleaned that window...it was filthy."
I know I have been guilty of looking at the world through a dirty window. When things are not going as well as you would like it is easy to see everything that is wrong and not remember all the things that are right with your world. Maybe it's time to get out the Windex.
Have a great week and Live Postive!
p.s. Here is a great article from The Mayo Clinic about the Power of Positive Thinking. I hope it helps you see your glass as at least half full, if not more so. :-)
Positive thinking: Reduce stress, enjoy life more
Monday, February 22, 2010
Writing The Storm Out
I have been in a total funk lately...no question about it. I don't know if it is the crummy winter weather, the never ending laundry and dishes, or just a lack of interest in all things fun, but whatever it is or was, thank the Lord, it is over now.
Sometimes we just have to ride things out. Waiting can be really hard when you are miserable so I want to tell you another thing I did that helped me lift my mood. I wrote it out.
Writing can be a wonderful form of therapy. It is no secret that keeping a journal is a tried and true method for getting your thoughts and feelings on paper so you can sort them out. When you write things down in the middle of whatever cruddy thing you are going through, you can look back later, with a healthier perspective and gain a depth of understanding. Writing is a valuable tool.
Psychologists and counselors who treat trauma victims and people suffering from PTSD, depression, and anxiety, often encourage their clients to write out their feelings. This is especially effective for victims of traumatic events such as violent crime, war, or childhood abuse.
They have you write and write and write uncensored about the traumatizing event. They instruct you to write everything you feel, complete with curse words and whatever you feel you need to say to the person who hurt you or to yourself. They have you repeat this over and over and over until you are sick of it. Why? Because writing gets it out of your system. When you talk and especially write about the matter so much to the point where it just gets boring and tedious, then it loses the grip it has held you in.
If you have suffered a trauma or been through a difficult time, you know what I mean. The event becomes so all consuming that it has control over you and you can't seem to get past it. Writing about it, puts it in to perspective and allows you to accept it and let go of it. I am not saying you can write about it one time and poof, it is all better. You will know when it is better because it won't constantly have that hold on you anymore. You will be able to think or write about it without it upsetting you or making you anxious.
I really believe this is why things like email, blogs, and Facebook are so very popular. People want to communicate their feelings. Maybe not their deepest feelings to everyone on their Facebook list, but they just want and need to share their thoughts with someone.
I have been a writer for a long time so I personally know the value and the satisfaction that comes from not only therapeutic writing, but just from writing in general.
I've found it is especially helpful to write down the things we are thankful for. Gratitude is such a powerful force and counting your blessings is a sure fire way to pull you out of a funk. Just seeing listed on paper all the many, many good things you have in your life can turn your whole attitude around.
Writing letters to loved ones is great as well. Even though most of us do our "letter writing" in the form of email now, I can't express how much I enjoy both writing and receiving emails from trusted friends and dear family members. There is just something about writing that is very healing, cathartic, and positive.
Of course, as a writer myself, I am biased. I love to write and I enjoy it. Some people say, "but I don't know how to write," or "I'm a terrible speller." It doesn't matter...your writing can be just for your eyes only.
I encourage you to start small with a list of the things you have to be thankful for. From there, just start jotting things down, whether they make you happy, angry, sad, frustrated...write it out. Write about your dreams, your ideas, the places you would like to go and the things you would like to do.
You will feel better for it and you can come back especially to the positive stuff again and again when you need encouragement. Writing has helped to pull me out of a funk on many occasions. It is a way to share your pain, your frustration, or your joy, even if it is only with yourself. Hope it helps you as much as it has helped me.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a great Monday, and God bless.
Sometimes we just have to ride things out. Waiting can be really hard when you are miserable so I want to tell you another thing I did that helped me lift my mood. I wrote it out.
Writing can be a wonderful form of therapy. It is no secret that keeping a journal is a tried and true method for getting your thoughts and feelings on paper so you can sort them out. When you write things down in the middle of whatever cruddy thing you are going through, you can look back later, with a healthier perspective and gain a depth of understanding. Writing is a valuable tool.
Psychologists and counselors who treat trauma victims and people suffering from PTSD, depression, and anxiety, often encourage their clients to write out their feelings. This is especially effective for victims of traumatic events such as violent crime, war, or childhood abuse.
They have you write and write and write uncensored about the traumatizing event. They instruct you to write everything you feel, complete with curse words and whatever you feel you need to say to the person who hurt you or to yourself. They have you repeat this over and over and over until you are sick of it. Why? Because writing gets it out of your system. When you talk and especially write about the matter so much to the point where it just gets boring and tedious, then it loses the grip it has held you in.
If you have suffered a trauma or been through a difficult time, you know what I mean. The event becomes so all consuming that it has control over you and you can't seem to get past it. Writing about it, puts it in to perspective and allows you to accept it and let go of it. I am not saying you can write about it one time and poof, it is all better. You will know when it is better because it won't constantly have that hold on you anymore. You will be able to think or write about it without it upsetting you or making you anxious.
I really believe this is why things like email, blogs, and Facebook are so very popular. People want to communicate their feelings. Maybe not their deepest feelings to everyone on their Facebook list, but they just want and need to share their thoughts with someone.
I have been a writer for a long time so I personally know the value and the satisfaction that comes from not only therapeutic writing, but just from writing in general.
I've found it is especially helpful to write down the things we are thankful for. Gratitude is such a powerful force and counting your blessings is a sure fire way to pull you out of a funk. Just seeing listed on paper all the many, many good things you have in your life can turn your whole attitude around.
Writing letters to loved ones is great as well. Even though most of us do our "letter writing" in the form of email now, I can't express how much I enjoy both writing and receiving emails from trusted friends and dear family members. There is just something about writing that is very healing, cathartic, and positive.
Of course, as a writer myself, I am biased. I love to write and I enjoy it. Some people say, "but I don't know how to write," or "I'm a terrible speller." It doesn't matter...your writing can be just for your eyes only.
I encourage you to start small with a list of the things you have to be thankful for. From there, just start jotting things down, whether they make you happy, angry, sad, frustrated...write it out. Write about your dreams, your ideas, the places you would like to go and the things you would like to do.
You will feel better for it and you can come back especially to the positive stuff again and again when you need encouragement. Writing has helped to pull me out of a funk on many occasions. It is a way to share your pain, your frustration, or your joy, even if it is only with yourself. Hope it helps you as much as it has helped me.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a great Monday, and God bless.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Do It Anyway
Do It Anyway
A speaker I really like talks about fear and how people get immobilized by things they are afraid of and begin to believe they "can't" do certain things. For example, "I'm afraid to fly, therefore, I can't get on a plane." "I'm afraid of being laughed at, thus I can not speak in front of people." Obviously, we all struggle with fears like these.
Her advice..."...Well...why don't you just do it afraid?" Do it afraid? Step out of my comfort zone and do something I am afraid of? HOW? Well, to borrow from NIKE, "Just DO It."
I'm not saying that it's easy. It's not...not at all. The time when you least feel like doing something is probably when you need to do it the most. As hard as it may be, it can help you get unstuck and moving in the right direction.
Believe me, I know how paralyzing fear can be. But if you ever want to have the good life you dream of, you have to find the courage to face those fears. It can just be a tiny baby step. But it shows tremendous courage to "do it afraid..." whatever IT is.
Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the going ahead and doing what you need to do in spite of the fear.
Sometimes the struggle becomes all consuming until you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel any more. At a time like that it feels reasonable to just give in and quit trying because you simply don't have the energy to deal with it any more.
That is when you most need to do something.
Sometimes, the last thing I feel like doing is praying. But I go on ahead and do it, even if I feel like I 'm talking to a wall. Whether or not my prayers are heard or answered isn't based on how I feel. They can't be heard or answered unless I actually DO it.
Sometimes we get so desperately stuck we need help to get out of it. Personally I HATE to ask for help. I would actually prefer a root canal to admitting that I can't get it together. I don't want people to know I can't do everything myself. As women, we are under such tremendous pressure to be super heroes, and you can keep that front up for a while, but it is not reality. Sometimes things can't be fixed on your own, so you just have to go on ahead and ask for help anyway.
I've had to do it at times, and it is really, really hard...even from the people you love, and who love you the most. I would rather try to pull myself up by the bootstraps, but sometimes it just doesn't work. On those times when I have reached out for help, that is always when the tide began to turn and things got better.
When someone you love is struggling, you may not particularly feel like taking up the slack, or listening to their sob story, or letting them wallow in self pity. But if you love them, and that's what they need, you do it anyway.
It definitely stinks that when you're depressed or sick or completely out of it, things still have to get done, but that's life. The clothes and dishes won't wash themselves, the car won't fill itself with gas...and you won't magically feel better unless you do something.
Even if you're exhausted and tired and thinking, “what's the point?” you have to do it anyway. You may not be physically or mentally able to do certain things. The point is you have to do something.
The something can be anything...anything that will move you in the right direction. It can be tiny. As tiny as simply saying to a friend, “Hey, I really need to talk to someone.” Or forcing yourself to do the dishes even though you would rather have that root canal. Or writing a blog post even though you don't feel like you have anything worthwhile to say.
Whatever IT is for you, just do it. You will feel better for doing it, and it will get you moving toward something positive.
The hard truth is that even if you paint on a smile, you still may feel awful. The house may look like crap despite your best effort to clean it. Even if you write words meant to encourage, they still may come across as dark. Do it anyway.
I have found this to be a powerful and profound truth in my own life, and I wouldn't write it if I didn't truly believe it.
This song and video says it more beautifully than I ever could...
This incredible song is based upon The Paradoxical Commandments by by Dr. Kent M. Keith.
The Paradoxical Commandments
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
Thanks for reading, and God bless.
A speaker I really like talks about fear and how people get immobilized by things they are afraid of and begin to believe they "can't" do certain things. For example, "I'm afraid to fly, therefore, I can't get on a plane." "I'm afraid of being laughed at, thus I can not speak in front of people." Obviously, we all struggle with fears like these.
Her advice..."...Well...why don't you just do it afraid?" Do it afraid? Step out of my comfort zone and do something I am afraid of? HOW? Well, to borrow from NIKE, "Just DO It."
I'm not saying that it's easy. It's not...not at all. The time when you least feel like doing something is probably when you need to do it the most. As hard as it may be, it can help you get unstuck and moving in the right direction.
Believe me, I know how paralyzing fear can be. But if you ever want to have the good life you dream of, you have to find the courage to face those fears. It can just be a tiny baby step. But it shows tremendous courage to "do it afraid..." whatever IT is.
Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the going ahead and doing what you need to do in spite of the fear.
Sometimes the struggle becomes all consuming until you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel any more. At a time like that it feels reasonable to just give in and quit trying because you simply don't have the energy to deal with it any more.
That is when you most need to do something.
Sometimes, the last thing I feel like doing is praying. But I go on ahead and do it, even if I feel like I 'm talking to a wall. Whether or not my prayers are heard or answered isn't based on how I feel. They can't be heard or answered unless I actually DO it.
Sometimes we get so desperately stuck we need help to get out of it. Personally I HATE to ask for help. I would actually prefer a root canal to admitting that I can't get it together. I don't want people to know I can't do everything myself. As women, we are under such tremendous pressure to be super heroes, and you can keep that front up for a while, but it is not reality. Sometimes things can't be fixed on your own, so you just have to go on ahead and ask for help anyway.
I've had to do it at times, and it is really, really hard...even from the people you love, and who love you the most. I would rather try to pull myself up by the bootstraps, but sometimes it just doesn't work. On those times when I have reached out for help, that is always when the tide began to turn and things got better.
When someone you love is struggling, you may not particularly feel like taking up the slack, or listening to their sob story, or letting them wallow in self pity. But if you love them, and that's what they need, you do it anyway.
It definitely stinks that when you're depressed or sick or completely out of it, things still have to get done, but that's life. The clothes and dishes won't wash themselves, the car won't fill itself with gas...and you won't magically feel better unless you do something.
Even if you're exhausted and tired and thinking, “what's the point?” you have to do it anyway. You may not be physically or mentally able to do certain things. The point is you have to do something.
The something can be anything...anything that will move you in the right direction. It can be tiny. As tiny as simply saying to a friend, “Hey, I really need to talk to someone.” Or forcing yourself to do the dishes even though you would rather have that root canal. Or writing a blog post even though you don't feel like you have anything worthwhile to say.
Whatever IT is for you, just do it. You will feel better for doing it, and it will get you moving toward something positive.
The hard truth is that even if you paint on a smile, you still may feel awful. The house may look like crap despite your best effort to clean it. Even if you write words meant to encourage, they still may come across as dark. Do it anyway.
I have found this to be a powerful and profound truth in my own life, and I wouldn't write it if I didn't truly believe it.
This song and video says it more beautifully than I ever could...
This incredible song is based upon The Paradoxical Commandments by by Dr. Kent M. Keith.
The Paradoxical Commandments
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
Thanks for reading, and God bless.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
When Hope Seems Gone
This is meant to be a place of encouragement. But what do you do when you are having trouble encouraging yourself? I'm sure we have all felt that way at times. No matter what you do, nothing seems to be the right choice. It starts to feel all wrong...even hopeless.
If you have ever really been down there, you know what I'm talking about. When you are down there, some times you feel like you will never get up and never get out. It may take longer than you would like, but you will. Even though it may not feel like it, there is always hope.
Life is full of seasons. Seasons of hope and change, and seasons of doubt and sorrow. That is the roller coaster ride of life. We all lose hope from time to time. We get discouraged. Not everyone's life gets a story book ending. Things don't work out the way we plan. We do something with the best of intentions, only to have it back fire and blow up in our face.
There's no getting around the truth...some times life really sucks. We can be on top of the world one minute and then fall into a deep dark hole the next. Some folks are more prone to struggle with these things, while others have built up a resilience to help them in times of discouragement.
That's what I've learned about discouragement, you have to build up your resiliency to find a way to cope. And it can be really hard. It can take a long time. But step by step, doing little things for yourself, you will begin to feel better. You may just have to ride it out.
The thing you can count on about life, though, is change. Everything changes, and we don't always like it, yet we have to adapt. But, over time, every thing does change...including feelings of hopelessness, discouragement, or losing your way.
When you just feel hope is gone, do whatever makes you feel the least bit better. Pray. Hug your kids. Pet your dog. Try to think of anything, just one thing, to be grateful for. Do something for someone else. These are not quick fixes, but they have been known to help. Keep doing these things, especially when you don't feel like it. That is when you need to do them the most.
I am generally a really UP beat kind of person with a positive attitude. But on those occasions when I do get down, sometimes I feel helpless...powerless to make myself feel better. And maybe that is not the point. Maybe I am not supposed to feel better. Sometimes we just have to feel whatever we are feeling, even though it sucks, until it works itself out.
When I get bummed I usually turn to music. Sometimes a song can articulate what you can not find the words to say. Some times you don't even know what you are feeling. A song can reach into that hurting place in your soul and give you a glimmer of hope. Find a song that speaks to you. Don't give up.
Here is a good one.
"Hope For The Hopeless"
by A Fine Frenzy
Lyrics
"stitch in your knitted brow
and you don't know how
you're gonna get it out
crushed under heavy chest
trying to catch your breath
but it always beats you by a step,
all right now
making the best of it
playing the cards you get
you're not alone in this
there's hope for the hopeless
hope for the hopeless
there's hope
cold in a summer breeze
yeah, you're shivering
on your bended knee
still, though your heart is sore
and the heavens pour
like a willow bending with the storm,
you'll make it
running against the wind
playing the cards you get
something is bound to give
there's hope for the hopeless
hope for the hopeless
there's hope
there's hope for the hopeless
hope for the hopeless
there's hope"
Hang in there..."You're not alone in this...There's hope...You'll make it."
God bless.
If you have ever really been down there, you know what I'm talking about. When you are down there, some times you feel like you will never get up and never get out. It may take longer than you would like, but you will. Even though it may not feel like it, there is always hope.
Life is full of seasons. Seasons of hope and change, and seasons of doubt and sorrow. That is the roller coaster ride of life. We all lose hope from time to time. We get discouraged. Not everyone's life gets a story book ending. Things don't work out the way we plan. We do something with the best of intentions, only to have it back fire and blow up in our face.
There's no getting around the truth...some times life really sucks. We can be on top of the world one minute and then fall into a deep dark hole the next. Some folks are more prone to struggle with these things, while others have built up a resilience to help them in times of discouragement.
That's what I've learned about discouragement, you have to build up your resiliency to find a way to cope. And it can be really hard. It can take a long time. But step by step, doing little things for yourself, you will begin to feel better. You may just have to ride it out.
The thing you can count on about life, though, is change. Everything changes, and we don't always like it, yet we have to adapt. But, over time, every thing does change...including feelings of hopelessness, discouragement, or losing your way.
When you just feel hope is gone, do whatever makes you feel the least bit better. Pray. Hug your kids. Pet your dog. Try to think of anything, just one thing, to be grateful for. Do something for someone else. These are not quick fixes, but they have been known to help. Keep doing these things, especially when you don't feel like it. That is when you need to do them the most.
I am generally a really UP beat kind of person with a positive attitude. But on those occasions when I do get down, sometimes I feel helpless...powerless to make myself feel better. And maybe that is not the point. Maybe I am not supposed to feel better. Sometimes we just have to feel whatever we are feeling, even though it sucks, until it works itself out.
When I get bummed I usually turn to music. Sometimes a song can articulate what you can not find the words to say. Some times you don't even know what you are feeling. A song can reach into that hurting place in your soul and give you a glimmer of hope. Find a song that speaks to you. Don't give up.
Here is a good one.
"Hope For The Hopeless"
by A Fine Frenzy
Lyrics
"stitch in your knitted brow
and you don't know how
you're gonna get it out
crushed under heavy chest
trying to catch your breath
but it always beats you by a step,
all right now
making the best of it
playing the cards you get
you're not alone in this
there's hope for the hopeless
hope for the hopeless
there's hope
cold in a summer breeze
yeah, you're shivering
on your bended knee
still, though your heart is sore
and the heavens pour
like a willow bending with the storm,
you'll make it
running against the wind
playing the cards you get
something is bound to give
there's hope for the hopeless
hope for the hopeless
there's hope
there's hope for the hopeless
hope for the hopeless
there's hope"
Hang in there..."You're not alone in this...There's hope...You'll make it."
God bless.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Hope and Change...REALLY.
This is a blog I have wanted to do for a long time. I actually set it up several months ago and then just left it on the back burner. Like so many of my "brilliant" ideas, I am good at thinking of them...but the following through...not so much! I am endeavoring to do better.
Well folks it's a new year, a new decade, a time for fresh starts. Thank GOD. I have been hearing so much talk lately about how 2000 to 2009 was the "decade from hell" and the "decade we would all like to forget." Hard to argue with. I mean it started out with 9/11, proceeded to two lengthy wars, corporate corruption, economic disaster, and a new president who promised "hope and change" but has yet to deliver.
I don't really want to make this about politics so I will just leave him out of it. I bring him up because he was such a figure of hope for so many...with this "decade from hell" winding down, I think a lot of people saw in him a chance for a fresh start. A lot of people are finding a fresh start isn't as easy as it sounds, and that "change" certainly doesn't happen over night.
The good news is change does happen, slowly and over time. If there are things in your life that are not working for you, you can change them. There are no quick fixes. Any one who has tried to lose weight or make money on the internet knows that. Fad diets and get rich quick schemes leave you feeling worse than before because you haven't changed anything, you feel like a doof, and you have shelled out money.
There is no "get happy overnight" scheme. If you want to enjoy your life, you have to work at it...every day. There are little things you can do each and every day to shift your thinking, change your attitude and turn the negativity around.
Let's face it, we live in an extremely difficult time and a very negative world. But that doesn't mean we can't find joy and hope and beauty on a daily basis. Even Holocaust prisoners found a way to not only survive, but even find joy in that awful situation.
Read the story of Victor Frankl and you will be beyond inspired. An Austrian psychiatrist and neurologist, Frankl was a prisoner in Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps. During his time there he concluded that no matter what the circumstances are around you, even if seemingly everything is taken from you and you are stripped of all your rights, no one can force you to be unhappy. You can choose joy just to spite the enemy, whatever it is.
"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way."
Victor Frankl went on to write a famous book about the meaning of life and did much work in the area of finding purpose in his work as a doctor. This sums up what he ascertained through his research and practice.
"We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one's predicament into a human achievement. When we are no longer able to change a situation - just think of an incurable disease such as inoperable cancer - we are challenged to change ourselves."
Remember, those are the words of a man who spent years in concentration camps. A brilliant man, a scientist and doctor, was abused and belittled in every way imaginable. The one thing the Nazis could not take from him was his hope.
I am so glad you stopped by, and I hope you will come back often. Let's work to build each other up. There is more than enough tearing down in this world. We all need a little encouragement from time to time. If I can help to provide that to you, then that is my honor and my joy.
God bless.
Well folks it's a new year, a new decade, a time for fresh starts. Thank GOD. I have been hearing so much talk lately about how 2000 to 2009 was the "decade from hell" and the "decade we would all like to forget." Hard to argue with. I mean it started out with 9/11, proceeded to two lengthy wars, corporate corruption, economic disaster, and a new president who promised "hope and change" but has yet to deliver.
I don't really want to make this about politics so I will just leave him out of it. I bring him up because he was such a figure of hope for so many...with this "decade from hell" winding down, I think a lot of people saw in him a chance for a fresh start. A lot of people are finding a fresh start isn't as easy as it sounds, and that "change" certainly doesn't happen over night.
The good news is change does happen, slowly and over time. If there are things in your life that are not working for you, you can change them. There are no quick fixes. Any one who has tried to lose weight or make money on the internet knows that. Fad diets and get rich quick schemes leave you feeling worse than before because you haven't changed anything, you feel like a doof, and you have shelled out money.
There is no "get happy overnight" scheme. If you want to enjoy your life, you have to work at it...every day. There are little things you can do each and every day to shift your thinking, change your attitude and turn the negativity around.
Let's face it, we live in an extremely difficult time and a very negative world. But that doesn't mean we can't find joy and hope and beauty on a daily basis. Even Holocaust prisoners found a way to not only survive, but even find joy in that awful situation.
Read the story of Victor Frankl and you will be beyond inspired. An Austrian psychiatrist and neurologist, Frankl was a prisoner in Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps. During his time there he concluded that no matter what the circumstances are around you, even if seemingly everything is taken from you and you are stripped of all your rights, no one can force you to be unhappy. You can choose joy just to spite the enemy, whatever it is.
"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way."
Victor Frankl went on to write a famous book about the meaning of life and did much work in the area of finding purpose in his work as a doctor. This sums up what he ascertained through his research and practice.
"We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one's predicament into a human achievement. When we are no longer able to change a situation - just think of an incurable disease such as inoperable cancer - we are challenged to change ourselves."
Remember, those are the words of a man who spent years in concentration camps. A brilliant man, a scientist and doctor, was abused and belittled in every way imaginable. The one thing the Nazis could not take from him was his hope.
I am so glad you stopped by, and I hope you will come back often. Let's work to build each other up. There is more than enough tearing down in this world. We all need a little encouragement from time to time. If I can help to provide that to you, then that is my honor and my joy.
God bless.
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