Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Worthwhile Fears

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Everything that is worthwhile in life is scary. Choosing a school, choosing a career, getting married, having kids--all those things are scary. If it is not fearful, it is not worthwhile.
Paul Tornier

Fear weaves its way in and out of every lifetime, its height and depth in perfect proportion to the importance of each choice we make. The measure of difficultly of any action making it more precious to achieve. Being fearful should make us move more quickly with an added alertness of our surroundings, but often it stops us cold.
I have faced many fears and know first-hand the strength it takes to paddle against the internal current it produces. I also know that pre-dread is always worse than post-reality. What is imagined may make the first few steps dreadful, but once we realize the ease of travel is less intimidating than our before-hand notion we can relax our defensive stance and enjoy the journey.
Once one fear is given control others come to live and raise a family. They steal self and leave a shuddering shell, but even the most fearful among us can exorcise them using the hunger each soul has to survive. There is more power inside even an atom of self than in any measure of fear. But we have to be self-propelled and that takes self-belief that many of us do not possess.
That lack can be eliminated with stern daily reminders of some wonderful facts we often misplace in the shuffle of life. Each of us has the right to be the best we can be and we each have that ability. Our life is a gift we are meant to live, it should not live us. Happen to life do not just be satisfied to let it happen to you. The faster you face a fear the smaller it is, waiting only allows time for it to grow to mammoth proportions. Belief in your right to life in its fullest degree is the best armor to wear in any battle with fright. You will never stop having fears as long as you continue to grow so they are sure signs of forward motion once overcome. Fear not the fear of change; if you want to be terrified of anything let it be that things will forever stay the same. That is my biggest fear and it fuels all my forward motion. Let it do the same service for you.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Monday, February 27, 2006

Bones

TODAY'S QUOTE:
The wishbone will never replace the backbone.
Will Henry

The quote is true enough, but if both bones are healthy and work together it can be magical. We cannot ache to make wishes into reality if we never even have them, and without backbone we do not possess the strength to struggle to near breaking point to see that they do.
The nerve to do new things is present in some of us naturally, in others it has to be developed. Some people struggle to overcome fears and doubts, while some are simply overcome by them. The wishbone is more well developed in each of us, because it is a thought pattern or mind exercise. Backbone is only strengthened by use and demands actions. The former can fuel the latter, but thought alone will get you nowhere.
Wishes are the blueprints for building upon. They are not meant to be an end in themselves, but the beginning of a goal or desire that we breathe life into with dedicated actions. And it is not always an easy thing to do, in fact the bigger the wish the harder the road to its reality. Wish something worthy of the backbone necessary to accomplish it and the strength will come as needed. Take a chance, invest in yourself, and reap the rewards of a job well done.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Earning A Rainbow

TODAY'S QUOTE:
The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.
Dolly Parton, American Country Singer/Songwriter/Actress

This quote reminds us to look for the rainbow inspired by any storm in our atmosphere. It is my practice to do so; countless times in my lifetime I have stood soaked to the skin, shivering in the aftermath of some sudden downpour and searched for the bright colors that accompany any recognized positive. But it demands that you look for it, head up, eyes scanning the horizon hungry to find the prize.
Any lesson learned is a prize earned. Rainbows follow rain, enlightenment follows sorrow. The bad inspires good in some fashion if we allow it. Any misfortune that does not have a positive attached is only one we have not looked at without agony clouding our vision. Learning whatever it has to teach is the rainbow. Never needing the same lesson again is like a right of passage, a sort of graduation to a higher grade.
Some sorrow is natural; death, divorce, etc are storms that are almost impossible to phantom any positive from. But their rainbow is our coping, the positive is survival, the lesson is thriving in the face of disaster, the reward is living fully in the future no matter what the past.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Make A Life

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.
Grandma Moses, 1860-1961, American Folk Artist

That is a long thought, shortly said; simply put, but oh so true. Life is a series of choices and one of the most important ones we ever make is our attitude toward the living of it. Circumstances can slow us down, yet the power to stop forward motion is assigned by our foot on the gas and our hands on the wheel.
We cannot totally control which scenery we pass through, but we can direct where our gaze lingers. Look for the bright shiny places and do not dwell over-long upon the dark that is so much a part of life too. Without the dark the bright would not stand out like a beacon to guide us to its safety. Stay in well lit places whenever possible. Keep in mind that the dark is there while refusing to add to its shadow.
Dark and light: bitter and sweet: hot and cold, all choices of the spirit. Life is what you make it, so do not let life choose how you react to it, but make it react to you. Gather your balance, make firm choices then live with some sort of deliberation. Direct your passion toward something of worth, or it will be wasted by indulgences you care little for, simply because it demands release.
A lot of my time this past week has been given to remodeling The Sisterhood (http://www.sisterhoodsupport.com) and expanding the help pages located there. For easy access a new button titled LOCAL SUPPORT has been added to the main site (http://www.ourjourneysend.com) that takes you directly to it. I encourage one and all to gather information in their area to be placed there. I will do the work or have it done if others will gather information and double check that it is updated and usable, but consider letting me create a page and teach you how to load it so it gets the loving care it deserves.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Friday, February 24, 2006

The Road

TODAY'S QUOTE:
The road leading to a goal does not separate you from your destination; it is essentially a part of it.
Roman proverb

Reaching that road is a destination, in itself; path finding is a goal worthy of number one status on everyone's list. Dreams float by, but simply imagining will not create their reality. We linger on thoughts, make mental promises then forsake them without undue bother. Good intentions will not get the job done, although it does help with the process. Gathering the determination to set your feet upon any path with a purpose is not an easy undertaking.
Having a goal and struggling toward it alters us, forcing growth that is not always comfortable. The road is often invisible, walking on faith in where you are headed makes stepping possible at such times. When we choose a path it becomes, in a sense, an extension of self. How we step and what we walk over or around are colored by every step we have ever taken.
Some of us never pick a path, but if we do not exercise that right it will be assigned to us by circumstance, like a default setting. People can change, and situations can too, yet without goals they never do. Pick a road, or be satisfied to let it pick you. There is nothing quite as depressing as someone with no direction who is whining about being lost, and nothing quite as useless as regret at the end of a road you never wanted to be on in the first place.
Once you find your true path nothing compares to travel there, even though the destination is never really reachable. Do not waste sorrow over the notion of an unending stroll toward broadened horizons. Treasure your journey and travel with confidence in the direction of your dreams.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Continual Christmas

TODAY'S QUOTE:
A good conscience is a continual Christmas.
Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790, American Scientist/Publisher/Diplomat

The conscience is our internal police force, warning us of things that pose a danger or locking us up once we commit whatever we were cautioned about. I get memos often; some I heed, others I do not, according to the whim of human nature that we all struggle to harness and control. Success or failure, the main thing is that I make an effort.
Another meaning for it is an awareness of something, but whatever measure of awareness we possess is set by each of us. Like the volume of a headset, we control how loud the warnings are. And we can increase the power of the police by using empathy to put ourselves into the shoes of whomever will be affected by actions we take.
Long ago I made one persons happiness more important than anyone's and all around me people paid. Once an act is committed it is easier to re-commit, unless you guard against it. Awareness of a pattern makes it an instant job for the police and turning up the volume helps produce the empathy necessary to make a choice that will not demand a lock down later.
I do not regret my own pain; in a real way it gave me a fuller kind of life by leading me here. But, I do regret the pain I caused directly or indirectly by poor choices made long ago. The volume is up now, and empathy a presence of mind I embrace to defend against troubling my conscience with the same tired crimes.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Opportunity For More

TODAY'S QUOTE:
The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.
Jonas Salk, 1914-1995, American Physician and Inventor of the first polio vaccine

Any job well done naturally leads toward additional avenues of opportunity, broadening horizons and expanding spirits in the most miraculous ways. My favorite avenue to travel or watch someone else go down is one that hones a natural talent. We all have at least one; careful tending of whatever gift you possess improves quality of life to an almost impossible to imagine degree.
When you carry a treasure it is no burden and when you work with natural talent it is no toil. Doing the best you can at what comes as second nature is a cinch, no struggle needed to work up enthusiasm for polishing a treasure.
I have never considered the phrase, "second nature" in quite this way before; enlightenment just happens so effortlessly sometimes. I suppose from this moment on I will see two different natures inside each of us. The first one shaped by circumstances and our attitude toward them, the second shaped or left shapeless by our notice of it. Look for it, because it does exist.
Every gift, not necessarily artsy but each an art. There are no small natural talents, none more important than the rest and if all would polish them to their brightest gleam, the earth would be a much gentler planet. Work on it, make it a job well done, and the rewards will be worthy of the effort.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

We Are Built

TODAY'S QUOTE:
We are built to conquer environment, solve problems, achieve goals, and we find no real satisfaction or happiness in life without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve.
Maxwell Maltz, 1899-1975, American Motivational Author/Cosmetic Surgeon/Creator of Psycho-Cybernetics

The simple fact that we are built to do such things does not guarantee we will lift a finger to do any of them. If we allow ourselves to be conquered by circumstances outside of our control then we become powerless to overcome the ones within reach. And having goals takes forethought into the future, a vision that sees beyond present reality and transcends past issues.
There is just no other way to get there from wherever you happen to be. There will be detours along the way, places that slow you down, but there are no short cuts and the journey is rarely effortless. The fact is, the road to achieving conquer status is a bitch to travel. But the destination is almost magical.
Gather your energy and choose a goal, even a small one will be good practice. Look up and over things in your path; any human walking with their head down is in a perfect blindside me pose and life will oblige you by doing just that. Take control from anyone who is steering you away from your chosen destination. When goals are empowered by assigning them whatever importance they deserve, you invest in a future worthy of any agony suffered to reach it.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Monday, February 20, 2006

On Tart And Sharp

TODAY'S QUOTE:
A tart temper never mellows with age; and a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use.
Washington Irving, 1783-1859, American Author

When we give into the urge to use our voice in hurtful ways it is childish; everything we think is not just, some of it should never be said. People without a filter on their thoughts spew them everywhere and feel justified in doing so. Invading someone else's space and punching them in the chest is a criminal act, using your voice to do the same thing is more hurtful and the effects are often life long, yet that is not considered a crime.
Temper is a negative reaction that can be harnessed for good. Getting angry is often justified, using it to fuel your determination is healthy, but bitch slapping with a temperamental person is pointless. You cannot change a mind that is convinced it is never wrong, wasting time trying is a fools errand.
A sharp mind is a great thing. But a sharp tongue is a loose cannon that never stops firing at everything within range. Being the loudest, or rudest, or meanest does not make you the rightist. It makes you an outcast if used often enough. Seems a much better thing to sharpen your mind than your tongue. Better to draw people with knowledge than repel them with spew. The choice is simple.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Excellent Parts

TODAY'S QUOTE:
I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent.
Ashleigh Brilliant (b. 1933)

Well, it is a given that none among us is ever totally perfect and any pretense of possessing such a lofty position just makes a person appear ridiculous. We can only strive to be better at not being so terribly imperfect and avoid criticizing the short comings we notice in others. I am human and fallible, exercising those options is the best I can do to travel toward a destination none of us can ever hope to reach. The fact I cannot climb to the heights of perfection does not keep me from heading in that direction.
But we each possess excellent parts; some of us know this while others do not, and we all act according to our knowledge or lack thereof. We often see the excellence in other people and feel less wonderful standing in their shadow. We let self-doubt rob us and the world of the special glow that only we possess.
We allow other hands to flip that light off or bury its illumination under baggage they force us to carry. We give ourselves less credit and ignore the promise that is every humans birthright. We become wooden or puppet-like to be safe from heartache and exchange our priceless parts for half a life.
Shining draws attention, the comfort of invisibility urges us to dim it or put it out altogether. Illuminating our surroundings demands we give attention to the careful study of and coping with whatever we find there, which takes energy we sometimes do not possess.
But our excellent parts hold such strength, leaving that fountain untapped stunts our growth. Placing ourselves willingly into a weakened state then hiding in the back row of life's classroom just invites misfortune. Where do you think the bullies look for the easy victims? Believe you possess some excellent parts and others will believe it too. Convince yourself that you shine not and nothing you try will ever convince others that you do. Create the reality that lets you glow.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Life Loves

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: "I'm with you kid. Let's go."
Maya Angelou, American Poet and Writer

Life loves people who live it deliberately. Fate embraces those who dare to reach past fear and uncertainty to grasp onto whatever awaits them. Life loves the dreamers who often struggle alone to give life to something only they can see. And the more attention given to really living the more life loves us.
When we use our eyes for more than staring straight ahead we widen our perspective; things never noticed before or overlooked in the mad dash become new again. Given half a chance, the smallest pleasure inspires pure delight, instantly tipping the scales in favor of whatever follows. And mostly what comes next is up to us.
We can opt to stay in a holding pattern, safe in its sameness. Some people spend years asleep at the wheel while auto pilot moves them back and forth between here and there. They wake for deaths or births, but little else stirs their wooden sleepwalk.
We can choose to simply rut walk except on vacations when a year's worth of adventure is stuffed tight into a week or two. Trips made at hyper speed are best remembered in snapshots and recovering from them is a real trial to body and mind.
We can opt to soar on the winds of change, directing our flight pattern toward the horizon. I do not have to ponder on which I will choose, being grounded for so many years has made me hunger for the sky.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Friday, February 17, 2006

Soul Wrinkles

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.
Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964, American Military General

Time works its torture upon our bodies, but nothing ages from the inside out quite as quickly or completely as hopelessness. Medical science can correct the ravages of age to some degree. But the soul is a different matter altogether; we control the damage done and its healing. The ability to avoid future punctures that will only deflate our spirit and wrinkle our soul is inside each of us.
Sometimes it is hidden under a pile of debris shoveled by someone or many someone's into space belonging to you simply because their heaps were overflowing. Sometimes it is camouflaged by baggage that you packed tight and stacked without noticing its mountainous height. Whatever its covering consists of, the only tools needed to reveal its location is belief of its existence and determination to reorganize the place things are stored and how they are gathered.
At first you will be kept busy sorting out what is yours and what is not then the time to return to sender will dawn. Once everything carried is something you own it is time to examine what still fits and what you have out-grown, out-lived, or out-smarted. You will be shocked by the decrease in the load you carry once all those things are accomplished. Then from this point on, just pack with forethought and keep contact with shoveling people to a bare minimum.
Age with grace internally and improve your external appearance naturally. Hopelessness does not need to be a terminal condition. Nothing inspires a spring in your step or an unforgettable smile upon your face faster than an unwrinkled soul dressed in a positive attitude.
THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Thursday, February 16, 2006

No Great Limits

TODAY'S QUOTE:
There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.
Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004, 40th President of the United States

The only limits I worry over are the ones I place upon myself. Self-inflected barriers are often the hardest to free yourself from; while struggling with getting free of past ones it seems a wise choice to avoid placing new ones on path. Growth slows or accelerates in perfect synch with our ability to assimilate it with what is already there, unless we allow easy access to our control panel.
What we learn as children is directed by others. But what we study as adults is in our hands alone, yet some act as if once school ends they are done with lessons. Wasting some free time is great, everyone needs long moments spent free from care. Misusing every second given and having nothing to show for it is foolish. Finding something that you ache to know about keeps the mind growing, which is a real mark of intelligence. And real passion towards something feeds upon itself; the more you know the more you grow, and the more space used the more clear areas are available.
Humans misuse their imaginations or put more plainly they allow their imaginations to run away with them. Instead of conjuring up a positive all too often we create a negative and scare ourselves into knee-jerking actions. And I have found that most knee-jerked reactionary responses are too emotional to be of much use.
Without a healthy imagination it is difficult, if not impossible, to gather enough energy to create real wonder. Awe is a powerful reaction. We are often too wrapped up in incidentals to see with the wider vision that inspires the childlike emotional wonderment that keeps us forever young.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Write Right

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Write injuries in sand, kindnesses in marble.
French Proverb

The urge to hold a grudge never rears its ugly head inside of me. Embracing the negative is not a habit I ever want to pick up. But a period of distance, a measure of time, and some scar tissue are needed on some occasions to make things right again. I do not forget, if trust is broken, yet I do not refuse to relate on the highest level possible inside the new boundaries.
Setting safe perimeters is a good thing, for all involved, whenever further pain is possible. Wiping the slate clean does not mean that things function in the same fashion that created the situation. Mutual respect of space owned by all involved parties makes this an easier task, but can certainly be done by one even if the other refuses to get past it. And many will do so during a lifetime. I just do not have any wish to be one of them.
Writing a kindness in marble is easy and automatic, but I need to practice some of the things that I have let fall behind in some of my personal relationships. I need to call some people who love me that I have not spoken to in much too long, and that is a task already begun. I need to reestablish a rhythm with my best friend that is sorely missed on both our parts. I need to stroll down the marble path and read all the names and deeds listed and reclaim my status there. To go forward I have to take with me the things worth carrying.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

No Useless One

TODAY'S QUOTE:
No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.
Charles Dickens, 1812-1870, British Novelist

There are so many ways that we can assist each other and one of the most important is to simply listen without offering council unless invited to do so. That costs nothing while boosting whoever you gift it to over whatever hurtle they are trying to surmount. Chances are they have more voices echoing inside their head than needed already, adding yours to the din will only intensify the volume, without adding anything usable to the content. Just being there is often enough.
This is love day and it is also my husband's birthday, he would have been 52 today. I will not spend the day feeling sorry for myself, I will invest it in assisting other's. It is a truism that I do not feel all that festive, yet I believe love is well worth celebrating. A friend gave me the link below, share it with your valentine.

http://www.bpfrommer.com/Valentine_Martina_McBride.htm

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Monday, February 13, 2006

A Nice Change

TODAY'S QUOTE:
One of the many things nobody ever tells you about middle age is that it's such a nice change from being young.
Dorothy Canfield Fisher, 1879-1958, American Author and Essayist

Dwelling on age is not something I do much of, trying to define humans by numbering them is foolish so it is simply an incidental in the big scheme of things. How you feel and see yourself is a much better and more realistic qualifier. Self image and attitude will either make you old before your time, right on the mark, or forever young.
I am not really middle aged anymore...unless I live to be 104 which seems a bit much. I am at an awkward stage; too young to be old and too old to be young, similar to how it is when we are growing our hair longer and we reach a point where we cannot wear it like we used to but it is still too short to wear it like we want to. But I began living during that time so I am much fonder of those memories than of any earlier ones.
My belief, (and it grew during that middle aged span) is that whatever age you are will not matter to other's if it matters not to you. More importance ought to be placed on how we survive than on how long we have been alive. And if we find a formula for getting through the bull-shit with a measure of sanity intact, we need to share it as willingly as we pass around tasty recipe's.
I enjoy the sensation of being older and would not return to being over young even if I had the chance. I do not mourn my lost years, I simply will not donate more time to mistakes made there. Agelessness is my goal. And I would rather paint an abstract with bright colors than stay between the lines of a paint by number life.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Sunday, February 12, 2006

A Hunger

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"We have a hunger of the mind which asks for knowledge of all around us, and the more we gain, the more is our desire; the more we see, the more we are capable of seeing."
Maria Mitchell

The brain is naturally greedy, but if its needs are ignored it can starve to near death and the quality of life becomes little more than automated movements. I know this first hand because I used to be on zombie mode. I was taken there against my will, yet the fact that I remained for so long cannot be placed at any door other than my own. Self-awareness showed me the exit finally and I struggled through it the best I was able. And I have been playing catch up ever since.
Walking free again jump started my bean and its been humming along ever since. The more I learned about what motivated my actions the more I wondered what motivated other's. The more knowledge I gained the more I needed. Understanding one thing always led to something unknown and uncharted so I became a map maker by default.
I did not know how to surf the web when I became a widow, in all honesty I barely knew how to turn the computer on. Now I have a site or two and although I am still clueless about most technical matters, I am able to do all my tasks here with confidence. Learning ways to be independent here will never stop.
Self study continues; change is constant so there is always more to absorb. The more insight I can gather the more in sight my goals become. Our point of view alters as we grow and travel. Tunnel vision is not possible when any subject is examined fully, taking into consideration every clue that can be ferreted out.
Feed your mind about subjects that catch your fancy as if you are at an all you can eat buffet. Avoid the urge to not think or question; it may seem less dangerous to avoid knowledge, but it is the quickest way to accepting a one way ticket to Zombieville. And take it from someone who knows from personal experience that is not a place worth even a short visit, living there full time is no life at all.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Where You Look

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Don't look where you fall, but where you slipped.
African Proverb

This quote is perfect advise if we hope to reduce the chance of re-falling in the same place over and over, forevermore. In fact, it says where you land does not matter much, which is comforting. It is more sensible and of immeasurable value to know why you fell and how to repair the tripping place.
Slippery spots are everywhere; possessing knowledge is like an unlimited supply of sand to sprinkle as needed before you try to travel forward. The more attention to the place you place your feet will enable you to gather insight that will be invaluable in shedding light on the road ahead. And as an added bonus we have a much harder time regretting the things that teach us something.
The fact that everyone slips is certain. All of us fall plenty too. Finding ways to tumble less often or more gracefully seems a wise choice. Everyone goes through areas of travel where we simply stumble along, too distracted to watch our footing or even notice which direction we are headed. It is akin to driving for miles, deep in thought, only to find yourself near your destination with no clear memory of how you got there. Auto pilot is not meant as the normal way to function, but switching it off takes attention to detail.
And getting up once down then retracing steps to the cause of the fall takes energy we often believe we lack. We convince ourselves that it would be wasted time, nothing will ever change anyway. Thinking that way creates its own reality. Gather strength then go toward the place that tripped you up. Deal with it once completely and it cannot inspire any more dust biting falls. A similar spot may cause you to slide, but the knowledge you gained will keep you erect, giving you time to sand dust the place of your next foot step.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Friday, February 10, 2006

Your Own Philadelphia

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Let every man or woman here, if you never hear me again, remember this, that if you wish to be great at all, you must begin where you are and with what you are. He who would be great anywhere must first be great in his own Philadelphia."
Russel H. Conwell

To be all you can be first you have to possess the three feet in which you stand. I have been guilty of handing control over to others and they always make a mess of things. I imagined that those days were over for good, yet I recognize the trait inside of me that longs to lean and let someone else drive for awhile.
Taking back space is easier once it has been reclaimed the first time. The real trick is avoiding the situation altogether. I am lucky that my soul never feels satisfied for long in leaving the driving to others. What it took me 40 yrs to earn is much to precious to simply pass into anyone else's hands. I often need a navigator on things beyond my understanding, but my hands need to stay on the wheel.
Not many people in the area I live in even know about Journey's End, but that condition is about to end. In a real way I am facing my own Philadelphia. I do not seek greatness for myself, but the worth of this space deserves its chance to help as many as possible. Hiding its light under a bucket makes no sense.
This would have happened long ago if I had not been without a webmaster for so long. I was down to the wire then help appeared, instantly changing a dead end into a limitless sky. Life is almost magical sometimes, and I take much comfort that even when my faith in myself waffled my belief in this site never wavered. And it never will. I have fought hard to get this far and I assure you I would have given up long ago if it were for my sake alone.
What do you dream of doing or being? What is your Philadelphia? Will you know it when you see it? Will its fancy side intimidate? Will its seedy side horrify? Will you find your footing there and travel on past its boundaries? My hope is that you will own your space with confidence wherever your feet rest and your dreams will soar to heights never imagined. I hope the same for Journey's End.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE


Thursday, February 09, 2006

Complete Revenge

TODAY'S QUOTE:
There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.
Josh Billings US Humorist (1818 - 1885)

I forgive wrongs, it takes time sometimes and effort always yet I have found that to withhold forgiveness means you have to embrace the emotions inspired by the wrong. You have to build a fire under them to keep intensity constant or add fuel to allow it to boil over. And exploding once is not always enough to guarantee an end to it. Holding it close and reheating it seems too much trouble for something that makes a person feel so dreadful.
I also hope that being forgiving to others will encourage them to do the same for me. I make plenty of mistakes too and could use being graded on a curve from time to time. It would be much harder for me to forgive myself if I did spiteful things to avenge a wrong than it is to pardon them. And reactionary actions promote a cycle of bitch slapping that would end badly if it ever ended at all.
I do not forgive with any conscious thought of it being revenge. And I do not hope for anything so negative to come from a positive. I would rather my actions make them pause to consider the cost to themselves of holding firmly to a grudge against someone who refuses to assist them to hold it erect.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE


Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Stress Relief

TODAY'S QUOTE:
For fast acting relief, try slowing down.
Lily Tomlin

That advice works well and the more stressed we become the slower we must go to repair the damage a frantic life causes. Life is complicated nowadays, simplifying is a major key to stress relief. The possibilities for cutting out unnecessary crap varies from person to person, but all of us have areas where we could and should reduce the clutter we box ourselves into a corner with.
Life is often treated as if it is a race. Speed quickly becomes the main aim, a habit that exists for its own sake and we follow behind it like we are the ones in control. Once speed becomes the leading force we may travel further than the next fellow but what we accomplish will be less structured and stable. Sometimes just the wind produced from our mad dash is enough to destroy something priceless. And before long we are only racing ourselves anyway, which is a contest you can never hope to win.
I have found in my own life the faster I go the harder I crash. For my own peace of mind I have to stay at a speed that is comfortable. Measured steps work for me. When I try to match my footsteps to someone who is racing it is a sure bet that within a few miles I am completely off-balance.
I am walking wounded. I have to tread beside others who have slowed to catch their breath or lick their wounds. I do not carry all the baggage I started out with years ago, so it is possible to help others to learn how to travel lighter. I do not stroll beside them and say poor traveler, poor me. Empathy is much different than sympathy. I know how they feel, but I do not feel sorry for them and end it there. Understanding pain and how to heal it is not an enabling thing, but an empowering tool.
So if you are frayed and tattered from too much, too quickly, and too franticly digested then reduce the speed at which you are traveling. Just as a car gets further on a tank of gas at a slower speed humans get more mileage out of their energy if it is used at a measured pace and not just wasted in a race that never ends.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Laughter Light

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.
Victor Hugo, 1802-1885, French Poet/Dramatist/Novelist

The joy of laughter reaches every fiber of human kind. Years fall away and for a moment the shadow of a child will cross even the most time worn face. We speak of lifted spirits and cheering up which shows with words the power of laughter to soothe. As long as we retain the ability to chuckle we have certain joy.
Some of the funniest things are not really funny in themselves. Irony can turn even the most dreadful situations into stand up material. It usually takes some measure of time to appreciate the humor, but sometimes hilarity is so inpatient for its moment that it bursts into life without permission.
When a mouse ran up my husbands pant leg it was certainly not funny to him. I was almost hysterical with glee as I listened to the primal noises he made and watched him rip his jeans from his body. He found a chuckle for that years later, but he never laughed as hard as I did, and I never did loose that ability to laugh till I cried when I retold the story. Perspective is everything.
One of my best friends has an uncontrollable reaction to people falling. Her mother fell out of a truck and broke her leg. She was in a car right behind and saw it happen. Poor girl had to compose herself half a dozen times while she related the accident to me. We both knew it was not really funny, she was laughing at tumble not break and I was laughing because she was.
Laughter is contagious. So is a bad mood, or sorrow; every emotion can be transferred just by the energy it possesses. If I am going to infect anyone with anything laughter seems the most wonderful thing to pass along.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Monday, February 06, 2006

The Risking Time

TODAY'S QUOTE:
There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
Anais Nin

The pain of blooming is brutal, but it has a direction and a purpose that most other aches do not possess. Growing pains end when inches are added to our frames. Blooming agony ceases after we add growth to our being. Change alters perspective then an altered perspective inspires even more change. But the risk always earns something of value.
A bud that never opens is a flower never seen. We are born in full bloom, but living often constrict us into a life long bud state. Our true colors remain hidden, even from ourselves. And the garden where even one flower refuses to bloom is made less beautiful than it was meant to be.
The process of unclenching your bud can feel like breathing glass. But once one petal unfolds a bit, all others struggle to follow. There is no half way point with blooming. You either stay wadded tight or you open completely. And the choice belongs to each of us.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Your Thought Path

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives."
Henry David Thoreau

This is where I stand now, both physically and mentally. Measured steps will get me where I plan to go on both levels. I spent today from 8am on doing what I love most and the time seems only minutes long, although it is 6pm now. I will keep working until my mind demands I stop and walk away satisfied with every moment given to something so well loved. When you are doing what is natural you do not need to direct your thoughts, because they direct you without seeming to.
Negative thoughts can direct also, but never really lead anywhere worth going. Any I ponder always head straight to a dark dead-end, and so I channel them away whenever possible. Imaginings are always worse than reality, making it saner to wait for whatever is than invent what could be.
What lingers over-long inside an active mind soon takes root. Plodding, mechanical footsteps traveling back and forth over the same terrain soon dig a path that quickly becomes a rut if we do not pay attention and move past the places we have left our mark upon. Give positive the point position in your mind and under your feet. Then where you end up will be worth the visit and what fills your mind will be worthy of the setting.

THING ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE

Saturday, February 04, 2006

A Happy Attitude

TODAY'S QUOTE:
A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.
Hugh Downs

This is true, and today I am exercising my right to be happy even if some would wish I were otherwise. Mind control is often difficult, especially when every human life abounds with voices clamoring to be heard. Too many voices just makes for confusion and chaos. I lost my balance trying to placate the crowd around me and it has taken me some time to readjust.
I learned long ago that a deep cut will heal with gentle tending and a soul wound can be repaired in the same way. Simply pick at it and it will never do more than bleed upon demand. Allow others to pick at it and the same result occurs. Putting your happiness or unhappiness at the doorstep of anyone else never solves anything.
All the work done here is at a blooming stage. The past revisited has no place beyond showing how to get to the future from there. Old pain still hurts if dwelled upon, but that is a useless road to travel and has no place in what must be done to get past what was.
Each of us has to do whatever our heart tells us it needs to be happy. Listen to your voice first and make it heard by those around you. Considering all sides has to include all, your portion is just as important as anyone else's. A happier attitude is worth the effort, no matter what your situation. Positive energy comes from the positive places inside of you, tap them whenever possible.
My mad dash to catch up with posts left undone while I was absent has been abandoned, but I will reload the quotes missed on the calendar and in that way they will be taken care of. Any problem has more than one solution, and reducing pressure at this point is vital to my achieving peace of mind enough to do what needs done here.
THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE