Don’t Do Something That Can Send You Over a Cliff

Image Credit: Gantas Vaičiulėnas

Sometimes we can derail our life from our own vices. Yet, there is always hope to get back up with confidence, get on track, and ease on down the road.

“The only person who can pull me down is myself, and I’m not going to let myself pull me down anymore.”
C. Joybell C.

“Stop beating yourself up. You are a work in progress, which means you get there a little at a time, not all at once. ”
Unknown

“Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.”
Les Brown

“Embrace and love all of yourself – past, present, and future. Forgive yourself quickly and as often as necessary. Encourage yourself. Tell yourself good things about yourself.”
Melody Beattie

“If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person. ”
Fred Rogers

What Comes from Life’s Debris?

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“No storm can last forever. It will never rain 365 days consecutively. Keep in mind that trouble comes to pass, not to stay. Don’t worry! No storm, not even the one in your life, can last forever.” – Iyanla Vanzant

        Last week after record-high scorching temperatures, we experienced severe afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Some parts of our area sustained serious damage, with downed trees, fallen branches that did quite a bit of damage, and lots of airborne debris scattered everywhere. In our vicinity, the wind was fierce but not as harsh. Cracks of lightning and the roar of thunder were more intimidating than the wind.

        I think about the debris scattered over our life’s pathway. We face storms throughout various degrees in our lives, whether grand or small, and the effects of how much these storms impact our lives can either strengthen, frustrate, or do their darndest to destroy us. I believe our life storms teach us something about people, about situations, and about ourselves. How resilient are we when a crisis occurs? How do we get through these crises, and how do we rise up as we use the debris to help us rebuild? What will the outcome of our storms be?

        At some point, storms will hit everyone. Yet, not everyone comes out unscathed and survives. Some storms seem to hold your head underwater and attempt to drown you until you wiggle from its grasp and swim up for air. Others clean up and compost some of that debris to fertilize hope and empower progress. Storms will come, and you can’t sidestep them. How do we weather our storms? We can’t always be prepared for the unexpected and inevitable. Yet we can live, learn, and lead because the stories we write orally or verbally based on our storms can be a lifesaver and a hope-builder to many.

Image Credit: Sheila Brown

The Summit

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The massiveness of mountains can make one feel small and insignificant as you stand there, mouth wide open, looking up, and its sheer magnitude looks like centuries of stored wisdom washing down all over you. Mountains in all of their poetic glory make us ruminate about our journey through life, and inspire us to soak in its grandeur and appreciate its existence.

Summit of Faith, Hope, and Peace

Faith, the substance of hope and unseen evidence

as small as the tiniest mustard seed

can move mountains of insurmountable challenges

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mountains, sometimes intimidating

where the climb may look improbable

but not impossible

meandering through terrains

with every step of determination

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the unknown, where danger may lurk

an inner voice beckoning you

to never fear or give up

hope keeps optimism alive with each grip

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continuing to climb

though your body feels weary

your mind dares not give in to giving up

as you ascend closer to the top of that mountain

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sensing a quiet calm shrouding your inner sanctity

reaching that high point of unshakeable peace

reminding you all is well with your soul

through an ounce of faith and a summit of hope.

Kym Gordon Moore, from the anthology Mountain Writings, 2014

Finding Good in the Not So Good

Image Credit: Patrick Nijhuis

You know, this year has been one to reckon with. Contentions, unbelievable complicity, systemic racism, increased hunger and homelessness, blatant corruption, and oh yeah the attack of COVID-19 happened. Most of us have been in a free fall tailspin spiraling this way, that way, and the other like all types of fireworks bursting in the sky at the same time, occurring frequently.

We found ourselves depressed, oppressed, obsessed, and/or regressed. Such states were easy traps and we were easy targets. Sometimes, however, there was nothing we could really do, but face it and shuffle through it.

As disheartening as some things were, I found a ray of hope which started with inner peace. I know realistically that everything wasn’t and still isn’t peachy and perfect. I do find that we are more resilient than we give ourselves credit for. For instance, with the unexpected shift in normalcy we found this year to bring, I managed to exceed my aggressive goal of reading 50 books this year (set pre-COVID-19), and with the help of my Goodreads community, I’ve read 56 books year-to-date. While it’s a minor accomplishment, I tried to remain productive and do what I can to stop sweating about what is out of my control, even when I was not cognizant that I was really sweating. So daily I pray for peace, even in the midst of the craziness and sorrow. This helps me to be more productive and less obsessive. It may not be in every facet of my life, but it’s in aspects that make a difference, no matter how small.

Crazy has been evicted by the way!

Image Credit: Scott Adams

The Big Comeback

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The comeback is always stronger than the setback.

We may get knocked down, but as long as we’re able to get up, no matter how weak we may feel, our comeback is strengthened by our temporary setbacks.

The Struggle is Real Y’all

Image Credit: Linda Graindourze

Your struggle, my struggle, our struggle is very real. Contrary to how some people may be skedaddling around as if they are on top of the world and untouchable, that is just a temporary ruse.

The struggle is very real. We sometimes say art imitates life, but it seems like life is imitating art in the most discouraging and disastrous way. It feels like hope is being sucked out of you by an invisible magnet leaving you feeling listless, confused, unproductive, and defeated.

The struggle is real and we don’t need an analyst to tell us that. We feel it, we see it, we live it. Oh, what shall we do? You can take medication, but if the root of the problem that’s weighing you down remains rooted and is not eradicated within your spirit, you could be on the road to a medically induced coma by disassociation with life.

The struggle is real y’all and it ain’t going nowhere if you roll into a permanent fetal position of fear. We acknowledge that the struggle has slapped us, punched us in the gut, and tried to zap our freedom by making us a prisoner in our own fears and anxieties. We are sprawled on the floor not wanting to get up, but we must. Yes, we acknowledge that those struggles are real and it seems like evil is winning, but deep down we know that the most unlikely thing will bring those sinister forces down.

The struggle is so real y’all. As I write this I am reminded that while I may go there, you know “there”…that place where depression can choke the living crap out of you and tries to toss you into an incinerator of nonexistence, the voice of mercy said NO! I have to remember that I possess a power within, a power so deep that may look subservient to that struggle but is overwhelmingly more powerful to overcome it than I think.

The struggle is real. While it does not seem fair and looks like a grave injustice, we remain resilient, although weakened and dismayed, we refuse to falter to the whims of a satanical control panel. We can’t and we won’t give up!

Yep, the struggle is real and incomprehensible, but our hope is our strength and we need our hope to get to where our victory lies. Courage is our trojan horse.

Image Credit: Charlie Balch

From Challenge to Potential – Adversity to Courage

Image Credit: Steven Goodwin

Without a challenge, you may not discover your potential.

Without adversity, you may never uncover your courage.

Sometimes when we’re afraid, we bite the bullet, take a deep breath, and face the beast. Adversity creates courage, challenges develop potential, if only you will allow it.

Image Credit: Mitch Law

Be Careful When Removing the Scab Off of the Wound

We have been wounded but we’ve seen the best of humanity rise from the worst of circumstances. We are currently seeing integration in many areas who are reopening their commercial and service operations, even though we still do not have a cure to abolish this current Covid19 pandemic. Yes, we all understand the obvious reasons why the majority of the people around the world, not just in the United States need to return back to work. That is no secret.

With the rush to open too many things too quickly is like emitting a high-voltage flashing red light before reaching a steep ravine. Let’s not get too comfortable and overly complacent. I truly respect the decisions made by local and state government officials who are saying to their citizens to slow your roll a bit, because we are not out of the woods yet. Such decisions are hopefully in the best interest of the health and welfare of “the people” and not just for those who concur with extreme political viewpoints.

Like peeling the scab off of an unhealed wound, we can’t approach our merge back into our typical daily operations too swiftly without heeding the proper precautions. I’ve already seen video footage of people rushing back to open malls and other enclosed areas without wearing a mask or social distancing themselves from others. And the notion that just because people are congregating outside in close proximity doesn’t mean you are to think you are immune to contracting an infection without observing recommended safety protocols. No, that is not a bunch of hogwash.

One has to wonder, however, if such things as the insanity of traffic jams and road rage will reinfect the good we’ve seen in humanity over the course of the past few weeks. Will differences in opinions massively rip apart that which was once united and peaceful? Will many of the “haves and privileged” continue to trample on and be judgmental towards the disenfranchised, the have-nots, and the fragile? Will injustice continue to mock and prevail over justice and equality?

Let’s just say as we adapt to a new way of thinking, functioning and reentering life where we left off, no matter how you slice it, this is taking on a very different look and feel, no matter how familiar it may appear. Peeling away the scab before it’s healed can be more infectious and create a bigger setback than when the wound was inflicted.

Faith is Hard but is Resilient and Endures

Do you ever have one of those days when the walls seem to be closing in, the ceiling seems to be collapsing above, and the floor feels shaky as if it can crumble and cave in at any moment? Yeah? Well, me too.

I’ve come to realize on such days, one must find a way to somehow hold on to that mustard seed of faith, deeply breathe in moments of peace even through turbulence and just try to survive those treacherous moments of the day.

For the closing, collapsing, crumbling and caving in, could prove to expose us to the blossoming of renewed strength, awareness and peace that surpasses all understanding. Faith isn’t something that can be purchased with tokens or money but dwells within our spirit and acts like fertilizer embodying our hearts, empowering our spirit and propelling us to grow.

Courage from the Challenges of Adversity

Jean Beaufort

How do you confront adversity to become renewed? Hard times can wear us out, tear us down, slow us up, dominate our lives, and make us powerless. We become restless, anxious and lose sleep.

Ronald Carlson

Depending on our hardship, no doubt we are naturally concerned. We care. We try every solution humanly possible, and still sometimes fall short. This does not mean we are defeated and broken, although the feeling in our spirit indicates otherwise.

Patricia Keith

So, it is in those quiet moments, perhaps not one moment or two, but many or more, that we surrender the weight of our fears and adversities to be renewed, to rise up and to be strengthened in gratitude.  Courage is not instantaneous, but in an instant, your fear could summon it up. Be encouraged to proceed and walk with courage.