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25 July 2006 |
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My
view is that to sit back and let fate play its hand out and never
influence it is not the way people were meant to operate.
John
Glenn
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People judge you
by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of
gold, but so has a hard-boiled egg.
Good Reading
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| People
often mistake notoriety for fame, and would rather be remarked for
their vices and follies than not be noticed at all.
Harry S. Truman
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The
question we do not see when we are young is whether we own pride
or are owned by it.
Josephine
Johnson
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Creative
Daring
Wilferd A. Peterson
When I go to a
circus, I am thrilled most by the aerialists. . . those daring
flyers who swing high on a trapeze and then launch themselves into
space to be caught by another aerialist hanging by his or her
knees on an opposite trapeze. Recently, I watched a man who
is said to be the first person ever to successfully make a triple
somersault and a twist as he flew through the air to the
catcher on the other trapeze!
Circus acrobats
are always daring to do something different; they have the courage
to attempt the impossible. The creative adventure of their
lives is to do something in their particular profession that has
never been done before--and then to keep doing it! If a
flyer misses their catcher and falls to the net below, or if they
fail in a new trick, they don't give up. If they're really
good, they climb up the rope ladder to the platform, take off into
the air, and try again!
What can
creative people learn from this? How about more somersaults
and twists in your thinking? How about taking a perilous
flight through mental space by doing some different
thinking? How about standing on your head and seeing the
world from a new angle? How about trying to think of
something that has never been thought of before? It may be
difficult, but it can also be simple. A good example is that
of the man who took a piece of plain wire and twisted it into a
paperclip. How many billions of those do you think have been
sold?
Today's world
needs change, alteration, renewal, and corrections of
errors. It needs new ideas, new approaches, and new ways of
doing things. Maybe you should think of going--literally or
symbolically--to a circus today, where you'll see stunts you never
dreamed possible. The novelty and originality there may
stimulate what you need more of in this life. Have the
daring to take a flight for the idea you believe in!
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Picture
yourself in the middle of a field. . . behind you is your past, in
front of you is your future. As you look behind you see a
number of different objects that represent a collection of where
you have been and what you have done with your life. As you
gaze ahead you see, standing before you, large objects made of
stone. In your hands are a chisel and a hammer. What
you do with these tools is your decision, but whatever you do, it
is a decision.
The rocks or stones are of all different shapes and sizes. . . no two
are the same, but to proceed in your life you must in some way
leave your impressions on these stones. Some are easy to
sculpt, others extremely difficult, but one by one each must be
left with a sign that you have been there. I guess we could
call this field of stones the "Field of Life."
Some of us are just entering the field, as children. . . others are
in the middle, and some are preparing to leave. If up until
now the sculpturing and carvings that you have left on the rocks
behind you are not what you consider a good representation of who
you are, there are always the stones ahead. Some runners in
a race lag behind. . . until the final stretch. Then all of a
sudden they get a burst of energy. What I mean is, it's not
too late to turn it around, if in the past things didn't seem to
go according to plan.
Stones are very strange objects. You can chip away all day
and at first it looks like nothing is taking place. . . but slowly
images do start to appear. It takes work...sometimes hard work, to
sculpt the future. It's not always easy in this field called
Life, but it's important that we come to terms with it and see
that there is a bigger picture. As we approach each rock
some, no matter how we try, don't succumb to our energy or our
thoughts. . . that's okay. . . nobody's perfect. . . but you can always
say you gave it your best shot.
At the
end of the field is a fence, and at the end of our lives we climb
over that fence, and I believe, waiting on the other side, is God,
and our deceased family and friends. Slowly we turn and
together with God we look back and see our life's
sculptures....they represent who we were and what we did. It
may be hard for us to see the "failures," but I have a
feeling each one of us will hear lines like "Don't be sad,
you did your best." If you fail along the way, if you
can say, "I did my best," it does matter. What we
all want to see, I think, is a field of many beautiful sculptures.
. . sculptures of Love, Hope, and Humankindness.
Each one of us are artists. We may not be painters, but we
do, in our own way, paint our futures. The creativity that
we need is within us. As we start each new day, the stones
await our vision.
©
Jennifer Avalon Jennifer
Avalon is a singer/songwriter/essayist of great talent and
caring. You can read more of her essays at http://www.aviatorrecords.com/essays.htm.
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Are
you looking for inspirational and motivational reading material?
There are many great books out there that are made to lift you up
and inspire you, and when this ad from Amazon works right, it
shows
you quite a few of the newest and most popular choices! When
it
isn't working right, it gives you a generic Amazon.com ad. . . .
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My heart
leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So it was when my life began;
So it is now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is the father of the man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.
William Wordsworth |
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Living
Life Fully, the e-zine
exists to try to provide for visitors of the world wide web a
place
of growth, peace, inspiration, and encouragement. Our
articles
are presented as thoughts of the authors--by no means do
we
mean to present them as ways that anyone has to live
life. Take
from them what you will, and disagree with
whatever you disagree
with--just know that they'll be here for you
each week. |
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Begin The
Healing
Suzanne Zoglio, Ph.D.
Author, Create A Life That Tickles Your Soul
When life as we know it comes crashing down around us, our hearts
ache, our minds go numb, a haze seems to surround us. We are
shocked, angry, and sad beyond anything we've ever felt before. We
are frightened and shaken. We ask, "Why? How could this
happen?" And often, we ask, "Why me? Why us? Why
them?" Our faith is tested…and also our resolve. We might
wonder if we will find the strength to go on…or if we even want to
go on. It's all so overwhelming. Here are 10 steps to help you move
forward.
1. Schedule quiet time.
Do what you have to do each day,
but schedule at least 15 minutes of silence every day for a while.
Take a walk alone before work, stop at noon for a bit of reflection,
or meditate each evening before bed. Use the time to reflect, weep,
pray, or just sit and be aware.
2. Accept your feelings.
Don't try to push them away.
Healing begins with identifying our emotions…whatever they are.
Fear, guilt, regret, anger, or sadness…accept them as they
surface.
3. Express your feelings.
Write in a journal, pen a poem,
sketch a drawing, or write a letter to a dear friend.
4. Connect with people.
Be with family, friends, or church
groups. Share your pain, and comfort each other. Talk to a
counselor, if you wish, or a spiritual leader, but be open to the
love and comfort available to you. Know that you are not alone.
5. Create remembrances of what has been lost.
Hold a
memorial service and ask close friends to share memories in a book.
Assemble a photo scrapbook of someone lost, or a video collage of
treasured moments. Frame a special note or a shared favorite quote.
Perhaps you can find a small object (a ring, photo, or small piece
of glass?) that will help you to feel connected. Keep it close to
you and hold that love forever in your heart.
6. Pass along the love.
One way to honor a life lost is to
give others what meant so much to you…a tender touch, an
understanding smile, a shoulder to lean on, or the boost of positive
energy.
7. Contribute what you can.
Donate to an appropriate
cause, offer prayers of healing, volunteer your time, give blood, or
support your local rescue workers.
8. Be an emotional support.
Hold someone who is grieving.
Listen generously. Tell your own story of this and past recovery so
others will not feel alone.
9. Commit acts of kindness.
In your workplace leave
anonymous notes of appreciation, offer to help someone who's on a
tight deadline, or simply bring in a breakfast treat. In your
community, you might adopt a homeless pet, volunteer to deliver
meals on wheels, or rake leaves for an elderly neighbor. Show more
patience with everyone you meet.
10. Live each day in meaningful ways.
Revisit what's
important to you…and then schedule it in. Make time for birthday
parties and coffee with friends. Tell people what they mean to you.
Stop to give thanks for all that you have. Use your gifts every day.
Hug your children more…teenage or not!
And remember that we all heal in different ways and at differing
speeds. Follow your heart. Take time to feel, take care of yourself,
and take one step at a time.
| ©
Suzanne
W. Zoglio, Ph.D. , author of Create A Life That Tickles Your Soul
available from all major booksellers and Amazon.com. Reprinted
with permission. Author’s website: www.tickleyoursoul.com
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Affirmations:
creating our positive
outlook
Barry Bittman, MD
Did
you ever notice how negative some people have become?
You
really don’t have to search far and wide.
In fact, if we look close enough, it’s sometimes apparent
in ourselves. From
rumblings under our breath to outright expressions of frustration,
negative self-talk is so common that for the most part, we’re
not even aware of it.
Comments
such as “I don’t deserve to be happy” or “I’m not worth
a darn” are common knee-jerk responses to stresses and pressures
we experience. Yet,
what seems like a mere safety valve simply letting off steam, is
actually a destructive means of programming ourselves with
undesirable consequences that endure well into our future.
According
to James Allen, author of As
A Man Thinketh, “A
man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete
sum of all his thoughts. As
the plant springs from, and could not be without the seed, so
every act of a man springs from the hidden seeds of thought, and
could not have appeared without them.”
Simply
stated, action arises directly from thought.
Ultimately, our thoughts, positive and negative, become
self-fulfilling prophecies.
So,
if negative self-talk is getting you down, there is an antidote.
It’s called the “positive affirmation” and it can
improve the quality of your life.
What I’m referring to is an assertion that something
positive is true, even if you don’t initially believe it!
This
very moment you might be thinking that there isn’t one positive
thing left to say about yourself (another example of negative
self-talk). Yet,
turning your situation around may be far simpler than you’d
imagine. All you may
have to do is stop sabotaging yourself.
Consider the following example:
If
you think to yourself often enough that you’re undeserving of
happiness, you will eventually believe it.
Such action triggers an undesirable cascade, as beliefs
eventually become behaviors that determine our biology.
It’s obvious that the health consequences of such
negativity are far from favorable.
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Yet,
if we repeatedly recite the affirmation, “I deserve to be
happy,” or “I’m learning to enjoy life and savor every
moment,” such statements eventually sink in, and become
transformed into beliefs. Not
surprisingly, the biology that follows may be precisely what we
need to maintain or restore our health and well-being.
Discovering
how to develop positive affirmations is easier than you might
imagine. It begins
simply with the process of living mindfully.
There’s no complex formula or series of steps to
remember. Just take
time for yourself to live fully in the moment.
Consider
focusing on the present¾
ignoring the burdens of the past, and the uncertainties of the
future. Such action
frees us from the pressures and stresses of worrying about what
has already happened, or what might occur.
When we learn to live in the precious present, we create a
sense of fulfillment, one step at a time.
Another
way to develop positive self-talk is to open ourselves to
inspiration from others by simply reading books of positive
affirmations. They
abound in bookstores everywhere.
When we immerse ourselves in positive thoughts, wonderful
feelings live on in us, and become our biology.
Perhaps,
you’d like to begin a journal.
Remember to start each entry with a positive statement, and
take time to repeat your affirmations silently to yourself.
Learn to trust your healing voice.
Set your standards high, and realize that there are no
limits to the creative power within you. Use
your journal on a regular basis to express your deepest thoughts.
Know that the questions and answers you need are within
you. It is
well-recognized that this form of self-expression promotes
healing.
Ultimately,
the way we think determines who we are.
When we tell ourselves what we want to become, new
possibilities surface that help sculpt our destiny.
Take
time to look at yourself now, and realize that you are the sum of
all your past thoughts and beliefs. If
you wish to foretell your future, simply focus on what you are
thinking and believing today
-- Mind Over Matter!
© Barry Bittman, MD all rights reserved - To contact
Dr. Bittman, please CLICK
HERE
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