Be You!

Has it ever dawned on you that you could be living someone else’s dream? Or even worse, someone else’s nightmare?  Perhaps you woke up from a deep subconscious sleep and looked at your contacts list. You responded, “Oh my,” when you realized that it had an uncanny resemblance to another person’s who happens to be in your life.

Before you realized it, you had evaporated into thin air.  Vanished!  Poof!  You had become so enmeshed and entangled with those close to you, that you have lost your precious and vulnerable self.

Guess what?  It can happen.  And oh, it can happen so subtly with little fanfare or notice.  In an effort to be cordial, compliant, understanding or any of those wonderful traits, you can give up more than good deeds and actions.  You could end up giving up your identity.

Then, the discomfort begins. You may not know why it feels as if you are wearing a pair of hurting shoes, but it’s because they are not yours.  They don’t fit.  You have started calling their friends your friends. You have begun to frequent the places that they regularly go.

You may find yourself telling their jokes or even sounding like them when you laugh. And then, the alarm systems begin to blare. You have to admit to yourself and say, ” I gave up being me.”

You have no one to blame but yourself. Once the shock diminishes and the anger subsides, you must take back the reins and take charge. You might need to do a little inventory to remember who you are and what you really like and don’t like. Then, you must get busy as you rebuild your world.

Of course there may be a tug of war because you have unknowingly relinquished so much.  You now have to create your own list of friends and re-establish those things that bring a smile to your lips. But, you must do it with all of your might.

After you have taken responsibility for what you have allowed to happen and you are back in your own driver’s seat, you can steer straight ahead.  This time you vow to be more vigilant.

You draw two deep lines in the sand to mark off your lane and label the sign above, My Path. You keep a high watch to make sure that this never happens to you again.

And as a reminder, you decide to post some helpful quotes in visible places around your house.  Steve Jobs said, “Your time is limited; so don’t waste it living someone else’s life!”

Lynn M.                                                               February 26, 2016

 

 

Gentle Breezes

When the storms of life are raging, we should become quiet and still during those moments. The saying, easy does it has great meaning as we gently wait for the tide to change.

In the movie Forrest Grump, Lieutenant Dan was hanging onto the mast of a ship during a storm. He was ranting and raving against the gods because he had lost both of his legs during the war.  He had once been a healthy, vibrant man who was in command of many other soldiers.

But time teaches us that after we have lost emotional control over some situation, the only things achieved are a racing heart and a loss of equilibrium.  After all of the railings, the situation remains the same.

So in order to Live Through It as James Fortune sings, we must make an attitude adjustment and take things in our stride.   Our elders advised us to take things as they come because as Ray Charles once said, “It’s gon’ do what it’s gon’ do.”

It takes time to see and understand the lessons and blessings that will come out of the turbulence. There will be a silver lining, if we are gentle with ourselves and remain calm.

Rudyard Kipling said it beautifully in his poem If, when he wrote, “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you.” We will develop patience and we can better wait and trust that Spirit knows what it is doing.

Relax and let the gentle breezes of time have their way.  In the meantime, post a few prolific lines around the house which can serve as encouragers.

St. Francis de Sales wrote, “When you encounter difficulties or contradictions, do not try to break them, bend them with gentleness and time.” Invite the gentle breezes to come in and breathe!

Lynn M.                                                                                    February 20, 2016

 

Smiling Eyes!

There’s nothing more delightful than looking into a set of smiling eyes.  As the adage goes, “The eyes are the windows to the soul.”  Those happy eyes speak volumes.

When eyes are warmed with a silent approval, it is quite heart-warming.  They simply say, “I am pleased or I feel encouraged to keep on keeping on.”  We all need that from time to time.

In a world that is filled with so much struggle and strife, we can appreciate those moments of joy, however temporary.  It fills us like a tall, refreshing drink of cool water. Our thirst is quenched and we are refilled with hope in life and in each other

When working with children, it does not take a lot to see a set of beautiful, smiling eyes.  They may be garnered by merely handing out a piece of construction paper to create something.  Or their eyes smile with glee because they were given some individual time for a lesson or a pep talk

With adults, however, those smiling eyes are a bit harder to come by. They have more issues to face, so those moments of harmony can vastly brighten their outlook.  Finding some humor in the midst of a bleak situation makes it all more tolerable.   Or, eyes may graciously smile when a colleague passes a compliment and it is noted in all of the right places.

Songs have a way of saying things that lips cannot speak.  Stevie Wonder’s song Joy Inside My Tears serenades us while it speaks of the journey of the human spirit. Like rivers, songs keep us flowing right along.

Acts of kindness or small hugs of compassion can brighten anyone’s day.   The returns are rewarding.  Barbra Streisand’s rendition of Make Someone Happy serves as a great reminder to share with others.

Push play and hear these two great artists perform as a duet in People.  It takes people working together to bring on those smiling eyes!

Lynn M.                                                     February 13, 2016

 

Jogging that Memory!

Sometimes we forget what we already know.  Then, there may be something that shakes us up like a mixer and we remember.  We run across an old trusty book that has guided us before or we may locate the number of a long forgotten friend or happen to see that business card with the name of that expert who assisted us in the past.  Our response may be, “Oh yeah.”

All of these may have positively served us in the past but during the busyness of life, we have filed them away.  Yet, at the most needed time, “Voila!” They reappear to aid us in finding a solution to a current dilemma.

Our memory banks are like filing systems.  We may have tucked information way back into the recesses of our minds, but it still remains in our possession.  It is similar to a database.  We have to type the right thing into that search box before answers spew out in multiple formats.

We can compare our memory storage bins to patient grandmothers who silently sit and wait for us to return.  They know that we will need their hands of guidance one more time.  We sigh with a sense of relief and see that nothing is ever really lost.  It may be hidden from plain view, but it is still there -waiting to be retrieved, revisited and reused.

And again, like a doting grandparent, there is no scolding.  There is just a nod of the head and quiet smile that seems to say, “Everything is right where you left it.  I am happy to see that you remembered.”  We now have the tools needed for a hefty resolution because our memory has been jogged!

Lynn M.                                                                        February 8, 2016

Privacy Please!

I recently heard a special concert on the radio and the lyrics and tone of the artist touched my soul. His croon actually tugged at my heart as he appealed to his love interest in so many different ways.

 I enjoyed the music and the audience’s reaction to the performance. I searched and searched the Internet to see who this singer could possibly be.  Finally, as his songs became even more endearing, I discovered that I was listening to Ray LaMontagne.

The recording was so crisp and clear and I felt as if I was sitting there.  I could tell that it was being held in a small and quaint setting because the instruments sounded so rich. I thought that it was actually a live performance, but I later discovered that it was recorded back in 2005.  He played at a venue called Double Door on Chicago’s north side.

Once I had his name, I found his image and then I could really imagine myself sitting there swaying to his songs.  I continually read about LaMontagne’s background and read that he was one of six children who was born in New Hampshire. He now lives in Massachusetts with his wife and sons.

It also said that he rarely gives interviews.  This struck me and I truly understood.  Many artists come out when they want to or if they need to connect with the world.  That is how lyricists like Montagne can create such heart-warming pieces.

It is basically done in solitude or with a select few who are a part of the creative process.  Interviews may pose an imposition because oftentimes questions cannot be answered.  Artists cannot always explain how they do what they do.   They just do.

Those gifts must be refined and that takes time. So, huge lines of demarcation are put up and personal space is demanded.  A Privacy Please sign may be posted on that studio or office door and it should be heeded. Creativity flows in starts and spurts and too many obstructions can clog the flow.

Amelia Earhart said, “Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn’t be done.”  So, in all fairness to those who want to know how artists make their audiences or readers smile or respond the way those people did at Double Door as they listened to the Ray LaMontagne, I would say,  “Step back.  Give the artists the privacy that they need.”  Then, enjoy the spiritual ride when they are ready to share those jewels with the world!.”

Lynn M.                                                                 February 4, 2016

Sweet February!

February is filled with hearts,
Valentine’s Day gives those new starts.

Cards and candies line the store aisle,
Prompting us to make someone smile.

It’s Leap Year! Add on one more day,
To this month. Now, girls have their say.

They can propose this time around,
Reciprocal love will abound.

And groundhogs look for shadows too,
To see if spring is close in view.

February -fragrant and sweet,
Makes us all swing to the heartbeat!

 

Lynn M.
February 1, 2016