FOR THOSE WHO SERVED

"When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them." ~Chinese Proverb~

 

One day is not enough to properly honor those who have stood up for our country and fought for our freedom and defended our rights. They return to us war weary, combat stricken, and forever changed by what they've experienced. Veteran's Day is our opportunity to say thank you.

     Thank you for risking your life for us, for missing your family for us, and for sacrificing your comfort and your soft bed. We appreciate your service. We appreciate your courage. And we appreciate your ongoing willingness to step up.

I honor veterans today, and express my thanks for their invaluable and indefatigable service.

INTENSITY PHASE

"You can't have a million dollar dream with a minimum wage work ethic."

~ Author Unknown~

 

I find that my life has phases of intensity, and that I am in a high-intensity phase at the moment. There's a lot going on and that needs to be kept up with and pursued. It's a building phase. And it will pass and ease-up, but I can't force the easing up until it comes. It's first things first, and right here and right now it's a full plate. Right here and right now what's needed is discipline and endurance, and the willingness to keep on with the work.

I honor my life's work and give it the time and attention it needs.

MAINTAINING CHARACTER

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Sometimes the things that make us successful are the very same things that get us in trouble. In one environment they launch us to the top, and in another, they alienate us from the ones we love.
     And since it's not advisable to be a chameleon and change our personality depending on the situation, we have to learn how to temper ourselves while still maintaining our character. We can be sensitive to the needs of others without disowning ourselves.

I can be sensitive without being a doormat. I don't have to squish myself in order to fit inside someone else's comfort zone. 

SHARING THE JOURNEY

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others."

~African Proverb~

Self-propulsion can only take us so far. We need the cooperation of others to go the full distance. We cannot operate in a vacuum or remove ourselves from the currents of life and expect to fulfill our purpose in that way. We can retreat, but we always have to return. It's in sharing the journey with others that we are ultimately made whole.

I live and grow in cooperation with others. Life is not a solo-ride, but a shared adventure.

HOLDING ON

"I am iron resisting the most enormous magnet there is."

 ~Rumi~

It's possible to carry ourselves in a state of up-tightness for days on end, and not even realize how up-tight we are. Our necks and shoulders and low backs ache. We are irritable and full of angst; holding on with everything we have, trying to keep it all together. And we are sure, that if we let go, we will completely fall apart.
     Pressure builds and builds. And maybe, when we are finally able to let go, there will be tears, or some kind of uncontrollable verbal out-burst. But what follows is worth it, because what follows is relief, and peace, and relaxation at last.

I have the courage to stop holding it all together so perfectly and just allow myself to express what I'm feeling.

LIFE TRANSITIONS

"Do not grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form."

~Rumi~

I like everything put away and in its place: ship-shape. So when things are not where they belong, I feel discombobulated and distressed. But life is full of change, so I have to find a way to be at ease with things and people turning up in unexpected places. I have to find a way to be "in-sync" with new movement patterns, and learn to trust them, and not keep looking backwards wanting things to be the way they were.

I am willing to adapt to the transitions in my life.

BEING ASSERTIVE

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak."

~Winston Churchill~

I can make my point without being a jerk about it. I can be soft-spoken and diplomatic, while still being assertive and clear. I don't have to shrink and waffle in life. I can be who I am, and feel what I feel, and decide whatever I may choose to decide.
    

I diplomatically claim the right to my particular point-of-view.