Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Sinking?

Life Can Be Overwhelming.

No matter how brave, strong, or levelheaded we are, sometimes we all become frightened, afraid, and uncertain of ourselves and our future.

Life can take us on a roller coaster ride full of highs and lows and twists and turns. Even for those of us who typically enjoy unexpected thrills and challenges, it’s frightening to suddenly find ourselves heading for a deep plunge. Yet, it happens to all of us, and on many different levels.

It is during these moments that it is imperative that we recognize the fact that we are not alone in our life's experiences. No matter how brave, strong, or levelheaded we are, sometimes, we all become afraid and feel lost, alone, and desperate.

Our fears may revolve around our physical safety, particularly if we are not feeling well, living under difficult circumstances, or doing work that exposes us to hazardous conditions. Or, we may be experiencing financial woes that are causing us to be fearful about making ends meet and living day by day, not knowing if we can continue to support our life.

We may also fear the loss of a loved one who is suffering from an illness, or we may be fearful that we might never have someone special to spend our life with.

We may be intimidated to to start at a new school or class, begin a different job or career, move to a new town or state, or approach any change in life.
Whatever our fears are, they are valid, and we need to accept them, approach them, and confront them.

However, we do not need to feel ashamed or embarrassed that we are, at times, afraid. We need to share that with those around us who love and care for us.
We are a community and a family.

It may be comforting to know that everyone becomes frightened, scared, panicked ... and in the words of a great friend -- "That's Okay".
Sometimes just acknowledging our fears is enough to make us feel better.

Now, while it sometimes takes a lot more to ease our mind, we can console ourselves with the knowledge that life can be scary at times, but it can be worse and it does get better once we allow it to.

Giving ourselves permission to be frightened, intimidated or scared allows us the opportunity to move through beyond our fears so we can let them go. It also allows us to share our fears with others, therefor sharing another story of the building block of our lives and perhaps providing mortar for a fellow life to be built with strength and courage.
Sharing our apprehensions with other people does not make us appear weak or less in strength or character. Sharing our realities and fears can make our fears less overwhelming because we are not letting them grow inside of us as pent up emotions.

Sharing our fears and realities allows us to lighten our burdens because we are not carrying our worries all by ourselves.

Remember that we are not alone.

With love, light, and a shoulder to bear your burden,

Rob

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Dropping Into Still Waters

The Ripple Effect.

I sat for a little while and stared at our pond today. The waterfalls were stopped in order that the fish could feed, and there was a clear reflection to the skies above.

Thunder rolled in the distance and soon a few drops of rain began to fall, one at a time. One by one they rippled in the pond and were quite fascinating and beautiful. However, one ripple interrupted another as the rain increased and soon no ripples could be seen independently.

I know that each drop of rain carries oxygen with it which serves the pond and her inhabitants well, but soon the reflection was gone as was the beauty of a single ripple.

In a world of over six billion people, it's easy to believe that the only way to initiate profound transformation is to take extreme action, such as the increasingly heavy rainfall. Each of us, however, carries within us the capacity to change the world, and our own lives, in small ways for better or worse.

Everything we do and think affects our own selves and our situations, both present and future, as well as the people in our lives around us. In turn, their reactions affect others and the ripple effect continues.

As the effect of a seemingly insignificant word, emotion, or reaction passes from person to person, its impact grows and can become a source of great joy, inspiration, anxiety, or pain.

Therefore, we need to be fully aware of our actions and reactions, specifically those which are negative. When we speak of doom and gloom and when we react negatively to the situations in our lives, it affects those around us and our negativity returns to us.

Our thoughts and actions are like raindrops or stones dropped into still waters, causing ripples to spread and expand as they move outward. The impact we have on the world is greater than we could ever imagine. The choices we make and the words we speak can have far-reaching consequences. far more than we can imagine.

However, we can use the ripple effect to make a positive difference and spread waves of kindness that will wash over the world as well as return to us.

Should the opportunity arise, the recipient of a good deed or thought will likely feel compelled to do a good deed for someone else or send a positive thought forward. On the opposite, someone feeling the effects of negative energy will be more likely to pass on that negative energy. One act of charity, one thoughtful deed, or even one positive expressions is likely to pass from individual to individual, snowballing until it becomes a group movement or the ray of hope that can perhaps even save someone's life.

Every transformation, just like every ripple, has a point of origin, be it a raindrop from above or a stone tossed by one of us. We must believe in the reality of each raindrop which carries oxygen as well as our ability to to toss a stone and be that point of origin if we want to use the ripples we create to spread goodness, knowing that the ripple returns to us.

When we consider the effects of our expressions and actions, and when we act with the graciousness which has been granted us as much as possible, we create a positive effect in the world which can only continue to move and affect, and this is the effect we have for our own lives and situations.

A smile directed at a stranger, a compliment given to a friend, an attitude of laughter, or a thoughtful gesture can send ripples that spread among our loved ones and associates, out into our communities, and finally throughout the world.

We have the power to touch the lives of everyone we come into contact with, including ourselves, and everyone those people come into contact with.

The momentum of our influence will grow as our ripples move onward and outward. One of those ripples could become a tidal wave of love, kindness, and change for the better.

With a stone of love dropping into your still waters,

Rob