Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts

Friday, December 11, 2015

TGIF Friday can sometimes be lonely on a dark snow covered road

I love Fridays, and actually, I get to experience

one again tomorrow. You see, I've been working

shift work for the first time in my life, going on

two years .......








One who works any 7 day of the week and any 

morning, afternoon or evening or a combination

of any of them all. There is nothing more

wholesome and rewarding as Friday.









A tradition we start in our teens, move into our

dating years, into our children's lives and all 

back again. Most important, in all of those 

memories are the friends we hold dear. 








Yes, I mean you. One who thinks to reach out

every single day. Perhaps for some that is their

brightness for their day. You bring that to

people, the world, and so much more. If you

don't. You should.







I drove along the lonely road

exhaust falling behind as hazy residue



The snow covering winter's total darkness

from light

The city behind with failing from sight



I had a talk with myself in my mind asking: 

are you living the life you designed?



Well, no, my honest voice spoke

Not out loud, for others to vote



It shows in your face when looking down

A slight crease, warding off forming a frown










The music in the background drowned out by the

whop whop whop of the wipers



You realize you've been gripping the wheel so

tightly as though fleeing vipers



Suddenly your grip loosens up ad your chin rises

Your eyes open wider in rejoicements to see



you've arrived at you journey's end without

hitting a tree








The radio's music tempo on the radio reacts

with an upbeat change -even if it is only

snow within eye's range.




You wanted to drive to dispell the worry and conquer the fear

To master the feelings that linger near



So take a drive in sleet and rain

Out of the city lights to clear your brain



Not realizing it as the symbol it was

Daily we face limitations clouded in fuzz










The gift that you strive forward to is 

a new appreciation of facing your fears



Like the miles on the snow ridden highway 

with music's melodic soothing

To hip hop lyrics, guitar strings beats it brings.



Startling us back to the light we should focus on

Appreciate life even on abandoned roads



Forget about work, life's worries, those fears

Instead, reflect upon nice acts of kindness





There is always someone not waiting, nor hoping

for a kind hand to reach out



That may be who you needed to remember as,

for and being about.








 

Your gift is wrapped, even with a bow,

Who it is waiting for, may never know


 
While the whole world may wonder

how you found the calmness you glow




It is for you, about you, the forgiving you,

the worries bursting with warm memories




How odd that it is. All day long, every day, we

see those we know, meet and care about 










Not ones we end up staking our lives, intentions

clouded by being part of a crew.


Forgetting to realize how important we are too.

Wanting to be close to that important crew




It is with caring and optimism that allows gratitude to renew








Written by Jeannette Marshall













Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Lest we forget .... or NOT

Happy Remembrance Day to my fellow Canadians and anyone else who takes the time today to honor the bravery of all soldiers who fight for freedom and peace.



My father passed away 5 years ago and up to his last breath, was proud of who he represented, after 35 years with the Canadian Armed Forces. In our home, we were unable to forget.


Lt.-Col. John McCrae, author of the famous poem 'In Flanders Fields,' wrote the iconic work after the death of a friend during the second battle of Ypres in the spring of 1915. (National Archives of Canada/Canadian Press) SOURCE CBC Canada 

This year marks the 100th Anniversary of one of the most well known poems "In Flanders Field" by Lt-Col John McCrae.  



The poem is a poignant reminder to us.  If not for the bravery of many men and women, our lives would not be the same today.  It reminds us that those people were brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, and grandparents who gave up their lives for others.


We lived, felt dawn, saw sunsets glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
in Flanders Field.

In peacetime, we can all assume that the life of our military personnel are laid back, living day to day in simplicity and beyond the toils of having a corporate or artistic path.  Yet, those who are given glimpses, with guarded privacy and confidential, there were and are still many who are sent on missions or tasks to uphold our freedom.  They are not heralded as heroes and are obscure from the media eye that they too have done much to keep the evils of war at bay.  Our safety taken for granted.




These same men and women should also be honored because they are behind the scenes to keep us safe daily.  A day like Remembrance Day should also celebrate those who are never credited for what they encounter, what they do, in order to keep our lives safe and carefree.  


As the daughter of my father, I know he went away for days, weeks or even months on assignment.  It was the way of life, without questioning why.  Unlike those who drive into an office, maybe work late, and come home at the end of their day, our military is often tasked with going away to do exercises, safety missions and peacekeeping.  Some don't come home.  They are a statistic and number who don't come home.   Only the family and loved ones left to grieve.  While politicians, media may have a glimpse of their bravery, they often go unheralded for what they continue to represent.

I am not minimizing the cause or bravery that stemmed the poignant poem of "Flanders Field".  I just want to acknowledge and pay tribute that there are far more unofficial acts of bravery that go unnoticed, while we contently live our lives in the arrogance of safety.  Sometimes, there is a mention by name, but more often grouped in a category that doesn't distinguish them from what they contribute, or the sacrifices their families encounter.  



My skin crawls and the back of my hair stands up whenever someone wants to call me an "Army Brat".  I find it distasteful and disrespectful to what my father had done.  In his twilight years, he wanted to exorcise his memories and told us more stories of his life than we could possibly have known.  The burden my mother had, raising four kids, primarily alone.  My father's return quiet, unassuming and without fanfare.  It was a way of life.  Not anything I would have given up.  I owe it to my father, to celebrate his contribution to our peaceful world.



I love you dad.  I still miss you.  You have not been forgotten.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Best lessons you've never heard as quotes

Emma Stone
























"Whatever you may look like,
marry a man your own age
~ as your beauty fades,

so will his eyesight."

~Phyllis Diller


Angelie Jollie
















"You may be gorgeous
at thirty, charming at forty,
and irresistible for the rest
of your life."

~ Coco Chanel





Heidi Klum as Jessica Rabbit, Halloween 2015


"I'm not bad.
I'm just drawn 
that way."

~Jessica Rabbit



Jennifer Aniston


"When you think you're not
happy with your life,
always think that 
someone is happy simply 
because you exist."

~Lei Lockhear





Demi Moore, 2015




"I prefer to be a
beautiful woman
of my age than
try desperately
to look 30."

~Demi Moore


Joan Crawford

"I never go outside unless
I look like Joan Crawford
the movie star. If you want
to see the girl next door,
go next door."

~Joan Crawford


Taylor Swift

"If you're trying too hard
to be the girl next door,
you're not going to be."

~Taylor Swift





Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Check your ego at the door


"Show me someone without an ego, and I'll show you a loser."                                                                                       ~Donald Trump

Oh go blow it out your ear Donald Trump!  My gosh, soon we'll be looking up "ego" in the dictionary and it will show it is synonymous with Donald Trump.   But ... you gotta admit, it works for him.

We can all think of people in our daily lives who should scale back on their ego and show some humility for a change.  However, we tend to admire those same people, forgiving their confidence. What really is the difference between the two?




We talk about balance.  We idolize Ghandi, Mother Theresa, and the Dalai Lama.  I'm happy for that. For while we admire the courage and tenacity of many of our fellowship we tend to tune out their egotisti-cal rants don't we?  Wouldn't we rather be considered to be more like Ghandi or Mother Theresa, giving of ourselves, wisdom and insights to benefit all of humanity?

Social media or internet is certainly not the place where humility resides.  Take a spin through Twitter or Facebook or even a blog and you will read "me or I" far more times than "we or us".


What a complicated world we live in today.  We admire those with the biggest egos, considering it as strength and we take pity on those who fade in the background, overtaken by the mighty.





If anything, take a chapter from our lives and rewrite it.  We can work on our humility and be more caring of others.  That would bring us to the closest thing to true happiness than anything.

We think the world expects us to be strong, confident, self-assured then it throws curveballs at us that make us want to shrivel up and hide.  Why is it that the nicest people are not who come to mind whenever we think of heroes or idols?


Living a life surrounded by those others' egos will only make us feel more disappointed in ourselves.   You must realize that you have the ability to make a change.  You can tune out those people, avoid hanging out with them, avoid listening to their music, their talks, their preaching.
 




Many people have religion to find their inner peace.  Then they go on about their lives listening or hanging out with those pillars we admire.  Break that habit and you will slow down that turmoil that churns within.  You are perfectly fine in who you are.  You are nice, people like you, and you are always reaching out a hand.  It is the ego that asks you why don't people appreciate that quality or acknowledge how meaningful you are.

We take nice people for granted and we look up to those who are always reminding us how great they are.  We are shocked when we find out someone we admire was really warped or severely depressed.  How can we not have known?  It's quite simple.  We're wired to listen to people talk about themselves, their achievements, their money, their power, their glory.  

We avoid those that don't make us feel good about ourselves.  Or, at least we should.  We may, in principle, even take solid steps in doing things and being around people who make us feel good about ourselves.  Those are the people that don't make us feel like we've fallen short, or that we should feel honored by their attention. 


The egotistical don't give us friendship. Heck, we are their fan club.  We bolster their image with our devotion, asking little in return.  Our faces turn upwards and they sense the admiration.  We are to blame for fueling that image.

How can we combat the need to have idols or those to worship?  Knowledge.  If we feed our brains with good nutrition, we will have little thoughts that can strike us down.

So what if you're not tall, or handsome, slim or good in sports.  Everyone and I mean E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E has something that they are good at.  Swipe aside those meaningless people or time wasters that deteriorate confidence, and promise yourself to find your true passion. 



“If you are humble
nothing will touch you,
neither praise nor disgrace
because you know
what you are
~Mother Teresa


Silence those thoughts that jump out to alert you to life's shortcomings and instead fill yourself with views more meaningful. 

Some of the most desperate, depressed geniuses in our time were mere humans who expressed themselves creatively. Think about Ernest Hemingway.  He had a profound impact on literature and jump to knowing he was manic depressive.  How many know that one of his first jobs was an ambulance driver in the first world war?  He left behind his legacy of writing that most likely evolved from his many disappointments of 4 marriages.  It was from multiple plane crashes in Africa, he sustained chronic pain for the rest of his life.

What about Van Gogh?
There are a few things you probably didn't know about Vincent Van Gogh.  He was a serious, silent and thoughtful child.  At one time, he worked as an unpaid supply teacher in a small boarding school.  He wasn't so lucky in relationships.  In fact, he had a domestic arrangement with an alcoholic prostitute. He had a difficult relationship with his religious father and didn't quite measure up to his expectations. Van Gogh was also ill from drink and suffered a smoker's cough. The events that led him to slice off his ear are legend and the stories many.  Sadly, after years of anxiety and frequent bouts of mental illness, he died aged 37 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Wowzers eh?  Here we have a couple of the greatest creative geniuses and we find out that they had  miserable lives.  Sound familiar? 




You don't have to be down in the dumps before real gifts can emerge.  By contrast, we don't have to look far to read or see some reference to Steve Jobs, considered one of our generations, and perhaps history will agree, gift visionaries.  By all accounts, he had a normal, solid upbringing with two loving parents who encouraged his intelligence.   Jobs was no saint by any means.  This is the same man who stole the computer mouse idea from Xerox.  He was as well known by his body odor as he was by his temper.  How many founders can say that they were fired from their own companies they created?  Maybe it was  bad karma for stealing the most of the spotlight from Apple Computer and his co-founder Steve Wozniak 

These examples are written to emphasize that no matter how great someone seems, they may be masters at something, but often less so in their personal lives.  


I don't want to leave the impression that in order to be great, you have to have a little bit of craziness.  What I want to emphasize is that those heroes were mere mortals, with demons and shortcomings.  You are ahead of the game.




Tree Blowing In The Wind by Janell R Colburn

Promise yourself to let go of what is past, as though floating behind the winds of change.  Carve out what matters to you and seek to study it and define your own niche.  

The beauty of this world, is that you can basically grasp so many opportunities.  Take the word "but" out of your vocabulary and don't replace it with "however" either (like me).  Be equally careful with "yet" "nonetheless" or "still".  They are show stoppers.  They are your signal that you are going to say or think something negative.


Get a "Dream Journal". 

Cut and paste the best quotes, inspirations that resonate with you and tack them in there.  Create only one rule:  you only write or keep things that are positive.  Focus on the good and write it down.  You don't have to tell anyone about it.  You don't want to turn it into a brag book either.  We're not talking about a closet ego.  Just finding peace in the now, looking for the things that make you excited by the endless possibilities.  

Doodle, color, or sketch in it if that floats your boat.  This is not a place where ego resides.  You cannot keep regrets, dwell on bitterness, or whine about what could have been -- remember those things floated away in the past by winds of change.


One step at a time, one day at a time.  You have just decided that Ernest can keep his legacy, Van Gogh can stay in museums.  Because you are going to be somebody you decide you want and will be.





e·go·tis·ti·cal
ˌēɡəˈtistək(ə)l/
adjective
  1. excessively conceited or absorbed in oneself; self-centered.
    "he's selfish, egotistical, and arrogant"
    synonyms:self-centeredselfishegocentric, egomaniacal,self-interestedself-seeking, self-absorbed,narcissisticvainconceited, self-important;
    "His/her egotistic lifestyle has alienated many people over the years"