Reflections
I could have done better.
Yep.
Every time.
No matter now
impactful,
insightful,
engaging,
smooth,
powerful,
or
perfect,
every
project,
presentation,
interaction,
could have been better.
But you don’t know that until afterward.
So don’t let it stop you beforehand.
Bask in the beauty of what you created.
Get comfortable with saying,
“I could have done better.”
and work to do so,
Every. Single. Day.
Three scary words:
You fix it.
Four more scary words:
You have the power.
Add them together
and
you have a perfect storm:
You have the power. You fix it.
You can let these seven words
intimidate
or
motivate.
Your choice.
You have the power. You fix it.
If you can fall back
and
spring forward
once a year,
you have the power
to create a life
full of
wonder
and
joy
with those you hold dear.
We convince ourselves
change is so hard
but look at the time
and take your cue.
Just start shifting
one small thing
and soon your
life’s clock is on a new setting.
(The time changes,
will you?)
One night, I imagined
I had the power to hear other’s thoughts.
Before I began listening, I wondered what I would hear.
Would I discover amazing secrets,
becoming privy to all they held dear?
Would I be let in on how “the other half” lives,
discovering joys and wonder I’ve never known?
I turned on my new power
and listened intently.
After a while, I thought,
this power doesn’t work,
all I hear are the same things I say to myself:
I’m not good enough.
I’ll never amount to much.
If I just had (a new car, someone to love me,
more money,) then I’d be happy.
If I just worked harder...
I don’t belong.
No one would understand even if I told them.
I was so confused.
I listened in on
men and women of every color and creed,
people who were “successful”
and
those in desperate need.
No matter what their outer circumstance,
the inner conversation was much the same,
people judging themselves so harshly
and feeling much shame.
I realized while we may be different in our outward presentation,
our inner dialogue unites us in feeling separation.
When I awoke, I resolved,
no longer would I engage in this mass delusion,
I would speak bravely of my struggles
to bring truth to our inner confusion.
No more would I let anyone else
believe they were the only ones
who talked like this to themselves.
Curiosity,
someone said,
killed the cat.
For the human,
curiosity is what keeps us
fully alive,
vibrant,
and engaged.
It’s when we stop
wondering why
and throw our hands up
in resignation
that we begin to give in
to our life’s degradation.
So if you’re
stuck,
angry,
or confused,
get curious,
ask questions,
begin to wonder
and you’ll soon find
yourself more enthused.
It’s not the actions,
the tactics,
the strategies
that are hard to find.
If you’re not sure what to do
just type a question into Google,
it will have an answer for you.
You’ll find everything from
How to train for your first marathon
to
How to become a better human.
But just try typing in
“Why do I want to train for a marathon?”
(Keyword “I”)
and see what you get.
Only you know the reasons
for pursuing it.
It’s the energy,
the momentum,
the reason why
which is difficult to define.
So when working on your life project
the first question to ask is “Why?”
because when you discover
the deep reason for your pursuit,
there’s little to stop you from learning
to fly.
Their names might have been
Rosie,
Ida,
Mary,
or
Claire.
We don’t know because history
looked over,
forgot to care.
She might have been
Shelly,
Charlotte,
Margaret,
or
Marsha.
Forgotten because they weren’t
men
with titles
and power.
Yet, If one takes a moment to reflect,
it has been the women
in our lives,
in our world,
in our wars,
in our businesses,
in our churches,
hidden behind closed doors
who have held everything together
and showed us what
determination,
sacrifice,
integrity,
and service
are for.
Their voices have been too long
and are still often muted,
so we must do everything we can
to be sure they are more than included.
And even though we are doing better
at showing our thanks,
of highlighting the women in our world
and giving them their overdue recognition,
on this International Women’s Day,
I urge you to
stop,
reflect
and
encourage the women in your life
to keep on fighting.
Someday, maybe we won’t have to remember
that there are ones we have forgotten.
Experts tell us we live
in the 80/20 rule.
Twenty percent of what we do
gets 80 percent of the results.
According to this theory
80 percent of what we do is a waste.
Thinking this way makes me more anxious.
I worry, “Am I doing the right thing right now
to get the right result?”
Not helpful.
I rather think it’s the wasted 80 percent
which makes the 20 percent possible.
Time spent breathing,
telling people, “I love you.”
enjoying laughter around the family table,
looking up at the clouds or stars,
savoring a coffee’s warmth,
looking into a newborn’s eyes.
So the experts can analyze,
but I’m not giving up the
wasted 80 percent.
Who do you talk to about matters of the heart and soul?
Do you whisper in the dark hoping someone might hear?
Do you say just a little
to a friend, a lover,
someone who is near,
but hold back so as not to trouble them
with situations unclear?
You hire people to help you
with your appliances,
your cleaning,
your car, and home’s heat,
but what about the things
that make your heart skip a beat?
When will you find someone who will sit
to listen and care and not throw a fit?
For matters of the heart and soul
when understood,
are what give life much joy
and make all things good.
“Get with the program!” I heard him yell.
“What program is that?” I rebelled.
“The one I devise
and
it may change,
depending upon how I’m feeling,
how I want things arranged.
You see I always want to feel
special,
separate,
my own.
And I’m willing to jerk you around,
just to make it known.
So one day the program
will be building you up,
making you feel you are more than enough.
And next could be tearing you down,
reviewing your actions
so you feel like a clown.
As long as you follow my program,
you’ll never be sure
whether you’re making progress
or just spinning your wheels.”
“When did I sign up for this?” I inquired.
“When you began listening to
your ego.”
