Trials and Tribulations

Time marches on, and there's always something going on.  Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and sometimes we won't really know where it falls until much, much later.  Nonetheless, there's always something.

And today, of course, is no exception.  I received a long-awaited draft for a letter.  A draft I approved, a draft that will hopefully be sent as a finalized copy tomorrow, word for word and stamp by stamp what it is today.  And when that letter arrives at its destination, when that truth is spoken and read by its recipient...  Well, then another truth will be known.

I am already prepared for the outcome, of course.  At least, I am prepared for the immediate one.  I am certain that this will turn into a battle, and my responsibility in all of this will be to remain as steadfast and true to the truth as I can.  And by that, of course, I mean that I need to remove my emotional reactions to the fallout from my actual physical and recordable reactions.  I can write about how upset I am all I desire to write, but the truth of the matter is that the letter's recipient cannot witness any of this.

I have my support network, my friends as well as those that are being paid to assist me through this journey.  I can rely on them and vent to them and follow their judgement - because it will be calmer than mine at times and I will need to know what needs to be done.

I am strong, and I will get through this, and I will be okay.  At the end of the day, what is meant to happen will happen and justice will be served one way or another.  I simply need to keep my head up and my eyes forward and keep on keeping on through this ordeal.

I am merely standing up for myself, and I am only speaking the truth.  As long as these two statements remain true, I will be fine, come what may.

Let the arrows fly.

Truth's Arrow

Notch the arrow, let it fly
Straight and true into the sky
Fall to earth, no more to roam
Revealing truth when it hits home

Imagination Station

My imagination is my greatest asset and my biggest distraction. I can let my imagination run away from me, worrying about all the what-ifs, and get stuck in the mire of worst-case-scenario panic.
Or I can let go of worry and choose to imagine all the good in life and what wonderful things I can accomplish in my life. I can put my energy into accomplishing good things rather than worrying about things that probably won't ever happen.
"It's only my imagination" - but the things I focus on can be made real.

Quote - Imagination

Discover the power of your imagination. It is your God-given creative faculty.
~Owen Waters

Foolish Questions

by William Cole

 

Where can a man buy a cap for his knee?

Or a key for the lock of his hair?

And can his eyes be called a school?

I would think—there are pupils there!

What jewels are found in the crown of his head,

And who walks on the bridge of his nose?

Can he use, in building the roof of his mouth,

the nails on the ends of his toes?

Can the crook of his elbow be sent to jail—

If it can, well, then, what did it do?

And how does he sharpen his shoulder blades?

I'll be hanged if I know—do you?

Can he sit in the shade of the palm of his hand,

and beat time with the drum in his ear?

Can the calf of his leg eat the corn on his toe?—

There's somethin' pretty strange around here!

Tears of Laughter, Part 2

Life has a way of making you think, doesn't it?  Of taking everything you thought you believed and turning it on its side as if to show you that you can't ever figure out everything.  It's been a rough lesson to learn, for me, but a good one.

I have come to the conclusion that nothing ever lasts forever, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, either.  This world we live in is constantly changing - everything is constantly changing.  Change is one of those unstoppable forces in the world, and that's a good thing, since nothing was ever truly meant to last forever.  Besides, things would be too boring that way.

The important question to ask is not whether or not things will change, but in what direction they're changing, and whether that's a good thing, a bad thing, or just something you'll need to adjust to but otherwise doesn't really have an impact one way or the other.  The clock ticks onward, time is always changing, and the very fabric of the universe is constantly adjusting itself to keep up.

I've been learning to live in today, rather than to live in my concept of what they future needs to be based upon what the past has been.  The world changes, and I need to learn to keep my finger on the pulse of how it's changing, and be true to myself in determining what changes I need to make in my own life to adjust for these changes.  Day by day nothing is static but more a constantly fluid motion into the future, with me coming along for the ride.  It's a strong current, and while I can look upstream and remember things from the past I can't go back there again, and worrying about what's around the corner doesn't do much good for the day-to-day things (although it's always good to plan in case of waterfalls, of course).  I'm better off living in the present moment, enjoying the view as the shoreline of new memories passes by, adjusting to keep myself safe in the current time, safe in my present moment.

Planning ahead too far truly leads to disappointment.  Even if good things happen, it can be hard to recognize them as what I needed in that moment because I'm too busy being disappointed because it's not what I wanted.  Certainly, it's good to plan ahead for things, but time is fluid, and I need to keep my plans fluid to adjust appropriately, rather than clinging to rigid beliefs and then holding on to those beliefs long past the time when the universe has proven they're not going to happen, it's time to let go.  And let me tell you, I have spent way too much time clinging to beliefs that were no longer real, to the point that now looking back I can only laugh at myself and wonder, "What was I thinking?"

Letting go of expectations means that I recognize what I have that is good as good, rather than as "not what I wanted" - and I can thoroughly enjoy living in the present moment.  It's a lesson I have learned the hard way, and a lesson that I do not intend to forget.

My life is beautiful, now.  And now, I can recognize it for what it is, rather than what it isn't.  <3

Quote - Plans

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.
~ Unknown

Thoughts and Feelings

A lot of things have happened since I've been here, and a lot of things have changed about who I am and where I feel I'm going in life.

I have had a lot of courage in my life.  This past year I left an abusive relationship and I have been on a slow journey to rediscover myself, as well as to rediscover the joys in life.  I am a stronger person now than I was, and I am also a much happier person than I have been in a long time.

I am keeping this short today, but I am writing here because it has been too long since I have been here to write, and this writing is a large part of myself that I had put aside.

Don't put yourself aside, hold firm to who you are, and you can face life as it comes.  I am working towards that, and right now, I think I'm doing a pretty good job of that.

I will write more later.

Quote - Life

Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another's trouble
Courage in your own.

Adam Lindsay Gordon

Quote - Leaders

The difference between a boss and a leader: a boss says, 'Go!' -- a leader says, 'Let's go!'
~E. M. Kelly

Tears of Laughter

My life feels so perfect right now.

I know it's not perfect, there are still plenty of things I could find wrong with it... But I don't want to look, I want to hold on to this moment of perfection and wonder because I know that, as long as I hold firm, this "moment" will never end, and the feelings of perfection and wonder and awe and excitement and relaxation will last a lifetime.

There is something to be said for discovering a feeling as wonderful as this... It is not a feeling of excitement, by the dictionary definition, but it is excitement just the same. It is a sense of belonging... A firm conviction, down deep in your soul, that this is where you were meant to be, this is where you belong, you have finally discovered your place in life.

All I had to do was discover my other half...

I remember on my last trip to see my family, my sister was asking her friends if they believed there was one specific person out in the world, meant for her. I can answer her question now. The answer is "yes," and the answer to the question of how one would know when they have found the right person is simply "listen." Listen to your heart, and the answer becomes obvious.

My life is now underlined by perfect calm... The kind that comes from an underlying strength that permeates your entire life. My strength lies in the knowledge that I am in Love with the most wonderful man on the face of the planet, and he is in Love with me, we were meant for each other, and now that we have realized this our futures are intertwined in a way that cannot be undone, and does not wish to unravel. It is a feeling of perfection, and completeness, and it is both stronger and gentler than any feeling I have ever known... Sometimes it is overwhelming, and somethings it is the strength that keeps me from becoming overwhelmed with anything and everything that is thrown at me.

We do the most amazing things, and we have traveled to some distant places to look at flowers or hike or attend the theater or try a fancy restaurant... And of all the things I have done with him, the thing that I enjoy the most is sitting on the couch, eating mildly-warm pizza, and watching "Law and Order". We have spent hundreds of hours in his car driving to anything worth seeing or doing in a three hour radius, and despite our best efforts we have only finished one of his audio books on tape, not for lack of trying, but because we're unable to keep quiet long enough to listen, we just want to talk and listen the entire trip and don't remember to put the tape in until ten minutes before our arrival. The last ten minutes, of course, are spent discussing important matters like how we never seem to finish a tape, maybe next week we'll try again, and by the way, where are we going next week? Cue a whole different discussion, and the books on Compact Disk sit silent in the tape deck.

I have never felt more complete, more alive, more in love with life, and he is the reason. Wherever he goes, I want to go to. I have spent my life wondering where I belonged, and if I truly did belong, and I finally have my answer. My life has been changed beyond recognition, my existence finally has found a purpose, and my heart is happier than I ever felt possible.

Wherever he goes, that is where I belong.

Quote - Laughter

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.
~Victor Borge