"But for me the earth is new today and the sky is raining sunshine"~ Ralph Waldo Emerson. This is one of my favorite quotes and has been for years. I see it as a doorway to start over, to walk away from my faults and failures of the previous days and let the sun shine on my potentials. Many times I have heard the phrase, "at the end of the day..." I understand how that is meant but I cannot expect to tally up my successes at the end of the day if I have started my days carrying the broken and beaten down baggage of the previous. At the end of the day I can lay my head down and rest because at the beginning of the day I stepped through a new door with strength to take on brand new challenges with ambition and determination.
"You're playing and you think everything is going fine. Then one thing goes wrong. And then another. And another. You try to fight back, but the harder you fight, the deeper you sink. Until you can't move... you can't breathe... because you're in over your head. Like quicksand." ~Shane Falco (The Replacements). Concerning fears, the question was "what scares you?" I think the question is nearly as important as the answer. We have to know we have fears. I have fears that I don't even like to admit to myself. I certainly don't want to admit them to you. Nonetheless, I have to deal with them, come to terms with them or let them conquer my tomorrows by paralyzing my wiliness to find a way. I acknowledge my fears and look every day for a new way to move beyond the limitations that fear puts in my sunshine.
"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."~E.E.Cummings It takes a lot of courage to figure out who you really are sometimes. Some days I look in the mirror and think about what defines me; what the mirror cannot reflect; what the smiles and jovial laughter can disguise. Quite honestly I wonder if I will ever grow up but that’s okay. Of all the ambitions I have to build on the one that stands taller and stronger is my drive to be real. This is it; it's the real me, faults and all of my fears, shortcomings, failures, skeletons, scars, and dreams. One thing I learned in 45+ years on this globe is that I can’t be you or what you want me to be; it’s hard enough just being me.
"He’s one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith, Spread your arms and hold your breath and always trust your cape."~ Guy Clark (The Cape) I like this for many reasons. Guy Clark is an awesome songwriter. I know that no one read this quote and envisioned a 45 year old woman jumping off of the garage. While that would be fun to see, once, I know that we all saw a child, at least a childlike faith, on the garage with a beach towel for a cape wrapped around his neck, the sun shining on his face and his chin raised with high with invincible pride. That is who I want to be everyday against every challenge; when the odds are against me and when my fears tug at my ambitions and the obstacles are piled high. When doubt hangs like smog over my confidence Guy Clark reminds me to trust my cape.
And last, I treasure the words of poet and activist, Muriel Rukeyser. Please don't Google the poem from which I extracted this quote. You will be disheartened by the harshness of her words. "The universe is made of stories, not of atoms." What describes you? I took a quiz online where I answer nine simple questions about myself and through the use of witchcraft or voodoo it determined the perfect one word to describe me, charismatic. I like it! I think I want to be charismatic but I can't be charismatic 24/7. While my friends sorrow or grieve I need to be a comforter. Charismatic will not replace kindness when I need to lend a hand at a homeless shelter. I need more than one word.
What if the one word that described you was the name of the street you live on? I would live at 101 Charismatic Lane. That isn't far down the street; does the number speak to the quality or quantity of my charisma? Who else lives on this street and do we have any community unity? Probably the most important piece of information about 101 Charismatic Lane is how you get there. Drag out the GPS and I shall tell you. "turn right on Tragedy Circle in 1.2 miles"; or maybe, "merge right on to Disappointment Trace." Curving and winding past missed turns and toll roads, over speed bumps, dodging pot holes, enduring construction zones in foul weather, that's how I got here. That's my story. That's what makes me who I am.
I hope you have enjoyed these quotes and thoughts. Leave me a comment or visit my website www.thatguyilivewith.com
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