Do you ever have one of those super productive starts to the day? Everything's planned, packed and ready to go! It feels good to start a day like that.
Earlier this week I was excited to start my morning off well prepared (a rarity I must admit!). The night before I sat out my exercise clothes so that I could wake up, walk the dog, then go straight to the yoga class at the gym. Then I packed my work clothes so that I could do a quick change and get moving. Being a person who is not always conscientious of time, I even had certain times decided of when I needed to leave where to be on time.
When I woke up, I threw on said clothes, put my bag in the car, then went and got Wyatt for our walk.
A fourth of the way through the neighborhood, the only thing I could not control - the weather - put a glitch in my plans.
RAIN!!
Rain might sound like no big deal to you, but I was put out! This meant my clothes were soaked, and my hair would be a big messy frizz for work. I would be delayed for all my well made plans.... and I was cold. Bah hum bug!
As I was walking/dragging Wyatt around the neighborhood in a hurry, I walked past another "regular" walker in the mornings. This salt and pepper haired lady always has a smile on her face. To be honest, I was surprised to see her out in the rain, even with an umbrella. Still, her spirit seemed to be the usual peppy attitude I've become accustomed too.
Grinning widely to greet me, she offered her usual 'good morning'.
I dittoed, then said, "I don't think I would have come out if I knew it was going to rain!".
She smiled a smile that seemed to indicate that our wisdom levels were as different as our generations.
"Just run between the drops" she said with a wink as she walked by to complete her lap around the neighborhood.
Run between the drops......
Enter Liz's Imagination Land....
Suddenly all the drops were florescent colored, so they could be easily seen. I had super, matrix-like reflexes and I twisted and turned in inhuman like ways to avoid the drops. Each drop that grazed my skin was like a war wound on a video game. Attacking back I would super man jump in the air and flip in dramatic ways to not only put on show for all the bystanders who "awwed" at my powerful abilities, but to also fight against nature and show her who was boss.
Imagination land got old as the rain in real life began to pour down on my supposed to be dry head.
I deemed her advice of 'running between the drops' impossible for my mere human existence.
What's interesting, is that once I realized that such a thing was impossible, I began to loosen up. I relaxed into the rain, started to drag Wyatt less and took my time a little more. I was a little chilled, but not too bad. My hair would be frizzy, but who really cared? Being reactive to the weather is as silly as thinking someone could really run between drops of rain.
It's not possible to do a lot of things. It's not possible for everyone to like us, to never make a mistake, to be perfect or to always look and feel your best. Not possible to always win. Once we can define what is possible and what's not, then we can get on with living. Try not to be reactive to things that are thrown at you that you can not control. Rather, sat your mood at the beginning of each day and vow to not let that which is impossible for you to conquer have the power to change you.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The Little Tree that Could
Shane and I spent Labor Day ... well, laboring. Our front yard has been in desperate need of some life, ever since Georgia lost a "should have won" football game last year and Shane decided it was time to rip up all the "barely alive" bushes in our drought stricken yard. A project that needed to be done, but anger management left our yard with ... holes and dirt. So, we camped out at Lowes and began weeding, digging and planting this weekend.
A year or so ago, a friend of ours was going to throw away a potted Crepe Myrtle. He hadn't gotten around to planting the tree, and the dying leaves and roots coming out all over the pot made it clear the tree didn't have long. When we heard he was going to throw it out, Shane drove to his house to rescue the little tree from a premature death (maybe that cancels out all the plants I forgot to water over the years).
The truth was that Shane and I had no place in our yard at the time to plant the sick tree, but we couldn't kill it with out a chance. So, Shane dug a hole on our property line beside our house. We put the little guy in the ground, gave him some love and left him there to fight for life. Because it's on the side of our house that we don't frequent much, "the little tree that could" was left to it's own devices because we... well, ... forgot about it.
Over the last year, whenever we do visit that part of the unseen yard, we were so surprised and thrilled to see the tree was flourishing! It was healthy, seemingly happy, and growing BIG! This labor day, we decided it was time for the strong tree to move it's home. Now that we have more space in our front yard (let's hope Georgia doesn't lose much this season), the Crepe Myrtle had room to grow bigger in a place where all could enjoy his beauty!
After weeding, pulling up old roots, throwing out bricks and plastic bottles that were buried beneath the soil (thanks builders) and replacing the red clay with healthy soil and compost, we were ready to move the tree. Shane gingerly dug into the Earth in a wide circle around the tree. He dug deep, cutting the roots as he went. We both carried/drug the tree to it's new home and began planting it's broken roots.
"It looks sick" Shane commented.
"What do you mean?" I said without looking up from the planting.
"Look," he pointed. "The leaves are drooping already from the move."
"Oh, well, it's just gone through a trauma. It will be OK in the end."
I said this comment, really in attempts to make Shane feel better. But, the longer I looked at the tree, I became keenly aware of what a trauma it had just gone through. Having started off in a pot that was too small for his roots, the tree was moved and planted in a healthy spot. The tree grew and grew in the dirt that was big enough for his roots. Then, out of nowhere, these humans come and tear the soil and break the roots. Then drag it to a place that does not feel like home.
What the tree can't know, of course, is that we had only it's best interests in mind. We did not move the tree to be mean or hurtful. We were not trying to "teach it a lesson". There was a better spot for it to achieve it's full purpose and Shane and I moved the little life. I wish the tree could know that.
Recently, my colleagues and I were laid off from the hospital I worked for part time. We were happy there and comfortable in our planted spot. I felt like we were growing. Then all of sudden the powers that be came and chopped up our roots and left us to our own devices to find a place to replant. I was lucky that I had a hole in the world that was well fertilized, waiting for me to slide right in. It has been harder for others to find work and readjust.
Just like the tree, God plucks us from a place of comfort at times. We feel rejected, hurt, angry, confused and many more negative emotions. The danger is assuming it is "bad" just because it feels bad. When truly God intends for our move to be for good. God intends for you to be in a place to grow, flourish and have a spot to shine in His world. Just like the tree doesn't have the capability of understanding our intentions, we don't have the capability to always understand God's. Feeling the pain, allowing ourselves to not become stuck and focusing on the fact that God truly is good, will allow us to grow bigger and stronger in the place where we are planted. And sometimes we even have to chant, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" in order to keep moving.
A year or so ago, a friend of ours was going to throw away a potted Crepe Myrtle. He hadn't gotten around to planting the tree, and the dying leaves and roots coming out all over the pot made it clear the tree didn't have long. When we heard he was going to throw it out, Shane drove to his house to rescue the little tree from a premature death (maybe that cancels out all the plants I forgot to water over the years).
The truth was that Shane and I had no place in our yard at the time to plant the sick tree, but we couldn't kill it with out a chance. So, Shane dug a hole on our property line beside our house. We put the little guy in the ground, gave him some love and left him there to fight for life. Because it's on the side of our house that we don't frequent much, "the little tree that could" was left to it's own devices because we... well, ... forgot about it.
Over the last year, whenever we do visit that part of the unseen yard, we were so surprised and thrilled to see the tree was flourishing! It was healthy, seemingly happy, and growing BIG! This labor day, we decided it was time for the strong tree to move it's home. Now that we have more space in our front yard (let's hope Georgia doesn't lose much this season), the Crepe Myrtle had room to grow bigger in a place where all could enjoy his beauty!
After weeding, pulling up old roots, throwing out bricks and plastic bottles that were buried beneath the soil (thanks builders) and replacing the red clay with healthy soil and compost, we were ready to move the tree. Shane gingerly dug into the Earth in a wide circle around the tree. He dug deep, cutting the roots as he went. We both carried/drug the tree to it's new home and began planting it's broken roots.
"It looks sick" Shane commented.
"What do you mean?" I said without looking up from the planting.
"Look," he pointed. "The leaves are drooping already from the move."
"Oh, well, it's just gone through a trauma. It will be OK in the end."
I said this comment, really in attempts to make Shane feel better. But, the longer I looked at the tree, I became keenly aware of what a trauma it had just gone through. Having started off in a pot that was too small for his roots, the tree was moved and planted in a healthy spot. The tree grew and grew in the dirt that was big enough for his roots. Then, out of nowhere, these humans come and tear the soil and break the roots. Then drag it to a place that does not feel like home.
What the tree can't know, of course, is that we had only it's best interests in mind. We did not move the tree to be mean or hurtful. We were not trying to "teach it a lesson". There was a better spot for it to achieve it's full purpose and Shane and I moved the little life. I wish the tree could know that.
Recently, my colleagues and I were laid off from the hospital I worked for part time. We were happy there and comfortable in our planted spot. I felt like we were growing. Then all of sudden the powers that be came and chopped up our roots and left us to our own devices to find a place to replant. I was lucky that I had a hole in the world that was well fertilized, waiting for me to slide right in. It has been harder for others to find work and readjust.
Just like the tree, God plucks us from a place of comfort at times. We feel rejected, hurt, angry, confused and many more negative emotions. The danger is assuming it is "bad" just because it feels bad. When truly God intends for our move to be for good. God intends for you to be in a place to grow, flourish and have a spot to shine in His world. Just like the tree doesn't have the capability of understanding our intentions, we don't have the capability to always understand God's. Feeling the pain, allowing ourselves to not become stuck and focusing on the fact that God truly is good, will allow us to grow bigger and stronger in the place where we are planted. And sometimes we even have to chant, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" in order to keep moving.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
CRAP!
I have a confession:
I love walking our dog, Wyatt (this is not the confession part). It's one of my very favorite ways to spend the morning or end the day is on a walk with my furry pal.
Occasionally we will go to a park or green way to beat the monotony of the neighborhood. I love walking amongst my fellow dog lovers. Plus, I really like the cute little "pooper scooper" bags at strategically placed trashcans along the walk.
(I've always liked accessories!)
A while back Shane and I noticed that we never take our own bag out with us to clean up Wyatt's ... well, waste... on our walks in the neighborhood. No one posted the cute little signs with handy scoops in our neighborhood, so it never occurred to me to take my own! (the nerve...)
But, none the less, we committed to be better neighbors and more conscientious of our responsibility (aka: our crap!).
After the decision was made, the next step was to actually remember to grab the bag! Too many times Wyatt and I would be on the other side of the neighborhood when I would see signs that #2 was on the way (you know the "crab walk" and spinning in enough circles to make a merry-go-round dizzy) and then PLOP... I'm embarrassed to admit some of the words that escaped my mouth at these moments when I realized our crap was on display in the neighborhood with no tool to scoop it up without notice. I could feel the eyes of neighbors, that must be on the other side of the windows, casting voodoo on me and my dog!
Eventually the walks became crappy... because I felt like crap for not cleaning up the crap!
A plan was made to keep the plastic bags with the leash so we would always be prepared!
Now that I have the bag with me for every walk, I've noticed the enjoyment is coming back. When Wyatt does what is natural, there is no ill energy, only a pause to pick up the poo, and off we go to chase rabbits or smell fire hydrants. The way the walks with dogs should be!
But, something else started to happen now that I have this bag full of poop. Now, when I walk by cigarette butts,water bottles, or other liter, I have room to pick it up and add it to our crap!
Little by little I started understanding that I can't help with the crap of the world, or my neighbor's crap, unless I first take responsibility for my own crap! Then, when I focus on what I need to do, I have more room to help others!
If you are focused on other's crap, turn your attention to how you can clean up your own. You'll be amazed at how this frees you to then help others in ways you couldn't (or didn't have the tools for!) before.
I love walking our dog, Wyatt (this is not the confession part). It's one of my very favorite ways to spend the morning or end the day is on a walk with my furry pal.
Occasionally we will go to a park or green way to beat the monotony of the neighborhood. I love walking amongst my fellow dog lovers. Plus, I really like the cute little "pooper scooper" bags at strategically placed trashcans along the walk.
(I've always liked accessories!)
A while back Shane and I noticed that we never take our own bag out with us to clean up Wyatt's ... well, waste... on our walks in the neighborhood. No one posted the cute little signs with handy scoops in our neighborhood, so it never occurred to me to take my own! (the nerve...)
But, none the less, we committed to be better neighbors and more conscientious of our responsibility (aka: our crap!).
After the decision was made, the next step was to actually remember to grab the bag! Too many times Wyatt and I would be on the other side of the neighborhood when I would see signs that #2 was on the way (you know the "crab walk" and spinning in enough circles to make a merry-go-round dizzy) and then PLOP... I'm embarrassed to admit some of the words that escaped my mouth at these moments when I realized our crap was on display in the neighborhood with no tool to scoop it up without notice. I could feel the eyes of neighbors, that must be on the other side of the windows, casting voodoo on me and my dog!
Eventually the walks became crappy... because I felt like crap for not cleaning up the crap!
A plan was made to keep the plastic bags with the leash so we would always be prepared!
Now that I have the bag with me for every walk, I've noticed the enjoyment is coming back. When Wyatt does what is natural, there is no ill energy, only a pause to pick up the poo, and off we go to chase rabbits or smell fire hydrants. The way the walks with dogs should be!
But, something else started to happen now that I have this bag full of poop. Now, when I walk by cigarette butts,water bottles, or other liter, I have room to pick it up and add it to our crap!
Little by little I started understanding that I can't help with the crap of the world, or my neighbor's crap, unless I first take responsibility for my own crap! Then, when I focus on what I need to do, I have more room to help others!
If you are focused on other's crap, turn your attention to how you can clean up your own. You'll be amazed at how this frees you to then help others in ways you couldn't (or didn't have the tools for!) before.
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