2013 Fades And 2014 Emerges

I'm not fond of New Years Resolutions

Instead I set my course towards

a) New Year Of Rest

Or
b) New Year Of Revolution

Some years I yearn for rest, for simplification, streamlining complexity

Other years I long to shake things up, seek change, growth, revolution

I'm not quite certain yet which 2014 (if I have any say) will be, lol

What I know for sure is that this new year, like every year
Will have emotions and events
Hot and Cold
Sweet and Sour

It will have challenge and happiness
Alongside success and failure

It will have a mind of its' own
(fate and nature have more pull than I do, roflmao)

 It will also have the best thing every new year brings:
365 possibilities

Happy New Year Everyone!

Starfish File #2

If you're unfamiliar but curious about my 
starfish files click here for the background story
 
In the 1940's weddings weren't always filled 

with bouquets, cakes and frills. 

Photo Credit: April Cole/Kathy Woodhouse with Digital Expressions

Times were hard,with much of the world

in turmoil. Weddings were often

simple, receptions a slice of cake and punch (no grand party).

A honeymoon trip was a nite away perhaps.

Photo Credit: April Cole/Kathy Woodhouse with Digital Expressions

But every woman thinks of her wedding day

both before ~ and after

And 'after' is where this story begins

 thanks to the wonderful kindness of

secondwind.org. 

**Sullivan's reception cake was donated by Red Head Custom Cakes.
The floral arrangements/bouquets were donated by Milam House florist.
Photo Credit: April Cole/Kathy Woodhouse with Digital Expressions

STARFISH File Entry # 1

 For most of my life I've used the legend of  'saving starfish' to be a point of navigation. A way to live, to think, to behave. A standard of choice.

The story tells of a person walking a vast stretch of  beach following an intense sea storm. Discovering the shore to be covered with hundreds and hundreds of starfish the walker begins gathering handful upon handful  and returning them to the sea.

A fellow beachcomber passing by called out "nice idea but most of them have been on the beach too long to survive. Besides you won't be able to save them all. So all things considered it's a wasted effort.

With hands overflowing with starfish the reply back was heard to be:

"You're right, I can't help every starfish even doing all I can. I also don't know which will struggle and survive and which will struggle and die. It isn't about that. What it's about is doing what I can. And whatever hope or change may come from my effort will be good for some starfish. 

And doing what I can is good for me".

There is (as we all know) no lack of terror, horror, sadness, and most frighteningly to me, selfishness to be found in the world. It fills the news, the net, the apps. I've been thinking for some time of dedicating a corner of these pages to the good, the kind, the giving, the happy, the hopeful acts of humanity. To give praise to acts of caring, of kindness..

Hence the starfish file

I'll create a folder in the near future dedicated to these posts ~ easy to locate if you need something(s) to read showing humanity and cheer. You can also find them by the tag starfish file.

And I'd be so thankful if you'd send me stories you find or stories that tell efforts of your own! to post here (with your permission). No act of kindness found online (or of yours) is too small! There's no such thing as an insignificant act of kindness or caring. I'd be so pleased and appreciative to hear from you. Join me in showing the naysayers that good is still out there (and give the rest of us 'happy reading") :-)

The Starfish Files

Entry #1

A story of two men who had nothing in common 

but both chose to improve this world.

~~~~

Leo Grand And Patrick McConlogue

You can read about The plan Patrick acted upon The choice Leo made and The outcome by clicking on each highlighted text, linked to each part of the story.

Mud Puddles And Jung

 

Jung put forward the concept that we don’t so much 

solve our challenges but rather, we outgrow them. 

Or perhaps we grow past them. Throughout our life we add capacity. We survive experiences that eventually make us stronger or at least less intimidated by the situations we encounter. We gain the ability to choose what we battle.

In my case I'd add we find we've outgrown the need to 'splash around' in certain muddy puddles. Not because we find answers but because we finally figure out that we never will find answers or change some things. A muddy puddle will never provide good drinking water.  I sense even as I type this that someone reading is thinking "but you could strain, boil, chemically treat that puddle and then you could drink it"!

True. But when all is said and done you'll still be drinking water that was a muddy puddle. After a lot of work. After struggling to alter the muddy puddle into something it was not.

I slowly have grown to understand I'm more content investing my time and effort changing direction. I'm spending more of my days searching for clear running streams.  Or a hidden pond of sparkling water. Or at least locating a clean puddle.

Choices. Every day. Every hour. At every interaction intersection. I finally fully grasp that the quality (and sanity) of my life is (at least mildly) configured by the choices I make. What do I attempt to alter and what to I choose to bypass? To release? To ignore (while muttering to myself  a bit I admit, lol -  but, hey it takes time to do it perfectly).

There is fulfillment (different from happiness - but that's another post) found by some in altering muddy puddles (and beating dead horses with sticks, metaphorically speaking).

I suppose that's the heart of Jungs' observation. Progress and happiness vary based on need, choices and growth. We can change. The likelihood of facts, situations and other people changing? not so much...

 A mud puddle 'fixer' ~ (or not)

At this point in life, which are you?