by Miriam | Jul 21, 2014 | Uncategorized
I have a friend who trains horses and he often refers to "Try" – he wants a horse that will make an attempt for him. It doesn't matter that they are successful or that they do it well, just that they show some small effort. Over time, that honest activity will become success.
Over the weekend, I introduced someone I love to the notion of trying something new. She was visiting and I requested she bring her viola to "jam" with. Now, generally, "jam" is not the word that comes to mind with a stringed instrument! I asked my daughter to put on some popular music that we all knew and then we just messed around. What my "extra daughter" did not know was that she could intuitively pick out the key and harmony from any song. I knew she could do it, yet she had never attempted this before. My son joined us, so we now had a bass voice, a soprano, a viola, a cello, and the original artists, blasting. I gotta say, we sounded awesome.
It's pretty amazing to create magic you didn't know was within you.
Furthermore, it is intoxicating to know someone has a gift and then to help them express it.
This is what we bring to one another: our magic, and our bringing forth.
Do both of these consistently, and you will love your life.
by Miriam | Jul 20, 2014 | Uncategorized
I was listening to a podcast that was describingthe voice in your head that tells you that you are an impostor … And I realized I hear that voice often.
There are people who would call that voice "The Resistance"
Others would say it originates in your "Lizard Brain" – the part of you that is primitive.
Still others would say it is the voice of "The Enemy" – Someone Evil, set against you.
Regardless of where this Voice originates, it must be fought, and contradicted.
"I am not a fraud, I am human.
Fallible, yet striving to be authentic.
I am each day, yielded to a Good God, more me than the day preceding.
by Miriam | Jul 19, 2014 | Uncategorized
Last night we watched the Prince of Egypt out on the lawn. Every summer we do an animated movie outside – its like Throw-back Thursday, only instead of a photo, it is a movie.
It was interesting to hear the comments from the now-adult-children. One remarked how sad it was that the relationship between Ramses and Moses was so close and then became utterly broken. Another talked about how the songs tore into your soul.
Part of growing older is understanding about people's sorrow. It is absolutely heartbreaking. Yes, the wonders of Ancient Egypt were magnificent, but they were built at what cost? Absolutely the freedom of the Hebrew people was miraculous, but how many paid with their lives for that?
Beauty, Art, Freedom and even Perspective – all of these are precious. And each is expensive.
We honor individuals and history to recognize and remember this.
by Miriam | Jul 18, 2014 | Uncategorized
Last night was the anniversary of the town we live in and they chose to commemorate this with a fireworks show. It was quite good, given that our city is not that big and doesn't command a large budget. At the end, post-finale, they did one last, lone firework – it was a happy face.
We all clapped with delight. Mr. Smiley made us smile. It was a classy way to end – by doing something unforeseen.
When you go beyond the expectation, or outside of the normal bell-curve, people notice.
And if you do it right, they remember.
by Miriam | Jul 17, 2014 | Uncategorized
I have always had vision issues – I think when I was in the 3rd or 4th grade, I first owned glasses for the classroom and for movies. By the time I was married, I needed correction all the time, and I purchased contacts. With each pregnancy, my vision worsened, until currently, I have 20 / 200 vision, corrected to 20 / 20 with contacts.
Something was irritating my right eye yesterday to the point of distraction / crazed-ness … and in a fit of desperation, I took out my contact lens whilst driving. I was commenting to my daughter, "If I close my right eye, I can see perfectly. If I close my left eye … I can't read anything and there are no windows on any of the houses and everything on the horizon blurs together …" Meanwhile she is yelling, "Open your eye, Mom, I don't wanna die!"
We were headed to the airport (a 100 mile drive) and it took about 30 miles for the irritation in my eye to calm down. During those miles, I kept testing out the non-corrected eye, comparing it to the one with the contact lens. I couldn't help it. I was fascinated with how terrible my vision was and also how my brain tried to reconcile the two images it was receiving.
Each of us has whole areas of blindness – things we aren't aware of. Things we minimize and think aren't that bad. Things we try to offset. But it doesn't change the fact that they are there and we are, in fact, broken in this particular realm.
The key to working with your shortcomings is a) admitting that your vision is less than perfect, and b) arranging for some sort of compensation for that deficiency. If you know you are impulsive with money, make a rule that you never buy anything without waiting 24 hours first, or inviting the opinion of someone you trust. If you suck at fashion, make sure you have a couple people who you can bounce your wardrobe off of.
We all are short-sighted in some area. No one has a 20 / 20 life. But some of us somehow think that the way we see things IS 20 / 20 and we are unwilling to even try on another lens to see if somehow that will improve something.
I gotta say, there is no glory in blurry.
by Miriam | Jul 16, 2014 | Uncategorized
I subscribe to several blogs … One of them today used
WAY TOO MANY WORDS.
If I had read the entry carefully, I think what the guy had to say probably was good. But I got three sentences in and it all felt like blah, blah, blah, because I'd had a long day. And so I skimmed to the one bold sentence:
They learned long ago that there is a big difference between talking about changing your life and actually doing it.
Which, honestly, is a good thought. I just don't think he needed three screens to say it.
The other day, I was working with a married couple in counseling and asked the husband to communicate his sorrow to his wife for hurting her feelings. Before he even started, I interrupted him, because he was ramping up with three paragraphs of why he did it, why he was so lame, why he was so sorry, etc. And she was gearing up to zone out, because he tends to ramble, ramble, ramble.
I directed: "ONE sentence, using a feeling word."
"I know I hurt your feelings and that makes me sad."
BRAVO.
She heard him because he was clear.
Let your words be distilled and few.
Everyone will thank you.
