Tag Archives: honesty

But to actually live it. 

Posted on by
Reply

“The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another.”

― J.M. Barrie

If life is our diary as Mr. Barrie suggests, then we can choose to fill the pages with the fictional dreams we intended to create, or, share with others a life of non-fiction we made bound by our true intention.  

My sincere apologies if this sounds like an either or proposition.  

We all live in our heads at times, wishing and dreaming for what is yet to be. Desire and commitment can be key influencers in this process.  Depicting the wanted end to a schematic that can be amended in all fashions depending on the day, the outcome of the prior or the latest attraction of distraction.  I have travelled this same road over and over. Seems to always lead me back to where I started, but now with far less time to get to where it is that  I ultimately want to be. 

Fiction broadens the view somewhat, but needs to be genuinely partnered to its non-fiction sibling.  

There has to be a path extending beyond the mind incorporating word and deed  – and others important to us – so that work can be truly engaged and progress honestly made.  That may be what Mr. Barrie is alluding to. 

We intend one thing, but come up short on the intention needed to finish the story.  As such,  the chapters never quite mesh.  Our diary becomes a run-on. 

The fiction we see is not allowed to become the non-fiction we do.  Remaining in the ether, it never assumes the mass of reality.

Though it may not be what we intended, we must somehow find our way to live with intention. 

Not just to write our story.

But to actually live it. 

Clothing need not ever be optional.

Posted on by
Reply
Daily writing prompt
Who are your favorite people to be around?
View all responses

For reasons that are still being divined, just having people around me tends to run on the low side. Very low. Qualify that aggregation with “favorite” and that quantity begins to fall away even more.

Perhaps it just took me a while to figure out this most crucial aspect of living. A long while. Like until my mid sixties. But favorites? Yes. I have mine. While I won’t offer any names at this point, I will share what makes them so.

And it brings a smile to this German puss to be able to say that number is growing. Not by any means in leaps and bounds. More like baby steps. About the same gait as my new grandson. But progress all the same. By the time he hits two, I will be swimming in fav’s.

Being encased in my stoic exterior 24/7/365 can appear scary from the exterior I am told. But those with the veneer penetrating gaze and a “who gives a flip I am trying anyways” attitude find it unintimidating to actually get me to smile. I love to engage with others in a genuinely open, and of late, more honest and vulnerable fashion. Far deeper than the weather, dad jokes or work and working out stories.

I want to share truths and deceits, affirmations and abandonments, aspirations and the abyss, lonlieness and love, fear and faith.

Because of this, a gathering of this nature tends to be very minute. But moments with them provide a magnitude of joy rarely known in these parts. That too is changing. And makes me want to be more diligent in offering a smile and as many words I can muster.

My best friend and I have a term we use to describe this kind of vulnerable openess.

We refer to this as being totally naked.

Exposing everything there is about you to another and having them return the favor by doing the same.

In these circumstances, nothing is ever questioned, judged, diminished, shamed or regarded as a flaw. It just is.

One will be speaking their truth. The other one will be truly listening. And when that time comes and the roles begin to reverse, nothing ever changes. It can all come out. It is all received.

Anyone willing to be naked with me in this fashion are by far my favorite people to be around. And always will be.

Clothing need not ever be optional.

Tradewind

Posted on by
Reply

“We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”

― Thomas S. Monson

A simple yet poignant bit of wisdom on how to navigate the currents and wind that take you through life.

During a discussion earlier this week, aspects centered on responses made when an event blows in and makes its presence known in your life. Whether it was an externally generated circumstance making itself known over time or suddently – or – one generated from within. No matter the origin, how we choose to respond makes all the difference in the world.

You see, regardless of its conception and incumbent inception into your existence, what will ultimately follow hinges on how you choose to respond.

Should it happen to be a positive occurrence, perhaps the response is to make your self “as one” with it to then follow a path of fulfillment, affirmation and growth. In situations such as those, perhaps Mr.Monson’s offering, “”For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.” applies.

But what if the event that presents itself, externally or internally, appears as a gust. Carrying with it utter calamity, the potenial for loss, harm and destruction? Perhaps not where you think you chose to be. Or worse yet, the application of poor choices, self-centered behavior and a penchant for dishonesty brought with it an ill wind.

Some time ago, a mentor fervently espoused that “adversity is never an if proposition, but always a when event.” And despite the readily negative connotations, adversity also always carrys with it the grace of opportunity. Though it may not be readily apparent, if we open ourselves and “…may we choose a positive attitude”, it will become visible.

As we moved along towards closure of the discussion, the analogy of the wind and sails was offered and with it, produced a profound and lasting resonance.

You may encounter a trade wind of sorts, beckonging you to employ a varied deployment and orientation of sails so that you may capture all of the good it brings so that you may end up where you chose to be.

Or, perhaps the contrary occurs and you find yourself colliding with a potentially self generated gale or worse. There is nothing you can do to counter that wind and force of nature other than choose to adjust and change course.

It may come to represent a pattern of gales of adversity you have had to endure, or have created, through out your life.

And therein lay the opportunity.

So choose to adjust.

Seek the tradewind.

And embrace where it takes you.