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A Simple Though Can Change The World
It's amazing how a simple phrase can change my day, my life AND my world.
But what I learned from this simple quote is that - what I am thinking is what I am creating as my reality. Allowing the negativity of the news and others is what I have been creating for me.
So no wonder I have been feeling - blah!
No I am not suggesting to make believe that the world is great & rosy. No don't make believe that nothing is going on & that the grief will disappear. What I am suggesting is that the negativity of what is going on is - optional. I don't have to choose it!
So this is what I've been pissed at: A few months age, the state of Florida removed all 'unauthorized' roadside memorials from the side of state highways. They put up warnings and when the period expired, they removed every flower, every teddy bear, every cross and decoration to be found. The only thing left was the 'authorized' generic lollipop 'drive safely' symbol that the state puts up. I was pissed & saying to myself "why would the state be so heartless?"
So I got stuck in that for about a month or two. I was mad, upset & pissed that there would not be anymore 'interesting' memorials to photograph. You've seen one lollipop - you've seen them all. What made them interesting, for me at least, was the personality that each family expressed of themselves. The choice in pieces to place. Some people put teddy bears, other put beer bottles. Anything that expressed who the person was for that family.
One family kept a different bottle of Arizona Ice Tea on a monthly rotation. Some families put plastic flowers that got replaced when faded, while others put real flowers. A new colorful bloom every week.
I waited for the news reports of pissed off families, upset that the state would do such a thing. To my surprise - nothing!
"What nobody is pissed at this!?" Then what I saw next caught me by surprise!
Driving down the highway, one of the lollipops that was stripped of its personally for months, all of a sudden had a wreath wrapped around the head. A few miles down the road a memorial that used to have a 5' long surfboard now has a small surfboard-shaped plaque and a nice,simple bouquet of flowers.
Little by little a few of the stripped memorials have their personality again. The flowers are back; the crosses showed up again and so did the teddy bears. Smaller & more subtle, maybe symbolic of the diminishing levels of grief, but they are back.
What I realized is that I am holding on to the anger of my grief. I have not moved on. I used to think that these are symbols of grief and of loss - but I am now realizing that they represent the endurance, resilience & hope of our humanity.
We will always survive, no matter the circumstances, or trials & tribulations that life throws at us - we will endure! And we will heal.
I think "I will endure" - therefore I will!
Lately the circumstance of the world is what everybody is talking about. The financial crisis is affecting millions, including me. What everybody is dwelling on is the fear of the unknown.
"I think, therefore I am"
- Rene Descartes
But what I learned from this simple quote is that - what I am thinking is what I am creating as my reality. Allowing the negativity of the news and others is what I have been creating for me.
So no wonder I have been feeling - blah!
No I am not suggesting to make believe that the world is great & rosy. No don't make believe that nothing is going on & that the grief will disappear. What I am suggesting is that the negativity of what is going on is - optional. I don't have to choose it!
So this is what I've been pissed at: A few months age, the state of Florida removed all 'unauthorized' roadside memorials from the side of state highways. They put up warnings and when the period expired, they removed every flower, every teddy bear, every cross and decoration to be found. The only thing left was the 'authorized' generic lollipop 'drive safely' symbol that the state puts up. I was pissed & saying to myself "why would the state be so heartless?"
So I got stuck in that for about a month or two. I was mad, upset & pissed that there would not be anymore 'interesting' memorials to photograph. You've seen one lollipop - you've seen them all. What made them interesting, for me at least, was the personality that each family expressed of themselves. The choice in pieces to place. Some people put teddy bears, other put beer bottles. Anything that expressed who the person was for that family.
One family kept a different bottle of Arizona Ice Tea on a monthly rotation. Some families put plastic flowers that got replaced when faded, while others put real flowers. A new colorful bloom every week.
I waited for the news reports of pissed off families, upset that the state would do such a thing. To my surprise - nothing!
"What nobody is pissed at this!?" Then what I saw next caught me by surprise!
Driving down the highway, one of the lollipops that was stripped of its personally for months, all of a sudden had a wreath wrapped around the head. A few miles down the road a memorial that used to have a 5' long surfboard now has a small surfboard-shaped plaque and a nice,simple bouquet of flowers.
Little by little a few of the stripped memorials have their personality again. The flowers are back; the crosses showed up again and so did the teddy bears. Smaller & more subtle, maybe symbolic of the diminishing levels of grief, but they are back.
What I realized is that I am holding on to the anger of my grief. I have not moved on. I used to think that these are symbols of grief and of loss - but I am now realizing that they represent the endurance, resilience & hope of our humanity.
We will always survive, no matter the circumstances, or trials & tribulations that life throws at us - we will endure! And we will heal.
I think "I will endure" - therefore I will!
Labels: Anger, descansos, forgiveness, grief, healing