I was struggling to fall asleep for five or six nights. I knew it was due to anxiety which was caused by fear. I happened to open up a book I had on faith and found several passages I had underlined. The words were just what I needed to allay my anxiety. I kept referring to them the next few days. I started sleeping better. And not taking so long to fall asleep. It was a book I had not opened in a long time. I must have been dealing with similar issues before. It was just the right words I needed to hear. Books can be lifesavers.
Tags: anxiety, books can be lifesavers, faith, falling asleep quickly, fear, God, sleep
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, local, mental health, time |
Sometimes battles are fought in private. And courage is demonstrated behind closed doors. The battlefields are far away from others. Fears have to be faced all alone. Of course, one can share their struggles but the person’s determination tips the scales. Courage is demonstrated every day. And you have no idea what someone else is facing. Sometimes one is “locked” up in a house. They are afraid to leave their comfortable surroundings. And it took every bit of their will to go out and associate with others. Courage has many faces. And being on a battlefield and facing bullets and bombs is only one place courage is displayed. Courage appears every day often in the common person and often the struggles are fought alone so be kind to the strangers you meet. They may need every bit of your encouragement.
Tags: battles fought in private, be kind to the strangers you meet, behind closed doors, courage, courage has many faces, fear, fears faced alone, share struggles, your encouragement
Posted in life, love, mental health, relationships, time, wisdom |
I shuddered when I saw my Mom’s photograph. As far as I can tell it was a photograph taken in the cemetery when my father died. She was this grim looking woman who had a long brimmed black hat on and steadied herself with a cane. When I viewed this photograph again, she had been dead nine years. I had forgotten about her. How crazy she really was. She tried to control Dad with all her illnesses she was always complaining about. He resisted this. She was hard to get away from. When I was a child and young adult, I had no choice. I could not get away from her. Her fears and anxieties ran her life and those around her. I had forgotten her and how nuts she truly was and how incredibly controlling she was. And she was viewed sane. I saw this first hand. The photograph of her brought back all these negative feelings about her. It is a terrible thing to say: she was my Mother but part of me was glad to get rid of her. There is so much, though, you can discard. I can only escape her to a certain degree. I know part of her is in me. And I am aware I still owed her a debt. There were traits she transmitted to me I am glad to have. It took a long time to shed parts of her I wanted to. And some I never will.
Tags: anxiety, cane, cemetery, complaining, controlling woman, crazy, father, fear, fears and anxieties, illness, mother, negative feelings, photograph
Posted in children, death, knowledge&learning, life, love, marriage, mental health, relationships, time, wisdom |
Can fear and love exist at the same time? They can but not too well. One can not love freely if you are afraid. Somehow you have to settle your fears–your fear of rejection, of being close, of being transparent.
Nothing is permanent. Love is fluid. It changes from day to day. That is why commitment to one another is so important. It rides out the rough moments and if you know in back of your mind you are loved that is all you need to know.
Fear only gets in the way. Forgiveness at the end of each day is the glue that makes it work. No one said love was easy. You have to put aside your fears.
Tags: commitment so important, fear, fear gets in the way, fear of being close, fear of being transparent, fear of rejection, forgiveness, God, know you are loved, love, love is fluid, nothing is permanent, put aside your fears, rides out the rough moments
Posted in God, knowledge&learning, life, love, marriage, relationships, time, wisdom |
Often your worst fears don’t materialize. And sometimes you have to be aware you are more vulnerable when you are fatigued and feeling overwhelmed. You have to be kinder to yourself. And realize your feelings at these moments can be a deceiver. There is nothing like a solid night sleep to evaporate your worst fears that can run rampant in these moments.
You just have to be aware when your feelings are a more reliable indicator how you truly are doing. And feelings do come and go and there are many shades of them very seldom do they run to the extremes–from despair to great joy and often you are somewhere in between and that is okay.
The mountain peaks only come once in awhile so enjoy the simple pleasures that come along and treat yourself not too harshly when you err. We all do. And forgive those who do also. You do not expect yourself to be perfect so extend that same privilege to those around you. Your life will run smoother. Be happy with what you’ve got. You only get one time around.
Tags: be happy with what you've got, be kind to yourself, despair, do not expect perfection, emotions, enjoy simple pleasures, fatigue, fear, feelings can be a deceiver, feelings come and go, forgive, great joy, life, only get one time around, overwhelmed, solid night's sleep, when you err, wisdom, your feelings, your life, your worst fears
Posted in balance, beauty, death, God, health, knowledge&learning, life, mental health, nature, seasons, time, wisdom |
You must always face death with courage. None of us knows, for sure, how much time we have on this earth. Sometimes death can come suddenly and other times slowly.
You have two broad choices: You can live your life with courage or you can live your life with fear. Death is the fear of the unknown.
I choose courage. And the wisdom that can accompany it. We are all going to die one day. That is a fact. But people act as if death does not exist.
It can only make your life that much sweeter. Imagine if we knew were were going to live for eternity. How awful that would be.
Face each day that God has given you with gratitude. Then it no longer matters how much time you are here on this earth. Face each day with courage and wisdom. Death then has no power.
Tags: courage, death, death has no power, each day God has given you, eternity, face death, fear, fear of the unknown, God, gratitude, life, live with courage, live with fear, make your life sweeter, time on earth, unknown, we all die, wisdom
Posted in balance, death, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, mental health, seasons, time, wisdom |
