In Those Times

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200 words, anger, caring, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, Fear, goodness, greater good, hatred, hope, humility, integrity, kindness, Life's like that, love, making a difference, peace, Purpose, Relationships, Truth, vulnerability, world issues

Remember:
Kindness is for all times in all situations – not just when it suits you.

-Audray Landrum

Those times in life when it seems that evil continually prevails, when greedy people keep getting, and vulnerable people keep losing.

Those times when those who don’t follow the rules keep winning, when those who prey on weaknesses are exulted, when those who feel entitled are granted whatever they wish, and those whose genuine efforts and unselfish motives are overlooked time after time.

Those times when I can’t bear to watch anymore, when my anger overtakes me, when for just once, for just one God damned time, my utter hatred of their actions, my complete disdain of them, my raging judgment of them makes me want to squash them, to shine a light on their selfishness, expose their nakedness to every single person, and humiliate them in front of the world.

In those times, although it’s excruciatingly difficult, I must dig deep inside of myself with humility, recognize those same tendencies in me and acknowledge my own shortcomings. I must search for the good in them, reach out with love and kindness and pray it makes a difference.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

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What If When A Storm Comes In…

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I promise you,

these storms are

only trying to

wash you clean.

 – Jessica Katoff

Wow – this quote really lifted my spirit when I read it the other day! The idea that suffering does not have to be in vain is oddly comforting and hopeful. In the same way that the pains of childbirth lead to new life, the challenges we face in daily living are ultimately meant for our good.

What if it’s true?

What if those rough spots in life; like losing someone we love, illness, defeat and change are meant to wash us clean, meant to remove the layers of useless garbage that we haul around day after day?

What if when a storm comes in, we can choose to slow our breathing, to calm ourselves, to yes – acknowledge and feel the moment, but then soothe our frightened selves with the understanding that we can get through it by (for lack of better words) getting out of our head, RISING above our situation, SEEING the bigger picture, BELIEVING in our ability to get through it, no matter the outcome, and TAKING that first step into the storm KNOWING we will be washed clean?

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

What Do You See?

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When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves. – William Arthur Ward

In my professional life, one of my responsibilities is to proof written materials. In this role, I look for mistakes and fix what is wrong. In other words, I see what I’m looking for.

That’s my job.

But I try to be mindful about not looking for mistakes in other areas of my life.

When it comes to people, I work hard to look for what is right and good.

I am moved by their passions.

I spot the traits that I aspire to, and try to incorporate them.

I focus on their strengths and value the gifts they bring to the table.

And find joy in encouraging them to use their gifts.

There’s nothing more beautiful than watching someone shine in their natural abilities.

Bringing out the best in someone else brings you joy.

And it’s possible to do, even with people you may not particularly like!

It’s rather amazing how looking for the best in others can bring out the very best in you.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

What do you see? What are you looking for?

I think an angel lives across the street…

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Something very beautiful happens across the street. And it’s been happening for quite some time, long enough so that I can’t pinpoint exactly when it started.

I don’t often see them go into the apartment complex across the street.

I’ve only seen two or three enter the building over the years.

They looked as if they’d lost all hope. Their bodies bent by some unseen weight on their shoulders.

As if every drop of strength had been beaten out of them.

Dirty

unkempt

under the influence

seemingly at the end of their rope.

No, I haven’t seen many go in, but I have seen them come out.

Usually between 8:00 and 9:00AM. Sometimes just one, other times they exit in groups of two or more. Always groomed. Clean clothes. A travel coffee mug in hand. And on their backs, a backpack that I imagine is filled with their meager belongings and maybe a snack for the road. Their bodies still bent, yet maybe a little less so.

I think an angel lives across the street.

A kind soul who takes pity on those who live on the fringes of society. A loving human being who gives them shelter at night. An angel of mercy who washes their clothes and lets them have a shower. A compassionate man or woman who may even feed them breakfast before they head out for the day to face the harsh reality of their lives on the street.

The actions of this angel do not end homelessness in this cold Canadian city. These actions do not provide a permanent solution to homelessness. But to each individual person who is touched by this angel, these actions must mean the whole world.

I don’t really know what happens across the street. But I believe I am witness to something quite extraordinary. The truth is, I don’t think knowing more is even necessary.

Something tells me the benefactor across the street is not doing it for recognition or praise. That shining a light too intensely on his or her kindness would somehow ruin these beautiful acts.

I think an angel lives across the street…and that’s enough for me.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

I have marveled and wondered a lot about the activities across the street over the years. Does your neighbourhood have an angel? Can you think of a time when you witnessed an act of compassion and kindness that touched you deeply?

Being Good

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Waste no time debating what a good man should be. Be one ~ Marcus Aurelius

How do you ‘be good’?

Have you ever been caught up in a conversation about what it means to be a good person?

Or found yourself going back and forth in a thought loop about it?

I know I have.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been conditioned to do so. You know, like in a job when you want to do something good.

You plan.

You build strategies.

You implement.

You monitor.

And tweak as you go along?

That’s all fine and dandy at work, but is that all there is to it when you want to be a good person?

I’ve been thinking about this since reading the above quote and in light of choosing service as my word for 2015.

Maybe it’s as simple as the difference between doing good and being good.

Doing good in a work setting, takes planning.

Being good is more of a character trait that is developed over time…

…acting in the moment, from the core of who you are, when an opportunity presents itself.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

What do you think?

What if

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I know I’m not the first person to ponder what if and I probably won’t be the last.

Even as a child, I would question the way we humans treated each other while at the same time I know full well that, at times, I’ve treated people differently based solely on their appearance or status.

Why do I do that?

I clearly remember wishing that humans would intentionally start marrying people outside of their race and having children. My child-mind wondered how many generations it would take before we all looked alike, spoke the same language and adopted similar values and beliefs.

I still find myself yearning, praying and wishing because isn’t every person worthy?

Isn’t every life sacred?

Realistically, I know that there’s probably no chance we will all become one people, with one language and value system but…

~

What if it didn’t matter if you were black, white, red or yellow?

What if it didn’t matter if you were politically left, right, or in the middle?

What if it didn’t matter if you were educated, uneducated, employed or unemployed?

What if it didn’t matter if you lived in a mansion, an apartment, a hut or on the streets?

What if it didn’t matter if you were rich, poor, or somewhere in between?

What if it didn’t matter if you were Christian, Jewish, Muslim or something else?

What if it didn’t matter if you were straight, gay, bisexual or trapped in the wrong gender?

What if it didn’t matter if you were fat, skinny, short, or tall?

What if it didn’t matter if you were physically ill, mentally ill, or healthy?

What if it didn’t matter if you were young, middle-aged or ancient?

What if it didn’t matter if you were happy, sad, alone or overwhelmed in a crowd?

What if your status wasn’t determined by birth, religion, gender, or economics?

What if it didn’t matter if your hair was blond, brown, red, black or purple?

If your eyes were blue, green, brown or black?

If you spoke Hebrew, Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Polish, German, Russian, or Pig Latin?

If you were Asian, African, European, North American, Hispanic, or Middle Eastern?

If you had a high or low IQ, EQ or cholesterol level?

What if you understood that at your core…

that in essence we are all spiritual beings

who just happen to have a variety of different outer shells and experiences?

What if all that mattered was that you had good character and integrity…

that you strove to find beauty and goodness and meaning in others and in all that you do?

that you were:

Kind to others

Thoughtful

Generous to a fault

Courageous

Tolerant

Loving

Encouraging

Helpful

Hospitable

Compassionate

Truthful

Courteous

Passionate

Hopeful

I want to make a conscious effort to live these values in my life. I know I won’t always be successful, there will be days when I fall short but if I can become aware of the times I don’t quite measure up, I can correct myself and begin again.

What do you think? What are some of the things you could do differently?

What if?

Related articles

Every now and then I look at the links WordPress recommends. I was quite moved by the link below. If you have a moment, give it a read. It really is quite powerful.

• What Will Matter – Michael Josephson (tersiaburger.com)