A Jar Of Sauce Can Make You BiggerWritten by Helaine Iris
A Jar Of Sauce Can Make You Bigger Helaine Iris (c) 2004 "We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are." Max Depree It's funny how seemingly simplest events in life can be doorways into profound moments of self-realization and growth. I had a meltdown this afternoon. Albeit brief, it had all qualities of a full-fledged tantrum. It was no fun. There I was in my kitchen making lasagna for dinner guests I was expecting. All was going well. I was organized, had everything moving smoothly and was thoroughly enjoying chopping and sautéing and tasting bits and pieces of delicious ingredients. In middle of my happy, creative storm phone rang. It was my husband who has been away for first week of a three-week adventure. I was delighted to hear his voice; I was hoping he'd call. We caught up on mundane details of his trip and how I was doing managing alone. Then he began to share some of deeper layers of his inspired musings with regard to our life together. He told me his attention had been on some of rather large life changes we've both been percolating on for a while. My pulse began to quicken as he described from his fresh perspective, and space between us, how he's ready and committed to step into a larger life for him/us. He talked about wanting to move on ideas we've both been flirting with for a while. He asked me if I was willing to join him in pushing envelope of our comfortable and somewhat out grown life. I listened, felt renewal in his spirit and could find agreement and admiration with what he was saying. He was determined to grow and push himself and us into new territory. We completed our conversation on a loving note both aware that there would be a "communication blackout" for next week as he heads into New Mexico desert. I immediately went back to my lasagna project. The next task to be completed was opening jar of sauce. I couldn't get it open for life of me! I hit bottom, ran it under hot water, banged on top, dug out rubber jar opener thingy-- it still wouldn't budge. "Ok", I thought, "I'm smart". I know how to walk away from frustration and then reapproach with a new perspective. I put jar down, walked away and returned a few minutes later and tried again. I still couldn't get that @#@% lid loose.
| | Setting High Personal StandardsWritten by Steve Brunkhorst
In his book, "The 22 Non-Negotiable Laws of Wellness," author Greg Anderson wrote, "Let us be about setting high standards for life, love, creativity, and wisdom. If our expectations in these areas are low, we are not likely to experience wellness. Setting high standards makes every day and every decade worth looking forward to." He also reminded us that, "When we change our perception we gain control. The stress becomes a challenge, not a threat. When we commit to action, to actually doing something rather than feeling trapped by events, stress in our life becomes manageable." There are times when it's easy to feel overwhelmed and trapped by situations that we'd rather not face. These situations might even be extremely unfair. It's easy to focus on how terribly unfair someone might have treated us. It makes sense to believe that unfair things should not be happening. Simply pretending that a problem doesn't exist is much easier than dealing with it directly. However, stress builds, situation doesn't change, and it might grow worse. In fact, focusing on way things should be instead of dealing with way they are can lead to disaster, both physically and emotionally. Winners set high standards for dealing with problems. They set rules for what they will accept and expect from themselves and others. They realize that it won't work to stay on a road of denial, and it won't work to lash out against unfair situations by resisting what is true. They have a much more workable plan.
|
