The Gift Of A Hundred Dragonflies

Written by Helaine Iris


The Gift Of A Hundred Dragonflies Helaine Iris ©2002

“You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do exceptrepparttar limitations of your own mind.” Darwin P. Kingsley

I woke up forrepparttar 131187 third morning in a row with my mind racing at lightening speed. I was obsessively evaluating everything that was not working in my life. My mind was out of control. If I could just generate more income… if my teenage daughter would come out of her bedroom and finally do something… If my husband would free up some quality time for me... On and on my mind flew relentlessly reviewing one problem after another sinking me into a darker and darker mood.

I knew I needed to changerepparttar 131188 energy. I was drowning in it. Leaving my house for a power walk I headed for a nearby pond inrepparttar 131189 woods. I gravitate to this pond when I am in need of reflection or wanting to find my center after a particularly stressful time.

I climbed out onto my favorite rock that juts overrepparttar 131190 water and catchesrepparttar 131191 first rays ofrepparttar 131192 summer sun. I settled myself and began to breathe inrepparttar 131193 tranquility ofrepparttar 131194 natural setting. Suddenly I noticed hundreds of dragonflies flying overrepparttar 131195 pond, all around my rock and in and amongstrepparttar 131196 trees. What a breath taking sight. The iridescent color of their beating wings flitting all around me captivated my attention.

I remembered what I learned about dragonflies from Jamie Samsrepparttar 131197 author ofrepparttar 131198 “Medicine Cards”. The idea of “medicine animals” carriesrepparttar 131199 suggestion that animals provide a “teaching” offered as a gift for people. Sams writes,” Dragonfly medicine is ofrepparttar 131200 dreamtime andrepparttar 131201 illusionary facade we accept as reality”. She suggests, ”Onrepparttar 131202 psychological level, it may help to breakdownrepparttar 131203 illusions you have that restrict your actions or ideas”.

These amazing creatures had offered me a powerful gift of awareness. I realized thatrepparttar 131204 “illusions” I was filling my mind with wererepparttar 131205 source of my stress and internal pain.

I headed back home with excitement and a resolve to take a fresh look at what was bothering me. I began to reexaminerepparttar 131206 “problems” I was convinced I was having. I thought about whatrepparttar 131207 facts were versus my feelings aboutrepparttar 131208 facts.

For example: My 16 year old daughter, in between groups of friends and unable to find a job has been holed up in her room all summer not doing anything. Or so it seemed to me. One day she came out of her room and showed me sketchbooks filled with drawings and portraits she’d been creating as well as other projects she’d been working on.

The Courage to Care

Written by Wendyl K. Leslie


"The Courage to Care" by Wendyl K. Leslie

I got to poking through some ofrepparttar old things I'd saved and came across a wonderful little article from an issue of "Guideposts Magazine." It's by Arthur Gordon and is titled "The Rewards of Caring."

He tellsrepparttar 131185 story of how once, as a small boy, he was witness to a near-tragedy. Atrepparttar 131186 beach, a woman stepped off a sandbar into deep, swift water and panicked. At least 20 adults in bathing suits watched, apparently paralyzed, until suddenly a young man ran up, plunged in fully clothed, and broughtrepparttar 131187 woman out.

As Arthur Gordon describedrepparttar 131188 episode later to his parents, his admiration forrepparttar 131189 young man was matched byrepparttar 131190 contempt he felt for those who failed to act. She was drowning, and they didn't even seem to care.

His father looked at him thoughtfully and said, "The world often seems divided between those who care and those who don't care enough. But don't judge too harshly. It takes courage to care greatly."

It does take courage to care, to open your heart and react with sympathy or compassion or indignation or enthusiasm when it is easier--and sometimes safer--not to get involved. But people who takerepparttar 131191 risk, who deliberately discardrepparttar 131192 armor of indifference, make a tremendous discovery: The more things you care about, andrepparttar 131193 more intensely you care,the more alive you become.

Caring or not caring can spellrepparttar 131194 difference between success and failure in a job, in a marriage--in every human relationship. As Emerson said, "Nothing great was everachieved without enthusiasm." And what is enthusiasm but passionate caring?

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