Live: Surviving Words

It’s funny you know, that old saying? “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me.” How completely wrong that is! Bones can mend; words (and their residue) are stained in our minds and hearts forever.

As school starts, kids position themselves socially. Often, it’s done verbally. Verbal bullying as well as cyber bullying has never been such a threat to our very core as it is today.

Competition at work is tough. To get ahead some co-workers will try to sabotage your success by spreading rumors or visiting the boss to fill them in. I guess school days really never leave us – they just escalate with bigger pocketbooks, nicer cars, and savvier skills.

This is an election year. As we enter a ferocious presidential race, we will begin to hear the roars and jeers of politicians intended to mar character so they may take the lead.

We will be forwarded emails.
We will hear news anchors and pundits examining each individual under a microscope as though they were the cure for cancer.
We will form our opinions of others based on what is said by those who have never even met them in person.

Now isn’t that crazy?

As we take our own places in society – whether it be as a stay at home mom, a volunteer, a family member, employee, leader, or a self employed business owner – there will be times when words are thrown around at you, about you, or rumored about those you care for or issues that mean so much.

How do we thrive in a world where bloggers can take you down in an instant and youtube phenoms can spread viruses that make us sick inside?

Words can hurt. And in moments when they are flung at us, it can make us feel so small. Helpless. How can we survive?

I say, take a stand.

Stand up for yourself. Stand up for the little guy. Stand up for the big guy. Stand up for doing the right thing.

I challenge you, instead of forwarding the nasty emails about a political candidate that opposes yours send a great note about YOUR candidate instead on issues you want people to know about.

Instead of talking behind the back of someone you don’t agree with, try staying silent until you know you can confidently and calmly fight with words openly to their face. Talking behind someone’s back is cowardly, isn’t it? If you’ve had someone do that to you, I think you’ll agree.

“To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves.”
- Will Durant

Remember who you are and how you’d like to be known. Pay attention to your own words and guard yourself against the temptation to join in. Remember that at any moment the words you say can boomerang and hurt you in the end. Let your own actions speak all the praise you need.

And if the words flung at you are too much to bear, know that there is a safe place you can go where you can search and find who you truly are.

It’s all inside.

All my love,

Kelley Taylor

To Hear: Beautiful

Live: Appreciating Uniqueness

by Kelley Taylor, Make Every Day A Holiday

I read non-fiction.  Period.  The last fiction book I picked up was “The Notebook” which I consumed in an afternoon along with two boxes of tissues.  I swore I’d never do that again to myself.

I know there’s something to that…like a flaw of some sort that makes me unable to get into fiction. I just don’t know what it is. (If you are reading this and can enlighten me, please do.) 

But every once in a while, a piece of fiction will pique my curiosity.  When it does, I pay attention. 

I attended a lecture last April at my library on perfectionism (just when you thought this post couldn’t get any more boring!  HA!).  A professor from Yale was touching on points of perfectionism that was written into a book called “The Soloist,” a very cool fiction (yes, I said fiction) book by Mark Salzman about a gifted cellist who felt he lost his gift at only eighteen.

There’s this one part that is stunning….had to share.  Let me see if I can summarize a bit…

The main character recalls one particular cello lesson when he was a young boy living in Germany.  His instructor, Herr Professor von Kempen, interrupted the lesson abruptly to show the boy a new hybrid rose he was cultivating in his garden.  When the boy seemed to lack interest the professor made him stick his eye “right up to the flower so that [his] whole field of vision was consumed by the brilliant orange-red petals.”

The rest goes like this (p. 46):

“…look at all that color! And the pollen dust, which attracts a certain kind of bee that carries it to the other flowers and fertilizes them.  Imagine the complexity of it, the perfection of the design!  Isn’t it amazing that God produces such things? …right now you are looking at something that has never existed before today, not in all the time since the beginning of the universe.  When it fades, it will never exist again – it is absolutely unique in the world.  Doesn’t it now seem more precious than when you first noticed it?”
          “Yes, Herr Professor.”
          ”Yes,” von Kempen said, “and that is the way to approach music.  Every piece, every time you play it, is unique and irreplaceable.  You should open your ears and heart to every phrase, every note, and squeeze every drop of beauty you can from it.  Take nothing for granted!”

Cool, huh? 

Just think, you are “…something that has never existed before today, not in all the time since the beginning of the universe.”  We’re all works in progress.  Hybrids of some sort whether it’s from mother/father, nature/nurture or education of some kind.  Beautiful, fading, and awesome as we live and breathe.  We’ve just gotta squeeze every bit of beauty out of life we can, right?

I hope I can live my life opening my ears and heart to every phrase, every note, every moment.  I think that is truly one way of marveling and appreciating everything for whatever its worth.

Live every moment. 
Be the rose.
Dance to life.
Take nothing for granted.

 

To Be: Awake

a·wake

1. to come or bring to an awareness; become cognizant (often fol. by to): She awoke to the realities of life.
2. –adjective
3. waking; not sleeping.
4. vigilant; alert

“A man’s accomplishments in life are the cumulative effect of his attention to detail.”- John Foster Dulles

List The Things You Love

“The best way to know God is to love many things.”

– Vincent Van Gogh

My son approached me the other day, quite to my surprise, and asked me, “Mom, what do you love?

”My reply of course, was, “YOU!” But he was after something more. He wanted to know what I valued in life. Sure he knew I adored him, but he was looking for something to give me…something that he’d know I’d like. (He’s really in touch with being a good gift giver. Most people just give you what they want you to have.)

How many times has someone asked you what you want for a birthday, holiday, or special event? Sure, we know what we need and wouldn’t that cool PedEgg really get our feet in shape for summer sandals, but, really? How many times have you come up empty headed when asked, “What do you like? What makes you smile?”

Do you know what you love?

Start a folder, a clipping file, a blog, a scrapbook, a journal, use index cards! List the things you love. This isn’t a vision board, or a list of things you’d LIKE to have. No, this is a list of things you love right now or things you’ve loved in the past. Things that stir your heart, make you laugh, feel sentimental, or just plain ol’ feel. Like,

I Love Lucy
Cinnamon
Flowers
Books
Special paper
Fountain pens
Chairs with architectural interest
#2 Pencils
The smell of leather
Grass
Swimming
Postage stamps (I consider them art)

The list can be as random as you’d like, but here’s my challenge: Don’t just list. Devote a page per item. Here’s why.

By giving each item their own fresh white page, you honor the things you love individually. You give them their place in your world. You give yourself time to focus on each item and you can begin to list why you love these things. Don’t worry. Sometimes the words won’t come. And don’t be surprised if you look at an item, and a tear comes to your eye. It may not even be what it is, but what it represents.

Later, when you someone asks you, “What do you love?” You will be able to smile and know that the list is immeasurable, priceless, and is the key to your heart. By knowing what you love, and loving many things, you will become more grateful, beautiful on the inside, and know what you cherish in your life. No greater love.

Tell me some of the things you love…

Many Smiles

I wish for you all the smiles you can stand today.

I hope you remember in getting back to the rush of things, that you can take a break any time and smile.

I hope that in return, you’ll get many smiles right back.  Well, let’s hope it’s a “smile return” or else they’re thinking you’re crazy.  

See?  Made ya smile, didn’t I?  :)