Guides Among Us

I watched a great film the other day that was the epitome of perseverance, as it highlighted the plight of the underdog and how one can will themselves to do great things, especially when nobody else thought it was possible.  Aside from it being a great feel good movie, there were a lot of elements in it that reminded me of some of the circumstances that many of us have had to overcome in our lives.  For instance, if a person grew up in a family where they were not provided with a lot of encouragement or their upbringing was part of an ongoing struggle that was transferred to them, they grew up with emotional scars that can be very tough to heal.  It is bad enough that everyone can struggle with self esteem along with self confidence as part of growing pains, however, when you start adding other components to an already tough situation, then a life walk can have some very steep steps.  For some people who have had to contend with many difficulties in their lives, it can feel like someone is always walking uphill.  People never realize until a much later time that a tough progression can have multiple positive effects on a person, especially when you have perspective of what can define achievement.  Yet, none of it is immediately apparent as a lesson when presented, as it is usually a tough moment to absorb.  What we typically learn about ourselves when we have overcome a particular tough period is that it taught us how resilient we can be  Most individuals can recall tough times that they experienced in their childhood, much more vividly than when they were adults.  Because our formative years are filled with many experiences that enabled us to learn about ourselves and the world around us, we all grow up with varied degrees of exposure to life's school of emotions.  One of the things that I found and later looked forward to, is that at one point or another someone came onto your path, which caused positive emotions or reactions that made you feel that things were going to be alright.  These individuals had the wisdom and power to show us that a bad experience can be utilized for a greater purpose.  If I had a term for any of these individual I would call them guides, as they provided light to us in some of our most difficult circumstances.  The effect of a guide in our lives can be transformative, as all of us can remember somebody that we connected to, who made us feel that we could achieve our life's dreams.  Some people had a great teacher, others had a family friend or perhaps it was your own parent that provided you with the words that you needed to hear in order to feel that sense of comfort you needed.  We should all be so thankful if we can name one or two guides that made an impact in our lives and how we ended up becoming who we are today, because of their impact.  As an adult, I learned that while I may have been lucky and fortunate for having someone who showed me the way when I needed it, there were others around me that either missed the signal completely or were not receptive to what a guide was telling them.  People that grow up with bitterness and resentment for something that they endured can have the most difficult experiences in their personal growth, because they have accumulated years of wounded feelings and the painful memories.  Some people find comfort in living with a victim mentality versus that of a survivor perspective, simply because they become accustomed to those feelings and are not willing to forgive, in order to let the healing process take its course.  I don't know why it is that some people have had to suffer during their evolutionary process, while others seem to rarely have that type of experience in their lives.  However, I do know that resilience, strength and the will to achieve are the foundation to those that experienced the harder life and as such tend to raise the bar for their own expectations.  As in the movie that I saw, what was deemed a losing proposition for many, ended up becoming the catalyst for unprecedented success.  A story that can have deep motivational threads within it, will always appeal to me as I love a great lesson told with a meaningful ending that everyone can relate to.  If you happen to see someone that is in need of a guide, don't hesitate to shine your light in their direction.  You never know how you can impact another person during their time of need and more importantly, we all owe the guides that came before us the ability to pay them back when ever the opportunity arises.

An Enriched Life

I was observing a discussion not too long ago about how people from different cultures treat their pets.  They were commenting on the American culture and how we in this country have these unique relationships with our pets that raise the status of them equal to family members.  As much as I wanted to say no that was not true, I had to chuckle because inside I knew that it was a more accurate description than not.  In different parts of the world, animals serve a particular purpose in their role of a household.  In many cultures, a dog is used for security purposes, to alert their masters of impending intruders or for warning purposes when they bark at something in the middle of the night.  Then I heard how cats are used in other countries as part of the extermination process of keeping mice or other rodents out of their homes or other buildings.  It was interesting for me to listen to all of this because I am an animal lover and I believe that part of our harmonious balance in the world means that we have also developed special kinds of relationships with all beings, not just people.  I can remember as a child that I wanted a dog and it took a lot of convincing and several years before I was deemed responsible enough to care for one.  It was one of my happiest memories when I think about that moment when I was given a puppy that transformed who I was and I felt that immediate connection to this wonderful animal, that only wanted to be near me and play.  My formative years as a child were shared with my trusted dog and later on, one of my grandmother's friends also gave me a pair of Siamese kittens, that became part of my inner circle at home.  As our family life took twists and turns through the years, the constant in all of those periods was that I always had three sets of ears that were willing to listen to anything that I wanted to talk about.  My family pets were content with a scratch on the neck, all the while looking at me with a calming sense that everything was going to be okay.  When I think about how these wonderful creatures grew up alongside me and shared in my moments of happiness and the darker moments of pain,  I have only gratitude in my memories of them for all of that unconditional love that they embraced me with on a daily basis.  After going to college and then beginning a career soon after, it seemed like I was absent from having a pet near me for many years, as I was caught up in all of the routine things that limited my attention and time at home.  Then several years ago, my younger brother decided that I needed to have a pet at home and began looking for a Siamese cat for me to rescue, as he knew that I was too busy and not home enough to have time for a dog.  We managed to find an elderly cat that was in need of a home, due to the owner who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and would forget to feed her.  Although the circumstance by which I ended up adopting that cat, it was a renewed experience to have a pet at home again.  She had her own ailments and although she spent many years with me, I saw her go in her old age to a happier place that was no longer part of my world.  It is always difficult to say goodbye to family pets, as they took a special place in our hearts and for me was one of the first lessons in experiencing how life does come to an end at some point.  However, my grandmother taught me from a young age, that none of us are going to be on this Earth forever and so it goes with our beloved people along with our cuddly creatures, that are here for a purpose, a reason or a season after it is all said and done.  My last pet adoption occurred about nine years ago, when I decided to rescue a Siamese kitten from a shelter and this particular bundle of happiness was only six months old when he became part of the family.  I have spent countless hours playing with him and laughing at his antics over the years, which on the toughest of days can wipe away my heavy thoughts and brings a smile to my face.   I am still filled with that special gratefulness of having another great creature to walk alongside me for another part of my own life's journey.  I know that there are many animal lovers out in the world and some have done a lot to advocate for better and ethical treatment of them and I applaud all of those who take on a greater role in defending those who cannot speak.  A person that falls in love with another individual can create the most magical relationship that can last a lifetime and wonderful memories that can stand the test of time. I would also like to add a footnote to living a full life, in that having someone that offers you unconditional love, such as a family pet. can add to the richness that already exists.  I hope that in your many memories stored in your life's archives, you still have those pictures and moments in your life when you experienced the love of a family pet.  May those great recollections that existed along with the new one's in the making make you smile when you think about them and I hope they also make you feel grateful for the added value that they brought to your life.

Your Inner Song

I had a great morning a couple of weeks ago and although I thought about writing down my experience right away, it has taken me a bit longer to recoup my memory of that unique wintry day.  As I was working on pruning flowers and plants outside, I kept hearing the loud chirps of the many birds that make the trees in front of my house their home.  I also have a hummingbird feeder out on my balcony, as they are my favorite bird for a variety of reasons and this morning there would be a periodic hover made by several of them as I toiled outside.  Over the years I have come to recognize the chirp and sounds from a hummingbird as they are very distinct and this morning there was one particular bird that was sitting on the smallest of branches not too far from where I was.  After a period of time I came inside the house and was watching the bird through my glass door as I noticed that it flew right into my balcony.  It then proceeded to sit on a string of outdoor lights that are close to the door and faced towards me.  Immediately it began to make squawking noises and began to belt out a song in its unique chirpy voice, which simply was entrancing.  As I walked towards the balcony and looked at it through the glass door, I could see it very vividly with the most beautiful garnet red colored head flashing in the sun, as it tilted its head and continued its song.  I was surprised that it did not scare away from me, although I was still on the other side of the door and even though it periodically looked at me, his or her song kept warbling on as loud as its tiny lungs allowed it to.  Not only did the experience bring a smile to my face, I marveled at the passionate song that this charming creature performed for me as another lesson from nature was clearly becoming evident.  My immediate thoughts turned to the song that all of us have inside of us, that holds the type of passion that would allow us to feel exuberant about what life in the moment means for everyone.  This reflection made me think about the many things that we are all ardent about and if we could write a song that clearly communicated those emotions, I wondered what would that sound like to the rest of the world?  As humans we don't necessarily chirp, however, we use words to express our feelings while we sometimes add melodies to lyrics in order to transform the two into a meaningful song.  Everyone has things that they are deeply passionate about and our journey through life can take us to different instances, when those things are more greatly manifested than others.   If you were to ask individuals many would tell you that their family, religious beliefs or some other personal cause may be the specific reason that they feel they were born and connected to their purpose for being here.  For me I know that time continues to alter the things that I am passionate about, which I believe is a good thing.  What was an important cause for me as a youth has continued to evolve with my thinking and exposure to the rest of the world.  We are formed by the life experiences that we have had and that is part of the uniqueness in all human beings.  What would be ideal for all of us as we try to make sense of a world that can sometimes appear to be in total chaos, is that we minimize the noise that is externalized around us and listen to our inner song to help guide us in the direction that we were meant to be.  I do hope that people pay closer attention to what their internal song is, as I know that many may waive off that sound as something, but they are not quite sure what it is.  Passion is inside all of us and when you do things that bring a smile to your face along with making you feel better about who you are without an audience around you, can be a revelation about what your internal fervent reasons for being are.  The next time you pass by a chirping feathered creature, remember that they may be reminding you of something with great meaning about nature and life itself.  Perhaps they were placed in your path as as a simple reminder about the anthem that is waiting to manifest from you.  In your quiet moments., listen for your song to guide and reveal more about who you really are as you embrace the beautiful melodies that have been waiting for your acknowledgement.  Life can be more vivid, bright and full of joy, if you decide to have that expectation.  Remember that you are the author of your own life and the song inside of you is determined by the person who writes it.