step

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
- Chinese Proverb

growing pains

My feet hurt right now. I’m not sure why either. I guess I’ve been standing with bare feet on hard floors too much recently? In any event, it feels just like the growing pains I got throughout my childhood.

When I think about growing pains, I think about how much hardship we have to go to in order to mature. Somehow I find myself expecting to grow without those periods of pain. Thus, when the hurting comes, I get thrown for a bit of a loop.

Time and time again, I find myself wishing I could fast forward through all that, to get to the part where I simply have all the character and resilience that arise from those experiences. But, I'm afraid that isn't how life works. It's precisely the aching that yields the growth. So, instead of constantly getting weighted down by the experience of aches and pains, I'm aligning my vision to see the beauty of growth.

waging war

I'm sick of fighting -
waging war between who I should be and who I could be.
See, there's this deep calling inside me
demanding something greater, yearning to break the mold.
But I keep being told to do the smart thing, play it on the safe side
work that 9 to 5 for the paycheck
and do my dreaming on the weekend or in the evening.

But nowadays, I just don't know -
I'm not so sure that desk job is all I'm created for.
See if I settle, I'm depriving the world of the greatness inside.
No, I'm not trying to be self-centered,
just self assured enough to recognize the laden potential.
I must go against the grain.

There's so much that must be done,
and, I daresay, my zone of comfort may get a little rough.
But, it's time I stopped flowing with the stream -
Time to embrace the unique gifts deep inside of me.
And, it's okay to wage war
with the person comfort and selfishness say I should be,
'Cause that person doesn't do justice to the passionate, true me.

creativity

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.”
- Joseph Chilton Pearce

It is true. Creativity requires risk-taking... lots of it. Many times I find myself holding back from doing things I envision because of the overwhelming fear of being wrong. However, the times I release that fear and allow myself to exercise a bit of innovation are totally rewarding.

esperanza

I had the amazing opportunity to go to Mexico these past few days to visit a children's home outside of Rocky Point called Esperanza Para Los Ninos ("hope for the children"). It is home to around 25 children (and many more coming soon) whose parents are in jail or are drug abusers, alcoholics, prostitutes, etc. It was eye-opening to see the lacking conditions in which these children live. I was more astonished, however, by the incredible joy within them. We are told time and time again that true joy is not a product of current situation or circumstance. Sometimes it can be hard for us to fully digest... but each of these children are a clear example of that truth.














The experience makes me wonder how I ever complain. No matter what I'm going through, my situation in no way compares to theirs. It also makes me wonder how I can ever pretend that I don't have more to give. We cannot stop giving. Ever. Not while there are people - children like these - in real need.


























Esperanza really needs a lot of help to continue on and support these children. Let me know if you want to help with their constant list of needs. Just a little bit of our money goes a heck of a long way for them, so every bit truly helps. www.esperanzachildrenshome.com

garbage bags

I came across this stat while reading this book called Cure for the Common Life today...

"American's shell out more for garbage bags than 90 of the world's 210 countries spend for everything."

I've heard similar mentions before how rich we are here in America, but this one really hit me. The fact that the amount I spend on garbage bags surpasses so many people's entire spending is a bit unbelievable to me. And, needless to say, this knowledge makes me feel quite guilty. As I sit typing this, I can look around the room and see various prices jumping out at me, most of which effortlessly put the cost of garbage bags to shame. Even the cheapest items in my room contain greater... essentially wasted... value.

In the face of stats like this one, suddenly you realize that the spending decisions we see as so minimal - the bit of ice cream or coffee drink - mean everything. Think about it. Sacrifice the cost of a meal out a week and you can feed a family for at least a whole week. SERIOUSLY? How do we hear things like that and not get worked up. It's terrible and terrific all at once - terrible that there is such an imbalance of wealth - terrific that we hold within our hands the power to totally change someone's life.

I hope every time I buy grocery bags now, I'm a bit unsettled. In fact, I hope every time I buy something I don't truly need (which really is most any purchase I make) I feel more than a bit uncomfortable. I want this line of thought to force me to reconsider, and refuse to make, unnecessary purchases throughout my life. Instead, I want I put that value towards changing someone's life. Yes, I have in my grasp the ability to change someone's life. That is an incredible honor we all hold.

hello

On my walks around the neighborhood lately, I've become incredibly aware of this strange tendency of people to not say hello these days. Most of the time, I find myself in encounters where the other individual literally looks the other way or pretends not to notice me approaching. Most are almost taken aback by the cheerful "hello" or "good morning" I spout off as I pass.

Maybe it's not the standard these days, but I am of the persuasion that you should be friendly and give some acknowledgment of the other person's presence. For a bit, I felt awkward as the one always initiating the greeting, so I'd only say something on occasion. But now, I've made it a challenge for myself to make sure to greet everyone I pass.

Because, here's my thought: we are relational beings. The larger our cities become, the more easy it is to become anonymous... and yes, the more lonely and isolated people become. I never know what that other person is going through. They may have a huge happy family or they may not have a single soul to call their friend. I simply do not know, so why not say hello? Yeah, they may think I'm crazy or overly-friendly... but besides the requiring the tiniest bit of effort, what does it cost me to reach out in the easiest of ways?

So, what say you we start a movement of the walkers, elevator riders, coffee shop goers... you name it... who care enough to say the simplest hello? I'm willing to bet that little act can make all the difference in this crazy world.