Personal Essays
VCDL Lobby Day - A call to arms! January 26, 2020
"A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Words I live by……and yes, words I am willing to die for. I am not alone!
“Shall not be infringed.” That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? No one shall act so as to limit or undermine, no one shall encroach on, our right to keep and bear arms. There is absolutely no question as to the intent of those timeless words.
Yet, silently we’ve allowed them to encroach on, undermine, and limit – yes, infringe on – that right. Like little sheep we have been led around and now, all softened up, they think they can come and take that right away completely without any of us taking notice. WRONG!
You’ve gone and poked the sleeping bear Governor! AND I THANK YOU FOR IT!
With the lame-stream media behind you spewing lies and spreading fears in hopes that your tyrannical machine could scare us away, you hammered away layering on your declaration of a state of emergency. Your effort to instill fear that would keep “we the people” away has fallen short.
In great numbers we came. From near and far we came. Proud and loud we came. Shoulder to shoulder we stood. We prayed together. We sang the National Anthem and God Bless America. We chanted USA – USA - USA - USA - USA. We pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And yes, we were armed, as we should be!
Where were you?
Many, many of us came with the full knowledge that men (and women) like YOU are exactly why our nation’s founding fathers felt the absolute need to write those words into the Bill of Rights. The document created to list specific prohibitions on governmental power, in response to calls from several states for greater constitutional protection for individual liberties. That’s right; the founding fathers recognized the need to set specific prohibitions on the government they created for the protection of INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES.
Sadly, we’ve been on a slippery slope for a very long time and many have been passively hoping for a return of sanity, a return to our values. Others of us have been sliding closer and closer to the edge of our seats just hoping we wouldn’t have to get up and take action. We prayed that the apathy of others would give way to active concern and that together we could make a difference by simply voicing our opinions. We prayed for an enlightening moment when our elected officials would finally remember that we do have a Constitution, that it is our foundation, and that they are sworn to uphold it. Some of us were expecting the betrayal but our own selfish needs kept us from taking real actions. Yet others had been preparing for the day those elected officials tilted the scales further in the wrong direction. Some frowned on those preparing, stereo-typing them, placing false, misleading labels on them and falsely accusing them of being hate groups in an effort to divide us and instill fear in us. It seems that those being persecuted were the wisest ones as the elected representatives of the people of Virginia have proven in their quest to throw our Bill of Rights to the side and trample the very foundation of our nation.
Is this the first domino?
I am sure that thought was on the minds of many……..it was on mine.
What are YOU doing about it?
The Virginia Citizens Defense League planned a great civil rights event for last Monday, January 20, 2020. How fitting that it was Martin Luther King Jr day, a day set aside to honor a great civil rights leader. It was a day to lobby to defend one of our sacred civil rights, the right to keep and bear arms – protected by the Second Amendment. Did you know that Martin Luther King Jr applied for a concealed carry permit in Alabama in 1956, shortly after his house was bombed, and it was denied? The government viewed him and the civil rights movement as a threat. Déjà vu – it seems that Virginia’s government views our civil rights as a threat too.
Word spread rapidly and anticipated attendance expectations began to grow as “we the people” began to make our opinions heard. Many Virginia counties declared themselves Second Amendment Sanctuary Counties – vowing that unconstitutional laws requiring the taking of a citizen’s firearms without due process would not be enforced. County militias were being formed. The people were voicing their opinion quite loudly. (It is important to state here that militia is NOT a dirty word. They are not bad things in and of themselves. In general, they are able bodied citizens organized to defend the constitution, not partisan, not religious, and not discriminatory. Yes, as with any type of group or organization, there may be bad actors or bad groups with ill focus and ill intent – just as in elected government. We are NOT referring to fringe elements here so put your prejudices aside and educate yourself to the realities of the world around you).
Those opinions didn’t seem to matter to Virginia’s Governor though he apparently felt threatened by the people he represented. He declared a state of emergency for the day of the event and banned all firearms and any weapons from the capital grounds. Free people were no longer welcome in the people’s house. Your rights were to be denied. Fences were to be erected. Your presence was being discouraged, albeit with barriers rather than “straight talk.” After all, they wouldn’t want to suppress your speech while denying your right to bear arms.
It was becoming more and more evident to many that “this domino could not fall!”
Support from far and wide continued to grow. The tall tales multiplied too. The lame-stream media did their part to sensationalize everything. Their bloodlust was in hyper drive. There was talk of white supremacy groups heading to the rally, buses full of Antifa disguised as Trump supporters, DNC operatives to edge them on, stories ran rampant. Yet there were also reports that Antifa would be there in support of the second amendment (of course, a lot of the media stayed away from that one since it didn’t play well into their bloodlust fantasies).
Damn, this had the potential to be the next Lexington/Concord. I am sure that at this point the news crews were already circling like buzzards hoping to feast on some poor creature’s misfortune.
I knew I had to be there. I can’t just talk the talk, no man should. I had to walk the walk. It wasn’t a decision I made. It was a responsibility I had. I have never run from my responsibilities no matter how painful the journey might be.
When the path became evident the actions began. I kissed my wife good bye Sunday night at about 9:20 pm, not knowing whether I’d be coming home. That may sound dramatic but that IS WHERE WE ARE! That is the picture the media painted and had us ready for. Pray for the best but prepare for the worst.
The dominoes cannot begin to fall!
My ski patrol pack was with me, though the contents were modified. The harness and lift-evac gear gone, other non-essentials like forms and webbing gone. Another tourniquet was added, more trauma dressings added, a helmet (it may have been a kayak helmet but it would have worked). I was ready to render aid if needed. I was also ready to defend myself, or those I linked with, if it came to that. I peeled off the patch with the red cross and my ski patrol radio number and pressed the black and white patch reading “Live Free or Die” onto the Velcro.
My intent, and the intent of the folks I would later meet up with, was to show our support for the Second Amendment. We were to meet and pray in. We were to be vigilant and observe our surroundings. If we came upon some bad actors we were to de-escalate the situation and get a police officer to the scene ASAP. Unless absolutely necessary, we would not use force. We intended to go out of our way to speak with law enforcement and thank them for being there. They were put in this difficult position by the elected officials. Many of them support the cause too. Personally, I chose to carry concealed. I chose to present myself just as I would every other day; street clothes, weapon concealed, and vigilant. This is what I had to think about and pray about as I drove the first three hours to Winchester VA. Side note, before leaving PA and entering the People’s Republic of Maryland, I stopped my car, disarmed, unloaded my weapon, locked firearm and ammunition in separate security boxes, and placed them in the rear of the vehicle. I re-armed myself after leaving that state (it is pretty dumb that a licensed individual should be required to do that dance – push for National Reciprocity!).
In Winchester I fueled up, grabbed a coffee, and checked into the hotel for a shower and 2 hrs sleep. YES, whether you realize it yet or not, THIS IS THAT IMPORTANT!
At 3:20 am, after microwaving my coffee, I was on the road again with about 150 miles ahead of me – a grain bar would be my breakfast. As luck would have it, about an hour down the road I received my first ticket in about 35 yrs or more. Suffice it to say I was appreciative of the officer’s service, remained respectful, and was treated well. I was also thanked for taking the time to travel to Virginia to help support his second amendment rights.
I rolled into Richmond and our rally point at 6:30 am. There were shuttles set up from the Flying Squirrels’ Ball Park to keep the traffic out of downtown. That is where several groups, including mine, anticipate meeting. Traffic problems put a damper on that. I did manage to link up with several folks that intended to link with the same group that I was going to. Damn there are some good people in this country. We are so blessed to be where we are. I have to wonder how in the hell did some of these idiots manage to get themselves elected? How did we get ourselves in this situation where it had come to this? Simple answer……apathy! It’s a cancer.
Well, the first of my new friends were from New York state. While we waited for the group leads to arrive we did what we had come there intending to do. We patrolled the line, and it was one hell of a never ending line, waiting to board shuttles. We talked to people. We spoke with the police officers. We got to know each other a little bit…..and we waited….and waited….and waited. It seems the traffic issues really through a curve into the plans of the group leads. One of the guys from NY peeled off and caught a shuttle downtown. We continued. The people in the lines were amazing. There were people from every walk of life. There were families (honestly, I questioned myself as to whether I would have brought children along having read the BS the media was pumping out there). Everyone was polite to each other. Not an issue. No bad actors appeared to be in the mix.
We later connected with others from Indiana and North Carolina and got to know them a bit. We shuttled downtown with them but before we left a gentleman we called “Pastor” prayed us in. Where were all of these horrible, evil people the media was warning everyone about? Where they downtown already?
We arrived downtown leaving our vehicle at a parking garage, myself and my four new friends that I’ve now known for a few hours. We were a few blocks away from the capital grounds but even here it was fairly crowded. When you read the crowd estimates the media put at 22,000 don’t believe it. There may have been 22,000 in the immediate vicinity of the capital grounds and street in front of it but there were a lot more streets with significant crowds on them. God forbid the public should get the real story from the media.
There were folks all around with AR’s, and AK’s, and semi-automatic tactical shotguns, revolvers, and pistols. Some were rather discreet and some were clad in tactical gear (need to get me some of that! LOL).
If you’re waiting for the part about the gunfire and carnage I am sorry but I have to disappoint you. The bloodlust of the media was never quenched.
Our little “patrol unit” of five moved through the streets, vigilant and ready. We spoke with folks of every creed, every color, and many sexual persuasions. We prayed with some. We sang the National Anthem and God Bless America with others. We chanted USA – USA – USA. We pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of American. We renewed our oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We chatted with the police officers who were there for us all. No one shot anyone.
Further, we cleaned up after ourselves. You know, like real grownups do!
Most importantly, WE GREW STONGER!
We know the strength of our numbers and the importance of our militias. They are patriots, not subversives!
Thank you Gov’nor Northam! Thank you for waking the sleeping bear!
One more thing Gov’nor, “KISS MY ASS!”
The journey ultimately defines the destination…… September 19, 2019 9:20 pm
And what a journey it has been to this point. Never did I imagine back on October 16, 2018 when I penned the last essay that the beginning of the journey, the first leg, would take nearly a year. Throughout the process that got us here, I repeatedly stated, “I am more interested in doing it right than doing it fast!” I hope that you will see these pages in a favorable light. I hope that they promote deep thought. I have tried to apply wisdom and patience to the process. Much thought and prayer were involved. Admittedly though, fear may have played into stretching the timetable a bit, wisdom, patience, thought, and prayer can’t claim all the credit for consuming so much time. Hey, we are all human and vulnerable. We feel blessed that we have journeyed to this point and we are excited to see where it all leads in the years to come.
The photos and designs here are all original. Some inspiration and basis for some of the graphics did come from other open sources but thoughtful creativity was applied to deliver our finished product and messages, messages that are true to our values.
There was no firm plan when we decided to pull the trigger and jump back in. Rather, there was an outline in my head that we never allowed to become a constraint. We adjusted to the terrain as we came upon it. There were certainly obstacles, there will be more, but our determination and willingness to adapt are not scarce commodities.
We started with the idea of having www.GazeBeyond.com as the primary link to provide content but with a store page (The Store) within the architecture of the main site. The initial concept had us using our www.SocialismMyAss.com URL as a direct link to The Store page, and that did happen as you can see by clicking the link…….but…….the evolution of the page, our mission, and our products led to the purchase of an additional URL, www.Preserve-Protect-Defend.com, which is now an additional direct link to The Store page. Our products page is more extensive than we had originally envisioned and yet we now look forward to expanding it as we move forward.
A few weeks back I set the targeted launch date at September 11, 2019. We hit that target and launched……quietly! That’s right, after more than a year of work and anticipation we launched and kept it quiet. Yes, after telling friends and family and whoever would listen that we were launching soon for soooooo long - I was beginning to sound like the boy who cried “Wolf!” We still didn’t tell anyone! Why? Well it was very important to us that we launch on 9/11. Rising from the ashes! Very appropriate given the meaning of our logo and our mission statement. Beyond that, it was also very important to us that we allow due respect for September 11, 2001 and September 11, 2012 and give proper honor to those lost and their families by waiting, reflecting, and allowing a few days to pass. That was more important to us than what anyone may have thought about “crying Wolf!”
Well, here we are, forging ahead into a land that is new to us. As soon as I post this to the page we will start spreading the word and see what happens (side note: as I type this, I am not sure I know how to post this but I think I can pull it off…..).
We will walk slowly, learn as we go, and apply what we learn along the way.
We ask for your grace as we work to build inventories and develop new products in our effort to serve you.
Please be patient with us as we develop together and grow.
More often than not, the journey ultimately defines the destination! Where are we going? Time will tell!
We hope to see you there!
Jim
PS - PLEASE share our URLs with as many folks as you can! Bookmark them and click on them often yourself. We’d like to spread the word without building pages/profiles on the typical social media monsters. Let’s do this old school, word of mouth passed through friends and community.
Jumping back in, head first! October 16, 2018 11:20 PM
Rebirth! What brought me here and how the logo came to be.
Where do I start? So much time has passed since I have written and shared my thoughts. I used to find great joy in doing so. It was easy to lose myself in thought and type.
Life gets very busy at times and we can lose ourselves in what we think we must get done but sometimes in the doing, we lose a special piece of ourselves. Some of the things that seemed to be so very important yesterday lose their color and blend into the landscape of life.
Life is full of rediscoveries and rebirths! I am very happy to say (type) that now. I am ready!
Some of you may remember my poetry and blogs on Myspace. Some of you may even have been subscribers. I actually had about 100 and that led me to move my work to my own page, www.GazeBeyond.com.
Somewhere back then I had the words “Socialism my ass!” tattooed on my chest. No, I do not shy away from expressing myself! I threw the idea out of creating a webpage called SocialismMyAss.com, half joking and half serious. I was keeping up my other page and a page for our ski patrol at that time so taking on a third page wasn’t at the top of my list though my friend Kenny encouraged me to do it and build on it. I hesitated, too much going on with family and life. Thankfully, my friend locked up the URL – though on a different host than I had my page on. Well, life’s circumstances changed and I lost my parents and then Kenny passed too. Something moved me to pursue getting control of the URL as I felt a loss and knew there was still a dream behind it. Long story made short, I got control of my URL and did nothing with it other than to pay for software to develop a store on it and migrate www.GazeBeyond.com over to the same host. I did start a rebuild on the poetry/essay page there but that too was left in an incomplete state for some time (it is in that state now).
What would motivate me to get off of my ass and move on my dreams? Where would I find my inspiration again? Perhaps my core values? My faith in God, love of family and friends, love of country and those principles she was built on!
Robert Maynard Hutchins once wrote, “The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment”
Had I left that apathy lull me to sleep? BITE YOUR TONGUE!
I look around and see the level of degradation of our core values in this country, our country, and I am shaken by those blindly marching to the tune of the piper. Eyes closed and hands out. Who are these people who are happy to absorb instant gratification rather than thinking, earning, realizing, and appreciating the fruits of their own efforts, the blessings that our Creator has graced us with. Who are these people willing to accept the ending of life and rebranding it as choice, disrespecting our flag and branding it a personal sacrifice, partaking in the anarchy of a mob and relabeling themselves as “civil” warriors?
Who will speak up and tell them “the emperor has no clothes!”?
Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, “Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.” He also wrote that “it is far more important to resist apathy than anarchy and despotism, for apathy can give rise, almost indifferently, to either one.”
There in it begins, my motivation is reborn! Faith in God, love of family and friends, love of country, and a drive to preserve, protect, and defend!
Very soon the new www.GazeBeyond.com will rise from the ashes and Gaze Beyond LLC will come to life. No longer am I putting the full production burden on myself. I have been engaged with GoDaddy.com’s design team and contracted them to build the page to my needs. The page: Gaze Beyond tag line: The things we cannot see will last forever (2 Corinthians 4:18). Within the structure of the page will be an intro, a tribute to our fallen brother, Sgt. A J Baddick, a page of my original poetry, a page with a few essays (including this one), links to join the NRA, and a link to Socialism My Ass, the store. The store will also have a direct URL: www.SocialismMyAss.com.
Products will promote our core US values – apathy is not acceptable! I hope that my friend Kenny is smiling down on me as this finally comes together.
That brings me to the Socialism my ass logo and how it came to be.
I worked with GoDaddy’s design team over a period of about 10 days to bring my vision to life.
The design incorporates the Eye of Providence (the all seeing eye of God) . It is an acknowledgement that God is watching over all of humanity, regardless of our shortcomings, our failings, our sins. His grace is for all of us and He will guide us as we open ourselves to His “outrageous love of another kind.” (credit: the words of the late Scott Fetterolf).
The eye is over the head of an eagle headed phoenix rising from the ashes. Like the mythical phoenix experiencing rebirth rising from the ashes of his predecessor our nation is rising from the ashes of our own apathy. We the people are coming to life again, rising up, speaking out for the core values our nation was built upon. We are no longer the SILENT majority!
Across the eagle headed phoenix’s chest is spread a banner boldly stating “Socialism my ass!” Beneath those words the tag line appears: Preserve – Protect – Defend ; a reminder to us of the words in the presidential oath of office referring to the US Constitution. A tag line not far off from the words in the military oath of service, a portion of which reads: that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. These oaths are similar to those taken by other public servants and government officials though, I am sad to say, it is not apparent in the service of some. These oaths are oaths WE all should swear to!
It is my hope and my prayer that these pages, soon to come to realization, will help to feed and strengthen our faith in God, our family and friends, our core values, and our nation. In our awakening as the now vocal majority we will renew a sense of community (and yes, the word unity is a part of community).
It is now 11:20 pm and I am going to post this to Facebook visible to my friends. I am a bit apprehensive as it has been a while since I’ve bared myself to this point. Apathy be damned, I am not dipping my toe into the water this time!
I am jumping back in, head first!
Jim
Saturday, June 09, 2007
shopping carts.....the lazy S.O.B. factor
Current mood: I'd like to teach the world to stack in perfect harmony….
Category: Life
shopping carts….the lazy S.O.B. factor
This is a topic I've wanted to hammer out a blog on for some time now. I am sure we have all been ticked off once or twice by the shopping cart pushed up against our car when we returned to it with our groceries, haven't we? Then add to that the fact that the cart corral is only two spaces away. We notice the corral and think what a lazy S.O.B. that must have been to leave that cart there. If you are one of those lazy S.O.B.'s then wise up and get a clue. If you expect an apology from me, forget it. You deserve the slam and if it takes a 2 x 4 in the head type of comment like calling you a lazy S.O.B to make you wake up and smell the coffee, so be it! OK, let me take this a step further too. You now put your groceries in the car and take your cart to the corral but only move the previous lazy S.O.B's cart far enough away from your car so that you can get out easily. Guess what, you too have qualified for the title of lazy S.O.B. Would it have killed you to push one cart inside the other and take them both to the corral? Ok, I am not done yet, I am going to hammer this thing out further and see if I can make a real difference in America tonight, one that will matter and serve the masses more than any bullshit Paris Hilton news you are caught up in for no good reason at all. Now you are at the corral with your cart, maybe both carts if passed the first S.O.B. test. You see the corral is completely empty and you push your cart (maybe two carts) just barely into the corral.
Guess what? Yep, you are a lazy S.O.B. Congratulations Einstein! Did it ever occur to you that if you do not push your cart all the way in the odds are much greater that the next person won't bother? That's right, you are a leader. You are in control of more things in this world that you realize. OK, let's keep it going. You do know that there are far more lazy S.O.B.'s out there than we want to admit but if you look at the corral on a busy day you will understand just how many must be there. Now you are at the corral with your cart (maybe two carts) and the corral is a mess. It appears full but you know if those lazy S.O.B's would have stacked their carts first you would have fit yours in no problem but nearly none of them are stacked into each other. The thing would only be half full at best if they were. What do you do? Do you take 60 seconds and stack the carts so that you can push your cart (maybe two) into the corral and out of the path of traffic? Hell, that would even make room for 10 more carts too easily. Judging from what I've seen, most people would just leave their cart (maybe two) outside and add to the mess. Yep, lazy S.O.B. award, you win again! Am I the only person in the world who organizes the corral and stacks the carts just because it makes sense, it is logical, and hell, it is courteous to others? Do you have kids? Do they ever shop with you? What message do you give them when you CHOOSE to be a lazy S.O.B? What message will they hear when you tell them to clean their room, the one you verbalize, or the one you live? If you talk the talk, you had better walk the walk…………
Ok, I think next I will bang something out on the gym……you know, people hanging out at machines and bullshitting rather than using them……getting cranky when you take the close parking space on your bike and they wanted it……of course they could do themselves more good if they parked ½ a mile away and walked because when you do see them inside, they are only sitting on the machine….not movement going on. Well, I am sure I can dig up a few comments on that…..them maybe I will bang one out on some of these young drivers that seem to have taken their driving test on an xBox 360. You know the kind, they nearly run you off the road with their sleek maneuvers and "If I crash and burn I still get three more cars and lives" mentality – hey bozo, I have one life and if you f@#$ with it and live, I am coming to get you! There, now I have committed myself to more blogs……damn, I put my foot in my mouth again…..perhaps I can even do a poem on shopping cart corrals and the space savers at the gym…..and the video game drivers too……
That's enough. I had a long day. My glass of wine is almost empty…..and I have rambled and rambled and rambled on……
Good night my friends….
James
This is a piece I wrote December 4, 2006.
From a blank mind flows a river.......
I find myself sitting here wanting to write tonight but the words are not coming easy. Some of you who have read my ramblings may have laughed when you read that. I do tend to be able to go on and on at times without having a real plan as to where I wanted to go. So be it! This will be one of those times. Perhaps that is the key, not to lock myself into a path but to just overflow. Over? Flow? hmmmmmmmmmm The river!
I often liken life to a river. Having river guided for several years I think the river taught me a lot about life. One thing that always stood out is that when a river comes to what we would perceive as an obstacle, the river carries on, undaunted by whatever has been put in its path. The river will push it out of its way, slowly wear it away, wear away a path around it, rise and lift it until it moves with her, or simply and patiently rise above it, engulf it in her warm embrace and flow beyond. What was perceived as an obstacle was merely an opportunity to collect her thoughts and move on. We should be more like the river and address perceived obstacles with patience and wisdom and the confidence that we will soon be beyond it. I am sure many of us would benefit from this.
Another thing I have learned from the river is that there are forces in nature that are much stronger than we are, no matter how big our bicep or our ego. When a raft pinned (term used to describe a raft wrapped around an obstacle and held firmly in place by the force of the rushing water) on a rock it was often comical to watch the occupants yank and pull and tug and sweat and get nowhere. They assumed countering the force was the key. Without leaving my kayak I could often just look at the pin, tell the people where to move in the raft and the river would pull the raft off. Rather than overcome the greater force one should work with it. Love is a force of nature too and it is incredibly strong. We can tug and yank and pull or push all we want but we aren't going to make it do what we want. Perhaps there are times when we should step back and observe? Perhaps there is a strength in that love that can set us free if we position ourselves better?
Hold that thought about positioning ourselves better. There are times too on the river when you have to position yourself so that the current can take you where you want to go before you get yourself into a situation like the pinned raft or perhaps a flipped raft. If you wait too long and get too deep into the wrong current she is going to take you any where she pleases and do with you as she pleases. Life can be like that too. We have to look ahead and read the currents. People's actions are like the currents. You can read them too. Position yourself in those currents to insure you are carried where you want to go. Be smart.
Finally, the river persists. It does not give up. It does have a general sense of direction but it is not rigid in its plan to get there. That direction is simply downhill. It may change specific direction many, many times but it never forgets that it is going downhill. As I said before, sometimes it has to stall and rise above something to continue on its journey but quitting is not an option!
I like to think I am like a river. I strive to be patient and determined. I know where I am going and I know that there are some things I may have to push out of my way and some I may have to rise above. I may have to wear some down too. There may even be some I will have to be patient with and gradually lift in my warm embrace until the moment I can carry them away with me. I will persist. I will position myself in the best currents. I will get where I want to go and I will harness the strength of the rivers of life and love to get me there. This I know.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
The crossroads of life......
Current mood: optimistic
I guess we all come to crossroads in our lives at times, don't we?
My guess is that a lot of the time people are too distracted by the superficial things that are going on around them to even notices they are at a point where they can make a choice that will make a real and lasting difference in where the are going in life. Instead of recognizing the opportunity they avoid the task and miss the opportunity all together.
I would think that some of these are the people who see every change as a threat to their security, the ones who bitch and complain about everything new, afraid to step outside the envelope of their own little world. These people would rather move along the same path just because there are no decisions for them to make and no questions to ask of themselves. We should all ask ourselves questions from time to time. All kinds of questions……
Who am I?
Where am I going?
What do I really want from life?
What should I really change?
How have I changed already?
How can I grow into a better person?
There is another extreme to be considered too. Not everyone stays on the same path because they fear the change, some out there make constant changes every time they come to a crossroads because they are so hungry to get out of the situation they are in or because they think they are being innovative (often merely following a fad) and make them because other influences are pulling them along for their own reasons (the media, a marketing firm, a consulting company even). Why aren't these people asking themselves the questions, why are they not thinking themselves through where they want to go? Often these people find them selves going backwards. If they are lucky, they may make enough turns at the crossroads (changes) to turn completely around to the point where they get themselves going in a good direction, unfortunately, after having spent a good bit of time going in wrong directions.
Ask yourself questions……
What truly makes me happy?
Who do I really enjoy being around?
What are my real values?
Is this the right time to make a change?
Who listens to me and really hears what I say?
We should see the crossroads for what they really are, opportunities!
The real opportunity is the one we have to look inside and take stock of the situation and the possible outcomes of the change options. Use the crossroads to assess where you are and your path or vehicle for getting where you want to be in a way consistent with who you really are inside.
Ask yourself questions about what really matters to you…….
Is my heart happy?
Am I being true to myself in my current situation?
Is the direction I am considering one that takes me closer to where I want to be?
Will that path conflict with the values I already know I am not willing to compromise?
Are all of those values truly my own or were they dictated to me by someone else in my life?
Finally, don't be so afraid to change or possibly fail, that you do not try.
I would rather have tried something and have failed than never to have tried at all and wonder for ever what would have happened or where could I have been.
Always take a lesson away from your actions. Do not fail, learn. Be wise enough to recognize too that you have the power to create your own crossroads. If you see that you are on a path that you are not happy with, you do not have to stay on that path and whine and complain. The road doesn't have to be right under your nose and easy to get to for it to be the right road for you. We ought to remind ourselves now and then that a little work, a little effort, a little sacrifice is perfectly acceptable and often a productive tool in getting us on the path we belong on……after all, it may be almost parallel to the path you are walking now but just off to the left through a little patch of woods (sacrifice) and some initiative and effort will put you on it in a short amount of time.
Ask the questions…..face the answers…..decide based on who you are……
Take the fork that best suits YOU…..your heart may learn to sing again!
As for me, I am asking the questions…..I think I have a pretty good idea of where I want to be………..