As you sit quietly flipping through emails, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sources, you are searching for just the right one to answer a question, provide an idea, or spark your curiosity. We seek information to help us and not to harm us. We do not want or need information that will continue to push us down but lift us.
We need to stay informed and current with the news events, but negativity constantly equals negative results. A change in your surrounding and mindset will help to change this cycle.
I am a fan of the writing of Cleo Wade and in her latest book, Where to Begin is a great place to start! I want to share one of her poems titled only once. The poem reminds us that “everything is a habit” and to look at those we have. She lists out these habits for us to review like these:
- Fear
- Bravery
- Loving good
- Loving badly
- Speaking up
- Staying silent
- Giving
- Taking
- Opening up
- Shutting down
- Gratitude
- Ingratitude
- Building
- Destroying
- Doing things kindly
- Doing things unkindly
“Which of these habits are worthy? Of this life, you will most definitely get to live only once.”
If you are familiar with me, you know I believe every day is a gift we unwrap. It is full of opportunities! We can choose to be part of the problem or the solution; the choice is always ours to make. I have made these statements for decades as children crossed my path. We are blessed to live in a country where we have many free rights because of those in our past who choose to find solutions we benefit from today.
As you think about habits, choices, solutions, history, today, and the future, how do you see/feel/think about these things?
- What is your responsibility to yourself? Do you stay silent, or do you speak up? Why?
- What is your responsibility to others? Are you helping to build up in your community? Do you put others down?
Do you know what you stand for? What values do you have? Do you follow the leader or are you the leader?
There are more questions to ask, but this is a great place to begin. Understanding who you are, your values, and how you model for your community. It has never been easy to stand up for what you believe, but in the environment of today, it seems to be very difficult. We need to agree to disagree, have different viewpoints without feeling like an outcast, debate issues, not people, and learn to listen with open minds.
