Just Rannin' Around

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

“We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.”
-C.S. Lewis

These words coming from the great C.S. Lewis, a man that did not believe in the existence of God for a portion of his life and then upon enlightenment did a public about-turn and walked back to the right road regardless of how much pride he had to swallow, knew from personal experience the anguish of such a decision but also reaped the reward of pure joy and peace which follows.

Monday, April 21, 2008








Tagged by Hollyoak

Well since I only carry one purse, most of my stuff is in this bag and so I have only pulled out a portion of the contents since I don’t think that I could get everything in one picture. I even carry a small purse in order to not get too much junk collected, but you would be amazed at what a girl can make fit into a small space!

My wallet which has many contents of its own.
A Buckle gift certificate
A massage gift certificate
Gum
Breath mints
Advil
Eye drops
Address book
Calendar
Chapstick, lipstick (2 colors), lip gloss
Jack Johnson tickets
Tickets to The Drowsy Chaperone
That is all that you are getting! The rest remains untold.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Listen to your heartbeat and dance!

I think that there are many examples from which can be drawn the conclusion that I am not the average conservative human. My mom will give the example that I jump out of perfectly working airplanes at an elevation of 11,000 feet. I always remind her that actually the activity that I involve myself more often in, scuba diving, is much more dangerous than skydiving. I guess that I shouldn’t remind her of that fact, but I have only been skydiving once and I go scuba diving at least once a year. I have also been bungie jumping, rock climbing, mountain biking, and this one time, I stayed up way past midnight! Needless to say, I do believe I may be a bit of an adrenaline junkie or it may just be that I enjoy being able to say that I have experienced a vast expanse of life.

Things that I would like to accomplish in my life, places that I would love to travel and just my list of “must dos” is probably enough to fill a couple of lifetimes. People, places and things have a magnetic pull on me. The highlight and headline of that list for me is people. Any where I go, anything that I do, I have to concentrate on not losing myself in “people watching”. However observing is just one small aspect to what I enjoy. I will talk to anyone. Another thing that my family will attest to is the fact that I am not shy and have no issues approaching and having a conversation with any random person that finds themselves in the same vicinity as me. My feeling is that the majority of people are willing to impart simple conversations and at times I have had incredible discussions with perfect strangers. People make this world just as majestic as the landscape . . . if not more so.

One of my true loves is public speaking. Now speaking of people thinking that I am a complete weirdo this part of my personality usually does the convincing. I had the opportunity last night to teach another class on personal finance. The room was packed with husband and wife teams and I had that little tingle of excitement in my stomach which I look forward to. It is exhilarating to me to get up in front of a group and to present knowledge which I have spent years gaining. My love of reading really comes in handy when I am asked to present things that I don’t know as much about. One of these days I am going to be able to check off a goal of being a professional public speaker. I am not sure in which area of my life it will happen, but it is such a part of my nature that I don’t doubt the possibilities out in front of me.

As I have been taking inventory of my world, I have awakened to the fact that I am very much a “press forward and conquer” personality. Life is so enjoyable and there is so much to learn that even when I am tripped and stumbling, I get up looking at what I can do next. I believe that this has a tendency to make me seem intimidating to others, but I am choosing to think that it makes me ready for the next adventure. There is no need to be intimidated by anyone is my thought process. Why? Everything that each of us has is given to us. Every opportunity has been placed on our path. Every blessing and talent is something which we should share. All of us have different lives and with that comes different opportunity and blessings, but if viewed as something that can and should be shared, love makes the word intimidation fade quickly until it is completely out of our world.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

“Any idiot can face a crisis. It’s day-to-day living that wears you out!” -Anton Chekhov

All that concur scream “I”.

I have had the grand opportunity recently to deeply consider the vital importance of life experience. Life experience can only be gained through time and personal exposure. Sure we are able to share our life experiences with others through the telling of stories in one form or another, but that does not give the recipient that life experience.

Merriam-Webster explains it this way:

“Main Entry:
1ex·pe·ri·ence
Date:
14th century
1 a: direct observation of or participation in events as a basis of knowledge b: the fact or state of having been affected by or gained knowledge through direct observation or participation 2 a: practical knowledge, skill, or practice derived from direct observation of or participation in events or in a particular activity b: the length of such participation 3 a: the conscious events that make up an individual life b: the events that make up the conscious past of a community or nation or humankind generally 4: something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through 5: the act or process of directly perceiving events or reality”

I have walked many roads in my life. I have had the unique opportunity to directly observe and participate in countless events that have come to not only make me who I am but have and does enable me to have a pool of knowledge from which to extract in order to deal with much of what life and individuals bring to the table. In no way do I discount the blessings and light which has been carefully placed throughout my entire life that provided for each and every training ground in which I have and will visit. Gratitude continually seeps from my heart.

The time, the means, the opportunity, the ambition and more has given me the chance to gain an incredible education and experience different cultures and gain eternal friendships throughout the world and so much more. I have encountered everything from blissful joy to devastating heartbreak and everything in between which has taught me lessons gained in no other way. The most important lesson that I have learned is to take the hand of my Savior in order to get myself up from the gulfs of misery and continue on when it all seems pointless. I have found the secret of life and I know how to apply it in my life. What an amazing gift!

I have begun to write a book. As I have really poured thought and consideration into what I wish to share in the form of writing, I am rediscovering the life.


 

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