Passion Statement of the Day | What Ms. Audrey Hepburn Believes

Lessons from the Outdoors # 1

A Prayer To Stretch The Heart

Dear God,

I am deeply hurt and disappointed by the very people who I look up to for wisdom and understanding. 

Help me to stretch my heart and be the bigger person - that I may cover them with kindness, gentleness and love.

Amen.

Of Dreams and Fear

Photo taken from www.uvm.edu

The things we desire are the very things we fear.

I speak of the big, hairy and audacious goals and the delicious dreams that haunt us. I speak of the life-changing  decisions that have no guarantees. 

But I guarantee this, a life lived without pursuit of dreams (especially the scary ones) is no life at all.

On Listening

When someone pours out their thoughts, fears, dreams and desires to you - do listen.

Listen to what she says, but also to what she does not say.

Listen not just with your ears and your intellect, but with your heart.

Keep Your Thoughts Healthy

Mind what you feed your mind.

What you feed grows, what you don't diminishes.

Perturbed but at Peace

Read it here. :)

On Facing Fears

Just because it's scary doesn't mean you shouldn't do it.
On the contrary, that is precisely why you should do it.

Life and Waiting

1. I've come to know that most of Life, is waiting. And most of the time, whatever I'm waiting for, comes sooner or later.

2. Sometimes I get the feeling that this isn't it, that out there, my real Life is waiting.

You Always Have A Choice

You can choose to be a victim of your circumstances or you can choose to rise above it. Rising above does not mean getting out. It means being in control of your thoughts, words and actions so they do not feed the unpleasant situation.

It means being accountable for everything that you do. It means finding a solution, not dwelling on the problem. It means blooming amidst the wasteland. 

Going out of your comfort zone does not only mean exploring distant horizons. It means facing the demons and darkness of the present and fighting it with patience, integrity and kindness.

Stretch yourself. Do not allow yourself to curl into a ball of unfulfilled dreams and regrets. Choose to be happy.

Growing Gains

The grace and gift of growing older is that you start to realize what really matters in life and you have little tolerance for bullsh*t. You speak with conviction about your beliefs.You become more comfortable in your own skin, and there are only minute traces of the insecurities of your adolescence. You are a little bit more fearless - because you've hurdled the aches and pains of young adulthood and you survived. It doesn't mean life gets easier - for there are bigger crossroads along the way - but in a way, it becomes simpler, because you have a firm grasp of your anchors and what's important to you.

Much is to be gained by growing older. The dots of your past start to connect and make sense and life becomes richer.

On Brokenness

If I feel the need to show people that I am a-ok, that I am super, that I am just fabulous, then there's something broken inside.

When I am chronically afraid of rejection, of failure, of letting go (of inhibitions, possessions, habits), of the unknown, there's something broken inside.

When I find myself falling into patterns of thought, words and behavior that do harm to me and others, there's something broken inside.

 How do I fix what's broken? First I acknowledge and then ...

I forgive: Myself and those who have hurt me intentionally  or otherwise

I accept:  The truth and make no excuses. Who I am - warts and all.

I surrender: Control over circumstances and people.

For when I am whole, I accept my imperfections and understand that it's okay to feel sad and lonely and unattractive sometimes.

For wholeness means I do not need  affirmation from people and things to know and feel my worth. Being whole means knowing that failure and rejection do not make me less worthy.

For when I am whole, I seek what is good for all.