Ponderable

Perfect Timing

/ inkspeare

Although we had a mild winter, for some reason, it feels a long one. We had a bit of a cool down this week, and even frost overnight. I am glad that I did not jump ahead and planted any veggies, otherwise the timing would have been wrong.

In life, perfect timing seems to be an important issue, more than money or drive. How many times people have had all the money and resources, but it was just not the “right time?” Whatever the project or venture, it did not come to fruition. Immediately, we tend to label it as failure, and even label ourselves as such. What was important for us were results. We forget quickly about the journey, all the effort, work, and focus we put into a project. As if that doesn’t count at all. We only see that we failed. Simply put, results were more important than the journey itself. By disregarding our journey, we forget the lessons learned, and sometimes, the lesson is more important than the result we were hoping for, but we fail to see it because we are too focused on the outcome. After all, we labor hard for something, right? Most people do. We trade something for something else. Time for money, money for things … In the meantime, we forget all that we learned, and how it shaped us. Because we are so conditioned to trade something for something, when we trade our hard work and effort, our mental focus, even emotional energy, and something does not materialize at the end, we blame and label ourselves as failure, and even punish ourselves deep in our hearts. We end up feeling frustrated, tired, lost, and another mental game starts. We think that there must be something wrong with us because we start comparing ourselves to others who have obtained the results we wanted and worked so hard, even sacrificed for, but never materialized. Once we jump into that rollercoaster, our self-esteem is (naturally) going to suffer; then, our trust and believe in ourselves are lost.

What is perfect timing? Many define it as being in the right place at the right time, other people as a kiss from Lady Luck. I define it as learning to be quiet enough that I can see the picture, appreciate the lesson, and wait for the direction that God has for me. I view perfect timing as God’s timing, separate from my human perception of how things should be and end. Learning that has made a difference in my life and how I define success and failure. Perfect timing is God’s speed.

Faith Moves Mountains

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Faith moves mountains. Jesus said that (Matthew 17:20). It is truth for Christians, or it should. Why is it so hard to believe what seems impossible? Maybe because of our human nature. We tend to focus on the problem more than the outcome. Faith is defined as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) That seems to go against our human nature, yet we have all the capacity for hope and conviction. It is in our darkest hour that we put that truth to the test. Our mountain suddenly seems insurmountable compared to our conviction at the moment; however, hope can only grow, and grow bigger than a mountain. Our assurance doesn’t come from our own human effort, but from the One who said that a little faith moves mountains.

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20-21

Whatever our mountain, let’s climb it with hope and conviction, eventually, it won’t be in our field of vision; it would have moved from the horizon.

The Passing of Time

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Photo by M.A.D.

It is a rainy day. As I sit in my favorite chair, I glance at the cedar trees that line up the driveway. They dance gently in the wind. The trees have grown so tall since the first time I saw them, back then, when we looked at the property. They were at most, three feet tall, growing wild and free. We considered getting rid of them to open up more land, but my love of pine trees convinced me to keep them all, and I am glad we did, because now, I can look at these trees and smile. They are so lovely, most of them towering over 25 feet, a testament to the passing of time.

I used to think that time is just human invention, human perception to guide humanity throughout the days while living in a material world. In a way, it is true; however, time is more than that. Nature speaks of it “all the time” throughout the seasons, the harvest, the growth of anything and everything on earth. Throughout the journey that each one of us sets on. Time is the silent keeper of our days. One has only to look outside, especially now that winter has given way to spring, and see how the landscape changes daily. Have you ever been amazed at how fast the trees grow their leaves? As if overnight.

The miracle of life throughout the eyes of time. Time becomes more precious when we don’t have enough of it. Youth doesn’t mind the passing of time in the same way, unless life depends on it. In late golden years, time becomes precious, almost borrowed, a divine gift of sorts. It takes on a different meaning; it becomes the friend and foe of life, a duality that only a soul who has lived well comprehends, while finding peace in that knowledge. The eternity of time suddenly seems to dissolve; it has a beginning and end.

When Miracles Leave a Trail

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Photo by M.A.D.

Ever been in a situation where no matter how much you analyze it there appears to be no solution? In those instances, one hopes for a miracle, and many prayers after, a miracle takes place. Most likely, one recognizes and appreciates the miracle, however, many times, it takes a while to comprehend the full impact of that miracle and all the backstage work (godly work) leading to it. Sometimes, it takes time to see the whole miracle as it unfolded. It is then, when we start discovering little pieces of information that come to us bit by bit, leading us to understand and comprehend the magnitude of a miracle. It is this trail of awe that makes us see in full completion the experience of it. If gratitude and awe were strong before, the trail of a miracle not only humbles us, but plants a seed of hope, faith, joy, and peace within.

One realizes that human reasoning has its limits, and when reached, faith and hope take over. If you have experienced a miracle, a happy resolution to what seemed like a hopeless situation, pay attention to the trail that it leaves, and your perspective (more so) will be changed.

Your Dream Might Overshadow Your Purpose

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Dreaming starts early in life. It starts wishing for favorite toys and things we want as kids, and it continues to evolve to more complex desires, material, such as a car or a house, and even nonmaterial things such as success, financial freedom, and so on. I don’t think that there is anyone on this planet that does not have at least one dream.

For many of us, our most precious dreams manifest late in life; other people never get to realize their dream, and others struggle all their life in pursuit of something that never materializes. Other people realize what they thought was their dream, was actually not after achieving it. Sometimes, our dreams can overshadow a main purpose. That is, we are so focused on achieving what we want (or think we want) that we forget the main objective, which might be different from our dream. For example, let’s say that I run a shop to raise money for a cause. The main purpose is to make as much money to benefit such cause. However, I had a dream of owning an upscale boutique, and the shop is fulfilling a small part of that dream, emotionally that is. Ideally, and keeping to the main purpose of raising money for a cause, I would price items at various price points to attract as many people as possible in order to achieve my main purpose. However, my own dream gets in the way and overshadows my main objective. I start thinking of more upscale items that will attract specific buyers, and not the number of customers I need coming through the doors in order to achieve the main purpose. In this example, my personal dream overshadowed my main objective which was to raise as much money as possible for a cause. Another example, it is also the case of parents who live their dream through their kids. The kid’s own dreams take second place and so does parenting. These are just two examples but this can apply to many things in life, including writing.

We are emotional beings and sometimes, the strings of the heart play a louder melody, thus deafening us to our main objective. To dream is in our nature, and so is to strive and achieve a purpose/objective. Sometimes, those two don’t necessarily align well. When in doubt, go back to the main objective.

We can think that the moon is a slice of cheese, or we can see it for what it is. (Photo by M.A.D.)

You Are Not What You Own

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I took this picture in 2012 or so; it still speaks to me. (Photo by M.A.D.)

The minute we open our eyes to receive a brand-new day we are bombarded by advertising, whether on the news, the items we already own, and it continues throughout our day. Whether we realize it or not, we are being sold something (material or other) all the time. It is no wonder that we feel the need to accumulate more things and think that we actually need most of these items to live. We have learned to build status, a persona, around these things, and many times, we confuse who we are with the number of things or status we possess. Society builds itself around opportunities to have and have more, as well as the perception other people have of what we own. If we don’t own, we might not feel at par with the rest and we feel diminished. Why is that?

We have placed more value on our material possessions than on the God-given gifts and abilities we have; we have become our possessions and to have less than what society expects of us is unacceptable for many people. If we don’t follow the herd, we feel marginalized because sometimes, we are. The day we open our eyes and wake up, that is the day that we realize that we are more than what we own, and that our human value surpasses all of that. We understand that any material items in our lives are a blessing and not an extension of our Self. Then, we become grateful and free, not controlled or cursed by our material possessions or even the emotional weight that these put on us. Gratefulness opens the door for generosity and sharing. The true essence of who we are starts to emerge.

Unexpected Blessings

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Recently, a very special friend who I have not seen in 8 years came to visit. I was so happy, full of joy to have seen my good friend again. It was an unexpected blessing. Life is full of unexpected blessings. Those usually appear when you need them most. Blessings that refresh your spirit and bring joy to your soul. Sometimes, those blessings are present and not that obvious because we are not attuned to these. In a fast-paced environment, life sometimes seems to go by quickly and we plug in to the speed of life, unaware of the blessings along the way.

Ever seen something “new” on a road/place you have been countless of times? Later, you find out that it has been there always, and you were not aware of it because you were not attuned to its presence. Many times, unexpected blessings have been there all along, but we failed to see them. Sometimes, we realize that what we wanted so much is what we already had but failed to see.

Finding Courage in the Midst of Uncertainty

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If you are like me, you want to know as much as possible about a subject before jumping to conclusions or making decisions. I detest half-answers or uncertainty. However, life is a mystery in certain ways, and we don’t always have all the information when we need it. It is part of what makes life worth living, in a way, full of challenges and mystery, usually when you least expect it; call it the lessons of life, sort of.

Uncertainty brings with it not only lack of information, but sometimes, half-truths, bad timing, and sometimes even fear of the unknown. How do you find courage in the midst of all that? How do you navigate through uncertainty in a sea of half-truths, unanswered questions, and lack of information when you want answers fast? Uncertainty drags the soul towards fear. Courage is found through hope, and hope through prayer. Prayer is the best tool when uncertainty lingers in your life and the dawn seems to take longer that you had hoped. Finding courage in the midst of uncertainty is just a prayer away.

The Question You Never Asked

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As writers developing a story, we have questions in the back of our mind. Questions about our characters, situations, details in the story… and much more. Many times, these questions define a character, personality, and its story within the main story. As writers we are not afraid to ask or answer those questions. As people, many times we avoid the questions and answers in our own story. Ever wanted to know the answer to a question you did not want to ask? Sometimes, the truth might hurt more than the question. Sometimes, the question you never asked is the answer you don’t want to know. Life is full of questions and answers; some questions are better left unanswered.

Freedom, Material Detachment

/ inkspeare

At the start of a new year, we are bombarded with commercials about weight loss, organizational systems, and anything that will sell a fresh start. Our society has embraced consumerism and “the more and bigger the better” modus operandi while taken it to new levels. This is a topic close to my heart and I should start by saying that I am not a minimalist, although I can appreciate all its benefits.

Throughout the years, I have learned to live with less and continue to do so. Each day is an opportunity to have one less material thing in my life. I still find beauty in things and certainly have my favorites. However, I have pared down quite a lot since I started my journey on living a simpler life. I honestly don’t see myself becoming a hardcore minimalist, but I truly believe in achieving a real balance between material needs and wants.

Pondering about this topic, the other day I asked myself the following question: What would I take with me if I were to leave my home? I find it a good mental and soul-searching exercise. One that lets you know how little you really need. I did this room by room, and my husband even played the game with me briefly, in our living room. The answer had to be significant for each item, and have meaning attached to it, a real reason for keeping the item. I was surprised at the very small number of items I came up with to keep (clothing did not count on this exercise, neither meds, etc.). The number really surprised me. I came up with less than 20 items in my entire home that had meaning and that I would consider taking along if I were to move. For example, my deceased grandmother’s rosary, and my deceased pet’s casted pawprints. It helped me understand a few truths. First, that I have more than I need. That not everything I own has meaningful value, and that I have detached from stuff considerably throughout the years. Also, that I can appreciate the beauty of something, I don’t necessarily need it, and I can live without it.

Many times, we spend so much money, energy, time, and effort in the material part of our existence without even realizing how much weight it puts on our daily living. I still like things, but I don’t need them for my existence or happiness; I think that is where real balance is found. When things don’t weigh in our lives and do not take priority over it, thus affecting other more important issues such as time, energy, financial well-being, time with loved ones … then, a balance has been found. This type of balance goes beyond decluttering. It is not just shedding stuff away, or of an organizational value, instead, it is centering and puts in perspective our material priorities and highlights meaningful value.

I encourage you to give this little exercise a try. It is eye opening, and fun too. Certainly freeing.