|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
From The Ashes
The man plopped down on his chair, defeated. His father's maxims bit his ears and nagged him like tired Christmas jingles. "No pain, no gain. No guts, no glory. No risk no reward. Gotta' pay to play. You never know until you try." On and on. He sat, dazed, in a semi-trance, half-comatose, half numb, with tinges of remorse and disappointment punctuated by an occasional anxiety spike. He couldn't believe Dad had been gone almost five years. It seemed like yesterday that they would gather on the back porch to celebrate the victories, cry over the defeats and laugh about both. Dad always delivered the perfect line, the stern encouragement, the voice of wisdom that transcended the man's annoyance over the unflappable demeanor that smiled regardless, win or lose, rain or shine, day or night. "I'll have to face this one alone," he thought, smitten with a mix of terror and sadness. As if he knew how. A familiar paralysis crept over him like a slow-moving shadow, unobserved, adding darkness in tiny, imperceptible stages until it blocked all light, held him bound to his history, prisoner of his doubt. His eyes drooped, his hands fell limp, his neck crooned forward, listless and heavy. "YOU'RE JUST AFRAID," the voice bellowed in his head. "IT'S NOT REAL," it continued, "never is, never was. You know better." Startled awake, the man let his suppressed smile come through. "Yeah, Dad," he reflected, "I remember. Nothing to fear but the fear itself. Easy to say, not so easy to do-especially after having your butt handed to you on a platter-again." Still, the grin lingered, chased out some of the cobwebs. "Funny how fear works," the man mused, drawing on memories. "Freezes us into inaction, negates powerful lessons, shuts down our creative juice." All these and more, he had bantered at length on the porch over ?unsweetened ice tea and fat, salted Heinz pretzels in a big brown box. He wished he had one now. "Failures come and go-part of life," Dad preached. "Same as triumphs. Not the failure that sets you back, son, only the fear of failure." The man struggled to apply the notion to today, beaten once more, beaten and tired, a space where the desire to quit and pack it in held court in full regalia, so many jesters and wannabes heckling their own loserisms, taunts and jeers. "Told you so-should have listened-bail while you still can-get a real job-nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah?" "Only the FEAR of failure?" Dad's mandate. "That's all it is." The man wrestled in his mind. "I have failed many times and so what. I might succeed on the next one. Failure's not so bad, unless it traps me into never starting over." The man looked around the room, as if to conjure the image of his father, an involuntary shudder rippling down his spine. "I know, I know," he spoke out loud. "Sometimes it just takes me a minute." He pushed himself erect, picked up his chin and settled his gaze on the picture on the mantelpiece. "I know," he repeated. "I know." That's A View From The Ridge... About The Author Author Ridgely Goldsborough invites you to subscribe to The Daily Column, a heart-felt collection of stories that inspire hope and courage. Please do so at www.aviewfromtheridge.com.
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Inspirations: Even More Things Ive Noticed Along the Way So Far Some people live in and talk about the past so much it's as if they are "planning for the past." My name is Smarty Jones -- Embracing Gods Glory Our deepest fear us not that we are inadequate.Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyondmeasure. It is our light, not our darkness, thatmost frightens us?..We are born to manifest theglory of God that is within us?.And as we let ourown light shine, we unconsciously give otherpeople permission to do the same. Transform Old Grumpy This is a true story. A woman had Snow White and the Seven dwarfs in her yard as lawn ornaments. One morning she found that Grumpy was missing. The thorough search of the neighborhood and many inquiries were fruitless. Grumpy had vanished. Supercharge Your Dreams! We all accept the fact that the lighter the backpack, the easier and quicker the climb to the top of the mountain. We all understand that the lighter the load on an airplane, the higher and faster it can fly. We pay extra for high octane fuel so our car will operate more efficiently. Then why don't we apply the same wisdom to our bodies and our dreams? Mitigating Factors Direct Answers - Column for the week of September 30, 2002 Turning 40 Most of us, at one point or another, take a moment to evaluate our lives and the paths that we have chosen to take. We each do it at different times and with different emphasis. Sometimes people do it around high school or college graduation time, when deciding what career to pursue, how we want to be regarded by society, friends, and family or how to transition ourselves from a student to a grown up. Life After Death: The Story of the Green Donkey This is the true story of what Deepak Chopra would call a "Whopper". It is a story so touched with the hand of God it seems almost impossible to believe, and yet, there can be NO doubt for those of us who are believers that this really happened! How Do You Read the Bible? Here's a simple parable with an important moral. The Karate Kid I have an unexpected relationship problem. It's hard to believe it has become such an issue but it has. The whole thing started very innocently when my boyfriend and I were watching some silly action movie. The female heroine was kicking butt, and I mentioned to my boyfriend I took a semester's worth of judo classes in college and could probably give him a run for his money. Succeed by Whistling While You Work Mark Twain (1835-1910) believed that having fun is important if you want to be successful. Anam Chara - Healing the Heart Matters Are you prepared to make your heart matter? Are you prepared to feel whole, happy and healed of any heartache? Realistic Living " The fountain of content must spring up in the mind,and he who hath so little knowledge of human nature asto seek happiness by changing anything but his owndisposition, will waste his life in fruitless effortsand multiply the grief he purposes to remove." ?Samuel Johnson Caring in My Sisters Way: A Lesson On Judgement Last summer, I had an acute case of bronchitis. I was downright bummed. Summer for me meant sun, sand, sea?a gazillion trips to the mall or to my friends' houses, or to another province. I was supposed to exhaust every excess fat on my calves, thighs and belly to hours and hours of fun. Instead I was stuck in the house, stuck with bronchitis. Inspiration From Other People - Is It Worth Listening To A Film Star? Yesterday, I listened to an interview with Michael York, the film star. I listened half-heartedly at first and then with fascination. By the end of the conversation I had discovered at least one inspiring truth i.e. It is well worth listening to other people without prejudging what they can teach you. Silence Inside Silence means no voice input of any sort. What happens when there is silence? We cannot hear anything from the outside, but the voices inside are what we hear pretty clearly. We can hear ourselves. We can loudly hear to what we think and how we think, if we do. Create 10 Delightful Daily Habits Practising extreme self-care in our life involves practising good "daily" habits.Daily habits involve more than just exercising and eating right. They include all the things that bring us enjoyment and delight. The Power of Inner SELF I am sharing one of the great insights.The fear that we have about venturing into anything new is our past memories and darkness. There is a way out to walk in the darkness. It's to seek active guidance from within and trust deeply that we are guided from within. The intensity and accuracy of the guidance dependence on our contact with inner teacher/leader/light. In fact the fear is nothing but fear of being alone. Some day, we deeply and experientially understand that we are not alone but intimately and moment to moment guided by the inner teacher. Seek to be guided and your trust will never be faltered, you got to remove the thought that you are alone. Life is a Mystery...or is it? Being the last of three daughters, I was a suprise to my parents who were being very cautious about not having any more children. At the age of 30 my mother found out she was expecting her third child, and not very happy about it at that. All my life growing up I was constantly reminded how I was not planned for and consequently not really wanted. But thank goodness I was a good baby and actually turned out to be the best thing that ever came along. But, having this thought in the back of my head, it kind of formed the way I grew up. I actually believed that I was a "mistake" and therefore should not have been born in the first place. Where do misfits fit in? I know that my mother did not mean to instill these thoughts in me but they did have a major role in my self confidence. Directions For Life Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. Memorize your favorite poem. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want. When you say, "I love you", mean it. When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye. Believe in love at first sight. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely. In arguments, fight fair. Talk slow but think quick. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk. Call your mom. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze. Don't let a little disagreement ruin a great friendship. When you realize you've made a mistake, act immediately to fix it. Marry someone you love to talk to. As you grow old together, your ability to communicate will be more important than their physical attributes. Spend some time alone. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. Read more books and watch less TV. Try your best to create a loving atmosphere in your home - this is a vital factor that will contribute significantly to your children's happiness and your family's harmony. In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past. Read between the lines. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality. Be gentle with the earth...and yourself. Pray. There's immeasurable power in it. Don't trust someone who doesn't close their eyes when you kiss them. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before. If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it. Do not forget that your character is your destiny. The Ant Philosophy Over the years I've been teaching kids about a simple but powerful concept - the ant philosophy.
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |
