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Today is the first day of July, and marks the beginning of the second half of this year. The months seem to go by so quickly! I was remembering how at this time last year the law firm I was working for was in the final thirty days of operation and things were very stressful and chaotic. I am SO THANKFUL for not being in that environment anymore and for the peace and contentment of being able to stay at home.
Do you ever look back at your life to see if you've made progress, if you've grown in any way or achieved a new understanding? Our question of the week at the TToT blog asks about one of the things we've learned in the first half of this year. One of the things I've been practicing the hardest is to learn to exercise more faith, to live with less fear and anxiety and less stress over things I can't control. I preach the merits of living one day at a time, and I am thankful that I can say I have grown in that mindset... Let Go, let God. Take action on the things that you can, and when it comes to the things you can't, breathe and let go. In the end it will all work out as it should. Yes, I believe that, Pollyanna as it may seem.
I have noticed in recent months that my hearing grows progressively worse. Without my hearing aids there are so many sounds I miss and so many words I cannot understand. While I enjoy the muffled quiet when I am home alone, it is not a great experience when you are out in public and need to be aware and interact. There is not a day when I put my much too expensive hearing aids in my ears and can suddenly hear again, that I am not aware and thankful for how blessed I am to have them. My heart goes out to anyone who struggles with hearing issues that cannot be resolved or that they cannot afford to address. We take our hearing, our vision, and our mobility for granted until such time as these things become limited in our lives. I am thinking that we need to focus more on teaching children and adults to become aware of how wonderfully we are made and what gifts these things are!
With Independence Day coming up in America next Tuesday, freedom comes to mind. Being an Aquarian and loving freedom go hand in hand. Freedom is a precious gift to me because, like the quote above says, freedom is the power to live as one wishes. My heart breaks when I think of how many people on this Earth for one reason or another are deprived of even the very basic freedoms we take for granted.
I am thankful that I have the freedom to express myself both orally and in writing, and to state my thoughts and opinions on anything without fear of imprisonment or death.
I am thankful that I can choose what faith or religion I will embrace and how I will practice it.
I am thankful that I can choose where I will live and what kind of work I will do.
I am thankful that I can dress in whatever manner I feel is right for me, knowing that how I dress is a reflection of my values.
I am thankful that I can come and go as I please in this country without needing permission or to explain myself. As a woman, I am thankful that I can go out unaccompanied if I desire to.
I am thankful that I have access to education, and also to the Internet uncensored so that I can learn and expand my knowledge and awareness.
I am thankful that I can associate with anyone I choose to, no matter what their beliefs or affiliations may be.
In conjunction with the above and many more freedoms I am blessed with, I am thankful for the realization that all privilege comes with responsibility, and the knowledge that my freedom ends at the point where it impinges on the freedom of another.
And finally, I am thankful for the most powerful freedom that every human being possesses... the freedom to choose my attitude in response to any given circumstance. While there will be times that I do not like and cannot change what is happening, I will always have the power to choose how I will react. As the years pass I am learning to choose more wisely.
Blessings to you this week. Look for reasons to be thankful in your life, and remember to be a blessing to someone else!
* Descriptions of the included photos are being provided for those who may be unable to view the illustrations.
Oh, Wendy. You are such an excellent wordsmith. I know the "Let Go, Let God" philosophy is one that although, difficult, is the only way to deal with the stresses of everyday life and what is going on in the world. I was reminded of this when a niece said to me, "Don't worry, Aunt Val. It'll be okay. It's all written in His book." Dedicating your post to freedom, our precious freedom, is a wonderful testament to the USA on our birthday. I can appreciate the help of hearing aids, as my dad's life really improved after finally getting them. The hardest thing was blocking out the surrounding noises to concentrate on a conversation. Have a good week. "See you soon."
ReplyDeleteThank you, Val! Relinquishing control (or the control we try to have) in our lives is the most difficult thing of all, but the only way to have true peace in situations that bigger than us. I have to remind myself often to just let go and trust!
DeleteFreedom is such a precious gift, and we take it so for granted. I think of that every time I see the political posts on Facebook and how one could be easily imprisoned or even lose their life in some countries for the things that are said, and yet we remain free to speak our minds!
I am so glad your Dad found his hearing aids to be a blessing, I know those around him did. My father refused to get hearing aids, and struggled so hard to converse in group situations, I think if someone once tries them, they will be amazed at what they've been missing! It does take a little while for the brain to learn to filter out background noises again, at first even the jingling of my car keys in the car about drove me nuts, but eventually we don't notice background sounds anymore than a normal hearing person if good quality hearing aids are purchased. Sadly, they cost a lot, but the magazine cheapies are terrible and will be more of a stressor than a blessing, and soon end up in the drawer.
Enjoy your days at the beach, and more to come! Summer, sunshine and your smiles are synonymous in my mind! :-)
It is a huge blessing and freedom that we can choose our actions no matter what comes our way.
ReplyDeleteHope you are planning a fun Independence Day celebration!
It takes a long time to learn that, Mimi, that we don't have to be a victim of other people or circumstances, and we don't need to play the blame came. We alone control whether we will have inner peace or live in chaos. Learning to stay calm in the storm is a wonderful experience! I'm not perfect at it, but I am doing better.
DeleteWe will enjoy a nice quiet day together on the 4th, and the neighbors around us will light up the sky for us to enjoy as well!
"I am thankful for the most powerful freedom that every human being possesses... the freedom to choose my attitude in response to any given circumstance"
ReplyDeletePerfectly stated 'Key to Happiness'. There's an old saying, "The world is a feeling. You are responsible for how you feel."
Took me a long time (truth is, I'm still working on it) to accept what that statement implies. My first hurdle was to stop believing that responsibility equated to 'fault'. Surely people and events can cause negative consequences that affect me. The distinction I needed to learn (and am still practicing) is that despite the circumstances, even the behavior of people around me, my emotional state is mine and mine alone. Unless, of course, I relinquish that responsibility and then, as I was prone to do, say something to the effect, 'How can you make me feel this way.?'
Interesting topic. A lifetime of practice. We all (or some of us) seek out and follow different paths to the same end. That's one of the things that makes this 'hop stand out. The opportunity to identify with (in whole or in part) with other people as they make their way along the path.
Good TToT
That truly is the key to happiness and peace, Clark. We can't let other people decide how we will feel or react, we have to choose for ourselves. Nothing disarms nastiness faster than someone who is unflappable! :-)
DeleteI agree about shared journeys, and thus my favorite quotation, "We are all just walking each other home." Home being a more evolved state of understanding. It is only in the blogsphere that I finally was able to meet and connect with people whose path crossed my own or followed along side it for awhile. We can learn so much in our shared struggles and experiences and the company we keep here is awesome!!
AWESOME post!!! So glad you continue to grow and learn things about yourself and your abilities. Bummer about the ears! Thank God for mechanical adaptive equipment....i know i take an infinite number of things and abilities for granted every day!
ReplyDeleteI hope that I will continue to grown and learn more about myself until I take my last breath, Zoe. Life is a shared learning experience, and a joyful journey despite the struggles and short-term defeats.
DeleteThe hearing issue can be a little depressing at times, but I have the tremendous blessing of having access to hearing aids, without them I think I would feel very isolated and depressed.
The more we start seeing the everyday blessings in our lives the more we start feeling thankful for all we have, and we look for ways to help others, that's the magic of it... it develops a giving heart!
Time flies doesn't it? And the older we get the quicker it goes! It must be a wonderful, freeing feeling to not be on the clock any longer. I didn't know you worked in a law firm. I can well identify with the stress you were feeling, having worked in law firms for many years my self.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have no need for hearing aids at this point in my life, I have noticed I sometimes have difficulty being able to discern words spoken at certain decibels. Muffled is an apt descriptor. I agree with you - it is important to remind, teach, make kids aware of how precious our health is, how wonderous our bodies, and that for the most part it is up to us to take care of ourselves such that, barring the out of our control events, it is our responsibility to maintain our health as best we can.
"While there will be times that I do not like and cannot change what is happening, I will always have the power to choose how I will react. As the years pass I am learning to choose more wisely."
Well spoken. It is a challenge I embrace every day, to remind myself that how I feel is ultimately up to me. Pefect ending to your post.
Enjoy this long, holiday weekend!
Not being on the clock and under constant pressure to produce has changed my life entirely, Girlie! Many days I still am wide-eyed at what a blessing it is! Of course it brings the accompanying struggle to make our limited resources cover, but I have also learned to be a LOT more frugal and as we learn to live with less we are happier!
DeleteMy hearing issues have been progressing for about twenty years now, the ENT believing it is the result of toxic chemical spraying of crops. Not being able to understand conversations cleary made things very awkward at times in work and social situations, and I am so thankful that I can hear again with my hearing aids! I still enjoy the muffled effect at home, I love quiet, although "silent" cat meows are funny to see. :-)
We do need to teach and develop greater appreciation for our bodies and the importance of caring for them. As we get older the damage done is often hard if not impossible to remedy.
There is tremendous freedom in realizing no one can "make us" feel any certain way, unless we allow them to color our perspective. I make myself feel anxious or sad or angry... or peaceful, joyful and hopeful, it's all up to me. Since we do have a choice in the matter, why would we want to live in dark places? It feels so much better in the light!
I can only imagine how hard it would be to have been working in a law office and perhaps not hear something accurately when words usually need to be so exact. (Many years ago I took dictation when working for an attorney.) My mother's hearing is terrible even with hearing aides. I communicate with her at this stage of her life by writing on my iPad notes app. It is a one-sided communication for the most part now. I'm glad you are able to have good hearing aids.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is so important that we be ever grateful for our senses.
"Let go, let God" and "breathe and let go" are wonderful quotations to remember.
You have shared a wonderful TToT having to do with our liberties and things we must not take for granted.
Have a wonderful week.
After cataract surgery I can see clearly but now I can't hear well. Went to an ice cream social yesterday and it seemed a lot of people mumbled. Guess ears are next on the body fix agenda. Freedom is a blessing and it has responsibility attached to it. There is no freedom without thought, care, and respect for self and others. Ask anyone in prison; whether it be a prison with bars and guards or one that has the shackles of hate and prejudice. When we "Let Go and Let God" we are on our way to heaven on earth.
ReplyDeleteI am the QUEEN Pollyanna, so even when it seems nothing is going right, I always believe that things will work out somehow. And somehow, they always do. Your thankfuls are just terrific! I don't think many people stop to think about the freedoms we enjoy in our country. And I have always had a little trouble hearing when there is a lot of ambient noise, but my big problem is that I can't SEE anymore. I'm pretty sure it's just age-related and I need to give in and get bifocals.
ReplyDelete