Posts Tagged ‘persistence’
Dale Beacock, my dearest friend.
If not for the tenacity of the rock, the warm, white, sandy beach would never have been born.
If not for the strength of the rock, the ocean’s tide would never turn.
If not for the resilience of the rock, the mountains would never rise above the storm.
If not for the rock’s ability to absorb and radiate the warmth of the sun, the Earth’s lesser creatures would never survive the winter cold.
You were my rock.
Your persistent belief in me gradually polished my rough edges into a smoother, more refined end.
The strength of your spirit guided me through the chaotic seas of self-doubt — turning the course of my life and redefining the potential my future held.
The resilience of your faith in me protected me from the Adversary’s wrath — giving my own faith time to grow strong enough to stand alone.
And your ability to absorb my love, the warmth of my wispered dreams, and the depth of meaning behind my words, and then radiate it all back to me when I needed it was a blessing and a miracle to me.
You were a rock to so many. But you were especially my rock, dear friend, and for that I thank you each and every day. I did not know I could miss another human being this much, but I know you are in a wounderous place and that someday I will see you again.
Until then I will try to remember all you taught me about myself, unconditional love, perseverance, inner joy, following my dreams, believing myself worthy, and of course the power of music to heal. I will try not to let myself become overwhelmed by the void left in my life and heart by your absence and instead reflect on everything you were to me. For 40 years your friendship helped to mold me into a better person. I pray in your absence I am able to continue to grow.
Rest in Peace, Dale, my friend, confidant, teacher, mentor, coach, protector, practice buddy, director and so much more…
I will always love you.
~BB
The Process of Change
Posted on: July 9, 2011
I’ve learned a lot about change management, from a business approach, during my coursework for my Masters. What is really cool about what I’ve learned, though, is that the concepts I’ve learned from this business perspective work equally well in other areas of my life. Change is frightening to all of us, be it personal, spiritual, or organizational.
That said, I’m not going to expound on those business principles here (not today anyway). This post is about one aspect of change that I am struggling with – and as usual it involves patience, or the lack thereof.
Sometimes I forget that sustainable change doesn’t happen in a moment. A person may be able to force themselves to act a certain way, or respond to a single stimulus in a way they have pre-determined, but to make that instance of change a permanent part of who they are takes time. It is a process. Individual events may inspire us and encourage us (i.e.: Yeah, I handled that difficult situation just the way I told myself I should!!!). They can motivate us, reaffirm our desire to make that change, and prompt us to make important decisions regarding that change. They can provide the knowledge and tools to get us started, or overcome that obstacle that has us stalled.
But events cannot suddenly bring us success. Growth comes from making decisions over and over again that are in our best interest and the best interest of all those we affect – and more importantly – following through on those decisions.
Dear Heavenly Father;
Yesterday ended last night. Help me remember this, Father, because no matter how badly I have failed in the past, it’s done, and today is a new day – a new chance to enact change in my life.
Help me remember also that my inability to respond to a single event in a way that would best serve the goals I have set for myself does not make me a failure. Lack of success is not failure. Success is a process, and being unsuccessful along the way is part of that process. I must remember that I can strive for perfection without losing hope every time I fall short. I’m supposed to fall short. We all are. It’s what we do with the lessons we learn from our “lack of successes” that either promote or demote us.
Each and every day, each and every hour, each and every minute, is a fresh, new opportunity to enact change in my life. Help me Lord to turn those feelings of failure into motivating factors to try again. Help me Lord to fail forward.
Amen
bonnieandtilly 