Here's why I'm not a hermit/recluse.
I hung out with a group of friends tonight... and one of them said something that sparked my thought juices.
She said... when we teach children that magic is bad... or magic is something that only lasts when you're a child - they can completely cut off a spiritual sense. For God is magical, in the sense of what we do not fully understood or see.
Witchcraft is evil. It is not even the same thing as some people who call themselves wiccan or pagan. It has to do with the exploitation of other people for power. It should never be confused with Harry Potter or investigated as a venue of harmless interest. Witchcraft is pure human trafficking.
But magic... the sense of wonder and awe... the fantasy world of heroes, adventure, and romance.... I am sad that semantics and cynicism cause us to limit the belief in that kind of magic.
Yes it is dangerous to think of God as a genii who will simply grant you what you want. Since he's alive and an independent being... it's highly doubtful he's going to cooperate with that kind of thinking. So you will be bitterly disappointed if you expect that. However, if you take away the mystery and the extraordinary unexplainable things of this life... then you take away an ability to sense the Lord and the Spirit working.
Sometimes you just need to believe in the impossible. You need to hope for something bigger than this existence. That is what we call faith... and magic. C. S. Lewis got it right in The Chronicles of Narnia.
"There is a magic deeper still..."
#magic #believeintheimpossible #C.S.Lewis
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Haunted
The psychosocial aspects of humanity are what truly get me excited and geeked out. I spent yesterday absorbed in chapter of pediatrics about self-perception issues. That quote about significance, worth, and competence was taken from it... but I didn't have the energy to expound upon it... and you probably don't care to hear about it anyway.
But bullying is a hot topic. It's all converging on me as I consider the people around me, the social media, what I'm studying, and my history. People in public often credit bullies for making them stronger. While I think there's some truth to that, I also think they would have been better off altogether without the bullying. Most of us have enough support and are strong enough to believe we are worthy and valuable despite what others may say, but those wounds given can never be taken back. We will always live haunted.
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| http://www.pinterest.com/pin/492649934822813/ |
Monday, September 29, 2014
My mind is blanking for a proper subject line...
Hey folks,
I had all sorts of profound things I could talk about, but today is officially my low energy, watch movies, eat beef day... AND I still managed to spend most of it doing homework in the gorgeous weather at a park and biking to my aunt's house and visiting with my grandmother. That's a record... because usually on this day I can barely get out of bed. I didn't even drink coffee and it was apparently "National Coffee Day" with free coffee everywhere.
At some point I'll have to tell you about the rattlesnakes... and the sermon... and my thoughts on the state of the world. But you're not really interested... and I can hardly keep my eyes open. Luckily, as I always say, we aren't worth what we accomplish.
We are simply worth it. Today I learned children need to feel significant, worthy, and competent. "Significance comes from having a sense of belonging; feeling loved and lovable, feeling secure, cared for and supported; and being accepted and understood unconditionally for who one is, not what one does...
Worthiness comes from understanding that as an individual YOU HAVE A PURPOSE IN LIFE. It is feeling valuable, acceptable... respecting and feeling good about oneself. It also has to do with being respected and accepted by others...
Competence comes from feeling capable, confident, adequate, in control, and able to approach new tasks and deal with life optimistically, hopefully, and with courage. Competence is one part of resilience - the inner strength to cope with any challenge one faces in life" (Burns, 2009, p. 348).
I hope that for all of you.
Liz
I had all sorts of profound things I could talk about, but today is officially my low energy, watch movies, eat beef day... AND I still managed to spend most of it doing homework in the gorgeous weather at a park and biking to my aunt's house and visiting with my grandmother. That's a record... because usually on this day I can barely get out of bed. I didn't even drink coffee and it was apparently "National Coffee Day" with free coffee everywhere.
At some point I'll have to tell you about the rattlesnakes... and the sermon... and my thoughts on the state of the world. But you're not really interested... and I can hardly keep my eyes open. Luckily, as I always say, we aren't worth what we accomplish.
We are simply worth it. Today I learned children need to feel significant, worthy, and competent. "Significance comes from having a sense of belonging; feeling loved and lovable, feeling secure, cared for and supported; and being accepted and understood unconditionally for who one is, not what one does...
Worthiness comes from understanding that as an individual YOU HAVE A PURPOSE IN LIFE. It is feeling valuable, acceptable... respecting and feeling good about oneself. It also has to do with being respected and accepted by others...
Competence comes from feeling capable, confident, adequate, in control, and able to approach new tasks and deal with life optimistically, hopefully, and with courage. Competence is one part of resilience - the inner strength to cope with any challenge one faces in life" (Burns, 2009, p. 348).
I hope that for all of you.
Liz
Sunday, September 28, 2014
God is near
“God, Who is everywhere, never leaves us. Yet He seems sometimes to be
present, sometimes to be absent. If we do not know Him well, we do not
realize that He may be more present to us when He is absent than when He
is present.” ~Thomas Merton
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| Photo credit: Me |
Saturday, September 27, 2014
No Place Like Home
Hello beautiful people!
I'm beginning to feel patched up... it's GORGEOUS Indian summer (I know... totally not PC to say it). Some of you don't even know what Indian summer is... let me wikipedia you into knowledge
"Indian summer is a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather that sometimes occurs in autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. The US National Weather Service defines this as weather conditions that are sunny and clear with temperatures above 21 °C (70 °F), occurring late-September to mid-November".
I have now replaced my tires (including the dead flat one) with ridiculously expensive new all season tires so I am ready for another deathmatch with Michigan winter, worked like a fiend on my research project, wrestled raspberries from the bushes, and taken some photography.
Exhibit A: Fantasia in a flower
Exhibit B: Self-portrait
I admit! Exhibit B is totally under the influence of MGG (that's a person not a drug... lol). He has a flair for wizardry of the charmingly bizarre. I wanted to honor that.
No flying monkeys though.
Time to get my nose back to the grindstone
Allons-y!
#WizardofOz #Gublernation #Indiansummer
I'm beginning to feel patched up... it's GORGEOUS Indian summer (I know... totally not PC to say it). Some of you don't even know what Indian summer is... let me wikipedia you into knowledge
"Indian summer is a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather that sometimes occurs in autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. The US National Weather Service defines this as weather conditions that are sunny and clear with temperatures above 21 °C (70 °F), occurring late-September to mid-November".
I have now replaced my tires (including the dead flat one) with ridiculously expensive new all season tires so I am ready for another deathmatch with Michigan winter, worked like a fiend on my research project, wrestled raspberries from the bushes, and taken some photography.
Exhibit A: Fantasia in a flower
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| Photo Credit: Me |
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| Photo credit: Mom |
No flying monkeys though.
Time to get my nose back to the grindstone
Allons-y!
#WizardofOz #Gublernation #Indiansummer
Friday, September 26, 2014
Frantic Friday: The Tale of Foolish Flats
Oh my gosh,
I'm so tired you have no idea.... seriously. I can hardly keep my eyes open and everything hurts. Today I woke up early to study and take an exam... then I cleaned house, packed up and headed to my parents.
I had adventures with semis and flat tires... ie: the semis did not allow me to merge and I ran over a colossal sharp metal object which resulted in immediate flat tire.
I amused myself by pretending to change the tire until dogs descended on me (I pulled off an exit in the country) and a white haired man appeared behind them. And having watched too much Criminal Minds... I braced myself for kidnappery and chains in a decrepit house... lol. Only a scruffy middle aged man in a red pickup appeared before the old man got to me... and asked if I needed help. My odds dwindled with two against one... hahaha. But I quickly determined they were both nice and helpful. My spare was on in a jiff.
And I was off to get home where I promptly did homework until dinner. Then I washed dishes (No one can every really comprehend how much I enjoy washing dishes... they think I'm just being nice. But I think doing dishes at your parents proves you like washing dishes... because no one ever wants to do dishes at home). Then I did even more homework and now I can hardly function.
So I'm going to watch Dr. Who with my dad. :)
The end.
I'm so tired you have no idea.... seriously. I can hardly keep my eyes open and everything hurts. Today I woke up early to study and take an exam... then I cleaned house, packed up and headed to my parents.
I had adventures with semis and flat tires... ie: the semis did not allow me to merge and I ran over a colossal sharp metal object which resulted in immediate flat tire.
I amused myself by pretending to change the tire until dogs descended on me (I pulled off an exit in the country) and a white haired man appeared behind them. And having watched too much Criminal Minds... I braced myself for kidnappery and chains in a decrepit house... lol. Only a scruffy middle aged man in a red pickup appeared before the old man got to me... and asked if I needed help. My odds dwindled with two against one... hahaha. But I quickly determined they were both nice and helpful. My spare was on in a jiff.
And I was off to get home where I promptly did homework until dinner. Then I washed dishes (No one can every really comprehend how much I enjoy washing dishes... they think I'm just being nice. But I think doing dishes at your parents proves you like washing dishes... because no one ever wants to do dishes at home). Then I did even more homework and now I can hardly function.
So I'm going to watch Dr. Who with my dad. :)
The end.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
The darkness is temporary
Dear beautiful people,
The problem (but also benefit) to writing every day is that you get the true narrative of life which includes the days where I can't see everything positively. It's an absolutely gorgeous day. I'm staring at the sun willing myself to feel motivated and hopeful and it just isn't working. Sometimes you cannot win against your body's chemical makeup.
If you came from the Sunshine blog... I want you to be prepared. I won't necessarily be inspirational or uplifting in this blog. And that's ok... haha at least it is with me. I think it's important to be truthful in life. You may not like it or agree with it, but at least it will be an honest account of my perception. Before I go further you should know that perceptions change. It's not always like this. The most important... I repeat CRUCIAL thing for someone who struggles with any type of depression is to remember that it will not always be like this.
The key to feeling hopeless is to know that despite your feelings... there is always hope.
You cannot force yourself to feel better, but you can keep yourself from spiraling further downward. I think a lot of people make depression worse by trying to change themselves and getting frustrated with their inability to will themselves into betterness. While I am not a person that needs medications, it is important for people to know that medications are actually needed. While cognitive thinking does help, sometimes it is not enough... and I repeat, you cannot think yourself into feeling better.
I like to write in this way to allow people to know that they are not alone in their experiences, but I also like to preface it by saying it is a temporary thing.
My general feeling of the day... "what's the point?"
I'm hoping someone will give me one, or two, or perhaps a constellation of them.
The problem (but also benefit) to writing every day is that you get the true narrative of life which includes the days where I can't see everything positively. It's an absolutely gorgeous day. I'm staring at the sun willing myself to feel motivated and hopeful and it just isn't working. Sometimes you cannot win against your body's chemical makeup.
If you came from the Sunshine blog... I want you to be prepared. I won't necessarily be inspirational or uplifting in this blog. And that's ok... haha at least it is with me. I think it's important to be truthful in life. You may not like it or agree with it, but at least it will be an honest account of my perception. Before I go further you should know that perceptions change. It's not always like this. The most important... I repeat CRUCIAL thing for someone who struggles with any type of depression is to remember that it will not always be like this.
The key to feeling hopeless is to know that despite your feelings... there is always hope.
You cannot force yourself to feel better, but you can keep yourself from spiraling further downward. I think a lot of people make depression worse by trying to change themselves and getting frustrated with their inability to will themselves into betterness. While I am not a person that needs medications, it is important for people to know that medications are actually needed. While cognitive thinking does help, sometimes it is not enough... and I repeat, you cannot think yourself into feeling better.
I like to write in this way to allow people to know that they are not alone in their experiences, but I also like to preface it by saying it is a temporary thing.
My general feeling of the day... "what's the point?"
I'm hoping someone will give me one, or two, or perhaps a constellation of them.
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| Photo and art credit: Me |
#Depression
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Burnt out
"Find a place where there is joy, and the joy will burn out the pain" Joseph Campbell
Also, get enough sleep.
I'm all used up today.
There's nothing
Left.
Also, get enough sleep.
I'm all used up today.
There's nothing
Left.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
When life gives you lemons...
Make honey chamomile tea in a bowl...
Say what?!
So... I don't have any mugs. Somehow, in my 26 years of living, I haven't managed to acquire a single mug. And my frugal self sees no reason to stock up now (besides the fact my overactive loving mother will probably purchase some for me if she ever sees this blog... which is quite unlikely)
As my favorite British man says, "You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me". That's C. S. Lewis by the way... not whom you might imagine to be a 26 year old girl's favorite British man. But he's the best!
Anyway, a bowl of tea is close enough to a boat of tea... which is close enough to throwing tea off boats... which was the beginning of my favorite American story. I don't know why I was so obsessed with the Revolutionary war... you'd think I was a bloodthirsty child or something. I really thought it was romantic. It must have been the way it was portrayed. Funny thing perception. I don't like war. I don't know how I feel about the "just war" debate. I tend to side with the Ghandi statement I posted Sunday. If I had to protect someone, I might fight... but if it was just me I'd rather kill than be killed. (Theoretically... there's no accounting for the survival instinct once it kicks in).
Where did that just come from?! Sorry complete derailment. I swear my mind never stops going. I really just wanted to write about the power of endorphins. I was having another tough evening. I mean really tough... shame, guilt, worthless complex and all. So I made myself run - because it's proven to help... and Wallah! I can write like a fiend about ridiculous topics and make you laugh... (maybe) and make me laugh (definitely). I feel purposeful, empowered, and content.
So, if you're having a bad day... take it from me. Exercise helps. I know it's not what you want to do. But it can truly improve your feelings and outlook on life. Also... have a boat of tea!
Laughingly yours,
Liz
#Whenlifegivesyoulemons, #C.S.Lewis #Endorphins
Say what?!
So... I don't have any mugs. Somehow, in my 26 years of living, I haven't managed to acquire a single mug. And my frugal self sees no reason to stock up now (besides the fact my overactive loving mother will probably purchase some for me if she ever sees this blog... which is quite unlikely)
As my favorite British man says, "You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me". That's C. S. Lewis by the way... not whom you might imagine to be a 26 year old girl's favorite British man. But he's the best!
Anyway, a bowl of tea is close enough to a boat of tea... which is close enough to throwing tea off boats... which was the beginning of my favorite American story. I don't know why I was so obsessed with the Revolutionary war... you'd think I was a bloodthirsty child or something. I really thought it was romantic. It must have been the way it was portrayed. Funny thing perception. I don't like war. I don't know how I feel about the "just war" debate. I tend to side with the Ghandi statement I posted Sunday. If I had to protect someone, I might fight... but if it was just me I'd rather kill than be killed. (Theoretically... there's no accounting for the survival instinct once it kicks in).
Where did that just come from?! Sorry complete derailment. I swear my mind never stops going. I really just wanted to write about the power of endorphins. I was having another tough evening. I mean really tough... shame, guilt, worthless complex and all. So I made myself run - because it's proven to help... and Wallah! I can write like a fiend about ridiculous topics and make you laugh... (maybe) and make me laugh (definitely). I feel purposeful, empowered, and content.
So, if you're having a bad day... take it from me. Exercise helps. I know it's not what you want to do. But it can truly improve your feelings and outlook on life. Also... have a boat of tea!
Laughingly yours,
Liz
#Whenlifegivesyoulemons, #C.S.Lewis #Endorphins
Monday, September 22, 2014
Mundane Mondays
Evening my cyberpeeps.
This is going to be disorganized and possibly not as optimistic as usual. I don't function well in the evening because I'm a morning girl. I'm kind of like Gawain... except I'm a girl and I don't have shining armor. If you don't know who that is... well then you need to spend some time with the Arthurian legend. Though on second thought, if we're discussing optimism... maybe drop that. I can never stand the ending to the Arthurian legend. Why must all things good and noble come to such a dirty end?
Anyway, in the evening and as the moon waxes and wanes (cuz now I'm also like a werewolf), I tend to become more morose. This morning I had half a dozen or so topics I considered expounding upon, but alas, now it all seems so futile. I am my lonely, little self and what use is it to this enormous, dangerous cyberspace? I often ask myself, why can't you be happy being small? Why do you want to be large and splashy? Sometimes I diagnose myself cruelly with narcissistic personality disorder. As far as you can tell, that could be true, but I can assure you it's not... mostly because I have the ability to empathize and could never be mistaken for being unemotional. But I am easily hurt or rejected and I do have fantasies of great success or attraction... Hence I'm hiding out in cyberspace hoping to become a viral hit. Hahahaha just kidding... sort of. ;)
I know that messiness will never become popular. A really brilliant person could take into account everything that is attractive and put it into an account. Actually a woman already did this. She created the perfect online dating profile. I attached the ted talk! Amy Webb
Here's the thing. You can put popularity into a formula and hijack it, but the problem is that I can't contort myself into that formula... and not for trying. I've probably tried to jam myself into that equation a million times and failed... Sometimes I fail with great actual success... like the time I got my public high school class to participate in buying a goat for Samaritan's Purse. What?! I know I'm super weird. And most of the time I'm pretty happy with it. It's just when the evening kicks in and I'm all alone, things can look pretty futile. I watch all the extroverted girls do it better. I watch the already famous people toting excellent causes. I wonder if I'm simply undesirable or completely delusional. I watch the trends getting attention and know I'll never be able to put on that kind of performance.
But I persevere. I remember that I committed to having one talent... and one talent alone: To love well. And I can love even if I am mess. I can love whether or not I'm popular. I can love when there is only one person around... myself. It's not a bad thing to love ourselves. We must first love ourselves in order to be able to love others. I may have forsaken becoming a famous soccer player, a world class pianist, an Olympic swimmer (that was never happening at five foot), or a brilliant researcher/doctor... but that was in order to become better at nursing, at listening, at being someone who never gives up on you, at learning how to deal with hurt without dishing hurt back, at setting boundaries without breaking hearts, at walking with people in every day life. And that is someone who will never make the headlines.
So I remind myself of the Mother Teresa quote I have already used... "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love"
#Tedtalks #MotherTeresa #Popularity #Onlinedating #Arthurianlegend
This is going to be disorganized and possibly not as optimistic as usual. I don't function well in the evening because I'm a morning girl. I'm kind of like Gawain... except I'm a girl and I don't have shining armor. If you don't know who that is... well then you need to spend some time with the Arthurian legend. Though on second thought, if we're discussing optimism... maybe drop that. I can never stand the ending to the Arthurian legend. Why must all things good and noble come to such a dirty end?
Anyway, in the evening and as the moon waxes and wanes (cuz now I'm also like a werewolf), I tend to become more morose. This morning I had half a dozen or so topics I considered expounding upon, but alas, now it all seems so futile. I am my lonely, little self and what use is it to this enormous, dangerous cyberspace? I often ask myself, why can't you be happy being small? Why do you want to be large and splashy? Sometimes I diagnose myself cruelly with narcissistic personality disorder. As far as you can tell, that could be true, but I can assure you it's not... mostly because I have the ability to empathize and could never be mistaken for being unemotional. But I am easily hurt or rejected and I do have fantasies of great success or attraction... Hence I'm hiding out in cyberspace hoping to become a viral hit. Hahahaha just kidding... sort of. ;)
I know that messiness will never become popular. A really brilliant person could take into account everything that is attractive and put it into an account. Actually a woman already did this. She created the perfect online dating profile. I attached the ted talk! Amy Webb
Here's the thing. You can put popularity into a formula and hijack it, but the problem is that I can't contort myself into that formula... and not for trying. I've probably tried to jam myself into that equation a million times and failed... Sometimes I fail with great actual success... like the time I got my public high school class to participate in buying a goat for Samaritan's Purse. What?! I know I'm super weird. And most of the time I'm pretty happy with it. It's just when the evening kicks in and I'm all alone, things can look pretty futile. I watch all the extroverted girls do it better. I watch the already famous people toting excellent causes. I wonder if I'm simply undesirable or completely delusional. I watch the trends getting attention and know I'll never be able to put on that kind of performance.
But I persevere. I remember that I committed to having one talent... and one talent alone: To love well. And I can love even if I am mess. I can love whether or not I'm popular. I can love when there is only one person around... myself. It's not a bad thing to love ourselves. We must first love ourselves in order to be able to love others. I may have forsaken becoming a famous soccer player, a world class pianist, an Olympic swimmer (that was never happening at five foot), or a brilliant researcher/doctor... but that was in order to become better at nursing, at listening, at being someone who never gives up on you, at learning how to deal with hurt without dishing hurt back, at setting boundaries without breaking hearts, at walking with people in every day life. And that is someone who will never make the headlines.
So I remind myself of the Mother Teresa quote I have already used... "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love"
#Tedtalks #MotherTeresa #Popularity #Onlinedating #Arthurianlegend
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Sunday rest
I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the
good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent ~ Gandhi
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| Photo credit: Me |
Post script: The secret to making really good brownies is to add Reese's peanut butter cups and under-bake slightly.
Love,
Liz
Saturday, September 20, 2014
A conglomeration rant of nothingness.... basically my normal messy life
Glog!
That's my expletive/groan for the night. I have to psych myself into going to a birthday party. No really. I was excited to go until one word...beer. No make that two words. CHEAP BEER was advertised.
OK. So tonight is not the night you want me to discuss my issues with alcohol... I'll scare you away for ever and ever... just like every single male and (mostly) female I've ever met. I can name three friends who don't think I'm crazy for hating alcohol as much as I do. And none of us have boyfriends... or friends. Haha kidding! They all have plenty of friends. I'm the only one struggling... although... facebook does tell me I have over 700 friends. Never mind facebook. We already went over the tenuous position social media has on friendship.
Anyway, I'm blabbing. This is what happens when you work 12 hour shifts... I told you my writing would deteriorate quickly. But seriously, you have no idea what it's like to pick up a team of 5 patients, discharge 2, turn over the remaining 3 in order to pick up another 3 at 3pm, all of whom you have to assess and then haul over to another unit by 7pm. I mean haul too... have you ever seen a hospital bed? Picture that with a 200lb+ patient in it... and then put skinny little 5 ft me behind it!!!!! Thank you for that mental picture.
What's worse, I can tell I'm getting old! My back hurts. Glog! I can't be getting old. What is this nonsense? Aches and pains? No comprendo. So I don't want to go to a birthday party to fend off loud, overfriendly, uncreative expletive using, stupid conversationalists. And yes I realize I sound like a complete jerk. It's the introvert coming out. Sighs. Maybe the optimist will come back if I leave the introvert alone for a while... #Multiplepersonalitydisorder... but not really.
OK now maybe I've psyched myself into the motivation to clean up, dress up, make a treat, and go to the party for 15 minutes before I have to leave to go to bed so I can go to work again tomorrow. Glog...
#Lifeafterwork #Cheapbeer #Gettingold #Introvert
That's my expletive/groan for the night. I have to psych myself into going to a birthday party. No really. I was excited to go until one word...beer. No make that two words. CHEAP BEER was advertised.
OK. So tonight is not the night you want me to discuss my issues with alcohol... I'll scare you away for ever and ever... just like every single male and (mostly) female I've ever met. I can name three friends who don't think I'm crazy for hating alcohol as much as I do. And none of us have boyfriends... or friends. Haha kidding! They all have plenty of friends. I'm the only one struggling... although... facebook does tell me I have over 700 friends. Never mind facebook. We already went over the tenuous position social media has on friendship.
Anyway, I'm blabbing. This is what happens when you work 12 hour shifts... I told you my writing would deteriorate quickly. But seriously, you have no idea what it's like to pick up a team of 5 patients, discharge 2, turn over the remaining 3 in order to pick up another 3 at 3pm, all of whom you have to assess and then haul over to another unit by 7pm. I mean haul too... have you ever seen a hospital bed? Picture that with a 200lb+ patient in it... and then put skinny little 5 ft me behind it!!!!! Thank you for that mental picture.
What's worse, I can tell I'm getting old! My back hurts. Glog! I can't be getting old. What is this nonsense? Aches and pains? No comprendo. So I don't want to go to a birthday party to fend off loud, overfriendly, uncreative expletive using, stupid conversationalists. And yes I realize I sound like a complete jerk. It's the introvert coming out. Sighs. Maybe the optimist will come back if I leave the introvert alone for a while... #Multiplepersonalitydisorder... but not really.
OK now maybe I've psyched myself into the motivation to clean up, dress up, make a treat, and go to the party for 15 minutes before I have to leave to go to bed so I can go to work again tomorrow. Glog...
#Lifeafterwork #Cheapbeer #Gettingold #Introvert
Friday, September 19, 2014
Teachers
"If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day; if you teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime"
~Chinese proverb
Hullo folks!
I've been steadily slogging through my homework today. I'm about to turn blue in the face... so I'll probably write this post and then go for a run.
The most fascinating thing about being in a doctoral program is to realize how much all the learning acquired in the past 20 years of schooling connects - and the true value of education. The single most important thing I've learned in furthering my education... is how much we impact each other.
I've come to realize that I have a lot of friends from very different backgrounds. And all of those who are not of the same socioeconomic level have had some detrimental affect to their health. They never had dental care as a child - and now have cavities and crowns galore. They grew up smoking and will probably never be able to stop. They don't have health insurance and end up severely in debt when a crisis requiring a hospital occurs. No one ever told them how to love themselves or stop negative thinking, so now they've hit a cycle of depression which will take medications to overcome.
It's not that people of higher socioeconomic status don't have problems too. It's just that you will undoubtedly have problems flourishing and being as healthy as possible if you lack the knowledge and resources.
So what shocks me is how little we use our knowledge and ability to reach those who have not. It's not just the government's problem to get everyone access to health care. It's also not just about giving money to the homeless person. And finally, it's not a one time deal. You can't just come into someone's life and say "stop smoking... it's going to kill you" and expect them to change. Promoting health and life is about spending time with people who are different from you, consistently modeling a healthy lifestyle yourself, and sharing the knowledge you have.
For example, when you help someone get out of a rut of negative thinking, you are basically teaching them behavioral cognitive techniques. Those of us who grew up in loving families, or at least one good teachers, sports coach, grandmother, friend etc., may have learned those skills from someone. But there are people out there who have no one - not one person who shows interest in having an invested relationship with them. Remember the post on true poverty?
So there are a few take home points in this post
1) Invest in relationships in general
2) Invest in relationships with people who are different from you
3) Never underestimate your ability to positively impact/teach someone through your words and actions. We are all teachers.
4) Real education takes a relationship
#Education #Teachersrock #Healthypeople2010 #Shalom
~Chinese proverb
Hullo folks!
I've been steadily slogging through my homework today. I'm about to turn blue in the face... so I'll probably write this post and then go for a run.
The most fascinating thing about being in a doctoral program is to realize how much all the learning acquired in the past 20 years of schooling connects - and the true value of education. The single most important thing I've learned in furthering my education... is how much we impact each other.
I've come to realize that I have a lot of friends from very different backgrounds. And all of those who are not of the same socioeconomic level have had some detrimental affect to their health. They never had dental care as a child - and now have cavities and crowns galore. They grew up smoking and will probably never be able to stop. They don't have health insurance and end up severely in debt when a crisis requiring a hospital occurs. No one ever told them how to love themselves or stop negative thinking, so now they've hit a cycle of depression which will take medications to overcome.
It's not that people of higher socioeconomic status don't have problems too. It's just that you will undoubtedly have problems flourishing and being as healthy as possible if you lack the knowledge and resources.
So what shocks me is how little we use our knowledge and ability to reach those who have not. It's not just the government's problem to get everyone access to health care. It's also not just about giving money to the homeless person. And finally, it's not a one time deal. You can't just come into someone's life and say "stop smoking... it's going to kill you" and expect them to change. Promoting health and life is about spending time with people who are different from you, consistently modeling a healthy lifestyle yourself, and sharing the knowledge you have.
For example, when you help someone get out of a rut of negative thinking, you are basically teaching them behavioral cognitive techniques. Those of us who grew up in loving families, or at least one good teachers, sports coach, grandmother, friend etc., may have learned those skills from someone. But there are people out there who have no one - not one person who shows interest in having an invested relationship with them. Remember the post on true poverty?
So there are a few take home points in this post
1) Invest in relationships in general
2) Invest in relationships with people who are different from you
3) Never underestimate your ability to positively impact/teach someone through your words and actions. We are all teachers.
4) Real education takes a relationship
#Education #Teachersrock #Healthypeople2010 #Shalom
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Family
Foiled again!
I was thinking I wouldn't have much time to post today because I had clinicals until 4pm today, was going to try to get a load of laundry done, and then have Family Promise training. But alas, my clinical instructor came down with strep. Lest you think I wasted my precious, caffeinated, energized morning self - I immediately dove into deep cleaning the house. And by deep cleaning, I mean DEEP cleaning. You know what I always find the most disturbing? How dusty the molding gets... I mean it's the molding for goodness sake!
Anyway, so here I am. It's only 10:30 in the morning and I've managed to clean the entire house to the nth degree which gives me no excuse to put off studying...
Except for writing here of course.... though who am I kidding? No one is reading this. There is a classic episode of criminal minds where the SK (serial killer) is picking women off facebook; and it pretty much made me roll over laughing. There's a point when Rossi states "Can somebody explain to me the appeal of these sites? Eating sushi tonight yummm.... Boss is keeping me late at work grrrr. Who's life is so important that we'd be interested in this kind of detail?" What Morgan replies is so telling.
"I don't know. I guess that's the running joke right? I mean nobody is... but we'd all like to believe there's actually an audience out that that wants to follow our every move"
I think about that episode just about every time I write a post now. I don't believe there are people out there who want to hear all about my deep cleaning. You have to be of celebrity status for people to attribute importance or show ridiculous interest in your normal every day life. It is preposterous and kind of laughable what we find interesting about celebrities. I don't have the arrogance to believe there's an audience out there that wants to follow my every move... Heck I can track how many people check out this blog... and I can tell you it's like zip. So why do I do it? And why do we do it as a culture?
Let's revisit the shared experience thing... and factor in the warped experience of loneliness. I think that people are lonely. Loneliness hits us in every state of life - it doesn't spare us according to socioeconomics, race, sexual orientation, even celebrity status. How we are known and by whom... is very limited. Whether because of trust issues, betrayal, hurt, messed up childhood relationships, etc. or just the hectic busyness of life, we find it difficult to let people into our lives. And yet, we all desire close connections.
Look at Criminal Minds! Why did it stay so popular? I think a lot of it has to be attributed to the family culture highlighted in the show. We all want a tight knit community of people we can depend on. We want people who will fight for us, protect us, make fun of us, understand us, and even challenge us. We want to feel like there are people who will be irrevocably affected if we were to leave. Social networking allows us to feel like we're connected... not quite to that degree, but it does allow us to share experiences across time and space. And I think if used correctly, it can enhance relationships, but most of the time, it is used in a way deserving of Rossi's appalled reaction.
I get lonely too... and I don't just write to a cyberworld to deal with it... I actively choose a person or family to spend time with. Staying and feeling connected to people isn't as easy as it looks on TV. It requires time, energy, and the ability to initiate connection. Don't be discouraged, even if you're always the one initiating. Just make sure you find people who are worth it. So that's why I write... because I think the experiences we have do help each other. When shared, they help us know we are not alone, there are solutions to problems, and there are people who care.
#Criminalminds #Family #Youarenotalone
I was thinking I wouldn't have much time to post today because I had clinicals until 4pm today, was going to try to get a load of laundry done, and then have Family Promise training. But alas, my clinical instructor came down with strep. Lest you think I wasted my precious, caffeinated, energized morning self - I immediately dove into deep cleaning the house. And by deep cleaning, I mean DEEP cleaning. You know what I always find the most disturbing? How dusty the molding gets... I mean it's the molding for goodness sake!
Anyway, so here I am. It's only 10:30 in the morning and I've managed to clean the entire house to the nth degree which gives me no excuse to put off studying...
Except for writing here of course.... though who am I kidding? No one is reading this. There is a classic episode of criminal minds where the SK (serial killer) is picking women off facebook; and it pretty much made me roll over laughing. There's a point when Rossi states "Can somebody explain to me the appeal of these sites? Eating sushi tonight yummm.... Boss is keeping me late at work grrrr. Who's life is so important that we'd be interested in this kind of detail?" What Morgan replies is so telling.
"I don't know. I guess that's the running joke right? I mean nobody is... but we'd all like to believe there's actually an audience out that that wants to follow our every move"
I think about that episode just about every time I write a post now. I don't believe there are people out there who want to hear all about my deep cleaning. You have to be of celebrity status for people to attribute importance or show ridiculous interest in your normal every day life. It is preposterous and kind of laughable what we find interesting about celebrities. I don't have the arrogance to believe there's an audience out there that wants to follow my every move... Heck I can track how many people check out this blog... and I can tell you it's like zip. So why do I do it? And why do we do it as a culture?
Let's revisit the shared experience thing... and factor in the warped experience of loneliness. I think that people are lonely. Loneliness hits us in every state of life - it doesn't spare us according to socioeconomics, race, sexual orientation, even celebrity status. How we are known and by whom... is very limited. Whether because of trust issues, betrayal, hurt, messed up childhood relationships, etc. or just the hectic busyness of life, we find it difficult to let people into our lives. And yet, we all desire close connections.
Look at Criminal Minds! Why did it stay so popular? I think a lot of it has to be attributed to the family culture highlighted in the show. We all want a tight knit community of people we can depend on. We want people who will fight for us, protect us, make fun of us, understand us, and even challenge us. We want to feel like there are people who will be irrevocably affected if we were to leave. Social networking allows us to feel like we're connected... not quite to that degree, but it does allow us to share experiences across time and space. And I think if used correctly, it can enhance relationships, but most of the time, it is used in a way deserving of Rossi's appalled reaction.
I get lonely too... and I don't just write to a cyberworld to deal with it... I actively choose a person or family to spend time with. Staying and feeling connected to people isn't as easy as it looks on TV. It requires time, energy, and the ability to initiate connection. Don't be discouraged, even if you're always the one initiating. Just make sure you find people who are worth it. So that's why I write... because I think the experiences we have do help each other. When shared, they help us know we are not alone, there are solutions to problems, and there are people who care.
#Criminalminds #Family #Youarenotalone
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Fear
It's funny what we're conditioned to fear...
Though maybe funny isn't the correct terminology.
When we're little, it's the ghouls and the dark.
When we're older, it's rejection, shame, being wrong, failing.
I like to think that I'm not afraid. I did conquer my fear of the dark as a child in one conversation with God. I also got (mostly) over my horror at skeletons (mostly because as a nursing student you can't avoid them).
But I haven't gotten over my fear of rejection. My heart still seizes when a friend doesn't answer a phone call for two days, or an acquaintance ignores a wave their way.
Psychologists try to tell me it's engrained in my makeup. I was adopted at 3 months. Therefore, my bonding was interrupted not once, but twice. I don't believe them. I think it has more to do with the people I meet every day. People who show themselves incapable of accepting so many different people.
I can't understand not loving people. I started OB-GYN this rotation. I can't help wanting to eradicate the fear and shame on a woman's face who has had an abortion. While I vehemently despise the action since it could have stopped me from writing this (never forget abortion kills), I also despise the fear and hatred we place on others because of an action. If life is of utmost value, why stamp it down in a woman already struggling? Where is the life in that?
I'm still haunted by the fear created by others. So are many others. Let's not create more fear out of our own.
#Chooselife #Stoprejection
Liz
Though maybe funny isn't the correct terminology.
When we're little, it's the ghouls and the dark.
When we're older, it's rejection, shame, being wrong, failing.
I like to think that I'm not afraid. I did conquer my fear of the dark as a child in one conversation with God. I also got (mostly) over my horror at skeletons (mostly because as a nursing student you can't avoid them).
But I haven't gotten over my fear of rejection. My heart still seizes when a friend doesn't answer a phone call for two days, or an acquaintance ignores a wave their way.
Psychologists try to tell me it's engrained in my makeup. I was adopted at 3 months. Therefore, my bonding was interrupted not once, but twice. I don't believe them. I think it has more to do with the people I meet every day. People who show themselves incapable of accepting so many different people.
I can't understand not loving people. I started OB-GYN this rotation. I can't help wanting to eradicate the fear and shame on a woman's face who has had an abortion. While I vehemently despise the action since it could have stopped me from writing this (never forget abortion kills), I also despise the fear and hatred we place on others because of an action. If life is of utmost value, why stamp it down in a woman already struggling? Where is the life in that?
I'm still haunted by the fear created by others. So are many others. Let's not create more fear out of our own.
#Chooselife #Stoprejection
Liz
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Bleeding Hearts
I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.
~Mother Teresa
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| Photo credit: Me |
#MotherTeresa
Shared experiences unbounded by time or circumstance
Here's another thing that has the possibility to redeem social media and especially the blogging and writing aspect.
We make relationships by building on shared experiences... right? The thing about blogs and books is that they promote permanency. Obviously, they will eventually be lost to the world in the future (I have no imperious aspirations for immortality), but what is meritable about writing is that it can meet people in their experiences at different times.
What I'm saying may not pertain to you at this moment that I'm typing, but it could become important or meaningful later. The internal pressure to write has not come from the need to write something entirely new, brilliant, and deserving of fame... the pressure comes from knowing that shared experiences are what get us through life. Since people are utilizing blogging and social media more and more, why not capitalize on a resource (Oh so American of me) people might tap into at any given moment? In business terms, it's called good networking. In my terms, it's called the grace of a crazy farmer.
So dust off your memories of Sunday school... remember that parable about the farmer who's sowing seeds which end up on the path, weeds, or rocks? Preachers always harp on which type of soil you are... (I apologize... it's not like you can manure yourself into good soil). No the miracle of the story is the fact the farmer is throwing his seed to the wind willy-nilly! You don't have to be deserving of the seed to receive it. What most people don't realize about God, is that he is full of grace and generosity. That is the most important thing you need to know. God doesn't expect you to clean up your skubala into good soil (that's Greek for... well you know) Although, I must say manure does make great soil. There's a metaphor in there somewhere... but I don't feel like dumpster diving. AHEM. Rabbit trail. But seriously. When I write into the black hole of cyberspace, where I know nothing is ever erased, I throw out my words with that same sweeping stroke of the gracious farmer. Wherever these words may land... I hope they will blossom into hope, love, and trust.
Or maybe I'm just crazy. This is a definite possibility. :)
Liz
#Sowingseeds #Grace #Blackholes
We make relationships by building on shared experiences... right? The thing about blogs and books is that they promote permanency. Obviously, they will eventually be lost to the world in the future (I have no imperious aspirations for immortality), but what is meritable about writing is that it can meet people in their experiences at different times.
What I'm saying may not pertain to you at this moment that I'm typing, but it could become important or meaningful later. The internal pressure to write has not come from the need to write something entirely new, brilliant, and deserving of fame... the pressure comes from knowing that shared experiences are what get us through life. Since people are utilizing blogging and social media more and more, why not capitalize on a resource (Oh so American of me) people might tap into at any given moment? In business terms, it's called good networking. In my terms, it's called the grace of a crazy farmer.
So dust off your memories of Sunday school... remember that parable about the farmer who's sowing seeds which end up on the path, weeds, or rocks? Preachers always harp on which type of soil you are... (I apologize... it's not like you can manure yourself into good soil). No the miracle of the story is the fact the farmer is throwing his seed to the wind willy-nilly! You don't have to be deserving of the seed to receive it. What most people don't realize about God, is that he is full of grace and generosity. That is the most important thing you need to know. God doesn't expect you to clean up your skubala into good soil (that's Greek for... well you know) Although, I must say manure does make great soil. There's a metaphor in there somewhere... but I don't feel like dumpster diving. AHEM. Rabbit trail. But seriously. When I write into the black hole of cyberspace, where I know nothing is ever erased, I throw out my words with that same sweeping stroke of the gracious farmer. Wherever these words may land... I hope they will blossom into hope, love, and trust.
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| Photo credit: http://www.fantasywire.co.uk/index.html |
Liz
#Sowingseeds #Grace #Blackholes
If a tree yells for help in the forest before falling...
Good evening mates!
I just made myself "everything but the kitchen sink dinner" which consists of a little butter, apples, onions, potatoes, corn, zucchini, polish sausage, Worcestershire sauce (say that ten times fast), and a pinch of brown sugar. Yeah. Not sure what I was thinking... state of my psyche currently.
Last night, I wrote this, "Ask, seek, knock. We're conditioned as a culture to be independent and strong. As women, especially, we fear being seen as needy. As men, we fear looking weak. As Christians (some of us) feel that to ask is to show we are not content... or God is not enough. And sometimes it's just too much effort to ask for help. But if you feel like there is no other way out, if you feel stuck, hopeless, overwhelmed, or like the pain can only be remedied with more pain... then you need to get that help. You need to call that friend who will always answer their phone. You need to call that hotline. You need to schedule an appointment with a counselor. You need to take the meds even if you hate them. Don't be ashamed. Don't be afraid. You are strong. Prove it by making the first move."
Today as I sat down to my insane dinner, I thought "If a tree yells for help in the forest before falling... maybe someone will actually hear it make a sound and come to its aid". (This is probably a direct result of the food I was eating) Ahem, Rabbit trails.
The point is... asking for help is something that's so hard to do. I don't know why, but it is. I'm working up to it myself. I got home today and felt horribly lonely. In times like these, sometimes we feel like everything would be better if someone happened to call or text us and say how much they love us. It seems awkward instead to do the initiation yourself. And no... you probably aren't going to call someone up and ask them to tell you how much they love you... hahaha. But initiating any conversation at all when you're lonely is a lot better than sitting beside a phone pitying yourself for endless hours because no one has thought to say hello. I can guarantee, people almost never call when you want them to (they call when you're in the shower or at work... or making insane dinners). If you don't ask for help, or make the first moves... you're going to end up falling over like that tree in the forest without anyone knowing. And that would be tragic. I know. Because you're worth it.
So be brave. Ask for help. It's a good thing. I practice it regularly.
Busy Lizzie in a Cooking Tizzy... oh dear :)
#Defeatdepression #Conundrums #Ask
I just made myself "everything but the kitchen sink dinner" which consists of a little butter, apples, onions, potatoes, corn, zucchini, polish sausage, Worcestershire sauce (say that ten times fast), and a pinch of brown sugar. Yeah. Not sure what I was thinking... state of my psyche currently.
Last night, I wrote this, "Ask, seek, knock. We're conditioned as a culture to be independent and strong. As women, especially, we fear being seen as needy. As men, we fear looking weak. As Christians (some of us) feel that to ask is to show we are not content... or God is not enough. And sometimes it's just too much effort to ask for help. But if you feel like there is no other way out, if you feel stuck, hopeless, overwhelmed, or like the pain can only be remedied with more pain... then you need to get that help. You need to call that friend who will always answer their phone. You need to call that hotline. You need to schedule an appointment with a counselor. You need to take the meds even if you hate them. Don't be ashamed. Don't be afraid. You are strong. Prove it by making the first move."
Today as I sat down to my insane dinner, I thought "If a tree yells for help in the forest before falling... maybe someone will actually hear it make a sound and come to its aid". (This is probably a direct result of the food I was eating) Ahem, Rabbit trails.
 |
| Photo credit: Me |
The point is... asking for help is something that's so hard to do. I don't know why, but it is. I'm working up to it myself. I got home today and felt horribly lonely. In times like these, sometimes we feel like everything would be better if someone happened to call or text us and say how much they love us. It seems awkward instead to do the initiation yourself. And no... you probably aren't going to call someone up and ask them to tell you how much they love you... hahaha. But initiating any conversation at all when you're lonely is a lot better than sitting beside a phone pitying yourself for endless hours because no one has thought to say hello. I can guarantee, people almost never call when you want them to (they call when you're in the shower or at work... or making insane dinners). If you don't ask for help, or make the first moves... you're going to end up falling over like that tree in the forest without anyone knowing. And that would be tragic. I know. Because you're worth it.
So be brave. Ask for help. It's a good thing. I practice it regularly.
Busy Lizzie in a Cooking Tizzy... oh dear :)
#Defeatdepression #Conundrums #Ask
Monday, September 15, 2014
Psyche
Good morning beautiful people,
Apparently, there was no need of me at work until 3 pm today, which is a good for the mental state, but bad for the income. As it is, I'm already part time... because crazy me... I decided to get a doctoral degree. So actually, perhaps it's not so good for the mental state because I'm half out of my mind with boredom and now worried about income. I've already done school work, so here I am gabbling away making little sense.
The human mind absolutely fascinates me. I opened my refrigerator to grab myself lunch and had a flashback to a dream last night. I dreamed that my broccoli slaw (which I've had since August) went bad. Yes. These are the things I dream about. Completely titillating I know. What we worry most about and what lies in the subconscious are very revealing. Apparently, I have a huge fear of being wasteful... or more likely it's a fear of being a disappointment.
I hold myself up both to enormously lofty standards and prolificly petty standards... probably because of my prodigious childhood existence. People often complain of being profiled as crooks, prostitutes, or lazy... but I think it can also be detrimental to be profiled as intelligent, responsible, and instrumental to "great things". You are forever haunted by people's expectations. Coupled with irrational thinking, I think this is what leads so many people down the path of suicide.
The pivotal question asked is... can you be valuable without being intelligent, responsible, and a world changer?
YES.
Yes you most certainly can. As I've stated before, we are all inherently valuable despite our behaviors, actions, even choices. But can you believe this?
It's hard than the average person takes time to consider. I watch more and more people driven to do crazy things because they think it adds to their value. It's a bit tragic. Anyway, I'm going to stop pottering about and go back to doing something more valuable (hahaha just kidding). I'm probably going to watch another episode of criminal minds and investigate more human psychology.
Liz
#Criminalminds #Suicideawareness #Psyche
Apparently, there was no need of me at work until 3 pm today, which is a good for the mental state, but bad for the income. As it is, I'm already part time... because crazy me... I decided to get a doctoral degree. So actually, perhaps it's not so good for the mental state because I'm half out of my mind with boredom and now worried about income. I've already done school work, so here I am gabbling away making little sense.
The human mind absolutely fascinates me. I opened my refrigerator to grab myself lunch and had a flashback to a dream last night. I dreamed that my broccoli slaw (which I've had since August) went bad. Yes. These are the things I dream about. Completely titillating I know. What we worry most about and what lies in the subconscious are very revealing. Apparently, I have a huge fear of being wasteful... or more likely it's a fear of being a disappointment.
I hold myself up both to enormously lofty standards and prolificly petty standards... probably because of my prodigious childhood existence. People often complain of being profiled as crooks, prostitutes, or lazy... but I think it can also be detrimental to be profiled as intelligent, responsible, and instrumental to "great things". You are forever haunted by people's expectations. Coupled with irrational thinking, I think this is what leads so many people down the path of suicide.
The pivotal question asked is... can you be valuable without being intelligent, responsible, and a world changer?
YES.
Yes you most certainly can. As I've stated before, we are all inherently valuable despite our behaviors, actions, even choices. But can you believe this?
It's hard than the average person takes time to consider. I watch more and more people driven to do crazy things because they think it adds to their value. It's a bit tragic. Anyway, I'm going to stop pottering about and go back to doing something more valuable (hahaha just kidding). I'm probably going to watch another episode of criminal minds and investigate more human psychology.
Liz
#Criminalminds #Suicideawareness #Psyche
Sunday, September 14, 2014
The Man Who Never Would...
I recently discovered Dr. Who...
I know right? And like scads of other women, I fell head over heels in love with the doctor... but for a very particular reason specific to the tenth doctor. Namely, I fell in love with his abhorrence for guns and revenge. In the episode, "The Doctor's Daughter" he says "Killing infects you and once it does you'll never get rid of it." And when his daughter (albeit recently acquired via cloning) is killed, he refuses to kill in revenge stating "I never would. Have you got that? Make the foundation of this society, a man who never would".
There's a fascinating social experiment in which a machine places a small amount of pressure on a human's hand and they are instructed to place that same amount of pressure on another human who is required to exact that amount of pressure back on other other person. Apparently it ends up being extremely painful to both human parties, since each person increases the amount of pressure given until the result is intolerable.
The thing about revenge and violence is this... it spirals into a black hole without end. If you're familiar with the Bible, you might recall that crazy story about Lamech who killed a man for simply wounding him. He refers to Cain who killed his own brother and escalates the bloodshed by tenfold. If you at least believe in the Bible as a historical book, I think it clearly proves that burgeoning violence is in our bloodline. So to me, one of the most chilling things about Western media, is how much it downplays the black hole of violence and revenge. I recently watched an episode of Messy Mondays by BlimeyCow which delved into the same dilemma - only much more funnily (funnily makes things funnilier). How can you actually practice turning the other cheek when all you're given as template is the Avengers or V for Vendetta? The cause may be admirable - but the means of violence will never justify the ends. Don't believe me?
Take one good look at the Middle East.
And it doesn't stop there. Look at the romantic comedies and dramas. The bad guy/jerk almost always gets what's coming for him. That's what we want! Heck, we all fantasize about getting even. Even if you're able to turn the other cheek in the moment - you still fantasize about that person getting what's coming for them. I have yet to meet a person who genuinely desires good and flourishing for someone who either consistently hurts them or is a jerk to them.
So... today, you get a challenge. Remember this is all working toward communion and living life to the full. Think of someone who has hurt you or been what you consider a real jerk. Then shape thoughts of goodwill and flourishing toward their life. Perhaps you may even be able to buy an anonymous gift and send it to them. Let me know how it goes.
Cheers,
Liz
#DrWho #MiddleEast #Blimeycow
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| Meme credit: http://satireknight.wikispaces.com/gifs |
There's a fascinating social experiment in which a machine places a small amount of pressure on a human's hand and they are instructed to place that same amount of pressure on another human who is required to exact that amount of pressure back on other other person. Apparently it ends up being extremely painful to both human parties, since each person increases the amount of pressure given until the result is intolerable.
The thing about revenge and violence is this... it spirals into a black hole without end. If you're familiar with the Bible, you might recall that crazy story about Lamech who killed a man for simply wounding him. He refers to Cain who killed his own brother and escalates the bloodshed by tenfold. If you at least believe in the Bible as a historical book, I think it clearly proves that burgeoning violence is in our bloodline. So to me, one of the most chilling things about Western media, is how much it downplays the black hole of violence and revenge. I recently watched an episode of Messy Mondays by BlimeyCow which delved into the same dilemma - only much more funnily (funnily makes things funnilier). How can you actually practice turning the other cheek when all you're given as template is the Avengers or V for Vendetta? The cause may be admirable - but the means of violence will never justify the ends. Don't believe me?
Take one good look at the Middle East.
And it doesn't stop there. Look at the romantic comedies and dramas. The bad guy/jerk almost always gets what's coming for him. That's what we want! Heck, we all fantasize about getting even. Even if you're able to turn the other cheek in the moment - you still fantasize about that person getting what's coming for them. I have yet to meet a person who genuinely desires good and flourishing for someone who either consistently hurts them or is a jerk to them.
So... today, you get a challenge. Remember this is all working toward communion and living life to the full. Think of someone who has hurt you or been what you consider a real jerk. Then shape thoughts of goodwill and flourishing toward their life. Perhaps you may even be able to buy an anonymous gift and send it to them. Let me know how it goes.
Cheers,
Liz
#DrWho #MiddleEast #Blimeycow
No Perfect People
Hullo again!
So, I realized, I should probably explain another goal of this blog (before you roll your eyes at how planned everything is let me finish). One of my goals is to write in this blog at least once a day. I've tried writing blogs before and find the prospect of public writing so terrifying it completely paralyzes me. As I only half explained in the first post... I tend to go in circles about the perks of public writing... and publicity in general.
So, I realized, I should probably explain another goal of this blog (before you roll your eyes at how planned everything is let me finish). One of my goals is to write in this blog at least once a day. I've tried writing blogs before and find the prospect of public writing so terrifying it completely paralyzes me. As I only half explained in the first post... I tend to go in circles about the perks of public writing... and publicity in general.
The problem with publicity in the United States (or perhaps in culture in general) is
that it tends to inflate self-importance in a completely misleading or unnecessary fashion . My pastor speaks of
the phenomenon where you post something on the World Wide Web, wait five
minutes, and push the refresh button to see if someone has responded. If no one
responds, the temptation is to feel immediately deflated. Yet if you do have a
good response, the internal reaction is an over inflation both of your
importance and influence. My conviction is this: Every person has something
unique and important to contribute.
So what don't we all believe this? And why do some people become icons or idols? While I do blame some things on what we are fed through social media, some of it is our fault as well. If everyone has something unique and important to contribute - why aren't we discovering it about the people around us? The weird thing about social media is that it causes huge public disclosure to people we've thrown into positions of status for no real reason except their ability to entertain. I think people pay attention to celebrities partially because so much of their life is promenaded around for us. Really it's quite disturbing the paparazzi has so much ability to invade in their privacy... and that we are interested in it. I wish we could be more interested in the people's lives around us. Communion cannot exist with a celebrity. It can exist with the people you meet at the store, your class, work, the gym, on the plane, in your religious gathering, etc.
Sorry tangent. Back to the writing daily. The key to committing to write daily is that it allows for me not to get stuck on perfecting what I'm saying. Any creator, writer, artist, can get too wrapped up in the final product - especially if the art is public and we are concerned about public opinion. Part of the reason I have failed in the my writing previously, is because I have succumbed to the numbing fear of how others will perceive my work.
I can promise you that I will probably offend you, confuse you, disagree with you, surprise you, and possibly even mislead you. In real life... that's what people do. We long for perfect relationships where people don't let us down and agree with most things we care about. But the thing is... that type of relationship doesn't exist. Part of the experiment of writing this blog - is to show the things we have in common that can hold us together against all the fractured differences.
Starting tomorrow, I go back to work... which means a 12 hour day. I can promise you my next post will be nearly incoherent and possibly completely meaningless. When you work a 12 hour day as a nurse putting every fiber of your being into best serving those people in front you and your co-workers... there's not much left at the end. And really, I'm not sure about the coherency of this post... hahaha. Oh right... no perfect people! My church has a phrase "No perfect people allowed" which I think is so beautiful. This blog is going to break down my issues with perfectionism and image... and leave you with the messy, genuine, ridiculous me.
Liz
#Noperfectpeople
#Noperfectpeople
True Poverty
"We think sometimes that poverty is only
being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved
and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes
to remedy this kind of poverty." ~ Mother Teresa
"Poverty isn’t bad housing, dirty clothing, families of 10. It’s never having been loved or even respected. Not knowing the difference between love and abuse. A kiss that wasn’t a down payment on a blow." ~ Father Jones from Call the Midwife
"Poverty isn’t bad housing, dirty clothing, families of 10. It’s never having been loved or even respected. Not knowing the difference between love and abuse. A kiss that wasn’t a down payment on a blow." ~ Father Jones from Call the Midwife
Good morning fantastic folks! (well depending on your time zone it's morning)
These quotes play directly into my theory about communion - and prove that true poverty exists in all socioeconomic statuses and countries. Love does not multiply with money.
So by now, you've probably grasped that I do a lot of observation and thinking (probably too much)...
Here's the thing about true poverty. The only way we can overcome it, is to start in our own homes. I have watched waves of people who have a lot of compassion (like myself) burn to the ground... because they have overreached themselves. Here's a nerdy fact for you. According to the anthropologist Robin Dunbar, individuals can only maintain about 150 stable relationships where they are able to comfortably know and stay in social contact with those people. It's referred to as "Dunbar's number". So here's the deal.
Love starts with you. And perhaps you're the one in need of it most. I know all about Dunbar's number, but I would also like to believe that it is possible to sustain more relationships with the extent of social media. They may not be as deep - but they can still be as vital. So I want you to know that you are greatly important to this world and to me. Simply by existing right where you are now, you have have experiences that make you uniquely important and able to help others. I cannot do this on my own. I can only give you the tools I have found most helpful. You have to do the rest. There are people out there that will need your stories, encouragement, and love. I promise you. You are worthy, valuable, and you will change this world.
For changing the world is less about doing great things... and more about doing small things with great love (as Mother Teresa said). Start by loving yourself and those closest to you.
#Callthemidwife #MotherTeresa #Poverty
These quotes play directly into my theory about communion - and prove that true poverty exists in all socioeconomic statuses and countries. Love does not multiply with money.
So by now, you've probably grasped that I do a lot of observation and thinking (probably too much)...
 |
| Photo credit:http://www.pinterest.com/pin/174444185539499348/ |
Love starts with you. And perhaps you're the one in need of it most. I know all about Dunbar's number, but I would also like to believe that it is possible to sustain more relationships with the extent of social media. They may not be as deep - but they can still be as vital. So I want you to know that you are greatly important to this world and to me. Simply by existing right where you are now, you have have experiences that make you uniquely important and able to help others. I cannot do this on my own. I can only give you the tools I have found most helpful. You have to do the rest. There are people out there that will need your stories, encouragement, and love. I promise you. You are worthy, valuable, and you will change this world.
For changing the world is less about doing great things... and more about doing small things with great love (as Mother Teresa said). Start by loving yourself and those closest to you.
#Callthemidwife #MotherTeresa #Poverty
Communion Wine
"There are two aspects to Communion wine: one aspect is the wine itself, the other is the idea of communion. Wine is certainly warming, but communion is a great deal more so" ~ Franny Billingsley
Perhaps the most tragic aspect of Christianity is the loss of the understanding of communion. I'm not here to give a lecture on what you should or shouldn't believe. We already have our beliefs and we are continually forming them. This a not lesson in theology. I'm simply here to unpack the meaning of communion.
I realize this is going to open a can of worms on the very first day, but I think it's one of the most crucial aspects of a life lived to the full. Besides, we cannot go forward until we discuss communion - for it is the very act we intend to delve into when embarking upon this adventure together.
The Oxford dictionary defines communion as such "the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level". I could dissect the contextual Greek derivatives for communion, but I promised this wasn't a lesson in theology. What we grasp simply from looking at both biblical and non-biblical texts, is a concept of deep, mutual vulnerability and sharing that results in a warm companionship. Therefore, the key to communion is ultimately trust. And trust exists truest between unmasked intimacy - which is something that basically scars the pants off everyone. Ha. I see what you did there Liz... Ahem.
Anyway, this brings me in a circular pattern back to the paper faces on parade, my idealistic thoughts about relationships, and the fact that we are going to be wild, groundbreaking, genuine people! Well... at least I will try to be - the rest is up to you. Social media... and the internet are some of the most dangerous places to be vulnerable, so I won't advise you to do anything rash. Remember, I exist under an alias. However, I would challenge you in every day life to remember that real communion can only exist in places of trust and unmasked intimacy.
At some point we've all come to the conclusion that "How are you?" is a very stupid way to greet each other. Perhaps in a time when we weren't constantly moving, striving, producing, multi-tasking... people could actually respond properly to such a greeting. Yet now, perfect acquaintances ask us these things, and we are trained to reply trite "fines" and "oks". At most, women (who are experts at intimacy) may respond "busy or exhausted" which makes only a small dent in our paper faces. While we should all care about the people around us, it isn't realistic or physically possible to ask "How are you?" and truly mean it to everyone. However, it would be good practice, to think of ways to engage people a little more deeply. The tweeting, facebooking, and texting certainly do not help us be more vulnerable with each other. As for those people that you deeply love and want to have full communion with - remember that you may have to be vulnerable with them first to promote the trust you desire from them.
Alright raise your glasses, (mine's full of water) . Here's to true communion - body, mind, and soul. Against many different backgrounds, experiences, socioeconomic statuses, political ideologies, races, fears, loves... may we experience the warmth of communion in its fullest sense.
#Wine, #Communion, #Intimacy
Perhaps the most tragic aspect of Christianity is the loss of the understanding of communion. I'm not here to give a lecture on what you should or shouldn't believe. We already have our beliefs and we are continually forming them. This a not lesson in theology. I'm simply here to unpack the meaning of communion.
I realize this is going to open a can of worms on the very first day, but I think it's one of the most crucial aspects of a life lived to the full. Besides, we cannot go forward until we discuss communion - for it is the very act we intend to delve into when embarking upon this adventure together.
The Oxford dictionary defines communion as such "the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level". I could dissect the contextual Greek derivatives for communion, but I promised this wasn't a lesson in theology. What we grasp simply from looking at both biblical and non-biblical texts, is a concept of deep, mutual vulnerability and sharing that results in a warm companionship. Therefore, the key to communion is ultimately trust. And trust exists truest between unmasked intimacy - which is something that basically scars the pants off everyone. Ha. I see what you did there Liz... Ahem.
Anyway, this brings me in a circular pattern back to the paper faces on parade, my idealistic thoughts about relationships, and the fact that we are going to be wild, groundbreaking, genuine people! Well... at least I will try to be - the rest is up to you. Social media... and the internet are some of the most dangerous places to be vulnerable, so I won't advise you to do anything rash. Remember, I exist under an alias. However, I would challenge you in every day life to remember that real communion can only exist in places of trust and unmasked intimacy.
At some point we've all come to the conclusion that "How are you?" is a very stupid way to greet each other. Perhaps in a time when we weren't constantly moving, striving, producing, multi-tasking... people could actually respond properly to such a greeting. Yet now, perfect acquaintances ask us these things, and we are trained to reply trite "fines" and "oks". At most, women (who are experts at intimacy) may respond "busy or exhausted" which makes only a small dent in our paper faces. While we should all care about the people around us, it isn't realistic or physically possible to ask "How are you?" and truly mean it to everyone. However, it would be good practice, to think of ways to engage people a little more deeply. The tweeting, facebooking, and texting certainly do not help us be more vulnerable with each other. As for those people that you deeply love and want to have full communion with - remember that you may have to be vulnerable with them first to promote the trust you desire from them.
Alright raise your glasses, (mine's full of water) . Here's to true communion - body, mind, and soul. Against many different backgrounds, experiences, socioeconomic statuses, political ideologies, races, fears, loves... may we experience the warmth of communion in its fullest sense.
#Wine, #Communion, #Intimacy
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Purpose: Promote life
Hello beautiful people,
When one is writing a thesis - one is supposed to have a purpose statement of some kind. It would be awfully dry of me to turn a blog into a thesis, so I will thesis and desist (AHHHHHH bad pun!) I know. I couldn't help myself.
Here's the deal. I'm a writer, an artist, a creator, most of all... I'm a LIVER. Er... not that I detoxify and synthesize protein... more so that I am ALIVE. The most important thing to me - is to live and bring about life. And for 25 years, I think I've done a pretty good job, but I had my quarter life crisis and now I'm ready to meet the world head on in a bigger challenge. For the last few years, I've been haunted by whispers and Spirit, to write to a bigger audience.
You really have no idea how this terrifies me. Believe me. I processed entire pages on why public writing disturbs me. See - writing is both an exposure of oneself - and a manipulation of others' perception. A good writer can make you see and understand an entire world. Thus, I feel it is dangerous to try to write about the real world, unless your audience is distanced enough from you so as not to become outraged by your own portrayal and interpretation.
So unfortunately, I must admit that Liz Weber is an alias, but lest you think she is only a paper face on parade, I assure you that she is also wholly herself. I have never been anything, but myself. All my flaws lie on my sleeve. In writing, I am never anything, but brutally honest. It is in person that I am most deceptive... where I can smile endlessly even when my heart is breaking.
Anyway, back to the purpose statement. I've given a great deal of thought to the social media scene: blogging, twitter, facebook, myspace etc. Generally, what I find is exactly what the title of this blog exhibits - paper faces on parade. Social media allows us to do what we do best - air our own opinions and manipulate the images we desire to have. Obviously, I have problems with that (or I wouldn't be so terrified by the prospect of starting this project). However, my great bubbling curiosity is whether I can use this social media to promote life. To my understanding, writing is about communication and connection.
We write letters to stay connected. We write letters to communicate who, what, where, why, and how we are. We write books for the same reason - to impart knowledge and connect our ideas to others. It is my desire to connect and communicate the life I know to as many people as possible using the means I have... which will be this blog. The reason being, I know that every person at some point in their life will feel hopeless, angry, confused, betrayed and most of all... alone. But one of the most possibly redeeming things about social media - is its ability to convey the fact that you are not alone - even when you may physically be, or feel as such. It is my greatest desire to continually prove that you are not alone - and that life is worth living.
So I welcome you to this adventure! It will not be safe... but it will be good.
Liz
When one is writing a thesis - one is supposed to have a purpose statement of some kind. It would be awfully dry of me to turn a blog into a thesis, so I will thesis and desist (AHHHHHH bad pun!) I know. I couldn't help myself.
Here's the deal. I'm a writer, an artist, a creator, most of all... I'm a LIVER. Er... not that I detoxify and synthesize protein... more so that I am ALIVE. The most important thing to me - is to live and bring about life. And for 25 years, I think I've done a pretty good job, but I had my quarter life crisis and now I'm ready to meet the world head on in a bigger challenge. For the last few years, I've been haunted by whispers and Spirit, to write to a bigger audience.
You really have no idea how this terrifies me. Believe me. I processed entire pages on why public writing disturbs me. See - writing is both an exposure of oneself - and a manipulation of others' perception. A good writer can make you see and understand an entire world. Thus, I feel it is dangerous to try to write about the real world, unless your audience is distanced enough from you so as not to become outraged by your own portrayal and interpretation.
So unfortunately, I must admit that Liz Weber is an alias, but lest you think she is only a paper face on parade, I assure you that she is also wholly herself. I have never been anything, but myself. All my flaws lie on my sleeve. In writing, I am never anything, but brutally honest. It is in person that I am most deceptive... where I can smile endlessly even when my heart is breaking.
Anyway, back to the purpose statement. I've given a great deal of thought to the social media scene: blogging, twitter, facebook, myspace etc. Generally, what I find is exactly what the title of this blog exhibits - paper faces on parade. Social media allows us to do what we do best - air our own opinions and manipulate the images we desire to have. Obviously, I have problems with that (or I wouldn't be so terrified by the prospect of starting this project). However, my great bubbling curiosity is whether I can use this social media to promote life. To my understanding, writing is about communication and connection.
We write letters to stay connected. We write letters to communicate who, what, where, why, and how we are. We write books for the same reason - to impart knowledge and connect our ideas to others. It is my desire to connect and communicate the life I know to as many people as possible using the means I have... which will be this blog. The reason being, I know that every person at some point in their life will feel hopeless, angry, confused, betrayed and most of all... alone. But one of the most possibly redeeming things about social media - is its ability to convey the fact that you are not alone - even when you may physically be, or feel as such. It is my greatest desire to continually prove that you are not alone - and that life is worth living.
So I welcome you to this adventure! It will not be safe... but it will be good.
Liz
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