Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

Archive for the tag “Acceptance”

21 May 2014

A Dog’s Life For Me

I grew up with cats. My mom had them since I was in elementary school and had one long after I left home. When my wife and I first met she had dogs in her family. Family dogs with a long history. After we got married apartment life and planned moving from town to town left “cats” as the only option. Decades and all the kids out of the house, we have finally become an “all dog” house.

The last family cat finally made it to its “next” of nine lives ( one of my sons thinks the best that maybe he came back as a porpoise or something).

So I am learning, dogs are great, they can be loyal and loving. They can be like taking care of little kids who will endlessly be toddlers at best. I get that now. My dog Jake has been part of our lives for almost a year of his two-year old mutt-life, he is probably not all that smart but very lovable.

My wife’s dog Eva has been her lifeline and is still mainly just “her” dog. She is only 4 but knows who she loves best, and gets the special treatment she feels she deserves from my wife everyday.

I am sure lifetime dog owners can provide all sorts of reasons for the goodness of dogs. Guess it took me decades to get to the point to learn.

I am not certain of all of the reasons, but hey- I got a goofy dog that seems to follow me around. and loves the attention. Brings us a bird or a bunny on occasion as his proud trophy. Never passes up a treat or some scratching on his tummy. That’s worth some joy everyday. Woof

That’s Jake on the left and Eva on the right.

Posted in Before and After Things Change and tagged Acceptance, animals, Cats, Change, choices, Dogs, family pets, moments, Owning a dog, Owning a pet, pet companions, pets, Reality Check

07 May 2014

Someone is Watching

I opened my email the other day and some Internet company was offering close out electronics: One of them was a “spy watch” on sale for under $60. I mean it records video and audio ( and tells time) and of course it can be used with no one else knowing. Then easily download your recording to your computer.

Aside from sounding like James Bond espionage gadgets- it made me shudder.

It also made me think about how easy it is today for ANY ONE to capture ANY THING on video or audio.

It’s in today’s headlines – private recordings that have lambasted a very sad man due to his prejudice. But it’s in our every day lives also. We cannot be candid any more. Our comments in a desperate situation, our misaligned humor at a time when we are vulnerable. the things we can say that can be pulled from context and made to be something 180 degrees the opposite. It is and will forever be the world we live in going forward.

Like George Orwell’s 1984, big brother may be watching, but so is everyone else.

These days nearly everyone has a video and sound recorder in their pocket. Always be aware that someone could have sound or pics of you at your worse. Now there is no room for error. And once it is captured, it can be posted on the Internet and become a permanent record of the moment, good or bad or otherwise. Leveling permanent damage intentional or not-those are images that will be hard to forget (not like those photos in the shoe box). They can come up again someday randomly.

Candid unguarded commentary? Its a new generation in so many ways. You have to think and ask yourself “just what are you saying?”

Can you be your own social editor for all you say and do to be sure it will be okay?

Well, not me – I am not perfect. I am going to make stupid remarks, going to do something that may look silly, offhanded or careless. Not intentional. perhaps in a fit of anger or frustration. But today there is someone watching- and they may see it as unacceptable. “He who is without sin cast the first stone.” Stones are still flying. And I guess we are all helping in some way.

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Acceptance, choices, Doubt, George Orwell, life is precious, Losing Your Identity, Postive Thinking, Privacy, Self-Awareness, Someone is watching, Truth

02 May 2014

Lies That Can Contain You

Lies are powerful things aren’t they? They can convince you to do things you may otherwise never have done. They can lead you in the wrong direction and contain you in fear.

I have learned over time that there are people in your life that may lie to you, but may also love you too.

They may think they are doing it for “good reasons”, perhaps to protect you.

But overall those most powerful lies in your life likely come with motivation. It may be selfish motivation by someone wishing to avoid personally bad situations, or it could be they wish to manipulate you or others to do things they want you to do for the wrong reasons.

Perhaps you have reasons to WANT to believe the lies. It may make it easier. Send fault or blame somewhere else. Provide an excuse to not fight for the right thing or do the right thing. Not to face the truth of the matter.

For example: A person can choose to believe that since they are imperfect they may think they are unworthy of forgiveness. It can seem easier to dig a deeper hole and put ourselves in a “box” with the perception of “no way out”. Breaking free from the lies we embrace can be life changing, yet it may never happen. As the good book says ” the truth shall set you free”.

So advice for my kids... what can you do? Start by being true to yourself. Don’t lie to yourself. Be sure you test the things you hear and ask questions that help to measure their motivation. Take care to understand things more, and not necessarily accept things at face value.

Today it seems more than ever that people desire to listen to others or read something on the Internet, and then accept things just because it sounds like something to want to believe. It doesn’t mean it is worthy of acceptance. There can be convincing arguments, there can be things that can sound true. But understand the consequences. Know the motivations.

Don’t let lies contain you in fear or uncertainty. Understand your well-being is centered in faith in your heart and in Him.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, choices, Compassion, devious, Fear, Grace, Lies, mental-health, motivation, Postive Thinking, Reality Check, Self-Awareness, Truth, Who Are You

24 Apr 2014

Defining Your Life Expectancy

We all have one life, with a beginning and an end. We can do what we can to manage our “Life Expectancy”. Take care of our health, be sure we eat correctly, get proper exercise. Make safe decisions in life and don’t put ourselves in the path of danger. We live in a time when people are living longer than ever.

But perhaps life expectancy should be more about what you “expect” out of life.

Why is it that we have so many expectations in our lives? Expectations of others, expectations of the people we love and the people we work with. When those people and things around us don’t meet our expectations, we can often let that change the complexion of our lives. We become angry, disappointed, disenchanted . Sad to say that we are sometimes our own worse enemy.

So when one life expectancy meets our lives expectations we need to be sure we understand. Time is precious, and our expectations need to be precious too. We can try to pin them on anyone and anything in the world around us, but in the end they are ours.

How long in our lives do we have to achieve those things we expect? God knows.

What do you accept and what are the things that will be meaningful to you?(

(Perhaps that is truly your life expectancy)

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, Anger, Changes, choices, Death, Definitions, expectations, Happiness, Life, Postive Thinking, Self worth, Self-Awareness, Truth

21 Apr 2014

Decisions Made, Lessons Learned

It has been a time for reflection for me this past week. Taking a moment and looking back I realize that time is unchangeable. What has happened before is there behind us, behind me. There isn’t anyway to erase it.

Wishing that we could go back and have a “redo” – make some major corrections to the past aren’t going to happen, Love those time travel movies that always seem to find a way to go back and make changes or correct things.

Fiction I know but still fun to watch I guess.

Question: So what would you go back and change. If there were one decision, one thing you said you could take back- what would it be?

I know that what happens in the future is a continuation of what happened in the past, and as long as we are alive we can do everything we can to learn from what we’ve done. We can take those lessons and apply them. Make them work to change the future (since in all reality the past is unchangeable).

Question: So what is one thing you have learned from the past that you would pass on to your loved ones in hope that they can also benefit from your wisdom?

All decisions lead to today, all lessons learned can be used for tomorrow.

I am looking for answers…. I wonder what you think?