Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

Archive for the tag “choices”

02 Jan 2014

A Song Called “I Can Sleep Again”

I am sharing a song that was written by our children as a gift. Our children are the most precious things my wife and I have in our lives. This is a very special gift. Take a listen.

They are all over 20 years old and have found directions in their lives that are making them become the adults we had hoped they would become. They are also very much into music (much like their dad). This holiday 2 of our sons and our daughter were all at home and had time to visit with each other and remind themselves and us that they are truly brothers and sister in a family that loves each other.

During their time they created this song ( in the span of 2 days) . It is 4 1/2 minutes long and created on the spot during their visit. It is a song about “finding your way back” with the help of someone you love. Beautiful. Some production work from my son Ryan on his PC and it was presented to my wife and I. It has become the greatest Christmas gift we could ask for.

It will never be a top-hit on tomorrows Billboard charts, but it is something that we will always cherish.

If you can stream it and choose to find the time to indulge, I appreciate your listening. Just wanted to share it because I am very proud.

It's a song called "I Can Sleep Again" 
(© 2013 Ryan, Greg and Jennifer Gertenbach)

Posted in Life's Sound Track (Music) and tagged Anthony Green, Arts, choices, Creating Music, Don't Let Go, Faith, Family, Finding Your Way Back, Life Soundtrack, Memories, mental-health, Music, Never Letting Go, Poetry, Rock music, Songs, Songs About Changes, Songs About Not Giving Up, Special Gifts, tracks in the dust

21 Nov 2013

1 Comment

Pointing Blame

There are so many diverse things in our lives, lately I have been thinking about the extremes of blame.

Some people get caught up in the idea that it is “All My fault”. The person who seems to be a sponge, take on everything… like always thinking “must have been me” Most times they end up being a victim of life. Looking at others and wondering why they can’t get a break, life is unfair.

There is the other extreme of course. Seems like a bit more of this happens these days… “Not my fault”. People that will actually go out of their way to prove that they are not to blame. Don’t want to take it on ever. Always wanting to point the blame elsewhere, regardless if that is the truth or not.

It is really about accountability… and that is something more elusive these days. You have to own it when you can- but sometimes it is just not going to make a difference. But when you can recognize your mistakes, take them to heart and look for ways to change it – you will live a life that will be full of new things. It will be tough, but it has its benefits- you get to learn more, be better and take new directions you may never have imagined.

Be able to recognize where things stand and then move on, or decide what you want to do to change it- go ahead and make it happen.

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Acceptance, Advice, Blame, choices, life is precious, My fault, Postive Thinking, Reality Check, Self-Awareness, Who Are You, Your fault

20 Nov 2013

2 Comments

What Is Your Message?

There are always things we learn in life that change us forever.

They can be subtle things that we don’t even notice when they happen or they can be things that mark a turning point in our lives that we know have made a difference.

Sometimes they are obvious, you know that the things you are doing in your life are full of impact to how you see it from that point forward. Other times they are only easy to see when you look backward and notice that “if it wasn’t for that person, place or thing in your life” you wouldn’t have been where you are today.

So someone asked me the other day: If you could leave a three word message for your former self, if you could go back in time and leave a morsel of advice to your self in the past – what would you tell yourself? What would that life changing message be? Would you even notice? Would you know what it meant?

What are the 3 words you would leave?

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Acceptance, being remembered, choices, moments, Past Experiences, Reality Check, Recalling the past, Religion and Spirituality, Self-Awareness, Your Former Self

18 Nov 2013

Embrace the Journey

When I was a child I remember fondly the idea that my family was going on a “vacation” – a road trip.

There was an excitement about the “journey” and all that came with it. Sure there was the superhighway, but there was also roadside stops. Places along the way to stop. The restaurants strategically placed, the car-parks to stop, attractions worthwhile to get out of the car. There was “time” actually… at least it seemed to be more of it.

We may be weren’t as much in a hurry back then it seems. We had interest in what was going by the windows as we drove by. “Getting there” was still important, but taking a planned detour… heading down a rural route, was just as important.

Which is why I sometimes ponder what makes me in such a “hurry”. Perhaps it is because everything is instant these days. In my life seems like most inventions have all designed to be moving things along quicker. Faster cars, faster cooking, faster Internet with faster search engines, faster travel, faster answers.

Even the movies we watch are faster. Watching an “old” mystery movie the other nite with my daughter from 1995 (gasp) it was amazing how slow the plot moved, how slow the dialog moved. We both noticed. My daughter was wondering if people were just slower back in ’95. We both were thinking that we hit the FF button we could get to the mysterious conclusion.

Guess its time to work on slowing things down a bit. Cherish the journey. I have been so busy thinking about being in a hurry at work, that I have even ignored the most important person in my life, the love of my life, and hurt her more than I can imagine. Just thinking about how to get the job done at work I have missed what is around me. What’s with that?

How many things have you let pass by because you were so focused on the destination?

How often have you missed the most interesting things in your life as you drove ahead to reach where you thought you needed to be?

Embrace the journey. Bring your loved ones with you. Take life’s trip, but take some time to stop along the way and enjoy the ride.

Detour. (jcolbear03.wordpress.com)

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged cherish, choices, Embrace the Journey, Faith, life is precious, moments, Moving too fast, Postive Thinking, Self-Awareness, Slow Down, tracks in the dust

15 Nov 2013

2 Comments

Wearing A Disguise

I think there is always something to be considered about how people see each other, but how we see ourselves may be even more of a challenge.

We can see the outer people in our lives. We see what people want us to see. But it could be that we are practicing what we are in the process. Perhaps we want to conjure up an image of what we think other people want us to be.

But in the end that it seems to be really hard to keep doing. We can take life as “what it is” – and be what we are without wearing a disguise. Our potential to be someone significant may be at risk, getting approval from all of those around us. But maybe we could have more time to just be something important to ourselves. What other people think is going to have to suffice to just “be”.

Maybe they won’t like us, or maybe they aren’t going to care. What a shock that would be, but then perhaps we should ask the question: do we like ourselves.

Be true to yourself – be sure you know who and what you are. Seems so darned easy, and yet often we can work hard to try to be what others think we should be. And then we convince ourselves that we are that person.

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