Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

Archive for the tag “Self-Awareness”

30 Jan 2014

Every “Little Thing”

I have blogged about this before- but it constantly amazes me how intricate God has made our lives. The connections between us are endless.

Awwwww Yeah Flowers!

I know the movies and jokes about degree’s between people (hello Kevin Bacon), but it really is much more than that. A passing kindness for someone you don’t even know. A comment made that leaves a lasting impression on someone. The experience of sharing a moment of adversity or happiness can leave you with so much more of a sense of being.

As you reflect back on your life (so far) who has influenced you?

Who has made an impression that has changed your thinking, or made you change direction? Family or friends, perhaps a teacher, a manager at work or someone at church.

Can you imagine who in your life may have been influenced by you that you don’t know? Just simple things that may have happened? Every little thing can make a difference. You may not even know it. You don’t necessarily go out each day looking for the opportunity to change someone’s thinking ( but you could).

Perhaps that’s the place to start? Each day focused on just being aware that you may be doing something for someone else. Not even working at it, you will find it. That is the grace-bomb that has the potential to be an explosion of positive reactions, leading to greater things all around.

I am not as naive to believe that its going to be a revolution or a revelation. Just that we remain aware of the possibilities, pay attention to the opportunities just a little bit each day.

Every connection you make can change the direction of another persons life or perhaps yours. Isn’t that exciting that “just a little thing”- maybe something huge.

27 Jan 2014

Passing On Stories Worth Remembering

Since I can remember I have always been interested in “stories”. I think it is fundamentally something that must be in our DNA from our ancestors. Years before there was a way to communicate in written form, wise men from tribes would pass down to the younger members the most important stories about their history, about lessons learned.

We all have personal stories we want to pass on to others. It is the life blood of social networks and certainly of this wonderful WordPress blogging forum. So much to tell. We all want stories in our lives that are meaningful. Sometimes they are and other times they may be less than profound. It may be that they are meaningful only because of the very perspective you have at the time, the personal eye in which events happened.

Other times they are lessons learned that we need to pass on, if only to provide others the opportunity to know about the past, or to find their own way, or to make sure they miss some of the perils that lie ahead for their own lives. So that was my intention; to tell my kids everything I can about the things that could be important to them. To make them realize that they don’t have to make the “exact” same mistakes I did (even though they will ironically do it anyway).

So years from now, when I have succumbed to the end that faces us all, I hope and wish that my children will have stories for their children and the people around them. They will marvel that many of them were stories that had roots from their father, or that in retrospect were those things they had so passively listened to and filed away and finally they could apply.

Hopefully some of those stories stick, like one of those richly good novels that are fondly recalled. Perhaps like the story that made time stand still for even a seconds pause to be embraced by the generation ahead.

What are your stories? What are the things that you want to pass on that are worth remembering?

A song about “remembering” 🙂

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life, Life's Sound Track (Music) and tagged Acceptance, being remembered, choices, Faith, Grace, Harry Nilsson, Postive Thinking, Remembering the past, Self-Awareness, Sprituality, Telling Stories, tracks in the dust

15 Jan 2014

Common Ground

For many people today (not all) there seems to be a great need to stand out in the crowd. Yet we desire common ground for true meaning.

Some will claim that they don’t want to be part of the “crowd”. It seems that the social networking today is centered on being part of a group of people. “Friends”, “Work groups” “Fans” and “Political,Religious or sexual preferences”- we all seem to be looking for our group. It is a good feeling to know that you meld with a group of people who have something in common, yet the desire to “stand out” in a crowd seems to be contradictory but also important to most everyone. Even reinforced by the media, online and other public places by making those “stand outs” be the focus of articles, videos and headlines. The rest of us all gather round and share those things to see what makes others and themselves unique.

So there is the conflict it would seem: We desire to be part of a common group. We want to be identified that way. But it seems that we also have a desire to be treated as unique, to be different. Perhaps to feed our egos. Perhaps to satisfy the need to know that we are personally meaningful in the scheme of time (before our time is up on this planet).

So looking at the web and media it would appear that we all thrive on polarity. We keep being asked to identify which ‘side’ of the argument are you on? In fact the media and online sites want to drive this because it probably sells more media and clicks on a site. In turn, we feed that need because we want to be part of the group. We want to be identified and want to understand why the other side is so “not” in our group.

Of course we all have our own opinions ( want to stand out in the crowd? want to be heard?) But here is where it seems we miss out: we don’t seem to be focused on the similarities regardless of our own unique opinions. Standing out in the crowd is important. But surely no matter what side we land, no matter what opinion we have to make us unique and be “different”… what makes us united is that we are all commonly human beings ( the ultimate group/crowd).

There are reasons for us to be in unity, it is ultimately the reason for our existence.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, Advice, choices, Common Ground, Desire to be heard, Differences, Grace, Opposites, Postive Thinking, relationships, Self-Awareness, Sharing Opinions, Who Are You

16 Dec 2013

Being Together At Christmas

I can’t shake it at this time of year. The decorations in front of houses, the hustle and bustle to run to get gifts for everyone. The music that makes up the soundtrack of Christmas. Live trees for sale on the corner lot, the mall Santa’s with the lines of kids waiting to tell him about their wishes.

It brings back a glimpse of the days so many years ago when I was in elementary school. Anticipating the time off from school, where I lived there was predictable snow and time for sledding and snowball fights. Then there was the kids program at church were we dutifully acted out the Christmas story complete with shepherds, wise men and angels. It was classic indeed- but an important part of the meaning of our celebration.

The biggest anticipation is still solid today as it was then. Family and Friends. Getting the family and friends together to celebrate Christmas is still one of the genuine things about the coming holiday. As I have gotten older, the presents mean less, the observation of the birth of our Lord means much more… but the family means more too. In a different way than when I was younger, when it was about Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents, it is about my own family. My children are grown, and they are on their own for the most part.

It’s fun to see that with their own jobs and careers they are making personal gift decisions, trying to find that “special” thing that is in their budget- but thoughtful because they chose it without parents “help” when they were young. It’s also fun to know that on Christmas morning they won’t be scrambling for the crack of dawn to find the boxes under the tree. But It will be about being together, capturing the moment. Having the special meal of the day and some time recall those funny and special times from those younger days for them.

Okay – call me sentimental. It really is about being together. About capturing the special moments. Not in a picture on Facebook, not about Twittering out short sentences about the holiday. It’s about being able to take a deep breath, take stock of our blessings, praise the Lord for his coming and being a family in the best possible way.

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged cherish, Christmas, Christmas tree, Family, Grace, Joy, Life, Memories, moments, Santa, Self-Awareness, Special Times

13 Dec 2013

2 Comments

Grow Old Along with Me

Recently my wife and I were both noticing a whole lot more pills in the medicine chest.

Our challenge is that we know we “need” them, but we are kind of in denial that they are something we need to take just because some things seem to be “wearing out” in our bodies.

That seems to be compounded by added surgery required to fix and remove things in an effort to live a longer life. Add to that new prescriptions for eyeglasses to improve eyesight, and the frequent rubbing of aches and pains that seem to be showing up more these days.

Modern medicine is truly focused on those of us getting older. For the young I say, “don’t take it for granted that health is something that needs no maintenance”. Over time it will be a challenge, if it isn’t age it may be something else. Like a recent post I re-blogged – you need to take care of yourself regardless of age.

Which brings me to one of the most important things about growing old for me. I get to spend it with the love of my life. Going on 35 years next year, I think we have come to realize how life is precious. We love our children (all 4 of them) and wish them all the best as they grow older too. I love my wife. And as we line up the pills, and polish our glasses for better vision, and visit our doctors more often it seems than ever… we can grow old together.

Here is a song that has really captured it for me. (Leave it to me to get back to music somehow 🙂

Written by John Lennon, this is Mary Chapin Carpenters version.