Self-Awareness | Tracks In The Dust

Archive for the tag “Self-Awareness”

07 Jun 2013

Bearing The Wait

The longest day must have its end

Every man must lose a friend

Time won’t wait for any hater

Dying can’t be done any later

So mourn the sick, bury the dead, and let the words flow free

The only answers to love gone bad will never come to me

It seems like today will never end, tomorrow isn’t coming

A crowd of people stare at you; they’re so cold its numbing

[Bridge]

If love is timid, it’s not true

Life is what you make it do

Love the truth, pardon error

Ask the mirror who’s the fairer

Fight for your wants, build your wills, and be satisfied you’re living

It may only be a silent love, but love is for the giving

Ask the questions in your mind, hope is right for now

A time will come when you will know, you’ll do it anyhow

[Chorus]

The longest day must have its end

Every man must lose a friend

Time won’t wait for any hater

Dying can’t be done any later

This is from a song I wrote in January 1974. It really didn’t mean anything in particular if I recall (it has been a while) but I was just breaking up with a girlfriend at the time and I am sure I was heart-struck some how. I will have to get these songs documented somehow. It is funny how even all these years later I remember the melody of it. From “Love Songs for a Lonely Night” © MGert 1974

Posted in Poems, Prayers and Promises and tagged Acceptance, Change, Love Songs, Lyrics, Memories, Music, Online Writing, Poems, Poetry, Self-Awareness, Verse

12 Apr 2013

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Expecting Less

There are so many times when “expecting less” in your life’s daily process would be best. Yet in these days and times it seems like that statement makes some people cringe.

I see so many people who are constantly focused on what they can accumulate in their lives. Whether it is possessions or friends or money or love or attention, they are constantly measuring their lives to see where they are. A great example of that comes to mind when looking at the social networking sites (even this one) that millions of people are members: get “more” followers, get “more likes” – add more friends to the list.

For others I see them measuring their lives in how much they have, or how good something compares to what others may have. The better car, the better home, the better job. That is such a fragile thing, especially these days when economies are floundering, prices are raising and the idea of “better” keeps notching up. It ends up with stress in life that can come back to haunt you. Perhaps then you have to worry about getting the “better” doctor perhaps, because you are going to need it. 🙂

So it feels like there should be caution when making the statement that “expecting less” is something well worth declaring. Many times it sounds weak or like someone is resigning to not have high expectations for oneself. Perhaps for some… their constant drive for more could be defined in the end by the measure of what I think it ultimately provides: “expect less happiness”. For we all know somewhere in our hearts- that more worldly things won’t define happiness – not in the width or breadth of it.

It could be that “expecting less” feels like “accepting failure” – in some cases there is an element of truth. Yet, it can lead to fear of failure;but that can drive another motivation entirely can’t it? I don’t think that it means you should expect to fail, you but you have to understand where the lines are in your life.

So in the end- “give more” is the counter-balance. Spiritually it is the reason for our daily struggles- as many have decided to reverse things and say “expect more“. What a simple change that will allow us all to be surprised by the spiritual power that we have been provided…and give more.

So expect less/give more. Not sure if you agree with that or not. Be rewarded with what will be blessings and grace in your life. I believe although it is very hard to do, it provides an abundance of happiness when applied.

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Acceptance, expectations, Faith, Forgiveness, Grace, Joy, Postive Thinking, Reality Check, Religion & Spirituality, Self-Awareness, Struggling with failure, Wanting more

02 Apr 2013

The Yearning for Home

I realized over the weekend that in some ways we are all yearning for a place called “home”.

It feels like for many of us, we continue the journey each day trying to embrace the concept of “home” in our lives. The place that we can feel comfort and safety, surrounded by familiar things. Familiar (root word family) in such a way that it creates an ideal combination of the emotional and spiritual things we desire in our lives.

Some say home is where the heart is. Indeed that is an element. Others get a taste and smell of it with “comfort foods” that can allow them a type of time travel back to a time of feeling safe- perhaps with their parents or a wonderful time with their friends or just alone time. The smells of the food, the texture, the way it tastes triggers the senses and the memories that go with it.

Some of it may be the colors that surround you, the home and hearth of another time and place that can make you change a bad mood to a good one. A comfortable chair perhaps. A warm blanket, a sunny afternoon in the yard, the fireplace, the smell of the ocean. Add the things together like a recipe for home in your head.

And home is not defined by one persons idea of it. It could be the home in the woods, or on top a skyscraper over looking metropolitan landscapes. It could be near water or on top of a mountain. In the end as we travel the journey of our lives, many of us will continue to reach out for that “home-base” in our lives. Just that reality check that we need in some way to make the rest of reality tolerant. It’s wrapped in the senses of our spiritual place and needs our attention.

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged choices, Comfort food, Happiness, Home, lifestyle, Reality Check, Search for home, Self-Awareness, Slow Down, Sprituality

15 Mar 2013

Looking for the Rewards Around You

Looking for the reward

Some say rewards are earned, and that is surely the truth in so many circumstances.

Having a heart to heart with my son the other night, we got talking about those things that result in “rewards” in our lives. Those things that can increase the value of what you do and say everyday. He sees it like many others do, that “rewards” are something that will come to you if you deserve them. There could be some element of truth in that, but there are those times when it just happens-like it is planned or expected because you earned them.

So that leaves another thought, the idea that rewards are something you should look for. Of course. Like they are very likely to show up in your life “just because” ( never say never, but when they do I think some call that “luck”)…

Rewards in life can turn to be something we can search for, after all they may not be in plain sight. But it is that adventure of working to uncover them that makes life interesting. You have to define them. Sometimes it is founded on determination, other times on awareness, and yet other times just being in the right place and at the right time to allow the rewards to appear (again some call it “luck”).

After that it is of course also up to your definition of “reward“. I mean cash- money is nice, and so is due recognition for doing things that accomplish life altering efforts- or just getting the individual thank you from someone who makes the work all worthwhile. There are personal victories that end up as our own personal reward. Those can be the most satisfying and long-lasting of any when they meet your goals.

They can sharpen your senses for seeing more in your life, seeing the rewards and the opportunity around you.

Start by defining what the rewards really are.

They start to show up in the most amazing places.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged due recognition, Emotion, Fear, good fortune, Happiness, Luck, personal reward, personal victories, Postive Thinking, Reality Check, Rewards, searching for happiness, Self-Awareness

01 Mar 2013

Freedom from Fear and Guilt

Can you let go of your fears and guilt?

If you asked your friends or family how they defined “freedom” what would they say? Maybe something like…

“I can do anything I want,say whatever I want to say and no one can tell me what to do.”

Sounds selfish, even if you took it to mean that you would do things that wouldn’t harm or hurt you or other people, there would still be a lot of things that would be difficult to accomplish in reality.

Fear and guilt get in the way of freedom.

We may have guilt about the things we hadn’t done in our lives, or haven’t attended to and should. We can feel guilty about not spending more time with our family, or ourselves. We can feel guilty about what we said to someone, what we meant to say. It could be that the specter of guilt is there about severe things like cheating on your spouse, or short cutting things at work, or thousands of other things that accumulate over time.

Our fears get in the way of freedom. We have so many unspoken ones. Surely we may state that we are fearful of spiders or snakes or bears or sharks or something. We may have a fear of heights or flying. We could fear the dark or the unknown minute yet to come. There are the unspoken fears of emotion and weakness. Those fears that can stop us cold from “getting involved” with a someone, or getting involved with a situation. And then the compound as fears layer on top of fears. And the ultimate fear of death will play its own role.

Fear and guilt are real, and they stop us from that “freedom” we all wish for in many ways.

Can you imagine your life with no guilt, no fear? What would it be like? How would you find it?

Let me end with something that keeps me going; something in the face my life with cancer helps to calm my fears. “…there is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18) “If the Son sets you free, then you will be really free” (John 8:36)