The Spirit of Healing

I like when people open up to me, and strangely it's often the people that I'm definitely not expecting to tell me any more than their name. When scratching the surface of someone's life and getting to know someone's story, don't be surprised when everything is not picture-perfect. Don't be surprised when the skeletons come marching out of the closet and can easily march right back in the closet at any time. Peoples lives are what they are, and part of the healing begins when we can tell others about it and when we can trust someone with a part of ourselves, a part that might be hard to reveal, but it might also be a part that someone else can relate to. Someone else can shed light on the situation in a way that we never thought possible. Someone could carry years of guilt and shame around with them, and one simple nod or sentence could make everything right, could make everything clear in their head. Whether it's through your friendships, your work role with others, or your relationships...Sometimes just sitting there for two hours and letting someone else talk...its more therapeutic than you'll ever know...for both parties involved.

Just Be...You.

We spend so much time wondering if other people "get" us or understand us...Well the truth is, we're really not all that different or complicated when it comes right down to it. At the end of the day, we all want about the same things. Someone to love, someone to care for, someone to laugh with, and someone to talk to. Instead of spending time worrying about what other people think and spending so much time making sure everything is absolutely perfect in our relationships...why not let loose and let love come in. Why not show someone your true self, and see if you have chemistry and a connection. Why not let someone in and really show them a side of you that others have not seen...If people don't like us or don't quite "get" us, then remember that there are several other billion people in the world that we have yet to meet. Once in a while...we just might find someone that knows us better than we even know ourselves...So instead of putting that perfect relationship on a pedestal and comparing all our relationships to what we think it should be like, or what others tell us it should be like...why not just listen to ourselves and listen to what we need or want. We realize that sometimes it doesn't matter if someone truly understands every aspect of who we are...we hold the key to unlocking the walls that we build up around us. So, let someone in, and you just might find, that by letting someone in, the real "you" can come out...

Living.

People think that the more life they live or the more they journey onward, that things will change and distance equals change. Well, to me it seems that the more time that goes on and the more things that come and go, the more we realize that some things really stay the same. No matter what happens in your life, you start and end with "you." What I mean is, you can't distance yourself from "yourself" no matter what you do...We surround ourselves with distractions from ourselves and we move forward and look back, and take two steps forward, and two steps sideways. In a sense, there is no escaping ourselves. We might think that some people come into our lives at the exact right moment, and we allow these people to be a big part of our lives...but in the end, no one else can save you from yourself, but you. When we get back to our own elements, when we are alone, when we really think about what we want and who we are...we might realize that what we thought we wanted, wasn't really what we wanted at all. We turn into people that we didn't know we could be. We reach potential that, several years ago, would have been foreign to us. We grow and mature not because time goes on, we don't have to grow or mature just because time passes. We become who we are because we want to, because we want to give something of ourselves to others and we want to do it for ourselves and our own wellbeing. We realize that we can self-destruct all on our own and be our own worst enemy if we let it. We change because we want to challenge ourselves and not become complacent. But in the end, we can't run from ourselves. We have to embrace our strengths, our weaknesses, our flaws, and our decisions. The farther we go in life, the more we realize that we can find comfort in being ourselves.

Writer's Block...

Where does a writer find their edge? Is it through the crazy times, the dark deep lonely soul-searching days, or the happy spunky times of smiles and celebrations. I would like to think it'd be in the happy times, but so often this is not true. So many writers and artists aren't even discovered until after they have already passed on, some from drinking themselves to death or torturing themselves slowly by their own personal turmoil. Of course these are extreme cases, but it's also the case of some of the most famous work that we know today. To truly write a work of art, I believe that it takes a certain gift. A writer has to tap into their own human experiences as well as their own imagination to come up with a whole entourage of characters, emotion, and gut-wrenching subplots that have to entice the audience. And what audience doesn't want drama, destruction, violence, guilt, sin, greed, heartache, or revenge. These are things we all can't live out in our day to day lives, but to read about it or watch it...it lets us escape and vicariously live through others or escape from our own reality. Not that our reality is necessarily something we want to escape from...but writers let themselves let loose enough to re-write the ordinary into something that we could only fantasize about. I admire writers, and I admire a well-written writer all the more, because a good writer might dedicate their whole life to writing, and while some of their work may never be seen or appreciated...some of it just might stick around and influence, entertain, or entice a whole generation.

How's the weather?

People often talk about the weather...if it's cloudy and looks like it is going to rain...all of a sudden that is a hot conversation starter. Something like a rainy day can really set the tone of a day...for some, it makes us feel relaxed or comfy to hear the rain. For a farmer, it's a sign that the crops are being nurtured. And then some people just really don't like rainy weather, and it makes them feel down or frustrated for the hassle of getting out in the rain on that day. Personally, I love dark, rainy days. They've always soothed me or given me an excuse to stay snuggled up inside doing what I want...not that I couldn't do that on any other day, but it just gives the day a completely different feeling. Maybe I'll eventually move to Seattle where that type of weather is quite common, but then I'd probably miss the sunshine and decide too much of my good thing (rainy days) wouldn't be quite as special if they happened all the time.

The weather is one thing that people can't control, and maybe we're just amazed by the beauty of a sunny gorgeous day and a stormy dark day the next. Life can come sunny-side up, while grey clouds lurk in the background. Weather can change one day to the next and so can life situations, people's moods, and a person's entire reality. That's when you need that ray of sunshine and hope to surround you...whether it's through a stranger's smile, a joke on the radio, or a phone call from a friend. So, snuggle up tight...rain, snow, sun, or sleet. Set your own tone and appreciate a little greyness and all spectrums of the light. When looking at your own life, When the "weathermen" of the world report a 70% chance of rain, it's important to focus on that 30% of sunshine..... =)

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Hi everyone,

Not sure who will read this...but I wanted to start a blog, mainly for myself if nothing else. I just need a place where I can write my daily thoughts or ponderings. I previously had a xanga site, but that seems to be dead to the world now. I've always promised myself to keep my writing alive and someday I do want to write a book. You never know where life might take you, but in the end...you have to be true to yourself and trust your crazy ideas. Maybe writing is nothing more than a hobby that I can pick up and leave behind whenever I choose...but maybe, just maybe it's part of a path that I will eventually travel on more in-depth, maybe even incorporate it into my work, be a counselor by day and a writer by night...who knows! All I know is, a good author needs to be well-read and a good writer needs to be well-written...so happy writing and happy reading!! :)

Ciao!! ~Kelsey