This blog is sent out to anyone who is interested but especially to Bill who said to me at a recent party where I was engaged in trying to extricate myself from a Chinese finger trap,"I bet that will be in your next blog." With a comment like that I just had to comply.
As I sat gazing at the finger trap attached to my two pointer fingers I tried to pull them apart. Of course the trap resisted. I was "trapped" and I couldn't get free unless I relaxed the tension of my fingers that were pulling in opposite directions or unless I pulled hard enough to tear the paper finger trap apart. Relaxing was easier than tearing apart.
Now comes the part triggered by Bill's comment. Too often I think we find ourselves pulling in opposite directions:
Children vs. Parents
Spiritual vs. Temporal
Spouse vs. Spouse
Happiness vs. Sadness
Friend vs. Friend
Openness vs. Reticence
Optimism vs. Pessimism
Self vs. Work, Government, Life
No matter how hard we pull we can't seem to resolve the issues that separate us and others or that cause tensions in our lives. We are trapped by behavior we feel we can't change. The result is constant stress, possible illness, and unhappiness that can lead to the destruction of relationships or the descent into clinical depression. To grow in this life we need opposition in order to allow us to overcome and find success, but unnecessary opposition we create on our own can be destructive.
My solution? Stop taking everything so seriously; loosen up; don't worry. Everything will be all right.
Release the tension and pull your fingers out of the trap.
"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."
The older I get the more this old maxim rings true. I find myself intending to do many things, but actually accomplishing very few of them in a satisfactory manner.
I intend to read more than I
watch TV.
I intend to clean out and
reorganized the storage
room.
I intend to write the Great American Novel.
I intend to visit friends and relatives more often.
I intend to get more exercise.
I intend to eat less and lose weight.
I intend to follow my budget better.
I intend to complete the illustrations for the
children's picture book I've written.
I intend to listen better to my wife's advice.
I intend to research my family tree.
I intend...but I guess you get the idea by now.
If Hell is looking back on the time you have wasted and could have used more wisely during your life, then I suppose most of us have at least one foot in fire and brimstone.
We all need to get up off our good intentions and do those things that will truly bring happiness. Those 'things' usually involve stepping outside ourselves and serving others. Which I intend to start doing tomorrow.
