Showing posts with label opportunities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label opportunities. Show all posts

08 November 2010

Of two minds

Dear Ken,

Today is one of those days. Lately, when I have been feeling some kind of way, I have refrained from writing about it. It is refreshing to remember how writing makes everything seems so peaceful and calm. Thankfully, nothing too major is happening; my drive and passion has just been temporarily exhausted. In moments like this, I have to pause and contemplate the next phases in my life. It is amazing and, yet, bittersweet to have awakening opportunities. The growing pains - not so much.

Looking back on life, I am overwhelmed with excitement of how each obstacle has built upon the next. During the period of uncertainty, I was confused, but after experiencing the unfortunates, it seems like everything fell in place. Kinda makes me think about the scripture "all things work together for the good..." You all know the rest.

Recently, things have not worked out as I have hoped. What do you do when you have a perfect plan or beautiful dream and it falls backwards? I'm telling you - it hasn't been easy. How about when you have to a tie a knot at the end of your rope and hold on to the last little bit of string that is left? Even harder!

Sometimes, it is extremely embarrassing to be completely transparent about life. But as I move from one year to the next, it seems like what I have once thought was difficult to talk about is rolling a lot smoother from my lips. For some strange reason, life has a way of making you face the truths of being strong and unsure, weak and bold, a success and having failures all at once.

So as I move from yesterday to today, I have to make a conscious effort to persevere in the face of setbacks and ambiguous moments. I have to reach deep and pull up the often forgotten strength to endure in times of weaknesses, and rely on the sometimes bruised faith to get me over these steep mountains. Oh for the love of challenges!

#LetsGo

02 January 2010

Right within your reach

One thing that is uncertain about Texas is its weather! For the past week and a half, due to the constant changes in the temperature, I have felt horrible. The illness first came in the form of a major headache. Next, my tonsils began hurting. And for the past three days, this uncontrollable cough has taken over my body. Refusing to leave work and spend a day with my family physcian, I consulted with my friend who is a MD. He gave me a home remedy. Here is what is interesting...

A friend came over to visit and apparently, his Vaporizing Chest Rub fell out of his coat pocket onto the couch. Sure that the blue bottle with a flamboyantly colored top was not mine, I picked it up and placed it on the counter. I promise you - this bottle has been sitting in its current location prior to me getting sick. Because this bottle is right next to where I hang my keys, I passed this bottle each day of my illness.

Heeding to the instructions of my friend, he advised me to get a bottle of chest rub, among one other drug that I have been taking. Remembering that each day I passed up a weirdly colored bottle, it hit me. I had a light bulb moment. This whole time, I have been coughing, sneezing, and snorting – because the Theraflu and other drugs were not working. Last night, I applied the chest rub on my chest, in the corner of my ear, and I began coughing up the illness. The cough lasted an hour, but I am upset with myself for being too busy – going about my day without paying attention to the minor thing: this whole time, I walked right next to my solution.

As it turns out, this was the perfect lesson to begin the new year. This isolated example has taught me to be more aware of my surroundings. Often, opportunities are placed right within my reach, and it will be up to me to take the initiative and act on what is presented. Just like the bottle of chest rub that I passed each day, there are so many talented people who I come in contact with on a daily basis that could help me reach the goals that I have set out for myself. There are different resources that I unconsciously pass over. Because life is strategically arranged, in order for me to move to the next level, I will have to start looking for opportunities – even in the simple things. Perhaps, my answer is right within my reach.

Just as I seemingly stumbled into the medicine and overlooked it for a week, what encounters, people or resources have you turned a blind eye to?