I just read a fabulous post titled “I Will Try Again Tomorrow,” by ebrownn, another Vibrant Nation blogger. She’s a published author who has recently been living in her car. Her observations in the blog post ar
e downright transformational. Read it and you will understand.
A little earlier today, I got a boatload of bad news via phone, Facebook and email about friends dying, dogs dying and very sick babies. I knew that if I was going to get any work done, I would need a spiritual lift, so I went to my bookshelf and found “Faith in the Valley” by Iyanla Vanzant (pictured here). I opened it to page 240 which is titled, “Oh, Lord! Why me?!!” And of course, it was the perfect message for this moment. After I read the page twice, I set the book down and opened my email box, vowing to find some good news. What I found was a message from Vibrant Nation about ebrownn’s blog post. Her smiling picture reminded me of Iyanla, so I opened it. Wow, it was the same kind of powerful message about exiting a personal pity party. And for both ebrownn and myself, and probably Iyanla too, the pity party exit door – and the answer to the “oh Lord, why me?” question - is all about writing, communicating and accepting pain as part of growth.
Here’s an excerpt from this wonderful page by Iyanla about transformation: “If life is going to work in your behalf, you must give yourself permission to grow. If it no longer makes you happy; if you are searching unsuccessfully for ways to make it work; if you know in your heart of hearts that whatever it is, it’s over – let go and grow. Be willing to search for new ways to grow. Be open to new environments to grow in. Always be on the lookout for people who are growing and are willing to help you grow. Never feel bad about your growth. Some people will not support you. Others will try to make you feel bad. You might be afraid…If you need a little taste of the pain you will create when you do not allow yourself to grow, stick your feet in the shoes you wore to the high school prom.”
Losing a loved one or helping a friend who is dealing with illness, poverty or grief is hard, but it’s also a way to grow. Thank you for that reminder, ebrownn and Iyanla!
Hello, Morgana,
Welcome to the discussion. (There are two threads, but let's stick with his one vs. the original from 12/7/12.)
Yes--we liked that article from NPR. Posted it on our website & retweeted. It will get lots of people thinking, so h
I found an answer that will work for me and these (way too many) boxes. It was one of those pithy phrases, only keep what is Useful, Joyful, or Beautiful. I will engage with this philosophy when I am going thru the rest of all th
NPR had a full program on boomer women and shared housing on the radio show for May 22nd. http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=183903991&m=185964693
Time is so ripe!!
Morgana Morgaine
What great thoughts and how true. As I reflect on what I know and have learned, truly, that knowledge has come from the act if standing up and moving forward after falling down. Thanks for your inspiration to banish the fear of falling and instead look forward to the next lesson.