The downward spiral. One of the most powerful forces to exist on Earth. It can happen mentally, it can happen physically, and it can happen emotionally. It's the worst case scenario when you, yourself, are bringing yourself down. Almost literally digging your own grave. Its twisted spiral gives the illusion of infinite descent and endless torment. It's the perfect Hell.
All of us have, at one point, found ourselves spiraling down. Anything can start it. "Waking up on the wrong side of the bed" is a common one, but it can be anything. A word, an implication, a realization. But, no matter how small it starts, it always grows. It sits in your mind and festers. One thought leads to another and then to another until you're slowly draining your own life away.
Why does this happen? It's because of our weaknesses. It's because we're afraid. Afraid that we aren't good enough. Afraid that we'll never change. Afraid that everything will be permanent. That no matter what we do, it'll never go away. We feed ourselves these lies until it does become true. Until we turn ourselves into our own nightmares. Until all our senseless fears turn into realities.
How do we stop this malignant force? It's simple. One simple act. One simple thought. One simple smile. Everything has to start somewhere. All it takes is the courage to make the simplest of gestures. I found myself questioning my worth, questioning my intelligence, questioning who I was. And then, for no reason at all, I decided to smile. That smile changed everything. It's impossible to think negative thoughts when you're smiling. You can't help but be optimistic. That smile saved me.
It's funny how the small things affect us most. How they can torture you and, at the same time, save you. Don't forget the small things. The small things make us different, make us unique. Appreciating them makes you happier. It puts things into perspective. Focus on the small things, and the rest will come.
"Remember, there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end." -Scott Adams.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Car Ride Home
"The day isn't long enough,"
He thought in the car.
And that's not a bluff,
Not by far.
He had a great day
And that's about it.
He had nothing to say,
Not even a little bit.
He stared through the glass
At the bright city.
And although it was crass,
He felt it was a pity.
That such a great day would end,
It must be a sin.
It felt like pretend
As he stared out again.
She gave him life,
She gave him joy.
There was no strife,
Although she looked coy.
He glanced at her
But didn't say a word.
She looked light as a feather
Fallen from a bird.
Her beauty was endless,
Her voice was magnificent.
He didn't want to press,
But he needed to hint.
He needed her so bad,
It felt like a shame.
To end the day so sad,
Would be pretty lame.
Every day with her was amazing,
But this one especially,
Deserved a lot of praising,
To be given whole-heartedly.
The dreaded time came.
The car screeched to a halt.
There was no one to blame,
But the girl he did exalt.
When the time came to leave,
She didn't say a word.
But what he did receive,
Didn't need to be heard.
He felt her embrace
As she held on tightly.
He felt his heart race
And ever so rightly.
Their feelings broke through.
They were being held dormant.
They were now being true.
They were alone for that moment.
They didn't need to look any more.
They closed their eyes.
They couldn't feel the floor,
They were up in the skies.
Their lips pressed together,
It was their final kiss.
They held it forever,
In eternal bliss.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
A Proper Prayer
It's late at night. I walked through the dark hallway of my house leading up to my room. I brushed my teeth and took off my contacts. I blindly made my way to my bed and jumped in. I felt every muscle in my body relax. I looked up at the white ceiling. I wanted to sleep but I had one last thing to do. I sat up, closed my eyes, and slapped my hands together. It was time to pray.
There are three steps to saying a proper prayer. In no particular order:
Step 1: Asking for forgiveness. Name all, or most, of the bad things you did. If you forget about some then you can just say "...and I'm sorry about the ones i forgot too." It's not as easy as it sounds. You have to actually mean it. This isn't just to make yourself feel better, though. You can find out a lot about yourself at this step. This is a good time to just step back and observe yourself. Just start listing all the things that you do that would disappoint God. I guarantee you, they're the same things that make you feel bad inside. Whether it's something you need to get off your chest or a part of your life that you want to fix, this step will reveal what it is. But, no cheating! No making excuses, no skipping the small stuff. List everything and be truthful to yourself.
Step 2: Expressing gratitude. Name all, or most, of the things you are grateful for. If you forget about some then you can just say "...and I'm thankful for the ones i forgot too." This is a great time to appreciate everything. List everything that makes you happy. Everything that makes you YOU. Even the bad stuff because, hey, it COULD be worse. I start by saying how thankful I am to be alive. I continue to my warm bed, the food I eat, the water I drink, my family, etc. Think about everything. When you get right down to it, we should be thankful for almost everything. Your health, your happiness, your family, your friends. Believe it or not, we're all blessed to have what we have.
Step 3: The Core. This is probably the most important part of the prayer to understand. The above two are straightforward which is why I saved this for last. What exactly do you want? Many people have the wrong idea about this. They ask for things they can't be given. Money, fame, happiness. God doesn't give these things. You have to earn them. People have the power to accomplish anything they want. I bet 90% of all the things you ask for can be earned with a bit of hard work. Now, what you CAN ask for is help. God won't give you an A+ on that test tomorrow, but he CAN give you the energy to study. He won't make the girl you like love you, but he CAN create the opportunity for you to talk to her. But, you have to be open to everything. Don't waste opportunities with the mindset that "God will do it for me". Do everything you have the opportunity to do. Be open to your surroundings. Don't isolate yourself. If you really want something, then you will receive help. It's just a matter of taking advantage of the help that's presented to you.
"People want me to do everything for them. What they don't realize is they have the power. You want to see a miracle, son? Be the miracle. " -Bruce Almighty
There are three steps to saying a proper prayer. In no particular order:
Step 1: Asking for forgiveness. Name all, or most, of the bad things you did. If you forget about some then you can just say "...and I'm sorry about the ones i forgot too." It's not as easy as it sounds. You have to actually mean it. This isn't just to make yourself feel better, though. You can find out a lot about yourself at this step. This is a good time to just step back and observe yourself. Just start listing all the things that you do that would disappoint God. I guarantee you, they're the same things that make you feel bad inside. Whether it's something you need to get off your chest or a part of your life that you want to fix, this step will reveal what it is. But, no cheating! No making excuses, no skipping the small stuff. List everything and be truthful to yourself.
Step 2: Expressing gratitude. Name all, or most, of the things you are grateful for. If you forget about some then you can just say "...and I'm thankful for the ones i forgot too." This is a great time to appreciate everything. List everything that makes you happy. Everything that makes you YOU. Even the bad stuff because, hey, it COULD be worse. I start by saying how thankful I am to be alive. I continue to my warm bed, the food I eat, the water I drink, my family, etc. Think about everything. When you get right down to it, we should be thankful for almost everything. Your health, your happiness, your family, your friends. Believe it or not, we're all blessed to have what we have.
Step 3: The Core. This is probably the most important part of the prayer to understand. The above two are straightforward which is why I saved this for last. What exactly do you want? Many people have the wrong idea about this. They ask for things they can't be given. Money, fame, happiness. God doesn't give these things. You have to earn them. People have the power to accomplish anything they want. I bet 90% of all the things you ask for can be earned with a bit of hard work. Now, what you CAN ask for is help. God won't give you an A+ on that test tomorrow, but he CAN give you the energy to study. He won't make the girl you like love you, but he CAN create the opportunity for you to talk to her. But, you have to be open to everything. Don't waste opportunities with the mindset that "God will do it for me". Do everything you have the opportunity to do. Be open to your surroundings. Don't isolate yourself. If you really want something, then you will receive help. It's just a matter of taking advantage of the help that's presented to you.
"People want me to do everything for them. What they don't realize is they have the power. You want to see a miracle, son? Be the miracle. " -Bruce Almighty
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