I’m tired of everyone telling me to think bigger. “You need to play on a bigger field! You’re capable of so much more!” Does that message ever exasperate you?
It sets us up for feeling we’re not enough as we are. And that whatever we do, it doesn’t measure up, or isn’t significant enough. We’ll never feel at peace within, because we’re always comparing ourselves to what we think we should be and do – bigger, better, and more of.
photo by Kristie McLean
I’m not feeling all that well today – my stomach is upset, my neck hurts, and I feel kind of sluggish. But I realized that I can still feel happy.
Most of us tend to feel that if we don’t have things that we want, or situations don’t turn out the way we’d like, or if we’re not feeling how we want to feel, that we shouldn’t be happy. We believe that we can only be happy if we get what we want.
My 8 year old daughter asked me last night, “Why is it called Butterfly? What does butter have to do with it? Who came up with that name?” I had to admit I didn’t know. But it made me think of how often we use words or phrases without paying much attention to what we’re actually saying.
For instance, I heard a familiar phrase today as if for the first time: “It came to pass.” It’s commonly found in the bible, as a kick-starter for some sort of story or allegory. Hmmm… to pass. That means something was temporary, a happening. Something was just moving on through, as time passes by. After all, the phrase isn’t “it came to stay.”
You or I would complain bitterly. Living in barren conditions, seldom any water. Frequently, large vehicles pass right overhead making thunderous noise, and trampling the living space so you can barely stretch up without being hit. Garbage is part of your living landscape.
