FALLING UP
I was captivated by this artist, Yoann Bourgeois and what he does on a trampoline
It kind of reminded me what we think about our lives and more importantly, what we don’t.
If your life is a story, it’s not a story about straight lines. It’s a story about curves, about turns, about stumbles and rebounds
If you’re not moving forward, you’re not living.
If you’re not growing, you’re not living.
Growth is life, Change is life, Stagnation is death. . .
You have to keep moving forward.
You have to keep changing.
You have to keep growing.
That’s what life is.
The path to success is not linear.
It comes with obstacles and challenges.
It goes up and down.
No stairs, no elevator, no worries!
You always have your INNER STRENGTH to forge your own path
So, no matter how many times you fall, NEVER GIVE UP on yourself and always keep pushing forward towards your goals and work on FALLING UP. . .
FALLING IS INEVITABLE. . .
MAKE SURE THAT BOUNCING BACK UPZ
IS TOO. . .
MAKE MISTAKES
If our Lives are like Books
We no doubt have many
LINES
PARAGRAPHS
PAGES
CHAPTERS
LARGE SECTIONS
we would rip out
So others would never see them
and we just might be able to forget them
b u t
if we could just learn from our mistakes
(especially the ones we make repeatedly)
we just might find
that we have no regrets
but some
MONUMENTAL MEMORIES. . .
ALL OF YOU
I’ve been thinking about Bruce Springsteen because of a quick snippet I read from National Speakers Association’s, Lou Heckler. . .
In one of the books I’ve been reading lately, he is quoted as saying, “Every show has to be the best show I’ve ever done.” Over the years I’ve grown a little weary of people, no matter what their business, complaining, “That’s not my job” or “They aren’t paying me enough” or “That’s above my pay grade.” In my mind excellence is not above ANYBODY’S pay grade and the most important job we all have — management and staff alike — is putting forth our maximum effort every day.
Someone once told me he challenges his people to treat every customer as if they were your beloved grandmother. You’d certainly want her to be pleased. Another one of the many speakers in National Speakers Association, Scott McKain, says all business is show business. If he’s right — and I kind of think he is — let’s make a commitment this today, N O W, to make every transaction, every experience, every person to person encounter we have feel like the best show we’ve ever done.
“The Boss” does it, so why can’t we?
When you give the
ALL OF YOU
EVERYONE WILL GET THE
BEST OF YOU. . .
A GOOD WORD
A PLAN–FOR ALL OF US
SIMON BIRCH
one of my go to movies
because this is
ONE OF MY
GO TO SCENES
of all time. . .
I’ve used it in
presentations
Bible Studies
HELP-SELF groups
Workshops
ALL
with the question of
WHO ARE YOU. . .
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
( N O W )
because the answer is ever-changing, right?
Who we were as a child at the end of the hand of a parent
IS A MUCH DIFFERENT PERSON
of the parent the child grows into
at the end of the hand of a child. . .
The Movie came out in September, 1998 and it doesn’t share the title of the book by John Irving because at his request he wanted the title changed because he didn’t believe that his novel could successfully be made into a film. . .
Irving’s book, was his 7th novel (WORTH THE READ) was published in 1989. And both, the book and the movie hover around the
WHY
HOW COME
WHAT FOR’S
of Life
and
OUR PLAN. . .
which brings us to
THE SCENE
after Simon
who’s never afraid to ask the tough questions
and lives much taller
than the dwarf he is
is in trouble for causing a huge ruckus
at the Christmas Eve Pageant
and just wants confirmed
what he believes
but no one looking at him
could ever:
THAT HE IS AN INSTRUMENT
THAT HE HAS A PURPOSE
THAT HE HAS A MEANING
THAT HE HAS A DESTINY
THAT HE HAS A REASON
for living. . .
and when the Episcopal Priest
has an opportunity to affirm him
TO AFFIRM US
he doesn’t by answering
I CAN’T
to the immortal question
“I want to know that there’s a reason for things;
I use to be certain, but now I’m not so sure. . .
I want you to tell me that
GOD HAS A PLAN FOR ME;
A PLAN FOR ALL OF US ?”
The PRIESTNESS
in all of us
are capable of answering
NOT WHAT
BUT THAT
the PURPOSES ARE MULTIPLE
. . .tell me,
share with me
your purpose
now
October 12, 2020
(ESPECIALLY NOW IN 2020)
so we can
c a r i n g l y
Catalyst together
to make
I T
happen for each other. . .
WE BELONG TOGETHER
M U S I C
at it’s best will do much more than just
make your foot tap
or your head, bob. . .
it’ll literally make your
H E A R T B E A T
d i f f e r e n t l y
. . .and not just for a while–
for an e v e r. . .
I love the simpleness and yet significances of JJ Heller’s music
For years J J’s timeless love song,
“THE BOAT SONG”
has been played at weddings and funerals in slideshows.
I loved this quirky, homemade video featuring
many pairs of found objects to match her lyrics
but like most songs I’m not so sure we get the
message in the message:
WE BELONG TOGETHER
It’s not just about finding the love of your life
It’s not just about being silly and funny for someone
It’s not just about love and truly
BEING IN IT
. . .Oh it is about relationships. . .
It’s about
BELONGING. . .
TOGETHER
B E L O N G I N G
I love the quote from Mother Teresa
(now Saint Teresa of Calcutta)
where she said the biggest threat to us and our world was that people don’t feel as though they BELONG. . .
“IF WE HAVE NO PEACE,” she said, “IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT WE BELONG TO EACH OTHER.”
We’ve all felt it before, haven’t we:
DO I BELONG
or
WHERE DO I BELONG ?
It hits us at our heart level
It’s more real than typed or spoken word
It’s more desperate than our next breath or heartbeat. . .
B E L O N G I N G
We want to
BELONG,
TOGETHER,
o f t e n
again and again
for an ever. . .
and here’s the best part:
WE HAVE THE POWER
to not only include others
but to actually make them feel
THEY BELONG
Each of us gets to decide whether we want to name-call, gaslight, sow fear or whether we really want to elevate, empower, life others up
I N C L U D E
Let our Caring Catalyst Message be:
“COME HERE
YOU ARE WELCOME
YOU BELONG”
We are all vulnerable
We are all human
WE ALL BELONG TOGETHER. . .
See. . .
I told you it was more than just a love song
. . .this is a pure
PANDEMIC BUSTER
A HUMAN UNIFER
(and none too soon)
Hum along
and more
. . .put the
P E P
in another’s
S T E P
A BLESSING
Each May for the past four years I have had the honor of doing a
BLESSING OF THE BIKES
at Lake Erie Harley-Davidson
in Avon, Ohio
It brings a crowd of Bike owners out for a Pancake Breakfast
and a Blessing of the Bikes Ceremony. . .
Each year before the Blessing
I usually give a small meditation
that emphasizes that
LIFE IS A HIGHWAY
and at it’s best when we go down one road
only to find ourselves coming up another street
we didn’t know existed
to places we never imagined. . .
Sometimes
LIFE IS AT IT’S BEST
when at it’s least GPS’D. . .
I go to each Biker
young/old and all in between
and ask them how many miles they have on their bikes and then tell them, “Here’s hoping that the best miles are the ones you’ve yet to ride to places you’ve never imagined; BE BLESSED TO BLESS.”
The take away:
(THERE’S ALWAYS A TAKE AWAY)
THERE’S A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
A BLESSING
a n d
T H E B L E S S I N G. . .
A BLESSING IS WHAT YOU GIVE. . .
THE BLESSING IS WHAT YOU GET IN RETURN
(and there’s no comparison except in the spelling of the word:
b l e s s i n g)
T E S T I T
WHEN THE BLANK BOARD, ISN’T
It was a
B L A N K B L A C K B O A R D
t h a t
W A S N ‘ T
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
EVER FEEL LIKE THAT. . .
a blank black board
WHERE SOMETHING ONCE WAS. . . ?
I noticed that;
r e c o g n i z e d
the not-so-wiped-off-board
as I was waiting for her at this corner
S T A R B U C K S
wondered even then
what she might share
what I might hear
what I might share
what she might hear
after nearly two hours of
sharing / hearing
I still wondered
but I absolutely knew
it was more than a mere
S O M E T H I N G
her hurt was mine
my pain was her’s
that’s what REAL SHARING IS,
i s n ‘ t i t. . .
THE BLANK BLACK BOARD
w a s n ‘ t :
you”re so hard on yourself;
take a moment;
sit back. . .
marvel at your life:
at the heartache that hardened you,
at the suffering that strengthened you
despite everything,
you still grow;
be proud
OF THIS
it seemed to say
BLANK NO MORE
The Blank Black Board
doesn’t so much show
that there was once something there
as much as it so powerfully promises
of brand new things to come. . .
a mere meeting over a cup of coffee at a corner STARBUCKS
PROVED IT
Two grateful friends
s h a r e d ;
E X P E R I E N C E D I T
THE BLACKBOARD,
not so b l a n k,
The Coffee,
never better,
The Moment,
never lighter. . .
Compassionate Graffiti
Who would have ever thought that. . . .
Sometimes even the Soul can’t help but to gasp:
W O W !
We’ve all seen it before, haven’t we?
Bathroom Stall Graffiti.
Understandably so,
this is not the stuff that Novels are made
or HBO Movies or even some really bad:
The Worst Poetry Ever Contests.
No one goes to the Bathroom stall to see Bathroom stall humor and expect to be enlightened, inspired, encouraged or motivated.
NO ONE. . .
or. . .
m a y b e
S o m e O N E
who’s seeking much more than that in the most desperate, dirtiest part of their busted up, broken, seemingly laid-bare parts of their most inner self.
S H O C K E R
Not so much that Bathroom Stall Graffiti exists. . .
but T H A T it could ever possibly
COMPASSIONATELY exist!
I didn’t take the photo. . .
maybe it was manufactured or maybe it’s 101% authentic?
What’s Truer than TRUE?
Compassion is at it’s best when it’s at it’s filthiest.
Compassion shows up for appetizers but brings a Banquet.
Compassion shows up when everything and everyone else checks out.
Compassion Shouts: “HOW CAN I HELP?” when everyone else sighs, “is there anything I can do?”
Compassion runs towards the Fight and not from the Uncomfortable.
Compassion Seeks Suffering while its Pretenders Hides in more comfortable surroundings.
Compassion Hugs the Porcupine of Hurt, Disappointment, Loneliness.
Compassion camps out in the stench without holding its nose.
Compassion is a Verb that doesn’t settle or embrace being an adjective.
Compassion invites, “All-ie, All-i e In Free,” instead of just quitting and going home with the ball.
Compassion ISN’T until it IS and then it isn’t anything else that can even begin to compare.
Compassion just may be found anywhere, anytime, anyplace—-
even a Bathroom Stall.
But mostly. . .
Compassion needs to be where it’s often NOT !
Be the Bearer,
the Wearer,
Sharer,
Carrier
of where it needs to be the most:
WHEREVER YOU ARE!