Respect Life

It's been some time since I blogged...why? Because the events in my life have been happening too fast to take any notes. Ever had that happen? A relative of mine asked the best way to handle stuff when you know the stuff can take you out.

I am no surfer, but I remember hearing that the best way to ride a wave is to ride it. Is this true? To ride a wave is not to try to overcome it, but follow it because it will eventually hit the shore and subside. At least to a surfer it will. When you're not trained to be a surfer, you have to look at the best way to keep calm, learn what you can about the situation, and ride it out. Some waves are too big to "man-handle". These are the waves that demand respect.

Learn how to respect the big things in your life. Acknowledge the situations that have the power to take you out. Simple. You don't have to succumb, but you need to understand the risks. Many times I have let go of a situation - just let it go - with no after-thought. Error on my part. In actuality, I should have assessed just how massive the impact of the wave could be and jump on where I could hold on!

For example, last year I made a major move to a new city. No problem. Except when the duration of job, the income, and the housing arrangements changed gears, I ignored much of it. I kept moving, offended by some of the events. So in my defense, I responded like a champion. Ready to take on the fight.

The problem with fighting a big wave of problems was like fighting "The Octupus of a 1,000 Tentacles" that lay beneath the wave. I was fighting in every direction. Thank God, I learned to relax my mind, my thoughts, and my actions because I really wasn't getting the results I wanted. By relaxing, the solutions could surface.

And surface is where I ended. Thank God, I rode the wave to the shore and allowed God's peace to bring me to a place of respect for life and to humility.