resilience

A Year of Grieving

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August 19 – Today is the first anniversary of the death of my best friend, soul mate, and wife, Barb Calabrese. I called her Babe. A remarkable woman who taught me more about love than all the words I’ve read on the subject. She touched a large Twitter following, @Barb_Calabrese, reaching out in simple, love-filled ways.

My year has been a year of learning to dance with grieving. A year of learning how to live without someone whom I shared the most intimate secrets of my soul. A year of grappling with why? And, discovering I’ll never know the answer. A year of discovering I am not alone on this journey. All who have suffered a deep loss understand the grieving experience without speaking. They understand by looking into each other’s eyes. Their messages travel silently from heart to heart.

In my year of grieving, I rediscovered a deep faith in God. For unexplained reasons people I know, and strangers enter my life as messengers of love at unexpected times, times when I am low; times when sadness knocks at my door. They pick me up. Make me smile. And, encourage me. I find the strength to go on another day.

Each day, I grow stronger. Each day, I grow more optimistic. And, each day I find my path forward unfolding before me. How does it happen? I believe it is grace. I have no other explanation for it. I don’t think grieving ever ends. But I choose to dance with it.

To all my brothers and sisters who grieve over the loss of a loved one, together let’s find the strength and courage to go on. Together, let’s smile more often. Together, let’s sing joyful and happy songs. Together, let’s celebrate the gift of the life of the person we loved and love; and, together let’s not waste a moment of the wonderful gift of life you and I still share.

Creativity & Courage: Two Sides of the Same Coin

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Are you creative? Have you run up against brick walls? Naysayers? People who won’t encourage you? Join the club of creative people. George Lois, American art director, designer, and author gives a blunt talk to college students about the courage they will need to be creative. If you need a creative pep talk, this Vimeo video is for you.

You Have A Dream – Chase It

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You may not be famous, but you have a dream, chase it. Your friends and family may laugh at you. You have a dream, chase it. You wake up in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, doubts rush at you like an F5 tornado. You have a dream, chase it. Maybe you’ll catch it; maybe you won’t, but you’ll never know unless you chase it.

Dream On

We Need Each Other

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It’s a good feeling when we accomplish something for ourselves by ourselves. It’s an even better feeling when we selflessly help each other do something that alone we cannot do. It is at those times we recognize how much we need each other. We recognize life on our planet is a shared experience. We recognize that great things happen when we set aside our personal goals to contribute to a greater good. The following YouTube video is a wonderful example of a selfless act, cooperation, and contribution to a greater good.

 

Never Quit – No Matter The Climb

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We all experience tough moments! The tough moments have a special gift for us. They challenge us to toughen up, to show we are filled with faith, courage, and tenacity. They give us an opportunity to be examples that it is possible to transform tough situations into triumphant situations.

Never Quit, no matter how difficult the climb.

 

Life Is Difficult – Shake It Off

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M. Scott Peck wrote, “Life is difficult.” At times, one might wish life were only difficult with the burdens it places upon us. It often feels much worse. No one is immune from life’s challenges. When life’s challenges shake us to the core, our DNA waits for the green light to push the resilience button. The bounce back button. The shake it off, get up, and get going button. The following YouTube video will inspire you to push your resilience button.

Broken But Not Defeated

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An irony of life is that often it is in our brokenness where we discover life’s goodness. It is as if our suffering becomes a teacher of life’s great lessons. In the following YouTube video, a soldier suffering from PTSD and a service dog come together to tell a beautiful story.

Keep on Doing

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I wonder how my mom felt when her mom died when she was two. I wonder how my dad felt when his father died when he was fourteen. I wonder how he felt when he had to quit school in 8th grade to help support his family. I wonder how he felt when he was drafted to fight in a war he didn’t start and had to leave a wife and child at home. I never asked them. I never thought to ask them. I didn’t have the wisdom to ask them. I missed important lessons I only learned through lived experiences.

My mom and dad, like so many people who face setbacks, kept on going, not complaining. They keep on doing what they had to do because they had to do it. Other people depended on them. That is how they were built. They didn’t look for a handout or a hand up. They kept on doing. I like that phrase, they kept on doing.

Today, I will keep on doing. I will keep on doing what I have to do because that is how I am built. It is the way you are built to. 

KEEP ON DOING

keep on doing

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