Thursday, September 4, 2008

The Dash Between the Years


My friend Kelly and her husband enjoying a fun moment in the Florida Keys. Kelly, her husband and 2 sons are loving life in Florida. About two years ago they basically sold everything and moved to Jacksonville and started a new life. Kelly and Rob grew up and lived in Camden, South Carolina most of their lives. This was a pretty active family prior to the move with camping trips and scuba diving and so on. Florida has agreed with them. They still scuba dive, snorkel, and go camping however added to that is surfing for the boys and fabulous trips all over Florida, the Bahamas and wherever their heart desires! I worked with Kelly for a number of years we shared special ed students and had a great time teaching them how to live! Kelly is so enthusiastic and exuberant it was my job to reign her in a bit and her job to loosen me up!
I have been thinking about how we live our lives. Are we just in survivor mode doing enough to get from one day to the next? Are we stuck in a rut, doing the same thing the same way day after day after day? It is easy to set up a comfort zone and stay in it...for a very long time. We all have a birth date and inevitably we will all have a date of death. How will we live the "dash" between those two dates? I received an e-mail not too long ago about the dash between the years and it is an idea I haven't been able to shake. We all have responsibilities and obstacles to overcome. How are we doing this...with drudgery...with enthusiasm...? Are we creating lives of authenticity...true to ourselves or are we living a fabricated life of what we "think" is right and true encouraged by the media, or someone else's agenda or by what our ego likes us to think?
I have been reminded lately of the blessings in my life and to show gratitude for the many people, places and things I enjoy every day of my life. Some very special people have reminded me in a very tangible way of the blessings of friendship and diversity. Thank You!!!
I am working on an e-seminar with Christine Kane and she has issued a challenge to remain complaint free for 49 days. I have a purple bracelet to remind me...you switch the bracelet from one arm to another when you complain, whine or criticize...yeah it is exhausting and I am not telling you how many times I have to start over...as she says "energy goes where attention flows" I like that. Are the dashes in your years becoming filled with love, peace and kindness or are the dashes full of complaining, criticism and harshness? What you focus on becomes your reality...I like peace, love and kindness ALOT!!!
How about you...how are you living the dash between the years???

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can I say, Connie, how relieved I am to hear I'm not the only one who's been moving that bracelet back and forth?!

Great post!

Anonymous said...

49 days! Wow, Corey at a SimpleMarriage only did his for 21 days. It's amazing how it can take months. Good luck!

Jack and Erika said...

Well come on down! Bring some friends, y'all have a free place to stay! (Just give me a few hours notice so you don't see how dirty our apartment is right now! Ha!)

Connie said...

Hayden, I am amazed at how much I/people complain/criticize in ONE day!!!

Anonymous said...

Loved this. The picture of Kelly and Jack set the perfect tone for what followed. Having recently had a birthday, I find myself thinking quite a bit about what I've already done and what I still want to do (more hiking in the mountains, another marathon or two, hugging more grandchildren including those I haven't seen yet, laughing and dancing more, and so on) because I want my dash to be just a meaningful as the beginning and ending dates.

Alona said...

I try hard to not complain but I am just saying that I am glad I dont have that bracelet. I am thinking it would be broken or something after the first week.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful post Connie. I'd never heard that concept of the "dash" before and can understand why it's stuck w/ you. It's such a stark image, yet evocative of so much more. I hope to live my life to the fullest; goodness knows I try. May I be as happy, irreverent and unapologetic as I age. HAH! Add a whole lot of humility, a generous heart and a willing spirit, and I should be fine. God willing. xo

Rosezilla (Tracie Walker) said...

Complaint is a corrosive that eats away at relationships. If we all take care of each other instead of ourselves, everyone becomes selfless and well taken care of!

House of Squitty said...

I love this idea of the dash, it's got me thinking. Also, 49 complaint free days? I need to try this, it would be good for me.

Anonymous said...

I needed to read this. Things have been a bit of a strain of late. If I had that bracelet it would have been out of the window by now!
Some of your comments have made me realise that moaning doesn't help...
I'd like to do it though... complaint free...