"I'd be Ashamed"

Have you ever heard that before, or some variation of it? Of course you have. Most of us have. It doesn't feel very good to hear from someone who we believe cares about us, and it feels even worse when we hear from in our own thoughts. The best thing to do is share those thoughts and feelings with some folks that are good for us to be around. What we usually do is one or more of the following:

1. Denial - We deny that the feelings of inadequacy even exist.
2. Avoidance - We avoid participating in any activity that might have a possibility of bringing up those feelings of being less than others. We will not allow ourselves to be vulnerable in any way; physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.
3. Isolate - We pull away from others, even folks we really like to be around. After a while, we loose interest and energy.
4. Aggressiveness - We drive others away with our "bad" attitudes so they won't have a chance to see or recognize the hurt within us.
5. Perfectionism - We strive to never make a mistake or do everything perfectly. And, even if we don't do things flawlessly, we make ourselves believe those things are perfect.
6. Arrogance - We act superior to others, or insist others are full of defects. We are contemptuous toward others and we exaggerate their short-comings.
7. Exhibitionism - This one is really weird. We actually call attention to what it is about us that we don't like. We'll do this is a flamboyant, public, and often humorous way to attempt to convince ourselves and others that "it" doesn't really bother us.

Untitled         by Lindsay S.

Since the moment I was born
Life has put me in my place,
Leaving no stone unturned.
Leaving no soul unscathed.
Trials and tribulations
The story of my life.
Wondering where I went wrong,
Never knowing if I will survive.
Being a sight for sore eyes
Is beginning to wear me down
It would be nice to smile once in a while
Instead of always wearing a frown.
There are moments amidst the madness
When the sun was shining bright,
A time when I could clearly see
Before I had turned out the light.
The power of the ocean.
The brilliance of the sand.
The green rolling hills of this land.
Serenity I sought out.
Peace of mind is what I found.
Add the unconditional innocence of an animal.
No storm could keep me down.
So why does it seem impossible
To get back to where I had begun?
Why must it be so damn hard
To do the things left undone?
Yet I have a feeling
This hard work will pay off.
I will stick it out until the end
No matter what the cost.

"There are two ways to get enough: One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less."

"The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work."

"It's too bad when a child is scared of the dark. But it's a heap worse if a grownup is afraid of the light."