The Beauty of Ugliness

They say the only thing in life that's constant is change. If you live long enough you will experience some form of change. Some of it is your own choosing and some of it is not.

The changes we make of our own volition are always the easiest because there is some predicted outcome. Suppose you choose to go on a diet - it is likely you will choose a particular diet to go on, a date to start and end the diet, and a reason for the diet such as loosing weight.
Or suppose you choose to make a change from being single to being married. It is possible you will choose your mate, a wedding date and the attire you will wear to your wedding.

Most people like to choose the changes that occur in their lives, because they have some control of the outcome - and though those changes might add up to stress and frustration, there is some thought and choice that goes into making the change.

There are also changes that "happen to us" if you will, that we don't necessarily choose to make. Right now there are 30,000 people hanging out in the Louisana Superdome without power, without air conditioning and with flooding toilets - it's during the Hurricane Katrina search and rescue efforts and the Superdome is being used as a safehouse.

Those people didn't choose to have their homes destroyed by 135 mph winds or 15 foot floods. But the beauty in all the ugliness is that they do have a choice in how they react to the situation. I guarantee that some people's lives will take a dramatic turn of events this very week. Some people will choose to volunteer for search and rescue, some will volunteer their medical expertise at the local hospitals, some will get to know thier superdome neighbors and become life-long friends. Some with nowhere else to go, will go live with estranged family and become very close. Some with no where to go will go out and start all over and rebuild their lives completely from scratch and it will be the best life they've ever had.

Instead of getting mad at life for dishing out changes, as random and as unfair as they may seem, choose instead to see the beauty in the ugliness as you grow in grace.

-Angela

The Key to Self Discovery

Dr. Russell C. Kick, Ph.D. suggests in his recent book THE KEY TO SELF DISCOVERY, (ISBN: 141202577X) that the key to self-discovery is to be open-minded.

"The gateway to self-discovery is a free and open mind. An open mind allows powerful new knowledge and good ideas in, and frees consciousness to rise and develop.
An open mind expands awareness and attracts information.
A closed mind leads to entropy and stagnation.

Be Open-Minded.
See yourself as open, tolerant and receptive.
An open mind is the cornerstone of your quest for discovery and realization, and makes possible infinite opportunities."

-Angela