The View

I read a book today about how to live a life of happiness. The author told a story of doing research on the homeless and how one of them was her greatest teacher on the subject. She sat and talked with the man about his routine and what his life was like being homeless. He mentioned how most days he ended up right there on the boardwalk, with his feet dangling staring out at the ocean.  Towards the end of the conversation she asked the man, "Why don't you go to a shelter? Or somewhere safer and more comfortable than this?" He simply replied, "Look at the view my dear, look at the view." Sometimes we are in uncomfortable places in life: trials, heartache, loneliness, frustration, discouragement, HOMEWORK, and the list goes on. When we find ourselves here, why not stop, and look at the view my dears.

Being Yourself

Yesterday I had the chance to sit in on a "soul bearing session" of a couple friends of mine. They were just talking about some of the hurtful things the other had done and what it made them feel. The girl said, "I just feel like you are so great and when I thought you could be interested in me that I needed to step it up. So I tried so hard to do things I thought you would like and say what you wanted me to say. But it felt like the more I did that the more you pulled away from me." Then the guy said, "That's because I liked the real you. I thought you were great just being yourself. Then when you started to try to please me it felt like our relationship was forced and I lost interest." *DING* on went the light above my head!! I realized that whenever I like a guy, and I think I have a chance with him, I try so hard to be what he would want me to be that I loose myself in the production. I think I found the solution to all those "almosts" that found their way out of my life. I need to learn to be confident in what I have to offer, in what I am bringing to the relationship. Not concern myself with what I think they would want me to be, but what I want me to be.