Sunday, December 18, 2016

Pot holes , sink holes and hell

You cannot go through life without being aware of the various holes. The blind cannot lead the blind ,  a saying that is not an attack against those that have lost sight. It is more a metaphor that speaks more of judgement than actual sight.

Potholes - Why are potholes so important? A pothole can put you out of commission , it can cause you to lose direction. Small things can become bigger and eventually cause a break down. One way to avoid a pot hole is not to procrastinate. If you see something that needs attention make a list and keep track of it. Eventually get the list narrowed down or at least manageable and it will be smooth sailing. One dangerous pot hole besides procrastination is unsecured debt. Debt that is created by frivolous spending. Another pothole is worry, usually when things that bother us which are beyond our control. Remember in the end this is not our battle. All battles are the Lords, it is not to say take on no responsibility. We are to take our roles in life seriously , we are also are to avoid being sucked into things that are not our business, pot holes.

Sink holes- Even more dangerous than pot hole are sink holes. These are major life changes whether it is a divorce , a loss of a job , a death , a major life event. A sink hole can take down not only you , it can effect family and friends also. It can cause displacement or homelessness , it can bring you to deep depression or poverty. Sink holes cannot always be avoided , unlike potholes. They can wreak the utmost havoc. The only way to beat a sink hole is to hold onto hope. Have a path of recovery, preparation is key to beating sink holes. This is where it is important to have a support system in place. Family and friends can be part of this structure. Financial preparation in having a savings in place. The most important part of recovery is believe in ones own self. By building good character having a solid foundation sink holes can be avoided. The truth is not all sink holes can be avoided. We can also rely on our faith , wisdom of staying positive in attitude will get positive results.
 Let others know you need their help , sometimes you just cannot go it alone. It is ok , to ask for help. If you don't ask the answer is always no. Network whenever possible to have a strong support system. George Washington always spent the time to network friends and neighbors , he was big into belonging to every organization possible. Where a lot of people get hurt badly after falling into a sink hole is when they isolate themselves. Perhaps you may want to step out and join a club, learn to socialize. Join a church that offers a chance to socialize. A church is not a perfect institution it is however a place of refuge.

Hell - You have gone beyond normal help and need extra ordinary assistance. Perhaps you have an addiction or a severe mental condition. You have a few alternative when things are totally screwed up. One thing , never give up. You can be re- born or born again. Go to the source of your inner being and start over. Starting over is something that should be looked at as an adventure. Every day is an adventure. Be open to new ideas, organize your thoughts. Be positive and surround yourself with positive people. Do not care what others think , you are a new creature. One of my favorite saying is from the National Park Service, do not feed the bear and the bear will go away.
Avoid self pity and over thinking what went wrong. Think about what can go right , self assurance is needed. If it is because of a relationship you thought was perfect came to an end. I am telling you this happens more often than you can imagine. You should not rely on relationships, they are mostly temporary at best. If it ends just be grateful for the time it lasted, don't look at it negatively. Tomorrow you may find another relationship or realize how foolish you had been to put faith in relationships to begin with. Put your faith in things you control, never put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket. 
Addictions are not not easy to overcome. I find that many of us are pre- disposed to addiction. We have a parent or family history of addiction. Identify those things that have caused destruction in your own history and avoid them. Avoid them just as though they were poison because in fact , they are poison. Do not only avoid the things that are harmful, go toward the things that are beautiful and helpful. The worst hell of all is feeling trapped by self deprecation. We are our own worst enemy is the truth. If that is the truth then we can also say , we can be our own best friend. Take a minute to discover those thoughts that get make you happy. Happy thoughts are just as easy to create as sad ones. Just practice a couple happy thoughts. Then build up to several , eventually you will find happiness. It begins at the tiny thought level. Perhaps meditate on a happy place , could be a sail boat or a favorite vacation spot. You may be happy just taking a walk with a dog or petting a cat. I get happy when seeing babies , there is just something about them that makes me laugh. Maybe thinking yes at one time , I was one of those little guys.

Never under play hell. Recognize it and work hard to get out of it or avoid it all together. Some say it is a place we spend all eternity if caught up in it. I do not believe hell is a permanent state, that would be like giving up. We should know two things about hell, one it can be avoided, two we hold the key within to both hell and heaven.  Christ within is the key.

Peace,

Earl.