Kick it to the Curb

IF you think you're ALL THAT....kick it to the curb. You're not all that to your kids, your spouse, your job, your friends. Heck, at times you're not all that to yourself. And you're breaking yourself apart if you're trying to do it all, be it all, finish it all, clean it all, hide it all, make it all happen so everybody in your life will be happy and problem free. KICK IT TO THE CURB. You, my friend, do not walk on water so don't try. You don't live a perfect life so please don't break your heart, mind and soul pretending to others that you do. In the end of the day this will rob you of your own happiness; you'll lose yourself to others. Is that how you want to spend your days? I wonder if the 9/11 victims would tell you to work yourself to death for everybody in your life? I wonder if the names on the monuments of all the wars would say....get out there and make someone else's life perfect at your own expense. I wonder if you just need to KICK IT TO THE CURB. Do I sound harsh.....hopefully I do. I see it everyday. I see people little by little dissolve into puddles of 'o how I tried', or ' I wish there were 30 hours in everyday', and guess what? They drown in those puddles. Take a flashlight and shine it backwards and see if there's not things that you need to kick to the curb. If you don't see any, then you've blinded yourself to yourself. Let's make today a day of hauling trash, filling dumpsters and kickin' things to the curb!

Stumbling Blocks.........

We all have them. Not problems, not everyday annoyances, but blocks. Things that are in your pathway to success. Okay, so maybe you're as successful as you want to be. Go You!!! But if you're not, then figure out what that boulder is in front of you that is keeping you from getting to the end of that tunnel. No confidence? No time? No encouragement? No this, no that? Is your stumbling block cement and unmovable or is it just something that scares the heck out of you and you don't want to address it, acknowledge it or deal with it. Is it laziness or complacency? Is your give a 'whatever' broken? I don't know what yours is and frankly I don't care. What I do care about it that if it is keeping you from reaching your potential, then it's a problem. Why you ask? Because you are not being your authentic self. You are not getting to the goal line. You are keeping someone else from their 3 pointer because you haven't achieved yours. Do you get this? Do you understand that we are all linked and the weakest link in the chain could be you. Maybe you have a song to sing, an invention to invent, a book to write, a speech to make that will trickle down and disintegrate someone else's stumbling block. And then they will in turn help someone else. So here's your choice. Sit and stare at that thing in your path or knock the thing out of the way. Gripe and mumble and grumble about life, or take it and shake it and turn it upside down and succeed. I have a stumbling block, you have one too. And if you think you don't, then you are fooling yourself. Because not one person on this planet has reached their peak. There are always steps to take, lessons to learn, gifts to give and goals to achieve. Help yourself help somebody else. Stumbling Blocks.......sit and stare, or move mountains. Your choice. Your life. Your contribution.

Seek and Ye Shall Find.................

What are you seeking? It's my theory that if you're alive you should be seeking something. There is a universe to explore and knowledge to seek on every level. We all have different interests and pursuits. I think a sad thing in a person's life is to stop climbing the trail of learning. Maybe you think you know it all....(cough cough). Maybe you just don't know where to look. Maybe you find yourself content to sit and be that person who isn't about growth. I encourage you to find somebody that has greater wisdom than you do.....yes, as hard as it is to fathom, there is someone who does. Search, seek, learn. Life isn't about stagnation. Life is about expansion. Life is about absorption. Life is about filling up and then giving back to someone who may need your wisdom. Is anybody on this earth all knowing....of course not! But I assure you the greatest minds have never stopped seeking. Powerful stuff guys!

And When You See a Need......................

What do you do when you see a need? Do you shake your head and say, "Those poor people."? Do you reach out a helping hand? Do you thank God in his Mighty Heavens that it isn't you? Do you merely walk away with not another thought, so wrapped up in yourself that you are incapable of seeing outside the box of your problems. What do you do? I think your reaction says much about your character. We all are prone to help friends and family members more than those whom we don't know. But the Bible says......What you do for the least of these....SO my question remains. What do you do? The least of these may be those people who have never physically nor emotionally entered your small universal space. The least of these may be reeling from mighty forces with absolutely no where to turn but to the generosity of people who do NOT just walk away shaking their heads. Consider your character. It is on the line for the people of Moore Oklahoma. It is up front and center for the grieving, the stunned, the helpless. What will you do?

Saving..................

There's probably nothing you can do to save the entire world....but you can save your part of this beautiful thing called life. We are all given a place.....maybe yours is in the city, country, apartment, house....it really doesn't matter, you have a space. Not only physically, but emotionally you have a space. It is your job to plant and seed. And it is your job to weed and to water. Just like lawns and gardens we all need people to help our emotional, mental and spiritual gardens grow. No one is an island unto himself. Okay, fine, I didn't write that wonderful set of words...but I love it. You can not do life without help. Don't be that child who is standing in the corner with his arms crossed over his chest saying, 'Leave me alone.' Don't miss out on the blessings of family and friends. You can NOT save even your tiny space of the universe without help. Today's blog isn't about giving; it's about receiving and receiving with grace and gratitude and joy. You have someone who wants to help you...maybe through a great conversation, maybe through a slight touch, maybe through a prayer. Saving yourself is saving your future generations. It's building a bridge, setting stepping stones, paving a way. How wonderful, yet awe inspiring to know, that what you do with your life, will affect those around you and in front of you for years to come. Loved ones have done that for you......and yearn to continue. Let them. Receive what is given. Let your garden grow.

Inspiration...............

I'm certian that we, as humans, need inspiration each and every day. We need that push to put one foot in front of the other and just keep life going. Some days are easier than others. Some days are sailboats on calm seas...masts fully opened and skies blue. Other days are row boats in seas so rough that hanging on is all we can do. On those days, we need inspirations, we need to pull them from our gut and use them with every bit of our strength. One of my truest, most trusted , my go to inspirations is Maya Angelou. If you've never heard her speak nor read her books, then you are missing out on a deep wisdom. She is a true teacher. Her story is long, and at times hard to absorb. Raped at 7, mute for many years, labeled an idiot, she has risen from her own personal ashes to become one of the most decorated women of our time. She has thoughts and words so provoking as to be mind boggling. Her words are musical instruments. She is a phenomena of our age. She has written thirty books, has spoken at the UN, can speak seven languages. She is one of my inspirations. So from time to time I think I'll take her words and pass them along. Today one of my favorite MA quotes is....."When we know better, we do better." Take those words and really let them dwell and simmer in your mind. You should know better ever day of this life you've been given. You know better today,than you did yesterday, or last week, or last month or year. So do better. Be inspired and be an inspiration to someone else. I hope you have an inspiration in your life that helps you through those row boats day. But if you don't, then borrow mine. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. No, never disappointed. You will be blessed.

Brand....................

And I don't mean the brand of detergent you buy, or green beans, or coffee, or cereal. I mean YOUR brand. The Brannan Farm has a brand that has been registered with the great State of Texas for generations. It is how things are marked around our place. As an animal lover I don't like to think about the use of brands in the sense of the Brannan Farm brand, so let's talk about how we each and every one brand our own lives. Our Brands are the choices we make, the words we speak, the attitudes we display, the expectations we put on ourselves. How have you branded yourself? Are you a generic brand? Are you a specialty brand, an organic brand? Do you even KNOW what your brand is? Do you care? Hear this, how you brand yourself reflects on your children, your family and your influence on your very tiny part of this world. How you brand yourself affects not only your present but your future. How you brand yourself is your life. In fact, your brand is burned into every waking moment. Be very careful about your Brand. It is your legacy.

Sometimes It Just Pays........................

.................to be quiet. And listen. To yourself, to your friends, to nature, to your spouse, to your children.......don't use YOUR words; listen to theirs. Don't HEAR their words, but listen to them. Don't jump in with an opinion, a 'I know what you mean', or a 'one-up' story. Again....just tune yourself completely to whomever it is before you. Set you radio dial on them. Put them in your Ipod. Be that person who focuses and listens and lends an ear. Short blog because I'm waiting to listen.

Winner Winner.................

Chicken Dinner...............Okay stupid saying, I know. But it leads to this question. What would you do to win? Just how high a limb would you climb? Would you play fair? Would you lose your morals and cheat? Would you lie, spread rumors, harass, demean? Would you, in fact, ruin your reputation? I'm sure you're thinking, well, NO! But think long and hard because what YOU do to win is what you're teaching your children to do. What you do to win is showing others how you choose to live your life, and your moral fiber. Do you live fairly? Do you take your hard knocks and learn from them or make excuses? Do you lose gracefully? I get the fact that we ALL want to win. Hook 'Em Horns and that sort of thing. We love to cheer our teams on in that Good Ole American Spirit of Competition. That is NOT what I'm talking about in this blog. I'm talking about YOU personally. Do you walk through the fire and take the heat and the loss if necessary or do you skirt around it and then either claim to have walked it or make excuses why you didn't? Do you blame others, do you belittle when you have the chance just because it MAKES you look better? Bet it doesn't make you feel better? And if it does, then you need some really deep cleaning, soul searching. You are being watched. Trust me you are. You are being watched by friends, your kids, your family, your co-workers. We can all be honorable winners unto ourselves and our Creator and at the end of the day, isn't that the beauty of life? I hope you play fair, not hide your little light under a bushel, but not set the basket on fire to hide your mistakes. Be a winner and do it with integrity. And when you lose, well, you lose. Be that person who can take what life hands out and learn and grow and walk with your head up and mouth closed. Belittling, bullying, demeaning only makes you look like what you are. And that is someone who can't take the responsibility of life, who looks in the mirror and not matter what, sees perfection, but deep in their heart, the cracks are growing and the shame is poisoning their soul. I hope you're a winner every day of your life. And I hope it's with good morals and high standards. Because nobody HAS to live with you but you.

Thieves

We all have thieves in our lives. Yes you do! Okay, so your house hasn't been robbed, your purse hasn't been stolen, your car is still in your garage. But you DO have thieves. We all do. These are the things we allow to steal our joy. To rob us of happiness. To stress us until we are walking time bombs. To just hack the heck out of our lives. Hear me well......we ALL have these things. They are dirty little black bubbles that float around in our brains and take up all the space where blessings should abide peacefully. They are hammers pounding away inside our heads where happiness needs to rest. They are worries that turn us into one big roaring pile of anxiety. They are blinders to the fact that we are so full of blessings we shouldn't be able to contain them, but yet we turn our backs on them and are fully loaded guns pointing at our thieves. Do NOT miss out on life because you are paddling upstream and think you have no way out of the boat, but to jump in the raging waters. I have been guilty of it....you have been guilty of it. We call it LIFE. What have you missed while hacking away at the thieves weeds? I daresay a LOT. Learn this if nothing else. Life is not meant to be lived with a spotlight pointed directly at you and your eyes blinded. Life is meant to be lived counting blessings, sitting in the shade of peace. Look around friends. You have them.....in spades.

On Being a Mother..............

A gift from God, a privilege beyond belief, an enormous responsibility, a 36 hours a day job, a heart that absorbs an aching amount of love.....there are so many things to be said about being a mother. Nothing brings more joy, more tears, more heartache, more worry, more pride. Nothing compares. It is instinct. It is a huge box tied with a big pink or blue bow that every day is opened and new surprises emerge. It is never ending although as mothers there comes a time when we must step back and watch your work fly on their own. You are given a finite number of years to do your job and then you must be on the sidelines, not the playing field. Realize this every day that your child is a child. Then also, realize that when the time comes, that child will walk away as the person you were given the honor of building and forming into an adult with adult responsibilities. Children are works of art and although God is the Creator, we, as mothers, are the artists. We sketch and paint. We teach, guide, lead, and shape. We are given a tiny human being with an enormous capacity to give and receive love and then we are given the years to mold that tiny living breathing creature. And when we become mothers, we turn our eyes backwards and realize just what was so generously given to us by our mothers. I hope that you had a mom who gave you her entire heart, who not only loved, but led by example, who instructed with kindness, but also who was not afraid to set you straight when time and actions demanded it. I hope you had a mother who cheered from the sidelines of your life and also stood quietly and let you absorb not only your successes, but suffer your failures. I hope you had a mother who allowed you to skin your knees, walk your tightropes and learn YOUR curve of life. I did....her name was Willie Pearl Jones Williams...and everyday I live a life that she, in her own very Southern lady way, molded. I have been given the amazing job of being a mother to 4 wonderful children. And now those four children have blessed us with their chosen mates who have doubled my joy as a mother. Thank you Dax and Aly, Devan and Dustin, JR and Cindy and Rachel and Jason. There is no doubt in my mind that if you are a mother, you understand every word I write. And if you are waiting to be a mother, or if you have chosen not to be a mother, then realize that most every person in your life needs your love in whatever capacity you can give it. While there is no love like a mother's love, there is love to be spread throughout your life. And there is love to be received. This is without a doubt the most generous gift we've been given....the gift of love. Happy Mother's Day.

Love.....

I wrote the following essay for a contest a couple years ago....I think I may have posted it before...but it was on love and it then turned into an essay on my mother. So here it is again as my Mother's Day tribute.............. Love in Complexity August, 1960 I lie in my parent’s bed and listen to my mother’s heart shatter. Dawn breaks over a hot Texas summer day. The bedroom is comfortable although in a few hours the swamp cooler will not be able to keep up with the unrelenting heat. My dad is dead. It has been a tough two years. Cancer is a terrible enemy. As I bury my head in the covers, I hear my mom’s words to her sisters. “If it wasn’t for the kids, I wouldn’t want to live.” How can this be I wonder? How can anyone not want to live? My 9 year old brain feels a burden that I can’t understand. What must I do to keep my mother wanting to live? December, 1983 I look into the blackest eyes I have ever seen and can’t believe the miracle I hold in my arms. The very being of our first child makes my heart swell. How have I lived this long and never known a love like this existed? My mother’s words slowly seep into me. They fill me with ancient wisdom. I can’t wait to present this miracle to my mom. Look what we did Mom! Here is a part of you and Daddy. Wouldn’t he be proud? Has it been worth the years of sacrifice you’ve had? Every ballgame, every play, every late night, and every disappointment we’ve thrown your way? I think yes! No, I know yes! November, 1985 Another set of black eyes gazes into mine. She is here! What a beauty. Our daughter…. our second miracle. My heart easily unfolds, blossoms, trembles with excitement. It is all consuming and yes, again, I remember those words my mother spoke so long ago. I understand, Mom; I understand times two! There is nothing like the expansion of a mother’s heart. There is always room for one more. No burden can ever be so light; no trouble can ever be too deep. April, 1996 My mother lies dying. Her breathing is uneven and ever so fragile. My brother, sister-in law, and I stand at her bedside. She has never remarried, never asked anyone else into our small family. I hear her words… “If it weren’t for the kids…..” Have we given you enough joy Mom? Have we made you proud? She has lived for us and through her I understand and embrace that love. I have been no burden all these years. My brother and I are her very existence. What joy! My mother asked many things of me over my 45 years of life. Some I gave her, some I denied her out of rebellion, selfishness or merely the zest of living my life. One thing she asked I delivered on that day in April. Will you be with me when I die? Yes!! I did it. The day of sorrow was also full of happiness. That one thing I accomplished. I can remember thinking many thoughts as I drove back to my home from her death bed. One thought remains with me forever. This is one of the three best days of my life. I did what my mom asked of me. I stood there and held her hand as she passed from this life to the next. Second only to the birth of our two children, it was absolutely the most awe inspiring fete of my life. I gave back just a minute portion of all the years of sacrifice she gave me. Understanding love doesn’t happen in a moment, in a day, a month nor a year. Love defines itself sometimes in spurts, sometimes slowly over time. It is a picture that develops in one’s heart, one’s soul, one’s very existence. Love roots in the soil of life and withstands the storms, opens to the sunny days and leafs out in miraculous ways. And then as most of God’s miracles, it becomes such a part of you that you don’t understand it, you merely live it. Is it trite to say a mother’s love is one of the strongest bond there ever was, is, or will be? Of course it is; the phrase has been repeated over and over. It’s not original to me or to you or to anyone. But it is God’s truth written on a mother’s heart. It is carved ever so deeply, yet ever so gently. How wonderful that it is trite, how wonderful that it has been recognized forever. Ask any father, son, mother or daughter to define love. How can you define soul consumption? How can you define heart to heart connection? The answers are infinitesimal. When did I understand the meaning of love? I don’t know if I understand it to this day. It is as ethereal as the gossamer wings of angels. It is as monumental as Mt. Everest or as grandiose as the Mississippi. It is staggering in its enormity. It is a gift. It is God. My mother left a legacy to her children that I pray I pass on to mine and then to the future generations of this family. It is the circle of life. It is eternity. I have a quote written in huge letters along the furr down of my cabinetry in the kitchen. “A child was asked where is your home. The child replied my home is where my mother is.” I hope that is the answer that lives in my children.

Mothers, Mamas, Moms...............

Tell me about yours. We all have one. This is a commonality among every living creature. We have mothers. Name one person you know without one. I'm not saying good, bad or indifferent but, unless your name is EVE, you have a mother. She may not still be alive, she may not be in your life, she may have NEVER been in your life, but you can't deny the fact that you have a mother and that AT SOME POINT, you were tied to her as closely as humanly possible. More to come on this Mother's Day Weekend, but for now.....I would love to hear about YOUR mother, mama, mom.

What's Your Thang??

Okay fine...I know it's thIng....but I was trying to be cute. Did I get the job done? Whatever! But seriously,what's your thing? We all have them. Mine are reading, writing and wonderfully long deep or incredibly silly conversations with family and friends. What's yours? Do you garden...then go dig a hole and plant those tomatoes, onions, okra, squash and corn and by all means, I'll be there for the harvest. Do you love to work out? Then I'm not too fond of your skinny self, but go sweat away those stresses and pounds. Do you like to cook....call me, and we'll set up a time for dinner. Do you love to sew......then you are crazy. I'd rather take a beating than have to thread a needle, but kudos to you guys who are so very talented. Do you like woodworking, refinishing furniture, or painting? Do you love puzzles, crosswords, hidden words or jigsaws? Then work with those letters and crazy looking pieces of cardboard. It doesn't matter what your thang is. What matters is that you do it. Treat yourself. Indulge. Not a day goes by that I don't read. And most days I write and always am talking to my friends and family.....big shocker there, huh. Don't let your passions go unnoticed and untended. Your garden will be weedy, your treadmill will be rusty, your stove will be lonely, your Bernini will feel ashamed and the letters and words in your mind will never fit into puzzles again. Use your mind or lose your mind. We are given passions and interests for a reason. And it's not to say,'O I can't wait to retire so I can yada, yada, yada. The time is now. Be busy. Be interesting. Be passionate. Be yourself!

Appreciation................

It' Mother's Day soon.....and Teacher Appreciation week.....and Nurse's Appreciation Day........so this lends the question, who do you really appreciate in your life? No, I don't mean like, I mean really appreciate. Count your many appreciations, name them one by one ( I know, a little poetic license). But here's my thing, do you even KNOW what or whom you really appreciate. Really? Cause I'm betting you take most of that appreciation for granted. Not me you say. Yep, YOU!! It's human nature. It's routine. It's life. Take a short moment and think about those you appreciate and if they were gone. Wonder if you've told them lately what they mean to you. Wonder if you've shown them that. Wonder if they have a clue. Wonder if you've even talked to them lately. Don't be silent. Don't be negligent. It only takes words. Use yours!

Feel......................

What do you feel today? What is your emotion of the day? Your emoticon? Are you happy, delighted, sad, free, anxious, greedy, solemn, bored? We all have emotions and while some are a flash.....some I think live underneath our skin and smolder. A close friend told me not long ago that she views life as a glass full of emotion. And most of the time the glass is not entirely full, but the slightest thing can turn it into overflowing and at that point, whatever your emotion is comes out....in tears, laughter, sighs or wringing hands. I think that is an interesting concept. It's not your typical 'glass half full/empty' statement. It's a statement which depicts us very well. If you're stressed and handling it seemingly okay, the slightest bump in the road may make your glass overflow. If you're sad, but still putting one foot in front of the other, something as simple as a book, commercial on television of Facebook quote might send you into tears. I hope I'm making sense to you. Flash in the pan emotions are just that....here one second and gone the next. The guy in the traffic lane next to you does something to make you angry, you are outraged for a few minutes, but you don't take it home and make it a part of your life. But if your underlying emotion is anger, then your entire evening is ruined. We all lead stressed lives up to a point, we all have moments of all types of emotions. But at the end of the day, what we need to work on is our feelings in the cells and pores of our live's emotion. We need to pay attention to THAT emotion that defines us as a person. A flash of anger, a sudden sigh, a moment of laughter are entwined in all of our lives daily, but what is really YOU. That is your EMOTICON. Be present in your life. Realize your walk is short. Do what it takes to make sure that when your glass overflows, it's not a life changing experience and one that takes days, months and years to combat. What is your emotion? It hovers in your heart and soul. It make you what you are.

360*

Stop! Stand very still! Now do a complete 360* turn. Look at every aspect of your life. Here's the thought of the day. Are you where you assumed you'd be at this moment in your life? Are you fulfilling your dreams? Are you disappointing yourself? Are you stagnant, motionless, complacent or vital, achieving and succeeding? Do you have goals to be met that aren't? Have you met all your goals and need to set more? It doesn't matter what age you are, you have a history and a future. You may not have the ability to change the past, but you darn sure have the ability to change your future. I think a good 360* look every now and again, is what we all need. Maybe you don't want to see what you think you might see. Maybe you don't want to realize what you think might come to light. But whether you do or don't, it is YOUR circle of life. 360*. And nobody can see it from where you stand but you. I hope you aren't disappointed in what you see, but if you are, then step out and step up. 360*......your challenge.

Playing Possum................

Do you ever just wanna Play Possum.....seriously, just lie in the middle of your life and appear to be dead? Not BE dead, but APPEAR to be dead. I think we all do from time to time. Here's the interesting thing. If you did Play Possum, what would the people in your life do? Would they gently nudge you to see if you were dead? Would they be quiet and walk softly enjoying the fact that maybe you were, well, not dead, but sleeping? Would they frantically shake you to make sure that you were breathing because they really really really love you or maybe because they want you to get up and do the laundry? Interesting huh? Weird too, I get that. I don't have a clue why this idea popped into my head, but it did, so I am compelled to share. Maybe I'm due a Possum retreat soon. Here's to getting your Possum on!!

Beacon.............

I must confess that I got up late with nothing to say.....nothing. Strange huh? I know you think that some days I ramble on just to hear myself type, but I really do want to somehow make a statement or put an idea out into the space that is known as the Internet. But this morning.............my words were not there. Maybe I had used all my words....right LB? But as I scrolled down Facebook to see what is happening in the lives of my friends I see a post of a picture of a Lighthouse....thanks ST. Immediately the word Beacon came to mind. I've never been to a Lighthouse, but have always thought they were fascinating both in their appearance and in their purpose. They truly were Beacons of Light for sailors back before technology took over our every second. I think we all have a Beacon of Light in some form or fashion. We all have our own personal Lighthouse. It's a guide, a comfort, a welcoming in our lives. I don't know what your Beacon is, but I truly hope that you know it and nurture it. I hope that you have that place, light, circumstance that soothes and relaxes you. I know what mine is.....and I treasure it daily. And with this Beacon/Lighthouse in your life......please take the time to give thanks for it and acknowledge it and most of all USE it. Soother to your soul.

Expandable............

People are expandable.............notice I did NOT say expEndable, although I guess that's true. But, let's talk about expandable people. You are one. Your heart expands when you think there is just no more room. Your mind expands daily. You see new sights,have new thoughts, learn new things. I hope your acceptance of others expands as well. Your tolerance becomes more flexible. You are made to expand, not be stagnant. Stagnation leads to complacency and lethargy and ultimately you see the world from one narrow tunnel that is your rigid limit. People who are curious, people who seek new experiences, people who take a few chances...these people expand and with that expansion live a life that is full. Don't just watch it...DO IT! Don't just read about it....TRY IT!! Whether you're 10, 30 or 90, there are those things that you can welcome into your world and expand with the wonder of them. What new thing is your choice? I wish I knew.