The Seed of Hope

The Epiphany

As defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary: 

epiphany

1: capitalized : January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ

2: an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being

3 a (1): a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2): an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3): an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure b: a revealing scene or moment

I can remember as a child hearing the word epiphany; I always associated it with church, or religion, especially around Christmas. Catholic families were urged to leave their Christmas trees up until January 6^th, which was the Feast of The Epiphany. The day marked the arrival of the Three Wise Men (I pondered over using capital letters) in Bethlehem to offer gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the newborn Christ. To this day Jackie and I still try to observe this tradition; funny how some traditions stick with you for years…..

I’ve had a lot of epiphanies during my childhood, adolescent, and adult years; in terms of the simplest definition, we all have. I remember my sons Brian and Christian 'discovering' their fingers and toes when they were infants and the look of complete surprise on their faces when they took their first step as toddlers. I remember my grandfather teaching me how to read a ruler, my Mom showing me how to be self-sustaining, my Dad giving life’s lessons in becoming a man. I recall how it felt being a father for the very first time. I remember realizing that it is possible to love someone unconditionally without fear of being hurt (thank you Jackie).

All of these are examples of epiphanies, or what I call 'aha' moments. We’ve all had them, haven’t we? I’m guessing that I’ve already triggered your recollection of several of your own 'aha' moments. I’m sure that some of them stand out more than others, which have been more important in their impact on your life.

It’s one of those 'aha' moments in my life that I want to tell you about today. This was not just an epiphany. In terms of who I am, what I am, and what I am becoming, this was THE epiphany, the one that truly changed the course of my life. Picture Redd Fox as Fred Sanford clutching his chest and exclaiming “This is the big one Elizabeth! Oh Lord. I’m comin’ Honey. Help me, please!” Get it? This was no ordinary aha. I remember that day as if it were yesterday……

November 5, 2006

Let me 'set the table' for that day by briefly telling you about a couple of things that happened leading up to it. I read a book (Get Glowing, by Ann Mincey), and watched a movie (The Secret). I’ll devote more time to each of these in the future, I promise.

After reading Ann’s book, and watching the movie, I knew that I needed to change some things in my life, or more specifically, the way I looked at life. Have you heard the saying “What you believe, you receive.”? I’m not asking if you believe in the statement; that’s a topic for another day.

Let’s just say that I realized that in order for me to have the things in life (tangible and intangible) that were important to me, I had to believe that I was worthy of them. So I had to change the way I looked at life and the way I looked at myself! And oh by the way, I was 53 years old at the time.

On the night of November 4^th, 2006 I went to bed telling myself “Tomorrow I begin the process of changing who I am. Tomorrow I change the course of my life. Tomorrow the adventure begins.”

One final thought on that night: I fell asleep in prayer asking God to help me in my journey.

Have you ever experienced a day when you knew that you were on the verge of learning something, of discovering something, about yourself or something in life? I would liken it to reaching for a word that’s on the tip of your tongue, or recalling the title of a song, or the name of an old friend you haven’t seen in years. You know that you know something, you just don’t know, for the life of you, just what it is!

That’s the feeling that I woke up with on Sunday, November 5^th, 2006. I believed that I was on the verge of finding out something about myself, something that would be an 'aha', something that was of great importance. I just didn’t know what it was! That feeling would stay with me all day long; so close to knowing, yet so far away….

When it happened…..

That evening I had to drive to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute items that we needed for dinner. While in route, I kept thinking about the old Allstate insurance commercial that pictured two cupped hands forming a 'bowl', with the announcer’s voice saying “You’re in good hands with Allstate.” Remember that one?  “Strange”, I said to myself, wondering why my thoughts were on that commercial.

I stopped at a traffic light with the image of those cupped hands still occupying my thoughts, lost in my own little world. I was jolted back to reality by a guy in the car behind me laying in his horn; the light had turned green. I didn’t move; I was too busy looking at my own hands. They had taken the shape of the hands in that Allstate commercial. No, I didn’t hear the announcer's voice!

What I did see, at least in my minds eye, was my destiny. You see, at that moment I realized that all my life I had given control of my destiny to everyone else in and around my life. I had for years let other people, through their thoughts and opinions of me, dictate who I was and what I did. In one split second, in the blink of an eye, all the shortcomings, and doubts, and failures, and settling for less that had been a part of my life for so long seemed to melt away in the tears that were streaming down my face.

Time stands still. The earth moves. Wow. No more running from the past, no more hiding from the hurt. No looking back; the past doesn’t matter any more.

My destiny was mine to control, to shape, to fulfill; it had been all along. I wouldn’t give it to anyone else, ever again. Once more I offered a silent prayer, asking God to take my hand and lead me on my journey.

contact me: sam@theseedofhope.com

Sharing

You are correct in thinking that today is not Monday, which is supposed to be the day for new posts. This one couldn’t wait; well it could have waited. I just didn’t want it to!

I realized this morning that there is something that I need to share with you. Oddly enough, what I want to share with you is an invitation to share your thoughts with me, but perhaps not for the reasons you may think….

I don’t know if I have read, or heard this before, but it’s something that has etched itself into my mind, so I feel that I should convey it to you:

The smallest key can sometimes open the largest door.

Okay, I don’t know what that statement means to you, but I’m going to tell you what it means to me (you knew that was coming, didn’t you?).

If you’ve read “Our Story” you know that my world shifted on its axis, that the path of my life took a different course, because of three small words (“You get it.”) spoken by someone that I’d just met.

I don’t know this for sure, but if Scott Cook had not shared that simple thought with me, my life would not have taken the dramatic turn that it did, and many of the events that followed, including the inspiration for this website, might never have happened.

I believe with all that is in me that I have some “nugget of truth” for you. I also believe that you may have one, if not more than one, of those nuggets for me. If it is in you to share your thoughts with me, please do; I’ll be a better person for it.

If you don’t feel comfortable sharing with me, then share with yourself! You may be wondering “How do I share with myself?” I’ll explain:

If you read something that I’ve shared with you, and it triggers a thought, or a chain of thoughts, take note of it, and make a note of it. Some of my greatest “aha” moments, some of my greatest discoveries about myself, were a direct result of recording my thoughts, regardless of how seemingly insignificant they were at the time. Those small “discoveries” about me led to HUGE ones!

It’s when we look within that we see our fears or weaknesses, which we really don’t want to see at all do we? I mean, who wants to feel the hurt that often hides inside? No one does. I urge you to do it anyway. Why?

While you’re looking around in there (your mind) you are going to find some strengths that you never knew you had, and you are going to be overcome with, well, with a sense of satisfaction and elation that is beyond my description. This, in turn, will set you on a path of self-discovery that will be beyond your description!

Again, I welcome you to share your thoughts with me, for my benefit, but especially for yours. If nothing else, please, please share with yourself; you’ll be glad that you did.

The smallest key can sometimes open the largest door. That “door” is the portal to your mind.

Contact me: sam@theseedofhope.com

Waiting To Exhale

If you were going to climb a mountain, would you attempt to do so holding your breath? How about running a mile? Swimming laps in a pool? Walking across the street? Riding a bike? Carrying on a conversation with a friend? Would you hold your breath?

The answer to all of these questions is obvious, isn’t it? The simple act of drawing breath is essential to everything that we do; it’s an essential element to living. Our life on this earth begins with our first breath, and ends with our last. You get the message, right? We have to breathe.

Curiously enough, in spite of our gifted minds, so many of us unknowingly try to get through life holding our breath! In our world today, in our country today, right here and right now, more and more of us are trying to survive without breathing! We are holding our breath, waiting for gas prices to stabilize, waiting for the stock market to calm down, waiting for the election to be over, waiting for the housing market to recover, waiting to get out of Iraq, and waiting for an end to inflation. We are waiting for this recession to come to an end. We are waiting for moral values to return to our society. We are waiting for things to be the way they “used to be”.  We are waiting for life to get better. So what’s wrong with that?

The problem lies in that we are holding our collective breaths waiting for all of this to happen! We wouldn’t climb, or run, or swim, or walk, or bike, or talk without breathing. So why would we try to get through some of the most difficult times our country has faced since the depression, waiting to exhale? We can’t.

Breathe. Right now. It doesn’t matter if someone else is in the room with you. It doesn’t matter if you feel foolish. Keep in mind that at this very moment, someone, somewhere, is doing the very same thing. It doesn’t matter if you don’t think that you need to do this; do it anyway!

Through your nose draw in the biggest breath your lungs can possibly handle; now inhale a little more. Hold it for a few seconds. Now slowly exhale through your mouth, and as you do so, release all of the frustration, anger, and fear that you’ve kept bottled up inside for all this time. Feels better, doesn’t it? If you need to try it again, go ahead. It takes a long time to release the pent up feelings that you’ve harbored for weeks, months, perhaps even years. Repeat this as many times as you’d like; there’s no hurry. Just breathe.

Hopefully at this point you’re feeling a little better, so we’ll move on.

Life, or better yet living life, is a matter of perspective; it’s all in the way we look at things. Here’s another exercise for you to try; okay, okay, you don’t have to try it now, but promise yourself to do it later!

You probably have your “favorite” chair in your home or apartment. It may be in your den, living room, or study. You know the one I’m talking about; it’s the one in which you are the most comfortable. The chair. Your chair (mine happens to be in the kitchen).

Try sitting in a different chair in that very same room. Don’t pick the one closest to your favorite. Choose one on the opposite side of the room, or if you’re in the kitchen or dining room, the opposite side of the table. Have a seat. Go ahead, it’s just a chair; it won’t bite! Now close your eyes and clear your thoughts. Remain that way for a minute or so.

Now open your eyes and focus on what is directly in front of you. You’re probably seeing something in this room that you’ve never seen before, or at least not from this particular angle, in this particular light. Take in all that you see, even the smallest details. Now fix your gaze on the chair that you normally sit in. Again, take in all that you see. Isn’t it amazing how your chair looks from a different perspective?

You see, life, or better yet the way we look at life, is a matter of perspective. I offer you several thoughts, several angles, several views, on life, and living your life.

Do you think that you are the only person worried about the economy, gas prices, war, morals, and all the other concerns that were previously mentioned? Do you think that you are alone in struggling to pay that house note, rent, car note, utility bill? Do you think that you have been dealt a hand in life that no one else has. You’re not. You aren’t. You haven’t.

There are hundreds, thousands, millions of people in the world facing many of the problems that you are facing at this very moment. We feel alone with our problems because of our unwillingness to openly admit our fears, our doubts, and our frustrations. We have a tendency to let our pride and ego stand in the way of admitting our feelings. Why are we that way? Why are we afraid to let down our shields, to let others know that we have weaknesses? Why are we afraid to admit that, well to admit that we’re human? Why are we so quick to share all that is good in our lives, yet so reluctant to share that which is not so good?

I like to use the word abundance, which quite simply, means an ample supply of something. Abundance in one’s life can come in many wrappers. One’s list may include an abundance of faith, or health, or wealth, or happiness, or love, or peace of mind. The list goes on and on. Your list of abundance would consist of those things, tangible or intangible, that are most important to you. 

I venture to say that the list of people living in complete and absolute abundance is a very, very, short one. I’m not talking about the individual that has been blessed with 70, or 80, or 90% of his abundance list; I’m talking about the individual who has it all. I would love to meet this person and congratulate him on finding Utopia!

The key to a happy life for the rest of us comes in focusing not on what we don’t have, but in being grateful for what we do have. You’re thinking “it’s the old glass half empty, glass half full” way of looking at life. It’s that but it’s more: when you spend your time dwelling on all that you don’t have, you lose sight of the most important gift that you do have.

If you are reading this, you have been given, for at least one more day, the gift of life. Do you know how many people didn’t get to experience a good, bad, or any kind of day today? How many lives were cut short by illness, accident, violence, or simply old age? Don’t you think that the majority of those people would welcome one more chance to get it right? One more chance to make a difference for those they left behind.  One last time to look into the faces of those they loved. One more day. One more chance.

So many of us are waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for the next bit of depressing news, waiting for the next bad thing to happen.

Change your perspective in life. Focus on the good, not the bad. Live in a state of gratitude for those things that you do have, not those things that are missing. Make today count.

Take a deep breath. Exhale. Celebrate today. Celebrate your life.

Contact me: sam@theseedofhope.com