“Running away was easy; not knowing what to do next was the hard part.” Glenda Millard
What makes us run away? A horrible boss drove me over the edge and I quit my job after 17 years. Was that running away? Was running away easier than the unknown? Or was running into the darkness the lesser of two evils?
I see people running into the unknown because they think the grass is greener. I hope they are right and find their happiness.
Why do we run? What is so horrible that we are running from that makes running into the darkness the better choice?
All things truly wicked start from innocence—Ernest Hemingway
Even at birth some religions feel we have original sins that need to be washed away. So the question stands are we or were we ever innocent? Do we just learn our wicked ways? And how wicked are we really? Is having wicked ways really bad? Or are they just perceived as bad? Someone who you perceive as standoffish could just be shy, but you perceive them in a negative way. Do those things make people wicked?By definition wicked: Morally very bad; Evil. Innocence: Freedom from guilt or sin Are we/were we ever truly innocent and/or truly wicked?
“Be still, sad heart! and cease repining: Behind the clouds is the sun still shining: Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be hard and dreary.”—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Misery and rain seem to go hand in hand just like depression and darkness. When we are dealing with a hard time in our life, we tend to forget that the sun is still shining. We see this now more than any other time in recent history. More people are struggling. People feel isolated and alone. These are challenging times, for sure. Those days are coming. We need to look beyond the dark cloud and rain and see the sunshine that is right behind them.
Let’s get through this storm…together.
“Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that's very important for good health.” —Dalai Lama
Chaos surrounds us everywhere; work, social media, news and so many more that I will not name. But how you manage the stress is important. Taking the time to unplug from the stress of life. I find going for a drive relaxes me, but everyone has a different outlet.
I have heard people say that they were stuck in the house for the most of the year. I wasn’t, but I still stayed isolated with my family. I have seen and explored more of Arizona this year then I ever had. We made the best of trying times.
I hope you are able to find the calm among the chaos like I have.
“I think that when you can escape into a book it trains your imagination to think big and to think that more can exist than what you see.”—Taylor Swift
There are many ways to escape reality and many people do. Do you escape reality and get taken to another place or world? I daydream, but I know many people that will lose themselves in a book.
A good book will transport you somewhere. You can become part of the story or just a passive observer. It allows you to build the image in your mind of what the author is trying to convey. People can read the same thing but see very different images.
I want my images to inspire you to create a story.
“The human face is, after all, nothing more nor less than a mask.” Agatha Christie
There is a Japanese saying that states you have three faces. One you show the world, one you show close friends and family. And the last you never show anyone and it is your truest reflection of who you are.
Do you wear a mask? Do you wear a different mask for different reasons? Do you have more than one mask? I do.
I have a mask I wear at work, a mask for my family and people I love, a mask for situations that I feel uncomfortable in. I probably have more. What mask is the real me? If I wear multiple masks will there be a time that I will forget who I really am?
“Whether I’m wearing lots of makeup or no makeup, I’m always the same person inside”—Lady Gaga
Why do we as women constantly try to compare our external image with that which society feels we should look? We tear ourselves apart trying to conform all while depression, loneliness and self-hatred set in.
Why do we let society define beauty? We can’t all look like the girl in the magazine. We don’t have someone using photoshop on us in the real world. Why can’t we accept ourselves?
If you look deep inside yourself you will see who you truly are as opposed to what you project on the outside. If, on the inside are you beautiful, then show it. Let the world see who you really are.
“This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend
The end”
By the Doors
Is it really the end or a new beginning? Even Jim Morrison said that every time he heard the song it meant something different depending on what was happening in his life. When I first imagined this image it had a very different dark feel to it. What changed? Probably things that were going on in my life.
So why not embrace the end and jump head first to a new beginning? Leave the past behind and look forward to the future.
“Can you picture what will be? So limitless and free”
“Ain’t nobody got time for that”.——Sweet Brown
I know you will remember who she is, just google it.
Time, what is time? Why do we say that we don’t have time to do something? There are 24 hours; or 1440 minutes; or 86400 seconds in a day. That is a lot of time to do something but we still say that we don’t have time.
What if we change what we say? What if we said “that is not a priority for me”? A simple change of verbiage might just change your outlook on time, it did for me. I try not to rush, I try to stop and smell the roses now. I am trying to stop and see the beauty around me.
