Monthly Archives: January 2011

news-commentary, optimism

The ripple effect

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My second favorite shot of the dayWhen you throw a rock into a body of water, waves ripple out from that point. That one disturbance can have an effect on something far away, something seemingly unrelated.

I haven’t written anything about the Arizona shooting last week, primarily because I was “off line” and “out of touch” through it. I followed a little but about it via Twitter on my phone, but on a whole… I was pretty clueless until the last few days.

My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones that day — even the shooter’s parents, who, essentially, lost their son, too. The ripple of grief goes far and wide to family and friends of those victims.

Those injured, some still lying in hospital beds, will have long lasting scars from the events, and their friends and family too are worried, saddened, but also filled with hope for recovery.

We as Americans are left to wonder how this will effect our government. How will it effect our interactions with others? Will we make positive changes to help others with similar violent tendencies or mental issues?  Or will we keep the status quo and believe we see no evil, hear no evil… until it is too late.

Some of my favorite stories to come out of this tragedy are the ones of positive changes being made by our youth. This news article out of Chicago details out some of those changes and events, all with a nod to the youngest victim of the shooting, nine-year-old Christina Green.

“Students in Tucson have already started Christina’s Challenge, during which they promised to recognize random acts of kindness,” the report says.

There is a ripple of positive going out from this tragedy, and its by our youth. As adults start pointing fingers, blaming politics, guns, and even violent video games, its our youth that show us that perhaps its not by pointing fingers that change is brought. It is instead by finding a positive ray of light to follow. It’s by making positive changes in life that true change is made. Not by pointing fingers and writing new laws. But by holding out a hand to a stranger.

As you may see on the right of the screen, I am a member of the BlogHer network. I received an email today that one of our members was one of those injured in the shooting. You can read the post about the shooting here. BlogHer has also set up a survey asking your thoughts on the shooting and how it will impact you and our democracy (yes, it does address the political angle as well) . Anyone can join in the survey, and you’re invited to do so here. The survey is completely anonymous.

motivational

One thing at a time

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Our recent move was overwhelming at times. Unpacking and setting up our new home has also been overwhelming.

I look around and see nine hundred things that need to be done, and I feel like I will never get it done. On top of that, I know that what I see is only part of the things on my plate. I have a web-site to do, a business card to edit, and ads to create (among other things). I’m keeping up this blog, and doing my 365. I have bills to pay, but I can’t sit down to work long enough to make the money to pay them.

Suddenly, as I let those realizations sink in, I get that feeling. The one in the pit of my stomach that says, “I’ll never be able to do it all!” Then I get a headache and dizzy, and then I have the urge to just sit down and cry.

Its in that moment that I sit back and I tell myself, “Yes, you will. One thing at a time. You will do it all.”

Life can get overwhelming. Life IS overwhelming in general! And we all have our moments when we fee like the world is crashing down around us. Deadlines to meet. Social events to attend. Bills to pay. Chores to do. Appointments to make. It is all just too much.

I know. I feel it, too. Often.

But, ultimately, one thing at a time. It’s all you can do. Sometimes, just realizing that will make you more productive! I know any time I’d get overwhelmed with the move, if I would just stop and remind myself to take it one thing at a time (or, okay, I’d text my Mom and she’d remind me to take it one thing at a time)… I’d end up getting twice as much stuff done. If I didn’t beat myself up that I “couldn’t do it,” I’d literally just do it.

I know, I’m simplifying things, but sometimes simplifying things is exactly what makes anything possible. So anytime you get overwhelmed and it all just seems too much, take a moment to remember to take one thing at a time. You can only do what you can do. And that really is enough.