No 44 Changing Lives through Dancing
By David Earl Woodbury
Friday, October 28, 2016
“Decide on what you think is right, and stick to it.”– George Eliot (1819 – 1880) English Novelist
Have you ever had an acquaintance who could not make up their mind and who could not commit to something? Someone who thought they knew what they wanted to do, committed to doing it, and then decided it was not for them. I know a person like that. Very frustrating and very devastating in some respects in life. Making a commitment today is the hardest thing to do. My friend is so bad off that they cannot even make the decision to change paths without help. It is sad. It is a mystery. It is a tragedy.
“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” – Aldous Huxley (1864-1963) English Novelist
My friend is someone of the “Universe”. Yet they cannot find the “white hot burning desire” to make a decision and stick to it. They give up when the job gets “too tiring” or “too hard”.
This has been a learning experience for me. My circle of mentors are all “take action” leaders who push me to success every moment in my life. I have no patience for those who cannot stick to a commitment. This whole experience has shaken me and has purged my own faults and has put my own work ethic to the test of fire. I have had to realize that I need to work harder and not give in to hard times and the tests that come my way.
“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, — but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809 – 1894) American Writer
I have set my sails and am trying to sail with the wind, even when it is against me. I try to not drift and keep my anchor up until I come to the ports in my life where I briefly touch dry land. When I am around someone who does not set sail, who does not strive for the highest goals, who does not dream, and then live the dream, it hurts my soul.
“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” —Maya Angelou
Sorry for the above language, but I agree with Maya Angelou, you just have to go for it in life and look forward and do whatever it takes to achieve your goals and see your dreams come true. If you know someone in your life, as I know in mine, who cannot “set sail”, be aware. They will try to bring you to their level and destroy your dreams, kill your soul, and darken your life’s mission. They will crush the life out of your heart and lead you down a road of sorrow. You will want to help them desperately, but you cannot help someone whose heart has forgotten how to dream the dream of life.
My encounter with my friend has caused me great heartache, grief, sadness, and has created a sense of loss. It is just the way it is. This will probably not change for them. My answer is that time is the best doctor for all things.
What to do now? For me, it is to move on and hold on to my own hopes and dreams, and continue until I see the light at the end of the “dark night of the soul”. My friend’s own emotional turmoil has actually taken me into the dark night, but yet, I do see light coming my way.
The old saying is this, “Surround yourself with people you want to become like”. But what do you do when someone close in your live is dragging you down, and you love them, and you want to help them and yet all attempts to help are in vain? What do you do when you have made a commitment to a dream killer and you realize that it was a mistake? What is the answer? What happens now?
“A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong, which is but saying that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.” – Alexander Pope (1688-1744) English Poet
The answer is this. There are two types of people in the world, victims and then those that are accountable. I am accountable for my actions, decisions, and commitments. I am not a victim, I am accountable. Now, I’m using this experience to become stronger, purge the darkness that is in my own life, and move forward and still love the person who has decided not to take the journey forward. I am learning forgiveness (it’s hard) and learning how to still love them (even harder). I’m moving on. Moving on to new dreams and finding that my joy of live is still there and that there is still a song in my heart.
Do you have someone like this in your life? Or, are you that dark person in someone else’s life? Do you see this happening with a good friend in their life? What do you do? How can you help? Continue being the great person that you and don’t lose hope. Don’t give up on your dreams. Don’t lose hope in others and don’t lose faith in others and in helping others.
One of my circle of leaders and mentors just had a stroke. He’s in bed two months now and is just about to get up to walk. He is a leader. He is a man of vision and he has served hundreds and hundreds of people in his many years of leadership. His only goal right now is just getting up and start walking again. I pray power prayers for him daily. His illness has awakened me to what’s truly important in life, and what truly matters in life. I am now counting my blessings and not crying over those who threw an away opportunity in their life. We do not know what tomorrow may hold. I know that I will be able to say, I fought for my dreams and strived to achieve my goals. Go for it, live your life and something good will happen to you today!
Thanks for reading!
David Earl Woodbury
Keep on Dancing!