The Ash Man 4-1-16

No 14 Changing Lives through Dancing
By David Earl Woodbury

Friday, April 1, 2016

“The Ash Man”

Dreams. I was having a rough time in my life. My attitude was flawed and I would go to sleep and awaken in the same mood. Just couldn’t shake it. I even got cross with God during Lent. I said “If you’re mad at me, that’s OK. I’m still going to believe”. I was shutting down and not feeling well and my light was dim for a while.

Then a new dream. I dreamt of myself being free of anxiety and not worrying about tomorrow. A voice said “Be happy today, be happy now and don’t worry about the future”. Then, a foul mouthed, angry ‘me’ came up and start speaking. I pushed his hand away and his skin slit open and a gray ash seeped out the tear in his skin. I looked at this person and I realized he was “The Ash Man” and was fully of soot and dirt. He was real and but was not the real me.

He tried to talk to me and as I pushed him away, more ash began to seep from him. The light and water of life washed over me and he was swept away and then I awoke. I was happy, and that joy lasted. I realized that the trees on my street were turning green. The Spring was coming and was aware that Lent was just ending. The man of ash had left me and I saw him for the man of despair that he was, and that I was not that sad or negative person. I was alive and full of hope!

Lesson learned, Live in the Moment. If today is good, don’t worry about tomorrow. If today is rough, know that tomorrow is a fresh, new day, a new start, a new beginning.

“You can have anything you want — if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.”- Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865) 16th President of the United States

My singleness of purpose is to not give up, knowing that life has changes and turns and I must turn with those changes. Also, from the last dream, I have learned to get to my life’s destination ‘all in one piece’.

“The best portion of a good man’s life is the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.” – William Wordsworth (1770-1850) English poet

I want to get to the end of the road of success, but with a giving heart that still practices service and with a heart that has not grown cold. My mom had a philosophy, Build an Empire. She said the moment you met someone, instantly find out what you liked about them, and build an empire on that quality. This has been a wonderful tool in life that I have now learned and I practice this daily. I tell my staff that when I see them doing something wonderful, that I only remember that moment and always see their best every day.

I’ve never before seen the “Ash Man” and the next time I see him, I’ll know what he is made of and know that he has no power over me or the light that I see and experience daily. Do you have an Ash Man? Remember he’s not you and that you are truly wonderful and a miracle of light and life!

Thank you,

David Earl Woodbury

Email me if you like my blog: DavidEarlWoodbury@gmail.com