Wednesday’s Wonderings | Filed under Wednesday’s Wonderings, General
Rose Kennedy once said
When I think of my past, I try to dwell on the good times, the happy moments, and not to be haunted by the bad. . . To me the gift of life is contained in the command, whatever happens: “Don’t let it get you. Just keep on going.” Thus, I try to think of the good that I have already experienced and what will still be coming.
We gain so much knowledge from our elderly if we just take the time to stop and listen just as we do from our children–oh to see the world through the eyes of a child but with the knowledge of the elderly would be so nice—not sure where I was really going with that other than I was thinking of Rose Kennedy there and now back to our regular program here at the Crossroads.
There is an awful lot of good in the world. In all of our lives, there have been many, many good moments. I could write a very long book about the bad things that have happened in my life, but those things no longer interest me. And I don’t believe the people who say that I have to remember those things or else I’m just repressing memories–there’s nothing saying that I have to continue to focus on things that have happened in my past, whether bad or good. I’m not hurting myself at all by focusing on the positive; rather, I’m helping myself by helping my body and mind to be affected by the positive energy this world has to offer, and I’m keeping my mind on the things that truly matter.
Yes, I’ve learned from my negative experiences, but I’ve also let go of the vast majority of them (I’m still working on it!). This allows me to find more and more positive things in my life and in the world, because I’m not bringing myself down by continually reminding myself of the negative.
There are many haunted people in the world, people unable or unwilling to leave behind for good the negative things that have happened to them in their lives. The bad things of the past continue to hurt them–they hurt them when they happened, they hurt them today because the memories keep them down, and they’ll hurt them tomorrow when they continue to focus on them.
What do you tend to hold onto more the good things or the bad things in life and why do you think that? Just how to you go about letting go and making those changes when you need to let go—-what helps you turn the corner and let go? It is very difficult when one has been repressed for years but I know it can be done in time. So let me hear your thoughts now…..I know you have some.
September 20th, 2006 at 12:38 pm
Why don’t you just get a piece of wood and hit me between the eyes. Thanks for this post - it made me stop and think. I need to let go of some things.
September 20th, 2006 at 1:26 pm
Great post, Vickie. As worried as I was last week, I’m seeing the positive turn around this week. Joshua is doing good, Julia is back to school, Jeremy has started his dream, and I’m here for my mom.
Life is good.
Nothing else matters.
Thanks again, friend.
September 20th, 2006 at 1:48 pm
Ms Vickie, I had never seen that quote from Rose. I have my focus for the week now. What a woman she was, so much suffering, yet, such an incredible attitude. Thanks. Jack too.
September 20th, 2006 at 6:37 pm
Some negative things are so tied to positive things that it is hard to seperate them. The most negative thing that has ever happened to me was the death of my Annie, while the most positive thing was our 38 years together. It is kind of hard to seperate them since the one brought the end of the other. Time does indeed help and I am learning to live with the loss better than I could do a year ago but I still have some hard times.
September 20th, 2006 at 7:50 pm
What beautiful words, just like you, Ms. Vickie. Coming to terms with the negative in our lives, refusing to let them rule us is truly liberating. You have many positive, wonderful, and incredible times ahead of you, I know it. The bad - of course Missy included - can take a hike.
September 20th, 2006 at 8:18 pm
To answer your question, Ms. Vickie; I believe that letting go begins with forgiveness.
A couple of things have happened that I had a very difficult time dealing with. What happened to my brother was one of those things. I had to eventually let go, and let God. It’s not something I’ll ever completely overcome, but the anger has abated, and I no longer shake my fist at the entire medical community.
Excellent post!
September 21st, 2006 at 8:14 am
Since my precious Mother has died I try and celebrate her everyday with all the glorious moments we shared and all the love.
Thanks for your visits and your lovely journal!
Blessings my friend.
Love Jeanne
September 21st, 2006 at 8:30 am
As we are so often reminded Vickie, time is a great healer, and the passage of time seems to help us push the bad things back further.
September 21st, 2006 at 11:37 pm
Your posts never fail to make me think, Vickie.
The majority of time, I hold onto the good things, but then there are times when I’m weak and the things in my past come back to haunt me. That’s where the role of friends comes into play. A good friend has gotten me through many a hard day. The key is letting yourself be vulnerable enough to accept their help.
September 22nd, 2006 at 1:47 pm
Good post! Focus on that which nourishes your spirit - you know where the “other” voice originates. Have a great weekend. ;0)
September 22nd, 2006 at 9:43 pm
I think letting go is difficult for me because I have had a great deal of physical and emotional abuse in my life…although I do think that once I put my mind to it…I can let go..I know I have to or else my mind will for me!
September 22nd, 2006 at 9:50 pm
Such simple wisdom Miss Vickie!!! I hopefully have been letting go of much of the negative by sharing on my blog. Expressing it as opposed to keeping uit inside is very freeing and Paul tells us in Philippians to focus on what is good,true,right,pure and worthy of praise!!!! Thanks for being shining light to all of us vickie as to letting our own lights shine as He intended them too!!!!
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:17 pm
Great post
I like to look at it like cleaning out the closet.
You always throw out the things you don’t need and keep that which is still good and usable.
I know some bad thing need to be kept but that doesn;t mean it should be pondered on constantly.
And if you get down and think about it the bad uis also good in some ways.
Something in your past that went sour for you may be a leason to teach someone else to avoid and THAT is a win out of a loose.
I want to also point out that if we all sit down and add up the good things and then add up the bad we will find that in the space of a lifetine the good always out weigh the bad it just seems the otherway around because we tend to dwell on the bad more.
It’s time we move onto more good and ignore the bad.
September 23rd, 2006 at 5:27 pm
You know what helps me is the Serenity Prayer. Oh I’m human so I bumble around in self pity for a wee bit before I tell myself to snap out of it… but then I try to find some grace in acceptance for what I can’t change, and then think of all the blessings I DO have in my life. It always helps.
September 23rd, 2006 at 9:40 pm
Good post. You especially touched a nerve when you mentioned that we learn a lot from our elders. My job has me working with the elderly every day, and I learn something nearly every visit with these folks. Of course, I am also approaching the age where I will be referred to as a senior.
…I hope that I will be able to teach the young ones something then.:yes:
September 24th, 2006 at 11:31 am
Hello Vickie ~ This is a great post and makes us think. I think we hold on to all sorts of memories, but just get on with it anyway. Rose Kennedy was a
great lady to be able to overcome the many tragedies in her life and remain
positive. Take care, and enjoy your life. Cheers, Merle.
September 25th, 2006 at 7:50 am
Everything has a time and a purpose (I won’t continue to steal the quote from a song).
September 25th, 2006 at 10:06 pm
Grrrrreat POST!
I needed to hear all of this word-for-word.
Thank you!!
Sincerely,
T.:bananadance:
September 26th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
Hi Vickie!!!! Nice post!!! Big hugs for you!!!
I hope you’re doing well
September 28th, 2006 at 9:02 am
Awesome post! I change when it dawns on me that I the negativity is hurting me and bringing more negativity in. A lot of the time, it’s friends such as yourself that give me a reality check too; point out what you see that snaps me out of it. I have learned a lot from the bad in life and although all of it was - and is tough - I wouldn’t change a thing since so much good has come from it.
September 28th, 2006 at 11:43 pm
Oh heaven’s,we’ve(my sis and I) had a serious struggle w/ the past as opposed to just LETTING GO and moving on.We disagree.
My post explains alot,so I won’t take up so much space.But it’s an issue we have never found any common ground on.
I opersonally see my past as “learning experiences”.If I choose to foget what I learned,then undoubtedly I’ll be chained abd cuffed and headed back to prison.
Lots of therapy says “don’t shove it under the rug,nor dwell on it,kicking yourself in the a***.
So there us such a fine line.
Thanks for the post,hun.Good timing.I needed to read this today.(gracias)
hugs…….T.
December 6th, 2006 at 3:18 am
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