When Truth (And Kindness) Are Hard To Find

I have always hated politics and therefore I have never followed them with great interest. I will be the first to admit I cannot hold an In-depth conversation about policies, parties or agendas. I have also always believed in order to climb the political ladder you had to sell out to something or someone. True mavericks rarely make it to the top.

This past week was heart-wrenching to witness. And unless your head was buried in the sand, there was a flood of information pouring over you. Information that was vile, biased, mean and just plain unimaginable at times - from both sides. Grown men and women of all affiliations behaving in ways that to the rest of the world has to appear childish, ridiculous and incredulous. A horrendous example to our youth today of mature conduct. My two takeaways from what I witnessed this week are #1 - the facts about these two individuals lay probably somewhere in the middle and #2 - if everyone acting pious and self-righteous this week had to admit their teenage wrong-doings on the world's stage, the vast majority would have kept silent. It's very easy for anyone to sit in judgment of others while sitting on their own sins.

There was a time when I could turn on my TV or read a news article and believe, wholeheartedly, in what I saw. I am sure I was duped a time or two, but I did have faith in the ‘system’. I looked to those outside my small circle of life to bring me the truth; both the good and the bad. Unfortunately, though, somewhere along the way we have lost the sanctity and purity of honesty.  I am having a really difficult time wrapping my mind around the ease with which lies and half-truths are passed off as news or facts and how quickly we are to soak them up and even help spread them.

I am not here to take a side or expose what I think is true or false. Honestly, I don't know what to believe, and that is the real problem I have. I am saddened that as intelligent, richly blessed individuals in the greatest country in the world, we have forgotten how to treat each other with kindness and common decency.

So what is the answer? How are we to react when the truth is hard to find or define. What is our responsibility in this life when faced with uncertainty and turmoil?

Be Smart. I'm sure all of you know this already, but everything reported is not based in fact. With 24-hour news cycles and social media outlets with no accountability, there will be things that cross your path that are simply not true. Not just in politics, but in all areas. Learn to use common sense. Think about what you read and digest it before repeating or believing. Be a responsible consumer of information. If you are unsure and it is important to you, research it. Be open-minded, but if something sounds off don't buy into the hype. Make informed decisions for yourself based on sound judgment and logic.

Do The Right Thing. Basically, this boils down to the Golden Rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. We all learned that as children, but some of us take a pass on it as adults. So stop it! I am 100% confident those who are reading this all possess the reason and intelligence to discern right from wrong. So do the RIGHT thing. Do not put fame, money, position or pride ahead of values. Never compromise your integrity for any type of gain. Take responsibility for your words and your actions. One person at a time, one day at a time, one RIGHT at a time, we can make a significant difference.

Stay Positive. This one is the hardest; even for me. Sometimes I want to throw up my hands and walk away from the table. What's the use? Who is listening? I give in to the pessimism at times, I admit, but I also recognize that for all the negative, there is triple the good! Of course, that doesn't get reported as often, but it's out there. People helping people. Heroes. Those going the extra mile and loving their neighbor and even strangers. If we learn to embrace and share the beauty that is in this world, there will be less time or patience for the ugly.

My Hopefuls, there will be situations in your personal life and in those of the world around you that confuse, dismay or upset you. You will search for truth and strain to find the good. Never give up. It's out there. How do I know? Because YOU are out there. And I believe in you! I believe you are the truth and kindness that this world needs. Use each day given to you as an opportunity to radiate joy. I charge each of you with spreading your own personal brilliance, goodness, love and HOPE!

And with that...always..

Hope With Abandon

Hope Out

https://www.hopeboulevard.com

Did God Close Your Door? (Or Maybe It Was Just The Wind)

There is a popular quote that has been around for a long time and is still circulated today, that says, “When God closes one door, He opens another.” I understand the sentiment or message. It is one of HOPE. It encourages us to believe when something is taken away or withheld from us, that something better is coming down the road. In terms of a hopeful message, I love it. In terms of theology, I’m not sure it holds up. Now let me say right up front, that I’m not a Bible scholar or theologian, but I am not convinced that everything unfortunate or unhappy that happens to us is God’s fault or doing. I don’t actually imagine Him as a Divine Doorman going around slamming all these doors shut. I believe we have to accept that doors open and close for a variety of reasons.

Other People Can Close Our Doors. This ‘door’ is actually presumed to be our heart. We leave it open and wait for someone to walk through, love us and hitch their wagon to ours. The thing about hearts (and doors), is that we can’t seal them shut to prevent escape. If someone chooses to walk back out, there really isn’t much we can do about it. In fact, in this case, they don't even close our door; they just leave the same way they came in. We can choose to keep it open for the next one, or we can close it while we heal. This scenario doesn’t always mean a love relationship; it can also be a friendship or even family. We cannot force anyone to stay in our lives, or predict when they may choose to leave. Maybe it was something we did they didn’t like, or maybe they are dealing with issues of their own. Whatever the case may be, we have to comes to terms with and respect another’s wishes if they cross back over our threshold.

We also have to contend with other losses. We may lose our job or an opportunity we have been working on. Maybe we invested time, money or other resources into a venture that didn’t pan out. Sometimes it is just bad timing or bad luck. It could also simply be an unwise venture to begin with. Unfortunate things happen to all of us from time to time. It does little good to assign blame. The idea is to learn lessons and grow so better decisions can be made next time. If it was just ‘one of those things’, then we learn grace and fortitude. (If we decide to.)

We Can Close Our Doors. Just like I mentioned above, it is pretty difficult for another person to close our door/heart. We pretty much control how open and receptive we are to others and opportunities. However, it can be a good thing to close our door for a bit from time to time. If the world is closing in and the chaos is affecting our peace, get up and close the door. Shut out the noise and turmoil and use the time to restore calm and peace to your life. Reflection, meditation and prayer can be useful tools and activities when we close our own door for a while. Just don't stay hidden from sight too long. Swing wide those doors and get engaged back into your life.

The Wind Can Close Our Doors. Have you ever been in a room with an open door and an open window? If the wind blows just right at just the perfect angle, BAM the door shuts with no human (or divine) intervention. What does this mean? It means, sometimes things just happen. The tire goes flat, the milk gets sour, the payment gets lost in the mail. The washing machine breaks, it rains on your vacation, your dog runs away. There is no way to escape the hazards of living this life, and it is of little good to worry about who is responsible. You just have to rise to the occasion; fix the tire, buy more milk, learn to sing in the rain. When life's winds start blowing, prepare yourself for the possibility of a closed door, and then do whatever it takes to re-open it!

Please understand I am not discounting faith. I absolutely believe that God does work in our lives and it is His mercy and love that carry us through. I just don't want to us to confuse Life's Disappointments with God's Disapproval.

One other point I want to make is to not sit around waiting for your door to magically open. Get up and open it yourself! I am not saying to make a rash decision or rush into another relationship when you are not ready. I am saying, do not waste your life waiting for something to happen TO you. Make life happen FOR you. We only have one life; a number of days allotted for us here. Please, my Hopefuls, make the most of every one. Do not sit on the sideline of your life, behind a closed door, watching it for movement or listening for a rustling behind it. Swing it open; wide open. Walk through it and enjoy, explore, LIVE!

God (and the rest of us) are waiting for you!

Hope With Abandon!

Hope Out

www.hopeboulevard.com

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