Are You Honest with Yourself?

I am a diehard realist. It’s hard sometimes to be around dreamers. Especially when there is so much coming at us about following your bliss, dare to dream, blah blah blah. That’s not to say I’ve never dreamed. I have. Then I wake up and take a whiff of the truth. As a kid I was completely enthralled with theater arts. I performed puppet shows with puppets I made and in school I had the lead in every play from grade school through high school. I even earned a degree in theatre. But (big but) my dad made it clear I was to get a teaching certificate. That made it possible for me to have a steady job with benefits after a divorce when my kids were small.

I’m fond of Caroline Myss and read her works frequently. In Myss’ article “God and Guts” for Unity Magazine May/June 2019 she writes:

You’ll wonder, Why did certain things happen to me? They happened because they did. So now what? Do you think someone’s going to undo it or repair it? There’s no one who can make what happened not happen. But that’s where you begin your spiritual life, starting a dialogue between you, your soul, and God. . . Truth is the spiritual path. It’s tough inner journey of looking at yourself and holding yourself accountable for who you are. It’s going after yourself day after day, saying, I have deal with this. What fantasies have you told yourself? What fictions have you laid out for yourself?

When life gets really tough we want to fantasize to keep the demons out of our thoughts. Action works better. And action will often alleviate the pain. We crave safety and the feeling of being secure. When our world is rattled our first reaction is to stop the motion that is causing us to feel uneasy. Instead of complaining ask for the message in the chaos. There is always a message. It may be difficult to see amidst the smoke and mirrors of confusion. You may have read – “Silence is the soul’s oxygen.” And yet there is so little of it on this planet. Give silence a chance. Take a breath and listen for the “still small voice.” Then be truthful with yourself.

I hold a degree from Lamar University in Speech and a Master’s from the University of Texas. I was an educator in regular and special education for twenty years, finishing my professional career as a Braille teacher. I am a Certified Professional Coach with Fowler International Academy.
I married Sam after raising three children as a single mother.
In 2007 I founded SMORE for Women. SMORE is a nonprofit association whose goal is Single Moms, Overjoyed, Rejuvenated, & Empowered. I serve as the Director of the Educational Support Program for Single Mothers with Bridges of Hope, a nonprofit in Beaumont Texas. 
My stories have been published in several Christian books and magazines. My book, Living Learning Lovingis available for purchase on Amazon.