Just a quick reminder to be sure and leave a comment if you are planning on attending the FATJEF, March 3, 2012, at the Goldy S. Lewis Center in Rancho Cucamonga. FATJEF Coordinator, Deena Ortiz, is giving away a seat to this event Friday, Feb. 3, here on TommyMom!
This inquiry comes my way…
nearly each and every day right now.
While I adore being American…
I can safely say…
that our primary area of weakness…
and dysfunction as a culture…
is undoubtedly death.
It’s not dinner table…
or social gathering…
discussion material.
Ever.
Sadly, I think few…
will embrace it enough…
to realize what an incredible teacher…
sculptor…
and molder of character it really is.
Friday’s post…
will highlight…
some great things…
about my brother Tim…
from my recent trip to Seattle.
For today…
I’d like to share…
in as non-threatening terminology as possible…
answers and personal observations…
to the above question.
Because it’s good to clear the air from time to time…
as it makes for greater growth…
when honesty moves to the forefront…
forcing you to face some things.
Not always pleasant…
or even gentle…
but necessary.
At least it’s necessary…
if you’re an individual…
that desires to continue to grow…
change…
and develop for the better.
Son #4…
recently purchased this.
You may…
(or may not)…
recognize her…
as a beefed up version…
of this Ninjago.
I introduced her here in July…
and currently…
personally relate to her newfound look.
She remains the only female…
in this particular LEGO craze.
When he arrived home with her…
I executed an extremely mature…
level-headed and calculated act as his mother.
I took her…
and promised a replacement!
I mean after all…
I’m dominated by male influence…
throughout my life!
“Give me a break, kid.”
(I actually uttered that.)
With a gracious smile…
he turned her over…
and reminded me…
that I owed him a new spinner.
Yesterday afternoon and evening…
I got around to checking out my cards.
I’m confident that you would all agree…
from time to time…
this is a productive life activity.
I’m personally coming from a worldview…
that doesn’t involve fate…
but rather evaluation of how…
I’m choosing to respond…
to present circumstances…
in light of my faith.
Again…
it can be a productive…
yet painful activity.
Here are the first two cards…
that depict my current life.
Yep, Whirlwind…
along with the constant temptation to Smoke Screen.
Regardless of whether or not my brother had died…
how many folks…
are playing these puppies out…
right alongside me…
in culture today?!
The whirlwind I’m currently experiencing…
has very little to do with my own making.
I’m finding my brother was a legend…
in more than one arena.
At times…
I feel a personal assistant would be in line…
in order to keep up with who he was…
and all he accomplished in a given day!
But then…
true honesty prompts me to realize…
many things…
about this particular topic/category of life.
Regardless of whether the source…
is internal or external…
how I respond…
makes or breaks both velocity…
as well as G-Forces!
I’m finding…
that success…
in all things whirlwind related…
simply involves…
faithfully doing the next right thing.
It’s most definitely the calm…
in the eye of any storm.
There isn’t a lot of fanfare…
hooplah…
or applause….
but at the end of the day…
as well as this life…
it all adds up…
to the sum total of your impact.
Some final clues:
Whirlwinds are caused by both positive…
and negative factors.
Examples of each?
Investing in others…
aiming for effectiveness vs. attractiveness…
realizing no positive investment or random act…
pays negative dividends in the end.
Negatives?
Thinking that activity equals productivity…
that “keeping up with the Joneses”….
in any and all areas of life…
is a genuine, honest template of reality…
just to name a few.
And then there’s the Smoke Screen card.
What I was initially struck by here…
was the obvious conflict this destructive act brings.
I mean…
look at the guy, would you?
Smiling on the outside…
can produce true angst on the inside…
where grief is concerned.
And make no mistake.
Death is not the only initiator of genuine grief.
Know your limits…
and practice productive self-care…
which is not to be confused with self-focus.
Have you noticed that wallowing…
is one of the most unproductive…
personally destructive activities…
to vibrant leadership there is?
I don’t care where the venue…
of said leadership is located…
be it home or stadium.
Concentrate on the care piece…
and the focus piece moves to the background…
where it belongs!
I love the next card.
Stand Tough.
Life involves lots of battles….
regardless of your calling…
vocation…
and mission.
Standing Tough…
and constantly honing this life skill…
eventually produces even greater strength…
coupled with vulnerable, healthy weakness…
that becomes a give and take…
amongst those traveling this life journey alongside you.
Practice Standing Tough…
because it is a continuous practice.
More and more…
I’m convinced zero arrive.
(That would be a Smoke Screen…
in which case…
please refer to the above!)
The gold card here…
is the Boomerang.
Leadership Education…
has very few tangible measures…
but this would be one.
What you throw out…
give away…
practice…
hurl…
and (gulp) model through example…
is beyond-the-shadow-of-a-doubt…
without exception…
guaranteed-with-money-in-the-bank…
going to come back to you.
End of discussion…
because talk is cheap…
but results are priceless.
So…
how are you these days?
I hope with some honest introspection…
you can say that you’re doing okay…
answering from the ideology…
that we’re all works in progress.
I’ll tell you that I’m hurting…
I’m learning to embrace a new normal…
attempting to evaluate many things…
from a more enlightened perspective…
as to the true brevity and changing nature…
of this life and its circumstances…
prioritizing things differently…
and realizing more and more…
that life…
this precious life…
is one of the paramount teachers…
of all things.
That…
and the incredible grace of God…
in this Ninjago Chick’s life…
will insure…
that everything turns out fine!
Grateful for this spin,
Who knew you could take something as simple as a Lego Ninjago character and transform it into a profound post? Anyone who knows you should. My first time hearing you speak was at FATJEF where you gave a talk titled something like “lessons from the MAC make-up counter” I was inspired and impressed. My sides ached from laughing and I shed more than a few tears.
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Teri Reply:
February 9th, 2012 at 10:17 pm
You flatter me. I’m so glad you not only remember that day but also apparently enjoyed it! XO, ;0)
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At the end of the day what matters is Tim’s legacy. That’s all that matters for any of us. I am thankful that he left you the gift of who he was… a great man. My concern for you is that while you identify with your Lego friend, I caution you against dying your hair black (thinking Morticia Addams) or trying her pointy headdress ;0). You are blessed to have a great family!
[Reply]
Teri Reply:
February 9th, 2012 at 10:16 pm
All of the above is oh-so-true, Mrs. Klemens. Thanks for noticing. XO, ;0)
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