The Light

Five Minute Friday — Willing

Posted on March 7, 2014 by wisdomfromafather

Here’s this week’s installment of Five Minute Friday. You might remember the task is to write for five minutes on a specific prompt word. The initiative was started by Lisa-Jo Baker (http://lisajobaker.com/five-minute-friday/) who thought about writing and how often our perfectionism gets in the way of our words. And she figured, why not take five minutes and see what comes out: not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing. We are, as she so cleverly states, the people who know writing is a constant battle against the critic in our own heads.

This week’s prompt is WILLING. So, the timer is set … so here goes. {clock starts now}

We’re a resilient bunch. We get ideas. We set goals. We execute them.

But, in between the thinking and the doing is an integral element — will. We have to have the will to transform that idea or goal into reality. We must be willing to make the sacrifices needed and take the time to execute the plan. It doesn’t happen haphazardly. It takes planning. It takes effort. It takes determination. It takes will.

It doesn’t matter what the goal is. It could be purely secular or it can be spiritual. We can have the best ideas or intentions, but if we are not willing to do what it takes, it will never come to fruition.

Will is purely subjective. It’s ours. We can’t rely on anyone else to provide it. We have to be willing to do the work to make it work.

As I said, it can be an idea. But it could also be a step into the mission field or even a committed step into the Word. We have to be willing to make that commitment. We have to be able to take that first step of faith… STOP

… What are you willing to do? For your God? For your country? For your family? For yourself?

Well, that’s what popped into this mind this week.

By the way, Lisa-Jo’s first book, Surprised by Motherhood: Everything I Never Expected about Being a Mom, will be available in just four short weeks at Amazon.com.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: To overlook the little things in life is to miss the biggest part of life itself.

Posted in encouragement, relationships, stories, work | Tagged communication, DPchallenge, encouragement, Faith, faith, Lisa Jo Baker, relationships, stories, will, work | 2 Comments

Life … Plugged

Posted on March 2, 2014 by wisdomfromafather

When I was a kid, science fiction included Dick Tracy’s wristwatch/radio. The idea is that old … but very much new in today’s world. Watches, glasses, bluetooth connectivity to almost everything, smart phones, larger than life televisions … and the list goes on.

My, how times have changed.

I have to say, I may not understand all this technological advancement, but I do enjoy most of it. It does have a down side, though.

The other day, my eight year old granddaughter was on her tablet with earphones plugged into her ears. My 10 year old grandson was upstairs playing a video game. My 13 year old granddaughter was multitasking, texting on her smart phone and following Facebook or Instagram or some other social media while listening to music on her laptop. Even my son was clicking on his smart phone. I was watching a Tivo-ed episode of CSI: Los Angeles.

It struck me. We were all in the same room (or at least nearby) but nary a word was spoken.

How sad.

Our family unit is not unique. Look around. Everyone is plugged into something and unplugged from interaction. I understand tablets or entertainment on long trips, but kids {and unfortunately, many adults} are missing the beauty of the landscape and journey and even the petty arguments of travel.

This generation, I think, doesn’t comprehend the ramifications of social media. Most people, I don’t think, really care if a poster is “feeling bored” or about their vacation pictures {unless it’s a really close friend of relative}, or photos of cute or creepy cats and dogs {although I never bore of cool cars} or the weather in southern California or the endless “forward” messages. And, yet that’s what shows up day after day.

I’m just as guilty. While I use my computer mainly for work, I tend to wander the Internet and/or Facebook and/or WordPress way too much. I don’t use my smart phone as much as others, but I do find it handy on long trips for Pandora or I Heart Radio or Radio Pup. I don’t do a lot of texting or messaging unless I have something important to either say or respond to. Otherwise it’s just a phone.

I would like to see age appropriate timers on all electronic devices. Excluding homework, say eight hours a week for an eight year old; 10 hours for a 10 year old or 13 hours for a 13 year old. When time is up, the youngsters will have to figure out something else to do … like interact or go outside and play.

That’s my two cents. What do you think?

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Life is like photography, what you lack in exposure, you can make up in development.

Posted in family, observations, relationships | Tagged communication, conversation, DPchallenge, Facebook, family, observations, relationships, smart phones, social media | 4 Comments

Five Minute Friday — Choose

Posted on February 28, 2014 by wisdomfromafather

Here’s this week’s installment of Five Minute Friday.

This week’s prompt is CHOOSE. The timer is set … so here goes. {clock starts now}

We are constantly making choices … literally every minute of our lives.

Most are fairly routine, but choices nonetheless. Some are relatively unimportant, like which shirt I should wear {I always go with what’s next in the closet}. Some are personal, like which television show to watch or whether I should I have peanut butter and jelly for lunch or leftovers.

Some decisions affect just us. Others are intertwined with others. Some are life changing, like whether I should get married or take that new position or job in a distant city or building a family. Those decisions affect not just us, but our whole family structure.

Others are personal, like whether to spend time with God or cuddle under the covers for an extra five minutes. Others are eternal, like whether we believe or not.

Choose wisely. STOP

Well, that’s what popped into this mind this week.

You might remember the task is to write for five minutes on a specific prompt word. The initiative was started by Lisa-Jo Baker (http://lisajobaker.com/2014/02/how-to-choose-whats-important-today/) who thought about writing and how often our perfectionism gets in the way of our words. She figured, why not take five minutes and see what comes out: not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: It is just as easy to look for the good things in life rather than the bad.

Posted in encouragement, family, relationships, stories | Tagged choose, DPchallenge, encouragement, faith, family, five minute Friday, Lisa Jo Baker, relationships, stories, writing | 13 Comments

Motherhood

Posted on February 27, 2014 by wisdomfromafather

I’m not qualified to expand on this installment of 50 things that really matter, so let’s just call this a re-post.

50 things that really matter, of course, is the little book we received as a gift from JoAnn by Rodale Press for Hallmark. It’s a nugget of reflections about what really matters in life. Its pages are first person stories about the value of conversing over a good cup of coffee, the importance of hugs, the courage of living a simple life, the wisdom in a street musician’s words, the peace and relaxation in watching a candle flame … motherhood.

So, enjoy…

Like many first time moms, I’ve often felt unmotherlike — as if I’m somehow less than qualified to be in charge of a human life. I had expected to bond instantly with my newborn daughter and through that bond, mother her instinctively. Yet, just after Willa’s birth, when I searched her eyes for that connection, I saw nothing but my reflection.. The instincts I had anticipated were hidden somewhere deep within me.

A few storybook moments during Willa’s early babyhood inspired me to say, “Yes, this is it. I’m her mother.” Times like when I heard her first laugh, when I soothed her sobbing, when I finally got her to sleep through the night. Unfortunately, the good ones were outnumbered by other less-than-perfect instances — times I thought, “I’m not fit to be anyone’s mom.” Like when I carried four month old Willa out of the nursery on my shoulders, remembering too late the top of the doorjamb hung lower than the ceiling. Willa’s head hit it with a loud thud, and she unleashed one of those wails that starts out silent, then breaks your heart with its intertwined pain and panic.

Add to this Willa’s long-running “daddy phase” when only my husband seemed good enough for her and I have to say I struggled emotionally during our first year and a half as mother and daughter.

Then came the moment I felt a true bond for the first time, and with it that elusive mother instinct. We sat together on an antique train at a railway museum one early September day after Willa had turned 19 months old. She cemented into my lap as the locomotive began to chug along the tracks and stared wide-eyed at the passing scenery. Through her stillness, I could sense her fear and excitement as she absorbed the brand new experience. Her 25 pound body felt more like 100. To me, that heaviness expressed her absolute expectation that my lap would protect her as we embarked on this adventure. All of her eggs rested in my basket, as it were. It moved me to the core.

Of course, there’s no single experience that defines universal motherhood. For me, finally comprehending I am the unquestionable center of my daughter’s universe let me experience motherhood at its truest. I don’t need much more than that.
By Leah Flickinger, 50 things that really matter, Rodale Press for Hallmark

What about you? When did that magical moment sink in?

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Life is like a basketball . . . take a shot or dribble it away.

Posted in encouragement, family, motherhood, parenting, relationships, things that matter | Tagged Babies, DPchallenge, encouragement, family, Hallmark, inspiration, motherhood, parenting, relationships, Rodale Press, stories, things that matter | Leave a comment

Surprise, CO

Posted on February 26, 2014 by wisdomfromafather

I am known to have had some weird dreams. Usually, I can trace the vivid details back to some good pepperoni or sausage. But I haven’t had any lately. In fact I’ve been battling a head cold so maybe OTC decongestants and sleep deprivation was a contributing factor.

The other night, I dreamt I had purchased a radio station in Surprise, CO {about the only thing I know about radio as a media outlet is listening and I Googled Surprise, CO — it doesn’t exist except, I guess, in the recesses of my mind}.

Of course, details stood out … like the shower next to my bed at the hotel {don’t ask} and my new staff {although I couldn’t recognize any of them}. Nonetheless, my new secretary knocked on the door to remind me I had a lunch engagement. So off I went to meet up with Karen {I did recognize her and, yeah! she’s still in my mind}.

There we were, walking through Surprise … past the combination grade, middle and high school in three wings off a common commons … across the railroad tracks … down the main three block drag with wooden sidewalks.

We ended up in a general store. As we were walking past the flannel shirts {flannel again?} a woman with a blue and white scarf on her head walked up to Karen and commandeered her away from me. As they talked, they held hands and shared words, ending in a big hug.

As Karen caught up to me I asked her who that was, knowing she was ever newer to Surprise than I was. “I don’t know,” she responded, although I could detect a tear in her eye. “I never saw her before, but she wanted to thank me.”

“For what?”

“For being with her as she went through chemo…”

Of course, that’s when I woke up. As I tried to focus, I remembered a conversation Karen and I had while she was going through chemotherapy. She told me while she was appreciative of me going with her, holding her hand, talking with her and being her fingers as she completed her Mother’s Legacy, she was most thankful for her friend Marlene, at the time a cancer survivor who helped her get through the early days of her diagnosis — despite being 750 miles away.

That must have been the takeaway from the dream … sharing our experiences. I have a very special friend, a widow, who has lovingly taken me under her wing to help me transition through the stages of widowhood after Karen died — from grieving to acceptance. And I paid it forward with Fred, Marlene’s husband, after she died.

It’s a tough job. You have to be able to discern how much information to share and at what time. Sometimes the best words are unsaid … just being on the other side of the line through a tearfest or a simple and heartfelt “I understand” or sending an unexpected word of encouragement.

Fred recently died, but I had the opportunity to catch up with him in Wisconsin for a visit and dinner last spring. During our conversation, the words I remember most were when he said how appreciative he was I helped him get through Marlene’s death. I told him I didn’t do much, but he said, “You were there … and you understood. You didn’t tell me what to do, but allowed me to find my way.”

There’s a special fraternity/sorority for people who share similar experiences, be it widowhood, fighting cancer or any other addiction or shared experience. While everyone goes through their own journey, it’s a comfort when a friend says, “I know what you’re going through” and you know it’s true.

I know I can do better to reach out to others. I know many of you have as well. But that’s the challenge of the vision … being open to walk with someone else on their journey.

And there is a woman in Surprise, CO, who was truly touched by an angel.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: A clear conscience is to the soul what health is to the body.

Posted in dreams, encouragement, relationships | Tagged DPchallenge, dreams, encouragement, Friends, inspiration, Karen, relationships, Surprise | 2 Comments

Perfectionism Promotes Procrastination

Posted on February 22, 2014 by wisdomfromafather

Hello. My name is Joe. I am an addict.

That would be the opening at the local Procrastinators Anonymous meeting if we could ever get enough people to show up at a particular time and place.

It’s true. I am a procrastinator. I have always been a procrastinator. My wife and family would attest to that. Karen would always tell me I’ll be late to my own funeral. She’s probably right. I missed the cue at our wedding, almost didn’t make my college graduation and can’t count the number of planes and meetings I either missed, almost missed or was the last to board or be seated at the table.

I don’t wear a watch and there is no clock in my office. If it wasn’t for the clock in the lower corner of my computer, I wouldn’t know what day or time it was. Karen figured that out. I think the last time she bought me a watch was … 1972. She thought she got around this time mismanagement by telling me appointments — sometimes important appointments — were earlier than they actually were. But when I started noticing people coming in after me, I caught on to her ploy. That’s the insidious nature of this addiction.

Poor dear. She tried everything. We went the organizer route {I usually lost that within minutes}. She tried shaming me {didn’t faze me}. She tried encouraging me {with me sheepishly apologizing every time I inevitably fell off the wagon}.

Even writing this has been a classic study of the addiction. I first thought of the idea in December. What’s today? Feb. 22? I set my priorities for today to be the day around 8 this morning … then rationalized I should check my e-mails, Facebook and WordPress accounts {each of which detoured my mind into that open range mode} … figured I should make sure I didn’t bounce any checks {I didn’t} … transitioned into maybe going to the post office … but not before rechecking my e-mails, Facebook and WordPress accounts {with the same detours} … actually got into the car to go the post office … remembered I needed some dog and people food … came home … decided it was time for lunch but not before rechecking my e-mails, Facebook and WordPress accounts {see above} … threw in a load of laundry … decided a power nap was in order … remembered I didn’t have lunch yet … and finally made it here after rechecking my e-mails, Facebook and WordPress accounts … remembered to actually eat lunch … and came back. It’s 3:28 p.m. That’s actually pretty good for me.

I can only imagine the number of opportunities I have missed because of my problem.

Of course, procrastination isn’t always bad. If you hold off long enough Mother Nature will clean up after herself and her snow dumps.

Before making my confession, I blamed it on my time in the news room. As every writer or editor knows, deadlines are more like suggestions and the more information you can squeeze in up to that last possible moment pumps the adrenaline. And beating the clock is euphoric!

But I knew that wasn’t true. Procrastination was my best friend as early as grade school when I would often wrap up a homework assignment as Sister Mary walked into the classroom. And it was perfected in high school and college where I would rather cram for an exam or pull an all nighter to get a report done rather than space my work.

My name is Joe. I am an addict.

That’s where Dan C. Crenshaw comes in. Somewhere on the Internet {during one of those free range moments} I came across the phrase “Perfectionism Promotes Procrastination.”

Ahaa! That’s it. It’s perfectionism that spawns procrastination! I knew it! This guy Crenshaw is right. By wanting to be perfect, you wait until the last minute … or as he put it, “A mistake can feel like devastation.”

And he has the credentials, too. He is a life and pet loss coach, author of the Furry Farewell Grief Handbook, presenter and counselor with post graduate study at two graduate schools. Hey, you can believe everything you read on the Internet, right?

Okay. My name is Joe. I am an addict.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: It is your conscience that tells you your instinct could be wrong.

Posted in confession, growing up, relationships | Tagged communication, confession, DPchallenge, Facebook, growing up, humor, Humor, Newspapers, procrastination, Procrastinators Anonymous, relationships, Wordpress | 5 Comments

Five Minute Friday — Small

Posted on February 21, 2014 by wisdomfromafather

It’s Friday and time for this week’s installment of Five Minute Friday.

I was going to go in a different direction, but something happened to change my mind. So, without further ado, here’s five minutes on this week’s prompt … SMALL. The timer is set {clock starts now}

In upstate New York, snow is a winter sport and navigating through the drifts is often challenging. Usually, there is a fall or two in the fluffy white stuff.

This year, however, I have managed to keep my feet firmly planted in the snow … except for the time when my boot started coming off while ensconced in a drift that sucked me down … gently.

That is, until today … and it wasn’t even snowing. It was wet and miserable. Down I went on the stairs, bouncing down three or four. I didn’t get hurt, except for a bruised elbow that I’m sure I’ll notice tomorrow and a small scratch on my pinkie. Fortunately when I went down, I landed on my soft spot … my big butt.

As I sat there in the rain I immediately felt small … not as in insignificance, but as in helpless. The first thing that came to my mind wasn’t my health and well being but this week’s prompt.

As falls or mishaps go, this was pretty mild. I know this was no cosmic wakeup up call. It was simply … STOP

… physics and coefficient of sneaker rubber on wet wood. But it slowed me down as I assessed my situation with an ever-widening ring of water on my backside. I felt like a tiny speck with the stairs and house towering over me. I realized I was mortal and any breath could be my last. And falls are my biggest fear in this season of my life.

But as I slowly got up I wasn’t panicked. I realized I was plugged into a power bigger than me. And as long as I tap into that power, I don’t have to be small.

I hope you take the time to visit Lisa Jo Baker’s blog (http://lisajobaker.com/2014/02/five-minute-friday-small-2/) and what take she and hundreds of other talented writers had on this simple word. You might remember the task is to write for five minutes on the specific prompt word and see what comes out. No heavy editing. No groping for the perfect word or phase. Not a perfect post, not a profound post. Just five minutes of focused writing.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Conscience is a weak, inner voice that sometimes doesn’t speak your language.

Posted in encouragement, nature, stories, winter | Tagged DPchallenge, encouragement, Lisa Jo Baker, nature, Seasons, seasons, stories, winter, Writing, writing | 4 Comments

My Bucket List

Posted on February 15, 2014 by wisdomfromafather

I really don’t have a bucket list. Sure, there are some things I would like to do, but if they don’t get done, I don’t think I’ll lose any eternal sleep over it.

I have no desire, for example, to jump out of an airplane … or climb a mountain … or swim with dolphins. I do, however, have some things I would like to do.

I would like to go skiing. That sounds harmless enough, except these days I’m having enough trouble standing and walking. I can only imagine life on a pair of skis, even on the kiddie trail. If I ever do get the chance I would a) make sure my life and health insurance is current and b) bring someone along with me to get me home with casts on my legs, arms, neck and/or all of the above.

I would like to take a cruise or two … but not to the Caribbean. No, I would like to visit the Alaskan frontier and see a glacier up close and personal before global warming reduces them to ice cubes. I would also like to cruise to Hawaii. I always thought it would be cool to somehow catch a freighter with my car so I could wander the islands but more realistically it would probably be a two- to three-week cruise hop-scotching the islands. I can see myself participating in a Hawaiian luau or just soaking up the sun. I would even consider surfing for the first time, with the same caveat as skiing.

Of course, travel is on my to do list. I would like to travel Route 1 from Key West, FL, to Fort Kent, ME. I would drive the original highway and soak in the ambience of links from town to town. I would seek out local attractions — not necessarily the national tourist draws … you know what the locals feel is important. I can see myself blogging my way from Florida to Maine and taking in things like a Watermelon Festival or a Pigfest BBQ or Art on the Green or a Renaissance Faire or a Waterfront Festival or … you get the picture.

If Route 1 piques my interest north-south, Route 20 intrigues me east west … from Boston, MA, 3,365 miles through a dozen states to Newport, OR. I have some history with Route 20. One of my sons and a daughter live just off the roadway in Massachusetts and New York, another son used to live off Route 20 in Illinois, and a son and a daughter live just a couple miles south of the roadway in New York and Ohio. My newspaper had an office on Route 20, and two other newspapers were a stone’s throw from the roadway in Ohio and Illinois. So I know some of the haunts along the way and figure I could find a lot more as I trekked along the highway including through Yellowstone National Park — although, technically, it is know as Targhee Pass Highway through the national park.

This wanderlust has always been with me. I used to tell Karen my dream was to get an RV and just travel. At one point in my life I envisioned visiting every county in the country. However, since there are 3,143 counties or equivalents in the United States, even a one day stop in each one would take better than 8 1/2 years to achieve. I’m not sure there’s enough sand left in the hourglass for that. Even spending a week in various regions of each state would take a gigantic time investment. California has 13 regions … New York has 11 … Texas has seven … even tiny Rhode Island has six and Delaware has three. You get the picture.

I almost had Karen plugged in to my scheme, though. About seven or eight years ago, she had just one of those days. Between family and work {she worked with me at the newspaper in addition to running a motel & breakfast}, she just plain had had it. After dinner, she told me I was right. We should sell everything, get an RV and hit the road.

Needless to say, my eyes lit up. “Are you serious?” I asked.

“Yes, I’m serious,” she said.

I put down my fork {you really have to say something special for me to do that!}, rushed to her, put my arm around her. “I love you. You’ll see. It will be great … just you and me wherever the winds take us.” She looked up with sort of a blank look and said, “Yeah, it will be fun.”

Then I whispered in her ear, “Just think, we can tell people we made love in every state in the country,” with my mind racing in anticipation. She continued to look at me with that blank look and smiled.

The next morning she changed her mind.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: You are only what you are when no one is looking.

Posted in bucket list, family, Memories, travel | Tagged bucket list, DPchallenge, driving, family, imagination, Memories, relationships, things to do, travel | 2 Comments

Five Minute Friday — Garden

Posted on February 14, 2014 by wisdomfromafather

Here’s this week’s installment of Five Minute Friday. You might remember the task is to write for five minutes on a specific prompt word. The initiative was started by Lisa-Jo Baker (http://lisajobaker.com/) who thought why not take five minutes and see what comes out: not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing.

As a preface, Lisa Jo has added her own back story before unveiling the prompt. It’s sort of a “why” the word was chosen. I’ll get back to that in a minute.

This week’s prompt is GARDEN. Truth be known, although my color is green, my thumb isn’t. Gardens are not my friend. In fact, I would be just as happy if they weren’t even acquaintances.

I suppose I could have gone a little more philosophical, but instead chose to go more tongue-in-cheek this week. After all, if you’re writing about something you have little knowledge of, sometimes satire can help {although this is actually a true story}.

But before I do, let’s return to Lisa Jo’s back story. It’s at the end of her latest post at http://lisajobaker.com/2014/02/how-to-get-more-passion-in-your-life/ and deals with a project born out of love — the Maubane Community Center in South Africa — after God started working on her heart to see her blog as a door and herself the door holder who gets to invite people into this remarkable story.

Her plan was to use her blog community as a springboard to build one South African community a safe place for sustainable food, child care, economic empowerment, job skills trainings, a gathering place for church, classrooms for HIV/Aids education and a playground for their kids.

This plan has been a year in the making and the goal is to raise money between Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day to fund the entire project . Phase 1 is a community vegetable garden {watered by the water point Lisa Jo’s blogging community helped build last fall}. Phase 2 is a community kitchen and Welcome Center. Phase 3 is a Community Outreach Hall. Phase 4 is 12 classrooms. Phase 5 — the final phase — is a playground. The price tag has been set at $150,000.

That’s the back story that led to this week’s prompt GARDEN — because it’s the first phase of this love story. So I’m doing my little part to hold the door open and invite as many as I can into Lisa Jo’s story. I encourage anyone interested to stop by her site for the full story. http://lisajobaker.com/2014/02/how-to-get-more-passion-in-your-life/ It’s fascinating.

But it’s time for this week’s writing task at hand. The timer is set and the clock starts NOW.

Despite my displeasure for gardening, my dear wife did ~~convince~~, ~~con~~, ~~nag~~, persuade me into putting one in when we moved into our house in Illinois. Even if I am not 100% in agreement with a project, once I set my mind to it I invest 100% energy. So we mapped out the garden. I tilled, I fertilized, I tilled some more, she bailed at the first site of a worm, I planted, we prayed over it, I fenced in the area, I watered {of course every time I did, it rained despite clear sunny skies}, I weeded (probably more lettuce than weeds}, I shooed away more bunnies than I realized existed {they must have been busing them in from other neighborhoods}, I waited {and waited and waited}, I harvested.

Okay the total take was about six ears of corn, enough lettuce for a meal or two, some tomatoes {the only thing that really flourished, even if they were on the small size}, some very funny looking carrots, some beans, about two dozen cucumbers, a pumpkin {as in one} — calluses, a sore back and aching muscles.

It wasn’t particularly the harvest I had in mind, which led me to ask why I went through all that work … STOP

… especially when there are so many farm stands around.

So here’s to the farmers and green thumbed gardeners. I’m quite content leaving my produce supply up to the professionals.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: It is not so important to be serious as it is to be serious about the important.

Posted in family, Memories, nature, relationships, stories | Tagged DPchallenge, encouragement, faith, family, garden, Lisa Jo Baker, Maubane, Memories, nature, relationships, stories, writing | 4 Comments

Roar

Posted on February 9, 2014 by wisdomfromafather

I have to admit, I was never much of a Katy Perry fan. She’s pretty and talented, but her breakthrough into the contemporary music scene was marred — for me — by her song selection. I Kissed a Girl got her started on the road to stardom with such fare as Teenage Dream, Last Friday Night and Ur So Gay shortly following.

I don’t know if this was all a marketing ploy to get people talking about her and her music, but it worked. She’s now worth about $55 million in just seven years and has parlayed her recordings into merchandising — she has three popular perfumes — film — she played herself in her autobiography, Katy Perry: Part of Me and as the voice of Smufette is all three Smurf movies — and television — mostly portraying herself — from the soap opera The Young and the Restless to roles in How I Met Your Mother and Raising Hope.

But her latest venture, Roar, released last August and catapulting to the top of the music charts in a month. One of the recurring phrases is “eye of the tiger” which caught my attention. I wondered if it had any similarities with Survivor’s song Eye of the Tiger made famous as the theme song of Rocky III.

So I had to listen a little more closely to Roar and discovered it was a perfect melodic message of self-worth I constantly preached to my wife and girls. It’s a song of self-empowerment. Women do not need validation by men. They have their own worth and importance.

“I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess
So I sat quietly, agreed politely
I guess that I forgot I had a choice
I let you push me past the breaking point
I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything…

You held me down, but I got up
Get ready ’cause I had enough
I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter
Dancing through the fire
‘Cause I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar…”

The video complements the message, starting by showing an oaf walking all over and ignoring our female protagonist after a plane crash in the jungle. When a tiger eliminates him, our heroine timidly starts out on her road to self-awareness … frame by frame building confidence in herself.

I would like to think Ms. Perry is doing the same thing in her life. And I would like to think her Christian and Gospel roots are seeds just now sprouting.

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: There are no degrees of honesty; either you are honest or you are not.

Posted in encouragement, family, relationships, self worth, songs, women | Tagged DPchallenge, encouragement, eye of the tiger, family, Katy Perry, Music, music, relationships, self worth, songs, women | 2 Comments