Late Night Ramblings and Lofty Goals

Some days give you a lot to think about and reflect on. Today was one of those days and I just need to take some time to really absorb things. I don't know if I'll even post this or just let it sit lonely in my drafts, but I need to think through the keyboard tonight. So don't mind me as I let my mind wander and my fingers fly.

First thought: There are a lot of good people in this world just doing what they think is best. A lot. I'll meet a lot of them in my lifetime. You'll meet a lot of them in your lifetime. They make good friends and acquaintances. But there are also some really amazing people in this world. People who LIFT others up with the things they say. People who exude JOY. People who provide well-thought out WISDOM. People who SHARE what they have without giving it a second thought. People who bring SUNSHINE into others lives and teach us how to ENJOY THE JOURNEY instead of always hurrying to get to the destination. People who LOVE deeply and GIVE freely. These people are fewer and farther between. But they're here. In all of our lives.

These are the people we need to treasure.

To hold on to.

To learn from.

And if we really learn what we can from them, let them teach us and change who we are, maybe someday we'll be that person to someone else. But if we've done our part, we'll probably never know it.

Next thought: Tonight I had the wonderful opportunity to hear from Stacy Bess. An incredible woman, teacher, mother, and friend. You might have heard of her as the author of Nobody Don't Love Nobody. This book is about her experiences as a teacher at the school for the homeless in Salt Lake City. She has great insight and an amazing capacity to love. She's one of those people I just wrote about. You can feel it the moment she looks at you. Some bits of wisdom she shared that I want to remember:

If you listen more, you'll learn more.

I am guilty of not listening to my children like I should. And I'm going to do better at this one thing.

We - all of us - just want to be loved.

It's true.

It doesn't matter what awards you've received, what title you hold, or what uniform you wear. What matters is who you are as a person. As a human being.

Final thought: Proverbs 11:27 "He that diligently seeketh good procureth favor: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him."

What am I seeking by the things I do and say?

Am I bringing good to my life and the lives of others?

What can I do to be better?

I can listen more and yell less. I can do more and whine less. I can love more and gossip less. I can make my world a place where KINDNESS reigns over meanness. Where UNDERSTANDING replaces contention. Where just plain old GOOD triumphs over evil. It seems a lofty goal, but I can do it - one kind word at a time. And so can you, if you try.