No Good Words Left Unspoken by Chase Butler
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&view=post&articleid=205273&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
By Chase Butler
I felt something in my soul prompt me. Not a voice, not an audible instruction, just a gentle nudging. "Tell her how you feel." I had briefly seen my mom earlier in the day and realized something I appreciated about her but never acknowledged. I pulled out my phone and typed a quick message. I didn't think much about it at the time. Immediately, I got a response, "I cannot believe the timing." She then went on to explain the incredible coincidence of what I said and what she had been thinking about. I sat with misty eyes at the beauty of the magic of intertwined lives.
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I felt something in my soul prompt me. Not a voice, not an audible instruction, just a gentle nudging. "Tell her how you feel." I had briefly seen my mom earlier in the day and realized something I appreciated about her but never acknowledged. I pulled out my phone and typed a quick message.
I didn't think much about it at the time. Immediately, I got a response, "I cannot believe the timing." She then went on to explain the incredible coincidence of what I said and what she had been thinking about. I sat with misty eyes at the beauty of the magic of intertwined lives.
It's way too easy to let the pace and the progress of our own lives tune out the prompting to speak what those around us need to hear.
If you have a word that gives life, don't hold it in. Don't keep it to yourself. You don't know what encouragement, refreshment, or nourishment is needed by those you have the privilege to speak into.
When you feel that gentle nudging, give in.
Don't second-guess yourself. Don't let the risk of awkwardness rob someone of the encouragement they need. It's okay to be emotional, sentimental, vulnerable, grateful. You could be holding the very lifeline someone else needs and not know it.
"We overestimate the level of awkwardness and underestimate the impact."
I can't remember who said it, but it's so true! The fear of being uncomfortable is not a good enough excuse for letting good words go unspoken.
Last week as I began writing this I received a text with words I needed to hear. A friend had thought of me as they reflected that morning about what they were grateful for. They simply told me why, and it was what I needed.
It probably took you a couple minutes to read this post. What's 30 more seconds? I'd invite you to follow through on not letting good words go unspoken and send a brief message to someone who might need it. "I am really grateful for you because _____."
Chase Butler
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=234074&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
There seems to be a recurring topic that continues to come up in my life—the balance between contentment and goals. Do I appreciate what I have, and am I working towards something meaningful that forces me to grow? An either/or approach never works. On one hand, you lend yourself to apathy and stagnation. On the other, you live under the tyranny of nothing ever being enough, endless striving that costs you something you never intended. I don't pretend to have this figured out. Every once in a while, I sense the alignment between the two within myself, but it's normally a fleeting moment followed by the pendulum tipping back towards one side.
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=233123&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
There are moments when I long for an answer, clarity, inspiration, relief, or hope and receive nothing. Even in earnest seeking, eager anticipation, a proper posture, an open heart, a willing spirit—nothing. Then there are moments when I receive an answer, clarity, inspiration, relief, and hope when I least expect it. Not seeking, not anticipating, yet a glimpse is given. So what to conclude?
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=231499&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
If the idea of selling everything and living out of a backpack on the road sounds like a nightmare instead of a grand adventure, this post might not be for you. If challenging the status quo and questioning societal norms in the pursuit of a full and satisfying life sounds intriguing, then let's continue. The beauty of friendship is that conversations tend to draw out aspects of yourself that otherwise would have been left untouched and dormant, or at the very least overlooked or ignored.