Clarice has always tried to be healthy. It was something she did before her accident and something she does now. It's a habit.
A habit that has made her strong.
After her accident the outpouring of prayers and well wishes from around the planet gave her the blessing and light of healing.
It saved her, helped her and made her injuries heal in amazing ways. Half her face was scraped off and you'd never know it today. Her skin is whole and beautiful with no scarring. She does carry the effect of nerve damage on the left side of her face, but that was the inevitable result of surgery to get her broken mandible back in place so it could heal, a metal plate permanently affixed against the bone.
But there came a time when prayers weren't going to get her to work harder in rehab, that had to come from within.
And her goals are so clear to her, where she wants to be is so real that it's almost as if she's living the reality of it. She knows the challenges she faces, but focuses the majority of her thoughts, words and energy on where she wants to go. On what she's doing right now. If there are stumbles, she'll deal with them when they come. She wants to teach again.
She is so strong now. So vibrant. She has gained some weight back and this has helped give her stamina.
She can't make a fist with her left hand yet, but they are working on it. She has built muscle around her spine and is trying to build even more in order to support her back, to take pressure off the vertebrae and the metal rods.
Her ribs are healed and she is breathing deep and pain free.
The horrible, deep scarring on her knees and legs has smoothed over, the new skin still sensitive, but that's a good thing. She can feel.
And she is more beautiful to me than ever.
She cried once over all of this. One night in the hospital. After that she chose to find the good in what happened and has chosen to work hard to become whole.
I have cried many times. Not in sorrow, but in gratitude. In amazement. In wonder.
I have cried in relief and happiness.
And I have cried for those who have been through similar circumstances but were not as lucky.
Clarice is my hero. She has shown me what is possible in life and the answer is: Anything. Everything. All things.
You just have to be able to see it.
-------
If you have something you are trying to achieve, what are the words you are using to get there? I see so many slogans that incorporate exactly what they DON'T want. We do this in our lives, too. I DON'T want this, I DON'T want that.
But what if I say, I want the killing of women to stop? You immediately picture the horrible thing I wish we could get rid of.
What if I say, I wish people would stop being lazy or so apathetic. I wish they would stop the government from walking all over them. What images are painted in your mind?
Now try something else.
I say:
"I believe young women will grow up strong and happy and safe and wise."
Look at what you see now.
or this:
"People are the government. We are deciding the direction of our lives. We stand, we speak, we make a difference together. Let's join together, take action, and change this land for the better. Let's make a beautiful place for our grandchildren now."
Aside from the images painted in your consciousness, pay attention to how these different approaches make you FEEL.
One kind of makes you feel heavy, right? Like your vision is a little narrow, like there are shadows on the edges. That's the effect of speaking about what you don't want.
When talking about what you would like to see happen, there is a sense of hope, of energy. You feel more alive, hopeful, optimistic. It feels real. It feels light, doesn't it?
I learned this slowly but surely. I was a very depressed young man, full of anger and a sense of unfairness. It led me down dark ways.
Painting saved my life. At the time I was creating very dark images that the people I hung around with would think was cool or edgy or disturbing. Images that reflected how I felt.
But obviously I needed a change. And so I tried an experiment. I would paint beautiful things. I would paint the kind of world, the kind of life I actually wanted. Of course, my thoughts had to follow. My heart had to try to believe.
After many years (yes, I am not always the fastest learner) I found my perceptions changing. Rather than injustice everywhere I began to see possibility, opportunities for positive action.
Rather than focusing on my poverty, I started noticing the needs of others. And because my head was a little more clear, I began to see how to move my life forward in ways that would allow me to help others.
Slowly but surely, I am transforming. It's a beautiful, never ending process, filled with human error, tears, laughter, humility and joy.
We are all like this. We all have ways of thinking, speaking and acting that sabotage the very good things we would rather have come into our lives.
It might be your pride, or your lack of confidence.
It might be your addictions
It might be your fear making you push everyone away because once you had been hurt very bad by someone.
Then again, fear might cause you to try to keep yourself surrounded, trying to control everyone around you.
Really, it could be anything.
But you can change, starting right now. And maybe it won't feel like you've made any progress for the first few weeks. But trust the people on the path already, they will tell you:
Inch by inch, mile by mile, it gets better, it gets brighter, and your tomorrows are filled with smiles.
-------
Say what you would like to see instead of what you don't want to see.
A practical way to do this is to make a list. List all the things you don't want in one column. In the other column turn those DON'Ts into DO's. and be specific.
For example:
I DON'T want to be ashamed of my body when I look in the mirror.
Becomes:
I AM grateful for my body. I am grateful for my health. I love myself. I eat well, I sleep well, and I drink plenty of water. I exercise all the time, even when walking down the hallway. I love my body when I see it in the mirror and I am excited by the glowing health I see growing in me every day.
-------
Language matters. The images we paint in our minds matter. They determine our actions, our actions determine our habits and our habits determine our destiny.
And it all starts with those little thoughts. Build good little thoughts, they become the foundation of your entire life.
-------
www.aaronpaquette.net
A habit that has made her strong.
After her accident the outpouring of prayers and well wishes from around the planet gave her the blessing and light of healing.
It saved her, helped her and made her injuries heal in amazing ways. Half her face was scraped off and you'd never know it today. Her skin is whole and beautiful with no scarring. She does carry the effect of nerve damage on the left side of her face, but that was the inevitable result of surgery to get her broken mandible back in place so it could heal, a metal plate permanently affixed against the bone.
But there came a time when prayers weren't going to get her to work harder in rehab, that had to come from within.
And her goals are so clear to her, where she wants to be is so real that it's almost as if she's living the reality of it. She knows the challenges she faces, but focuses the majority of her thoughts, words and energy on where she wants to go. On what she's doing right now. If there are stumbles, she'll deal with them when they come. She wants to teach again.
She is so strong now. So vibrant. She has gained some weight back and this has helped give her stamina.
She can't make a fist with her left hand yet, but they are working on it. She has built muscle around her spine and is trying to build even more in order to support her back, to take pressure off the vertebrae and the metal rods.
Her ribs are healed and she is breathing deep and pain free.
The horrible, deep scarring on her knees and legs has smoothed over, the new skin still sensitive, but that's a good thing. She can feel.
And she is more beautiful to me than ever.
She cried once over all of this. One night in the hospital. After that she chose to find the good in what happened and has chosen to work hard to become whole.
I have cried many times. Not in sorrow, but in gratitude. In amazement. In wonder.
I have cried in relief and happiness.
And I have cried for those who have been through similar circumstances but were not as lucky.
Clarice is my hero. She has shown me what is possible in life and the answer is: Anything. Everything. All things.
You just have to be able to see it.
-------
If you have something you are trying to achieve, what are the words you are using to get there? I see so many slogans that incorporate exactly what they DON'T want. We do this in our lives, too. I DON'T want this, I DON'T want that.
But what if I say, I want the killing of women to stop? You immediately picture the horrible thing I wish we could get rid of.
What if I say, I wish people would stop being lazy or so apathetic. I wish they would stop the government from walking all over them. What images are painted in your mind?
Now try something else.
I say:
"I believe young women will grow up strong and happy and safe and wise."
Look at what you see now.
or this:
"People are the government. We are deciding the direction of our lives. We stand, we speak, we make a difference together. Let's join together, take action, and change this land for the better. Let's make a beautiful place for our grandchildren now."
Aside from the images painted in your consciousness, pay attention to how these different approaches make you FEEL.
One kind of makes you feel heavy, right? Like your vision is a little narrow, like there are shadows on the edges. That's the effect of speaking about what you don't want.
When talking about what you would like to see happen, there is a sense of hope, of energy. You feel more alive, hopeful, optimistic. It feels real. It feels light, doesn't it?
I learned this slowly but surely. I was a very depressed young man, full of anger and a sense of unfairness. It led me down dark ways.
Painting saved my life. At the time I was creating very dark images that the people I hung around with would think was cool or edgy or disturbing. Images that reflected how I felt.
But obviously I needed a change. And so I tried an experiment. I would paint beautiful things. I would paint the kind of world, the kind of life I actually wanted. Of course, my thoughts had to follow. My heart had to try to believe.
After many years (yes, I am not always the fastest learner) I found my perceptions changing. Rather than injustice everywhere I began to see possibility, opportunities for positive action.
Rather than focusing on my poverty, I started noticing the needs of others. And because my head was a little more clear, I began to see how to move my life forward in ways that would allow me to help others.
Slowly but surely, I am transforming. It's a beautiful, never ending process, filled with human error, tears, laughter, humility and joy.
We are all like this. We all have ways of thinking, speaking and acting that sabotage the very good things we would rather have come into our lives.
It might be your pride, or your lack of confidence.
It might be your addictions
It might be your fear making you push everyone away because once you had been hurt very bad by someone.
Then again, fear might cause you to try to keep yourself surrounded, trying to control everyone around you.
Really, it could be anything.
But you can change, starting right now. And maybe it won't feel like you've made any progress for the first few weeks. But trust the people on the path already, they will tell you:
Inch by inch, mile by mile, it gets better, it gets brighter, and your tomorrows are filled with smiles.
-------
Say what you would like to see instead of what you don't want to see.
A practical way to do this is to make a list. List all the things you don't want in one column. In the other column turn those DON'Ts into DO's. and be specific.
For example:
I DON'T want to be ashamed of my body when I look in the mirror.
Becomes:
I AM grateful for my body. I am grateful for my health. I love myself. I eat well, I sleep well, and I drink plenty of water. I exercise all the time, even when walking down the hallway. I love my body when I see it in the mirror and I am excited by the glowing health I see growing in me every day.
-------
Language matters. The images we paint in our minds matter. They determine our actions, our actions determine our habits and our habits determine our destiny.
And it all starts with those little thoughts. Build good little thoughts, they become the foundation of your entire life.
-------
www.aaronpaquette.net
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