Archive | January 2015

Recharge

Jan30

We charge our phone battery diligently
But sometimes we forget to recharge our own!

I guess the phone batter warns us
50%… 40%… 25%…
Whereas our mental and emotional battery
Does not have a gauge
Often we wait till it’s too late…

In absence of a gauge
And because we often don’t pay attention
To the signs of tiredness and fatigue
It’s best to recharge regularly, every day
And not wait

Sometimes we feel guilty
Paying attention to our own needs
It feels selfish
But if we don’t take care of ourselves and crash
No one will be better off

If we don’t take care of ourselves
We may feel resentful
And do things half-heartedly
Whereas when our batteries are full
What we do will be done whole heartedly

In a world that seems to be spinning
Faster and faster
Slowing down and paying attention to
What gives us energy
Is harder than before

I’ve learned these lessons the hard way
I’ve ran out of battery many times
But sometimes it takes a fall
To make us pay attention to the path we’re on!

Life sucks… but in a good way…

Jan20

“Life sucks!
What can you do?
Accept it and get on with it…”

This is not a pessimistic attitude
Or a defeatist one!
Our lives are not meant to be picture perfect
Everything they way it should be
Or the way we want it to be!

Our lives are a series of challenges
That when faced with grace
Can help us grow and be stronger
And better people

Life is not a smooth road
It’s a bumpy one
Some places are not paved at all
There are obstacles to manoeuvre around
Detours that pop up!
And sometimes we may reach the edge
Of a cliff and need to back up!

The easy road offers no benefits
Except for seeming ease and comfort
It’s the road full of pit falls and road blocks
That puts us to test and helps us develop new skills

So, yes, life sucks
But not in a bad way
It sucks
So we can learn, change, and grow

Lida Berghuis
January 15th, 2015

*something someone at the hairdressers said once

The person I’ve become

Jan16

The person I’ve become
Is more authentic, more real!
I don’t wear a mask as much
I confide in my friends

The person I’ve become
Knows her limits better
I don’t compare myself to others as much
I’ve learned to say no more often
I’ve learned to ask for what I need

The person I’ve become
Takes more responsibility
Feels more empowered to create change
To change myself
My thoughts
And therefore my actions and feelings

The person I’ve become
Sees challenges as an integral part of life
Not to run from
But to learn from

The person I’ve become
Takes care of herself
Without self care, one can’t help others
One burns out!

The person I’ve become
Sees interdependence as essential
Life is not meant to be lived in a solitary way
We need each other’s help
We need to build deep, authentic friendships and
Call on each other when we need support and help

The person I’ve become
Knows there is more to learn
There is always room for improvement
Ways to do things better
New ways of thought
Deeper understanding

The person I’ve become
Is more thankful
Seeing good in all that comes my way
The person I’ve become
Tries not to take simple things for granted!

Lida Berghuis
January 15th, 2015

Loneliness

Jan12

Isolation and loneliness
Like a cancer spreads
The effects are gradual and invisible at first
But eventually manifest themselves

Isolation and loneliness
Don’t seem so harmful at first
But over time they do damage
To our souls and hearts

Isolation and loneliness
Not how we are meant to live
Independence is over-rated sometimes

Contact and compassion what we need
What heals
A smile, a warm touch
A healing medicine

‘How are you doing, are you all right’
Shows we care, helps us connect
Sometimes this is all it takes
To rescue someone from the grip of awful thoughts
Sometimes this is all it takes
To give someone hope to go on

Isolation and loneliness, weakens and saddens
Contact and helpfulness, heals and gladdens!

Lida Berghuis
January 11th, 2015

"Forge meaning from adversity"

Jan4

Adversity is a blessing if we are able to look
With the eye of wisdom and see the gems hidden in it

Adversity is opportunity for growth
Adversity makes visible the invisible
Shows us what’s essential and
Guides us to surrender, humility, and acceptance

When faced with adversity
One can crumble and complain incessantly
Or one can decide to take an active part
In tackling the situation
Not running from it
Not hoping for miracles
Not blaming others and even God!
But resolving to see what can be learned
How best one can cope and to keep setting
Noble goals despite what may seem like
Unsurmountable limitations

Lida Berghuis
January 2nd, 2015

Life is hard, but…

Jan4

Inevitable periods of hardship…
Inevitable, because they are part of life
And they have a purpose

I think back to the hardships I’ve experienced
Hardships that are insignificant compared to
What others have experienced

I think back to those times
And wonder how they could have been avoided
How I could have felt less pain, less loneliness, less sorrow

And then suddenly I realise that
Those periods of hardship
Have been a necessary part of my growth
And development

That I need not look back at them
And feel bad for myself
Or wonder why I made the decisions I made

I need to look back with thankfulness
Because each experience has taught me something essential

I need to remember that the life’s purpose
Is not to avoid pain and sorrow
Pain and sorrow, challenges and difficulties
Are essential to our growth

In retrospect, I’m thankful for all that has come my way
The happy times, the sad times
Each and every experience has shaped me
And taught me a precious lesson

Life is hard
But this hardship has a purpose
If we are willing to reflect on our experiences
And grow from them

Lida Berghuis
December 30th, 2014