Tag Archive | challenges

That’s life!

Mar10

“Surprise and challenge in
Heartache and joy out!”

I think this pretty much explains life
There are always surprises, big and small

What we plan does not work out
What works out, better than what we planned

Challenge is on-going like the waves of the sea
There is respite, but not for long

Heartache always visits us
But what we’ve got to do is to let go
Feel it deeply and let go
Accept it as part of life

Joy always returns and washes the pain away
The sun always returns another day

Lida Berghuis
March 9th, 2013

*Mark Nepo

To be an immigrant!

Feb28

To let go of where one is
In anticipation of going somewhere new!
To have the courage to
Face the unknown!

To be curious
To seek what’s on the other side
Not content with the status quo
Willing to accept the discomfort of change
And starting over
And tolerating feeling lost at times
And homesick too

To see the potential
To want to have new experiences
Realizing that there is so much
That is unknown

To be naive
Not anticipating all the challenges
Or just being so drawn to something novel
That one is willing to accept
The challenge and discomfort

To be an immigrant
A blend of courage and naiveté!
Building on the past
Somewhere new!

Lida Berghuis
February 26th, 2013

"There is so much abundance wherever we are!"*

Feb22

I feel in life
I’ve been often led
Sometimes even pulled and drawn
Against my will!

What I said never to
Has come to be
What I thought would break me
Has built me up

Somehow I thought I knew best
Somehow I thought I should decide
The unexpected arrived
And inconvenienced me
I complained
I did not know why!

Why were my plans
Turned upside down?
When I expected to go left
Why did I end up going right?

My unhappiness came from the fact
That I did not consider
That I didn’t have the answers all
That I was in fact wrong at times!

Maybe I didn’t have the humility
To accept a different path
A better path
In the long run!

Maybe I looked at the short term challenges
And did not look far enough
Maybe I did not realize that experiencing
Discomfort was part of growing up!

Lida Berghuis
February 21st, 2013

*Mark Nepo

The cliff

Jan16

The cliff accepts the wave
It does not fight the wave,
But it does not crumble

It does not get angry at the wave
It’s the nature of the wave to lash out

The wave is inevitable
Cannot be wished away

After the wave recedes
The cliff knows that the wave
Will be back

It’s not fearful
It’s not perturbed
It knows it has the strength
To face it again

January 11th, 2012
Lida Berghuis

Note to self 4: live and let live

Jan10

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Expect different attitudes and ways of thought
Don’’t judge and you won’’t be judged

Action speaks louder than words
No need to preach, to each his own

We each have different philosophies in life
Let’’s acknowledge that and move on
No need to change others
Or agree with everyone

Focus on the positive, laugh and smile
There’’s always something there
To cheer you up

Your armor of love and good will
Will protect you
See the good in everyone

Difficulties are not to be shunned
These things are part of life

Don’’t be surprised or perturbed by them
You are ready to face them

Live and let live, my thought today
Let go of hurt, grow and thrive…

Lida Berghuis
January 9th, 2011

The maze of life

Oct6

We start at one corner
Seeking the goal
The way out
We make some false starts
But that’s a must

No perfect way to traverse the maze
Each one chooses a different way

Even though the destination
Seems to be the goal
Each time we make it
Through a maze
We will be invited to start again

No need to rush
Through the maze of life
Better to go slow
Meditate a while
One good move
Better than a few wrong ones

Once we’ve been through
A maze or two
We’ll see the pattern
Discover the groove

We’ll see the value
Of reflection and a slower pace
We’ll realize that there’s no hurry
To get to the end

We’ll focus on the process
Of getting there
Accumulate wisdom
On the way

The maze of life
Passes through desserts dry
Mountains high
Rivers that rush
And forests, lush
The secret is not to give up
When the going gets tough
Not to fear challenges and hard times
They are the most valuable times

The maze of life
Full of twists and turns
The one who designed it
Knew the secret!

Lida Berghuis
September 18th, 2011