Outside the Comfort Zone

We are entering a new era that displays a propensity for financial detriment, insecurity and change. The prospects of this combination can create fear, insecurity, and a profound sense of lack.  We as a world community can stand together in the face of turbulence in order to emerge victorious and brighter then when it all began.  Start with your community wherever you are; look at what your two hands can do to ease a problem.  When people take the time to give of themselves and step out of their comfort zone, that is when a light shines and the effort rendered is aid for all evolved.  Look back in history, in remarkable times it was not remarkable people who carved our destiny, rather ordinary people who took on a remarkable task.

Everywhere you look, there is something that could be changed for the better with just a little time and consideration. What about the meals on wheels, assisting an elder, setting up a hotline for needs?  It is amazing what one person can accomplish for the good of mankind and how accomplished you feel. These good works, in the human tapestry embellish our lives with significant meaning, as we flourish in the act of doing something righteous. 

Of course, everyone is affected by the ensuing discourse we are on, no one is alone. Reach out; call friends together for heart-felt talks. Form a knitting circle, knit blankets for babes in shelters and hospitals. The conversations of friends who gather together for such a project is so medicinal, you will laugh with joy, share grief, and above all experience the unwavering support of your sisters.  The women of our founding times, the tribal women knew the depth of soulful sharing. These are the blessings that can make your problems easier to bear. 

I began this life journey self absorbed, tuned in to being everything that others told me I was. In mid-life, I searched for who I thought I was with focus on my family circle. Now, I gleefully enter what I like to call my second adulthood, the time defined by who I am, what I stand for. Going beyond me, stepping in unfamiliar waters has been the most liberating experience. I have voted for a President in every election from the age of eighteen.  This year was the first time I campaigned for a candidate. I attended community meetings, worked for fundraisers, and spearheaded a helping donation drive to a family in trouble. I experienced joy in wrapping gifts and stuffing stockings to benefit children in our area. All of these activities were foreign to me; sometimes I meet with adversity, yet each act gave me a remarkable sense of well-being. 

There is only one road to self-empowerment, and it is paved with good will and service.  Whatever your beliefs, where ever you find your faith, the key element to mankind prospering, is when we as individuals vow to leave everyplace that we encounter a little better for our being there!

Valerie Kelly