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Category Archives: Pride

Tunnel of Experience

10 Saturday Nov 2018

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Change, Choices, Family, Lessons, Maturity, Patience, Persistence, Pride, Success, Truth, Wisdom

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Experience, Humility

Our own ability to understand something doesn’t affect its value, veracity, or function in the world. Often times, our limited vision and perspective shaped by our particular experiences emboldens us to render strong opinions on things in which we truly have no knowledge or awareness! We often get into unnecessary conflicts with others as a result of our own lack of awareness or misinformation, living in our own tunnel of experience.  

As a child, my dad would quiz us kids on math from the time we were quite young because he had a wonderful ability to process numbers quickly in his mind, with what seemed a “calculator” inherently gifted within. He was sharing one of his gifts with us through those pop quizzes. When I was really little, the nightly spot exam (esp. with calculus problems) made little to no sense to me as the youngest, causing me some frustration. But I didn’t give up because of that, I learned to be humble in those moments of frustration. As time passed and my learning curve expanded, I grew to truly appreciate much more of what he was trying to teach us through his pop quizzes. We all went on to take four years of math in HS when only one was required!

Often, it’s our own inability or arrogant refusal during moments of frustration to push through it all, stretching our minds to consider what might actually be possible or really be true. And that leads to further frustration as we judge things we see or experience by only what we know at the time! We rail on people about things which are simply above our understanding, vilifying them for actually be more educated or experienced on certain topics or on particular life subjects. When you are conflicted like that by the actions, words, or beliefs of others, first look within. Live with the humility to learn, to grow, to expand and change your mind, to see life outside your own tunnel of experience.  

Gauging the Temperature . .

30 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Character, Discipline, Humility, Maturity, Offense, Pride, Self-Control, Wisdom

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Ego, Maturity, Self-Control

A quick mind is not always a blessing, in that the mouth has often spoken before the soul has had time to gauge the temperature of the message. It’s not just for the sake of others that we should learn to use constraint in our thoughts, words and deeds. We have a lot to gain from self-control and discipline, especially when it comes to the emotional reactions we have or might have while our buttons are being pushed! Often times, we react before we have had time to assess the value, venom or vile in our own words! And our words can be even more harmful within us than they are powerful or life-altering to others.  a-quote-it-up-9

It’s not entirely unacceptable or ill-advised to criticize, to reproach or to correct others in their behaviors and speech; but when we do, we expose ourselves to all of that in return, all while exposing at heart our motive in doing so. Unless we are doing so to help the other person, to rectify a misjudgment or to correct the circumstances within a particular situation, we’re possibly lashing out just to be right. And that is often not as advisable a seat from which to launch an attack on someone! We all have our right to opinion, belief and freedom of expression. So when another shares an opinion in which we have a momentary negative reaction, perhaps it provokes in us some anger, then we owe it to all concerned to examine why we feel as we do. Perhaps we’ve jumped to our reaction. Maybe we’re not open to a new point of view. And just maybe it is something we know for a fact is wrong or ill-advised. The best response is always a thoughtful one! If we know there is a price within us for our words, thoughts, deeds and the way we behave towards others, then we will temper and measure from within first. We should share with others our opinions, beliefs and thoughts. We should act in accordance with those. But we shouldn’t assume that our way is the only way, that we are always right or that it is up to us to change others to suit us!   Be-selective-in-your-battles

Too many people nowadays react and respond without thinking through the cost of such a step to those involved and more importantly even, to themselves. We must learn to mature in our ability to control our emotions, such that when we feel the need to react, we are first able to control and discipline ourselves enough to examine our own reaction prior to responding. Maturity is not about having the need to be right all the time or the requirement to vindicate one’s own beliefs, thoughts, words or actions. Maturity requires a more disciplined and controlled approach to life; it requires going beyond the seconds involved in a reaction and response, to consider what might happen next. Maturity looks ahead at the cost of reactions and responses, it weighs the virtue or detriment to every thought, word and deed. It measures the soul’s weight before and after an emotion, considering the potential for baggage which comes from reacting in error! Maturity teaches us the invaluable lesson of responsibility, consequence and lightening our soul’s load. Maturity within gives us confidence and supports our self-esteem, so that we don’t have to prove our ego’s cries for vindication, rightness or acclaim! And when we learn those lessons, we are more civil in society; we aren’t as concerned with our ego’s own need to be right, we’re less fragile and insecure, we’ve less need to put others down for the sake of building ourselves up. We truly are more tolerant and accepting, no matter the opinions, words, beliefs, thoughts and deeds of others! Inner peace is the badge of honor we get to possess when we master a level of maturity which self-controls and self-disciplines emotions, reactions, and responses.

Freedom’s Flag . .

14 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Celebration, Freedom, God, Gratitude, Pride

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Flag, Freedom, Pride

What an honor it is to see that banner flying high and proud! I look for it when I take the drive along the I-10 West, there at Vicksburg Rd; it stands out majestically over all the vast and empty spaces, flying for all to see. I partake of its grand beauty when driving one of my favorite shortcuts home near the Kierland area; it flies so obviously in front of an office building there by the fountain. There are two of them flying on a corner nearby my neighborhood. I look for our flag, happy and joyously spotting them wherever they are and whenever I notice them! And I am happy to say, our flag can bring tears to my eyes for its history and its majesty; I get emotional and well up with pride for what it means, especially when I consider the options and all the possibilities were it not to fly and were it not flying for freedom’s sake all around the world.  american_flag_cross_z5mi

I suppose there are many who don’t see it that way; they would no sooner shed a tear in its honor than they would seek it out with hopeful eyes. But I cannot worry about those who don’t grasp all for which it stands; and I surely cannot grasp their lack of appreciation for the many generations of freedom over which it has flown. I merely know in my own heart and mind why Old Glory flies for the sake of this nation! It surely indicates our national acreage, land and properties, but it also flies as testimony to our hope for freedom at its very core – within the human heart, mind and soul!   vintage-flag-day-3

There would be no freedom in the world right this minute if not for this nation, the USA, standing watch over such an aspiration as freedom for nearly 240 years now! May God keep us centered in our focus on freedom’s preservation, knowing it is the goal of every human to walk in freedom’s light by His Divine hand of creation! May we treat our majestic flag with honor and reverence because it stands for freedom! It reflects the hope of all humanity to live in freedom both here and around the world! And it reminds us of all those who gave everything in service to this nation, in upholding freedom’s priceless call upon the human heart! God bless this nation on Flag Day, 2015!   Signature02

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