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intended path
My daughter asked me recently if I failed often as a child. My immediate answer was, “Repeatedly, and I continue to face failure regularly as an adult.” I have never given much thought to failure because to me it is a stepping stone to my next success. In fact, I rarely think in terms of failure. I tend to quickly analyze my mistakes or misfortune and continue trying to reach my goal. When there are no more opportunities to meet the goal, I rework my goal. I don’t spend time worrying about my failures, however, I do learn from…
As a child, I tested my faith a few times, but I never doubted the outcome of those tests. When I was too young to articulate my faith, I had this sixth sense that I was being guided down my intended path. My tests were mostly regarding things that people thought I should do or not do, but all along I knew the direction I was being led. There have been many years of uncertainty regarding where my path was leading, knowing only what I did not intend to do with my life. What I do know is that when…
Letting go of control to walk in faith is not as easy as it sounds. It means that I might have to choose a different path than the one I thought was right for me. Sometimes I don’t like the direction my path is leading, but I stay the course because I choose to walk in faith. I find that people, events, and opportunities point me in the direction of my path. As I walk the path, various confirmations or clues that unfold help me decide if the path is the correct course. I pray for direction and guidance…
When I look back at my life it is filled with moments where I had to choose to move on or hold my course. Although I live by faith and do my best to follow my intended path, there are three things I always review before making a final decision as to the direction I will follow. 1. Why am I moving on? There might be numerous obvious reasons to move on and start new. Despite the obvious, I always ask myself why I am thinking about this change. When I review my answers, I look for how meaningful my…
I had never swum 100 yards in less than a minute in my entire high school career. One might say that was impossible for Laura Damiano. I was not a freestyle swimmer. I only swam freestyle when competing in the individual medley, which includes all 4 strokes. In college, I went to apply for a job as a lifeguard. One of the requirements was swimming a hundred yards in less than a minute. I knew I had never swum that fast of a time. I distinctly remember praying as I dove into the pool, “Please Lord, provide me the speed…
I recently was sent a newspaper article from my mentor. The article was by Joe Rexrode, Nashville TN, entitled, “Pat Summitt’s remedy for Kara Lawson: uncomfortable situations”. The article highlights Kara Lawson and how her college basketball coach and mentor, Pat Summitt, provided her with opportunities to work through her discomfort with public speaking. Summit recognized Lawson’s potential but knew she needed to become comfortable speaking in public. Summitt continually exposed Lawson to public speaking opportunities. Currently, Lawson coaches and is an analyst on television for the NBA. Lawson credits Summitt for pushing her past her comfort…
What some might view as a negative transition, I choose to look at as an opportunity. I have always had faith that when one door closes another one will open with more opportunity than the last. Through numerous job changes and company closings, I am fortunate, in hindsight, to see how each roadblock became an important part of my journey. My transitions did not always result in a higher salary or higher levels of management, but always a better fit for my lifestyle at that time. There are moments when I get discouraged during transitions in my life. I quickly…
I was reminded this past weekend of both the importance of community and the effects of lack of community. All around me, there were signs of how valuable the right community can be for people. Signs of appreciation regarding the community, signs of helpfulness within the community, and signs of togetherness throughout the community. Not only did I feel a sense of community, but others were talking and writing about it also. It was a week filled with people observing the strength of the community, the benefits, and the disappointments regarding the lack of community. As I walk through the…
There are so many things that we want to accomplish each day, why sweat the small stuff? When it comes to raising children, I often hear people say, “You have to pick your battles.” I tend to agree with choosing to focus on the things you feel are most important. Allowing some of the smaller less important things to go and focusing on the more important issues at hand. However, it is important to make sure you focus on some of the issues. Picking your battles does require you to choose items to focus on! For me, when we lived…
With spring comes all the beauty of new blossoms and beginnings. Just as we are getting restless with our old winter routine, renewed life and beauty arrive. In comes spring! Allowing yourself to blossom and reach your potential is something that we all have an opportunity to learn. It takes a conscious decision to do things to help us achieve our potential. We can choose to live our lives at our current potential or to take ourselves to the next level. Often we look to reading self-help books, listening to motivational podcasts, and reciting daily affirmations to help us…