Too much salt?

Have no fear of tomorrow; enjoy today.

Refuse to carry the corpse of a mistaken yesterday.

-author unknown

One of my biggest challenges in 2021 has been overcoming fear. You see, in my quiet time, I find myself meditating on the resistance I often feel in carrying out the simplest, or even the most challenging tasks. Now, don’t get me wrong; I recognize that facing resistance is normal. To me, it’s like salt; a little bit can enhance my performance, challenge me to complete a task, and just show up for myself. On the other hand, the anxiety causing the resistance can often, like too much salt, ruin the entire experience. So, yes, I recognize that fear is a healthy part of the experience; I don’t beat up on myself too much, any more, for acknowledging my fear. Succumbing to my fear, however, is like adding too much salt; it strangles my creativity, snuffs my flame, buries my natural flavor . . . . You get the idea? Does this sound familiar? Somehow, I feel like I’m not alone, here.

Fear, for me, manifests in many ways: fear of failure (I put in the effort but have nothing to show for it); fear of success (If I really put myself out there, what will people think? What if I really do this? Am I ready for what could happen?). Fear is the salt to my creativity, my success. Not enough fear, I underprepare. Too much fear, I either over prepare – which brings about more anxiety that potentially hinders my performance – or I yield to it completely and . . . do nothing!

Yielding to my fear, like adding salt, is my choice; but it becomes the mistake I make in not showing up for myself, in not allowing Spirit to guide me. After all, how can I claim to be a woman of faith if I yield to fear? Choosing fear is my mistake, as is the guilt that soon ensues. Soon, I am so far down the rabbit hole of disappointment that I feel overwhelmed and just shut down. Sound familiar? Perhaps, instead of lashing inward – as I do – you lash outward in anger in anger at those you see as the reason for your choice. Let that sink in: your choice. Either way, choosing fear becomes the mistake you make in your journey; if we allow it, it can weigh us down like a corpse, becoming the dead, useless, weight we carry, literally, to our grave.

Don’t let fear be yesterday’s corpse that keeps you from thriving today and tomorrow. My yogini tells me that fear stems either from the past – like a trigger that reminds you, consciously or subconsciously, of a negative experience from your past, one which imparts a conscious or unconscious sense of dread at the thought of reliving it – or from the future, as in a healthy, non-crippling, fear of the unknown. If any of this sounds familiar, then I invite you to join me on my journey to overcoming fear by living in the present, acknowledging your fear, and using it as your secret ingredient. The key is in learning and using just the right amount to enhance your own special sauce, your recipe for success. Be well!

-Dr. O

Just maybe, being a birdbrain isn't so bad.

What does it mean to be "out on a limb"? A limb is an appendage - a branch on a tree, a stem from a plant, a leg or arm from the body, a finger or toe from the respective hand or foot. Limbs are an extension from a larger source, and this extension causes tension. To where does this metaphorical path lead? How secure is it?

Often, what we want - or what we think we want - requires us to venture out on this proverbial limb. Other times, perhaps, we feel like we've been left out on a limb - in some new territory and on some unexpected path with whose terrain we are yet unfamiliar. Being out on a limb, therefore, is scary. Not even birds linger at the end of a limb after claiming said prey; rather, they move hurriedly back to the source from which cometh their strength.

Life is like that, yes? Many times, we are attracted to something that requires a risk, a journey down a path whose security is uncertain. Somehow, the birds get it, so why don't we? That uncertain journey becomes familiar, even routine; why? Because the birds know they can always return from the limb to the source. We can, too, but we must be like birds: go out on a limb to get the prize - the dream job, the sexy salary, feeding our family, influencing others. What do birds know that we don't? Perhaps that instead of focusing on the limb itself, they focus on the prize and the innate knowledge that they always can return to Source. The same is true for us; and our innate knowledge, also known as faith, will always help us return to the source from whence cometh our strength.

Now, be a birdbrain! Go out on that limb and get that prize; if you like what you find, you've created a familiar path that illuminates your way. And if you find you don't like or need what's out on the limb, that's okay, too; just return to Source.

Image curtesy of SAHIL SHAH

The Beauty of Stories: The Ultimate Staycation, Part I*

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In my first non-academic blog, entitled “The Beauty of Stories,” I wrote about the universal appeal of stories to speak to us on so many levels. Admittedly, as an English Professor, I am biased; however, I remain steadfast in my thesis:

The real beauty of . . . any story . . . lies in its universal appeal to entertain, inspire, and challenge us to think not only about our values but also about our roles in society . . .. [A]ll stories [speak] to us individually, collectively, and universally. [Their] appeal may change, but their power to transform our thinking remains. (Dismukes)

In fact, our global need to self-quarantine reminds me that stories offer a certain value we often take for granted – namely, the joy of escape; talk about the ultimate staycation! If you’re the parent or guardian of school-aged children – as I am - and are “suddenly” thrust into the world of digital learning, this one’s for you!

I acknowledge my use of quotation marks around the word “suddenly” because, if we’re honest with ourselves – at least those of us who have experienced at least one year of parenting a child in the kindergarten-through-12th-grade (K-12) education system - we are at least remotely – no pun intended (but appreciated) – familiar with the concept of digital learning days, which consequently extend learning beyond the brick-and-mortar classroom. Yes, we are at least tangentially familiar with this concept; however, the equally consequential government mandates to shift K-12 learning to an online platform during the Covid-19 epidemic presents an additional opportunity for parents to ensure their students’ success. Well, if your child is studying literature, you’re in luck! Thanks to the beauty of stories, you and your child can enjoy the ultimate staycation, and maybe even learn a little bit in the process. Here’s what I mean:

Students in literature courses inevitably study . . . Wait for it. . . LITERATURE; translation: automatic book club! Suggest that your child reach out to his or her classmates to create a modified book club and chat about the latest reading assignment; let’s face it, they’re group chatting, anyway! Play referee/parent, lay down the rules, . . . (and help this struggling English professor) . . . Remind your child of the dangers of sharing answers; suggest that each person in the group share a different example. Speak to your child in his or her language: Encourage the unofficial rule that the best response, as judged by the study group, wins bragging rights on IG, Snapchat, or TikTok! This is Peer Review 2.0 in this Covid-19-ridden -20!

Want to turn-up even more on this staycation?! Encourage your literature student/study-group leader to have his or her classmates post a selfie of the characters they’re studying, or create a meme of the character with a quote that best represents the author. Here, again, the winner gets bragging rights on social media! Who knows? You might even help your child learn a little bit about characterization as a literary device.

Here’s another one! Challenge your child to raise the bar on his or her friends by posing quotes and selfies showing how the author’s words – or a character’s expressions – make him or her feel. If you’re not careful, your child just might develop an understanding of tone or – brace yourself - a deeper sense of how words affect emotion. Imagine that: the possibility of emotional connection from a book!

Please understand, my ideas are just that; they’re ideas based on the assumption that we, as parents, recognize that our children are likely using Group Chat and other social media platforms to discuss – i.e. compare - answers. My challenge to you, as the parent/guardian, is to acknowledge and embrace it, while still steering the proverbial parenting ship.

Consider yourselves warned, though! This approach might involve having actual conversation with your children about they’re learning – or, at least working on – in school. What’s the harm in asking? The world’s on quarantine; what else have we to do but talk to those with whom we share space? What’s the worst that could happen? You’ll be communicating with your children about them, not necessarily what interests them, but it’s about them and what should interest them. On the sneak tip, you will have helped your child engage with literature on a level that he or she can grasp because, hey, it’s about them. Their grades may not improve; but, thanks to the beauty of stories, your children just might develop an accidental appreciation for the universal appeal of literature. What’s more, your children will learn about people and places they might otherwise not visit outside of Instagram; and, fostering this type of engagement with your children might, ultimately, contribute to your own peace of mind. . . and therein lies the ultimate beauty of stories. Here’s to your staycation: Be well!

Work Cited

Dismukes, Ondra. “The Beauty of Stories.” The Linguistique Mystique, November 17, 2018, https://www.tlmlanguageservices.com/post/2018/11/17/the-beauty-of-stories. Accessed 6 April 2020.

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*This post was originally published on April 6, 2020 on owriteediting.com; it has been edited from its original version.