|
| "Make Each Day Your Masterpiece " by Michael Lynberg has been endorsed by such people as: The book is available at your local bookstore or at these web addresses: Barnes And Noble Com |
| Here is an excerpt from Michael's book. Feel free to forward it to people who might be interested in Michael's book. In the wake of recent events it is appropriate to begin with a chapter that deals with loss and adversity (although many of the book's 50 chapters are more upbeat). This is from chapter 12.
"Life after Loss," copyright, 2001, from MAKE EACH DAY
YOUR MASTERPIECE, by Michael Lynberg.
Some of us are presently unable to move forward
because life has dealt us a severe or tragic blow, and
we are reeling in confusion and despair. Our energies
are consumed and depressed; the "still small voice"
that once urged us to do the greater thing is now
scarcely audible, deadened by our pain.
Perhaps we are enduring a loss or a personal tragedy:
the death of a loved one, a failed relationship, poor
health, the loss of a job, dream or ideal. It is hard
to think about living an extraordinary life, of
reaching for the heights of our potential, of seizing
the moment to partake of life's beauty and joy, when
there is so much hurt inside. It is all we can do just
to cope with the demands of daily living. We find
ourselves on a frozen and desolate plain, struggling
to keep moving or to set up camp so as not to succumb
to the cold.
In the midst of such despair, we wonder if we will
ever again feel warmth and see light. Forlornly, we
recall the way things were before our present crisis,
our passion, our sense of purpose, our ability to
enjoy the sweetness and fullness of existence--will
these treasures ever be regained? Will we ever again
be able to love and feel deeply, to overcome our
numbness? Will we ever again have the faith and energy
to do the things that we dream?
The answer is yes, we will, but with much patience and
gentle effort. Also, hopefully, with the support of
those willing to give us strength by sharing our
pain-family, friends, clergy, competent professionals.
There is a season for everything, and like all
seasons, the season for healing must run its course.
There is no measuring progress in days or weeks or
even months, only by our ability to gradually regain
what is best in ourselves.
Rabbi Pesach Krauss, former chaplain at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, where he
counseled patients and their families, tells an
inspiring parable. Two woodchoppers have cut down a
tree that is well over a hundred years old. The
younger man, observing the tree's growth rings,
remarks that five of the rings are very close
together. There must have been a five year drought, he
concludes, during which the tree experienced very
little growth.
The older timberman, however, known for his gentle
wisdom, has a different perspective. The dry years
were actually the most important years of the tree's
life, he contends. Because of the drought, the tree
had to force its roots deeper and deeper into the
soil, in order to get the water and nourishment it
needed. Then, when conditions improved, it was able to
grow taller and faster because of its strengthened
roots.
Likewise, our difficult times, when we are coping with
loss or tragedy, can be times of great inner growth.
Words cannot adequately describe the pain we may be
enduring. Our emotional and spiritual suffering can be
every bit as real and debilitating as physical injury,
and this is often difficult for others to recognize or
understand. Yet with patient work, and faith in a
better tomorrow, we will pass through our crisis,
leaving one phase of our lives, but entering another
which is bright and laden with potential. We will
never be the same person we were before; our loss will
always be with us. But with renewed strength and
deepened sensitivity, we will be able to move on to
new areas of growth, experience, fulfillment, and joy.
|
Chapter 14 ---> Poetry Potpourri's Home---> |