Seek and Build Together

What do E-G-B-D-F, F-A-C-E, and Do-Re-Mi have in common?  As I was growing up, I remember learning the music scales of Every-Good-Boy-Does-Fine and FACE, but when Sound of Music introduced us to Do-Re-Mi, I was totally lost!  I never understood how the music scale mnemonics and this catchy tune worked together.

In fact, after all these years of my musical confusion, I still resist reading music and I can't sing a note correctly without standing next to someone who reads music and sings with confidence.  It is as if my childhood music lessons are on separate tracks that never converged.

Are there ideas that never intersect for you?
(Photo:  train tracks outside Santa Barbara, CA,
Larry Gardepie)

This memory came to mind last week while in church.  I was leafing through the worship guide to check which songs I knew.  The song for the Preparation of Gifts was "This is My Song" sung to the Finlandia tune.  I don't recall seeing or hearing this hymn before, so I read through the lyrics and tried to walk myself through the notes (A-G-A-B...).  I noticed that I was becoming frustrated:  I could figure out the notes but I still didn't know what they meant vocally.  When the Cantor stepped up and began practicing some of the songs and responses, I relaxed:  someone would be guiding us through the liturgy;  I didn't have to figure it out myself!

In that moment I was reminded that each of us has gifts and talents which open us to unique possibilities and potential.  We don't all have to be the same.  We don't have to do it alone!

Do you assume that you have to do everything well?
(Photo credit:  Unknown)

When it was time to sing "This is My Song" I was ready:

• I may not understand all of the notes in my life, but I have gifts to offer.
• I may not be confident when new situations arise, but there have been mentors to guide me along the way.
• I may not be strong in all things, but as the song suggests, we must seek and build together.

 

What gifts do you share with the world?
~~ Click on photo credit link to view video and listen to song ~~
(Photo credit:  A Tribute to All Nations, YouTube)

Through confusion, frustration, and feeling inadequate, I am learning humility -- that quality to see myself in perspective and in relationship with others.  Each person has worth and value.  Every neighborhood, city, state, region, and country adds to the whole.  We must get beyond the myths of individualism and nationalism to understand that we need to listen to and accept the diversity that already exists.  Negating others and their truths actually diminishes who we are... individually and collectively.

I would invite you to click on the YouTube link, A Tribute to Nations, and consider the beauty that each country offers... that we offer one another.

 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)

This Too Shall Pass

Have you ever had a week where each day is moving toward an activity or event you are not cherishing?  A medical procedure or treatment.  A quiz or exam at school.  A report or presentation where you are nervous and uncertain of the outcome.  An uncomfortable conversation that needs to occur.

Time steadily marches forward as anxiety, fear or dread overshadows every moment.  The primary focus is on what will happen... what will go wrong.  Eventually, we may move towards acceptance... "This too shall pass."

It is as if our mind, body, heart, and soul are struggling for dominance... the human spirit trying to understand and Hope Beyond.

What do you see coming at you?
(Photo: Caldor Fire, California)

Last month my brother and his family had to evacuate their home for several weeks because of the Caldor Fire.  Friends and loved ones took them in, giving shelter and comfort during an unsettling time.  For days, the only connection to the "physical home" were the security cameras that tracked the fire's progress and the efforts of first responders and neighbors who protected the neighborhood.  Home truly did become "where the Heart is" as security and support surrounded them.

Several years ago I was on a tour of Iceland.  Our group walked through the rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.  It was humbling to walk between two walls of the Earth's crust that had been thrust upward from the destructive energy of clashing plates.  There was comfort in walking through this divide... as a group. 

Who walks with you through the rifts in your life?
(Photo:  Thingvellir National Park, Iceland)

The ability to walk together through dreaded life events may be the important lesson of this time period.  We don't have to journey alone.  Sharing our fears, listening to and comforting others, becoming Vulnerably Human... these may be the dialogue skills that allow our mind, body, heart, and soul to heal.

I relearned this lesson first-hand these past several weeks as I decided to retire and was dreading an upcoming event.  Uncertainty, fear, projected outcomes, and anxiety keep me awake at night and preoccupied my days.  Talking to a friend... and allowing that friend to reach out and walk these journeys refocused what was important.

How can you see beyond?
(Photo: Ocean Scene, Inside Passage, Alaska)

To be honest, it is sometimes difficult to be honest... with myself!  Why do I dread confrontation?  Why do I become nervous with the unknown?  Why do I put off the inevitable?

Reflecting on past events that seemed so negative and dominated me for days and weeks, each turned out better than I expected!  When will I learn that these moments bring growth and a wider perspective?  When will I learn that "This too shall pass" -- and enjoy the journey and surprise at the end?

The rift between mind, body, heart, and soul oftentimes requires the energy of togetherness to realign us:  the ability to see beyond the current moment, seeking comfort and security together, and moving toward the Inevitable Goodness that pervades life!

 
May the challenges of this week lessen as you share your concerns with others.
 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)