A Phenomenal Woman

When I heard today that Dr. Angelou died, I got tears in my eyes.  I never met her although I hoped someday she would be a person I could meet.  I first learned of her when a friend gave me a copy of her "Phenomenal Woman" poem as a birthday gift.

Words can change lives.
Her words did.

Thank you, Dr. Maya Angelou for teaching us all.

Link to YouTube:  Oprah's Master Class - Dr. Angelou

Phenomenal Woman

BY MAYA ANGELOU

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size   

But when I start to tell them,

They think I’m telling lies.

I say,

It’s in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,   

The stride of my step,   

The curl of my lips.   

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,   

That’s me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,   

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.   

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.   

I say,

It’s the fire in my eyes,   

And the flash of my teeth,   

The swing in my waist,   

And the joy in my feet.   

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered   

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can’t touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,   

They say they still can’t see.   

I say,

It’s in the arch of my back,   

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Now you understand

Just why my head’s not bowed.   

I don’t shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.   

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It’s in the click of my heels,   

The bend of my hair,   

the palm of my hand,   

The need for my care.   

’Cause I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

It Ain't Yours To Throw Away...

Each and every one of us has been given a gift, a talent or a skill.   We all have a part to play in the Master Plan.  We all have something special that the negative forces of this world tries to destroy in one way or another.  We all face battles.  We all face trials.

We win some.  We lose some.
We live.
We learn.
We endure.

Sometimes it feels overwhelming... we long for sleep or rest.  It seems easier to give up or give in than to continue to fight.

When you feel like that.  Remember you have a choice...

and I hope you'll listen to this song: 

(Sung by Sam Palladio & Clare Bowen, Nashville Season 2 Finale #222)

youtube link to video

IT AIN'T YOURS TO THROW AWAY:

That same road that brought you here

Will sure as hell take you home

The life you left behind will have you back

You're tired of paying dues in worn out shoes

and Broadway blues

And any fool will tell you

the damn ol' deck is stacked

What if you're just a vessel

And God gave you something special

It ain't yours to throw away

It ain't yours to throw away

Every time you open up your mouth

Diamonds come rolling out

It ain't yours to throw away

No ...

And all of the players, the movers, and shakers

The star maker suits have gone home

You drew the last slot

You thought it was your shot

But now it's just one more chance blown

What if you're just a vessel

And God gave you something special

It ain't yours to throw away

It ain't yours to throw away

Every time you open up your mouth

Diamonds come rolling out

It ain't yours to throw away

No ...

And our town is cold as January

Life comes true, and dreams get buried

Every day ...

Destiny won't be denied

It ain't yours to throw away

No, it ain't yours to throw away

'Cause every time you open up your mouth

Diamonds come rolling out

It ain't yours to throw away

It ain't yours to throw away ...

Throw away

We are all meant to DO something special with the gifts we are given.  We each have a destiny.
Fight the good fight.  Resist the urge to give up or run away... because it ain't yours to throw away.

THINK.     WRITE.     BELIEVE.     ACT.

Wisdom 101

Ever have one of those days where, as  you reflect, you smile at your current circumstance? or chuckle at the most recent turn of events?  Have  you learned something new about yourself lately?

I have.

Our lives really are amazing.  Even when something bad happens, something good can come from it if we are open to the possibility of seeing through a different lens.  Anyone remember post-Polaroid, cameras with actual FILM?  Pre-digital when you had no idea if you took a good shot until you developed the roll...  Remember those really fancy cameras with multiple lenses (still present today only digital)?  You could change lenses and see from an entirely NEW perspective.  Change a filter and further adjust what you saw... and in that moment alone, you could SEE.  You didn't get any other instant gratification of a saved image until the roll was developed so you had to rely on that moment's perspective and memory.  Then be struck again by the beauty of the photo if it was properly shot and developed.  In those days, when you received your photos, you could relive the memory of that moment.  Today, you still can but it's immediate.  NO waiting involved.

Lenses.
Filters.
New perspectives.

Your perspective really IS your reality.  Thing is, if you close one eye or tilt your head even slightly, that perspective changes dramatically.

What I have learned today and continue to learn is to expect new perspectives and to embrace them all, enjoying the journey of new experiences or information as I discover these variations that come if you look for them.

Life can present some wonderful lessons through varying perspectives IF you slow down long enough to SEE them.  Ponder them.  Absorb them.

PERSPECTIVES...

Look around your life today.

Choose to SEE with a different lens... and I'll bet you'll see something new that you've never really noticed before.  Something wonderful.  Understanding that your singular perspective may not always be accurate is, I believe the first step to real WISDOM.

THINK.     WRITE.     BELIEVE.     ACT.