Physics, motion, motivation, support, and attitude

disclaimer: I had a moment of deep thought today and literally had a cluster-fudge of a thousand thoughts, images, and quotes running through my mind.  From the laws of physics and motion, chemistry, motivation, journeys, destinations, and support - everything just overwhelmed me mentally and I guess I just took this entry and tried to sort things out; I tried to toss the things that didn't apply, to "apply" the things that did apply, and to fit them somewhere in my experience and then try to make sense of it all. 

The laws of physics in some ways, don't apply to me directly but in other ways, they apply to my journey indirectly. I'll try not to get too in-depth about all of this mess, but here is where my train of thought led me and how this entry came to be.

Newton's first law of motion is:  An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Basically saying that objects keep on doing what they're doing unless something changes. What changed for me, was adding in the catalyst of motivation. I would've stayed on the same path I was on if I had not have had (what would be oddly "the unbalanced force" in this circumstance) support and motivation.

Speaking of support and motivation - which is the most important?  The question reminds me of a quote from Alice In Wonderfland:

Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?

The Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to
Alice: I don't much care where.
The Cat: Then it doesn't much matter which way you go.

You first must have a dream, a destination, or a desired outcome. From then on, support and motivation go hand-in-hand and can both either propel each other or destroy each other.

I have this picture hanging on the bulletin board above my desk at work. I see it everyday and its a daily reminder to me to dream, to keep striving for what I want and it makes me very aware of the path I need to travel to get there.  I know it'll be hard and will be a daily commitment on my part.  At the end of the day, its not where you're going that counts, but how you got there; its not the destination that makes the man, but the journey (even though I'm not a man). 

I have never been a social butterfly, which makes the butterfly picture so much more ironic for me, but you hear of those people who have lots of acquaintances but few friends, well I am one of those people; in a way, I think most morbidly obese people are. There are very few people they actually let "in" because of social pressures, worldly expectations and politicals perceptions of what is true "beauty" really is.  I think there are some good people still out there and I have the pleasure and priviledge of calling some of them my friends but I think there are many more people out there who would put someone down to make themselves look/feel better than there are of those people who would stand up for a stranger and take the time to get to know them.  I know, its human nature to make flash judgements on people (I have done it myself) but it takes a big person (figuratively not literally) to look deeper and to seek out the good in everyone. 

My first support is my family and the few true "friends" that I have. I know I am truly blessed.  I was raised in a good family; although we are a close-knit bunch who bicker from time to time, we love like nobody's business and support each other completely (well, most of us anyway).  I had supportive parents (I still have my mom and I know my dad is watching over me), I have a great relationship with my sister, a wonderful husband, and the few friends that I do have, are the best I could've ever asked for. When things got hard and when my dad was dying, the people I would've thought would've been there for me weren't and the people that I never really would've imagined supporting me were the ones who were there for me and my family.  Even distant relatives (who aren't so distant in location or proximity to being my immediate family) that we haven't had much communication with over the years were the first ones to show up and stayed until the very end, through it all.  I will forever be humbled and greatful for the people who were there for us.

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I have recently stumbled across some quotes by author Greg Anderson that changed me.  They changed my perception of my journey, my outlook on this whole experience, and my attitude about life in general. 

I wanted to share them with you.

“The concept of total wellness recognizes that our every thought, word, and behavior affects our greater health and well-being. And we, in turn, are affected not only emotionally but also physically and spiritually.”

“Let us be about setting high standards for life, love, creativity, and wisdom. If our expectations in these areas are low, we are not likely to experience wellness. Setting high standards makes every day and every decade worth looking forward to.”

“The perfect no-stress environment is the grave. When we change our perception we gain control. The stress becomes a challenge, not a threat. When we commit to action, to actually doing something rather than feeling trapped by events, the stress in our life becomes manageable.”

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”

“The relationships we have with the world are largely determined by the relationships we have with ourselves”

“When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life”

Here is a book written by Greg Anderson, just in case you might be interested in checking it out.  I added the amazon link for your convenience. 

He has other things that can be bought directly off of his website

You can also follow Greg's Blog.

To view everything for yourself, simply go to: http://www.greganderson.org

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I guess the point of this whole entry is to make the point that you're never too old to dream, to strive for something new, or to make a change.  You have to want it with all your being, breathe it, and then do it. You can be your own support and motivation, just make sure you remember to want it for the right reasons, to give it a sincere effort, and be open to the challenge.  Don't let the struggle discourage you or bog you down, because life changing changes you and if you let it, it can be a beautiful thing.   

I want to leave you with my all-time favorite quote about life:

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.