“Emotional” Roller Coaster

I have to tread very carefully around the end of every month. 

When I am experiencing the "time of the month” that every woman does, I don’t have the typical symptoms, i.e. bloating, cramps, headaches, major food cravings, etc. For me, I become "very emotional." 

Things that I can normally “shake off” quite easily become major issues that I take very personally and cut me deeply. Yep...my feelings become very exposed and vulnerable. I try to protect myself...get equipped for the impending event. Yet, I am unsuccessful...

I end up unwillingly climbing onto this “emotional” roller coaster. It takes me up and down, from mountains to valleys; over rough terrain and potholes; through dips and dives and has my emotions running amuck. I hurt deeply.

I become defensive and take on the internal war of feeling unloved, insignificant, dismissed, rejected, ignored and of no use or value to others or even God. I just want to “fade into obscurity”…fade into the background.

I typically have to spend an entire day "licking my emotional wounds," climb out of the quick sand of despair and remind myself that “this too shall pass,” while still trying to function normally.

Ironically, within 24 hours, it does. I take a deep breath, regain my equilibrium, my confidence, my resilience, my zest for life, my joy and “hammer extra nails” into my Faith.

I take into account everything I had made a “mountain” about in my mind and realize it was a very tiny “mole hill.” I wake up to the reality that GOD is...
The deeper my Faith grows, the slower and less dramatic the experience becomes.

The Bible reminds us:

Ecclesiastes 3 (NKJV):  1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.

James 1:19 (NIV):  19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Memorable Quotes:

“Don’t do something permanently stupid because you are temporarily angry, stressed, scared, tired or hungry.”

“Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles.” -  Charlie Chaplin

I was asked this question from my beloved minister and mentor:  “Could it be that God is showing you who’s in charge?”  Wow…I guess He is…

I am off of my “emotional roller coaster” for now. Whew! What a ride!  J

“There is No TOMORROW!”

One of my favorite dialogues is during the 1982 boxing movie Rocky III:

“[During Rocky's training with Apollo, he's in an another world, haunted by the first Balboa-Lang fight; Apollo lands some practice hooks]

Apollo Creed: He's hooking. He's hooking. He's hooking! Da*#, Rock, Come on! What's the matter with you?

Rocky Balboa: Tomorrow. Let's do it tomorrow.

Apollo Creed: [Screaming] There is no tomorrow! THERE IS NO TOMORROW! THERE IS NO TOMORROW!” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084602/quotes

Tomorrow is defined as: “on, during, or for the day after today.” http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tomorrow

Tomorrow may refer to: The future, that which occurs after the present; Tomorrow (time), the day after today. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow

One profound quote defines “Tomorrow” as “a mythical land where 99% of all human productivity, motivation and achievement is stored.”

We tend to have a false reassurance of having the future available to us. Our tendency is to say, “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

These activities include:

• I will exercise.
• I will be faithful.
• I will call.
• I will go visit the sick.
• I will start being healthier.
• I will read that article.
• I will begin writing that book.
• I will pursue my dreams.

However, tomorrow is not promised.

The Bible says:

Philippians 4:6-7(NLT):  6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:33-34 (NKJV):  33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

James 4:13-17(NKJV):  13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Proverbs 27:1 (NKJV): 27 Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Other Memorable Quotes

“Tomorrow is the Today you said Yesterday.”

“Tomorrow you will wish you started today.”

“Tomorrow is too late; Yesterday is over; NOW is exactly the right moment…so start.”

“There are only two days in the year where nothing can be done. One is called yesterday; the other is called tomorrow. So, today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.” – Dalia Lama

“The trouble is you think you have time.” – Buddha

“If not now, then when?”

“Yesterday you said tomorrow.”

We would be wise to adjust our perspective from “tomorrow” to “TODAY.”

“Left vs. Right”: A Different Perspective

Every year, August 13th is recognized as National Left-Hander’s Day.

Other than our President Barack Obama, other notable “Lefties” include: Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Celine Dion, Prince William, Morgan Freeman, Whoopi Goldberg, Laurence Fishburne, Adam Levine, LeBron James, Jerry Seinfeld, Spike Lee and former Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, Sr.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/emilyhennen/60-famous-people-who-are-left-handed#.qdam9wKEN

I knew my niece and my late brother were “lefties.” However, I didn’t realize so many others were in the same boat…trying to successfully navigate in a right-handed world.

It must be somewhat challenging to adjust to a world that is totally equipped to function in a “right-handed” mentality in which 90% inhabit.

It is similar to my diagnosis of Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis in 2012. Only 5 – 10% of patients have it, yet you become keenly aware that all of the research, fundraising, medical advances and attention is given to the most common type, Relapsing Remitting, which affects 90% of the approximately 3 million people with the disease. You are left as an “outsider” traveling this journey along.

Finding out that so many people are left-handed was fascinating to me. I realized that they share a distinct perspective of the world that the majority right-handers don’t have. Yet, the world would not be as awesome without them.

Some Interesting Facts include:

• Left-handers make up between 5% and 10% of the population.
• Men are more likely to be left-handed than women.
• Left-handers are more likely to be geniuses.
• Recover from strokes faster.
• Of the last 5 Presidents of the United States, 3 were left-handed. (Obama, Clinton and Bush, Sr.)
• Musicians, painters and writers are significantly more likely to be left-handed.
• “The wedding ring goes on the left ring finger because it is the only finger with a vein that connects to a heart.” – psychofactz.tumblr.com
• “Left-handed people can deal with more data that doesn’t come in an organized way. The left brain normally controls the right side, which is very powerful.” – Dr. Oz
• Make especially good baseball players, tennis players, swimmers, boxers and fencers. (almost 40% of the top tennis players are lefties)
• Adjust to seeing underwater quicker; less able to roll their tongue than a righty and nails grow faster on the left hand than the right.
• Left-Handers are more likely to have allergies; more prone to migraines and more likely to be insomniacs.
• Use the right side of the brain the most; better at multi-tasking and are more likely to suffer stuttering and dyslexia.
• Left handed college graduates go on to become 26% richer than right handed graduates.

http://leftyfretz.com/25-facts-about-left-handed-people/

It is a clear example why different perspectives, points-of-view and diversity are so important.  #DifferentPerspectiveIsGood

The Bible has used right and left as directionals, typically designating the right as the best. 

Matthew 6:3-4(NKJV): 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Psalm 63:8 (NKJV): 8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.

Matthew 25:32-33 (NKJV): 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

However, God is “not the author of confusion.” He does not make mistakes. Thus, “lefties” can add a necessary, powerful perspective to the world.

Humorous Quotes

“I’m left-handed…what’s your super power?”

“I may be left-handed, but I am always right.”

“If the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only the left-handed people are in their right minds!”

“Two wrongs don’t make a right, but three rights make a left.”

Therefore, it is wise for us to embrace our uniqueness in order to add value to each other and the world.