Strange Living

I recently heard about the lifestyle of a salmon and was totally amazed. I did not know that a salmon swims upstream (opposite the current) to survive. To my surprise this creature isn't one that looks at other fish and decides he wants to turn around and swim the way everyone else is swimming; besides, that's what he should do right?  He should go with the flow, go with the way everyone else is doing it and maybe, just maybe he'll be "cool" or "in style"! The truth is, if this fish made the decision to swim with the other fish, he'd die.


Too many times we find ourselves trying to fit in with everyone else to spare us from looking different.  We'll curse because everyone else is, we'll cheat on our spouse because everyone else is, we'll divorce, cheat on taxes, not say anything to the person that's our "friend" because we want to keep the peace, because that's what people do, right?
What I particularly found interesting about salmon is that they are born in fresh water,  migrate to the ocean, then return to fresh water to reproduce*.  We live in a strange land, but we must return to the place of originality, go back to our Creator, if we want to reproduce.  Could it be that we are not truly living life abundantly because we've stayed in the "ocean" too long?  Could it be that we've lingered in a place of commonality so long that we've conformed to it?


In the book Successful Women Think Differently by Valorie Burton, she says, "The opportunity to upward social comparison is endless in our culture. And if you engage in it and are not intentional about limiting your exposure, you will sabotage your well-being and perhaps even your confidence."


What are you willing to do to ensure that you don't get caught up in the "flow" of life?  To be honest, cutting off people, television shows, places, thoughts and languages are the hardest, but most beneficial.  Take a moment to set your standard and be bold in walking in it!


For Your Thought:  "We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope."  I Chronicles 29:15 (NIV)


*www.wikipedia.com

The Mystery of a Woman

I recently heard author, speaker, and coach, Michelle McKinney Hammond ask a question that intrigued me for weeks.  It was, “Whatever happened to the mystery of a woman?”  WOW!  My mouth twisted and my eyebrows went up, which normally is an indicator that my interest has officially been piqued.

I thought about this question and began to ask a series of questions that would accompany it:
1.     What is it about a woman that makes her mysterious?
2.     Why should a woman want to be mysterious?
3.     Why or what has made us lose our mystery?

I asked my husband if a man liked mysterious women and he answered, “Yes, it’s part of the chase.”  I asked him to explain further, “Men don’t want a woman that’s all out with it, they want a woman who doesn’t reveal herself immediately because if it’s too easy, it’s no fun.  A man likes to feel as though he’s a conqueror.  She may be good to sleep with, but it’s the unveiling that’s the fulfillment! It’s the peeling her back, winning her over that makes it fulfilling and adventurous.  That is what speaks to the heart of a man and lights the fire within.”

As you can tell, my husband is a man of wisdom and definitely doesn’t hold back!
Now it’s time to be introspective and ask yourself these questions.  Whether you’re married or single, being a woman who knows how to contain what needs to be contained and maintaining ways of femininity and character must always be at the forefront of our minds.  Are we allowing society to dictate who we should be as women or are we afraid of going unnoticed?