Paddle Or Drift

Now and then I get criticized for being a bit too “preachy.” And this may be one of those occasions. Some years ago I had the opportunity to work with several other people on an inspirational and motivational project. And I found that I kind of like that sort of writing. Asking people to smile and look for rainbows seems to make more sense than pointing out to them all of the things that are wrong with our world.

There are so many inspirational and self-help books already on the shelves that it is difficult to come up with thoughts and methods that are original. But the facts remain the same. Life is usually pretty much what we make it. Oh, sure, we all have some real tragedies in our lives. Unhappy experiences over which we have no control. But we can determine the manner in which we handle such matters.

Many times dealing with the smaller problems and trying to make the best of bad situations strengthens us and helps prepare us for other, larger problems we will encounter along the way. But only if we handle each matter in a positive fashion. To wimp and whine and enjoy feeling sorry for ourselves only tends to weaken and make us less well prepared to face up to life and the real world.

Why waste time worrying about how we wound up in this awful mess we are in? It makes more sense to spend our time deciding where we want to be and what will be the best possible highway to take to get there. Why not be brave and dream the dream. If we focus on a positive path, and stick with it, we can’t help but find our way. And arrive at our goal with a smile!


PADDLE OR DRIFT

Who knows just where
Life’s road may lead
Or where this trail will wend?
There could be a
“Hazard” sign hid
Around most any bend.

The path may be
Rocky and rough,
Steep—uphill all the way,
With cactus, stone,
And bramble bush—
No one can really say.

Our way can be
Thickly strewn with
Problems, both large and small.
At such times—with
The going rough—
We all stumble and fall.

It’s only just
A waste of time
To whimper and to cry
About brass rings
We’ve failed to grasp,
Fortunes we’ve let slip by.

If we feel that
We’re failure bound,
That bad luck’s beat us down,
The mean monster
That we call “life”
Will rob us of our crown.

So grasp that rude
Beast by the horns—
Failure’s not worth a dime—
Let’s live life the
One way we can:
Just one day at a time.



On life’s journey,
We find there’s just
One thing that we can do.
Hang on, take the
Good with the bad
And see the project through.

It makes no sense
To idly sit
And watch life pass you by.
Get right back up
Dust yourself off,
Give it another try.

Picture this life
You’re blessed with as
A special, precious gift.
The golden prize
Goes to paddlers,
Not to those who just drift.