450 NO! NO! NOT AGAIN!!! Part 44

44
2002
“Annie, wait—You’re going to write about fate, luck and—Nick?  Who’s Nick?”

Smiling mischievously, I answer, “Mom, you know Nick ... Everyone who’s ever experienced a situation in which the day is saved—in the Nick of time—has spent time with Nick.  I’m planning to write about what happens when the powers of timing, good fortune and KNOWLEDGE combine.  For example, the doctor's timely arrival, combined with his knowledge—and the lucky fact that Lauren's problem was not related to SIDS—saved Lauren's sight.

My stories will emphasize this fact:  *TIMING, LUCK, and KNOWLEDGE  can be as vital to the welfare of the human condition, as ATTITUDE.  *In fact, knowledge is often the catalyst that causes attitude to change.

*As each story unfolds, the reader will see how often negative attitudes lead to negative consequences whereas positively focused attitudes, coupled with readiness to absorb knowledge, reveal insights leading to personal growth. As perceptions expand, viable solutions, which had previously escaped detection, emerge."

*By following my train of thought, you'll see why our instinct to fight, flee or freeze is hardwired to act first, think later, during desperate times—unless we choose to train our brains to take a spontaneous time out on the spot in order to consciously control instinctive emotional reactions thus freeing our whole brain to think smart (logically) on the spot.  For example, the doctor had absorbed knowledge, which the firemen had yet to learn.  Upon spying the oxygen mask over Lauren's waxen features, fear (for her sight) propelled the doctor's arm to shoot out and strike the fireman's hand away from her face.  If asked what had saved Lauren’s sight—Fate or Lady Luck—I’d say luck was on my baby sister's side in terms of the doctor arriving with knowledge in the nick of time to save her sight.  On the other hand, the doctor could not have altered Janet’s fate of succumbing to an illness as deadly as SIDS.

As people are bombarded with information, some seek out knowledge in one area while others absorb knowledge in another.  Eventually, the grass roots movement of knowledge, essential to the well being of all, becomes common knowledge.

Luckily, when I was a young woman, a neighbor drew me to a meeting where families learned innovative communication skills.  Though I was drawn in, others, who’d accompanied me, were not.  And so as luck would have it, several of us attended those meetings.  Then as individuals make decisions, which determine each one's fate, I chose to attend those meetings for years while others chose to do otherwise.  As I've continued to seek, absorb, make use of and teach innovative techniques, concerning positive discipline, for more than 40 years, much of my time, both personally and professionally, has been devoted to making good use of listening and speaking skills.  And by way of the media, these skills are finally going viral. More about that later. 


 I've come to see this next statement as society's pattern in terms of widespread acceptance of innovative changes, which go against the grain of whatever we'd once been taught: * It takes more time, energy and patience to motivate closed minds to open to new ways to think and behave than those with open minds can believe.  As my stories will prove that true, you'll come to see why I believe it's wise to set a high value on patience...
   

*Desperate times often call for desperate measures—which others may not understand.  *Commonly, the person who grows toward desperation is one whose knowledge of a particular situation outweighs that of others within a group.   You see, those lacking depth in terms of personal experience tend to misjudge and condemn the little, which can be seen on the surface.  If you stop and think about it, most every novel we read attempts to inform the reader of this fact:  Judge not in haste, because you do not yet hold every pertinent fact.  And thus, spurred on by curiosity, we tend to read on.  Though hints pile up aplenty, a story teller, who succeeds in offering up a series of surprising twists, creates a page turner  ... I always wonder how fast pages would turn had I chosen to write my story sans philosophy, concerning skillful solution-seeking communications.  Hopefully, one day, an editor will feel intrigued enough to take on that task.

2014
If you ask:  Annie, why not take on that task, yourself?  I'd reply:  the timings not right for this reason:  You see, it's the communications teacher in me, who inspires the writer to spend hours a day weaving story into philosophy.  Perhaps readiness to switch mind sets will surprise me, one day.  And speaking about story ...

Once the doctor opened his mouth to explain the reasoning behind his actions, the firemen, respecting his expertise, understood the rashness of his fearful reaction.  With understanding, none took offense at the fact that one had been manhandled with 'rudeness' in order to save the day.

*Unfortunately, 'comprehension' does not result when words, hurled in desperation, strike the sensitivities of those who, having wandered too deeply into the brain-maze of emotional denial, can not get in touch with memories, which may have caused heartrending words to ring out with harsh truths—at last.

*While conversing with those whose sense of clarity has been detached from certain aspects of reality—for years—a solution seeker is bound to go mad or get mad or both.  *In fact, if both sides remain in denial, as to why a relationship barrels downhill, a cold war, sizzling with tension, is bound to explode into WWIII.

Having tripped over too many mine fields in the past, I tend to make my way toward clarity—cautiously and consciously—one step forward at a time.  *And as I know that clarity and self awareness go hand in hand, my chosen path has become one of self discovery—not to be mistaken for selfish, self absorption—as I’ve been told ...

When one, who works to speak clearly, goes unheard over long, he or she may reach his or her wits end.  At this point, a person, who has given up on logic, may do one of two things:  Pull the covers over her head and tell the world to go away or slice through the never-ending-brain-maze by releasing a tornado of words, which pierce the heart of another without thought for patience, compassion or ensuing consequence—because each mind can only be stretched beyond the limits of common sense for so long.


*Either way, he or she, whose defense system knows no path other than wandering ever more deeply in a maze of denial, will continue to feel innocent of any wrong doing and thus doth that person feel abandoned as well as deeply insulted, beyond belief.

As heightened levels of listening skills, now, enable me to recognize a mind maze before I get sucked in, you'll not see me engaging in head-under-pillow sieges or listen to me shout painfully when my hot spots are poked.  Send me a mixed message, and watch me answer briefly and to the point.  And if you wonder why I choose to sit quietly, at peace within myself, though sad for those who have no clue how they cook their own goose—repeatedly—you might want to consider this: ...

Tis true that choosing the road less taken is not for faint hearted sissies.

Why?

A whale of courage is necessary to withstand the backlash cast out by those, who continue to mistake their defensive blindness for personal strengths ...

And if you want to know why I choose when to speak and when to remain quiet—perhaps you might ponder upon this question more deeply than ever before:

HAVE YOU GOT A CLUE (as to why certain relationships keep barreling downhill)?  OR IS YOUR BRAIN STILL FOOLING  YOU?