To Be Fully Human and Alive
Posted: Tuesday, August 05, 2008
by Judi Lake
Judi Lake Advertising
After months of separation, my family is finally reunited in
our new home. The past year has been exceptionally grueling but my spirit
remains optimistic and grateful.
I am most grateful for the opportunity to move forward in
“this we call life".
As I settle in my new Charleston surroundings, my first
instinct is to “re-invent" myself. Then, as I attempt to unpack the many boxes
I had recently just packed, I am reminded of who I am: a multi-dimensional
woman who is resilient and passionate. Somehow, I’ve allowed “the burdens of
life" to rob from me the woman I am and have forgotten “the art of being fully
human and alive". In retrospect, this past year has reflected a robotic shell
of who I am and of who God has intended me to be.
Once again, I freely embrace the “child within me" who is
filled with wonder and hope. Once again, I rejoice at the possibilities I face
instead of obstacles. Once again, I feel free to embrace life head on…
and, once again, I thank God for being alive.
In a society where many are “sleepwalking" through life, how
do we teach ourselves, especially our children, the wonders of our own personal
selves? How do we teach that life is sacred and should not wasted? How do we
teach that we are our own gifts from God?
For me, it has nothing to do with us personally but has
everything to do with God.
A reader all of my life, I recall being moved with a very
poignant piece written by a school principal that was included in Haim Ginott’s
last book:
I am a survivor of a
concentration camp. My eyes saw what no person should witness. Gas chambers
built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants
killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and killed by high school and
college graduates. So I’m suspicious of education. My request is: help your
students to be human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled
psychopaths, or educated Eichmanns. Reading and writing and spelling and
history and arithmetic are only important if they serve to make our children
human.
It is my belief that many of us have never “learned" the
dignity of being a fully alive human being.
When I write an article, I am never certain of how many
people will read my ramblings but I am certain of this: there isn’t one person
reading this who hasn’t cried or experienced loneliness or despair. There are
also many who have laughed and know joy. In these ways, each of us are
connected and can relate to the same struggle toward being fully alive and
human.
Every one of us has the right to live with dignity and
know joy.
As I pen this, I think of a statement by Thoreau: “Oh, God,
to have reached the point of death only to find that you have never lived at
all." What a tragedy when life becomes a burden.
To be fully alive, I believe we need to get back into our
own inner caves and learn to love ourselves. Too many people today want to be
someone else! With all of our personal imperfections, we must be able to look
at the reflection in the mirror and say to ourselves, “you ain’t so bad at
that!"
Each of us is a “work in progress" but before we concentrate
on helping others we need to concentrate on healing ourselves. In order to give
you must first get and you can’t give what you don’t have in the first place.
Huh?
I am referring to honesty and self-acceptance. If I don’t
have wisdom I can only teach my own ignorance. If I don’t have joy, I can only
spread despair. If I don’t have inner freedom, I can only put children in
cages. Everything I have, I can give away but I have to have something to give
away in the first place. And so, through the Spirit of Christ, I have dedicated
myself to be the best Judi Lynn Lake there is!
I believe that there is no limit to being fully human; we
each have unlimited possibilities. We cannot follow others, we need to follow
our own way and become the magical combination that will never again occur in
history. And we must teach this to our children because they are our future.
Being 51, I am grateful to have an eight year-old little
girl. Motherhood forces me to constantly embrace the child within me. I would
highly recommend to every adult over forty to go back to the point in childhood
where the world was a huge, wondrous mystery that “had" to be understood. Be curious
again! Say to yourselves, “Yes, I want to touch and feel and taste everything
and, since there isn’t time in life to do it all, I want to do it now!" Value
your lives and live every moment as though it were your last. Elisabeth
Kubler-Ross wrote that the people who scream the loudest on their deathbeds are
those that never lived. They’ve sleepwalked through life and stood on the
sideline.
It’s time we stop talking about living and start living
life.
Don’t miss yourself! Forgive yourself for being less than
perfect and celebrate yourself just as you are! Don’t envy anyone because the
magic is in you! Remember, we are God’s gifts to each of us and what we do with
our lives is our gift to back to Him.
©2008 Judi Lynn Lake. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Now Judi you are a real inspiration to many. A true gift and no bull! You have a wonderful gift that reaches many. I wish that at times I could be so uplifting in my work but I find my trials are experiences that must be shared for what they are, realities. Yes and not to depress but to let people know they are not the only ones experiencing these things and that they can do something if they desire to take action. You certainly bring some sunshine into my life when I get to read your work and i have to say I wait to hear your thoughts as I am sure many do. With all the very best to you and yours, as always, Robert.Dear Robert, and I do mean dear -- you humble me especially since I think of myself as a rambler who goes on and on and on.... Thank you for your thoughts and prayers and know that you are one who inspires and, I believe, has a calling to "wake" us up -- you bring truth to a much broken society and surely God is using you! Know you remain in my thoughts and prayers!
Hi Ethel, good to see you back, I've been missing you bunches! Very inspirational, thanks for standing up and shouting! God is good and faithful no matter what we as humans throw at Him, he tosses something beautiful back!! Love you girlie, LNow Lucy this is too freaky because I just left a comment to your article as you left one on mine... ahum... Thanks and I've missed you as well!!
hi judi,i totally understood every word of this article, having been going through similar circumstance for the past 17 months. if we can be the best we can be, through all lifes ups and downs, then no one can ask anymore of us. thanks for a great article,my best,sueYou're right, Sue, very right. We are all special and you, especially, have a very special soul that shines brightly through! Thanks for commenting as I keep rooting for you in the side-lines --
WOW! WOW! ABD MORE WOW! Sorry about all of the wows! One would have sufficed but the page wouldn't accept the length. Judi, you are a delight.Now I'm embarrassed, Ted Gragg! You, too, are a delight and I miss reading your stories!!!!
Judi, YES!!! This is exactly what people need to hear. Kudos to you for writing an outstanding article you get a 10. God bless you.Thank you so much, Mark, for your kind comments - I never expected this to be noticed because I mostly write from my heart. I am deeply humbled.
AWESOME! EXCELLENT and thank you Judi,I extremely enjoyed your article. I could feel your sincerity from the article. I will definitely go to your articles and read more. I also know that every now and then I forget to be fully human and alive. Life is a gift and I want to keep on living. God bless you and your family.Hi Michelle - I think we all forget sometimes that life is a gift and take it for granted. I mostly wrote this because I had to hear it but am pleased that others were touched by it -- Thanks for your kind comments and for joining my fan club -- I look forward in reading your work as well! The very best to you!Thank you Judi,I appreciate the support. I look forward to more articles. I did peruse a few of yours and I love them. Let your daughter know that "I Love Lucy" is the coolest.
Lovely article, Judi! I found this one just after writing "Just To Find A Smile..." (mere moments ago!) Uncanny how this works! Apparently we are in the same 'zone' at the moment and I'm thrilled to be alive too. Thanks for this wonderful reminder~Camille
