love

What I Would Say to My 5-Year Old Self Today.

Posted by Barbara Techel

5 years oldAfter I posted this photo on my Facebook page today for what they call throwback Thursday, I wondered what I’d say to my 5-year old self today.

I’d first tell her I love her and how beautiful she is. How I can see that light in her heart shining so very brightly. I’d tell her to not ever let anyone dim that light.

Be you. Be brave. Be strong. Love you first and the rest will follow as it is meant to be.

Your heart will break, but know that when it does, joy will return again soon. You can’t experience one without the other.

I’d tell her that when boys tease you it’s because they like you (wish I had known that when a little boy named Mark would always pull my pigtails on the playground!).

I’d tell her life isn’t going to be fair, but that I’ll always have a choice about my attitude.

I’d tell her that wisdom will be shared with her through the great teachings of Dog.

I’d tell her she will feel odd and left out at times, but to stand tall in who she is. To own her authenticity. To never play small.

I’d tell her to always pay attention to what her heart is whispering and not let the loud noises of society drown out those whispers.

I’d tell her to always live from the inside, out.

I’d tell her she is safe and she is loved. And always will be.

Love, Ducks, and Making a Difference

Posted by Barbara Techel

2014-03-20 13.21.16 eI was feeling kind of down today. Nothing in particular, but rather a few little things that have been bothering me. Plus the sun has not been out for about 6-7 days. I was feeling rather melancholy.

The thought popped into my head, Take a walk along Lake Michigan. I pushed it away. It popped up again. I pushed it away. Well, this went on and on all morning. Okay, Okay, I thought!  Stop pestering me. I decided to finish my work and then head out.

Then the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams popped into my mind. So I downloaded it to my ipod.

I honestly don’t remember if I ever walked along the lake front. If I did, it was a long time ago. But the impulse was strong and I figured I best follow it. And quite honestly, I was getting tired of feeling sad and like I wanted to jump out of my skin.

Thirty minutes later I arrived and parked. The sun was trying to peek out, but was still cloudy. I bundled up and started to walk north.

I hit play on my ipod for Pharrell’s song to begin playing. If you’ve not heard the song before, I include the video below. Just try and not “be happy and clap along.”

The seagulls flying above, a soft wind, and Happy song in my ears, before I knew it, my spirit began to lift.

As I walked further, I came across a dear little grandma and grandpa feeding the ducks. The back of the trunk of their car was open and I could see a big bucket where they kept the food for the ducks.

They looked so sweet and happy throwing seed to the ducks who were quacking and chasing after it.  Watching them with Happy blaring away in my ears (I played it over and over), I felt my spirit soar even higher. Here these two people were in their own way, making a difference on this cloudy, cool day—the first day of spring, in the life of these ducks.

Now really happy, I felt like dancing down the rest of the path and back again. I picked up my pace, enjoyed the wind blowing through my hair, inhaled the fresh air, smiled, and felt grateful for a simple pleasure that just changed my whole attitude. And then the sun came out.

Who’d of thunk, after how I felt this morning that I’d be just about me dancing in my chair as I write this post, listening to Happy again.

Sometimes all it takes, is taking that first step, and listening to that impulse when you you feel down and out…. to feel “happy and clap along!”

Helping Daisy the Paralyzed Dachshund Who was Stabbed & Praying for Peace.

Posted by Barbara Techel

1653834_1546795802211715_1148430311_nDaisy

Today on Facebook I shared something I wouldn’t normally share. The very sad and violent story of a paralyzed dachshund named, Daisy that was brutally stabbed (she is alive, being treated and doing okay).

I won’t normally share stories such as this and add to the hatred and negativity that always seems to come from it. We have so many stories like this in our world and it’s my wish to be a positive light of hope instead of adding to more negativity.

But my heart couldn’t stop thinking about Daisy. I wanted to help by sharing her story on my page in hopes that her new loving caretaker can raise the needed funds to help pay her medical bills.  There is also justice that is wanting to be served for the person who did this awful act so he pays for what he did, as well as, stricter laws are put into place to keep this from happening again and again.

I in no way condone what this person did. Not one bit. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around why in the world someone would do this?  But one of the reasons I don’t like to share these stories is because often times it breeds more hate and violence.

That isn’t the answer. While I believe there are some who just can’t be helped in this life time, many can. To me this is a huge cry for help from this person’s soul that is clearly in pain and is broken beyond what many of our human minds can even comprehend. It actually makes me want to cry because it is so sad on so many levels.

Is he beyond help? I don’t know. But to act out with words of hatred toward him, I believe, only adds to the violence that has already occurred and we bring more dark and negativity into the world.  He needs help!  If he can do this to an animal, imagine what he could do to a human being?  Should he be walking the streets?  No, he needs help.

I don’t know the answer of how to get him the help he does need- as well as many others. But my heart tells me that hate does not solve our problems. It makes them so much worse.

I find myself in a situation again where I wouldn’t have normally written about these things on my blog for fear of what others would think. I also don’t have the answer as to how to help people like this that act out in these terrible ways.

But by saying nothing, I feel just adds to the hatred and negativity. I felt compelled to say how I feel today not to condone what he did, but to help bring light and love to a situation that clearly needs it, just like so many cases like this that we hear day in and day out.

I pray for peace and healing for everyone involved with this. I truly do. And especially for our world so that horrible acts like this will someday no longer exist.