WoW 25

Where a song can change your fate...

HadesTown intertwines 2 mythic tales Orpheus and Eurydice and King Hades and his wife Persephone.  (from hadestown.com)

We have not seen this musical yet, but our house and vehicles are filled with the songs pretty much non stop.  Listening to the words of songs one is able to pull out some Words of Wisdom.  This week the focus is HadesTown until we see go to NY to see it in June 2020.

WoW 24

Audrey Hepburn was not only an award winning actress, fashion icon,  but a humanitarian as well.   She accomplished many things in her lifetime, but none more than for children in need.  She provided many words that have evolved into words of wisdom.  

Elegance... what exactly does that mean.  A state of mind? Dignified gracefulness is a trait that she possessed.  Wouldn't be great if we could all have the kind of elegance that she exuded?  Elegance is the only beauty that never fades.  Let's all practice some elegance as we go through life day to day.  

When you are happy, your face and body language show it.  If you are not, then the same is also true.  Don't we all want to be "happy" in life.  Go be happy !

I think we have all heard the expression that the eyes are the window to the soul.  Our eyes show our expression, what we are focusing on, and through our eyes we interpret the world.  The beauty of a women is found in her eyes... it is found in her generous nature, in the things she does for her fellow human beings.  Beauty is a combination of qualities.  Qualities that should not be all judged through an external appearances.  Encourange the inner beauty and be willing to see it in others as well. 

Life experiences will teach you that things don't just fall in your lap.  Sure, you may be gifted things that you don't expect but over all, you will need to work to obtain the things you want in life.  Teaching teens this concept can be challenging.  Instilling a drive/work ethic will be essential in their life time.

Audrey Hepburn understood the value in helping herself and others.  When you help others, you are helping yourself become a better human being.  Lets teach/learn this at an early age. 

"How shall I sum up my life?  I think I've been particularly lucky"   If you don't know much about the woman other than her film carrer, she would be a good read.

WoW 23

Some people crumble with adversity and some shine.  In the movie Mulan, the Emperor was talking to Shane and he imparted "the flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all."  The ability to flourish in the midst of adversity is a gift.  Not a single person I know likes it when things do not go their way.  We build our character when we go through the tough times.  If life was a piece of cake day in and day out, how would we grow and develop.  Getting your child to understand and accept that concept can be difficult and may require lesson after lesson.  It is a good idea to ponder  and reflect back on life. 

The musical Hamilton, has so many worth while quotes in their song lyrics.  Let's dig into the song "My Shot".  "I'm passionately smashin' every expectation".  If you break it down, to me, all he is saying is that he enjoys proving everyone wrong.  He is willing and capable of accomplishing what he sets out to do.  He doesn't just put forth the minimal amount of effort, he "passionately" smashes it. Any thing that you do takes effort.  Why not do it with passion?  The reward will be spectacular.  How do you teach your child that it is just as important to put the passion into activities that are not their favorite as it is to the activities they love. I don't know, I don't have all of the answers but what I do know is that I try to instill in my child the desire to "passionately smash every expectation".

I vividly remember taking my daughter to see the movie "Brave" in 2012.  Leaving the theater and writing down the lines in the closing scene.   Merida is on a horse ride with her mother.  Her monologue is  "There are those who say fate is something beyond our command.  That destiny is not our own, but I know better.  Our fate lives within us.  You only have to be brave enough to see it. " How do  you see fate?  As a noun or a verb?  I chose to see it as a verb.  
God gives you the necessary tools to accomplish what He sets before you.  Are you going to be passive with the attitude of "things are beyond my control" so I just go with the flow or are you going to be pro-active and work hard to accomplish what is set before you?  It made a huge impression on me at the time.  My daughter thinks she has chosen her path in life.  She loves musical theatre.  It is something that lives inside her.  She has been brave enough to see it.  Now is she brave enough to do the work that is required to achieve her fate?  My job as a parent is to help her.  I can not do the work for her but I can help her value work ethic.  She is her only limit.

We live in a world where kids do not want to draw attention to themselves and just want to fit in.  "The most courageous act is still to think for yourself.  Aloud !"  The older we get, we should stop caring so much about what others think.  The true trail blazers in society are those who are able to think for themselves.  They are not regulated by what others think or do.  Teaching our children to be trail blazers can be challenging.  But if Coco Chanel can do it, so can they 😉.

WoW 22

"Give a girl the right shoes & and she can conquer the world"... wonderful words to think about for my daughter who's desire is to be in musical theatre.  Doubtful my interpretation of what Marilyn Monroe  said is accurate to her intention, however it applies in getting the message I wanted to send.  If you have developed the right tools in life you will be successful and conquer the goals you set for yourself. 

                      

"Be faithful to your own taste  because nothing you really like is ever out of style" The importance of being unique and not following the crowd is important.  Whether it is the clothes you like to wear, how you style your hair, music you like to listen to, etc... The ability to be unique is a great quality to have.  We all (adults as well as kids) want to fit in.  The pressures are high in school to not draw attention to yourself by being different.  Does that mean you need to silence your interests because it is not a popular interest in the eyes of others?  

We race through life waiting to get to the next highly anticipated event.  Think of all the enjoyment we might miss out on rushing around.  We should enjoy each moment because they won't come again.  Even on the "not so fun" days those can be character building days which are just as important as the joyful times.  That is a difficult concept for adults let alone kids to grasp.

Patience can be a difficult trait to develop however necessary throughout our lifetime.  It doesn't matter what we need the patience for, our ability to have a good attitude while waiting makes those around you wish they had your patience.  Why be down and sulky while waiting when you can go about life in a happy and positive way.

 "The woman who does not require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet."  The ability to march to the beat of your own drum can be hard for some.  Some are wired to do it and some are not.  Can you imagine having the ability to chase your dreams without needing others to validate your abilities?  That requires confidence in your own abilities. Developing and maintaining that confidence is a life long challenge.

WoW 21

  

First week of back to school complete and now we are in stride for the rest of the year …  

As we await the casting for the plays she auditioned for in the upcoming year, it is a nervous time.  I reminded her that "you are a force to be reckoned with..." when it comes to her singing ability for roles.  

During the summer throwback series, I shared one of my favs "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work".  We have all been given gifts.  Sometimes those gifts coincide with our goals and sometimes they do not.  When your gifts do not, that is when the hard work comes in to focus and it becomes what you do with the what you have.    

No matter what the outcome of the auditions, the long term goals should remain the focus.  "You are an instrument of God.  Don't ever think you are more.  Never believe you are less.  Let God play beautiful melodies through you.  Be a blessing to others  and touch their soul with song"  

Continuing along on the lines of talent, another one of my favs from the summer throwback series revolves around talent.  "Talent is given, but greatness is earned".  You earn the greatness of your talent with the hard work you do to develop the talent you have been given into your full potential.   God gave you the gift, now it is up to you to demonstrate to God what you are capable of doing with the talent.  

"Never stop believing in your dreams... Have courage to life the life you want.  Work hard, accept the challenges, and build your castles … One by One"

Build your castles one by one !  We are always going to have challenges in life, no matter what stage in life you are in.  If your dreams become a reality or if they do not, you still need to focus on working hard to achieving or maintaining your dreams.  The key remains that you must do the hard work that comes with the dreams.