Category: Encountering New Experiences

On that fateful day

that marked the beginning of the end

when all expected a King,

the image of the brave and resolute leader come to blunder and conquer

He would not comply

He humbly entered through the gates

to later perform a task none could replicate.

He did not do it for the cheers of the crowd

certainly not to add fame to his name

But simply because that had always been his aim…

S.Grant

“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden'”

Matthew 21:5

Today is Palm Sunday. So I thought today would be a good time to consider our actions. The focus is often times on the triumphant entry that Jesus made into Jerusalem. However, I want to consider the method of his entry. When he entered he was riding a donkey and many may have wondered, why not a horse? Maybe even his disciples. But the donkey was the best choice on his mission.

Why Donkeys Matter…

Donkeys really matter here. There are many identified symbolic importance given to this “beast of burden”. A donkey can represent that idea of standing your ground; teaching all who take the time to consider it, the value of being true to you and your purpose without apology. Historically and in many cultures, donkeys have always been dependable animals that have been valued by Egyptian Pharaohs, Greek gods and Jewish Kings. Not only are they dependable but they also have good intuition! They know when to move and when to be still. It’s impossible to get a donkey to move if it does not want to! However, they always have their reason, they know their limitation and make decisions based on the knowledge that they have of themselves. They are sure about who they are, and no one can convince them other ways, hence the idea of being as stubborn as a mule or donkey.

Lessons From a Donkey…

We too need to learn the art of intuition when we are deciding who to let into our lives and who to let go of. In choosing to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, Jesus choose an animal that was dependable and would help him carrying out his mission. They aligned perfectly.

We also need to trust our decisions and our gut feelings. Do not let the opinions of others sway you into a situation or position you had zero intentions of being a part of. Trust that you are doing what is best and what is right for you. You don’t want a situation where you are left stranded because that person bailed on you. At that point it’s all on YOU.

Though a donkey is referred to as a beast of burden, it also has its limits. Do not allow someone to misuse you because you are “kind” or “never complain”. Let others know how far they can go and when they do go beyond that line, check them quickly, so the mistake is never made again.

Dig deeper than what can be seen with the naked eyes when dealing with others. I am sure that if not all, most of us know that many people are not what they appear to be, and sadly the bad may outweigh the good. There are too many persons ready to deceive you about their true intentions. It’s important to move with caution when you recognize this quality in persons you have to associate with. Never think you can influence or change them, you never will. Just having a knowledge of who they really are will save you a lot of wasted time and energy.

For Jesus the donkey was another source of strength in helping him to stick to his mission; that in all the euphoria of the entrance there was more to come, a burden that eventually he alone would carry. So next time you see a donkey, remember your own strength in finding your truth beyond the hype.

The strength of the donkey mind lies in adopting a course inversely as the arguments urged, which, well considered, requires as great a mental force as the direct sequence.
George Eliot

My really, really good friend asked me this question and I told her to ask me next month. I followed that up by letting her know that I was clueless about how I was doing!

Have you ever felt stumped when asked, “How are you?” If so, when does this feeling of being attacked by the question become a real burden for you to answer?

when asked the question there are varied responses that can be given. There is the obviously disingenuous “I’m fine” with a plastic smile.Or there is the terse “fine”, followed by a hasty retreat and my favorite to observe, the monologue of the perfect life, the wonderful things happening now, that have surpassed all previous expectations – but the words ring hallow. Hey, you’re doing too much, trying too hard!

It’s hard to give an honest response when things are not going too great – you don’t want to seem ungrateful for what has been good in the past, in case it happens again. Also, when you sense, in the bottom of your belly (a Jamaican thing), that the person asking the question doesn’t want a genuine response then you reach for the synthetic or superficial responses that everyone expects and will be satisfied with.

However, while you’re there congratulating yourself for following the script and responding as expected, remember that you are not only lying to those persons;you are also lying to yourself. Don’t spend your life being a Pinocchio. Be honest with yourself about your ups and downs, no matter how people expect you to respond.And also be honest when you are asked how you are doing.

P.S. To all those who ask the question, (addressing myself as well) if you don’t like the answer, remember you opened the door for a response; hopefully you can handle an honest one.

On my way to work this morning I had no idea what this post would be about, I had so many thoughts swirling around in my head. “I’ll figure it out when I get to work”.

I took the taxi and at in the back, already there was a small boy with a bag. Not just any bag, but what we in Jamaica refer to as a crocus bag. I sat, got comfortable and the taxi drove off – We were on our way. I suddenly saw the boy open the top of the bag and ask, “yuh a’right”. This definitely had my attention. At the same time another passenger was picked up and the boy tried to shift the bag away from the side of that passenger. The taxi man then asked the little boy what was in the bag, he promptly responded that it was a cock fowl and he defended his action, when challenged, by letting the taxi man know he had to protect his money! A cock, no big deal maybe it’s a school project. Don’t ask what kind of school project, I was just as baffled as you.

Long story short. This little boy was taking the cock to school and after school, he would be taking said cock to a cock figh! Now at this point everyone in the taxi were like, “what in the world of tarnation is this?” According to him the cock had never lost a fight and so he, having made quite a bit of money on him already, was taking him to a cock fight after school!

After some questioning we learned that he had come prepared for the day with food and other things that would ensure the comfort of his champion fighter.He spoke with confidence of his cock’s abilities and wining ways and I was left to marvel at the ingenuity and initiative of this child that looked no older than 11!

Granted I got a little squeamish at the thought of a cock fight, and felt a little sorry for him; but hey that’s not the point here.

It was clear that this little fellow had a passion and knew how to pursue it. As children there were things we wanted to do and pursue as adults and it just hasn’t materialized yet. What we need to do it seems is to tap into our passions and pursue them relentlessly.This little fellow spoke with such confidence and fearlessness about his plans and I knew he would not b easily dissuaded from his mission of attending and having his investment participate in that match today after school!

If you have lost your passion, now is the time to rediscover it. You have no excuse not to.

The tragedy of life is in what dies inside a man while he lives – the death of genuine feeling, the death of inspired response, the awareness that makes it possible to feel the pain or the glory of other men in yourself.
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Norman Cousins

Just a reminder for everyone today, who are trying to avoid ending up back in a dark place. It does matter who your are, where you are from or how successful you are. We can’t ignore that at times, even in the middle of winning we can find ourselves spiraling out of control. Make sure to check with yourself and reset if things have gotten out of your control.

We have opportunities to grow in many ways but just make sure you don’t grow away from something genuine. Instead, especially when we are blessed with plenty, we should be aware that we remain grounded in our thoughts actions and reaction to others.

It’s easy to forget about how you may have struggled to be where you are but don’t do that! Remember the person behind who is about to slip and give them a hand up. It’s easy to celebrate when you are in the spotlight. But don’t forget the persons waiting in the wings, sitting in the audience cheering you the loudest; remember their time is coming too! Celebrate with them when it does and you are in the wings or sitting among the crowd.

It’s easy to get distracted by you, you and you; where it becomes me, myself and I. But in doing so you shut yourself out of truly being a part of something greater than yourself.

If you find yourself slipping, catch yourself before you fall!