There are many people who feel because of bad experiences that schooling is some form of punishment, that you go through the experience year after year and lo and behold, one day you graduate and hallelujah! You’re free! The real scenario here is that once you graduate from school the “true” education begins. I believe the purpose of educational institutions is to teach you the fundamentals of learning that help your mind process information and, hopefully, set you on the road to being a better citizen. I know some schools are better than others….no, it is not fair…..but many have risen to the challenges placed before them and triumphed. I accept the fact that in life there may not be an even playing field but with conviction, faith and a little help anything is possible.

The real challenge begins once you leave school. So many fall into the trap of looking at the graduation from their schools as an end to the process of learning. I don’t know why, but many look at learning as some form of punishment….it is not. In reality, learning is not supposed to stop until the day you die. You don’t need a continued collection of degrees to carry on the process. Each year we live we’re supposed to evolve into betterpeople…learning more, and implementing what we learn into our lives tobecome compassionate and caring people who can support themselves and their families. Yes I know bad things happen to good people, but I try to look at it as a learning experience. I believe you can learn your way out of a bad situation. You can look at it, see where things went wrong, and implement the changes needed to correct the mistakes.

As we go through life it’s important that we don’t lose sight of the big picture. I believe there is a very valid reason for each of us being here. I think it’s part of God’s plan that we as souls learn and evolve and create a better spiritual environment for ourselves and for others. Without the continued progression of forward motion everything would stagnate and stagnation causes decay. I know there are many people out there who feel depressed and every day wonder why they’re even here at all. Please don’t go down that road. You do matter. You can turn things around. You are valuable.

So each Sunday night before you start the work week think to yourself “What can I do, what can I learn, so that by Friday I have evolved into a person who knows more than they did at the start of the week”. Don’t be afraid to take on challenges…read that book that caught your eye, take a course in improving your computer skills…it’s okay one night to sit down with the family and watch something educational…you may find you all have more in common than you thought. The point is, the benefits are out there…don’t be afraid to reach out and grab them. If you need a source of inspiration and kindness don’t be afraid to share your thoughts with a friend, or pray to God. Those who love us, listen.

Best of luck with your endeavors,

Jennifer Avalon
(c) 1998 Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon

Picture yourself in the middle of a field….behind you is your past, in front of you is your future. As you look behind you see a number of different objects that represent a collection of where you have been and what you have done with your life. As you gaze ahead you see, standing before you, large objects made of stone. In your hands are a chisel and a hammer. What you do with these tools is your decision, but whatever you do, it is a decision.

The rocks or stones are of all different shapes and sizes…no two are the same, but to proceed in your life you must in some way leave your impressions on these stones. Some are easy to sculpt, others extremely difficult, but one by one each must be left with a sign that you have been there. I guess we could call this field of stones the “Field of Life”. Some of us are just entering the field, as children…..others are in the middle, and some are preparing to leave. If up until now the sculpturing and carvings that you have left on the rocks behind you are not what you consider a good representation of who you are, there are always the stones ahead. Some runners in a race lag behind….until the final stretch. Then all of a sudden they get a burst of energy. What I mean is, it’s not too late to turn it around, if in the past things didn’t seem to go according to plan.

Stones are very strange objects. You can chip away all day and at first it looks like nothing is taking place…but slowly images do start to appear. It takes work…sometimes hard work, to sculpt the future. It’s not always easy in this field called Life, but it’s important that we come to terms with it and see that there is a bigger picture. As we approach each rock some, no matter how we try, don’t succumb to our energy or our thoughts….that’s okay…nobody’s perfect….but you can always say you gave it your best shot.

At the end of the field is a fence, and at the end of our lives we climb over that fence, and I believe, waiting on the other side, is God, and our deceased family and friends. Slowly we turn and together with God we look back and see our life’s sculptures….they represent who we were and what we did. It may be hard for us to see the “failures”, but I have a feeling each one of us will hear lines like “Don’t be sad, you did your best”. If you fail along the way, if you can say, “I did my best”, it does matter. What we all want to see, I think, is a field of many beautiful sculptures…sculptures of Love, Hope, and Humankindness.

Each one of us are artists. We may not be painters, but we do, in our own way, paint our futures. The creativity that we need is within us. As we start this New Year, the stones await our vision.

Follow your Heart,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon

This week we look forward to the start of a new year, untouched, like a slate that is unmarked and clean, just waiting for us to paint our thoughts and impressions onto it. Many of us will start to compile a list of New Year resolutions….setting goals for 2004. For a lot of us, by the end of January many of those goals start to unravel, and we become discouraged, wondering why we should continue on the course that looked so bright at the beginning.

I think if we approach the New Year with a different perspective and keep a symbol or image in our minds it may be easier to stay focused and navigate the road ahead. I approach the New Year as a builder, a person who sees a piece of land, and the possibilities that can come forth. I look at the formulation of my goals, hopes, and dreams as a house….a beautiful shining building that by the end of the year I can be proud of. A builder needs tools, not just hammers and nails but Faith, encouragement, conviction and the belief that when you put your mind to it, anything is possible.

In January we start the foundation….we make sure it is strong and has the potential to hold what we place upon it. We make sure there are no cracks. Each proceeding month we add to our house….floor by floor we put in the plumbing, the electrical wiring, the heating system, etc. Sometimes we make mistakes, one room may not be wired right, so we go back, repair the damage and continue on. By the Spring, we see that our house is off the ground and rising. The contributions we have made to our house are beginning to show. People pass by and are amazed how “fast” the house is starting to come together….but little do they see the problems that we encountered to get to our level. So on we go, each day building brick by brick with the sky above us…..and with each brick a feeling of accomplishment comes over us and a better understanding of the mistakes we have made so that we try not to make them again. God looks down and sees a person trying to push forward with a house of meaning and purpose. A badly built house with a weak foundation won’t stand very long….but a good house can last forever. God understands how hard it is to built good houses.

By the Fall, our floors are completed, and we are about to add our roof. We want a roof that will not leak, that can take the elements. If we have done all our work and done it well, by the end of the year we will be standing in front of a house amazed that we were able to accomplish this once monumental task. We look at each brick and floor and see a story. We see the set-backs and the over comings. It is possible to build a good house, God willing, with the right tools, and determination…….All things are
possible.

Good Luck with your house,

Love,
Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon