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I’m Still Standing! I’m Still Strong!

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Written by Karen D. Swim

“It don’t matter what you tried to do, you couldn’t destroy me! I’m still standing! I’m still strong! And I always will be. “– Antwone Fisher, 2002

I saw Antwone Fisher in 2002, when it was first released. I was drawn to the story line about a young man who enlists in the Navy, and is helped by a Naval psychiatrist to finally confront the demons of his past. It was a powerful movie that dealt with family, friendship and finding inner peace.  In one particularly moving scene the main character, Antwone Fisher (played by Derek Luke) spoke the lines above. When I heard them something awakened in my own heart, as these words seemed to echo in my spirit. At the time I was facing no particular challenge but I tucked the words away knowing that somehow they belonged to me.

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Over the years, these lines have become my personal mantra when facing adversity.  I sometimes modify it to “I’m still standing. I”m still here,” but every iteration strengthens me and renews my determination to fight through the obstacles. As I speak them out loud, they seem to plant my feet on solid ground and enclose me in an impenetrable fortress.  Though life may swirl around me I am reminded that I am indeed still standing.

I thought of this line this week as I received word from friends in Texas in the wake of Hurricane Ike.   Friends like Robert Hruzek and Mrs. MZM who thankfully made it through the storm.  As reports and pictures came in, I was glad that they too were still standing, all the more poignant as in so many instances the Hurricane had leveled so many homes.

Life may have dealt you a few setbacks but you are still standing. Your legs may shake from the effort but as long as you can proclaim that you are standing there is hope. I have been painfully aware in my own life that often it is not the movement that matters but the ability to simply stand. To stand in the face of adversity, to stand when everything seems to conspire to knock you down, to stand when the ground shakes and the skies rumble, to stand when then the torrential rains beat at your door, to stand when others are pushing you to move.

Today as I face the business and personal challenges in my own life, I am so very thankful to report that I’m still standing. I’m still strong. And I always will be.

Do you have a favorite line from a movie or book that gives you strength or uplifts your spirit? Share your favorites in the comment box below. All of your comments are welcome.

You do not need a website or blog to join the conversation, simply type your name in the comment box. If you’re a first time commenter, your comment will not appear right away as it emails me to ask for permission to post. Don’t worry it will show up!  If you enjoy Words For Hire, I’d sure appreciate it if you shared it with a friend. Thanks!

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Adventures in the Real World

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SwurlImage by gniliep via Flickr

Written by Karen D. Swim

Happy Friday! I hope this has been a good week for everyone. I hit the pause button yesterday and enjoyed hanging out in the “real world.” It was nice to take a break on a day I would normally be working. The brief break validated two things: 1) I have spent far too much time of late on the computer and 2) people out there (you know in the rest of our world without an avatar) could care less about the issues that seem so important online!

My first clue came when I had an urge to tweet my activities. Admittedly these could have been by best tweets yet because real life has great material! However, I was surrounded by real people and in a daring move… I talked to them! No 140 character limit or need to @, dm or add a smiley. Now don’t get me wrong I am normally chatty and strike up conversations wherever I go, but this was Thursday in the middle of a work day.

I mentioned Twitter and Facebook a few times during the day and um no one cared. Seriously. There was no talk of analytics, trends, fail whales or LinkedIn’s new group policy. Because, apparently a large part of the real world just doesn’t care.

There is however, common ground.  We all care about the things that matter – life (yea, suprisingly we are all pretty darn happy to wake up each day), health, family, career, balance, etc.  Essentially many of the things that we tweet, kwip and plurk are the same things discussed in the neighborhood barber shop or the corner store.  So, why I wondered are we often so polarized?

Those of us who are involved in social media and online work tend to forget that we still represent only a small percentage of the population.  Many more people see online as primarily email.  Our online experts are often unknown outside of cyberspace.  Yet those that have made a name in the real world are known by all.

So, what did I learn? I learned to not take this all so seriously. I can stress about stats, polls and SEO or I can put it in perspective and simply enjoy the journey. I also learned that well, I need to get out more! I need more days where there is no purpose other than to just hang and let life happen.

Now, it’s your turn. How do you manage your online time? Have you ever felt the need to dial it down? Do your real world peeps share your online interests? Talk to me, because I’m back and I am interested! 😉

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Stick It! 5 Lessons Learned From Olympic Gymnasts

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Yang Bo performing on the balance beam.Image via Wikipedia

Written by Karen D. Swim

Gymanastics is a fascinating sport. The combination of power, speed and grace require athleticism and artistry uncommon in other sports. I watched the Olympic Women’s All-Around Finals last night awed by the performances. One by one each tiny little gymnast running toward a balance beam. Their bodies moving down the runway with such speed you could almost visibly see the wind behind them. I watched the power of their leg muscles pulsating as they ran and then with a forceful bound  up in the air, twisting and landing on a tiny 4 inch wide piece of wood.

It takes an incredible amount of power to perform any of these gymnastic routines.  I know how hard it is to simply do a few sets of military push ups (aka the boy kind).  I cannot imagine propelling my weight in the air and then precisely controlling my movements in that way. Wow!

As I watched I thought of the lessons from these gymnasts that could be applied to life.

You can get the same score with a different style. Shawn Johnson is 4’9′ and weighs 90 pounds. She is all muscle and power much like former gymnast Mary Lou Retton. Teammate, Nastia Liukin is tall for a gymnast, 5’3″ and she is lean and graceful. Each approached the balance beam differently but received the same score. Whether you do two and half twists or one your outcome can rival others in your space. Do your routine to the best of your ability.

The way you take off impacts your landing. You can’t meander toward the balance beam. To gain the power needed to carry you through, you must run headlong at top speed. The speed powers the momentum that enables you to bound upwards toward your goal. If you want it, you have to go for it, commit to yourself and your actions and take off at top speed.

There’s room on the podium for more than one winner. Even when it was apparent that Liukin had locked up the gold medal, Johnson approached her final routine ready to rock the performance of her life. Liukin did take the gold but Johnson stood next to her as the silver medalist. Don’t let the accomplishments of others intimidate you. You have earned the right to compete. Rock the performance of your life. This is your moment in the spotlight, so shine.

You can’t control the actions of others. The gymnasts could only control their own performances. The judges had the power to deduct points and downgrade the difficulty of routines.  We can prepare and execute but we cannot control how others respond to our performance.  You can use their feedback to improve but you are truly only in control of yourself. Give it your all and trust the results.

Stick the landing. You may wobble a bit on the beam or get to close to the low bar on the uneven bars but still have a great landing.  As you tumble through the air, spot that target and focus on grabbing hold of it with all you’ve got. When you land upright, both feet on solid ground, you can raise your hands in victory. All the effort of the journey, even the missteps led to that moment. Stick it and smile!

Remember, even if you do land on your butt, you’re still looking up!

Now, dear readers over to you.  What are your Olympic words of wisdom? Feel free to share whatever is on your mind right there in the comments. Hey, and if you like this post, click the “Share This” beneath the post to stumble, digg or post to your favorite bookmarking site. 🙂

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The Breath of Change

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Parco SempioneImage by Air Force One via Flickr

Written by Karen D. Swim

Happy Friday! Well, if you’re a returning friend (because here there are no visitors), you may have noticed a few changes here in the cafe. The new custom theme is courtesy of the brilliant Men With Pens. Any bugs, or errors are courtesy of yours truly! I am still unpacking boxes and moving things around so please bear with me while I make the place nice and comfy for you.

I am a big fan of change. I move my office and home around all the time. I find that the physical change somehow provides me with a new perspective and revitalizes my energy. However, I am aware that some changes can shake us from our comfortable positions and force us into unfamiliar patterns or routines. Rather than energizing, we may find ourselves initially drained and more than a little cranky. A new job, or a physical move immediately come to mind.

When I engage in a physical move I tend to do it fast. I hate the transition phase so clean and unpack everything immediately and put it away.  I will work until I am so exhausted I can no longer stand but I will go to bed on fresh sheets with no boxes in the house. However, once moved,  the decorating is never done. There is always something more to be planted, changed, painted, taken away, well you get the picture.  Yet, it’s not a chore but a journey that is savored with each step.

I moved the blog from blogger to WordPress and that was the “let’s roll, get it done” phase. Now, I am taking my time to savor the decorating. So, I’ve tried to clean it up so that you have a comfy experience and don’t trip over boxes, but there’s still work to be done.  I really and truly enjoy each and every one of you and hope that we can continue to entertain one another in this new space under the bamboo tree.  And hey, there’s even room for more, so feel free to invite a friend or two. 🙂

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How Will You Measure this Month?

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Laughter by David ShankboneImage via Wikipedia

Written by Karen D. Swim

“Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure – measure a year?
In daylights – in sunsets
In midnights – in cups of coffee
In inches – in miles
In laughter – in strife
In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life” –Seasons of Love, from the musical Rent

As I danced around in the gym after my workout singing this song along with the TV, (yes I danced and sang and could care less who was watching!), I considered the question. It is a brand new month, how would I measure it? What would I do with the next 31 days? What would I do with this day and the minutes, seconds and hours that stretched before me? Would my month be measured in smiles or tears? Would I measure it in chances taken or opportunities that passed me by?

Sweaty and winded, and flying high on endorphins I heard the music – the music of life. A heart pumping bass line accompanied by joyful horns that reminded me I was fully, completely alive.  I am here in this moment, in this time.  Yesterday is gone, but this moment is here. I could waste it with petty worries of things gone wrong, or plans that failed…or I could rejoice in the present.

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.” —  From To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time, Robert Herrick

I have no stinking idea what tomorrow holds but today I intend to live and to live boldly. I will dance in the middle of the gym, laugh at my own jokes and live life at my own pace.  This month I will not play it safe, because the same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying. If I take a risk and fall flat on my face, who cares? I will have lived, learned and created another blog post.

Now, it is your turn. How will you measure the month?  Be bold, express yourself, the mic is open.

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Go-Go Boots and a Zest for Life

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Written by Karen D. Swim

When I was 8 years old, I had a pair of black go-go boots. They laced up the front and zipped on the side. I loved those boots. I wanted to wear them with everything! One Friday, I put them on with my favorite fire engine red jumper and planned on going to school. However, in my day wearing red and black on a Friday was scandalous. (Don’t ask, some hooker connection). I of course did not defy my mother, but it did not change my love for those boots with that red jumper.

The year was 1972 and I was growing up in the era of Hippies and Black Panthers. My little hands alternately made the peace sign and the black power sign. I had a fondness for love beads, afro hair styles and head bands.  Ah, but the boots were my favorite. In them I was fierce. I walked a little different, and posed with one hand on my hip and my head held back.

At age eight I was not questioning my choices or comparing them to societal norms. Like all children, my days were carefree and life was safe and joyous.  I was ready to take on the world in my go-go boots and youthful exuberance. (Even then I believed in the power of shoes!) With my boots on, I  could read the lyrics of Marvin Gayes’s “What’s Going On?” (released in 1973) a million times but still find hope in the world.Marvin Gaye

As adults we could all do with a healthy dose of childhood hope  once in awhile. The ability to see the world not only as it is but how it can be. A belief that we can make a difference, that we have the potential to change the world. My black go-go boots are long gone but a little bit of their spirit remains with me. It is that spirit that encourages me to wear my boots with pride and live life with vigor, hope and absolute joy.

Are there things that you can learn from your childhood self? Do you find yourself being too serious at times? If so, how do you lighten up?