The anchors of life...

Ahhhh yes the anchors of life...and that is one simple but very important thing to understand the differences between. See, there are those anchors that are the very things that will do nothing more than drag you down, try to keep you from even treading water any longer, and they will dead stop any movement forward for you...and slowly start to drown you. Some anchors we carry for years without even realizing what is drowning us...clinging us to the same spot every single day! Some anchors we tote around for years hoping to set the issue right, to help that person and/or that thing that is keeping US from being able to move with the flow of OUR life and so those are, appropriately called: 

1) "the anchors that bind you." Now, there is really only one option open to this and that is you must cut the ropes...you must cut loose forever any anchor that is binding you down for that is detrimental to your own growth and severely unfair action from those who are being a binding anchor. You cannot waste any time with being bound down by many things you cannot change anyway...or by people you cannot change either. I am telling you now to get out your scissors, your saw, whatever you have and cut it all loose...if it is keeping you stagnant then let it go, cut it loose and let your ship sail on forward as it should. Do that for yourself...you owe it to yourself...you will later be glad you did it for yourself. It will be tough to cut some anchors due to personal investment but when you are no longer getting any return on that investment then it is time to redirect your energy to more promising avenues. Take a deep breath and cut, cut, cut those ropes...they have probably handed you the scissors themself anyway so cut it quickly and quietly sail on.

Now the other anchors are also appropriately called: 

2) "those that keep us grounded"...those that hold us steady during the worst of the storms of our lives...the waters can be heavy and turbulent and the beams from the lighthouses can be dim or not even visible at all, and in this case we have good anchors...the anchors of life and when you discover and, very luckily and very rarely, find those anchors that pitch in to help make sure that you remain anchored down tightly, until the storm passes and the lighthouse is now visible again to shine light upon your travels, then you must hold tight to those anchors and stick together as the spokes of a wheel stick together. Accept only the anchors that help keep you remain steady during the storms and then pick up and sail on with you...and stand ready at all times to drop anchor again when the next, inevitable, storm hits. Now there will be less of these anchors than those that bind you but the anchors of your life, that turn your tidal waves into rolling ripples that are manageable, now those are the anchors you must keep aboard your ship...it is an investment with such wonderful returns. So, be sure to understand the differences between those anchors out there for only those interested in hunkering down thru the storms so they may move on in the calm that follows are those you graciously keep...the others, the binding anchors...as I said: cut, cut, cut those ropes. They shall sit at the bottom of the ocean floor along with all of the other cut loose anchors while you and your new found anchors of life sail on...

The Trifecta of life…

 

Closing doors, burning bridges, severing longtime ties...they can be a trifecta of tough decisions to have to be on full terms with before you can even begin to properly execute doing any of those things. Let's break it down and please understand that these are solely my feelings and thoughts and boundaries on this trifecta...

1)closing doors sounds easy enough...close the door and don't turn around and now it's "outta sight, outta mind.' But that just isn't so...not at all is it so. You have to know with every fiber of your being that you have done even more than you could have done and more than you should have done has nonetheless been tried before you can, in good faith, let it go...close the door on it like the chapter of a book and don't look back and do not even hear the knocking from the other side...you have to know that when you close a door shut that you must lock it and never open it again. And you must know that you can do that for there will forever be doors we have to muster up and close off and you cannot close those doors properly if your conscience is going to rear up and cause you to question the slamming of that door. You make a command decision, you go with, and that's that...but you make sure that no desire to crack that door has ANY chance to creep up on you for those are revolving doors and they will never stay closed. 

2) Burning bridges along the way...this one is even more firm than closing doors for once you burn a bridge behind you then that is a very solid, forever move. See, once the bridge is burned you can never cross it again...even if you wanted to or even if you needed to. This move of freeing excess baggage of those grey patchy times of our lives takes a silent but certain and confident courage to be able to finally disconnect with anything that hinders you in any way. It's tough to buckle up and be tough sometimes but there is not one single thing lacking in us to make us keep our seat instead of striking the match and watching every board burn into a smoldering heap of ash. Closure reach's no higher level than when one can finally detach themself as numb to the issue and feeling zero regret for what they are about to do nor what they ultimately do. Burning a bridge generally means that what was on the other side of it is dead to you...you have no emotion left to spare. Good thing is, however, that once burned neither can what rest on the other side of the rubble get across it to torment you ever again. It is done, it is over, it has been buried, the bridge can never again be crossed from either side...let it go and forget about it. That's right, forget about it! That was the primary reason for burning the bridge to begin with...to push it away and consider it handled as seen fit and to simply move on and forget about it. So when your own burning season rolls around then think about that bridge long and hard and what it would say if only it could speak before you poor the gas to it and strike a match...be sure you can turn your back to the flames and walk away to a whole new mindset.

3) Ah, and here enters a tough one indeed...severing longtime ties. Wow, now this takes a gamble...you know what you have in someone but yet what you do not have in them seems to outweigh the other then it could be time to freeze frame your very heart and cut the line. It is one tough call to have to make but if it is what is best for you or if it is what is best for both parties then cut the cord. Don't even take a deep breath or do the damn "one, two, three, go!' thing just snip it loose. Life is not designed for us to hang onto everything or everyone forever...those who do stay are but of the "privileged" few. And most times when you reach the point of cutting someone loose, they have handed you the scissors!

So, therein places my two cents and that penny for my thoughts. For some, life will build you so that you will be able to defeat that trifecta while others just seem to have come with an instinct so when your gut of guts tells you to just pause and reflect then do not hesitate for a moment to live by your values, by your morals, by your standards and within your boundaries. You get one ride on this tempest, this merry-go-round that we all twirl about on so keep yourself centered and grounded at all costs. Be prepared to face at least one of the three major parts of life's trifecta traps...but do indeed be prepared

Pam Scholes

Begin Paving Your Own Yellow Brick Road

 

Your own yellow brick road? Did you shake your head or snicker "yea right?!" to yourself? It's perfectly fine if you did; very understandable since we seem to have so little control over so many things these days...much less a yellow brick road. But you absolutely can build it! The berries about it all are that you may build it in any straight and narrow form that you wish...or you may build it in any curve and twist shape that you wish...and you may build it at any pace (almost any pace) that you wish. In fact, it's not so much how much time one takes in building their road...it's far more important in how much was accomplished during their time building their road. Quality over quantity; and may quality always win. 

 You are the brick layer that gently places each brick in its chosen spot...you are the cement that binds each of those bricks together...you are the blueprint designer of every shape and size of each of those bricks...and you are the orchestrator that shall decide to which musical tune of direction those bricks shall march towards...

 The bricks that pave your own inner yellow brick road are very special bricks for each one is made up of a pinch, a snippet, a dab, a quirk of you...they are made so that each one holds some personal and unique touch that is the very essence of you! And with all of those "titles and duties" bestowed upon you I, hereby and from this moment forward, knight you full and sole guardianship over the magical path you carve from your many bricks of gold. 

 Timing and placement will mean everything since this brick road is an everyday, ongoing, work in progress kind of endeavor. Oh, fret not for those cracks and patchy areas along the way are all compliments of life and those unforeseeable variables that will rear their heads to hinder the flow of the road we have begun. Allow no pebble to take roost in the spot of where the next brick should be placed. 

Building your yellow brick road, making no claim for it to be an easy job, but oh my, the rewards you shall reap will shine for you when all is said and done. And so, as 2024 has now gotten comfortable it is now time to pave...time to reinvent yourself, and/or, your route of travel. Just because things change does not mean one must change with them...one must simply accept those changes exist and modify them into the parts of their life that truly count, that truly matter. You have a god (however you conceive that to be) given right to "free will" which opens many doors for the foundation of the production of your very own yellow brick road...it has been inside of you all along.

In light of things...

Pamela Scholes


            Depending on where you are it is either early or late as I sit in the quiet and dark of the Atlanta skyline at 2:00am-I can not sleep. I have been awake just pondering so many things and in light of things there is much to ponder. The world is on center stage and yet no one seems to be maintaining their part. Every one must participate and become a part of this movement we call Life.
             I do not know things backslid in to the state they are in nor do I understand how some of these things can possibly be justified. I sat here wondering what news was breaking at that moment far and wide that I would see on the 6:00am news. We have gotten entirely too much negative reaction and a poor level of positive action. We have pedaled backwards in so many areas and i can not grasp how we as a people could just sit by and watch so much that was fought for just now become amendments.
              I am not ashamed to say that we have lost sight, not the way but the visual of where we want to go. People are so confused, frustrated, and just put out that humanity has taken a downward spiral. I have days when some small action occurs that restores a small piece of my faith in humanity. Those are the moments we should breathe for-those of human kindness. An extended hand can move mountains when one knows they are not alone. And people, we are not alone for we are all here and like it or not these are the cards we have been dealt but we don't have to be alone-unity is just as simple.
               We are back to living in a world of survival by any means necessary and without care or regard for the consequences. Things loom large but we must choose to see the beauty instead of the ugly. We have to believe that we each matter enough to push forth for change for the ball has been dropped. Let us step up to the plate and take a swing. What harm could it do in light of things...

The Voice of "We the people..."

written by: Pamela Scholes


       I wish I could say that this is an easy post for me as it means I am going to have to do some finger pointing for somewhere down the line someone is responsible for actions, reactions, and non-actions. I have asked my friends and social media followers to please voice their opinions with me to help me write this blog. This isn't about me, it is about us- "We the people..."I thank those who kindly lent me their thoughts so I am here to be their voice. It was my promise.
       As those of you who have roamed about my blog page know that I do not dabble in politics or religion but I am here as a voice for many and sadly, that voice is about this country. It is about what is happening to America the beautiful and what is happening that is combating the growth of the land of opportunity? Now, I could run with this far and wide but I am here for you, all of you, because someone has to be and someone needs to be. You are important and your thoughts matter.
       The thoughts of feedback that came to me when I posted the question of what each person would change first if they were given the chance to change one thing in this land of ours. The replies that came from all over the United States saddened me because it became crystal clear how many people are truly just getting by. And what about the other ones, the ones not getting by at all who will, after enough time, no longer care about even getting by- we call them the homeless. They are among us, they are our people, they could be us and for whatever reasons they are there, there is no excuse for a government to allow such a thing to even exist. No person in this country should be without food, shelter, and a chance to make a life they can be proud of. Sadly, those are not God given rights they are government given rights and can be changed at any time in the game. The world has become a chess game and "we the people" are pawns.
         Welfare, I don't even know where to begin on that one. It was devised as a simple system and program to help people get by while trying to help place them in a job. It was to offer some one their chance to make it or lose it but at least they had the chance. We are meant to help those who can not help themselves and the original Welfare program offered just that but that was back when people still cared about one another, back when a helping hand wasn't hard to find. Dont remember this time-that's because it has been a long time ago; seems ancient history.
            We have been made promises that are seldom kept, we have simple questions but the buck never stops. We have real issues concerning real people and as a government the blind eyes have got to stop closing or looking the other way, no situation just goes away without being tended to. When does a better day come? When will things be said and done in a way that makes sense? The homeless-why?-we made many of them that way. Welfare?- what significent move has it made in policy to continue to better those who need it. We could go around this thing for a very long time and I in no way mean any harm or offense but I do not have control of how the truth makes someone feel.I mean, ask a simple question to any government official about an ongoimg issue and just see how mant times you get pushed off. You are given to someone who always has to clarify with someone else. That puts up a red flag with me that it means that no one really knows.
           I am not looking to be wrong or right for there is this grey area and that is where I believe and my responses believe that we are stuck. Our forefathers made things so simple. They stuck firmly to a plan that came from a blank page of paper and a feather pen; and they took that and built a country. They knew they didn't know everything but they knew it would not be learned at the expense of the people. My, that's pretty powerful for a time so long ago but they believed in where they could go. They made it so that there could be an american dream and a land of the beautiful and I am inclined to believe that this is not what they had in mind..
           There is little to no explanation to most of our problems but there is one root that much of it stems from-hatred. We spend ten times more energy hating than we do trying to figure out how to live in harmony. It is a sad epic saga when a country has created much of its own misery and I think that the government overlooks far too many small issues; handle those and there will be less large issues.WE, us out here in this world every day is who this country was founded by and for-its people.
           Where have our standards disappeared to? and why compare one country with another when there will always be differences but we don't have to let this create disruption any longer. And all of the speeches and debates simply are: if they can't sell it to you then they want to make you afraid of it. If you have a cause then tell it, take back your piece of your country and lay claim to your self respect. Be who it is you want to be and do not allow these grand issues to steal your happiness.The government thinks that if they can keep us seperated then we can be easier dealt with. It's a false bill of goods we have been sold, and the policy is "as is". I ponder often about the place we call home and I am just not sure when it all begin to go wrong, but what counts is the voice of "WE the people..."
      

Always never the same...

written by Pamela Scholes     


      It is an age old adage of "The more things change the more they stay the same."For most of my life I did not really understand what that meant, I only knew that it had to be logic hidden within logic. Now, after many journeyed paths that have been crossed by all walks of people and new encounters I have finally come to understand it and just how true it is. Looking back, as we often do, I can see many times this applied in my life but it escaped me. We can use a simple situation as an example and you will see how it equates to so much and has for so long.
       You can take an individual who has no real sense of responsibility and just kind of rolls with the flow without much of a care in the world. You look at this person who appears to have no direction in life, aimlessly wandering. Now, let us say that this misguided individual lands a good job and takes on some responsibilities of every day life. They pay the bills and secure a safety net. That's all well and good but it is also only exterior change and no matter how much of it there may be, when you see this person inside you will often find no or little change at all. Exterior change is much easier and far less painful but without inner change the rest is just self geography.
       So, you see that the more some things change the more they stay the same for one ever becomes somebody of growth so long as they move only outside the lost person they are. History has proven this to be true as well and it is on a much higher level of how many things change while staying the same. It is a false bill of sale on damaged goods. Think about it, look around, go somewhere you have not been in a long time, or talk to a long out of touch friend and you will see how some things are just always never the same...

Your identity; to whom does it belong...?

written by Pamela Scholes

       We enter this world with our own special identity, things that separate us from other people and allow us to blossom into our own unique selves. This journey takes a lifetime to build and yet it can be swept from underneath you like a flying carpet ride. Your entire world can now be turned upside down and inside out by the fastest growing and yet least paid attention to crime of Identity Theft. People out there have become experts on being able to steal who we are and we, sadly, are the last to know it and by then the damage is done. And once the damage is done there is a long uphill road waiting to climb to try to untangle this web of a mess.Through some research I have found that not even the IRS will give the police authorities any information concerning any identity theft victim or case even while asking questions about an open investigation. All words fall on deaf ears and people hide behind policy to abandon the innocent.
       The IRS and other governmental departments know who the perpetrators are through fraud tax returns and duplicate filings and yet they still withhold any/all information from the victim and authorities. I have been told that victims of this crime spend years spinning their wheels and doing their own leg work while the "powers that be" sweep this ever growing invasion of ones life under the proverbial rug. This deserves full due attention. Imagine the devastation of waking up one day to find that on paper your identity has been stolen and you have no clue where  to turn. It is a sad fact but the avenues of help are 95% closed. Oh, it is acknowledged that this crime does exist but I have never heard of one proposal or plan to bring down an iron fist on this. We should not only feel protected, we should BE protected. Hackers are sneaking in and dissolving what one has worked so hard for and no one offers a hand toward a solution nor do we hear of anyone suggesting ways to implement a better, stronger system. The government itself  is being hacked and yet they do not seem on high alert nor do we hear much about the corruptness striking even them. No one is beyond reach in this epic saga of technical robbery. Any one of us could fall victim  to having our identity stolen on any given day.
       It is a time of true "beware" but it will never be broadcast on the news as such; might alarm people-as opposed to looking at it like informing them.  In my research and with talking with many victims I was astonished at the number of people who appear as new cases each day through the Fraud Investigative Department. A Detective shared with me that identity theft is his main case load now and they can lay dormant  for long periods of time due to a tall wall of shut down from those who should be helping by providing information so that the perpetrators may be brought to justice. The "powers that be" just close the door and draw the blinds as if it  will just go away. It is a far larger problem than I have heard admitted. How can a continual blind eye turn to yet another screaming and obviously  intrusive attack against innocent people? Is it really that easy to think that if it just isn't addressed out loud then it will quietly find a way to fix itself? There are extreme measures that are long past due to be taken to fight for the victim instead of protecting the criminal. Ask anyone what price they would put on the tag for all the trauma and discord a situation like this cost and they would have no numbers to offer for so much of the violation took irreplaceable things. Heads should be hanging down for leaving a person hanging out to dry and letting them try to figure out how to recapture who they are. I intend to expand on this issue in the Atlanta Constitution but I just HAD to share it here as well. Beware and make sure you know to whom your identity belongs...