Sunday, January 12, 2020

Life's Changing Perspectives - A Twenty Year Review Through Poems


Life's Changing Perspectives - A Twenty Year Review Through Poems
How have you changed in twenty years?

I've declared 2020 the year of Body, Mind, and Spirit, with the main focus on feeding my spirit to balance all aspects of my life.

Remember Who I Am - Life Reflections Then and Now

Nearly twenty years ago, I wrote a poem called "Remember Who I Am." The poem isn't about begging to be remembered but rather about acknowledging the mistakes I made in life and how, ultimately, I learned from those mistakes.

Looking back to twenty years ago, when the video poem featured below was written, I can see my personal growth.

I'm a different person at 59 years old than I was in my 30s. I suspect that's quite normal. God willing, if I get to 80, I imagine my outlook will change further.

The most significant change inside me is a grander understanding of inner peace and what inner peace truly is.

There's so much I want to type about inner peace right now, but honestly, I don't think I can explain it? Let me say it this way with these powerful words:


 "In the end, everything WILL be O.K."  - I get this now.


We're still dealing with some of the same life struggles we faced when I was in my thirties. Even though those struggles are still quite significant, I now see how mundane they are and rarely pray about them. In the grand scheme of life, they don't rate.

When I was in church last week, I started thinking about my prayers from those times and how I've grown to understand that the secret to solutions is within us - and that prayers for souls, the human condition, our community, those we love, and visualizing the good, is where ultimate peace rests.

I feel I'm awake now. 

As though I'd been handed a book with some of life's secrets in it. If I'm so blessed, I'm looking forward to the next book in twenty more years.

I've mastered forgiveness.

I can unequivocally state that I've got this one down without giving away anything overtly personal. What I understand most about forgiveness is that it's not up to me to 'forgive' others. It's lessons learned from all sides.

I approach the mistakes others make that hurt me, family, friends, or strangers as people who are either lost, dark, or learning at their own pace. Life is school; some of us are in pre-school while others have PhDs. No judging. Letting go.

Also, I disagree with the saying, "I forgive, but I'll never forget."  If I have to hold any grudge, including 'never forgetting,' it's not forgiveness. You can read more about this in an article I wrote many years ago called "The Secret to Life."

Despite life's changes over the past twenty years, the words to this poem I wrote so long ago still stand.



Angels on Duty - Starting Our Day with a Helping Hand

Again, I wrote this one about twenty years ago. Of all the poems I've written over the past fifty years, this is one of my favorites.

The poem was written to visualize how Angels begin their daily work, helping us as soon as we wake up.

It's about waking up in the morning, swinging your legs over the edge of the bed, bending over with your hands over your face as you pause, thinking about the challenges you face today, and wondering if you have the strength to do it. Without knowing, there's an Angel present, whispering affirmations and confirmations that 'everything will be okay' and that you're not alone, and yes, you can do it.


Towards the end of last year, I achieved a bucket list item: I published a book featuring 50 years of my poems. Change, perspective, growth - it's all good. #bethechange #spreadthewordofgood





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


14 comments:

  1. Wow, Barbara, your video poems are powerful. Beautifully done and filled with words I can relate to. I do believe that Angels walk with us each day and enjoyed that poem. But the words to Remember Who I Am are truly thought-provoking and true. Thank you for sharing these special poems.

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    1. Thanks kindly - It's so weird how the words just come to me sometimes - When I wrote 'Remember Who I Am' so long ago, the words just fell onto the page.

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  2. Your poems are beautiful Barbara and the video presentations are awesome! You made me think back to the person I was 20 years ago and ask myself if I am a better person today. A lot happens in 20 years, for sure. I suspect I will be thinking about that question for several days. Prayer has been the key to endurance and peace for me for 40+ years, but it is from the One I pray to that I find my rest. (I am reminded of another profound poetic - Psalm 23)

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    1. Life without prayer isn't life, have to agree. Am about to head to bed shortly (late as usual) - will listen to a spiritual video, and fall asleep with peaceful words being fed into this crowded mind lol - am curious to know how you view your past twenty years :)

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  3. Barbara Thanks for sharing your soul searching poems. They are very meaningful!

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  4. Beautiful! So in awe talented poets such as you!

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    1. Thank so much, really appreciate the encouragement

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  5. You are amazingly talented. I loved the video poem as it spoke to my soul. Thank-you for sharing these amazing poem. Someone not so long ago told, me poetry was dead. I can laugh, at that statement, now. You just have to know, where to look.

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    1. Thank you Brenda, you're very kind :) - and lol, poetry dead, not in my head

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  6. Oh Barbara I can see you are on your way to fulfilling your promise to yourself to be better in mind, spirit and health. Good for you and I think I just might follow your lead. Thanks for a lovely review.

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  7. Thank you for sharing your poems. I especially liked "Angels on Duty." It's true that "Hope is but a prayer away."

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    1. Thanks Barb. Tapping in our better angels of self may just be as simple as acknowledging we're never alone, and that our prayers are heard by the One and the Angels on Duty.

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