This I Believe

Recently read the book of essays entiled, This I Believe,  The Personal Philosophies Of Remarkable Men And Women edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman and have been thinking about what I believe in.  Here is an unedited post-morning coffee stream of consciousness regarding what I believe in. Would love to have you share your beliefs with me as well.

I believe in Integrity and Truthfulness

Standing up for what is right and just, not what is popular sentiment

Action and taking a stand vs. camping out on Wall Street and protesting

That any two committed individuals have the right to be together regardless of their sexual orientation

I am opposed to death of any kind: abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, mercy killing, WAR

I believe in self-sufficiency and the community (neighborhood, church, support group, whatever) taking care of its own and the government NOT giving out handouts

I believe in the power of education, both formal and informal and its ability to transform a life

I believe that there is a heaven of sorts, not necessarily a place, but a state of mind

I believe that evil does exist and it walks the land in the guise of human nature

I have strong faith and love my Catholic religion while recognizing that other faith communities exist alongside- whether they are Christian or not.

I believe any individual who has led a good and faith-filled life will enter that state of mind called Heaven regardless of whether they are Catholic or Christian, Muslim or Hindu.

I believe in holding on to dreams and using them as guideposts for living.

I believe in the power to transform lives through actions and mighty endeavors.

I believe that you can have many loves in your life.

I believe that the power of friendship is more valuable than all the oil in the world.

I believe in believing in YOU.

 What do you believe in?

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2011-2012

Apocalypse

 

Frozen landscape

Dark, desolate

Sun absent in the sky 

Falling ash, ashen snow......

What would you do if there was an apocalypse and you were one of the few remaining on earth? How would your faith be tested? In the movie The Road based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same title by  Cormac McCarthy, a man and his son find themselves in this scenario. The man’s wife has taken her own life unable to go on under the extreme conditions that they have been living under and hoping to create more of a chance of survival for the remaining two.  The movie follows the pair on the road to reach the southern coast to find warmth and possible life. Along the way their values are tested profoundly and the boy must make a herculean choice.  

What struck me the most was looking at the breakdown of society and the construction of a new order in which people were no longer valued for their humanity. To witness the savagery that people turned to in their desperation in order to survive was shocking.  It became a crowd mentality, where people acquiesced in order not to be on the outside: the ones attacked and ultimately eaten. There was a renegade leadership running rampant that followed the mantra of survival of the fittest and if you were outside of one of these groups, you literally were running for your life.

One image that continues to haunt me is the scene involving a loaded gun: their only means of protection. In this scene the father shows his little boy how to put the pistol in his mouth and aim upwards toward his brain for a quick and painless death.  The loaded gun that the father and son kept ultimately contained only one bullet and would be the saving grace to prevent the boy from a horrific end at the hands of the cannibalistic survivors. The father knew at this point that he was dying and would not be there to protect his son in the future. Such a tragic, tragic image. But within that image, there exists unconditional love.

Another theme that ran throughout the film and touched my core was that of trust. The boy asks a stranger at one point, “Are you one of the good guys?”. In a lawless and desperate society the role of good guy can flip on a dime. We can only trust our instincts and make a decision based on the information that we have at hand.

I suppose the answer to how you would handle being in a similar situation would depend upon your faith and your views of life, death and after-life. I hope we never see an apocalypse in a million lifetimes from now, but if we did, I know what I would do. 

Do you?

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2011-2012

Nirvana & Naming

Just found an errant page that belongs to my unpublished novel. As I read the lines that were written five years ago, I was struck by the power of the words. The voice is that of Gabrielle writing of her soul mate, Jon, in the pages of her personal journal.  They are young adults who met as teens through an online game. Here is a small excerpt from a larger piece:

"We have shared so much

It is truly an incredible experience to be completely known

Every raw nerve, every idiosyncrasy exposed

And through this naked unveiling,  we remain close

Not frightened away by our own realities....

Sometimes we react in a series of classical conditioning scenarios

that we are unable to prevent from playing out

But no matter, we always find our way back to each other

Back to that feeling of being totally and utterly connected

To each other in body and soul

You take me to the highest heights

You make my heart soar

Over and over again

I am with you every time

Every single time

Calling out your name

Before I take that final leap off the mountain

You answer, "Gabrielle, I'm coming"

And you are right behind me; along side of me

Landing in a heap of blissful exhaustion at the bottom of that mighty mountain

Two blind people assisted by heightened other senses

Making sense of the world they have created

Living to love; loving to live........"

 Afterwards I picked up my copy of This I Believe, The Personal Philosophies Of Remarkable Men And Women edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman and read an entry by writer and activist Eve Ensler entitled "The Power and Mystery of Naming Things".  This quote really struck me:

"Naming things, breaking through taboos and denial is the most dangerous, terrifying, and crucial work. This has to happen in spite of political climates or coercions, in spite of careers being won or lost, in spite of the fear of being criticized, outcast, or disliked. I believe freedom begins with naming things. Humanity is preserved by it."

Not sure why both of these pieces struck me enough to place them together here in Kaleidoscope, but I'm going with the suggestion of my muse and perhaps later I will find a connection......

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2011-2012

Life Is What You Make Of It

Dreamer, Believer, Passionate, Extrovert, Unconventional, Eclectic, Empathetic, Analytical, Gifted, Intelligent 

When I think about who I am deep inside, these are the words that come to mind. They are words that many people have used to describe me. I love people- I love knowing their stories and I love connecting with their souls. If I can touch just one person in my day, then I label it a success.  My greatest joy is to see someone achieve and to help them reach their goals.

I feel that I have led a highly successful life: wonderful career with Procter & Gamble, many community leadership positions, international travel,  published work including a book on social media and the launching of my own company, C3: Creating Connections Consulting, LLC. Despite all of the professional accomplishments, my greatest achievement is raising two wonderful children who are both amazingly intelligent and gifted and who will go on to change the world. 

Tomorrow marks my 24th wedding anniversary, and in today's world, that is probably a huge accomplishment as well. To me it seems like yesterday.  A friend on Facebook commented to my status update about the anniversary with a question:

"You and Glenn are both wonderful people. We've been blessed to have met you both. You are a great couple. I'm sure you have some words of wisdom in how to make it last for 24 years. Any you care to share? Or is it like hiring employees - try to pick the right one the first time?" 

I took some time to reflect on this question.  I think the biggest piece of advice would be to really know who you are marrying; in other words, spend some time deeply getting to know what their core values are and if they align with yours.  The person should truly be your best friend and communication should flow freely and often between you. I think you need to be partners and equals in the relationship sharing everything from duties to dollars, while still maintaining your own identity.  There will be tough times and changes along the way, but it is how you handle these circumstances that make all of the difference.

So 24 years have flown by and it truly feels like just yesterday that we were dancing at our wedding. And if I close my eyes and press the knob on my jewelry box, I can hear our song play and see us beautifully executing the dance steps we learned at Arthur Murray. Two Procter managers with MBAs and a dream.....

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2011-2012

East of Eden, South of Despair

Have been reading your blog lately

You claim to speak from the universal voice,

but it seems to me that you are battling personal demons

in your words

All this talk of rain and burning embers and

Death

Sounds like you are dealing with loss

Loss of love

Loss of the guidance that never was

Loss of the dream

So drummer boy, keep writing

Keep waiting, but

never stop dreaming

because the truth shall set you free....

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2011

Snow Globes

 

Snow globes, like life, capture moments

Caught within the windows of time

Our minds remember the reels of yesterday,

But in the absence of fresher moments

We extend our understanding to be commensurate

With the present

Unfortunately, reality plays a cruel hand

And often what we experience in the present has

No resemblance to what was held in the past.

You had so much promise

Truly a mover and a shaker off to live a larger life

Than the rest of us

Something happened along the way

That I am not privy to

Something flawed and tragic and life-changing

Because you are no longer the same person

Yes, there are shadows of your former self,

Slivers actually, that poke through this “new” persona

But they slide across your countenance in a pattern

That leaves me confused and wondering if you are in

Full command of your faculties

Do you truly know who you are?

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2011

Unveiling the Secret Life

Today is the day that I embark on a personal journey. I feel a sense of trepidation as I picture the window of my anonymity being rolled down further than the child safety seat of my comfort zone normally allows. At this stage in the journey, why hold back? More than 1/2 my life has already been written.....

Join me on my journey to the Secret Life of an American Female Entrepreneur:

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2011

Journey With Me

Getting ready to embark upon a journey with mixed emotions. An inner voice is telling me that the time is right to share some wisdom (perhaps due to my impending birthday??) and the vehicle to do this is via Vlog (video blog) on Vimeo or YouTube. Being the uber brand evangelist that I am, I will create a new channel for this softer, personal side of me; a separate slice from my C3 life.

Yes, I still compartmentalize and that is the irony that runs through my life: Social Media Professional who operates at the nth level of privacy. I suppose the bigger issue will be whether anyone even "tunes in".....

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2011

My Heart & Soul

"We could have had it all

You had my heart and soul……"

Love these heart-felt lyrics by Adele.

Makes me wonder what the story is behind her words. When I reflect upon them it makes me think back to my life, especially as I enter the second half of the journey. I have written many, many times about my belief in destiny and the idea that things/events/people happen for a reason. Yes, I believe in free will extending a hand and altering the plan that has been pre-designed, but the path has been carved out long ago.

I believe that I exist today as a sum of my experiences, my joys, my disappointments and the many loves and friendships that have touched my life. Would I ever say to the one who would have been, “We could have had it all...”  Nope. Because that path would have led to a person who is other than me today. If there is one thing that I do perhaps suffer from, it is too much self esteem. I love who I am, how I’ve lived and the choices that I have made. There is nothing that was within my control that I would have changed.   

Now about that situation that was out of my hands……

“But you played it,
You played it,
You played it,
You played it to the beat…”.

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2011