meaning.....

 "It is not the events in our lives that determine who we become, but the meaning we choose to place on those events." Viktor Frankl

We can talk ourselves into believing just about anything. Our viewpoint is impacted by so many variables .... From life circumstances to emotional awareness or lack thereof.  We are fed opinions, comments, other's views.  We feed ourselves from a buffet of experiences, learning, relationships, interactions.  We see our world through the lens we choose.  In turn we then share the stories that "fit" the way we interpret what we are living.  How we are living.  Where and when and why we are living as we are.   

The glass is half full or half empty? Bad luck?  Good luck? No luck? 

We choose from two types of settings to define ourselves and our life meaning through stories.....

down in the valley verses or high peak vista versions.

puddle prose or flowing river recitations.....

dry ditch descriptions or long country road ramblings.... 

victim bantering vs. empowered expressiveness....

One type hedges us in leaving us stuck in the same old rhythm which in turn defines us using small circles of sameness.   The other type opens us to interpretation and a much broader view of meaning.  Its an environmental thing.  

I am .......... because of this and this and this.  Broken record stories.  Rutted.

OR

I am....... becoming........human.  Songwriting with new notes.  Never quite finished. 

Meaning isn't a standing pool of water.  Meaning is a river that flows as we grow in our understanding from the events which help shape our destinies.  Sometimes, we are not given a reason for the things that happen in our lives.  We make it up.  We're inherent storytellers, convincing others as well as ourselves of the meaning behind the events.  It gives us a sense of purpose, a sense of being who we are.  We have to be careful our stories don't grow stale from the same old air. 

Sometimes we need to go in circles like an apathetic bird confused by the air currents so we can grasp onto some form of understanding.  Why has this event happened?  How has it changed me?  How can I let go of what has happened in order to move forward?  Who can help me learn a new way of viewing the event?  How do I fly up from the valley so I can see beyond the horizon?   

Its not until a new whoosh of wind captures the space under our wings that our flight pattern returns to free us from the trappings of stagnant interpretations. Sometimes we are able to do this ourselves.  Sometimes it is through our interactions with others that we are able to see meaning differently.  Sometimes, it takes peace and quiet in our hearts and minds to hear the lessons in the wind.   That's when shifts happen.......