A Lesson from the Porch
"The porch helps me to see I'm my own White Knight."
Renewal Day, not a widely known holiday, is celebrated on May 4th. In addition to renewing friendships with old friends and reconnecting with family members, this is also a day to begin self-renewal. The demands of life often get in the way of our taking care of ourselves. May is also designated as Mental Health Month. The theme this year is Live Your Life Well, with a focus on helping people to manage stress and major life change better. What a great connection to Renewal Day.
According to Mental Health America, "with increasing economic troubles piling on to the stress of work and family demands, more and more Americans are suffering." The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, Life Evaluation sub-section, reports on an individual's perception of their life to-date and belief in the future. The report labels individuals as Thriving, Struggling, or Suffering. The report for March 2009 indicates 52.2% of the nation is Struggling. In March of 2008, the majority of Americans were identified as Thriving. These data suggest the importance and value of self-renewal.
These numbers, while alarming, are not surprising given all the outside factors that impact our lives. It may be, you're doing just fine. What about that old friend or family member you haven't talked to in a while? Renewal Day provides us a great opportunity to call or email just one of those people. It might be the ray of sunshine they are looking for right now. Someone said, "Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain!" No one escapes adversity in their life. How we react to our adversities helps determine whether we're thriving, struggling, or suffering. Will we take the time to learn how to "dance in the rain?" Being grateful for who we are, where we are, and what we have helps find that ray of sunshine we may have been pursuing for a long time and enables us to begin the dance. One word, gratitude, can greatly improve our attitude! The wonderful author Sarah Breathnack wrote, "When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present...we experience heaven on earth."
Renewal Day is also a perfect day to take time to reflect about our own well-being. While we are not in control of all that happens around us, by taking the time to know ourselves, we take control of our life. One lesson I learned while writing Lessons from the Porch: A Gathering Place for Telling Our Stories (STEC Publishing, 2003), is that I am my own White Knight. I am capable of being the best guide on my journey through life. By accepting the responsibility of being my own White Knight, my awareness of my personal power increased. I learned I am in control of my outlook and my outlook decides my future.
A few years ago, I read an article about a ninety-five year old who understood the meaning of being his own White Knight. Clair Duckham was preparing to ride his bike in the two-day "Hilly Hundred", a 100-mile bike ride up and down some very grueling hills in southern Indiana. In the article, the owner of a bike shop in Clair's hometown commented about one of his favorite customers: "Here he is in what would be considered the winter of his life, but he acts and thinks like it's the spring of his life." Clair shared these thoughts, "Find things you love to do and make sure you do them - don't just think about it...And never hold anyone else responsible for your happiness. Your happiness can be enriched by the people and things around you, but it has to come from inside yourself to start with."
On May 4th, make time to reflect about "you." Recognize you are your own White Knight, responsible for your outlook and your future.
