SOAPBOX of the week: faithfilled sense of humor

“It is a test of a good religion whether you can joke about it.”        – Gilbert Keith Chesterton, journalist and novelist

Here’s a theory I propose that blankets many a serious topic: If you’re confident and content with your opinion, belief and commitment to something, be it politics, family, art or, yes, the “R” word, should the little digs or full-on sarcastic comedic routines still ruffle your feathers?  Essentially, if you know “where you’re at” with your religion, shouldn’t the one-liners just roll off?  Well, think about it, folks: as human beings we intrinsically screw-up, exaggerate and over-Hallmark the customs, costumes and communications within each category…and we can’t help but produce our own comic strips!  So, I say, seek and secure your FAITH in your chosen religion.  Take this seriously, for it is a lifelong anchor.  But allow for a giggle or guffaw as well, for our imperfections are funny and make us all wonderfully human, and in need, indeed, of what faith can give us!

Copyright 2000-2009 by Kimberlie Dykeman.  

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SOAPBOX of the week: America, the HUMAN dream takes hope, honesty, hard work

“The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It gives human beings a sense of destination and the energy to get started.”  – Norman Cousins, political journalist & world peace advocate

Ponder the tragedies and tough times you’ve witnessed and weathered.  For some, it’s pocked with divorce, disease, joblessness, legal drama and family battles.  For all, though, it includes the fall-out of 9-11, the epidemic of cancer, the corrosion of our environments, the collapse of our economy.  The far-reaching emissions of these evils nearly suffocate us to helplessness, leaving an impossible-to-fix aftermath.  Ah, but up from the rubble comes a survivor, proving yet again the human spirit is indefinitely indefinable, unyielding and awe-inspiring!  But with the unifying power of hope cometh the echoing call for hard work to rebuild, reboot and reclaim.  It takes discipline to lean down wants and buckle-down for the battle of needs.  It means being radically transparent in communication, which takes asking, sharing, voicing for the greater good.  It means preparing for new ideas, alternatives and eventual growth, which takes resourcefulness of all our surroundings.  And it means trusting that seeds already planted will net positive change… and that takes courage.  Know that generations have done this for us countless times; now it’s our time, folks, to dig ourselves out, and return the favor.

Copyright 2000-2009 by Kimberlie Dykeman
Pure Soapbox available nationwide online and where books are sold.
A portion of the proceeds of all book sales is donated to
LIVESTRONG.

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SOAPBOX of the week: check your ego

“There’s one thing we ought to let folks find out for themselves, and that’s how great we are.”     – Kin Hubbard, cartoonist & journalist
   
Remember, as a child, feeling as though you could do absolutely anything?  Make yourself invisible, be an Olympic athlete, own a huge company, morph into a superhero, make a million dollars, be president someday.  Indeed, as the list grew daily, so did the volume, of your voice to ready the world for your coming!  That self-proclaimed omnipotence ensures your drive to succeed still to this day.  But tread carefully upon the trail of self-confidence; for left unchecked, unyielding conviction can wander out of control, undermine your natural gifts, instigate judgment and jealousy and leave you jaded and lonely.  Practice humility to combat the barbs.  And when tempted to broadcast your greatness, choose to beam it instead.

Copyright 2000-2009 by Kimberlie Dykeman
Pure Soapbox available nationwide online and where books are sold.
A portion of the proceeds of all book sales is donated to
LIVESTRONG.

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