Comments on: Finding Strength Where the Wind Blows

By: Christine LaRocque

Christine LaRocque — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:05:26 +0000

This post speaks to my heart and mind Belinda. I’m good and not very good at all of it. I’m a moving forward kind of person, but I alway do so with hesitation. I’m not very good at taking the knocks, and yet if given enough time I think I always learn and grow. It’s a constant internal battle, and perhaps the argument is that this is what makes us human. There are no right or wrong answers, there’s only trusting in ourselves, and sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do I think.

By: Justine

Justine — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:37:55 +0000

The push and pull, heart versus mind, logic versus instinct – yes, it’s the epitome of our struggles. The constant having to decide and not fully sure of our decisions.

I love that you used Nietzsche’s quote because it’s a mantra of mine that weathered me through very long and tough days. And battles. And yes, I am stronger an I’m grateful to have appeared triumphant. But sometimes I wonder – at what price?

Great piece as usual Belinda.

By: Sibyl - alternaview

Sibyl - alternaview — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:23:32 +0000

Belinda: What a great post and thanks for sharing your wisdom. I really appreciated what you had to say about the challenges and lessons that come our way. It is easy to think that the best thing that could happen to us is a life of smooth sailing, however, life really is about weathering the storm and transforming the challenges that come our way. That is how we really learn and grow. Thanks for this post.

By: Walter

Walter — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 02:36:00 +0000

How do cultivate our inner strength? Perhaps it is in our capacity to go on despite the beleaguering of circumstances and belief in our capacity to be strong.

By: Maggie

Maggie — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 02:26:44 +0000

What a thought-provoking post. You’re right, so much advice seems conflicting that it can really be hard to figure out how to proceed when you face an obstacle. One of my favorite quotes relating to this is “A man who doesn’t stand for something will fall for anything.” I’m not sure who said it, but I try to live my life by that idea. Once we develop our convictions, we may choose to follow reason or our instinct differently in different situations, but the main point is that our convictions are still the same. I think that making a choice to live a certain way and sticking to it is the ultimate display of strength, and the people I most respect in life are those people who stay true to themselves and their beliefs, no matter what the situation.

By: BigLittleWolf

BigLittleWolf — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:44:37 +0000

There’s so much wisdom in all these examples, Belinda. And again, you’ve written this so eloquently.

Experience guides us. Inner strength gets us through. But we all know it’s much more than “what doesn’t kill us will make us stronger.” It’s a great saying but it isn’t really that black and white. Too much of an onslaught kills us off in bits. I guess the trick is a combination of inner strength and support systems – to prevent that from happening.

By: The Exception

The Exception — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:15:58 +0000

The conflict is part of our lives as my daughter is a serous ballet student. She is just ten and asked to “focus” and often told she is “playing around” due to her not being fully focused. She is determined to dance, to dance she must focus, and yet… she is just a child. I don’t want her to give up her childhood and the joy of play and imagination and creativity – and yet she must find a way to focus to fulfill her dream of dancing.
So often we learn lessons to give up the joy and the play in our lives and then we spend our days trying to find a way to add those aspects back. We are asked to grow up and be responsible while we are encouraged to go out and play and create. A society of contradictions…

I love the picture and quote… and this tree will still be standing

By: Tess The Bold Life

Tess The Bold Life — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:26:32 +0000

I like the first comment about not knowing our strength until the storm. Also Davina is spot on about the middle ground being the journey. I love where I am today. And I’ll feel the same tomorrow. My mom had a 6th grade education and I’m one of 10 children. She used Nietzsche’s saying what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger all the time. She is going to be 90 in October. She would know! Thanks for you thought out post.

By: Davina

Davina — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 06:53:35 +0000

As I was considering your question about lessons I had the thought that just as we are so focused on outcomes, we are also focused on lessons… the destination as opposed to journey. I read a quote to that effect today and it really turned on a light. I wonder why there has to be an either or of all these choices you mentioned? We always seem to do one or the other. Maybe it’s just being on the journey that is the middle ground?

By: Aileen

Aileen — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:25:00 +0000

What a wonderful post! I do find myself between pieces of wisdom “hold on vs. let go” and “play to our strength vs get out of comfort zone” – and I agree that over time with consciousness we can gain the strength to steer our course.

Perhaps some lesson are overrated, others are imperative for a fulfilling life.

The wind does knock us down and it’s all kinds of nasty but the moment of getting back up is phenomenal.