The Power to Act by Judith O’Connor Table of Contents At Our Best: We Are A Work In Progress..................................................... 4 Creating Bright Spots.................................................................................... 5 Born Free — The Polar Bear Next Door..................................................... 10 How Do We Know When We Know............................................................. 12 The Truth of Happiness................................................................................ 15 Part I: Identifying the Mood Within............................................................. 17 Part II: Saying Goodbye to Resignation..................................................... 19 The Courage of a Lion.................................................................................. 21 Life on the Highway...................................................................................... 23 A Banquet Called Yummy............................................................................ 27 A Prescription for Avoiding Pain................................................................. 30 Shifting Sands.............................................................................................. 32 Good Friends................................................................................................ 34 A Flash of Anger........................................................................................... 36 The Eyes Of Spring...................................................................................... 39 Deep Roots.................................................................................................... 42 Busted Pipes................................................................................................. 45 A Perfect Storm............................................................................................. 48 Behold Deep Beauty..................................................................................... 52 Creating Bright Spots.................................................................................. 56 Giving Up The Struggle................................................................................ 60 Kicking Butt!................................................................................................. 63 Powerful Moments........................................................................................ 66 Balancing Life — Again!.............................................................................. 69 A Natural Pause............................................................................................ 72 Collecting Life’s Nectar................................................................................ 73 Heavy Packing.............................................................................................. 76 Progress Along The Path............................................................................. 79 Lessons From The Heart............................................................................. 82 Puppy Love................................................................................................... 85 Dog Days Of Summer................................................................................... 88 Christmas In August..................................................................................... 91 Dancing In The Rain..................................................................................... 94 Stuck In A Rut............................................................................................... 97 Barely Breathing......................................................................................... 100 Behind The Wheel...................................................................................... 103 Corridor of Uncertainty.............................................................................. 106 My Season Of Change................................................................................ 109 Warmed By The Sun................................................................................... 112 Exploring True Love................................................................................... 114 Buying Beauty............................................................................................. 117 My Own Brand Of Success........................................................................ 120 Sharing The Gift Of Hope........................................................................... 124 Mending The Fine China Cup.................................................................... 127 The Green-Eyed Dragon............................................................................ 131 Creating My Life.......................................................................................... 133 Dead Batteries And Behaviors.................................................................. 136 Super-highway To Creativity..................................................................... 139 Finding My Space....................................................................................... 143 The Gift Of Healthy Anger.......................................................................... 145 The Healing Power Of Compassion.......................................................... 149 Beauty Of Forgiveness.............................................................................. 153 Who Am I?................................................................................................... 157 Leaving The Comfortable.......................................................................... 161 The Heart Of The Matter............................................................................. 165 Riding Rain Clouds.................................................................................... 169 Warning: Danger?....................................................................................... 171 Finding My Path To Acceptance................................................................ 174 Coming Home To Myself............................................................................ 178 In Thanksgiving.......................................................................................... 182 My Hopeful Heart........................................................................................ 186 Darkness Before The Light........................................................................ 189 Unfolding The Gift Of Anxiety................................................................... 192 The Gift Of My Beloved.............................................................................. 195 Applying Fresh Paint.................................................................................. 198 Balancing My Wholeness: Masculine And Feminine.............................. 202 Giddy and Focused: Simultaneous Magic............................................... 206 At Our Best: We Are A Work In Progress As a young woman I never thought about progress or possibilities. My dreams were small – of being a hair stylist or stewardess. My journey has been defined by what I didn’t wantrather then what I wanted. At 18 I knew I didn’t want to be married; I didn’t want to have babies any time soon. I lived in reaction to life. I matured into adulthood, graduated from school, began my career and married. I was happy. Within the first six months of my 39thyear, my husband died of brain cancer and my father had a fatal heart attack. True to my past, I had fashioned my life in reaction to others; I was my husband’s wife and my father’s daughter. And when they were both gone, I found I didn’t know who I was. Who was the person who embodied those roles? So began the mid-life journey of discovering who I am and what new and wildly exciting things might be possible for the new and progressed version of myself. I still take on the role of my husband’s wife but I am no longer just the roles I play. I am someone who is insightful, honest, ethical and truthful. I’m compassionate, thoughtful, a good listener. I’m very reflective and very strong of spirit. I‘m a decent writer and when I speak, people listen. I’m becoming aware of my strong presence and my ability to lead. I’m aware of the prevalence of self-doubt and the fear I’ve felt over the years. Best of all, I’ve learned that I am a work in progress and, once aware of the negative self-talk, I’ve fired the internal critic that denies my worth and learned to treat myself gently. Creating Bright Spots It’s been a week since I read about it, but like a song that has captivated your mind, the concept of ‘bright spots’ keeps circling back into my consciousness. I’ve learned over the years that when my mind, like a dog with a bone, holds fast on an idea or a concept, there is something there for me to learn. I was turned on to the new book Switch, by Chip & Dan Heath, by my husband and two friends. With the third invitation, I knew I had to read it but I had no idea how captivating it would be for me. Like a lone voice calling out in the wilderness of life, I’m so glad that I heard it and responded to the call. The book is about how to create change. It is not a Pollyanna practice of only ‘being happy’. Heavens knows that if we could just do that, we would all do it! Its for those who realize that change is inevitable, but growth is optional. According to the Heaths, you reeve-up the engine of change by