Posts Tagged ‘emotions’

The Right Kind Of Friends

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

While surfing the net, as I do a lot, I found this video by country and western singer Tracy Lawrence. In the song he is singing about how you know when someone is really your friend. True to good country and western style he is expressing his idea of true friendship in a practical and pragmatic way. Which of your friends would drive a hundred miles to pick you up if your car broke down?

Though most of us may not choose to decide on our friends based entirely on this basis the premise of what he is saying remains true. Some people claim to be your friends but when things get tough they are nowhere to be found.

My father used to say that there was nothing wrong with having a few of these fairweather friends, friendship is also about having a good time and some people are really only good for that but make sure you know which type of friends is which. Ask your self the same question about each one of your friends ” If I was in real trouble would I be happy if this person was the only one there with me”. It is funny but each time I asked myself the question about a friend I instantly knew the answer and I was rarely proven wrong.

It takes all kinds of friends to make your living a happy experience and they all serve a purpose but when you find one of these friends that you know you can count on to stick by you through thick or thin, you know you really have something special.

Sometimes life may get in the way of that friendship and people get misplaced but I like to think that if the friendship was a true one you are destined to re find that friend, especially if you are prepared to put in a little effort. So, if you have lost a mate that you know would have driven a hundred miles to pick you up when your car broke down then perhaps it is time you found them again. They are rare and you need them in your life.

You Find Out Who Your Friends Are – Tracy Lawrence

Run your car off the side of the road
Get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of nowhere
Or get yourself in a bind lose the shirt off your back
Need a floor, need a couch, need a bus fare

This is where the rubber meets the road
This is where the cream is gonna rise
This is what you really didn’t know
This is where the truth don’t lie

{Chorus}
You find out who your friends are
Somebody’s gonna drop everything
Run out and crank up their car
Hit the gas, get there fast
Never stop to think ‘what’s in it for me?’ or ‘it’s way too far’
They just show on up with their big old heart
You find out who your friends are

Everybody wants to slap your back
wants to shake your hand
when you’re up on top of that mountain
But let one of those rocks give way then you slide back down look up
and see who’s around then

This ain’t where the road comes to an end
This ain’t where the bandwagon stops
This is just one of those times when
A lot of folks jump off

{Chorus}

When the water’s high
When the weather’s not so fair
When the well runs dry
Who’s gonna be there?

{Chorus}

You find out who your friends are
(yeah, yeah)
You find out who your friends are

Run your car off the side of the road
Get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of nowhere
(Well man, I’ve been there)
Or get yourself in a bind lose the shirt off your back
Need a floor, need a couch, need a bus fare
(Man, I’ve been there)

Man, I’ve been there
Oooh yeah.

Take Time To Thank Someone

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

As we’re approaching Thanksgiving here in the states, we quite often think about the things and people we’re thankful for. Whether it’s been a year full of challenges and difficulties, or a year that’s been exciting, it’s good to reflect on the things you’re thankful for.

As I think back over the past few months, I’m thankful for…God, family, friends who love me unconditionally, the smile of my one year old great niece, the colors of autumn, my jobs, my house, the small pond outback, and the list goes on.

One person I am especially thankful for is my aunt. Melvena is my mother’s sister and has become like a mom to me after losing my mother to cancer in 2000. During the warmer months, we live in the same town and talk almost every day. We try to go out to dinner at least once every couple of weeks and we enjoy playing card games together. We have done some traveling. When I need advice or just need to vent, Melvena is very willing to listen. She’s honest with her answers and helps me to consider options that I’m not always aware of. She is a best friend and mother wrapped up in one.

Who are you especially thankful for? A family member? A friend? A teacher? How about dropping a line, sending an email or making a call and letting that person know how special he/she is. It will do you both good, and it may be something that that person really needs to hear.

If you have lost track of where the person lives, let us help you. Do a search on www.justisry.com. Tell someone thanks while you still have a chance.

Listen to your heart…

Making Yesterday’s Memory, Tomorrow’s Destiny

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Are you thinking about searching for someone? Is there a person you’ve encountered and you just can’t stop wondering about him or her? Do you find yourself getting lost in thoughts of “what if”? Do you desire to be with someone?

If you answered “yes” to any of these, then what’s stopping you? Sometimes the other person doesn’t have a clue that you are interested in him/her. Weeks, months and years can go by and nothing comes of the relationship. However, if you take a chance on expressing interest in the person, the relationship might take off! And if nothing happens, at least you’ll ease the questions swarming around in your mind.

Such is the case with Dale and Suzanne…

Dale was a truck driver and twice a month made a delivery in the small southern town that Suzanne lived in. Each time he was in town, he stopped at the local restaurant where Suzanne was a waitress. The first time she took his order, Dale was taken in by Suzanne’s southern accent and big smile. They would chat about the states that he recently drove through and how his kids were doing.

Each time Dale left the restaurant, he felt a yearning in his heart. He wondered what life would be like with Suzanne. She was easy to talk with, her quirky laugh made him laugh, and he noticed no wedding ring. Suzanne found herself thinking of Dale as well…he was attentive, a loving father…and obviously must be married.

After a year or so of this routine, Dale finally decided to take a chance. After enjoying his usual toasted cheese sandwich and curly fries and chatting with Suzanne and some of the local customers, Dale pulled out his wallet to pay the bill. He also pulled out a note that read, “Suzanne, I need to see you. If you’re available, please meet me in the lounge of Highland’s Hotel tonight after you’re out of work. Dale” He then tucked the note in between the dollars.

A few minutes later when Suzanne cleared Dale’s dishes and picked up the money, she discovered the note. Although she felt a rush of excitement at the thought of Dale having interest in her, she then became furious that a married man wanted to see her. Seeing the odd look on Suzanne’s face, another waitress, Traci, asked what was wrong. Traci had also talked with Dale several times and felt he was a decent man. She encouraged Suzanne to meet him and to at least find out whether or not he was married.

After going home and changing her clothes, Suzanne showed up at the lounge. Dale had changed his clothes as well and stood before her with a dozen roses. He invited her to sit down and for the next several hours they chatted. Yes, Suzanne found out that Dale’s wife had passed away. His sister actually had moved into the home to help care for his children while he was on the road.

Within a few months, Dale proposed to Suzanne and she accepted. Just recently they celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. And just like they did on the past 19 anniversaries, Dale and Suzanne talk about “what if” he never left that note.

So what are your “what if’s”? Is there someone you want to get in touch with? Let www.justisry.com help you!!! Let us help make yesterday’s memory, tomorrow’s destiny.

Listen to your heart…

Sound Advice from Australia For Finding Friends

Friday, November 13th, 2009
Popular Aussie Morning show: Segment on finding friends

Popular Aussie Morning show: Segment on finding friends

This week a popular morning program shot in Sydney had a whole segment on finding old friends, how to do it, why we do it and the merits of doing it.

They talked about some of the ways we can catch up with old friends and we have looked at a lot of them in previous posts, Facebook and Twitter were mentioned and the ways they can be used. What I found most interesting though was the talk on the psychological reasons people feel a need to reconnect with people from their past.

For most of us the desire to find old friends is coming from quite a healthy place. We just want to catch up and see what our friend is up to. If a bigger relationship grows from this then it would be fine. For others though their drive is not quite so balanced. For example, the psychologist pointed out that there are those people who want to find someone just so they can prove a point. Usually how much better they have done in life than the other person. This often stems from a sense of inadequacy experienced around this person when they were younger and it can be very unhealthy. If you are looking for someone for that reason you may actually be better to let it go and if you are still determined to find them be careful it does not turn into an obsession.

The other thing the psychologist warned against was unreasonable expectations. It is important that you prepare yourself mentally for realistic outcomes. If the person you are searching for is someone you have previously had a relationship with you need to be prepared for the fact that they may now be with someone else and want nothing more than friendship from you. Even if the person was simply a friend it is a sad truth that people change and they may be very different from the person you lost contact with all those years ago.

It is true to say that actually neither of these things are inherently bad outcomes. Friendship is a very valuable thing and can easily play just as an important role in our lives as a relationship. And even though your friend may have changed there is nothing to say that the changes are not something you will quite like; after all I am sure you have changed too.

So long as you have healthy and realistic expectations of the things that could happen when you find the person you are searching for then I feel there is nothing to lose and everything to gain from continuing your search and that seemed to be the feelings of the psychologist too. So have a little bit of an examination of your motives and your expectation and then happy searching!

An Unusal Way To Find Royalty

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

The lengths some people will go to to contact an old friend.

The lengths some people will go to to contact an old friend.

Most of us are trawling the usual channels to find our old friends. Some people, however, come up with some very inventive methods. I guess it depends who you are searching for.

An old friend of Camilla Parker Bowles, now wife of Prince Charles made sure that she reconnected with her old mate. The now Duchess of Cornwall was faced with this blast from her teenage past as she did a walkaround in Victoria, British Columbia on her present tour of Canadia.

The enterprising former friend of the Duchess held a sign that said ” Camillia, Lottie here. Remember Mon Fertile 1963-64.” The sign referred to a time in Camilla’s past when she attended a Swiss finishing school with the lady holding the sign, Ms Charlotte Ericson.

Ms Ericson remembers those school days well and recalls that

“We were just typical crazy teenage girls, into the Beatles, hair, make-up and clothes.We would stay up late talking about the boys we fancied and eating Swiss chocolate and giggling.There were a lot of girls there and she would spend most of her time with the British girls, but we got to know each other.”

-

Camillia grew up in Sussex and was educated in an exclusive British school for the early years of her life before heading off to this particular Swiss finishing school and then another one in France. The finishing school placed a lot of emphasise on learning sewing, typing and etiquette according to Ms Ericson who is quite sure that these skills have held Camilla in good stead for her present role as the Duchess.

Ms Ericson was thrilled to catch up with her old friends and stated that she would be getting on the phone to other former school friends of Camilla’s to tell them she has spoken to her.

Camilla held up her walkabout to stand and chat with her old friend, proving that no matter how famous you may be we are all partial to a bit of nostalgia from time to time.

This was an extraordinary length for Ms Lottie Ericson to go to to find an old friend but she certainly seemed to think it was worth it. Most of us will not have to do anything nearly as public to make contact with whoever we are searching for. Which is probably just as well as I know I, for one would not have the stomach for doing something like that.

But just because our lost friends are less famous does not mean our searches are any less important. I am loving reading all the comments that people are leaving and am so keen to hear more about how all your searches are progressing.

Forgive and Forget. Then Find.

Friday, November 6th, 2009

 

 

Sometimes we lose contact with people we love accidentally, sometimes however, it is very much on purpose.

If you look back through your life how many people have you decided not to contact again because you fell out over something? For some of you this may be a figure of zero but most of us are volatile enough that there is at least one person who we fought with and now wish we hadn’t.

Especially when we are young it is easy to get into arguments that seem vitally important at the time and to stop speaking to a friend on a point of principle. I am not critising having principles, they are very important but they are often not worth losing a good friend over, especially if, on reflection, there may have been more than a hint of stubborness mixed in with the principle.

Even if the argument was over something very important and you still belive you were correct, holding on to a grudge has been medically proven to be bad for your health and certainly your mental state of mind. Evaluate the situation; is it possible that the mistake the other person made is forgivable? By this stage in your life you probably see a truth more clearly than you did when you were young and that truth is; we all make mistakes.

The fact that you have also made mistakes in your life may make it easier for you to  look back on the situation and bring yourself to forgive and forget. Then perhaps you can move on and realise that it is about time you found this person, especially if they once meant a lot to you.

Forgivness is not as easy as some people make it sound, I know that from experience but time does lend perspective and I really believe that we sometimes need to look back through our lives with the benefit of that perspective. It really can help you to see things more clearly and to judge them for what they are.

Once you do this, forgiving and forgetting may come a lot more easily to you. Then you should try to find this important person that you lost and see if they want to be part of your life, they were important to you once for a reason. There is a very good chance that if you can put this incident, whatever it may be behind you they can be important to you again.

One thing I am certain of; if you have been thinking about them then it is a fairly fair bet they they have never forgotten you either. So what not give it a go. Forgive and forget and find your missing friend.

Facades

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

A facade...a deceptive front

A facade...a deceptive front

Today is Halloween in the United States. A day where children turn into monsters, a favorite TV star, a princess…whatever they would like to dress up as. As they go knocking door-to-door and hollering “trick or treat” with the hopes of receiving candy, stickers or some other token, they enjoy the reaction of those handing out the goodies. It’s fun pretending to be someone or something else.

Yet, there are many times when we as adults pretend as well, but it’s not so fun. How many times have you responded with “fine thank you” when someone asked how you were doing? You have a smile on your face, but your mind is screaming “it’s a horrible day!” We’ve been conditioned to give a courteous answer and not let people know how we really are. Perhaps you put on a facade at work. You’re overwhelmed by the responsibilities, but when people observe you, you appear to have everything under control. Or how about at home? Your friends think that you and your spouse have a great relationship, but you’ve been contemplating a separation for months.

In their song, “Does Anybody Hear Her?”, Casting Crowns tells about a young woman who is running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction. Part of the lyrics are:
“Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see her?
Or does anybody even know she’s going down today?
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that’s tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see her?”

During this next week, take time to notice the facades of those around you…offer an encouraging word…offer some hope…offer the opportunity to let someone reveal who he/she truly is.

Listen to your heart…