Blog

Welcome to the Ankerline blog. Here I will be discussing ideas and issues that I feel share a common thread among us and our lives. Remember, while no two people are exactly the same, it is also true that no two people are exactly different. You are not alone. My desire is that these discussions will bring us together in positive ways and lead to hope, healing and encouragement for self improvement and positive change.

While this forum will allow you to comment, you will not be able to generate original threads. If you would like to deal with something specific, you have two options. Please email me at: Blog@Ankerline.com if you would like to see it discussed here. Otherwise, go to the Hall of Mirrors and hang a mirror of your own. There you can join an ongoing discussion, or start a new one where others will be able to join, comment and share feedback.

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Procrastination: Now? No, now.

I would venture a guess that as of this very moment, there is at least one thing on your “To Do” list that could have already been done – and perhaps, even should have been done – but hasn’t yet. If this is true, don’t worry. You are a long way from being alone. As Mark Twain said, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.”

 

One of the more common character flaws discussed among my clients, and people in general, is procrastination. Logically, most people know that by putting things off – and in extreme cases, simply ignoring them – not only do they remain undone, often times they get worse. From a growing pile of mail or bills, to going to the doctor – and everything in between – it’s remarkable what some people will avoid. But perhaps the most interesting aspect is what occurs when the task at hand is eventually faced, dealt with and then reflected back on. All too often, the feelings expressed are those of surprise and even confusion. “That wasn’t so difficult after all. What was that about? Why did it take me so long to do it? It was really kind of easy.”

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Forest for the Trees

I’ve been a passionate adventurer and thrill seeker ever since I was a kid. And one of my greatest pleasures has been skiing. When I was young and first learning the sport, I was taught about tree skiing – that is, how to safely and effectively move between clusters of trees. The core lesson is simple – DON’T focus on the trees, focus on the gaps. If you look at the trees you will HIT the trees, so look where you need to go and not at what you want to avoid.

 

This principle can certainly be applied to other areas of life. Of course there are going to be challenges. Of course there are going to be forces which will make the course difficult and accomplishing its goals hard. But what we focus on expands, so if we concentrate on the “trees,” they will remain in our way and perhaps even appear to grow. We must shoot through the gaps.

 

Think about your strengths, take positive action toward gaining that which you desire and believe that you deserve it. Visualize yourself succeeding. Don’t be afraid, don’t hesitate, and you too will make it through the tight spots, enjoy the thrill of navigating life’s “trees,” and find yourself in more open spaces.

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Moving Still

Here’s another piece from ’97, this time composed in April. As college graduation was approaching, I found myself thinking about the balance between living in the moment and looking ahead toward what I hoped to accomplish. I believe that the search for this friction point is something that will always be one of the keys to happiness for us all.

 

Moving Still — 4.28.97

 

And then the Sun melted
like an ice cube on the horizon,
As the palette of the sky
began to fade,

 

While the water
that it shines on
Was enveloped in darkness
’til the following day.

 

The moon appeared and made the waves smile,
And so they danced with the wind for a while.

 

I forgot my name and lost my body,
took a deep breath and kept it held.
Memories of the past became erratic and shoddy,
as the present before me completely gelled.

 

Exhaling slowly, I felt transparent,
saturated with the gentle breeze of friendly night air.
Then, for a moment, I focused intently,
mentally bronzing this moment I share.

 

Cradled in the arms of that water world,
lies a potential unrealized by those strapped to shore.
As the tide begins to turn, our time floats in,
and we, like the water, must let out our roar.

 

So ho ho ho, raise your rum, and drink with me to what’s to come.

 

And one day when we’re old sea dogs,
we’ll link our ships, and share our tales.
But meanwhile, I can hear the ocean call,
let’s loosen our knots and set our sails.

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Lao-tzu +

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” -Lao-tzu

 

This is certainly true of the beginning. However, if we desire that the journey continue, we are required to take additional steps, and those steps ought to be taken with a degree of consistency. Never forget, if we stop “stepping,” the journey ends.

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Mr. Adversity

This is a poem I wrote back in February of ’97. It still holds up for me today. The words are below and I’m also attaching an audio file of how it plays in my mind.

 

Read it, listen to it — I hope you like it.

 

Here’s wishing us all continued success and good things in the new year.

 

 

Mr. Adversity — 2.21.97

 

So, I hear you met Adversity.
How was he dressed?
Did he come from behind, or look you straight in the chest?

 

Was he charming, clean cut?
Did he present you with gifts?
Scars, like trophies, for patching your rifts?

 

Or did he come as a boy
With a leash in his hand?
Trailing a few steps behind his puppy, Demand?

 

Did he tell you the story
Of the mountain and the man?
One climbed the other and reduced it to sand.

 

He isn’t very smart,
But able to teach.
If you take time to translate all his figures of speech.

 

When next he approaches
And wants to trade,
Remember the games that you’ve already played.

 

As long as you’re careful
Not to over extend your length,
Enjoy the pleasure of the power to be gained from his strength.

 

And one day when Adversity
Grows to be old,
Maybe you’ll pass on that tale you were told.

 

You know, the one about the mountain and the man,
As you look down the mountain, and see nothing but sand.

 

Mr. Adversity.mp3

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