Music, Movies, Poetry, Books can help BROKEN CRAYONS Begin to MEND AGAIN

Music, Movies, Poetry, Books 
can help BROKEN CRAYONS Begin to MEND AGAIN

Feeling moody.

Felling depressed.

Is nothing going right at this time?

What do you do to pull yourself out of the PITS?

Some days are Diamonds,
Some days are Stones

so John Denver wrote and sang years ago

Some Days Are Diamonds

John Denver

When you asked how I've been here without you
I'd like to say I've been fine and I do
But we both know the truth is hard to come by
And if I told the truth that's not quite true

Some days are diamonds, some days are stones
Sometimes the hard times won't leave me alone
Sometimes a cold wind blows a chill in my bones
Some days are diamonds, some days are stones

Now the face that I see in my mirror
More and more is a stranger to me
More and more I can see there's a danger
In becoming what I never thought I'd be

Some days are diamonds, some days are stones
Sometimes the hard times won't leave me alone
Sometimes a cold wind blows a chill in my bones
Some days…

Over the past 46 years of my life in 1971 since my nephew, Jimmy, died from leukemia I have tried to remember the words of this song and many others much like it.

Then my mother died of a broken heart later that same year.

During the next 11 months my life began to change dramatically.  First my first wife and I talked about moving to Massachusetts her home state where I would get a job in an architectural firm and work on a masters of art degree in Environmental Design.  

Then her parents spent a couple months in Florida in a house a friend had rented for the season and fell in love with the idea of moving to Florida and perhaps retiring early.

We went to visit them that Winter in Pompano and that began the idea that the entire family would move to Florida from my home state of Michigan.

I accepted the move.  I had nothing keeping me in Detroit or Michigan but with one requirement:

I would apply for a job at John Portman's office in Atlanta and we would moved there for 2 years so I could learn from that master of architecture and development.

Several letters were sent directly to John Portman supporting me from friends and professionals in Detroit upon my request.

No job offer ever happened.

So I began searching for jobs in architectural offices in Palm Beach County.  Got lucky and I was hired by one.

I ended up being the first person to move to West Palm Beach to work in Palm Beach.  I ended up living in my in-laws 30+ long motorhome parked in the driveway of one of my father-in-law's sisters home.

First week I worked in Palm Beach I knew I had made a mistake.

Oops!

Within a couple week I was also working with a second architectural firm in North Palm Beach at night and on Saturday and Sunday.  I was working 7 days a week in my new state.

Within a couple months I began looking for another job that I would move to at the end of 12 months.  I figured I owed the original firm at least that much time in exchange for them paying for me to move.

That is only the beginning of the various DOMINOES that would fall over or crash to the ground until I ended up divorced and laid off 4 years ago without a job.

I like perhaps you have experience my days that were

DIAMONDS

and many others that were 

STONES.

The key is to learn what brings you joy, satisfaction.

What is your PASSION or PURPOSE in your LIFE?

I have had 8 so far and have been searching for my 9th now since 2006.

Architecture

Cartooning

Writing

Interior Design

Graphics & Signage Design

Teacher/College Professor

Speaker/Trainer

Creative Thinking Consultant.

I have experience many DIAMONDS, earned awards and medals in each.

I have also have experience a variety of STONES or PITS as well along the way.

While studying to become a teacher I discovered many things we can do to pull ourselves out of the PITS and to turn the worst lumps of coal into Diamonds.

Two basic questions that I have lived by since 1978 are two of them:

1. What is Good About It?

always as this question until you can write a long list of answers about great, good, average, poor and terrible things that happen in your life.

When something bad happens ask

2. Will I laugh about this some day in the future?

If you can say even a mild, weak yes than start

LAUGHING NOW.  FIND THE FUNNY. Create funny about any aspect of what has happened.

Using these two questions I am alive now 40 years since learning them.