Ashley Grey

Tag Archives: perspectives

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books, words

It is in a book. That which you seek! If you have the drive to seek it. There’s often an answer in the fine print and a lot of learning in belles-lettres. It is in a book. For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to unique literary styles and expressions. I read dictionaries and encyclopedias too when I was quite young. Yeah! I know! Nerdy stuff! I was curious about words and how to use them correctly. I still am! Some words are unusual. Art, stories about love, faith and adventure helped shape my world. “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” Jorge Luis Borges Well put, Jorge! All that was stored will have to come out in time, right? I truly enjoy writing. No surprise there! Maybe, because the things that take our attention, eventually manifest. Good or bad. One…

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living, nurture

Really this post should be about food, thoughts about food, but it is not. Instead it is about things to chew on and think about.  More a mental nourishment. Okay, maybe I can find a way to chip in something about food at the end. We’ll see! Sarah is one of a kind. Just give her a date and she can tell you what she was wearing, what she ate or did on that day. Genius! Blessed with a photographic memory. These are details we tend to forget because nothing eventful happened to trigger our brains to store and resuscitate such specifics. Have you met anyone like this? Hopefully, people like Sarah should inspire us to make an effort to recall names of people we have met, right? I mean, it’s the least we can do. Oh, the loud silence when we run into them and can’t make introductions! Experts,…

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qualities of leaderships that last

Hector (not real name) was a resourceful and charismatic leader. His story of courage is inspiring. What qualities do leaders like him have that make them unforgettable? What might we learn from them? Albert Einstein in his earliest years, hardly spoke a word. People thought he would end up retarded. Many years later, we remember him for his great contributions to science and humanity. Makes me think how ordinary people do extraordinary things! Even when they are first dismissed! Leaders put in work. For women in a male dominated field, like Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, it can be twice as hard to get ahead. Ultimately, her efforts at reconciling warring factions in Liberia is not soon forgotten. “The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them. If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf What qualities might leaders who…

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in a blaze of glory

A light bulb shines so bright, just before it burns out completely, doesn’t it?  Almost like, ensuring it uses up all its energy to create value in a blaze of glory. A blaze of glory implies a state of strength or high accolade surrounding a person or thing. “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up, it knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or a gazelle-when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” African proverb. It is difficult to establish the original author of this quote, (please do share in the comment section if you know) however, it is an interesting one. Like the lion and the gazelle, we have a chance to excel…

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work

Work is not simply fulfilling duties, is it? There seems to be more. Ivan is a famous chef. He thought he might share his culinary passion with his young son, who seemed to delight in his dad’s cordon bleu cooking. It would be a good bonding experience, he thought, and his son might learn about work at the same time. Then, one day, they had several men over for beers and a sandwich. Ivan gave his son Pete strict instructions, adding that a line cook is like a robot. Meals are to be perfect each time. Well, Pete slipped up. One of the sandwiches was burned. Asked how he could have allowed that slip up, Pete replied that the food was free. Why did it matter? Taking his son aside, Ivan told him that he is great at this- cooking, and touched lives simultaneously on the job. So he could…

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winning

We all want to know who’s winning at a game we find interesting. We all have our battles. Whether we win or lose may largely be due to activities behind the scenes. The story of Israel in 1 Samuel chapters 4 and 5 comes to mind. They had won battles, conquered armies and had quite a reputation as a result. So reading the account about their resounding defeat from the Philistine army was tough. Thousands lay dead. When one suffers, do we not all suffer since we are all connected in the great circle of life? What had gone wrong then? Had Israel taken victory for granted or is this just a case of “bad” stuff happening to “good” people? There didn’t seem to be any apparent reason for the loss. So, it may be in what is not easily seen. Had God deserted them? Reading further, we discover that…

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a promise kept

“A promise is a cloud, fulfillment is rain” is an Arabian proverb which just about sums up my thoughts on promises and keeping them. A promise is like an oath or a pledge to do or make something happen. A basis for expectation grows as soon as we make one. Promises are stronger than mere words, which is why we should keep promises when we make them. In the story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin we read about broken promises. Click here to read the full story. “I Thirst” narrates a promise fulfilled at great cost. The narrator feels just as thirsty while watching. Standing in the hot African sun My flesh feels the intense burn No respite from the angry glow This soda would offer hope. I take a sip Sweet, but I thirst still Ruthless in its brilliance I feel helpless against this radiance. A crown of…

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method in the madness

There is a method in the madness. This is an expression to mean there is a good reason for a plan or an action even though they may seem foolish or strange at first. In the story of creation in Genesis, God called forth light from darkness. It may seem a little strange to call light and beauty from darkness and nothingness, doesn’t it? No drama or running around or other complicated steps. Just calling forth life into existence and we have this vast expanse of creation.   No wonder, the Bible rightly describes God as the master builder and instructs us to be fruitful. Indeed, we can be when we have the God-nature in us to call the light from the dark places. Oh, what a privilege it is to co-create with God! George is who you might call a garbage collector. He speaks with a nice British accent…

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phrases

Sophie’s choice! A phrase that seems innocent enough. But is it? We use it so often without real thought to the story behind the phrase. I have always loved the name Sophie. Sometimes spelled Sofia or Sophia. It has a nice meaning too as far as I know. Wisdom!  So wisdom’s choice! How about that! Sophie’s choice began with a story about a woman named Sophie who had to choose between two terrible offers. Afterwards, she couldn’t live with her decision and committed suicide.  Click here for the full story. Her story bothered me. To have to make a choice when neither proposition is pleasant can be tough. What do we do at such moments? Now, seems like a good time to pray, “lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil.” Right? The woods Hard to say if Sophie could have done differently at the time. We have…

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