Looking For The Balcony People

Beautiful photo isn't it?  Sometimes it is easy to look out across a beautiful view and inhale in all the positive "vibes" it provides.

Sometimes it is harder.  Many years ago when I was going through some really difficult times, Someone recommended a little book to me called,  "Balcony People" by Joyce Landorf Heatherly.  It was very enlightening and uplifting.  I still highly recommend it

We need to learn how to "disengage" from those people who are constantly pulling us down..down from the heights and into the basement.  "Balcony people" are the cheerleaders in your daily life.  They are the ones who are there, no matter what the circumstances, lifting us up and cheering us on and encouraging.

The recent suicide of Robins Williams hit me, and I am sure a lot of others, particularly hard.  It seemed he was a man who literally had "everything."  At least it seemed that way.  But all the time he was haunted by his own "demons."  He had money, fame, power and family.  He had an amazing way of bringing laughter and smiles to the whole world, and yet - inside where no one could see - he had great sorrow...unfathomable sorrow.  Why?  No one really knows.  Perhaps we are actually inhabited at times by "demons" - sneaky little devils who rob us of pleasure and joy.  No amount of pills or counseling seems to help some people.

But I think what distresses me even more, are those crappy (for lack of a better word) "Basement People" who are constantly trying to put others down and steal their joy.  What is it with some of these? Some are just bound and determined to inflict misery wherever they go.  Sometimes it is because they are absolutely miserable within their own skins and want the rest of the world to join them there.  In some cases, it seems these people actually enjoy trying to create "drama" and make others suffer from the wake!

Beware the Basement People! Run for your life!  Dump the "Negative Nellies" now!  Scratch them out of you address book and delete them from your Social Media.  Life is short people, and can be a joyous, tumultuous roller coaster ride.  There should be times of great joy and there will be times of great sorrow.    Look for those people who will accompany you on the ride! Looks for those who will stand by your side when time are fun and when times are rough.  No one needs someone else to drag them even lower when things are on the tough side.  No one needs this kind of "friend" or even "family."  Disengage from them...forget them and move on...family or not!  I truly do believe that unless you have experienced some sadness in your life, it will not be possible to experience the extreme joy that living can bring.  Sometimes it is through the tough times that we learn and grow the most.  Learn to embrace those times and move on.

If you are suffering from depression, then please please see a counselor or physician.  Sometimes there are true chemical causes for depression that can be ameliorated by medication.  But, sometimes it is just a matter of "refocusing" on life.  Sometimes it is a matter of getting rid of those "Basement People" and finding more "Balcony People."

Learn to look at life through the eyes of your "inner child" again.  Splash in the puddles on a rainy day (not when it is thundering however!), float around a pool, lake or ocean on a small inner tube,  look up at the clouds and see "people" and "animals."  Really take the time to look at the beauty around you.  Enjoy the laughter of babies and children.  Live, really live while you have the time!

PEACE, LOVE & JOY

Need A Lift?

The really great man is the man who makes every man feel greatG.K.Chesterson

I read a book some years ago called Balcony People. I can't tell you how much help this little book was to me at a time when I felt like the whole world was crushing in on me.

Here is a very brief synopsis of what "Balcony People" is about.

Basement people are people who constantly pull you down or discourage you. Basement people in our grieving process can and do cause us much hurt and distraction. Basement people are the people who do not wish to hear about your difficulty, they do not want to talk about your hurt or actively help you go through the grief process. Basement people are also people who say ugly or uneducated things about your loss such as “Aren’t you over that by now?” Basement people criticize your bereavement or question every method you chose in dealing with your loss. Basement people make everything about them and their feelings; disregarding your feelings. Basement people can cause a lot of hurt (often, unintended) to you during your difficult times.

Balcony people are the people who pull you forward and along the road of grief or sorrow. Balcony people come beside you and cry with you, spend time listening to you talk of your loss and tell you stories they remember, too. Balcony people encourage you to seek ways to heal and process your loss. They understand that the way you chose to deal with the death or other loss may not be their way but it is what is good for you. Balcony people understand when you do not want them around but stand by just in case you change your mind. Balcony people cook or clean for you because you just do not have the energy or they do not comment when the house is a little (or a lot) messier than it used to be. Balcony people understand that you will never be the “old” you and help you to find the “new” you who will emerge through the grief and loss you have sustained.

Regardless of what your grief or loss may involve, death...divorce...loss of a job...loss of a home.."Balcony People" can help you through your tough times by teaching you to identify the balcony people and shy away from the basement people. Balcony People can even help you when you are struggling through the challenges of everyday life, and there seem to be those around who are dragging you down rather than lifting you up. We all need Balcony People in our lives!

So, if you are dealing with a time of loss or grief, or you know someone who is, try out the book "Balcony People."

TODAYS RECIPE

Here is a happy little recipe to put some zip in your life without putting pounds on your hips!

Banana Dream

1 Pint fat free sour cream
1 small box fat free/sugar free vanilla pudding (can use cheesecake flavor too)
8 ounce can crushed pineapple in own juice (drained)
2 sliced bananas
8 ounces fat free cool whip

Combine sour cream, pudding mix and pineaple. Pour into 8 x 8 pan. Slice bananas over mixture (if you are not a fan of bananas, you can use cherries, blueberries or other fruit)
Spread Cool Whip over fruit, and chill.

Serve when cold....makes 6 servings (only 3 WW points each) and it tastes like cheese cake!