I just got back from my Woodworking class! I had a blast and at this point love every bit about it. As I indicated in a previous post, I suddenly fell in love with wood bicycles and realized that I need to bring this into my life.

Now, this may seem crazy or at least done on a whim. Though, I don’t thinks so. See, I have had it my goal to identify my goal for the last several months of active pursuit and for years prior to that as well.

So, when I found my goal … I decided to quickly swing into action. And one of those actions was to sign up for Wood Working II.

Wait, what? Why didn’t you sign up for Wood Working I. Oh, that’s easy … the class was full.

And when you are on fire, you just will not take “No” for an answer. So, I looked at the next level of class offered and noticed that it seeks people who took wood working I … or have equivalent experience.

Well heck! I built a beautiful canoe paddle back in 7th or 8th grade shop. In fact, you will see it in that picture above.

Not so much of a canoe paddle now though right. You are correct!

Around a month in to my start in personal development back in 2019 with Bob Proctor, there was the first of what would be a series of 3 snow storms that hit Seattle.

Now at the time, I was following a headstrong protocol of running down, up, down, and finally back up Seattle’s Magnolia Neighborhood’s Big Hill – Dravus!

And being the headstrong guy that I am … I went out in the snow, fell down and seriously sprained and possibly broke my left ankle.

Response? I brought it on and did a full 8 circuits of that hill!

That’s right! I don’t allow myself to suffer much pain … but, I seem to be damn good at suffering fools … or at least the fool of me.

Continuing, I ultimately was on my way up to the February consultants training with Bob Proctor and needed a cane … what to do.

Now, spend regular money for something like that … not on your life, that’s “very expensive” … and I certainly didn’t feel that I was worth the expense.

Then it dawn on me that I could use a paddle to make a cane.

Now, as a not incidental aside. My father took over and completed a cedar strip canoe that one of his family members had given up as too difficult.

In fact, I still have that canoe hanging out in our garage.

And with it are several different canoe paddles … all of which are generic.

But, I knew that molesting his property would never do. Solution, I decided to molest my own!

Kind of funny in that I justified it as creating a cane which I could give to my father and a breadboard to my wife as gifts.

Oh, and here I should not fail to mention that this was right about the time that the hammering commenced as to the stupidity of me being ‘hornswoggled’ by the resident Proctologist himself.

I was extremely frustrated that my family was not only not keen with the study that I was doing to be able to improve myself – but actually through several obstacles in my way and gave me hell … until they finally realized that they were not going to break my spirit … the only person who gets to break my spirit is me!

What happened? Well, I felt broken and they felt compelled to pound on my aims.

I liken this to them being the hammer, but I continued as the anvil!

Would I like to have that paddle back in it original form?

No. Symbolically, I decided to break the paddle … instead of allowing my family to break me.

At this point, these items are indications of relational frustrations. But, I now have the strength to not really allow it to bug me anymore.

It took years, but I am finally liberated.

Ok, it’s time for me to liberate myself from this computer and to get up to bed.

I have the Pacific Coast 5:30 AM Self-Confidence and Self-Discipline Boot Camp.

Join us! Our environment will be just what the doctor of the heart would always prescribe …

Love your neighbor as yourself. And be good to one another.

I think the first quote is attributed to Jesus; the second one … I don’t know – Was it Bill or was it Ted?

At any rate, I’m up way past my bedtime. So … Night-night.

Cheers! BZ/JUSTICE SMILES, pllc