The works of Author C.L. Harmon
It is true we can acknowledge our own worth. But what value is that when we only spend it on ourselves? To value what others do is to provide them with a worth beyond one’s self. And in that is our value to others.
C.L. Harmon
Leave a CommentI have been really good at only two things in my life, writing and being a helper. The first came natural to me. The second, well I am not exactly sure how I became so good at. Perhaps it came naturally too. Or maybe it was something else. Possibly practice?
This is not to say that I haven’t learned how to do things and become proficient, maybe even good at a few. But taking the lead, taking control when things were broken was not something that came naturally. But I could certainly help those who did.
In most situations where there were two or more engaged in an activity, I found myself gravitating to that role of helper while someone else would gravitate towards taking control of the situation. I could get the tools they needed, could even guess with incredible accuracy what tool or part the others needed before they asked for it. I would have it in waiting before they even moved to their next thought of needing it.
Once I became familiar with a situation, I could read the room as it were. I could prepare for the next move and would usually be right. But still, I was just the helper. I wasn’t the one who actually fixed the problem. I was just someone who was there when it was fixed, cleaned up after, and lent a hand during the process.
For years that bothered me. I could find consolation in the successes of the other talent though as it progressed and brought me attention and praise from others. But it was not a replacement for how the other made me feel. I was still just a helper in many of the other situations that arose in my life. The person I was helping was always the one with the talent, the problem-solving skills that got things done as far as I was concerned.
But as I got older, I began to realize that a leader without a helper is just someone who is alone. They are someone who had to figure out how to get the right tool when their hands were otherwise engaged. They were alone without anyone to bounce ideas off of as they moved through their process of figuring out their next move. They were alone in their triumph of fixing the problem. They were alone in their struggle when the situation felt hopeless before the next revelation came. They were simply alone.
They needed me in ways I had never considered. They needed someone who might not have the natural ability, but had an encouraging word when the situation became difficult. They needed someone to do the multiple little things that were less important but necessary. They needed someone to pick up the parts so they could concentrate on the problem and someone to pick up the tools when the work area became too cluttered to find what they needed. They needed someone to high-five in the eureka moments. They needed to be helped.
Age also brought another bit of wisdom my way. It allowed me to see that in my other natural ability, I had been the problem-solver. I had been the one with the knowledge to lead others. Through my published works and the skill set I had acquired to deliver my words in just the right way, I was leading others. It further showed me that in that capacity I had been a helper too. I had just considered it a leadership role. In reality, we are all helpers in one capacity or another and at one time or another. Sometimes we are picking up tools and sweeping the floor so the leader in that role will have room to work. And other times, we are the helper who takes the lead role helping help others in need of our talents and gifts.
But in the end, what matters most is that we are there to help. What we think about ourselves in the moment when others are in the lead role is just a thought. What we contribute in those moments, however, is exactly what someone else needs most in that moment. And that, well that is the most natural talent of all.
C.L. Harmon
Leave a CommentFinding our way seems to imply we may be lost. When, in fact, it usually means just finding other ways. If we are not seeking new paths, then we truly will become lost. We are always on some path, but new ones exist because they are meant to take us to new understandings. Seeking anything new is not an indication we are off course, but proof we are enlightened enough to know that it often takes many paths and directions to reach the destinations where we belong.
C.L. Harmon
Leave a CommentThe practice of unfairness is a tool of the depraved and feeble minded. Those with integrity think outside the accepted constructs to expand the boundaries of moral thought and help empower all, while the weak in morality attack the righteous from the confines of their ignorance and insecurities.
C.L. Harmon
Leave a CommentThere will be days in our lives when we are blind because where we are going must be led by someone else. There will be hours we are deaf because what is being spoken is detrimental to our purpose. There will be moments we are without a voice because our words destroy more than build. There will be seconds we are utterly lost without direction because it is the responsibility of others to find us. But it is because of these deficits we become whole. Without them, we are only fragments of our choices, void of the direction which lead us to our Creator.
C.L. Harmon
Leave a CommentWhen you seek power, take note of the company in which you keep. The first being the devil who chose it over grace. Desired power, once achieved, will either own you through ego or pass through you with humility and wisdom. Choose wisely the importance you give the power you possess. Otherwise, it may become the force which has complete power over you.
C.L. Harmon
Leave a CommentWe must all spend our time in hell. We must walk amongst the proverbial fire and brimstone existent upon the earth because it is the only situation in life where we are thrust into seeking peace. Circumstances which contain little or no peace are the ones where we learn our current damnation is actually our guide that is pushing us along the road out of the eternal hell.
C.L. Harmon
Leave a CommentMindset
Faith is a climb. It is a continuous trek out from the depths of the trouble and despair that life frequently metes out. But the climb is not for the escape of our problems, it is the reminder that they are not ours alone. With each step of the climb, we are a bit closer to the one who has already taken care of those problems for us. We just don’t know it until we climb high enough to look down and see that God solved those problems while we were focused on the climb towards Him.
C.L. Harmon
Leave a CommentMake a mess, you can always clean it up. Make a decision. It may be wrong, but it might be right. Make a choice. It might not be what you want, but you will know what not to choose next time. Make time. You may never have another opportunity. Make peace. The only alternative is a hope to rest in peace. Make a way. Sometimes it is the only way. Make apologies. It builds a bridge to forgiveness. Make amends. It’s a down payment on future good will. Make a difference. It may be the difference that changes everything.
C.L. Harmon
I l Don’t Believe…
I don’t believe life has rhythm except in music and the rain. I don’t believe we get clarity. We just find different perspectives. I don’t believe storms harbor destructive intent, but sometimes just act out for attention. I believe chaos exists between purposes and we choose it because we can’t find our own purpose. I don’t believe we find direction, but that our way finds us. I believe power resides in faith and faith resides in our willingness to be powerless. I believe failure is a broken rung on a ladder, success is just a bigger step. I believe all things matter. I don’t believe most things matter all that much. I don’t believe love is something we do as much as something we choose to be. I don’t believe happiness comes from what we know, but from what we accept. I don’t believe success defines anyone I believe character defines everyone. I believe most people look inside for answers because it’s a shorter walk than outside. I don’t believe people rise and fall but rather remember and forget their capabilities. I believe love conquers all, but most would rather control than be conquered. I don’t believe identity is a sense of self, but a sense of belonging to He who created us. And I believe in me because not believing allows me no belief at all
C.L. Harmon
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