"carlana stone" - The Courage Community - Inspiring Action, Through InterAction.

A Sunset Philosphy A Sunset Philosphy

From: CROSSROADS
Description:



Admittedly, I'm a control freak! My daddy sent me this beautiful photo which he took as the sun set in Anna Maria Island where my parents live.
Attached to the phenomenal picture of the awe-inspring sunset was this important message:
A Sunset Philosophy
(adopted from Dr. Carl Rogers)

"I have come to think that one of the most satisfying experiences I know and also one of the most growth promoting experiences for the other person is just fully appreciate this individual in the same way I appreciate a sunset.

People are just as wonderful sunsets if I can just let them be. In fact, perhaps the reason we can truly appreciate a sunset is that we cannot control it. When I look at a sunset as I did the other evening, I don't find myself saying, 'Soften the orange a little on the right hand corner, and put on a bit more purple along the base, and use a little more pink in the cloud color.' I don't do that. I don't try to control the sunset. I watch it with all as it unfolds.

I like myself best when I can experience my staff member, my son, my daughter, in the same way, appreciating the unfolding of a life... A person who is loved appreciatively, not possessively, blooms, and develops his own unique self. The person who loves non-possessively is himself enriched."
Blog post
7 months ago
Views: 452
Not yet rated

WHAT'S PARALYZING YOU? WHAT'S PARALYZING YOU?

From: CROSSROADS
Description:

Terrible things can happen at anytime. To any one of us.
Sometimes we can see them coming, and other times they can hit us like a line drive and shatter everything we know in one seemingly endless moment.

The journey back from tragedy is not always easy or pain-free. Adversities are challenges. We can allow them to consume us or we can use them as tools to become better human beings.
I might have lost the use of my legs, the most critical element of my identity (during that phase of my life;) however, I found something much stronger and more everlasting.
Essentially, my paralysis has put me in the unique position to see how alike we all are. I've learned along the way that paralysis comes in many forms. A divorce, the loss of a job or losing a loved one - these things can leave us feeling emotionally paralyzed.
I believe our mutual struggles help us gain strength and insight from one another.
Through sharing our challenges, my hope is for us to realize a chance to grow together.
Blog post
7 months ago
Views: 308
Not yet rated

Denial... Ain't Just a River i Denial... Ain't Just a River in Egypt

From: CROSSROADS
Description:



When you're in denial, there's nothing more annoying than someone wanting you to talk about things like feelings and fears. I've learned (still am) that when I'm in denial, Fear Dominates!

Following most traumatic occurences in my life, I tend to run from reality and masterfully devise the perfect escape route. A hide-out. Kinda like the treehouse i remember as a kid. I would retreat to that treehouse in a desperate attempt to protect myself from the evil that lurked all around me.

For me, Denial had become a matter of self-preservation, in addition to my overwhelming desire, my need to protect my family from more pain. More hurt. As far as I was concerned, the task that lay before me while daunting at times, was still something I could handle... alone. I mean, c'mon. I was a gymnast. I was strong. I was a survivor. I just wanted to spare everyone I loved from any more pain. I mean, I can handle it. I just couldn't stand seeing how much pain this whole thing was causing them.

However, in retrospect, I realize that by doing so, I created the proverbial situation of no one wanting to address the elephant in the room.

I've learned over the years, that at some point, in order to make it through - in order to Evolve - we must acknowledge the beast!
Blog post
7 months ago
Views: 331
Not yet rated

CONFRONTING THE ELEPHANT IN TH CONFRONTING THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

From: CROSSROADS
Description:


Well, let’s see, I’ve been sitting here for 23 years now. So yeah, I think it’s safe to say that it’s pretty permanent. I’ve learned to bathe and clothe myself. I use a wheelchair but I can still drive a car, however I prefer riding my Harley. I can’t walk, but I can fly…

Whether it’s been a reporter interviewing me for my first solo flight as a paraplegic, or someone I meet on the street or in a grocery store or night club -
Each and every time I go out, I hear the same questions asked. My responses, at times, may sound “rehearsed” or “polished,” or not genuine enough – probably because I’ve answered them close to a million times.

So, let’s address the proverbial elephant in the room…

Here are some of those questions I get …

HOW WERE YOU INJURED? IS THIS PERMANENT?
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP LIKE WITH THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE CAR THAT NIGHT? DID Y’ALL EVER TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED?
HAVE YOU FORGIVEN THE PERSON DRIVING THE CAR? HOW DO YOU THINK THE DRIVER FEELS?
HAVE YOU EVER FOUND YOURSELF IN DENIAL?
WHAT ABOUT FEELINGS OF GUILT?
DO YOU EVER HAVE DAYS WHEN YOU FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF?
DID YOU EVER CONSIDER KILLING YOURSELF?
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED BEING IN A WHEELCHAIR?
DO YOU EVER GET JEALOUS OF PEOPLE WHO CAN WALK?
CAN YOU STILL HAVE SEX?
ARE YOU STILL ABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN?

From time to time, I'll be posting some VERY candid responses to these questions (not necessarily in order) No holds-barred honesty.
Here, you’ll see me raw and real. You’ll see me for who I truly am.
Rules here are… there aren’t any… not when it comes to asking questions. So, fire away. Ask anything you want. If I’m not ready to answer it, I’ll let ya know.

And hopefully you’ll feel safe enough to show yourself and share your own unique story and your struggles.

Because we are not alone.
Blog post
7 months ago
Views: 357
Not yet rated

Pin Pricks Pin Pricks

From: CROSSROADS
Description:


Okay. As promised, I'm addressing that big bad elephant in the room.
DO I EVER HAVE DAYS WHEN YOU FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF?
THEN...
I remember being in physical therapy - and the first "assessment" - I remember being pricked with sharp pins in my legs. I watched as the doctor inserted the sharp pin into my leg, however as i looked on, I felt nothing. My legs were as numb as my emotions. I outright refused to accept what was happening to me. To me! What have I done to deserve this? Well, I rationalized, I made the choice, I paid the price. Suddenly, i felt my world crumbing all around me. "Will I ever be 'normal' again?" I was panicked. But not one living soul was the wiser to my crafty ability to conceal the pain - the Fear -that was stewing inside of me.

And to add insult to injury, following the "pin-prick" test, they measured me for my new wheelchair. Again, I grew distressed and this time, angry... which in my mind, is just another form that Fear takes on. "Why did they think I needed my own chair? Obviously, they don't understand who they were dealing with. This is just temporary" I thought. But somewhere, submerged in my subconscious, I knew. They knew. This isn't just "temporary."

Everywhere I looked were signs of deep-rooted change. My legs were thinning. My ass, once solid as a rock, was beginning to lose its form. These images of the ever-changing landscape of my body raced through my mind - the things so central to my being...my identity. I was literally coming apart and there was nothing in the world I could do to stop it.

The unbearable was quickly becoming the new normal.
Blog post
7 months ago
Views: 359
Not yet rated

Fortune Cookies Fortune Cookies

From: CROSSROADS
Description:



Tonight, John and I had Chinese take-out.

Orange Chicken? Scrumptious.
Spicy Kung Pao. Any day of the week.
Lo Mein. Yummy.

While a tasty Chinese dinner satiates my palate, nothin beats that Fortune-telling delight to finish it off.

I love fortune cookies. While I do notice whether the cookie's fresh and crunchy or old and chewy, it's pretty irrelevant to the fortune inside that predicts my fate.

At times, I'll freely admit, I've found myself searching desperately for any sign of Hope. Yup... even a fortune cookie.

Diggin into the now (almost) empty bag which enveloped the cartons containing the tasty Chinese dinner, I reach in to grab the fortune-telling cookie.

There's no mistaking these cookies are predestined for their recipient. You know the rules. Whichever cookie is pointing toward any given person, that's the one that predicts our future.

Mine read:

"You will have full contentment by summer's end." I taped it to my computer.

More often than not, I find myself latching onto something in the future as holding the promise of hope. But in my mind, I know how critical it is for me to stay in the present. In the moment. All I have is right now. If my mind is so fixated on what "tomorrow" might bring, what happens to today? What am I missing out on this very second? I've discovered that I miss all of the promising things that our Now has to offer.

The longest stretch of highway, they say, is from the mind to the heart.

I'm working on living in the Now.
Blog post
7 months ago
Views: 287
Not yet rated

Children and inspiration Children and inspiration

From: BuildingBridges
Description:

 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
I'm excited to start my journey here at the courage community. I hope you'll join me soon. I'm traveling this week, but will be back in touch next week to share some of this crazy ride with all its twists and turns.
BTW if you are traveling a straight road - in life that woudl be - let me know which one it is I still haven't found one.
I want to share a little bit about my children who are such a big part of my life. I have five daughters.
My kids inspire me to be a better person. They test my patience, they make me laugh, they make me cry, they humble me.I can always do better for them.
My daughter Anna has a special place in my heart. One that includes uneven bars, a beam, a bouncy floor and a vault. Anna is six and a half years old. She’s a competitive gymnast.
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4  /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
Gymnastics is tough. It demands everything and more. Anna trains twenty hours per week. Her love of gymnastics is far older than her young age. It’s so big I wonder if her little heart can hold it all in one place. That’s why sometimes I carry that love in my heart. That’s why sometimes my heart skips a beat when she tumbles through the air.
But then I look at her face and there she is, my Anna. Smiling at her coach. She has hard calluses on her hands from all the time spent on those uneven bars. She’s so proud when she gets a rip, when she does a kip with straight arms. She doesn’t stop when it’s tough. Even if the high bar looks far from where she’s standing. And she just goes for it. Some days she sticks it. Some days she falls on her butt. But she keeps going back and striving for more.
I stand on the sidelines because I can’t make it happen for her. No one can. It’s all within her. I can bring you to the road she wishes to take but she walks this path alone. I’m here, I watch and smile and kiss her little cheek. And shed a tear when she falls and gets hurt. Sometimes I wonder if it’s too much for a small child, but she can’t seem to stop practicing no matter where we go. she's determined and strong and she's one of the loves of my life.
How do your kids inspire you?
Blog post
10 months ago
Views: 323
Not yet rated

Fearless in Love_John & Carlan Fearless in Love_John & Carlana Pics6

From: Carlana
Description:

Fearless in Love

John & Carlana Pics
11 months ago
Views: 322
Not yet rated

Fearless in Love_John & Carlan Fearless in Love_John & Carlana Pics2

From: Carlana
Description:

Fearless in Love

John & Carlana Pics
11 months ago
Views: 415
Not yet rated

Fearless in Love_John & Carlan Fearless in Love_John & Carlana Pics3

From: Carlana
Description:

Fearless in Love

John & Carlana Pics
11 months ago
Views: 596
Not yet rated

Fearless in Love_John & Carlan Fearless in Love_John & Carlana Pics4

From: Carlana
Description:

Fearless in Love

John & Carlana Pics
11 months ago
Views: 391
Not yet rated

Fearless in Love_John & Carlan Fearless in Love_John & Carlana Pics5

From: Carlana
Description:

Fearless in Love

John & Carlana Pics
11 months ago
Views: 1088
Not yet rated

FLYING PICS_COCKPIT2 FLYING PICS_COCKPIT2

From: Carlana
Description:

WHEELS TO WINGS

FLYING PICS

INSIDE THE COCKPIT

PIPER CHEROKEE 180

HAND CONTROLS
11 months ago
Views: 158
Not yet rated

FLYING PICS_COCKPIT3 FLYING PICS_COCKPIT3

From: Carlana
Description:

WHEELS TO WINGS

FLYING PICS

INSIDE THE COCKPIT

PIPER CHEROKEE 180

HAND CONTROLS
11 months ago
Views: 138
Not yet rated

FLYING PICS_COCKPIT1 FLYING PICS_COCKPIT1

From: Carlana
Description:

WHEELS TO WINGS

FLYING PICS

INSIDE THE COCKPIT

PIPER CHEROKEE 180

HAND CONTROLS
11 months ago
Views: 120
Not yet rated

FLYING PICS_COCKPIT4 FLYING PICS_COCKPIT4

From: Carlana
Description:

WHEELS TO WINGS

FLYING PICS

INSIDE THE COCKPIT

PIPER CHEROKEE 180

HAND CONTROLS
11 months ago
Views: 131
Not yet rated

FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS2 FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS2

From: Carlana
Description:

FLYING PICS

WHEELS TO WINGS
11 months ago
Views: 207
Not yet rated

FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS1 FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS1

From: Carlana
Description:

FLYING PICS

WHEELS TO WINGS
11 months ago
Views: 164
Not yet rated

FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS4 FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS4

From: Carlana
Description:

FLYING PICS

WHEELS TO WINGS
11 months ago
Views: 163
Not yet rated

FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS5 FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS5

From: Carlana
Description:

FLYING PICS

WHEELS TO WINGS
11 months ago
Views: 83
Not yet rated

249 Search Results for ""carlana stone""

A Sunset Philosphy A Sunset Philosphy

WHAT'S PARALYZING YOU? WHAT'S PARALYZING YOU?

Denial... Ain't Just a River i Denial... Ain't Just a River in Egypt

CONFRONTING THE ELEPHANT IN TH CONFRONTING THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Pin Pricks Pin Pricks

Fortune Cookies Fortune Cookies

Children and inspiration Children and inspiration

Fearless in Love_John & Carlan Fearless in Love_John & Carlana Pics6

Fearless in Love_John & Carlan Fearless in Love_John & Carlana Pics2

Fearless in Love_John & Carlan Fearless in Love_John & Carlana Pics3

Fearless in Love_John & Carlan Fearless in Love_John & Carlana Pics4

Fearless in Love_John & Carlan Fearless in Love_John & Carlana Pics5

FLYING PICS_COCKPIT2 FLYING PICS_COCKPIT2

FLYING PICS_COCKPIT3 FLYING PICS_COCKPIT3

FLYING PICS_COCKPIT1 FLYING PICS_COCKPIT1

FLYING PICS_COCKPIT4 FLYING PICS_COCKPIT4

FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS2 FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS2

FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS1 FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS1

FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS4 FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS4

FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS5 FLYING PICS_WHEELS TO WINGS5

Terms of Service