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Columns : Opinions - Joye Ritchie Greene Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM


A work in progress
By Joye Ritchie-Greene
Aug 18, 2007 - 6:00:09 PM

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Perhaps the time has come for us to stop looking for someone else to make us happy. We need to look for our own source of happiness. We cannot allow ourselves to be sucked into a Janet Jackson world of “what have you done for me lately?”

When we rely on ourselves for happiness, we are less likely to feel remorse or self-loathing for wrong choices. When the choir sings it is not necessary for all of us to join in. Let them sing while we sit back and enjoy it. Life is not as complicated as we make it out to be. In fact, I think we bring the chaos into our lives when we look to others or to things to complete us.

There is simplicity in nature that allows us to see the beauty of ourselves, if we allow ourselves that very much needed time and space for self. This is not something new that you are hearing. Perhaps you could say it is a common theme running through this column each week. Yet for some unspoken reason, we see it and hear it, but don’t believe it.

I truly believe that the first step to making oneself happy is to listen to the voice or sixth sense you hear from time to time whispering in your head. We all have this little voice, but for whatever reason, we choose to ignore it and continue each day in drudgery followed by regret.

We are all works in progress and what this means is that we must continue to work on ourselves to try and reach that level of human perfection. Not perfection in the sense that we are without fault or sin, but rather perfection in what we have been called to be.

I realize that many people find themselves in a rut at some point in their lives, wondering if they are on the right job. Some people lose sleep at night because they just can’t stand having to go to work the next morning. If you are feeling this way, then it is quite likely that you are not doing what you were called to do.

On the day of my 16th birthday, my father asked me what I was going to do with the rest of my life. After getting over the initial shock of that question, the wheels in my mind began to turn.

No, I did not know what I wanted to do with my life at the age of 16, but what I realized at that moment was that I had to begin a journey that would lead me to the answer. And, in finding the answer, I would eventually come to know and ultimately fulfill my purpose.

Of course the beautiful thing about being a work in progress is that while our purpose does not change, how we get there is filled with turns and dips and even falls. These mishaps or learning experiences are all a part of the plan. It is necessary for us to make mistakes or become a part of someone’s life, if only temporarily, to learn more about ourselves.

Whether you are 16 or 60, I challenge you this week to just begin the journey. Recognize that you are a work in progress, which means that you will make some not so wise choices. However, you must not allow these mistakes to stop your journey into self; rather, you can turn these mistakes into learning experiences.

I do not know of any great works of art that happened overnight. While the final product looked fabulous and even breath-taking, it took long hours and tedious details to make it look so beautiful. So be patient while you work on yourself and don’t lose hope that the real you, the person you were called to be, is going to be the final product when you have stroked your last bit of paint across the canvas.

About the author: Joye Ritchie-Greene is an Educational Consultant, Writer and Martial Arts Instructor. She is the owner/operator of The Bahamas Martial Arts Academy; president of Time-Out Productions; and is also a columnist for the Freeport News. She has a B.A. in English and an M.S. in Human Resources, resides in Freeport, Grand Bahama with her husband and enjoys playing tennis. Joye can be reached at joye_hel_ena@hotmail.com  


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