The View From The Balcony: “Some Things I’ve Learned So Far”

Nothing is permanent.
Bad times and good times are the same in that they both pass away.
Gratitude is one of the greatest healers of all.
The little things matter—often more than the big things.
You can’t always understand a situation when you are slap dab in the middle of it.
“There” is not necessarily a direction.
Integrity still matters.
“Lo and behold” really means that when we get off our high horses and come down to earth we see things much more clearly.
It’s often good to walk barefoot in the mud. It’s fun, too!
We say “I love you” with actions more than words, but the words still matter.
Make no mistake—we all make mistakes.
Toleration matters but understanding, acceptance, and compassion matter more.
Follow what you love with all your strength.
Sometimes things wind up being crappy. That’s just the way it is.
Sometimes things wind up being great. That’s just the way it is.
It may seem black and white now, but eventually you’ll see the gray and maybe even the colors.
There is beauty in all things observed closely enough, long enough, and with open minds and hearts.
We can all do something today that will contribute to peace in this life.
True friends are true friends. Embrace them often.
This too.
Forgiveness matters. Strong boundaries matter, too.
Love little babies because they are in the most natural human state there is.
Most guns in westerns hold 36 bullets. Reloading takes about 9 seconds.
It doesn’t really matter where you end up. It’s the work you put in to get there.
There are places we want to go, but it’s how we handle ourselves on the journey that counts most.
Never underestimate the power of a good conversation.
Spirit is always free.*
The closer you look, the more deeply you smell, the prettier and more fragrant most flowers are…most people, too.
Kindness is one of the most powerful weapons against hate we have.
A lot of good can come from shutting up and listening.
We all have a limited time. Don’t spend it overthinking. Spend it living life doing what you enjoy with the people you relish being with.
If I were sane it would drive me crazy.
Reality television isn’t really real.
“Friendship” is a lovely word.
Grace really is amazing.
I try not to relate to some of the songs I relate to.
Short people do have a reason to live.
Sometimes you don’t know you’re falling until you realize you’ve slipped off the rope.
The long and winding road is real.
Spam is mocked-up meat that you eat. The spam in your email eats you.
Appliances break down. So do vehicles. So do we.
We are human BEINGS, not human DOINGS.
Take it easy. You probably didn’t screw it up that badly and you probably aren’t that much of a pile of dung. More times than not it’s only a big deal to you.
Everyone I know goes away in the end.**
And last, but certainly not the least…
You don’t tug on Superman’s cape.***
You don’t spit into the wind.
You don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger
and you don’t mess around with Slim…or Jim.

…and that’s the view from The Balcony.

(*Amadaes, **Trent Reznor & Nine Inch Nails, ***Jim Croce)

Randy Weeks is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Shamanic Life Coach, an ordained minister, a singer-songwriter, and an actor. He don’t mess around with anybody—especially Slim or Jim. Special thanks to D.E. for helping collect these sayings. Randy may be reached at randallsweeks@gmail.com.