Thoughts On Courage

~ Shirley Hilton ~ 8 Comments

A few days ago I sat in a theatre and watched in awe as my thirteen-year-old granddaughter performed her first competition dance solo.

There on the stage where I have witnessed the magic of David Copperfield and listened to award-winning pianist Emanuel Ax – there on that same stage was my graceful young granddaughter. As I watched I thought, this is courage.

Evalyn dancing

I’ve been thinking a lot about courage lately, and the relationship between courage and fear.

Courage is not the lack of fear. Fear is a necessary part of being human. You can feel fear and act courageously at the same time. In fact, they go hand in hand.

So what does courage look like? Maybe it’s different for everyone.

Danger Zone

I frequently travel alone. I like the freedom of not feeling responsible for someone else’s good time. Traveling alone allows me to ignore the clock. I eat when I’m hungry, sleep when I’m tired, socialize if I’m so inclined, or explore on my own.

In March I went to my favorite beach near the town of Zihuatanejo, on the Pacific coast of Mexico in the state of Guerrero.

You may remember that Zihuatanejo is the village in the movie The Shawshank Redemption where Morgan Freeman meets up with his friend after they get out of prison. One has escaped, the other has been paroled. I’m not sure which I relate to more, but it sure feels like freedom when I’m on that beach. Continue reading “Thoughts On Courage” →

Simple Abundance – 3 Stories and 3 Suggestions

~ Shirley Hilton ~ 2 Comments

IMG_2298

Story #1 – Five pesos and a lifetime of abundance

My aunt Carmela once gave me a five-peso coin that had been blessed by our parish priest. She told me to keep it always so that I “would never be without money”.

That was over 30 years ago. Five pesos was not much money even back then. It may have bought a half-kilo of tortillas. On today’s economy that particular coin won’t buy anything. It was retired from circulation years ago.

But that doesn’t mean the coin is worthless. For me it represents: intention, abundance, and gratitude. Its value is in the story and my aunt’s desire for my prosperity.

How do we measure prosperity anyway? Certainly not by the coins in our pockets. Is having money the same as having a life of abundance? How much money is enough?

Story #2 – An American, a Mexican, and an Israeli walk into a bank

The year was 1982. The Mexican economy was in trouble. The country had more international debt than it could cover.

On Friday, September 3, after the banks had closed, President Lopez Portillo announced the nationalization of the banks. Going forward the government controlled all banking regulations. Continue reading “Simple Abundance – 3 Stories and 3 Suggestions” →

More Thoughts On Identity. Three Stories.

~ Shirley Hilton ~ Leave a comment

Girl in water

The Child You Once Were

When I was a young girl we lived in a house with a sprawling woods out back. The woods had a creek running through it, where my siblings and I spent long hours wading and fishing.

On a hot summer day, a shallow stream meandering around sandbars and bends looks very inviting to children. But what lies beneath those sunlit waters can be somewhat different from what we expect.

Sometimes we’d step in and suddenly be ankle-deep in thick, sucking mud. When skimming for minnows, a fat black snake might slip off the bank and send us screaming to the shore. At times we’d emerge to find our legs spotted with leaches.

What does this have to do with identity? What stands out for me is this: the girl I was back then, is very much like the woman I am today. Key attributes of my identity had already formed.

The snakes and leaches didn’t keep me out of the water. Risk and excitement and the possibility of being surprised appealed to me then, and they still do.

I am comfortable taking chances, even when the outcome is uncertain. I live by the saying “You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough.”

Over the years I’ve experimented with the “shoulds” and “should nots” prescribed by my parents, my culture, the workplace, the media. But I have found that when I’m following someone else’s plan, I am less happy – sometimes very unhappy. And happiness matters. Continue reading “More Thoughts On Identity. Three Stories.” →

A Red Sweater. A Music Box. And Mother’s China.

~ Shirley Hilton ~ 2 Comments

IMG_2216The Weight of Things

Last week I was contemplating Holding On and Letting Go. If you missed that post, you can read it here.

The more I think about it, the more I realize what a huge topic this is and how much of an impact it has on our lives.

Sometimes what we hold on to takes physical form. Other times it takes the form of ideas, assumptions, and beliefs – nothing we can see or touch, but just as real.

And sometimes it’s both, physical and psychological. Can physical objects evoke emotions? What power can a red sweater hold? You’d be surprised.

The Story of A Red Sweater

I was cleaning out my closet. Not just organizing or changing seasons. Though I was doing those things, too. The task before me was this: Take everything out, and only put back in the things that 1. Fit me well and 2. Made me feel fabulous.

It’s not as easy as it sounds. It requires a lot of honesty and reflection, even a little courage.

Those Calvin Klein jeans that Lidia said made my ass look great? They’ll fit me again when I lose 10 pounds, I thought. I can zip them up now if I hold my breath. Gone!

That beautifully embroidered jacket that I bought on the shopping trip with my best friend Kathy, and have never worn? Gone!

Those expensive leather and oh-so-comfortable European mules? The very definition of frumpish! These days I only wore them to take the garbage to the curb. Gone!

Gone! Gone! Gone! The more I put in the donation box, the better I felt. Continue reading “A Red Sweater. A Music Box. And Mother’s China.” →