Tag: butterfly

All the kings horses…..

Published on by Kimberly Novak4 Comments

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn’t put Humpty together again.”  But what would have happened if they could?

Did you know that Humpty Dumpty was a cannon that was destroyed in battle July 14th-15th in 1648.  (which happens to be one day after my birthday) The cannon fell and could not be placed back on the wall.  I know that doesn’t sound very interesting we would rather focus on the cute egg that we all know and love.  The history of the poem is not what I want to talk about anyway it is the fact that the poem is so short; I wonder what would have happened had he/it been placed back on the wall?

I often think about where I was when my divorce started.  I was pretty low but still seated upon the wall.  I was struggling with the fact that I didn’t know any other life than the one I had been living for the last 20 years and I was afraid to face learning how to adapt. When I married I had my “Happily Ever After”.  I was in my place, the fear of not knowing what the future holds has been very scary for me.   I’m assuming Humpty would have felt the same way. His place was on that wall and when he fell that was it, he was done.  Humpty wasn’t as lucky as I, his men could not put him back together again but with the love of my friends, family, peers, counselors, and my faith I have been re-assembled.

I had a casual conversation today at lunch with a friend (my mentor really) we were talking about the new relationships I have formed since my struggle first began.  I realized how lucky I am to have so many good people placed into my life right when I needed them the most.  I have strengthened relationships with family, I have made new friends and I have reunited again with some old ones as well.  At the end of our conversation I told her that I feel like I am being put back together again; and that’s when good old Humpty popped in to my mind.

I was focused on him all day and finally researched the meaning of the poem which is when I found out that he  was actually a cannon used during war.  Well you know that got my juices flowing.  I feel like I have been at war the last few years with everything I went through.  It wasn’t as ugly as some but it wasn’t a walk in the park either.  There was a moment though when I did feel like a prisoner of war and I was at my lowest.  I’m going to get brave and share that moment with you.  It was actually the day of the divorce.

The courtroom  held myself, my ex, our attorneys and the judge.  I felt very vulnerable and scared.  We had reached our agreements so I knew what the outcome would be but I still had fear coursing through my veins.  The doors closed and we listened as the judge spoke.  I cannot even remember what he said we were mostly answering yes or no questions.  After about three minutes (which felt like 30) what was happening sunk in.  I reached for my lawyers hand and held it tight.  This my friends is when I fell off the wall.  I hardly knew this person yet she knew everything about me and my marriage and I needed her to hold onto me as I fell.  My life as I knew it was about to end and I had no idea what the future would hold.  I crumbled, I cried, the judge asked if I needed a moment I signaled no, I wanted it to be over with.  Right now is the first time that I’ve recalled that moment since it happened. It brings tears to my eyes but it also shows me how much I have changed since that day.  I have re-invented myself and I have become a newer, stronger version of who I once was.  Even though I’m stronger, I will always need a hand to hold and I welcome that because I know it is through those hands, that I am being put back together.

Tonight I am standing as a victor in my war because I survived it.  I fell off that wall just as Humpty, yet here I am hoping to be able to inspire and motivate others to get back up when you fall.  Let your kings horses and kings men put YOU back together again!

So my friends I ask you, have you fallen?  and how did your support team put you back together again?

Kimberly

Courageous Butterfly

4/25/12

Patience….

Published on by Kimberly Novak3 Comments

I have never been a patient person.  I’m the type that needs instant gratification no matter what the situation is.  For example if I purchase paint for a room, I’m painting that same day.  I’d like to read the end of the book before the first chapter just because I cannot wait to see how it ends!  Let’s look at the definition of patience:

1.  The quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation or the like.

2.  An ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.

3.  Quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care.

Let’s start breaking it down with #1.  My biggest test of being patient during misfortune and pain was during the divorce and I think my attorney will agree that I failed at that.  Here I was in an extremely stressful situation and there was no instant gratification in sight!  Unfortunately the court system calendar does not book court dates according to how stressed out the parties are.  Circumstances beyond my control caused me on many occasions to lose my temper, complain and be irritated.
#2.  Why would anyone in their right mind be wiling to accept delay? With today’s technology we have all been trained to do things and have things done quickly.  We all want faster computers, we expect fast food to be thrown at us out of the window as we drive by and if we are forced to sit and suppress that gratification we do so with cell phones in hand.
#3.  For me this is the definition that makes sense.  QUIET, STEADY, EVEN-TEMPERED CARE.  What do all of these words have in common?  They are all calming, happy, warm words.  We all become stressed when we are asked to be patient.  Just the phrase “be patient” can send one into a frenzy, it makes us nervous that we don’t know what is coming next.
If we can take a deep breath when we need to exercise patience and remember the key words, quiet, steady, even-tempered care it will help us to think about patience in a different light.  I wish I would have had those words two years ago, I may not have been so stressed out.  Also, take a look at the first two definitions; the word “annoyance” is used.  THAT is what I was focused on during my struggle and when you are annoyed you are stressed.  At the time it seemed like nothing was going my way and with every annoyance I was losing my patience.
Luckily for me once the divorce was final I had a support system in place to help me become quiet, steady and even-tempered and in turn I have learned to be patient.  Well for the most part anyway.
Most recently I am learning to ride out the events of my life and enjoy each and every moment.  I am embracing every new experience with a quiet, steady and even-tempered pace and I am a much happier person.  I no longer feel annoyed by not knowing what the end result will be and I am free to sit back and enjoy what is to come.  I no longer think of the hour-glass when I’m exercising my patience instead I am in a serene setting.
I don’t want to sound cliché but I highly recommend taking the time to smell the roses and let them bloom in their own time.
Kimberly
Courageous Butterfly
4/19/12

Be The CUP

Published on by Kimberly NovakLeave a comment

Is your CUP 1/2 full or 1/2 empty?

We have all uttered that phrase on one or more occasion and I’m sure you have also been asked to answer it.  The rule is that if someone says their cup is half full they are a positive person and if someone says their cup is half empty they are a negative person.  Let’s think about the person who says ” I Am The Cup”.

I will be totally honest and tell you that during my time of trial I was the half empty girl.  I was constantly focused on the negative aspects of what I was going through never realizing that I am the cup and therefore I can control its contents.  In fact, I didn’t realize that until today.  The last few years have been full of negativity which I assumed was brought on by the situation when in fact I could have decided to handle that trial with a totally different outlook.

One of the reasons I developed this blog is because I don’t want others to be where I was when I went through my struggle.  I want to be able to reach out to others and tell them what I didn’t see until now.  I think being able to be in control of your feelings during your struggle and being the one to choose if your glass is half empty, half full or if in fact you can become the glass is HUGE!  I was so focused on the “bad” because I could not find good in my situation.  Had I taken a moment to realize that even though what I was going through was not what I wanted or chose, it was happening.  It was a fact of life I could not stop and I was the only one with the power to make the best of it.  

We all have the power to be the CUP.  We control the contents and we have the power to decide how we will react, how we will feel and how we will let it affect our lives.  When I realized this today I felt empowered!  I feel like I can make real changes in my life that will be beneficial to me and others around me.  I know things turned out the way they did for a reason, it was God’s plan, however I also know that had I used this knowledge two years ago my outlook on my new life would have been 100% better.  I would have been more confident in knowing that I made my choices because I was the one in control of what was in my CUP.

Take the time to reflect and ask yourself  “can you be the CUP”?  Once you decide you are the CUP, only you hold its contents.  Do not let what is going on in your life control what is in your cup.  Instead, control your reaction to what it is you are dealing with.

Kimberly

Courageous Butterfly

4/17/12