When given the choice

When given the choice, think about smiles rather than frowns, laughter rather than crying, health rather than sickness, gains rather than losses, and income rather than expenses, because, after all, your loved ones are anxious to know how tomorrow's going to turn out. 

Has the sun stopped shinning for you?

Here is something to think about the next time you feel really hurt, angry, or really, really upset, check and see if the sky is any less blue, the sun any less radiant, the birds have stopped singing, or the flowers have lost their scent.

 I'll bet you'll find that life has gone on much as before. Other people who have been violated, shaken, and humbled, and are struggling to make sense of what has happened to them still get up in the morning, ready to face the day. The sun still rises too early in the summer or too late in winter, the storm clouds still gather but break when the wind blows them away so the sun can come up. The birds still sing to woo a mate or defend their territory. They don’t know, or care about what has just happened to us. We may have friends and family who to whom we can turn to vent and they will listen, indicate that we are right to have the feelings we have. Then they will move on to face their problems, their fears, and their life challenges.

 But for those who don’t know us or our situation, life will go on for them, as they battle to move forward. The sun will not stop shinning because we are upset, angry or hurt. The birds will not stop singing, although we may not hear them as we did ourselves into a deep hole of despair. We have a choice, dig our hole and stay sheltered and alone, or face the day, acknowledge the sun, listen to the birds and move to deal with our problem, without the anger, hurt, or upset. We need to realize that life for everyone is consumed by the powers of now and the inevitabilities of love, understanding, and eternal life, and once we realize that we need not miss a beat as we accept and move on with life.

 

Anxiety and relief

Anxiety or fear can be called up when you are asked to a gathering by a total stranger honouring the life of someone you've never met while you had other plans

Sometimes it is worth trying to overcome our fear and anxiety. So, accept the invitation, however irrational it may seem.

Imagination is a wonderful tool and it can help in times of anxiety. Imagine your surprise that when you present your invitation to the gatekeeper at the gate you'd notice that the invitation is written in your own hand.

Imagine that you are greeted warmly by the most wonderful, familiar faces. In your imagination, everyone is so excited. In fact, you become excited about the gathering because it turns out, you're about to meet the person you've always dreamed you'd one day become. Imagination isn't it amazing! 

Imagination can help you overcome your fear, your anxiety and help you create a new vision. In your imagination, you can allow yourself to be the hero you wanted to be when you were 10 years old.

One of the movies I love is “The Wizard of Oz”. In this movie and in the book, Dorothy is put into a very scary place with witches, wizards, talking scarecrows, talking animals, tin men and with some help and her imagination she overcomes a number of fearful obstacles to achieve her mission and to get back to a place she feels safe. 

Dorothy is the hero of this story, but she does not want to be the hero, all she wants to do is get home. Follow through is important to overcome fear and anxiety. Accept the invitation, and imagine the person you are meant to be and greet your future self with pride.

There is magic in the moment

We socialize, network but they are not a replacement for the magic that life brings to the table when we meet someone new. Some of the greatest incubators of ideas and innovation come from times when we meet and greet and are open to hearing what the other has to say. 

Be sociable, be a good networker, but most of all be a good listener. Listen and learn, and you will feel the magic that is in the moment when you meet.

Stressed, try this

Think back to a happy time  a really, really happy time in your life. Go back as far as it takes, to a time when you felt so light you thought you might float.

Do you remember it? The carefree feeling? The acceptance of the moment, of yourself, of life? Feeling unfettered by thoughts of the future and oblivious to the past?

Feel it a little longer...

There. Very nice.

Happiness

Happiness does not mean you've settled for less:  it signals you're ready for more. 

Remember the joy of your youth

Remember the joy you used to feel when you'd find a quarter in the street? 

And how exciting it was when you got older and found a crumpled $20 bill in the pocket of a pair of jeans you hadn't worn in months? 

Well, brace yourself, because the day isn't far off when in-between taking naps, playing in the snow, or swimming laps, or doing the routine happy dance, you'll be busy gathering documents for your tax return preparer and suddenly find a statement to a bank account you don't even remember opening, with more than enough money in it to do whatever your heart now longs to do, probably twice. 

And if you don't find this extra money or wealth, just remember this is the season of the unexpected so when you find something unexpected such as a  snow freshly falling, filling the trees with white wonder, then rejoice in the joy of the season.

What if it takes longer?

So what if it takes a long time? 

So what if it's already taken longer than you thought? 

So what if it will still take longer? 

The day will nevertheless arrive, as it always does, when all your prior efforts, determination, and persistence will seem a paltry price indeed as you are lifted irrevocably higher, as if by chariots of fire, into realms previously unimagined, and then you'll think to yourself, "Wow, that was fast." 

I can hear the music now. The question is can you?

Yours is showing

"Awesomeness" is that invisible yet naturally occurring substance that churns within all humanity, all consciousness, animate and inanimate, here and beyond time and space, that tirelessly expands, smothering and blighting all negativity, constantly redefining possible, crackling in goodness, bristling in love, low in calories, high in flavor, rich in laughter, otherwise known as the "it quality," frequently seen flowing unrestrained in the embodiment of every person you know including yourself. 

All you need to do is to look for the Awesomeness in yourself and others and you will see it. 

Once you learn to appreciate the awesomeness of others life seems so much better. Enjoy the day!

Thought for the day

Lo and behold, before your very eyes,  all around you, is a reflection of what lies within. 

Absence of fear

Interestingly, if you have a desire, dwell upon it, move with it, then presto, it manifests. 

Or you fall in love at the right time, with the right person, they fall in love, the timing is perfect, and bingo, the earth moves. 

Maybe you have a huge question, and you think about it, then forget about it, and ta-da, you just know the answer

It is interesting because this is how life works in the absence of fear. 

Cool, huh? 

It works

We all have our systems, and we believe that our system works 

But for it to work we have to:
Imagine it. 
Move towards it. 
If we do then we will make it happen and if we believe and work hard our system will work and it will happen. 

It always does. 

Creativity is illusive

Creativity is illusive, in the 90's Julia Cameron termed the spark of genius creative transcendence "spiritual electricity," and a generation before that in the 60's  Rollo May explored the fears keeping us from attaining it. Elizabeth Gilbert, who has contemplated the complexities of creativity for a long time and with electrifying insight, calls its supreme manifestation "Big Magic":

Gilbert goes on to say "This, I believe, is the central question upon which all creative living hinges: Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?

[...]

Surely something wonderful is sheltered inside you. I say this with all confidence, because I happen to believe we are all walking repositories of buried treasure. I believe this is one of the oldest and most generous tricks the universe plays on us human beings, both for its own amusement and for ours: The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.

The hunt to uncover those jewels – that’s creative living.

The courage to go on that hunt in the first place – that’s what separates a mundane existence from a more enchanted one.

The often surprising results of that hunt – that’s what I call Big Magic."

Thought to ponder going into the holiday season

As I said yesterday, the good news is that Colleen is out of the Hospital and we will be heading home on the 14th of December. Over the next few weeks, I will refocus the blog, back to issues that I am interested in or that I think boomers may be interested in. The main focus of my blog is to give my grandson a sense of what makes me tick.  At this stage of my life,  I feel good, as does the entire family, we are, however, faced with some new facts of life. As I was thinking about our new situation my thoughts lead me to this:

When you understand, that what most people really, really want is simply to feel good about themselves, and when you realize that with just a few well-chosen words you can help virtually anyone on the planet instantly achieve this, you begin to realize just how simple life is, and that love is the key. 

Think about giving the gift of yourself as you wonder what to get friends and loved ones this holiday season. You will feel great and they will cherish your gift and enjoy the holidays!

Thoughts of stars

"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." -Pamela Vaull Starr