Dreams

Daydreaming is fun and can be productive. Dreams can turn into reality, all it takes is a commitment to imagine your dreams becoming alive to the extent that you can make them alive. Make the images you hold in your dreams come alive with:
Every acquisition you purchase.
Every choice you make. 
Every hello and goodbye you utter. 
Every responsibility you take on. 
Every discussion you enter into.
Every daybreak, midday, and night. 
And never, ever, ever glance backward.

Reframe every idea, expression, and action from the view of the character you've always imagined you'd be if your life was already as you've always dreamed it would be. 

Let go of yesterday's dreams and be reborn to the truth of your new dream.

Try these techniques

Try these techniques to bring greater happiness and success into your life:

1. Start each day by making a mental list of things you're thankful for in your life. You can do this while you're lying in bed just before you get up, in the shower, or while driving to work. This simple mental exercise will adjust your focus to the good things that you already have that you may take for granted.

2. Love life, not stuff. Do you believe that having more possessions will make you happy? What usually happens to many of us, is that, after we acquire something, it never seems to mean as much to us as we thought it would. After the newness wears off, we are back to wanting some more new stuff! So the joy in most new possessions is temporary, at best, and leads to more "wanting."

• The quality of your life itself is what will bring you the most happiness, not the quantity or quality of your stuff.
• Spend some time each day doing what you love.
• Build meaningful relationships that uplift you.
• Take action to create a life filled with what truly means the most to you.

3. Be patient. Our society has trained us to be in a hurry and expect immediate gratification. However, some of the great things in life take time to bring to fruition.

• Enjoy the process of creating the life you desire. Each day will bring you one step closer. Being impatient tends to push your goals farther away.

4. Believe in yourself. Life is much more pleasant when you have faith in yourself. Remember: You've already done things that are much more difficult than just about anything you may still wish to accomplish. So you know you can achieve your future plans.

• Consider what you did when you were learning to walk. How many times does a baby fall before they finally can stand up unassisted, let alone walk? We keep learning more over time, even a 10-year old doesn't walk as well as a 30-year old.  Walking takes many years of practice.
• How many times are you willing to fall down and get back? When you believe in yourself and expect success, you're more likely to succeed. Your upbeat attitude will lead you to seek solutions to your challenges until you reach your goal.

5. Work smart, not hard. Sometimes being smart is sufficient. We often believe that everything worthwhile requires a lot of work. However, many times, approaching challenges by working smart instead of working hard can save a lot of time and grief.

• Sit down and reflect on your situation from the perspective that there's a simple solution to each challenge. You might be surprised how clever you can be if you make an effort to find an easy but satisfactory solution.

6. Think of failure as an opportunity. Successful people believe that there's no such thing as failure. Each time plans fall short, analyse where the plan went wrong, learn from the experience, and continue moving forward.

• When you "fail," all you've really done is discovered an ineffective way of trying to do something. That's all. The knowledge gained only makes you more capable in the future.

Adjusting your attitude and making the changes permanent will take some work, but this effort pays off. Your attitude affects your perspective, what you notice, and what you fail to notice. So by adjusting your attitude, you can shift your whole reality!

What's one idea that you'd like to put into action?

I was never a good student, which comes as no surprise to my close friends but may seem strange to others who only know  a little of me. People think that since I taught at University and High School for over 40 years that I should be a good student. I have my Masters degree so some think I am well educated and some believe that we should  pursue an education to gain knowledge for the sake of gaining knowledge. 

I don't believe in gaining knowledge for the sake of obtaining knowledge. When I went to school to complete my Master's degree I worked hard to find a University and a program that would benefit me. When I thought I had found the program, I was still frustrated because I knew more about the subject than the people who were teaching me. The truth is I believe that knowledge unto itself isn't all that useful. When you learn something, I believe you need to put that knowledge into practice.

Over my years of working in education, and because of the education systems need for a piece of paper that said you were academically qualified , I saw many people who knew many things yet these same people routinely failed to apply that knowledge in any practical manner.  Yet many of their colleagues still believed these peopleto be credible.

In our society  to be seen as credible on a professional or a work level it is important to get the academic qualifications that say you are credible. On a personal level sometimes It is only when we apply what we have learned that it becomes valuable and we gain credibility to our friends.

As you are moving into retirement or planning for retirement take some time and think about all the things you "know" but haven't put into action. 

Over our life times we have educated ourselves by amassing vast quantities of facts. Our purpose know is to take what we know and use it to shape our lives and impact the lives of others.

So the next time you hear a good idea or learn something new, consider how you can apply it to your own life to help yourself and those around you.

In other words, value the education and experiences you've gained over your life  but also value putting that experience into action.

What's one idea that you'd like to put into action, starting right now?

Claim it, do it and be very proud of the step you've taken!

Do you want to dance?

You can "dance" with the illusions of time and space, choosing your "steps" based upon things and events as they now are, 

or 

you can dance with your dreams, choosing your steps based upon things and events as they will be.

And I bet you can guess which steps will perpetuate today's illusions, 

and which ones will change everything... 

We all dance, what tune will you dance to and what steps will you take? 

Kindness

The following is part of an email I received from Ely Shemer, which I thought I would share

Random Acts of Kindness - Get Supercharged with Kindness Motivation Tips

Are you looking for ideas or motivation tips to make a difference in your life or for someone else's life? Are you like most everyone and just don't have much time? Can you perform random acts of kindness every day?

Honestly, it doesn't take much time to brighten someone's life. A few minutes a day can make a difference to a person or a family. Just some kindness and the evidence that someone cares about them can turn their world around.

These motivation tips don't take much time, so begin to make a difference today! You'll feel better -- and so will the recipient of your kindness.

1. Send at least one e-mail (email is old technology, and used by us boomers for you younger folks, facebook or twitter once) a day telling someone:   how much they are appreciated thanking them for something they did for you telling them something you like about them You can also send beautiful, encouraging e-cards, by visiting http://www.togetherwecanchangetheworld.com  You'll find the right e-card for every occasion - these are not your usual, everyday e-cards!

2. Send a note of appreciation to your local Fire Station to encourage the people who make a difference in everyone's lives. This doesn't happen nearly enough for these people who put their lives on the line for all of us every day.

3. Have everyone in your family (even if it's just you) drop all their loose change in a large glass jar you keep on the counter. Every six months decide where to send it Make a family ritual out of the event and make a difference in someone's life almost effortlessly. (I suggest you donate the funds to the local food bank)

4. Buy a few extra items at your grocery store and drop them by your local homeless shelter or food bank. You'll make huge a difference, simply by adding a handful of extra items and a few minutes to your shopping.

I hope these kindness motivation tips help you realize together we CAN change the world - one kindness at a time!

A philosophical journey from here to there...

We are looking to be rich, because we believe that money can help us be better people. A question to think about then

Do you think that if $10,000,000 were to be suddenly deposited into your checking account, that over the following months and years you'd have fewer and fewer challenges? Or do you think, perhaps, that your challenges would simply evolve and change?



Right, evolve and change.



And do you think that with your extra $10 million, you'd gradually be presented with more and more opportunities to be happy? Or do you think, perhaps, that your opportunities would simply evolve and change?



Right, evolve and change.



Now doesn't that answer everything?

Daddy's Poem

  Her hair was up in a pony tail, 

Her favorite dress tied with a bow. 

Today was Daddy's Day at school, 

And she couldn't wait to go. 

But her mommy tried to tell her, 

That she probably should stay home. 

Why the kids might not understand, 

If she went to school alone. 

But she was not afraid; 

She knew just what to say. 

What to tell her classmates 

Of why he wasn't there today. 

But still her mother worried, 

For her to face this day alone. 

And that was why once again, 

She tried to keep her daughter home. 

But the little girl went to school 

Eager to tell them all. 

About a dad she never sees 

A dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in back, 

For everyone to meet. 

Children squirming impatiently, 

Anxious in their seats 

One by one the teacher called 

A student from the class. 

To introduce their daddy, 

As seconds slowly passed. 

At last the teacher called her name, 

Every child turned to stare. 

Each of them was searching, 

A man who wasn't there. 

'Where's her daddy at?' 

She heard a boy call out. 

'She probably doesn't have one,' 

Another student dared to shout. 

And from somewhere near the back, 

She heard a daddy say, 

'Looks like another deadbeat dad, 

Too busy to waste his day.' 

The words did not offend her, 

As she smiled up at her Mom. 

And looked back at her teacher, 

Who told her to go on.

And with hands behind her back, 

Slowly she began to speak. 

And out from the mouth of a child, 

Came words incredibly unique. 

'My Daddy couldn't be here, 

Because he lives so far away. 

But I know he wishes he could be, 

Since this is such a special day. 

And though you cannot meet him, 

I wanted you to know . 

All about my daddy, 

And how much he loves me so. 

He loved to tell me stories 

He taught me to ride my bike. 

He surprised me with pink roses, 

And taught me to fly a kite. 

We used to share fudge sundaes, 

And ice cream in a cone. 

And though you cannot see him. 

I'm not standing here alone. 

'Cause my daddy's al ways with me, 

Even though we are apart 

I know because he told me, 

He'll forever be in my heart'

With that, her little hand reached up, 

And lay across her chest. 

Feeling her own heartbeat, 

Beneath her favorite dress.

And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads, 

Her mother stood in tears. 

Proudly watching her daughter, 

Who was wise beyond her years. 

For she stood up for the love 

Of a man not in her life. 

Doing what was best for her, 

Doing what was right. 

And when she dropped her hand back down, 

Staring straight into t he crowd. 

She finished with a voice so soft, 

But its message clear and loud. 

'I love my daddy very much, 

he's my shining star. 

And if he could, he'd be here, 

But heaven's just too far. 

You see he is a Canadian soldier

And died just this past year

When a roadside bomb hit his convoy 

And taught Canadians to fear. 

But sometimes when I close my eyes, 

it's like he never went away.' 

And then she closed her eyes, 

And saw him there that day. 

And to her mothers amazement, 

She witnessed with surprise. 

A room full of daddies and children, 

All starting to close their eyes. 

Who knows what they saw before them, 

Who knows what they felt inside. 

Perhaps for merely a second, 

They saw him at her side. 

'I know you're with me Daddy,' 

To the silence she called out. 

And what happened next made believers, 

Of those once filled with doubt. 

Not one in that room could explain it, 

For each of their eyes had been closed. 

But there on the desk beside her, 

Was a fragrant long-stemmed  rose.

And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, 

By the love of her shining star. 

And given the gift of believing, 

That heaven is n ever too far.

Send this to the people you'll never forget and  to let them know that you'll never forget them.  If you don't send it to anyone, it means you're in a hurry and that you've forgotten your friends. 

Take the time...to live and love.  Until eternity. God bless! 

Thanks to   E & R Klebeck for this

Life on the West Coast

I love these days, the wind is blowing the clouds away, the sun is shining but not warm. Suddenly everyone is running as hail comes out of nowhere. The hail turns to heavy rain, then the wind picks up again and just as suddenly as they appeared the rain, hail and clouds are gone. Spring on the west coast, energy flowing, life is good on the west coast. I read a wonderful post on one of the blogs I follow The Legislature Raids which is partly quoted below for the full post check out the blog:

The perfect explanation from an unexpected source: why we stand up for British Columbia


BC Mary comment: This is the best-ever explanation of what drives so many of us to protect one thing after another ... BC Rail ... BC Hydro ... BC rivers ... and so many issues that create the beautiful province we once knew. We owe great appreciation to Alexandra Morton who stuck to her one issue and has explained it so well, all along, but never so broadly as today's message ... "

My hope is that the Boomers will remember that we have to set the example and be the first to stand up and be counted.