#180

You're not here to save the world..

I think many people dream of saving the world. It is an honourable thought, but slightly unrealistic. 

Saving the world is not what you are here for, fortunately, but you will affect people and change lives, nonetheless. This is your mission, to touch those within your reach.

You will change more lives than you can imagine, simply by being yourself. You job is to be YOU! That's it. You make a difference, everywhere you go and in everything you do. You will be an inspiration to some and a warning to others, but a difference you will make. Some people will never be the same because they came in contact with you

Many of you will be skeptical concerning people noticing your existence, and others hope that no one will. But you do have an effect; it may be the way you choose to dress, do your hair, the way you talk, or simply that you smiled at them. It may be that random act of kindness, you so graciously kept to yourself, or the way you were impatient with the clerk at the store. Whatever you may have done or said, you were noticed and it had a lasting effect on someone. We all hope it is our positive attributes that are noticed, but either way, the fact is that you do affect change.

“You are here to make a difference, to either improve the world or worsen it. And whether or not you consciously choose to, you will accomplish one or the other.”  Richelle E. Goodrich

Do the best you can with what you have to give. Rest assured that you are touching souls, you are helping to make the world a better place.

#179

Some of the things you believe were never true....

Yes, as hard as it is to believe, a lot of your convictions, the ones you fought so hard for, are not true. They never were. You have been directing the course of your life by beliefs that were downloaded in childhood.

These beliefs were implanted throughout your life from a variety of sources; your parents, teachers, religious teachings, anyone that you felt had any authority over you. 

Some of their advice may have been contaminated with their own fears, and you assimilated it into your psyche. Once you understand that you are reacting to situations with a tainted belief system, you can start to examine your reactions. 

There is a solution ... thoughts and reactions can be altered. If you are reacting negatively to life, you can start working toward changing the beliefs that cause negativity. If it is anger, shutting down, or running away, it can all be refined into a gentler, more loving response; both for the person in question and yourself. It is hard on you to be in 'fight or flight' mode all the time. 

Don't be concerned with where these reactions originated, who 'gave' them to you. That will only result in finger pointing and blame, which will manifest into greater issues. Simply know that you have a belief system that is no longer valid, pinpoint the culprit, and surrender it surrounded with love. 

The old adage 'you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar' is true, conflict and confrontation rarely settles anything. 

You deserve to know who YOU are, what YOU believe, and the ability to handle your life on YOUR terms.   

#178

 Be Yourself....

This seems a ridiculous thing to say ...who else could you possibly be? Everyone else is already taken. 

But of course it is all about: not being a copy or parroting someone else, trying to please everyone, or wearing a mask in order to be in the world.

This is not accepting or loving yourself. It is dancing to someone else's tune, or avoiding life.  

When using the expression, 'be yourself', this is what is required: Accepting, Valuing, Forgiving, Blessing, Expressing, Trusting, Loving and Empowering YOURSELF! 

It is putting yourself first, making sure that your feelings are considered and respected. You teach people how to treat you, so you need to make sure that you are honouring yourself in order for others to do the same.

You can always tell when someone cares about themselves, they stand tall and exude confidence. They have accepted themselves, just as they are, warts and all.  

It's a process, it takes time to get to the bottom of all the hurts, anger and resentment we carry with us, but it is worth the work. To try and find out why you live in survival mode and are not truly happy will be the greatest work you will ever do, and have the best results. You are worth it. 

"If you make friends with yourself you'll never be alone." Maxwell Maltz

#177

Today will be what it is....

You cannot control your life, or even your day. You may think you have things planned down to the minute with your job, your child's birthday party, your move to the new house, your vacation or whatever upcoming event is next on your agenda. But just one thing goes awry and the plan has to be revised. 

You have to be prepared for any eventuality in order to even attempt to control your day; and that is a pipe dream. It cannot be done. It's OK to plan and prepare, but you cannot predict the future, and you have no way of knowing what will take place during any given day. 

You cannot be too attached to everything being perfect, because there is no such thing, and you are just setting yourself up for disappointment. 

There is also the reaction that seems to be inevitable when your plans are dashed. Frustration, coupled with panic that you won't get things done in time. This quote, therefore, you may consider as your mantra...Today will what it is. I will be who I am. And there will be beauty in both.

The quote is not saying that your day didn't go as planned and hence you are frustrated, angry, having a meltdown and taking it out on everyone else. 

It is saying that today will unfold as it does, you will be accepting of what is offered and there is beauty in that. You are saying that no matter what takes place, you are OK, you will handle anything thrown your way with grace and dignity.  And that is the beauty of it all.

#176

Quit making excuses....

Isn't this how it is done? You will make any excuse possible to avoid doing something. It may be something you DO NOT want to do, but the strange fact is that sometimes it is what you want most in the world. 

But procrastination is the name of the game. You fret and worry about it, you dream about, whine and complain about having it or not having it. Isn't it amazing! You are so afraid to fail or conversely to succeed, that you do nothing, except make excuses.

Fear is running the show, fear is holding you back, fear is in control of your life. You cannot allow fear to chain you down. 

Feel the fear and do it anyway. 

You may fail but, my darling, you may succeed.

The first step to eliminate fear is to do something that you are afraid to do. It may be flying, or learning to drive. It may be speaking up for yourself, public speaking or snakes. It doesn't matter, gird you loins and do it. What is the worst that can happen? You will survive, no matter what happens, so why not just try it out? There is nothing more affirming than accomplishing something that you have previously been afraid to even attempt.

Whatever your fear, it is holding you hostage. You are giving your power to it, giving it a much bigger presence than it deserves. Kick it to the curb. 

"Everything you want is on the other side of fear." Jack Canfield

So, suck it up. Hold on tight. Say a prayer. Make a plan. AND just do it!

#175

Breathe....

Although it may be hard to believe, just breathing is all you need to do. 

Breathe and trust. 

We all get ourselves caught up in trying to run the show, and guess what, you don't have to. 

You do, however have to take care of yourself, of how you act and react to situations, how you treat people etc. BUT, when things get out of hand, when you are overwhelmed or simply do not know what to do next; then BREATHE, the universe is taking care of everything else.

You can call it, 'letting the universe handle it,' or maybe 'let go and letting God.' The bottom line is, if you are trying to control the way things look, you may end up doing yourself more harm than good. This is how things got out of hand, you were trying in every way you knew how to fix the situation, and it continued to get worse. There was nothing left to do, but get out of the way and let the universe take over. 

This is the reason, you don't know what to do next, because what you need to do next is not up to you, you need to let it go. Turn it over to the universe with love and gratitude, and breathe again. Now your problems are under new management, they will be handled, you will get what you need. The universe knows exactly what you want and where you need to go from here. You, on the other hand, do not. This is not an insult, this is a fact. You have been trying everything you could think of and were unable to come up with a solution ... and that is when it is best to surrender. Surrender the challenge, surrender the sleepless nights, the stress and worry and just be open to what will come next. You will be surprised at how the solution to your problem will just come out of nowhere, totally unexpectedly and completely handled. Breathe, the universe has your back! 

 

#174

I fall, I rise, I make mistakes....

This is life. This is what we do, we

stumble, we fall and eventually we get up... life goes on. We live and learn. We get hurt and yet we end up being grateful for everything that happens.

There are good times and bad, highs and lows, life is in constant motion. 

We can ride the waves or lie on the beach, either way we can enjoy the sun.

Whether or not you enjoy your life, depends solely on you and your attitude. It is a choice. You decide how to greet each day, and how to handle whatever comes at you during that day. 

It is of major importance to accept life as it is, not as you want it to be. Accepting what is being dealt will ease the stress in your life. Let go of expectations, and practice acceptance instead.  Expectations or  attachment will only lead to disappointment.  

"Expectations are the root of all heartache" William Shakespeare

So accept life as it is, whatever comes your way and find a way to truly enjoy your time here. Develop an attitude of gratitude. Do random acts of kindness, help someone in need, and you will find the joy within yourself. The greatest way to feel gratitude is to do something for someone else.

You have fallen, you have been hurt, but you are still alive. You are still here, why not go out and do something remarkable? Celebrate the fact that you have made it so far and life is good! Believe in YOU!

#173

Faith is like Wi-Fi.....

Wi-Fi will connect you to what you need, and so will faith.

If you put your trust in the universe... you will be given what you need. Maybe not what you want, but what you need.

We are all on our path, we are here to learn. 

It may be hard to understand why some things happen as they do...they are all lessons. You are receiving what you need, what you have prayed for. All those rantings, pleadings and prayers we send heavenward are answered, but maybe you didn't recognize the answers because they didn't come in the form you were expecting. 

I need to stress this point again; you receive what you NEED, not necessarily what you want. If you pray for patience, God doesn't just say “poof you’re patient”. That is not how it works. God will give you a situation that requires patience, so that you will learn and finally come to an understanding of what patience actually is. Therein lies the lesson.

We continue to fixate on what is wrong with our lives, what we think we are lacking, what we think we need, and forget all about being grateful for what we do have. There is always something to be grateful for, no matter what your circumstances. So surrender your problems to the universe, and make sure you let them go completely. Just do your life and go with the flow, your problems are under new management.  Then start practicing gratitude, look around at all that is yours, your health, your family/friends, your belongings etc. and say thank you. 

If all your prayers consisted of only “thank you” that would be enough.

“We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.”

Oswald Chambers

#172

Don't take anything personally...

Everyone's opinion is just that, an opinion, it is not truth, not a fact, it is just something someone said. 

Whatever anyone says to you comes from their own life experience, issues or triggers. It really has nothing to do with you. Your job is to maintain your 'center' and let it roll off your back. You are not obligated to take 'in' all the words that are hurled at you. 

Nothing other people do is because of you. It is their issue. They are responsible for what they say or do, as are you. But you cannot be responsible for them. 

A person is mouthing off, he is directing his venom at you, this feels personal, but it isn't. It is always your choice whether you take it to heart or not. You know your own truth and even if what was said is hurtful, if it isn't true, there is nothing to obsess about. 

Words can hurt, but only if you let them.

Once you realize that what they say is a reflection of them, not you, it is much easier to let it go. You certainly don't have to stay there and take any abuse AND you don't need to explain yourself or your position.

"When someone is vicious toward you they are giving you a glimpse of the pain they carry in themselves." Bryant McGill 

Even though you may recognize that this person is hurting, it doesn't mean you need to let them take it out on you. If they are disrespecting you in such a manner, leave them to it and walk away.

#171

Happiness.... are you happy?

This is a question that always seems to evoke some emotion. 

Some people are defensive, "Of course, I am, why would you ask such a question?" Some give you a list of reasons why they should be happy, but never directly answer the question. Still others stare at you, stupefied, they hadn't really thought about it, or no one had ever asked them before; they can tell you if their kids are happy or their husbands, but for themselves, no answer. These people have detached from the present. They are just trying to 'make it through' the day or life in general. They are no longer in touch with their emotions, they are not feeling. 

And by the way, happy enough, is not good enough. That statement means that there is much more happiness lurking about, but not for you. BE COMPLETELY HAPPY, throughout your entire being, don't just play around on the peripheral of happiness.

Happiness is a conscious decision, made each and every day, if not every minute of every day. You need to choose happiness to make it a reality. No one else can do it for you, you cannot depend on others to make you happy, it must come from within. “Peace comes from within.  Do not seek it without"

Buddha This is also true with happiness, joy, love etc.

If you are experiencing grief, depression, illness or sadness, it may seem impossible to think of any way to bring some happiness to your world. 'Remember to turn on the light', is another way of saying, invite the light into your heart and soul. Allow the universe to work with you, to help you to see some light, and bring happiness back to you. 

"We are for a good time, not a long time.... so have a good time." Trooper

#170

This quote explains the negative and positive aspects of the human. We start out in an extremely positive state, but the negative attitude is implanted as we grow and embark on your lives, socially and intellectually. These are learned behaviours that are instilled as beliefs. 

We can choose to maintain the negativity produced by our minds or, hopefully, as we grow, we learn that the kind, loving, side of our personality has more benefits for everyone. Sometimes, it is a battle between the two conflicting beliefs. 

There may be occasions in your life where you are struggling with contradictory beliefs, or you have garnered new information that conflicts with existing beliefs. This causes mental stress and discomfort, as you try to make the decision on which wolf to feed. In psychology, this is called cognitive dissonance. (Wikepedia)

As the quote states, "it is the one you feed that wins." Therefore,  if you find yourself feeding the wolf of anger, jealousy, greed, resentment inferiority, lies and ego, this is the time to take a look at what is motivating these feelings. You have downloaded this behaviour as a survival technique at some point in your life.  Is this working for you? What are the benefits in this line of thinking? You will not achieve any peace within, if this is the way you choose to continue to live. You are cultivating loneliness, depression and illness, living in this manner. Look for way to get out of your head.... go for a walk in nature, be around people and observe, pay attention to what is going on outside of yourself and your thoughts.

If you persevere, if you take the time to look into your inner workings, and eliminate negativity from your life, you will be feeding the good wolf.... Joy, peace, love hope, humility, kindness, empathy and truth.

It is all up to you. You choose how you want to act and be. You have the power to choose which wolf you will feed.

#169

Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.

You can't always believe what you see either. Everything is not as it seems. How many things happen during your day that are inexplicable? Your heart picks up the subtle nuances of an encounter, although your eyes may see something completely different.

For example: You come upon a situation.... a young man with his anger spewing all over the scene, threatening ... your eyes see an explosive person, volatile and unpredictable... your heart sees a child reacting to fears. You are seeing the inner turmoil of the young man, not what is going on right before your eyes.

Most of us have moments when we feel we know what is really going on. And it is rarely about what you are seeing with your eyes. The heart knows. 

What it comes down to is ... will you follow your heart? Will you trust yourself, your intuition and go where it leads you; or will you default to your ego and miss the trip entirely? 

It is a tough one. the popular maxim is... 'follow your heart, but take your head along with you.' So many are afraid of 'losing their heads' and getting caught up in something that will leave them hurt. They are not trusting themselves to handle themselves. You are in charge, but you also need to be able to handle the outcome. 

Whether it is about love or some completely random situation; will you be brave enough to jump in and ride the wave or will you let your head do the talking and stop yourself, missing the ride?  

What do you think, if your heart sees something that is invisible to your eye, what will you choose heart or head?  

#168

We are only as blind as we want to be.

You cannot force someone to pay attention to something that they do not want 
to notice. There's none so blind as those who will not see.  

We will, sometimes, turn a blind eye to what is going on in our world. 

It is simply too big... too much for you to handle and you just close your eyes and pretend it isn't happening. The overwhelming situation may be something in your own life, diagnosis of an illness, job loss, uncontrollable debt, something major that is just too much to fathom. 

Or, it could be an acquaintance that has shared some information about their troubles, and you don't want to get involved.

As with everything, it is a choice. You choose whether or not to see what is going on. Sometimes things are unthinkable, you're unable to justify what is happening, it doesn't make sense, so you deny it.  

"The human mind has a primitive ego defense mechanism that negates all realities that produce too much stress for the brain to handle. It’s called denial." Dan Brown 'Inferno'

So when you are feeling like this what can you do? It is acceptance and trust. Accept the situation for what it is, don't run away, or turn a blind eye. Look at it, and accept that this is what is happening. This is the way it is.  It may hurt but it has to be dealt with. Trust yourself, have faith and take it one step at a time. Give yourself some credit. You can handle it and you are not alone.

#167

LAUGH!

10 Reasons Why We Should Laugh More

1. Laughter causes deep muscle relaxation. If you have ever laughed so hard that you've wet your pants, you know what I am talking about.

2. Laughter reduces stress. In addition to our bodies physically relaxing, we may forget our troubles, even if only temporarily.

3. Laughter has health benefits. When we laugh, our blood pressure and pulse rates drop slightly, endorphins (chemicals that sup-press pain and help you to feel better) are released into our bodies, and T-cells (key fighters in our immune system) increase.

4.Laughter is a universal language. Laughter is a unique human phenomenon that happens in every culture. It helps us to go beyond our cultural differences by emphasizing what we have in common.

5.Laughter promotes creativity and is conducive to learning. Chances are good that students will learn more from teachers who use laughter and humor, people who are able to laugh at themselves. Laughter breaks up the routine and can illustrate points. It also helps us to see life from a different perspective.

6.Laughter promotes communication. Think of laughter as a social lubricant. It connects, bonds, and builds rapport.

7. Laughter is an expression of auction. It's a way to love people by helping them to smile, laugh, experience a sense of connectedness, and feel better about themselves and about life.

8.Laughter is a reinforcer. Laughter can motivate and energize people.

9.Laughter is a coping mechanism. Laughter can help us to get through the tough times. As Bill Cosby says, "If you can find laughter in anything, you can survive it."

10.Laughter increases our rapport with others. This has professional implications. Compliance increases when we have established rapport with someone. For example, salespeople sell more, patients tend to comply more with health regimens, and students work harder in class.

Adopted in part from Stephen Saffron on How to Teach a Humor and play Class.

Add life to your years, enjoy the time you are here, laugh. Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out of it alive anyway!

#166

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." Lewis Carroll

Do you feel like you have lost your direction? Maybe just blowing in the wind? A lost soul, with no fixed address? If this is so,  and you can't think of what to do or where to go next, you are at a crossroads. How can you get anywhere when you haven't got a clue where you want to go?

Sometimes life gets so overwhelming that you become paralyzed with anxiety and don't know which way to turn.  Or it may simply be that you are attempting to 'go with the flow' and it just looks like you have no direction. Either way, you don't have to make an instant decision on the big stuff, mull it over for awhile, until the anxiety is lessened, and the resolution will come to you. Just tackle the small things in the meanwhile.

The point of this quote is that with no direction whatsoever, any road you take will take you somewhere. So if you haven't been going anywhere, at least this will get you moving.

“I have come to accept the feeling of not knowing where I am going. And I have trained myself to love it. Because it is only when we are suspended in mid-air with no landing in sight, that we force our wings to unravel and alas begin our flight. And as we fly, we still may not know where we are going to. But the miracle is in the unfolding of the wings. You may not know where you're going, but you know that so long as you spread your wings, the winds will carry you.”  C. Joybell

Don't live in the future, scheduling and planning your life away. Don't, either live in the past lamenting all the sad and depressing scenarios that took place. Live in the here and now, be present. Enjoy every moment and take one step at a time. When the time is right, you will know where you want to go and how to get there. Have a little faith, it will all work out.

#165

It's not the load that breaks you down....

We all have burdens to carry, 'you've got your troubles, I've got mine.' 

Everyone has gone through rough times, death, divorce, betrayal, accidents, illness, etc. there is no end to what some people have had to endure. 

And yet, have you ever noticed that the ones that carry the largest loads seem to be the kindest, most compassionate and loving of souls? 

Some people seem to melt down when anything unexpected takes place. They don't seem to be able to handle 'life' at all, let alone, a disaster. They simply do not feel safe, lacking trust in themselves and the universe. And there are still others that whine and cry about anything, no matter how trivial. This is an entirely different issue of entitlement which requires taking responsibility for themselves.

If you see the world as a scary place, it will be. If you see the world a peaceful place, it will be.

I have found that when it comes right down to it, if the person involved accepts his position in life, that's when the acceptance and healing are allowed in. When the worst case scenario comes to call, this person will be ready to deal with it. Positive outlook and acceptance can make your life a lot easier. Stop fighting 'what is'. All the kicking and screaming will not change the facts, and will only leave you exhausted, unable to fight the good fight. Accept your challenges, it lessens the power they have over you, and allows you to live your life, not avoid it.

Everything will be okay in the end, if it isn't okay, it isn't the end.

#164

They do not know YOU!

Do you find that there are some people that want to tell you what to do, and how to do it? They do not, and never will know what is best for you, what you need to do and what is the best thing for you to do in any given circumstance. 

The thing is... even if someone can 'see' that you are going down what they consider to be the wrong path, there is no way one adult should be telling another what to do. If you are adult the decision is yours. 

If you asked someone for their advice on what to do, then you may have to suffer through a long list of the pros and cons of your desire. This is the downfall of asking in the first place... it is your decision. You never have to defend your choices, they are yours.

If you are adamant about something that all those around you feel is detrimental, remember this is only their opinion. It is not fact. Usually when someone is determined that you will be hurt by trying something, it is because it is a fear of theirs. They are frightened of the entire prospect of what you propose, and think they are trying to save you from yourself. But, frankly, it is none of their business. You have your path to follow and they have theirs.

If you have a desire to do something, it is entirely up to you, as are the consequences of your actions. If it turns out to be a ghastly mistake, so be it, you need to accept that and carry on. You are responsible for your actions and decisions, and if you believe in yourself, against all odds, then do it. You will never know what you are capable of if you allow others to bully you, or make your decisions for you. 

Only you can possibly know what you can accomplish, the depth of your desire, determination and drive. Do ever be afraid to take a chance on YOU.

#163

An eye for an eye....

This is a fairly popular quote, and yet, it is condoning violence and revenge! The quote is saying that if someone hurts you, you then, in turn, hurt them. 

"Does the Biblical phrase "eye for an eye" mean that we can punish, or even take revenge upon, someone in the exact same manner they used to cause harm? Although some feel this reciprocity is justified, is that what the Bible teaches? This phrase, like others, is often misunderstood and misapplied." biblestudy.org

An "eye for an eye" in biblical times, was a form of justice that insured that the injuring party should suffer as much as the injured. There are many people today that still feel justified in going after someone they feel has hurt them in some manner. If someone hurts you, takes something that belongs to you, or something to that effect, you have the right to reciprocate in kind. 

I understand that this may have brought forth some anger issues etc. but really what is the point in revenge? Where does it get you? Do you really think that you would feel better if you struck out at someone? Of course not, then you would have guilt and shame to deal with on top of whatever had originally taken place. Let the other person shoulder the shame, you could take the high road to forgiveness and sleep at night. Does this not make sense to you? That person is being who he/she is, you need to be who you are and not jump into the battle. You are responsible for how you act, how you handle different situations. Forgiveness is good for the soul, your soul. To forgive the person relieves you of any burden.

And as stated in this quote from Mahatma Gandhi... "an eye for an eye, makes the whole world blind". Non violence is the answer.

#162

Forgive yourself...

Forgiveness is an absolutely freeing and healing exercise. It is extremely

important that you include yourself in the process. You are responsible for yourself and those people that you allow in your world. You have chosen the people that you surround yourself with. Each and every person makes a difference and a contribution to your growth.

People come into your life for a reason, they are here to teach you what you need to know. They may be here to love you, to hurt you, to test or to help you reach the stars. But there is always a purpose for those that you share your life with. 

“There is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some people will test you, some will use you, some will bring out the best in you, but everyone will teach you something about yourself. Both positive and negative relationships teach you valuable lessons. This is an incredible step toward expanding your consciousness. The road to self-discovery requires help from others. As humans we are always seeking feedback and approval from others. That is how we learn and become better as individuals. No relationship is a waste of time. The wrong ones teach you the lessons that prepare you for the right ones. Appreciate everyone that enters your life because they are contributing to your growth and happiness.” John Geiger

You don't always recognize the people that will hurt you, and may find yourself in a 'bad' relationship. Don't be hard on yourself, realize that this is a lesson, not a punishment. You will learn something from all situations  where you are a participant. You needed that lesson, or the person would not have shown up. You will learn something from everyone that enters your life, and when all is said and done, you will be grateful for the people and the lessons learned. There are no mistakes, everything and everyone is significant.

#161

Change will change you.

Why do people fight change so hard? Why do they like things to remain as they are, as they always have been. What is the problem? 

Change can create stress and fear. Things will no longer be the same and same is where people are comfortable. It's a fear of the unknown. Everyone feels safer when things are familiar.

So let's consider this. Why no just leave things as they are, don't change anything. Stand straight, tall and firm in your resolve. Keep things the same at all costs. But ask yourself ... are all your needs fulfilled, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually? Are you satisfied with your life? Are you living the dream? If everything is copacetic, then leave things alone, and good luck! 

Don't be afraid of change, you might lose something good, but you'll gain something better.

If you feel that your world needs to be altered a bit, change will be involved. You can set yourself on the road to change, by doing something different, going on a trip to a new location, just change it up. Life also has a way of changing things for you. It is inevitable. It's how you handle the changes in life that makes it stressful ... or not.

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new." Socrates

Whenever you go through change, whether you go kicking and screaming all the way, or accepting and calm; you will notice a shift. Not only will things be different, so will you. 

"Be the change you want to see in the world" Mahatma Gandhi

#160

Pure joy, happiness, fun, good times, excitement .. you choose..

This is my grandson, Kenzie. The picture was taken when we stopped for coconut refreshment, during our exploration of Ubud, Bali. (I know he is the cutest being to ever walk the earth. This is a totally unbiased statement of fact, from his grandmother.) 

Do you remember the last time you had this look on your face? Do you remember feeling such joy in a moment. Kids are so present.

Life is a mystery, isn't it? We rush through our daily routine, wishing and hoping our lives away. Just getting through the day so we can get to the next thing, to the gym, finish our novel or whatever we have put on hold to maintain the routine. We need to earn a living, to keep up the status quo. 

Don't get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. 

Rarely are we ever simply PRESENT. Living in the here and now, enjoying 'what is', what is offered to us at any given moment. When we get that focused, tuned in to what is going on in the moment, it is about our work... after all that is important. We must be aware of what is going on in order to advance or maintain our position. AND we must maintain that position to receive the pay to continue to survive in this world. Of course this is important, we do, after all, live on the earth plane where money rules. Money may not buy happiness, but it is necessary. We seem to inevitably be somewhere we don't want to be, doing what we don't want to do, to keep it all together. Are we giving up the life we want, in order to keep the life we have? 

We all know what actually is important, what we are here for, what it is all about. It's not about money, success, position or power, but love and happiness. Perhaps this year will be the one to establish a balance. To find a way to enjoy ourselves, our love ones and be where we want to be doing what we want to do.... maybe putting your hands in your shirt, tickling your tummy and laughing in sheer delight at the sensation.