Storms

I read a post by my friend Marty Duane the other day about his first experience camping. In the story he described how a big rain storm came & flooded the tent. This story reminded me that we all face storms in our lives. These storms could be anything and our natural tendency when we face a storm in our life is to hunker down & hide. This is especially true when things just aren't going our way. We tend to get caught up in the negative energy around us & become more & more negative ourselves.

Negative energy that is surrounding us by situations beyond our control or negative people that for the time being are in our life are difficult to deal with. It takes a lot of practice to move beyond the negative in our life. One of the things I always remember when facing a storm in my life is a very simple phrase..."This too shall pass". No matter how bad the storm is in our life, no storm lasts forever.

When we're caught in the middle of a storm it's difficult to remember that this storm will end. We feel in the moment that in fact it will never end & we lose all hope for a better tomorrow. Sometimes, as with nature, storms are needed to help us grow. The lessons we learn from the storms in life may not always be easy but we will move beyond them to a better tomorrow.

Everyday is a precious gift & if we begin each day anew today could be the start of the life you always wanted. Today could be the end of the storm you're facing in your life right now. Today can be anything you want it to be! It's all up to you, you have the power to make anything happen in your life. Believe in yourself & remember no matter how difficult it is right now....this too shall pass.

Have a wonderful weekend, see you Monday.

Bill

Quote of the day:"Today you have the opportunity to move beyond the storms you're facing in your life. Look at each day as a new beginning & discover the joy in each moment."

The Beauty of each day

I've always been a person who starts each day anew. I've been able to leave yesterday behind & look at each day as a new beginning. Sometimes the quiet of the morning is just amazing to me. It fills me up for the rest of the day. We, as many people in the U.S., have gotten a bunch of snow over the last few weeks. I would guess that we have at least 15-18 inches on the ground. It's been rather inconvenient getting around but as I sit in the morning looking out the front windows it's just so beautiful. The quiet of the neighborhood, the snow blanketing everything & the sun gently rising.

Yes these are moments I've learned to cherish. When I was younger I could never slow down, even when I saw beautiful things in my life I only stopped for a moment. As I've gotten older & gone through a true life changing transformation, I've learned to really enjoy each moment of the day & the mornings have always been my favorite.

Over the past many months (nearly 9) since I've been out of work I've truly enjoyed the time I take in the morning. I still wake every morning by 6 & for many months this summer & fall I would ride my bike between 25-30 miles in the state park near our house. My appreciation for the beauty of the morning has grown incredibly through this practice.

Start each day with a few moments to appreciate the beauty around you. Let go of all the noise from the day before. Be reborn in the glory that is your life. Open your heart to the beauty around you & fill yourself with love. By beginning each day with this simple practice you too can lead a more joyful life.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of day:"Find the beauty of each day by starting with a few moments to truly appreciate the world around you."

Back to the beginning

What are your first memories as a child? Not the ones that people tell you about or the ones you've seen in pictures or movies but the the first thing you can remember. I spoke yesterday about letting go of the past & I wrote a blog about that several months ago but sometimes in order to let go you have to take the time to think back.

Many doctors will say that the earliest memories we have as children are between the ages of 3-5 years. So I ask again, do you remember what your first memory is? I'd love to hear some of them in the comments section. For me my first memories are from a vacation my family took to Florida. The first of two very distinct memories from that trip (I was nearly 4) was sitting on a ledge with my dad. He was fishing & a manatee surfaced & scared me to death. I had never seen anything like that. The second memory from the same trip was my dad taking me & my sisters out on a raft in the ocean to see a ship anchored off shore. So for me, my first memories are both good & bad.

The trouble most of us have with the past is that we've created emotional attachments to events that we've been through. These emotional attachments are so strong that whenever we experience something that reminds us of the original event we feel the same emotions. This emotional attachment can be great for wonderful events in our life but it can create fear & negative emotions from bad events. These fears can hold us back from being who we are truly meant to be. The key to living a more joyful life is to take the time to understand these connections. Write down all the memories you have & the emotions that are attached to them. Once you can identify these attachments you can begin the process of healing.

Sounds easy, huh? The process itself is easy but to move through the past you need to experience the emotions that are attached to these memories. Once you can feel the emotional attachment & you allow yourself to experience the feelings you can begin the process of letting these negative attachments go.

The mind is an amazing thing & by letting go of these negative emotions & understanding the memories they were attached to. You can then re-attach these memories to less negative thoughts. This re-patterning of negative emotions can free you to live a more joyful life.

Take the time to understand why you feel what you feel in your life. Understand that through forgiveness of ourself & others, we can release the past & begin to live in the present moment. By taking the time to understand why we react the way we do we can begin the process of healing & live a more joyful life.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"Take the time to understand your past. Through this understanding we can move forward to a more joyful life."


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