Priorities

Have you set priorities for your life? Do you make a list of the things you want to accomplish? Do you even think about what's important in your life? So many of us just try to get through the day. Somewhere in our head we may have thought about what we want to accomplish in our life but we never spend much time really thinking about it. Before we know it we're 10, 20 or maybe even 30 years down the road in our life & we wonder what happened to the priorities we had for this life of ours.

It's easy to look back & figure out the big events in our life but to live the life we desire takes thought now. I've talked a lot in this blog about living in the current moment & discovering the joy that each moment has for us but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have priorities in your life. One of my first blog's was about creating a vision board & spending time each day in front of this board. This vision board should be filled with your life priorities. You should take time each day to sit quietly & focus on the pictures or words you post on this vision board.

If a vision board isn't your thing, write down the priorities for your life. Writing can be a strong way to focus on what you want to accomplish in your life. Look at the list of your life priorities, take time to focus on what you want to accomplish. Whether you use a vision board or just a list the important thing is to take time to think about what your want to accomplish.

Don't be rigid with your priorities, be willing to change them as new things come into your life. Being flexible in your life is extremely important. Things change all around us & as we grow things that were once important are no longer that important to us. It is by being flexible that we open our lives to the greatest number of possibilities. This flexibility is especially important in achieving our life priorities.

Taking time each day to think about what is important in our life will bring more of your priorities into your life on daily basis. Remember that the path we take to achieving these priorities isn't as important as achieving them. We need to release the results & allow God/universe to work for us.

Set your life priorities today, take time each day to think about your priorities & watch the world unfold before you. You have the power to create anything you want in your life. Believe in yourself & believe in the help that God/universe will send you.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day: "To accomplish your life priorities, take time each day to reflect on what's important in your life. Open your heart & allow God/universe to assist in creating the life you always dreamed of."

Thinking through change

I've written a lot about change because I believe in it very strongly & the truth is change will happen with or without you. Today I thought we'd discuss the process that most of us go through before we accept "the change" as part of our life.

For most of us the first reaction to change is fear. The biggest fear we deal with in our life & especially with change is the fear of the unknown. This fear is based around what we create in our mind & not what will actually happen to us. In fact most of the time what we create in our mind is much worse then anything we ever actually go through. Why is this? Mostly because of the EGO, the EGO doesn't like change the EGO likes things the way they are because it feels it can control things easier if they are the same.

The way to move beyond the fear of the unknown is to stay in the present. Deal with what's actually happening & not what you think will happen. Understand that the first thoughts & the loudest thoughts are always the EGO.

The next step in the process of change is to take action. What I mean by this is to do whatever the change is, if you want to start an exercise program the action is to start. Once you take action on a change whether it be a change in thought or an actual action like the exercise program you will begin the shift that's needed to accept the change. There will still be resistance from the EGO but because you've taken action the resistance will be less. Part of this "action" step is also acceptance. If you fight the change it will never be as easy as when you accept it & move forward.

The final step is to make the change a regular part of your life. What I mean by this is to make the change a new habit. Until you're able to do this you will always fall back to your old ways. There's a natural excitement to anything we perceive as positive change but what happens is after that initial excitement we fall back to our old patterns & we haven't really changed at all. By making the change a new habit it becomes much more likely that the change will stay. Like anything else in life the more you "practice" something the better you get at it. Change is no different, the more you "practice" the change the easier it will be to make it apart of your life.

Understand the process of accepting change in your life. Remember that you can change anything if you want to. By changing your thoughts you will change your life but the changes you want have to be for you. If you're trying to change for someone else you'll face much more resistance because you have to want the change in your life. Old patterns take practice to move beyond & the EGO is always a stumbling block but true change can happen if you truly want to change.

Be the change you want to see in the world & you're new life will begin to unfold in front of you. Stay in the present, let go of the EGO & practice the change until it becomes who you are!!

Till tomorrow,


Bill

Quote of the day:"The change you want in your life is possible. Believe in yourself & commit to the change you want to achieve!!"

Peace

Peace, something we all strive for; "To bring more peace to the world". Is peace possible? Can little old me actually make a difference in the world? The answer to these questions are a resounding YES!!! The world can discover true peace once we all learn to find love. I've written before that love isn't something you should seek out. Love is something that begins from within. Each of us can discover the love we have inside & by believing in this love & letting it flow out of us we will have love in our life.

The same principle is true with peace. Once we discover love & we realize that every person has love inside them. We can begin to open our heart to others & act from a place of love first. By letting go of the need to judge, acting from a place of love first & accepting the differences we all have, peace can grow from within us outward to the rest of the world.

Believe in the power you have individually. Anything you want to do, you can do & peace is no different. Stop accepting the fact that there will always be violence & unrest in the world & start believing in the love with all have within us.

The biggest stumbling blocks we have to a world of peace are two fold. First, as I just mentioned, it's an acceptance that there will always be unrest. Remember thoughts become things!! So by accepting that there will always be unrest....there will always be unrest. Change your thoughts to believe that peace is possible & that the world can let go of differences & move to a time of peace.

The second stumbling block to peace is the EGO. The EGO's need for more is the driving force behind the violence in the world today. Take a look at your own life & understand that when you act out it's your EGO that's being hurt & making you react. By pausing & letting go of the immediate thought we can move beyond the EGO & into a place of love. We all have gotten hurt in life by others, but by letting go of the EGO & focusing on the love you have inside we can move beyond the EGO & begin to see the love that others have in them.

Start creating the world you want to see today. Let go of the old & believe in a world of peace & love. It can happen now!! Be the spark to ignite the change.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"Peace in the world is possible through each of us believing in ourselves & creating the world we want to see."

Become apart of the change...take the vow of peace & non-violence & change the world.

I take the vow is a website to start the change...join today.

Relationships

Relationships can be an amazing addition to your quest for a more joyful life. The love you discover in another person can lift you to new heights. The drawback is that instead of having love within yourself to give to someone else we expect the other person to give us love to fill us up. Love is truly the answer for everyone but we need to begin with loving ourselves first. Without love of yourself any relationship will run into problems down the road. Discover the love we all have inside of us & you'll have more love in your life then you can imagine.

On your journey to self discovery the support of a partner can help you overcome the demons of the past but there are a few things to be careful of. I unfortunately discovered these the hard way in the past.

1. Change - although you may be going through a great deal of change individually in your journey, you can't change your partner. Change is a personal choice & even when you've discovered things in your journey that really help you. Your partner may not be helped by the same discoveries or just simply may not want to change at all.

2. Control - When we feel like we have so many "balls" up in the air & we're trying to deal with all of them. One of the first things we try to do is to take control over everything in our lives to be able to handle it better. The truth is that we can't control anything in our life except for ourselves & our reaction to whatever happens. This is a hard lesson for some people. Observe life & listen to the messages that God/universe is sending you don't try & "make" things happen.

3. Rescue - When we are injured ourselves we look for someone to be partnered with that we feel we can rescue. It makes us feel better about who we are to be able help someone else overcome their demons. The truth is that as in #1 we can't "will" someone better & we can't hurt deeply enough to remove the pain from someone else. If you want to help others (which is a great thing to do) volunteer for organizations & give freely of yourself to causes.

4. Forgiveness - The greatest gift you have to give in a relationship is forgiveness. Remember the reason why you feel in love with person & understand that we are all human & therefore imperfect. Forgive with all your heart & let go of the mistakes your partner has made.

Remember that we are all on our own journey & together we are always stronger then on our own. Discover the beauty of the people in our life & cherish each relationship you have. As I've said in the past; every person that enters our life is there for a reason, discover that reason & the universe will unfold before you. Love with all your heart & live a more joyful life.

Till Monday...enjoy your weekend,

Bill

Quote of the day: "A relationship can be a beautiful way to discover a more joyful life."

The Journey of a 1,000 miles

"The journey of a 1,000 miles begins with one step" this is one of my favorite quotes from the Tao Te Ching written by Lao Tzu over 2,500 years ago. To me this quote speaks to my soul because I've always been a person who embraces change. In response to the New Year I think it's an important time to reflect on change. Most of us have a deep fear of things changing in our life. We hold on to what we know even if it's not working well for us. The reason for this is because we all want comfort & some "normal" to our lives. I truly understand this desire & at times in my life the "normal" pattern of life is all I could find comfort in. But the only way to live life & find more joy in each & every moment is to embrace change.

This doesn't mean that we need to change for change sake. Changing just to change is like a dog chasing his tail, we'll never get to where we need to be. Instead what it means is to embrace the idea of change & to realize that to live in the joy of every moment, means to keep yourself open to the change that comes into your life.

The Lao Tzu quote, especially in times of transition, reminds me that change doesn't have to be dramatic. To embrace change sometimes just means taking the next step. Even when things seem overwhelming, if we can shorten our focus to just taking the next step we can begin the process of change. It is in the process, the forward movement, that things begin to happen for us in our life. To continue to move forward even when the path ahead isn't clear is one of the hardest things for all of us in life. Remember it only takes the next step, each step one after the other can lead us down the path of change & onto a more joyful life.

Begin each day with an open mind. Embrace the understanding that life will change with or without you, by taking the next step you begin the change you want to see in your life. Remember that each day is a new part of the journey, live each day to the fullest & bring more joy into your life.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. A tree grows from one seedling. A tower starts with one brick." Lao Tzu


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