A Brave New World

A Brave New World

Sometimes in life facing the new day takes a power & energy beyond what others in our life know. We stumble because we don't believe that we have the strength to go on, when truly that strength is always within us. 

We need to look at the new day as an opportunity, instead of a challenge and realize that with each new day we move beyond the fear that holds us back. For without releasing that fear and moving forward in our lives we become stuck and stagnate and never become who we are truly meant to be.

Yes, somedays it takes great bravery to move forward and let go of all the yesterdays that have piled up inside of us. But, truly the only path forward is in focusing on what is possible in this new day and being grateful for the opportunity to have a fresh start.

All those yesterdays can be a huge burden to carry with you and the ability to let them go is not an easy one. You are braver than you believe you are and the secret to letting those burdens go is set firmly inside of you.

If the past year has taught us anything it is to be resilient and it takes being brave to find that resiliency. Trust in our strength, even when it feels like it's fading, and believe that every morning is a new opportunity, a new chance to live the life you've always dreamt of.

Yes, we live in a challenging time right now and it feels sometimes that we are facing a brave new world because of the daily changes we face. Just remember that you have the power to change everything in your life and you have the strength to make it happen.

Start each morning with things you are grateful for. No matter how small they are, they will begin to change the world around you by bringing a change in your outlook to the new day. Then compliment yourself on the things you have accomplished in the past day or two. We to often are ready to give praise to everyone in our our lives but ourselves. This will give you strength and purpose because slowly you will start to believe in yourself.

You are amazing and there is no one as unique as you. You have the power of God/Universe within you, you can connect with that power anytime you allow yourself to feel it. We are all one, connected by spirit and the more we allow ourselves to feel that connection, that oneness, the more we can face this brave new world!

Till next time,

Bill

Quote of the day: "You are braver than you believe you are and you can discover that strength by reconnecting with spirit!"

Exercise

Do you exercise? I believe that keeping your body fit helps to lead to a better life overall. I was always very active in sports & I had one of those metabolisms that worked overtime until I was in my early 40's. I never really had to worry about staying in shape or gaining weight. That all changed when I hit my mid 40's after many years of sitting behind a desk doing taxes & not having the time (so I thought) to exercise I put on some weight. Once I realized it I got back into an exercise routine. Currently I ride my bike between 16-20 miles a day in the morning & hike with the dogs through our state park approx. 4 miles in the evening. Sure there's times it's a bit hard but overall I feel much better because I'm getting myself back into shape.

The type of exercise I actually want to talk about today is spiritual exercise. Everything I've written over the last 11 months about spiritual growth & living a more joyful life depends on taking the time to work on the things in your life that you need to work on. I know we're all busy & I know that many of us put our needs behind everyone & everything else that comes into our life. We need to stop doing that!! We need to put ourselves first at least most of the time. The work you do on yourself will lead to a more joyful life which in turn will help everyone else in your life. Take time delve into the subjects I've discussed. Find the trouble spots in your life. Work through these issues & reconnect with your true self (soul).

In taking the time to reflect, grow & work on the things we need to work on in our life we will discover the path to a better life. I know, you think about it all the time. You mean to get to it. I understand how life can get away from you, before you know it you'll be looking back & wondering where your life has gone. Stop coasting through life & learn to live life to the fullest. I believe in each & everyone of you because I've been there & I changed my life through the very things I write about. I love my life (other then the looking for a job part), I'm very happy with who I am. It took me a longtime to get there. I know how much work is involved but just like exercise for your body the return is amazing.

Take time for yourself today. Start an exercise program to improve yourself. Move beyond the norm in your life. Find a way past the EGO, let go of the need to help others for just a short time & take care of yourself, grow, learn & become everything you can be!!

Till tomorrow,

Bill

P.S. Tomorrow is my 200th blog I'm not sure what I'll write about yet but I would love to hear from each you on what blogs were your favorites. Thanks for all the support.

Quote of the day:"Exercise not only your body but your mind & spirit. Take time to do the work on you & discover a more joyful life today!!!"

The Spirit of an Underdog

Yes, the unbelievable is on the verge of happening. Our hometown team & the University my wife Heidi graduated from, the Butler Bulldogs, will play tonight for the national championship. We've watched them excel for years but they've never made it this far in the schools history. In case you don't know Butler it's a small (4,000 students) liberal arts college on the north side of Indianapolis. It's been known for years, in the state of Indiana for its academic excellence. So what does this have to do with my blog "Journey to Joy"? I think we've all experienced feeling like the underdog in life, so let's explore that.

There are times in life that no matter how hard we work we don't feel like we are the best at something. The feeling of not being good enough is common thread that many of us have in our life. I wrote a blog on it a while ago "Being not good enough" check it out if you'd like.

Let's move beyond the feeling of not being good enough & look at the spirit of being the underdog. What's the difference? The difference is how you feel about yourself not what others think of you. When you feel not good enough that's an attitude that you've accepted from the programing of your past. When you're the underdog you believe in yourself but no one else may. In business I think this happens all the time. You aren't thought of highly by a boss but you consistently perform better then the others in the department. There's no way to explain why it happens beyond the fact that we all try to quantify & judge everyone in our life.

I believe that being an underdog can actually be a good thing in life because you consistently come through even though your not expected to!! So why does an underdog succeed? In life, as in sports, the underdog succeeds because of the belief in themselves or their team. They tune out what the world has to say about them & they work together to overcome the obstacles in front of them. This is a great way to live our life. There's way to much noise in the world & unfortunately this noise is often negative (There's no way you can do this or that). Letting go of the noise & believing in yourself is a great way to separate yourself from the others in the world.

Sometimes believing in yourself is difficult because you're not sure you can perform the task at hand. I believe we all excel at much more then we believe we can excel at. Too many of us believe what everyone else has to say about us. Whatever it is that you have to deal with in your life that you believe is beyond you. Take time to let go of the uncertainty, move beyond your EGO and reconnect with your soul (True self). In your soul you will know the truth, allow that feeling to grow. Even if you're uncertain about your true abilities move forward & God/universe will help you along the way. Things don't always go the way we plan but every step forward is a step of learning & growing. Take on whatever challenges you face in your daily life. Learn from everything you do & you can achieve more then you ever believe you can!!

Will Butler win tonight? Who knows, but everyone loves an underdog & anything in life is possible. Accept being the underdog in your life from time to time. Let go of fear & show the world what you can do!!!

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day: "Being the underdog in life has it's advantages. Believe in yourself, let go of the noise from the world & anything is possible!"

Play

Do you remember how to play? Are you willing to take time to play? One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is to allow ourselves time to play. In the busy world we live in many of us forget how to play. We all take life so seriously & we all work much to hard. Don't get me wrong, a good work ethic is very important but remembering how to have fun & play is just as important & too often overlooked.

Having a child's view of the world is one of the best ways to find joy in your life & live in the present moment. Watch children at play, they don't worry about what's next they just enjoy what they're doing in the present moment. They can become so engrossed in what their doing that time appears to stand still. Hours can pass & to them it feels like moments. I'm sure we've all had moments in our life when we enjoyed what we were doing so much that time wasn't important or seemed to pass with ease. This is the feeling we all need to strive for. To be so caught up in the current moment that nothing else matters.

By remembering how to play we can rediscover this true connection with our spirit, our joy. Stop taking life so seriously. Learn to let go & have fun. Remember what it was like to be a child & to play!! Look at the world as a child. See everything in your life like it's the first time again. Open your mind to the beauty around you & play!.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"Rediscover the joy of playing. See the world with the eyes of a child & allow each moment to be the first time!"