What's Important to you?

My friend Tony Anders wrote an interesting blog on "Who am I?" yesterday & it got me thinking about how we define ourselves. He had many interesting thoughts about how people define themselves but I also believe that people define themselves by what's important to them! So I started to explore this question in my mind & I thought I would share the 10 things that are the most important to me. I'm going to exclude the obvious: Wife, Kids & Family. I hope you like this list & I would love it if you'd leave me "What's important to you" below (in no particular order).

1. Getting a job - As many of you know it's been over a year that I've been unemployed & although I'm not hung up on not having a job, I believe it's time to find one again.

2. Self Growth - The best thing about not having a job is that I've had time to truly explore who I am & continue to grow through the work I do on myself.

3. Be Love - I continue to work on loving everyone that comes into my life & trying to radiate the love I feel out to the rest of the world. When someone challenges my love, I try to understand why this person is a challenge & grow through the challenge.

4. Be Sustainable - Heidi & I continue to work on doing what we can to be more natural with local products & recycling, etc. I believe if we all take even small steps we can make a huge difference in the world.

5. Help Others - I have been volunteering since I was very small but as my work-life got very busy over the past several years I didn't have time to volunteer or help others. I have rediscovered the joy of volunteering the past year & I'm currently involved with many groups.

6. Be an instrument of peace - I have learned in my life that war is unnecessary for the most part & the differences between us make us unique, they aren't something to fight over. Through dialogue & understanding we can end war in our lifetime & have a world filled with peace.

7. Continue to write - I have discovered that the process of writing this blog has been very fulfilling not only because of the wonderful comments people leave but because it's helped me give thought to things that are important to me.

8. Be with Nature - I have truly rediscovered my love for nature. It's always been & even when my life has gotten busy I would go back to nature to reconnect but with the limited budget I've started camping again & truly appreciate being back in nature & the earth. I will never allow this connection to go away moving forward.

9. Exercise - Along with reconnecting with nature I have truly enjoyed my daily bike rides & our increased hiking. I will continue to push myself forward with these small joys in my life even when I am able to get back to work.

10. Be the change you want to see in the world - This is the most important to me. I want to be able to help change the world even if it's in a small way. I hope to always be an example going forward & when I falter I want to learn from the experience & become a better a person because of it.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into what's truly important to me. I do find joy in every moment but I also understand that I still have much to learn in my life. Life is an amazing gift & I appreciate the opportunity to become a better person everyday. Thank you for being apart of my journey.

Till Monday,

Hugs,

Bill

PS I am still looking for Guest Bloggers. My hope is to help introduce people to your blogs/thoughts. If you'd like to be a Guest Blogger drop me an email at timberwolf12345@gmail.com

"Did Pooh ever use the word 'holistic'?"

This week I welcome another guest blogger Dawn Sievers. Dawn is a great writer & a good friend. She is one of the founders of the Authentic Blogger group on Facebook & she writes a blog entitled Healing Morning. Enjoy her blog and then see her bio at the end!

"Did Pooh ever use the word ‘holistic’?”

How's that for an opening statement?! That was a reply to a post of mine on the Facebook page of a girlfriend who is suffering a lingering, nasty recovery from swine flu...current incarnation, bronchitis. I posted earlier with one of my favorite standby quotes of, "Think, think, think," said Pooh, "wondering what we can do from a holistic perspective to blast that out of you?" The second part of the quote is my own ad lib, but the beginning is pure Pooh.

I was delighted with the follow up inquiry about Pooh's possible use, or non-use of such a word as holistic, and thus, a blog was born. I am a firm believer that Pooh and all his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood are much deeper than we see at first glance. Pooh was born out of inspiration from A.A. Milne's son, Christopher Robin's stuffed animal collection (yes, my friends, there really is a real Christopher Robin!) and grew into a worldwide, beloved storyline. I suspect that many Pooh-isms were also inspired by A.A. Milne's little boy, as they speak with childlike clarity and wisdom we often lose as we grow up.

So, back to this holistic Pooh business. Has anyone recently looked up some Pooh quotes? If you haven't, I strongly suggest you give it a whirl. Just type "Winnie the Pooh quotes" into your search engine and prepare to laugh, feel warm inside, maybe get choked up here and there.

"Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there someday."*

....and....

"Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to
watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known."*

....and...

"Some people care too much; I think its called love."*

Methinks that A.A. Milne was a crafty soul who possibly chose to slip very deep messages and thoughts into the world of Pooh, perhaps to touch young hearts in a positive manner and hope they would take those thoughts with them into adulthood. Fast forward to today and here I sit, typing away about Pooh and holistic health. Okay, no, Milne didn't write the word "holistic" in any of his works about Pooh, but as a child, Pooh captured my mind with his unique way of thinking, and clearly it stuck with me. I still think Pooh, if I could sit down and talk with him for a spell, would have very deep thoughts to share on holistic health! That's my take on it....

*all Winnie the Pooh quotes taken from http://www.great-inspirational-quotes.com/winnie-the-pooh-quotes.html

Here is the link to the original post: http://healingmorning.blogspot.com/2009/09/did-pooh-ever-use-word-holistic.html

And here is Dawn's writing bio:

Dawn is a Freelance Technical and Creative Writer and Social Media Management Consultant. She's worked as a professional writer for over 15 years, she ventured into the world of blogging in 2009. Healing Morning is a forum to give voice to her musings on a wide range of topics, with the common theme focusing on healing, spiritual and holistic concepts. A positive, uplifting and oftentimes humorous tone runs through her words, and she chooses to write about moments that capture her heart, cause her to ponder deeply, and encourage her to think differently as a result.

“Writing is how I make my living; it is how I help others both professionally and personally, and it is how I express myself in the most rich, vital manner. I consider myself blessed and fortunate to be able to touch the lives of others with my writing.”

If you enjoyed this post, you can find more at Healing Morning blog. Dawn is also a contributing writer to Writers Rising blog, at http://www.liveandinspire.com/ and http://www.vividlife.me/ website. She can be reached for writing and social media consulting services at http://www.sdawnsieverswritingservices.com/

Feeling Lost

Have you ever had the feeling of being lost? Where everything in your life seems to be just not in step. Where any choice you make seems to be the wrong one. We all have times in our life when we feel totally disconnected with everything in our life. When you're going through those times it's difficult to believe that there's an answer that will help you get your life back.

I've had times in my life that I have felt completely connected to everything. Where every move I make is the easiest simplest decision I could ever make & I've had times where I've felt completely lost. As I've grow in my spiritual development I've learned how to smooth out these extremes. Don't get me wrong they still happen to me but I've learned over the years how to move beyond the feeling of being totally disconnected or completely lost quicker then I could in the past. Here's the steps I've learned to take:

1. The most important step is to not get down on yourself. Understand that life like nature is all about cycles & we all go through ups & downs so forgive yourself for feeling lost.

2. Observe what is happening in your life, sometimes during this "lost" time there are very clear messages that God/universe is trying to send you. If you pay attention to the messages sometimes that alone will bring you back to feeling connected.

3. Take time to connect to your true self (soul) understand what you're feeling & rediscover the love you have inside. Love will often lighten your mood & bring you back to a connection with everything.

4. Reconnect with nature whether it's taking a walk in a park, spending time in your garden or escaping to a national park. There is a deep & meaningful connection between all of us & nature. By taking the time to reconnect with nature we connect with everything & this connection will lead us back from being lost.

These steps are only the beginning but they are a great way to lead yourself out of the feeling of being lost. There are always things to be learned from everything we go through in our life. The key is to understand this & to move forward in the current moment. Many times this lost feeling can be a shadow of our past & by staying in the current moment we can reconnect with who we truly are & what we want in life.

Till tomorrow,

Hugs,

Bill


Quote of the day: "When you feel lost in your life, take time to acknowledge what your feeling. Rediscover the love in your heart & reconnect with everything."

Down the rabbit hole

How far down the rabbit hole of self discovery are you willing to go? In this day & age we rarely take the time we need to understand who we truly are. We are pressured by the people around us to "suck it" & move on. So, for most of us, no matter what we've been through, we bury the pain & move on. We move forward without ever looking at what's happened to us & often we are thrown back to the same feelings over & over again in our lives. We wonder why we aren't able to manifest the things we want in our life & our life is never as fulfilling as we'd like it to be.

Does this sound like you? This was me for many years. I have mentioned before that I grew up in a family of 5. I have 4 sisters so I'm the only boy. I went through some big crisis in my life when I was fairly young including a car crash that broke my younger sisters back. Because of the crisis I had to deal I was always regarded as someone who excelled in these situations. I seemed to think clear & quicker then most people in the crisis situations I had to deal with. This sounds wonderful but the downside of it was that I would bury how felt to get through the situation & most of time once the crisis was over the feelings were buried so deep that I never really looked back on them.

I struggled often in my younger life to find out what I really wanted in life. I was outwardly successful (having a good job, etc) but inside I was a mess. I was grasping for anything to give meaning to my life. Don't misunderstand I was still a very happy person & I had a pretty good life but once you got beyond the surface I didn't really know who I was or what I wanted. So I started to take time to get to know me & as I did this I realized that many of the things that happened to me in my life were based on the same feelings or in the same patterns. I discovered that in order to move forward in my life I needed to learn & grow from everything I'd been through. Part of this learning was acknowledging the feelings I had & trying to understand why I felt the way I felt.

This self discovery can be painful but through the process of feeling the emotions & understanding where the feelings come from you can move beyond the feelings & onto a better life. God/universe wants to help us learn & grow. God/universe wants us to become the person we truly can be. Because of this if we avoid the lessons God/universe sends us, those lessons will be sent back to us again & again. It is only through the process of self discovery that we able to move onto a better life.

Take time to look deep inside yourself, acknowledge all the feelings you've hidden away in smallest places of your heart & soul. Learn from these feelings & allow your life to grow into a more joyful life.

Till Tuesday, have a great holiday weekend.

Hugs,

Bill

I am still looking for guest bloggers. I would like to have Wednesday's be guest bloggers day on my blog, if you're interested contact me at Timberwolf12345@gmail.com

Quote of the day: "Take the time you need for true self discovery. Learn & grow through the things you've experienced & begin to lead a more joyful life."

Gateway

Today I welcome my first "Guest Blogger" Erana Leiken. I have enjoyed Erana's blog "Just doing my thing" for a longtime now. I was introduced to her through the "Authentic Blogger" group on Facebook.

Erana Leiken, principal of Tiger Marketing, is a marketing and PR consultant and freelance writer. She also teaches communication courses at the University of Phoenix and Web marketing and interactive content for the Art Institute of Phoenix. Formerly an NBC reporter, magazine editor, and Web business writer, she is writing creative nonfiction and doing Web consulting.

Please welcome Erana & be sure to check out her blog.

Gateway

By Erana Leiken

I close my eyes and breathe deeply. As I take deeper, longer breaths, in my mind, I am transported.

I stand before an arch looking at the path that takes me into a golden field on the way to the garden, my beautiful, tranquil garden.


I follow the path to the water and the secluded garden where my guide awaits.

It is a spiritual retreat, and only I have access. It is an inner resting place I have created when there is nowhere else to go.

Life’s pressures and stresses are not allowed in my secret garden.

Once I am there, I escape the cares and weight of life. My guide is always there …when I am afraid, uncertain and alone. We are connected. We sit beside the water, and my guide listens to my doubts and apprehensions.

I know I can rely on my guide to help me when life is too much, and I need refuge. This is our time and place, an inner world untouched by others where there is peace and comfort from external reality.


In the garden, I am comforted by my gentle guide. We are detached from the material world.

In this oasis of meditation, I transcend responsibilities, worries and anxieties.

In my garden I am calm. I am safe. I am free.







Copyright © Erana Leiken, 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
http://justdoingmythingcom.blogspot.com/
Archway photo by Maureen McGarrigle

Rose colored glasses

I have often been asked if my positive attitude about life is really just looking at the world through rose colored glasses. My answer is always the same, "No" I see the pain, the ugly human behavior & the need to grab power. I understand all of these things, I just choose not to focus on them. I've been hurt in my life & I've known pain & bad times but even in those times I've found the joy in each moment as I move forward in my life.

Life is about choices & you have a choice in each moment that you live. You can choose to accept all the negative that surrounds you or you can acknowledge the negative & move beyond it to place of joy. The choice is really up to you. Your life is really your own choosing. Don't blame others for your misfortune. Understand that what happens in your life is your own creation. This can be a difficult lesson to learn especially when bad things continue to happen to you but it is a lesson that you should learn.

I'm not saying that there aren't random bad things that happen to everyone from time to time. What I'm saying is that by understanding how we create our life we minimize these bad things & bring more joy into our life. We can't control much in our life but we can allow the God/universe to create the life we envision. Our biggest challenge is allowing not controling. We become very attached to our dreams/intentions & the more we're attached the harder it is for the God/universe to create what we envision.

To me detachment works like this; I want a job that is fulfilling & that pays enough for me to be able to pay my bills. I then allow God/universe to create the circumstances for this intention to be created. You can be more specific but the key is to allow God/universe to create the path to the fulfillment of your intention & to not be attached to the results.

Take time each day to create the life you want to live. Let go of the negative in your life & live a more joyful life today.

Till tomorrow,


Bill

PS I'm still looking for guest bloggers. I would love to hear from more of you so I can promote your blog here. Contact me at Timberwolf12345@gmail.com

Quote of the day: "Life is about choices, choose joy & you'll discover more joy in your life!"

The Gulf Crisis

I try to avoid the headlines. My vision for this blog has been to discuss the ways I've learned to live a more joyful life. I've varied a few times because when I can't get something out of my head I truly need to write down my thoughts. I thank all of you for indulging me when I've moved a bit off topic!!

The crisis in the Gulf continues to have a greater & greater impact on so many things (fishing, tourism, marine life) that I left it was time to address it. I have become a little more involved with this cause in the positive way I try to deal with everything in my life. On Saturday I was involved in a phone call creating positive intentions to help the Gulf. (Here's the link if you want to listen). I have also become very involved with a new group that Deepak Chopra has started called "Collective Creativity" . The idea behind this group is to come together to & creativity come up with solutions for the current Gulf crisis but also for bringing the Earth back into harmony. Deepak leads the group with an 8 point plan on how you can help right now.

I ask each of you that reads this blog to let go of the negativity involved in this crisis. Look for positive solutions. Look for ways to help & get involved. I am a strong believer in the human spirit & I believe & know that together we can do anything. Remember that thoughts create things & if we all get mired down in the negative we will create more negative events around this crisis.

I understand that there is a lot of anger involved with this crisis but anger will never solve anything in life. Anger only helps to destroy what has already been built. There's more then enough blame to go around for everyone involved in this crisis but I ask for you to let go of the anger & the blame, focus on the positive things you can do to help. Envision the recover of this area that has just begun to recover from Katrina.

The negativity that surrounds all of us on a daily basis holds us back from leading a truly joyful life! Let go of all the noise, come together in love. Release the need to be right all the time & instead become apart of the solution. I believe in the human spirit, I've seen what can be accomplished when we come together & I know the best of us shines through when the need is the deepest. Join me in bringing the world together & the earth back into harmony!!

Till tomorrow,

Bill

I am still looking for guest bloggers, if you're interested please email me at: Timberwolf12345@gmail.com.

Quote of the day: "When things look the darkest always reach for the light. Together we can make a difference, start today!!

Exercise & Spirituality

The longest hike that Heidi & I went on in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park recently was Bote Mountain. The hike turned out to be a total of 8.5 miles, on it's own that doesn't sound too bad but to reach the top of the mountain we hiked up 3,000 feet in a about 3.5 miles from the parking lot. The day was hot & the humidity was very high again. I was carrying a framed pack with our water, lunch & my camera in it....probably 20-30 pounds. The difficult part of this hike was that there were no switchbacks so we literally hiked straight up the mountain.

On the way up we enjoyed the scenery very much but were annoyed by a bunch of flies/gnats that seemed to continue to fly around our heads. As we hiked I thought about my deep connection with nature & the beauty all around me but as I began to get tired I started to understand why exercise (like yoga) is connected to several of the worlds religions. The endorphins that are released from physical exercise lift your mind to a new & amazing place. It allows you to move beyond the EGO & into a deep spiritual place.

I use to be a pretty good athlete when I was younger & although I had experienced this release of endorphins when I was younger the body/mind connection has never been clearer to me then in the last year. Exercise has become a bigger part of my life over the past year. I currently ride my bike between 18-25 miles a day & Heidi & I hike with the dogs about 4 miles a day. I have experienced this body/mind connection often in the past year but never to the extent I felt it on Bote Mountain.

I wish I had a bunch of great pictures to share from this journey but the sad part of our climb was that there was never a clear vista to look upon. We did see some lovely views through the trees but nothing that came out well in pictures. We sat on the top of the mountain for a long time & ate our lunch (a bunch of granola bars). As we sat there I reflected on the wonderful feeling of accomplishing this great climb & I began to realize the extent of this body/mind connection.

So, what's the point of this blog? Take care of your body, exercise & eat well. Your body is the shell that holds your spirit & the better it works, the easier it is to connect to your spirit. Exercise is one way to move beyond the EGO & listen to your true self (soul). The connection to your true self is the most important connection you can make & whatever helps you reach this deep level of yourself I encourage you to do.....for me exercise & silence are the two easiest ways to get there.

I hope you have a great weekend!!

Till Monday,

Bill

PS I am still looking for guest bloggers, if you're interested in writing something for my blog contact me at timberwolf12345@gmail.com

Quote of the day: "The deep connection to our true self can be realized through daily exercise. Take time to grow the body/mind connection & discover the joy in your soul."

Magic

Heidi & I have always been big fans of Disney & as I've mentioned before we were married at Disney World in 2000. Disney does many things very well including their movies, parks & merchandising but the one thing they do above everything else is create an atmosphere of joy. In our recent visit to Disney World I saw this phrase in many places "Where magic happens everyday". What does this have to do with my blog? Well, I believe in Magic. I think magical things happen all around us everyday. Beyond my love for the magic in the world this statement creates an atmosphere that each of us should consider.

I've written in the past about how thoughts become things. Therefore, if we focus on thoughts that create the world we want, we will create that world. For me, I can't imagine a world without magic. I am continually awed at the wonder in the world. I find great joy in the smallest things like; watching the birds, seeing the clouds or talking with the animals that enter my life. I also believe that magical things happen all around us everyday. I choose to believe in magic & therefore I see magical things happen all around me....that's the way it works.

In your life you can choose what you want to see. The power of thought is an amazing power. The problem is that we can have an internal dialogue that creates our world even when that dialogue is never expressed, that's how powerful thoughts are. By choosing a mantra or certain thoughts that you want to create in your life & repeating that mantra many times throughout the day we can focus our thoughts on what we want to create. This focusing won't eliminate the internal dialogue but it will begin to minimize it's effect.

When what you want to create isn't being manifested in your life one of the first places I look is my internal dialogue. This internal dialogue is often your EGO talking. For me it works like this; "I don't have time to pay attention to the flowers right now I have too much that I need to do for me." this might be my internal voice & my immediate reaction to what I'm facing but through my personal work & experience I have learned to let go of that thought & take the time I need to enjoy the flowers. We all have this internal dialogue. We can choose to listen to it or try to ignore it but it won't go away easily. By repeating a mantra over & over again we can change our initial thought from the EGO to what we truly want to manifest in our life. Quieting our internal dialogue can be a long process because of the years & years we've allowed it to flourish. Don't get discourage you can change your thoughts & create the world you want to see.

Believe in magic!! Discover the wonder in the world today & find the joy in each & every moment!! I believe in you & I know there's magic in everything!

Till tomorrow,

Bill


PS I'm still looking for more people who would like to be a guest blogger on my blog (thanks to those who have responded thus far). If you're interested contact me at timberwolf12345@gmail.com.

Quote of the day: "Take time to see the magic in everything around you because magic happens here everyday!"

The beauty of the human spirit

I've always been an optimist, many of the things I discuss in this blog took me years to learn but I've always been a positive, optimistic person. I bring this up because I was truly renewed over our vacation by the beauty of the human spirit. I was able to meet, assist & talk to many people from all over the world. I smiled at everyone who walked into my world & without exception I was smiled back at. I offered assistance & said hello to the people who responded with more then a smile. I had some long discussion with people from many places in the world on the Disney World buses or people camping next to us in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Why do I bring this up? Because I know that together we can do anything. I'm tired of hearing how no one cares & that the challenges we all need to face in the world today are insurmountable. The news we all watch is generally depressing & it robs our spirit. I'm not trying to make light of the challenges in front of us, some of them like the Gulf oil spill, are a difficult lesson that we all need to learn. But, I believe that we will rise to the challenges that we face. We always have & in times of great crisis some of the best ideas are generated.

We are coming together as never before in the world. The world is getting smaller because of the technology that we've invented & by being able to interact with people from all over the world we slowly remove the barriers of differences. The differences we have make us unique, they no longer need to divide us.

I love people, I love the human spirit & I believe that there is a new consciousness being born & the true spirit of cooperation will lead us to a new world order. Let go of the negativity around you. Discover the joy in every moment. Find the best in every person in your life. Help change the world & believe in beauty of the human spirit.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

PS I am looking for guest bloggers, if you'd like to write a blog here about discovering the joy in your life please email me at timberwolf12345@gmail.com I'd love to post your thoughts.

Quote of the day: "Believe in the beauty of the human spirit, together we can accomplish anything. Start today & discover the best in everyone in your life."

The power of water

Over the past couple of weeks I've experienced many amazing things. I allowed each moment to be the only moment, regardless of what was going on. I was able to deeply feel things in myself that I had lost my connection to. One of the things that impressed me the most is water. We can learn a great deal from water, water always finds a way. The path that water takes may not be the path we expect but water always takes the path of least resistance. Water has patience beyond anything we can imagine (just take a look at the Grand Canyon) & it has a deep power that should be respected.

Heidi & I hiked out to Abrams Falls (The above picture) overall it was an easy hike. The path was much more rocky then I remembered but it was still only 2.5 miles each way. We hiked up & down several mountains to get to this special place & if it wasn't for the 90+ degree heat & the 90%+ humidity it would have been a really easy hike (although the national park calls it strenuous). Once we made it to the falls we sat & admired this beautiful place. We had started early so it hadn't gotten crowed yet & we were able to sit & listen to the power of the water.

In the moments we had at this beautiful place I reflected on how important water is to my life & as I stated above, how much each of us can learn from water. I realized that many of my favorite pictures that I have taken over the years were pictures that included water. Water is needed to sustain life & fresh water may become as precious as gold in the future if we don't take care of it now. Water can wear away the strongest rock yet it flows right through our hands.

Water is a true mystery it can be present as a solid, liquid or a gas (water vapor) & in each of these states it can effect the environment around it. The same is true for each of us. We have the power to effect our own environment & our thoughts & actions can change things without us even realizing it. Take time to appreciate the things around you. Take time to learn from water.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

PS I would like to have a few guest bloggers on my blog. If you have something you'd like to post here that reveals your own path to joy send me an email timberwolf12345@gmail.com

Quote of the day: "We can learn so much from water, take time to appreciate the power of water in your life!"

Believe in yourself!

I've written before about how we're not allowed to make mistakes anymore. In the world today everyone is trying to do things better & faster. Mistakes are held against us & we are judged for every one we make. It didn't use to be that way, people use to be allowed to make mistakes & discover who they are or what they are good at but because of all the pressure that's associated with trying to live a "perfect" life we lose who we are. Discovering ourselves is one of the most important things we can do in our life & I've written before on the ways I've used to discover my true self & my true life's purpose. The most important aspect of discovering yourself is taking the time to look inside & learning to move beyond the EGO.

Today I want to discuss the other part of getting through your daily life & overcoming the mistakes you make. Besides getting to know who you are, the most important advice I could give anyone is to believe in yourself. We all get caught up in the labels that everyone else gives us. We listen so carefully to what others say about us. We worry that we're not liked or that we're misunderstood. Stop it, stop being concerned about what others think. Live your life for yourself. Be true to who you are & believe in yourself.

I'm not saying that you should blindly go through life believing that every action you take is always the right thing to do. No, just the opposite, you need to pay attention to the signs that God/universe sends you in your life. You need to take the time to discover & connect to your true self (soul) & you need to live your life from a place of love. But, the world can be a cruel place & we can encounter people in our life that are very difficult to get along with. To move beyond the hardships we face in life we need to have a deep seated believe in who we are & what we want to do. This believe needs to be flexible & ever changing as we discover the world as it unfolds before us in each moment. But, we need to believe.

Trust in who you are & let go of the need for approval from others. Believe in the process of discovery & life will open up before you. By believing in yourself you move beyond the influences of others & onto a more joyful life.

I believe in each of you. I believe that at our core we are all loving, good people. Take the time to love yourself, open your heart to others & believe in who you are!!

Hugs,

Bill

P.S. I'll be away for a couple of weeks. We were fortunate to get a nice anniversary gift from my in-laws & we're going to travel to Disney World (where we got married) & then camp in the Smoky Mountains. I'm not sure how much internet access I will have at either place so I won't be writing this blog until I return. Please take time to read some of the topics I've written in the past...I look forward to hearing from each of you....hugs


Quote of the day:"Believe in yourself, trust in love & the world will become more amazing then you can imagine."

The skin of our teeth!

I played the lead character of George Antrobus in Thornton Wilder's "The skin of our teeth" when I was a sophomore in college. Why do I bring this up today? because that was a longtime ago & I woke up this morning with the line that's repeated over & over again in that show in my head: "We got through that by the skin of out teeth, one more tight squeeze like that & where would we be!". For those of you that don't know the play "The skin of our teeth" it's about the history of man & how close we were at different points in our history to not making to the next step. We as the human race are very fortunate. We've always found away to survive, even when things get really tough.

So you're wondering what the play has to do with this blog....aren't you? I think there's a lot to be learned from from the line. Remember that our thoughts create actions & if we walk through life believing that we're just getting through it by the skin of our teeth, we will create situations that we just barely get through. That's not a life that we should want to live. We can & should give ourselves credit for making it through difficult times. We tend to not want to give ourselves a pat on the back at all let alone for making it through the things we've had to in our life. I was taught a while ago to stop being so hard on myself. As part of being less hard on myself I was told to reflect on everything I've been through in my life. We're talking about the life changing moments or the difficult times that we all have to get through, if we look back at what we've gotten through & give ourselves credit for still being here, we can begin to understand that we can get through anything. We truly can!!

Life is about the things we experience. We are only an accumulation of our past experiences. I've spoken often in this blog about how we need to let go of the past & live in the current moment. We all get too hung up in what's happened to us in the past. We should, however give ourselves credit for surviving through the challenges we've faced. Don't wear your challenges as a badge of courage. Instead just give yourself credit for getting through these challenges & understand how strong you really are.

The other important message in the play "The skin of our teeth" is that together we can do anything. Each of the characters in the play has their part to help the family survive. We are all part of a great family & we each have our own role to make the world a better place. Trust in your abilities. Believe in your strength!! & remember that thoughts create things. Change the words you use & open your mind to the possibilities of a more joyful life.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"The seed of joy grows in each of us with care & love. Take care of your thoughts & let joy grow & thrive!"

Finding joy in difficult times

This week I will celebrate 1 year of being unemployed. It is the first time in my life that I haven't been able to find a job. In the past I've been unemployed before but always found work within a short period of time. This time it's been very different, I've only had 2 interviews in the past year. One of the interviews I was way over qualified for & knew I wouldn't get the job. The owner of the company even told that but it was nice to go through the process anyway. The 2nd interview just happened recently & it was in another state which could be the hang up. I've been told that companies won't move people anymore because there are so many people out of work.

I've been asked how I stay so joyful with all of this going on. The answer, to me, is continuing to live in the now. I have times when I get down just like anyone else but because of the practices I learned in my life these times don't last very long. I get frustrated because of not being able to find a job or doing anything to help contribute to the finances of our home but again I move beyond these troubled feelings because of trusting in God/universe.

The truth is I'm just like anyone else struggling to get by. The only difference is that because of the time & energy I've put into self growth I've been able to look at this time as a bump in the road of life. Over the past year I've continued to grow & writing this blog has contributed to my growth. In many ways this time has been very good for me. My self growth & spiritual growth have truly amazed me. It's rare in this world today to have time to focus on yourself the way I have & that's why I encourage each of you to take time for yourself even in your busy life.

I've gone through all of the emotions any of us would go through when something like this happens. I was truly scared to death when I was let go. I didn't believe we would make it through last summer but slowly I began to understand that with a little help anything is possible. I'm not sure, at this point, when I'll discover my next job but I remain open to God/universe & continue to stay living in the now. I truly can't be concerned about tomorrow because I don't know what tomorrow will bring.

The message I have for each one of you, is to know that life is a joyful celebration & no matter what is happening in your life there is always joy to be found. Look for the joy & let go of the pain. The choice is yours, you can live each moment to the fullest or you can coast through life amusing that when the next big thing happens you'll finally be happy. You have the power to change your life, I know because I've done it. Believe in the process & most of all believe in yourself.

Till tomorrow,

Hugs,

Bill

Quote of the day: "The discovery of joy in each moment is a choice we all can make. Let go of tomorrow & live your life to the fullest today."

BTW, if anyone is curious my last position was Tax Controller of a large real estate company, before that I worked 9 years with a Big 4 accounting firm. I also have 8 years in Banking/finance & have volunteered & worked for non-profits.