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!"

Letting Go!

In the past we've touched on how trying to take control of everything in your life can lead to many problems. This need to control everyone & everything can never be accomplished. We often delude ourselves into believing that we can control everything in our life but in fact we can't. The only things we can control are ourself & our reaction to others, everything else is out of our control. We may be able to influence others because of our relationship with them (i.e. Boss, spouse, parent)but we can't control them. In fact the more we try to control the people in our life the more they will rebel against us.

So how do we begin to let go? The process of letting go begins with the realization that we can't control everything in our lives. The next step is to begin to trust the people in your life. Realize that every person that enters your life is trying to do the best they can. This "best" may not equal your expectations of what's "best" in a given situation, but the truth is most people try to do their best in everything they do. The understanding of this fact can open your mind & allow you to let go in any situation.

The next step to truly letting go is to quiet your mind. This step has always been an issue for me. I have always had an overactive mind & to quiet it has taken a lot of practice. I have discovered the best way to quiet my mind is to focus on small or beautiful things in my life. I can focus on a flower & see the beauty in it. By changing my focus to this small flower my mind lets go of everything else. In contrast to the small I can look at the great expanse of the sky & again find beauty. This shift in focus has lead me to a more relaxed life. Through this process I am able to quiet the noise in my head & this leads to letting go of the stress of everyday.

The final step in the process of letting go is to take time to reconnect with your true self. It is the connection to your soul (true self) that will lead you beyond the noise of the world & into a place of self realization. The time you take for this connection isn't as important as actually doing it. There have been times in my life that I could only take a few minutes out of a busy day to reconnect to my soul but by taking this time I discovered a calming that helped me through the rest of the day. I've written previously on the process to achieving this connection but here's a quick summary:

Close your eyes.
Breathe deeply in through your nose & out of your mouth.
Focus on slowing your breathing down.
Shift your focus to your heartbeat.
Listen to your heartbeat.
Move beyond the sound of your heart & listen to the quiet voice deep inside.
Feel the relaxation of your entire body.
Continue to focus on the voice even if you can't understand it.
Spend as long as you can listening.
Open your eyes & reconnect with the world.

By letting go we find a calming of everything in our life. This calming leads to moving through the world with an ease & without stress. Trust in the process of letting go & discover a more fulfilling life!

Till Monday, enjoy your weekend.

Bill

Quote of the day:"By letting go & allowing the world to happen around you. You will discover an ease of moving through life that can't be matched. Let go today & discover true joy!!"

Signposts

Are you looking for signposts in your life? Do you wish life choices were as easy as looking at a signpost? Are you confused because you see too many signs & don't know which one to choose?

Each one of us is born with a true purpose in our soul. The journey of our life is to rediscover this true purpose once our EGO is introduced into our life. Often when we choose to move away from our true purpose God/universe will send us signs to bring us back on course. If we continue to ignore the signs sometimes there will be a major life correction to get us back on track.

The struggle we all have is trying to understand the signs that appear in our life. These signs can be confusing, just as looking at a sign on a signpost. I have been fortunate to travel to England the last two years to visit my daughter who now calls England her home. In England they have brown signposts for everything you could possibly be looking for. My new Son-in-law likes to call them sticks of knowledge. These signposts can be of great benefit to find what you're looking for but they can also be a bit confusing when there are many signs on the same post.

In life we all wish there were signposts with every step we took letting us know that we can continuing on the right path. Even if these signposts got confusing we would feel comfort because the signs would keep coming & eventually we'd get back on the right track.

For me God/universe does create these signs they appear often in our lives if we pay attention to what's going on around us. In the book "The Celestine Prophecy" by James Redfield he discussed reaching an insight where the signs in your life are illuminated. This "illumination" is a sign that a particular person or thing is important in your life. I personally haven't seen this "illumination" but I have learned to pay attention to things that draw my attention. This switch in focus can happen anywhere. Many times it's a subtle sign that appears & if you're not paying attention you could miss it. The key for me is the switch in focus. It's never the thing I'm currently paying attention to.

To become more aware of the signs in your life you need to take the time to truly observe your life. This practice isn't an easy jump for many us because the EGO always pushes forward with what it wants now. I would suggest to start by just slowing down & observing things around you. Paying attention & opening your mind to the potential of these signs from God/universe will allow these signs to begin to appear in your life. They may not be as obvious as a signpost but they will appear & benefit you as you move forward in your life.

The journey to discover our true life's purpose can be a lifelong journey. By opening our minds & hearts to the messages that God/universe sends us we can begin to find our way back to our life's purpose. In the end we all have choices & making the right ones is really up to us. Believe in yourself & believe in God/universe, together we can accomplish anything.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"Begin to pay attention to the signs that appear in your life & you will discover your true life's purpose!"

The dawning of spring

The sun rises quietly over the southern sky & a new day has begun. There is still a slight frost on the grass,the air has a bit of a nip but it is quickly warmed as the sun continues to rise. The grass begins to show signs of green & the trees start to bud & bloom. The early signs of spring have come to the Midwest & the long cold winter is slowly loosing it's grip.



This winter to me was a very difficult one. We had much more snow then normal & overall it was much colder then the past 11 winters I've spent in Indiana. This past week we've truly gotten a glimpse of spring. The temperature has reached as high as 60 degrees & I feel reborn again.

After living most of my life in the Midwest I have come to enjoy the spring because of all the possibilities it brings. I realize that we may have another snowstorm or two before spring actually stays but the beauty of the world reborn enlivens me & lifts my heart to new wonderful heights.

We all talk about "spring cleaning" as a way to clear out the old & begin anew. I challenge you to go beyond cleaning out the old "stuff" in your life. Why not take this time to clean out all the old patterns that no longer work in your life today. We all hang on to what we've always done because it's safe & comfortable. Challenge yourself to let these old ways go.

Take the time to examine everything in your life. Discard the stuff that doesn't work or that holds you back. Just as the sun returns to the northern hemisphere & nature begins it's own rebirth, you can be reborn too. You can become everything you've ever wanted to be. All it takes is letting go of the "old" ways & opening your heart to rediscover the love you have inside.

At times the winter feels like it will never end & when it comes to our lives until we shine the light of love outward into the world we can never dispel the darkness that we have inside. You are a unique & beautiful person. The world is a better place because you are here. Be reborn as nature is reborn & become what you are meant to be.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"Look at the spring as a time to be reborn to the life you've always wanted."

A walk in the woods

I love to take walks. It gives me time with Heidi, time with our two dogs & time to reflect on "things". We've been lucky because starting on Thursday the weather in Central Indiana has been nice enough to take a walk everyday. We live approximately 5 miles from a state park so it's always easy for us to just take off & go for a walk. The dogs really love to go. They feel the park is their park & they love to explore it.

I've talked often here about our connection with nature & for me personally that connection, many times, keeps me going. The past couple of weeks have been amazingly busy. Things keep happening all around me. I've been volunteering a lot with different organizations & people. Mostly I've written for them but in addition I've also helped with accounting/tax issues. I continue to help my friend with his business. It's been a few weeks now & things are getting to a good place for him. I'm always happy to help anyone I can with any of the talents I have. I've rarely turned down helping others in my life because I strongly believe in giving back.

So why am I writing & telling you about this? I think especially when things get busy in our lives we need to take time to reflect. Time always seems to get away from us & the busier we get the harder it is to take time for ourselves & to reflect on our life. I've discovered in the last few years that the time I take to reflect on the situations in my life & the time I take to reflect on where I'm at within myself is time well invested.

I understand that when you feel you have so many balls up in the air it can be difficult to find the time to reflect. But I challenge you to do just that, even if it's only a few minutes to just "be" & reconnect with your true self. You will find clarity in the time you take to reflect & your life going forward will seem easier & lighter.

So take a walk in the woods or just sit quietly even if it's just for a few minutes. Understand that in order to be a shinning light in your life you need to take time for yourself.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"The time you take to reflect on yourself & the "things" happening in your life will pay bigger dividends then you can imagine. Take time today!"

Overcoming the Judgment of others

Yesterday we discussed judging or stereotyping others. So what happens when you're the one who feels judged. What is your reaction to this situation? Do you attack the person judging you? Do you stay quiet and just allow this judgment to be passed even if you believe it's not true?

One of the first things I ever learned in business is that if you make someone feel like they are being attacked they will only become defensive. This defensive behavior makes progress in any discussion almost impossible. There are ways & techniques around this situation but the bottom line is that when we feel attacked we become defensive.

Outside of business the same statement is true. So if you feel you've been judged, especially when that judgment isn't true, realize that your first reaction will be defensive. Understanding this can help you move beyond the judgment being placed on you. This defensive reaction is our EGO talking to us. Remember that the EGO is always the first to the party & reacting from a place of EGO can almost always lead to greater problems.

So how should you react? I think the answer to this depends on the situation. Beyond your natural reaction of defense realize that who you're with & what the situation is will take precedence over your reaction. (You never want to escalate a situation when you don't feel safe)

I learned, in my life, that the best reaction to feeling judged is time. Take a deep breath move beyond your EGO & into your center. Try & understand where this person is coming from. Also realize that we reflect back to ourselves our biggest fears, so the reason this judgment may hurt is because there is some truth in what is being said or least you fear that there's some truth in it.

My next step is to try & take a measured response. I do this by telling the person that the comment they said hurt me & I ask them to explain why they feel the way they do. A true discussion can be very enlightening. You may learn more about yourself & the other person. This discussion may have to wait if you can't control your defensive reaction because responding when angry can escalate the situation.

When I am unable to have a discussion with the other person/people involved (because of safety or logistics or my defensive reaction) I try to understand & reflect on what has been said. This is true even when the comment is truly hurtful or mean spirited.

The way for each us to grow beyond where we are at in our life is to try & learn from any situation we encounter in life. God/universe has a way of throwing situations at us to help us learn what we need to learn to move on. Being judged unfairly is one of those learning situations. Open your heart to the love we all have inside of us. Understand that rude or unkind comments from another may be their way of trying to find the love they are missing in their life. People react from their own programming, this isn't a justification, it's just a fact of life. In order to grow & help the world to become a better place we have to move beyond the hate & judgment of others & become an example of love for the world to see.

Till Monday, have a wonderful weekend.

Bill

Quote of the day:"Let go of the judgment others place on you. Discover the love you have inside & radiate that love into the world"

Stereotypes

Stereotypes, why oh why do we fall into stereotypes. A while back I did a couple blogs on labeling things in our life & on judging people. Stereotyping falls right into these blogs and if you'd like you can look back & read them (I think they are in Sept. or Oct). Stereotyping to me is a disgusting practice that far too many of us fall into. It's an easy way to judge anyone. You see if you're English you have bad teeth or if your from the south you must be stupid & a hick. We've all heard them over & over again. In fact that's the problem. We've heard these statements so much in our life that they've become a part of our life.

There's a wonderful song from the musical "South Pacific" called "Carefully Taught" here are the lyrics:

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!


We need to let go of the prejudices & stereotypes that we've been taught all of our life. The only way to move forward to a better world is to become open & accepting to others. Take a look at all the things you define in your life & challenge those definitions. Move beyond the programing of your life. Open your heart & love, accept people for who they are not who they should be.

I know this isn't an easy lesson. It's hard to move beyond something you've always know. There's comfort in the normal or in the deep seated teachings we've learned to accept. Yes, we've accepted them without challenge because they've been so embedded in our life & especially in our youth. Break the pattern & change the world!


Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"Let go of all the stereotypes you've learned, open your heart to the beauty of others. Make the world a better place."