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.

Celebrating my 200th Blog!

Today I am blessed to write my 200th blog post. I have never been big on milestones, I enjoy living in the moment & allowing the world to unfold around me. If you asked me last June if I would still be writing this blog, I would have said I really don't know. I began writing here through the urgings of many friends on twitter who enjoyed what I had to say about life. I have worked hard to keep this blog on topic, I veered off to share my daughters wedding last August & talked in Feb. for a week about my favorite national parks but all in all I've tried each day to write about the ways each of us can discover more joy in our lives.

The amazing byproduct of writing this blog is how much it's helped me to continue to grow & learn. The responses I've received for all of you have blown me away & I appreciate each & everyone of you. I don't claim to have all the answers. I only know that my life has changed dramatically over the years & I've been able to live an incredibly joyful life for a longtime now.

Things aren't perfect in my life & that's just fine with me. I've learned to roll with the punches & find the joy even in difficult times. In a small way I've tried to help to change the world. I believe in people & I know that each of us can affect the world more then we can imagine. Believe in the power you have inside of you, you are connected to everything & in that connection to God/universe everything is possible.

Thank you for your love & support but more importantly thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts & change your life. You are a co-creator of everything in your life. Create the life you want to live & watch it unfold before you.

Till Monday, enjoy your weekend.

Hugs,

Bill

Quote of the day:"You can create the life you desire. Believe in the power you have & know that love is the catalyst to finding a more joyful life."

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!!!"