Perfection

With the Olympics on my mind I thought about striving for perfection. Do you try to be perfect? Do you expect others to be perfect? These are both very difficult questions. I use to be a person who always strove for perfection & expected everyone else in my life to be perfect. For me this came from my feeling of never being good enough in my father's eyes. To make up for that feeling I tried to be perfect in everything that I did & I would get very anger with the others in my life when they made mistakes. But I would, of course, get even more angry with myself when I made a mistake.

This desire to be perfect was a driving force for many of the early years of my life. It totally consumed me & although I was still a positive person the life I lead was not very fulfilling. In fact my life was very inconsistent even when I always made the "right" decisions. The problem is that we are all humans & as human beings we make mistakes. It is through this realization that no matter how hard I try, I will make mistakes that I began my transformation.

Accepting that we all make mistakes & forgiving ourselves & others for the mistakes we make can move us to a new understanding of who we are. Striving for perfection leads us to trying to take control of everything in our life instead of allowing our life to unfold in front of us. Control rarely works the way we think it should & we end up blaming ourselves for the failures we experience in our lives. The truth is that if we live our life in the moment & let go of the need for control amazing things can happen.

In the Olympics all the athletes strive to be perfect even though they know that perfection is nearly impossible. Striving to be better & striving to do the best you can in any circumstance can certainly help you grow as long as you understand that you will always make mistakes. As with the athletes who lose a 1/10th of a point for this or that understand that you don't have to be perfect to live a more joyful life.

Let go of the need for control. Trust in yourself & believe in the others in your life. Live in the moment & enjoy the beauty of your life as it unfolds before you.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day: "Understanding that none of us, as human beings, are perfect can help us learn to forgive ourselves as well as others for the mistakes that are made. Through forgiveness we can lead a more joyful life."

Respect

What's happened to respect in our society today? It seems that everyone is so caught up in their own objectives that they don't have time to be respectful of the people that come into their life. I've mentioned before that I believe everyone comes into our life for a reason. If we don't pay attention to them & respect what they have to say to us, we'll never learn the message that they have for us. For our lives to move forward in the harmony we are meant to live in, we need to let go of our own expectations in all of the relationships that enter our lives.

The rudeness & noise that so many people deal with others is all EGO based. We all have EGO's & we need to realize that to live our life in harmony we need to overcome the me, me, me of the EGO. Every person deserves respect regardless of who they are, what they look like or where they come from.

In our forgone days we had great respect for others in our life, especially the elderly. We would always take time to listen to the wisdom that our elders had for us. We may not have always agreed but we would listen & respect what they had to say. This knowledge passed down through the generations has served us well in moving the world to a better place.

In our current time most of us are so caught up in our own agenda that we don't have time to listen or respect the others in our life. The messages we need to hear to move our life forward & to be in a more joyful place will never be heard if we don't respect the people that come into our lives.

Love & respect go hand & hand for me. If we can all begin from a place of love we can learn to respect all the people of the world & grow in love even more. People that feel their thoughts aren't respected or loved rarely share the wisdom they have. This wisdom can be the key that we need to progress beyond where we are. We will never know the messages that God/universe is sending to us, unless we take the time to open our hearts & respect everyone who comes into our life.

When we respect others, others will respect us. Take the first step to a more joyful life. Find the harmony we are all meant to live in. Be the person I know you can be.

Till Monday, I hope you have a great weekend,

Hugs,

Bill

Quote of the day: "By respecting others we can find the messages God/universe is sending to us. These messages will change our life. Open your heart, love & respect everyone who enters your life & you will have a more joyful life."

Cleaning Out & Restoring Yourself

Many of us think about doing a complete cleaning in the Spring. I personally look at cleaning in many different ways. Like many of you I try to do a complete cleaning in the spring & usually in the fall but I believe in the movement of things throughout your life. This movement of the stuff in our life can actually help us become more open & help our life, spirit or energy to move forward. Many of us get stuck in our old ways refusing to let go the things in our life that don't really work for us anymore. We become stubborn with everything in our lives & then we wonder why our life isn't moving forward the way we want it to.

The simple act of "cleaning out" can allow new things into your life. Sometimes this "cleaning out" isn't easy. I recently cleaned out my closet & donated many of my old clothes to Goodwill. Several of these old clothes had a very deep meaning to me & not unlike music when we see a piece of clothing it transports us back to the moment we acquired it or wore it. For me many of the clothes I let go of were from trips I've taken in my life or from shows I was in as an actor. Letting go of these "memories" can be difficult but the thing to remember is that the memories aren't in the "things". The "things" are just something to help us remember the memory & we hold onto it like it really matters. The truth is holding onto the past can keep us stuck in the past. Instead of holding onto a "thing" why not keep a book with the special memories. By letting go of "things" we can open our self up to new possibilities.

This of course if also true of thoughts & sometimes just the process of "cleaning out" things can actually change your thoughts & open you up to new possibilities. There's an amazing truth in the universe & that truth is that "Letting go of the past & allowing things to happen in the present moment will create more joy in your life then you can imagine." When you feel stuck try "cleaning out" something in your life & you may discover that by "cleaning out" you truly restore yourself to the beautiful person your are!

Till Tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"The simple act of cleaning out things in your life can open you up to new possibilities. Discover the possibilities today & lead a more joyful life!"

Giving Back

One of the greatest things we can do in life is give back to others. The "others" that we give back to can be anyone, it's the act of giving back that makes a difference. With the craziness of today's economic situation many people have stopped contributing to charitable organizations because they simply don't have the funds to give money to any charity. I truly understand this as I've had a tough time being out of work contributing to any worthwhile cause. I still try to give a little here & there because I believe so strongly in giving back.

Giving back doesn't have to be giving money. There are so many ways to give back to others in your life & none them have to be money if that's a difficult thing to give. The important thing is to make the effort to give & to give freely. I have been very active in trying to give anywhere I can. I have contributed to some non-profits with my business knowledge & writing skills. In fact I'm becoming more & more involved with different organizations to try & help out anyway I can. I have also started helping my friend with his business. He's been a great friend & I'm very happy to help him out. It doesn't matter who you give to. It only matters that you're giving. So what are you going to do today to give back?

The act of giving back to others will open you up to so many more possibilities. In addition this "giving back" should fill you up with love, compassion & understanding depending on where you're giving to. Find the joy of giving of yourself, help a friend,an organization or school. Give freely of yourself & watch the universe open up before you.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"The act of giving back to others is the greatest gift you can give. Open your heart & give freely & the universe will open up before you."

Malaise

The Monday after the Super Bowl should be a national holiday! Ok maybe not but it's amazing how the morning begins on the day after the Super Bowl. To start with unlike many people throughout the country I'm a Colts fan so there's a certain malaise built in when your team loses, especially when they were the favorites. Truthfully I think we all have days when we are just in a state of malaise.

According to dictionary.com the definition of malaise is: "a vague or unfocused feeling of mental uneasiness, lethargy, or discomfort." I look at each day as a new beginning & when I feel a general malaise about things I try to reflect on where the feeling comes from. In general that's what I try to do about any feeling I feel. I believe strongly in the fact that we all need to pay attention to our feelings. I don't believe in denying your feelings but instead I believe in reflecting on why you're feeling the way you're feeling & then moving beyond that feeling back to a place of joy.

It's ok to have days that you need to recoup & pause. Nature itself has the winter & everything in life has a purpose. Sometimes we need the pause to refocus & move forward. Through understanding who we are & why we feel the way we feel. We can change our lives. It's through this recognition & acceptance of all of who we are that we can move beyond any malaise we feel.

Open your heart & accept the wonderful person you are even when the day isn't perfect. You can change your life today!! All it takes is moving to a place of love & acceptance.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"Understand what you feel in any moment, accept this feeling & move on to a place of love. Through love you will always find a more joyful life."

Great Smoky Mountains

In my final tribute to the National Parks, we go to my favorite place to spend time east of the Mississippi. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, I officially discovered this park when I was 4 years old. The only reason I know this is because we were traveling to Florida to see my Dad's grandparents & we had rented a pop-up trailer. My Dad got really sick, so we had to figure out how to set up trailer as we camped in the Smokies. So my mother two older sisters & me finally got the trailer set-up & we ended up enjoying our stay in Florida. Do I truly remember the Smokies,no not really but they do have film of us going up the Sky Lift in Gatlinburg, TN.

I returned to the Smokies on my own trip to Florida when I was 25. I traveled there several times between then & when I met Heidi. Once I met Heidi the Smokies became the place we always loved to go together. It was the first place Heidi & I "ran away" to when we first started going out & we have traveled back there at least a couple times a year since. It was 1997 when we first drove down to the beauty of the Smokies.

So why do I love the Smokies so much? It's a place to escape & reconnect with nature that's within a reasonable drive. We can get down to Gatlinburg from Indianapolis within 5.5 - 6 hours so it's ideal for a long weekend. Secondly, we've discovered a wonderful place to rent Mountain Chalet's from Chalet Village these Chalet's are amazing & keep us close enough to do things in Gatlinburg & the National Park but a world away from all the busyness of Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge. Most of these Chalets are on a mountain above Gatlinburg, the views can be incredible up there & it's very quiet instead of all the noise of the city.

Finally, it's the beauty of the Park; the mountains are lush & green in contrast to the peaks in the Grand Tetons. The park is easy to hike, there are many "quiet walkways" that allow you to get out of your car & enjoy the park & there are many wonderful hiking trails. We have enjoyed hiking & seeing all the beauty of this park as well as enjoying all the wildlife, including Black Bear, Deer & many kinds of birds.

To explore this park I suggest starting your visit at the Sugarlands Visitors Center (It's the closest to Gatlinburg) then head off to Clingmans Dome for a short hike to a wonderful ranger tower where the views are incredible. On your way to Clingmans Dome stop at Mortons overlook a beautiful vista on the side of the road. After traveling to these places I would suggest heading back towards Sugarlands & taking Little River Road towards Cades Cove. On the way to Cades Cove stop at Laurel Falls. Laurel Falls is a short hike to a beautiful waterfall. I would encourage everyone to see these falls as the trails are all improved & not hard to walk the 1.3 miles to the falls & enjoy his view (especially in the spring as the falls are full of water). Continue to Cades Cove a beautiful area that includes a motor route to drive through the countryside. Cades Cove is the best place in the park to see wildlife on a regular basis. The loop can get very busy so go early & be prepared for a couple of hours to complete the loop.

For me the Smokies is like a second home. I can be stressed in my life & drive 6 hours to place of quiet that reaches into my soul. I would go more often if I could, I feel the true connection to the earth whenever go there. The beauty of the mountains the glory of the waterfalls & the wonder of the wildlife call me back often & I am forever grateful to have this wondrous place so close to my home. I believe in the ads for Gatlinburg they point out that they are within a days drive of 60% or 70% of the population of our great country.

Take time to explore the beauty of the National Parks rediscover who you are through this great tribute to the natural world. As John Muir said "I'm going out to go within."

Thanks for letting me share my inspiration with you. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Go Colts!!!

Till Monday,

Bill

Quote of the day: "Amongst the fog & the clouds lives a special place in my heart. No matter where I go in my life, I know I can always return to the Smokies, even if it's just in my mind!"

P.S. The picture is one of the many I've taken in the Smokies & the picture on my blog is also a picture I took from the Smokies

Chalet Village on Dwellable

Grand Tetons National Park

I debated greatly on which park to include in today's blog. I knew right away the park I wanted to finish with tomorrow. But I've had the pleasure of seeing many national parks, so deciding on the top 4 that I've actually spent time in. Wasn't hard, overall because 3 of them came to me right away.The problem came in with choosing the final entry I've probably been to 10 National Parks & as I mention yesterday each of these park are a jewel & have something wonderful to offer any visitor. After much debate (with myself) I decided on Grand Tetons National Park. The majesty of the mountains always draws me to this park.

Grand Tetons National Park is located an easy hour to hour & half drive south of Yellowstone National Park via state highway 89. State highway 89 South from Yellowstone is not open during the winter (Nov.-Mid May) so the only way to access the park in the winter is driving North from Jackson Wyoming.

The most vivid memory I have of this park is the beauty of the mountains as I walked on the trail around Jenny Lake. The crystal clear water of Jenny Lake was the perfect forefront for the amazing peaks of the Teton Mountain range. The wonderful thing about this hike is you can walk all the way around the southern half of the lake & when you get to the other side you're able to take a boat back to where you begin. I hiked this trail to Inspiration Point & the view was simply breathtaking.

The wildlife viewing in this park is also very good (being in the same general area of Yellowstone) & as I returned down the trail from Inspiration Point I ran into a large male Elk. I've mentioned before in this blog that I've always had a connection with animals. I've never understood exactly why or what it is that I have but this event was a great example of that connection. As I returned from Inspiration Point, as I mentioned, I ran into a male Elk. I was within 3-5 feet of this beautiful animal, he looked at me & I told him how beautiful he was & that was just going to sit here & watch him until he wanted to leave. That is what I did, I sat down where I was standing (3-5 feet) from this beautiful animal. I sat there for at least 10 minutes he looked at me & I looked at him. He would occasionally eat some of the grass between us but overall we just stayed there looking at one another. The situation only changed when more people came down from Inspiration Point, as the crowd began to gather (probably in the 10-15 minute time frame, the crowd became approximately 10 people) he looked me then looked at the others & turned & left. It was an amazing encounter for me, something I will forget in my life.

That's how close you can get to the wildlife in some of the National Parks, it's an amazing experience to see wildlife in their own natural setting. There is no place in this country to experience wildlife more vividly then our National park system. Reconnect with the land take a walk in nature & if you're lucky enough to live near a National Park take time to enjoy the beauty of the park near you.

Till Tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"In core of every human is a connection to the land that goes back to our beginning, rediscover this connection & find the deep & lasting joy inside yourself."