Surrender

With the closing of the year upon us, there are many things that one can contemplate that have occurred over the course of the last twelve months that they would like to have done differently.  Our lives are filled with many of those instances when we made decisions that in retrospect could have have been better thought out, while providing us with a potential different outcome.  What one has to realize is that everything that has taken place in our lives has not been an accident.  Acceptance of that which has transpired is crucial to being able to grow and the act of surrendering to the fact that you are the person that you are today, because of the vast compilation of your entire past, is a must.  If your past is filled with things that are less than desirable, then think about the fact that the remainder of your life can be filled with the opposite and you can have a great ending or second half.  A lot of people spend a good portion of their lives questioning the why or what if scenarios, that they felt could have changed the course of their life journey.  However, at some point you have to make peace with all of those scenarios and leave them where they belong, in the past.  The time that you have in the present is what actually matters and making future memories filled with the things that truly fill your heart with happiness, peace and joy can be had if you decide that that it should be so.  The power that one has to create this state of transformation is a built-in phenomenal tool that everyone has the capability of accessing at any given time.  The only thing that is needed to trigger its release is when you decide when it is time to use it.  The New Year brings with it many things and among them is the hope that is awaiting in your future.  Although the clock strikes at midnight when it technically becomes the year 2014, seek to change your attitude about these changes immediately.  Meditate and visualize what you want to see differently as soon as it pops into your mind.  Then take a deep breath and allow yourself to be accepting and worthy of all these good things that you want in your life.  If you have things that have bothered you about your past or anything that has had a negative effect that is still part of your daily presence, then speak to that issue, acknowledge that it existed and then say a final goodbye to it.  Make the decision to not look back at the what if's, instead look ahead and think about the many opportunities that are presented in your New Year along with the other years ahead.  A new beginning can be just what the doctor ordered for many and if you are willing to put in the effort and have faith in yourself, the world is awaiting your new improved self.  By the time the ball drops in New York and the fireworks along with cheers of tonight's happy occasion takes place, you should already have your new vision and goals stated to yourself.  Then when the sun wakes you up in the morning with a crisp new beginning, take those steps that you need in order to fulfill your desired destination.  May the New Year 2014 bring all of you many blessings and good health among among your family, friends and loved ones!  

Grace Among Family For The Holidays

During the holiday season, many people travel long distances and brave various types of weather in order to arrive at a destination that is linked to a family home.  Whether it is traveling to see your parents, brothers, sisters or other close family and friends, part of the reason that this season is so special, is that people are re-connecting to their loved ones that hold a special place in their heart.  Although the images of people shopping and excessive crowds at the malls and other stories permeate the public media outlets, most people will not remember what gift they received shortly after the culmination of this day.  What will be recalled is the time and effort that was spent in arriving to see those key individuals that make up their close circle of influential people in their lives, along with the memories that they were able to hug, sit close or talk for a long period of time about what has happened over the course of time, since the last holiday they may have seen each other.  It is in those moments that one feels truly connected to these people and the realization that word family is much more powerful than most people think.  In these particular occasions, I can recall those people that I have known through out my life, where they had either limited family or no longer had people that they could call to fulfill this special niche in their life.  We were brought into this world with a larger circle of people that by blood makes us related and with that are these people that look and speak like we do, that make one realize that your familial genes are well connected among these various unique individuals.  When I see my relatives, I see the many variations of my aunts and uncle that they represent.  Whether it is through their mannerisms or just plain looks I see all of them as an extension of a long legacy of people that came before us via different generations, which created this collage of people that are intertwined and collectively connected to who I am.  Every year that goes by, we realize that some of us had more challenges than others and some have to deal with life issues that include the loss of a dearly departed.  As one gets older the realization that more of your life has been lived that what is now left can be a sobering thought, which is why it then becomes more essential to treasure the moments that are spent with these individuals called family.  At these intervals we mark new milestones filled with new memories to carry us until the next time when see them again.   Time always seems to march forward rather fast and it can become more difficult to reconnect with family, especially those that do not reside near you.  It is in all of these moments that gratitude and thanksgiving are most present which allow us to experience the familial circle of these special individuals.  As the holiday season comes to a near conclusion, my wish is that people will realize that it is not about the actual gifts that they received or the many hours that were spent finding parking at a busy mall, along with the expenses that were made in order to make someone's holiday more special.  More importantly I hope that people take a moment to celebrate each other along with the realization that the grace of someone's presence with them, was truly the magical experience that one may have been hoping to find.  The ability to take a moment to connect or reconnect to those that mean the most to you is something to be cherished and one just has to take a moment to realize that others would love to have this opportunity that many of us take for granted.  May today provide you with plenty of opportunities to rejoice in those moments and may you feel the presence of true heartfelt bonding with your family, friends and loved ones during this magical holiday. 

The Human Connection Experience

Periodically I think about the things that I know for sure about who I am and what I know about the life that I am living, while I take inventory of items that I may still need to add to my life.  Among those at the top of my list, I know that the one virtue that I must possess and use daily is to have compassion for others.  There are far too many instances when people have lost their way in the process of evolution and as a result are able to demonstrate on many levels where this virtue was not upheld to its fullest potential.  We live in a world where there is an emphasis on speed and the quicker the better has become the usual motto for many.  What is lost in this environment is the ability to connect to one another on a more personal basis.  I came a across the perfect example of this as I heard my brother telling me yesterday that he receives text messages from our mother who on occasion is an adjacent room in the same house.  Initially it made me laugh, however, I did think to myself about how sad our state of living has become that two people living in the same house prefer to type a message via a mobile device and press send, rather than walking a few steps to have a more in depth personal conversation.  This also brings me to another element associated with this new world communication style which has changed the way we write along with the use of the English language as a whole. The world is now used to abbreviating sentences to make them shorter or to fit a particular character limit on a social media outlet, that a full complete written sentence can now be considered to be a hindering issue for a particular communication vehicle.  People do not spell out complete words and the use of one letter can now be substituted for an entire response.  I know that there are many benefits to having a world that is more connected and that the speed of information traveling to all of us on a more immediate basis can be essential in many instances.  However, when we substitute connecting to people and looking at them directly in the eye with an electronic message, it can diminish one of those inherent needs as humans to know that we are in fact all one race.  Our ability to feel that we are intertwined as individuals that seek to gain the same peaceful existence, while we concurrently travel on our personal journey of living life can fall short of fulfilling our human experience.  Such as with being in the presence of nature, we are not able to send a text to a beautiful flower or a magnificent tree to let them know how we admire their majestic presence.  One has to actually experience that sensation and to able to fully absorb it in person, in order to know the power of creation that shows us those examples daily of how privileged we are to be able to call this planet our home.  All of us can strive to do a better job of connecting to others in order to be able to maximize our human potential and be reminded that we are connected via our own intrinsic paths. Our lives can be so much more full and self actualized if we were to work on this area of development, while bringing down the barriers that exist upon many that exemplify how we are more further apart than we are close.  The next time you decide that you want to send an email, text or perhaps Tweet in order to communicate a message to others, think about the other choice that you have in your ability to connect to your fellow beings by speaking to them in person.  This will enable you to see the light in their eyes when you speak their name, hear their words or laugh about a common experience.  Give more thought and respect to perhaps a hand written note, in order to let those people know that they are important in your life.  In this season of the holidays, when you write a card to someone that you have not seen for some time, put a few extra sentiments into that piece of handwritten material that exemplifies how much you appreciate having them as part of your life.  Finally, do not forget that although technology is a tool for us, it is simply just that and that we still need to communicate and connect with others in order for us to fulfill a greater purpose alongside them.  

Living A Peaceful Life

As time goes by, the things that make me happiest now are not the items that were once on my list as a younger person.  I can recall that in my youth, how I wanted to be surrounded by materialistic things. The other part of that type of goal was also to have the capability to buy or purchase more items that either appeared to make me feel good or that might impress others.   I made many errors in those younger days because of my cloudy thinking and lack of focus of what was truly important to me.  Thank goodness for wisdom and fine aging, that comes along to show us that we need to grow up and out of that previous frame of mind.  With the end of this year close at hand, I can honestly say that family, friends and good health are now at the top of my list.  If I can barely remember a needed visit to a doctor, then I feel that the odds of my health being better are swaying in my favorable direction.  When I can sit down to speak and see my family members with a good amount of frequency, I consider those moments to be of utmost value.  I know this now because of conversations with other people through out my life, where I was told about stories of many siblings who lived so far apart from each other, that they spent many years of their adult lives longing for those opportunities that were so infrequent.  Then there are the close friends that have been with me,  that are comprised of my circle that has been with me through all of my ups and downs of my life, while they always offered a listening ear along with a shoulder to lean on.  Although my life is dictated by many things, career included, it is the down time of not being at a meeting, on the road somewhere or at work where I appreciate my life even more.  When I can get up in the morning and fix a cup of coffee, while I sit down to read the newspaper (yes I still like the old fashioned way of reading and not on a tablet) while looking outside to watch the morning bloom in front of my eyes, is when I feel that sense of great inner peace.  I know that the moment I listen to the news that the world has many things going on that can be disconcerting, however, I carefully filter what I need to take for myself and move about my day.  When you think about the things in your own life that give you those feelings that lead to a more peaceful existence, keep striving to live your life so that they become your designated routine.  Achieving true balance can only happen with your own ability to plan better and remember that your attitude will be the defining attribute to living the way that you most deserve.  Count the many blessings that you have daily and be in the moment when those instances happen that bring you peace, fulfillment and joy.    

My Purpose Is Joy

In following up with the meditation sessions that I participated in recently, I also truly enjoyed the one that was devoted to your life's purpose.  This was of particular interest to me, as the question of "why am I here or what was I meant to do?" comes up so frequently among many of us.  From the time that one is young and well into adulthood the question of this life question comes up at various intervals.   People have devoted books and life courses on finding answers to some of these queries.  Not to mention that there are now businesses and life coaches that have been created to provide different avenues of support as well.  I have read and sought material through out my adult life to make sense of so many things, that I could probably fill a small library with the many great books that have contributed to my ability to arrive at answers that have allowed me to reach a peaceful existence.  There are many stages in one's life that can make this question bubble up to the surface of your thoughts, which provide for an ample amount of pondering about not only the life that one is living, but also about what happens afterwards.  The answers are so varied that it would be almost impossible to address them with one answer.  For now I will stay focused on sharing one thought that may have address many questions with one simple answer, that may help in finding your own purpose.  If you were to change your mindset and focus on the fact that you were brought to this planet to experience and facilitate joy, you might begin to make more sense of things.  The simple fact of having joy in your life and being a conduit so that others can experience this via yourself, is actually mind blowing when you think about it.  Imagine the rest of your life and each day being filled with so much joy that it overflowed and contaminated everyone that crossed your path.  The state of having a joyful existence could be so transformative, that it could redefine who you are and perhaps provide you with a road map to where you need to be.  Concentrate on the fact that you can manifest joy among yourself and to others at any given time.  Find things through out your day, week, month or year that are examples of pure joy.  Most people don't concentrate on looking for these examples, so they think that there are not many in their life.  However the truth is, every moment that you are alive can be shifted into the being of a joyful existence.  It all depends on you and your way of thinking. The more you work towards fulfilling your purpose which can be defined as joy, then perhaps the rest of the pieces of life's puzzle can actually begin to take shape for you.