Contributions

I went and participated in a March of Dimes Walk-A-Thon this morning, as my sister had enlisted me as part of her company team.  I ended up having a great time while getting a side benefit of exercising, while the walk made me contemplate having the ability to be grateful for good health.  There were many families and corporate teams there with the faces of a child on either a poster or on a t-shirt, that they were honoring as a result this event.  Along the way there were many volunteers that were holding up signs with statistics about children being born with health issues and how we have progressed with women being able to give life to healthier babies over the years.  I heard funny stories from some of the walkers as I weaved my way in and out of some groups.  There was also stories of how much money some people raised within their companies and how proud they were to have those donations being put forth for this cause.  I did some minor research and I found out that this initiative was started in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose purpose was to eliminate polio.  Via their efforts and through the money that they raised over the years, the vaccines that were discovered and eliminated polio came to fruition in the 1970's.  An enduring legacy for a President that was not able to see the eradication of that disease during his lifetime, however, the powerful legacy that he left behind was able to reach its goal and then some.  People coming together for a great cause can change the world and I was reminded of that today in many different ways.  That made me think a bit further about how much we hear in the news how people do bad or wrong things, while the news about the people that do good is not always on the front page.  This is where we still have some work to do as a society so that we change the course of what is important news for our children and the future generations to hear.  There is a lot of good in this world and there are shining examples of this across the globe, however, we need to highlight those good stories with others in order to be able to change the course of what is newsworthy.  There are many causes that we can lend our talents to and all we have to do is pick one and go from there in order to be part of the difference that we all want to see among us.  If there is an issue that is near and dear to your heart, then why not devote some of your time and talent in order to bring light to a place that may really need it.  Whether it is a fundraising or devoting your time and talent to a cause, your efforts will make a difference and in the end can change the life for someone else.  Do not think twice about what your involvement should be, just make sure that you contribute in any way possible.  Give freely of yourself and add value to something larger and you will find that your heart will be full and your energy will help change things for the better in the end, especially for yourself.  

Awakening

For a lot of people of the Christian faith, Easter Sunday is a great day that has deep meaning and marks a joyful day that is etched in time.  One of the greatest things to meditate on for me is the meaning of what arising and awakening can truly mean on this special day.  If you have had cluttered thoughts about a number of different issues, many times one is looking forward to that moment of clarity when things can finally make some sense.  The wait for clarity can be long sometimes, which makes one wonder about whether they will ever see the right solutions manifest themselves.  This is when one clings to their core beliefs and has blind faith at times about what an expected outcome will look like.  It is most interesting when you see someone arrive at clarity in a very short amount of time and you may still be on the sidelines waiting for your breakthrough to occur.  Having a grateful heart in those instances towards others may be difficult to process as well.  The strengthening among people is what actually makes those periods so remembered, as time moves on one call always recall a dark stormy period when the challenge seemed unbearable.  Think about the moments after a great struggle and the elation that can fill your heart and spirit that then elevates you to new heights.  This is when you realize that as much as a struggle may have captivated your strength, time and energy, you will end up being much better as a result.  The issue that most of us has is with the time factor associated with any period of growth.  Just like we would all love to have a magic pill that could eliminate all the extra pounds that we don't need overnight, the reality is that it takes time to work towards the end goal of this and other similar journeys.  As you think about a goal that you are looking to achieve in your life, focus on what the catalyst is for your awakening moment.  Normally, one has contemplated changes for a period of time then something strikes you that provides the impetus to follow through on a change.  Instead of waiting for that magical or inspirational moment, begin walking towards your goal, even if it means taking those small steps daily.  Consistency in your steps is what gets you to the final goal and if you step backwards or stop the momentum at any given time, learn to forgive yourself, dust yourself off and then continue your journey.  Your awakening is held in the power of your own thoughts, so don't be your own detractor.  If you celebrate Easter Sunday with your family and friends in your own places of worship and afterwards in your homes, remember that this day can have additional meaning for you if you put your mind and heart behind your actions.

Shifting Sand

When you see films and they show a desert sand dune, one can be immediately transported to that location which appears to be solemn and perhaps desolate.  Then there is usually wind that sweeps the sand up in the air and transports those particles that end up re-forming the shape of the dune that has been there for a marked period of time.  I grew up in the desert and I never paid much attention to visiting the local dunes outside of my home town when I was young.  My appreciation for this landscape grew as my age did and when I have the opportunity to stop by on those home visits, I walk out in the middle of what appears to be nowhere and I can feel calmness and peace in the midst of these creations.  I also think about the many tiny particles of sand that make up this vast desert landscape and similar to an ocean that has many drops of water, the surrounding dunes are the land version of a calming sea.  For me the feeling of being home now as an adult brings me such a different perspective than what I remember as I was growing up.  When I was young I wanted to not live in this part of the world as I found it boring, as most children do about their home life.  Because the town I was from was small and rather remote in comparison to metropolitan areas, I thought that we were missing out on the things that went on the big cities.  I would watch as the caravans of RV's would drive by town  on the weekends with their off road vehicles and would wonder out loud why people would drive so far to a place that did not have the creature comforts of the urban sprawl.  I thought these people must be missing something, until I grew up and realized what it was that they were seeking.   When you leave the hustle and bustle of big city life, there is a sense of unwinding that can take place as you let go of traffic, busy intersections and hassling with big crowds at a crowded mall.  In the desert, you have none of that and at night the stars shine so clearly that you realize that you are missing out on some of natures beauty, when it paints the sky dark and the twinkling appears before you.  Through meditation I can now find my own space at home that can take me to that place of inner peace that can be so readily found in a desert landscape.  I appreciate so much having been brought up in that type of environment, as I believe that it provided me with an inner calmness that is a constant in my life.  For a child or even an adult the issue of the grass is always greener someplace else can spring up from time to time.  However, when you have true gratitude for  your life and where you came from, you can really appreciate the foundation even more as time goes on.  Whether you are from the big city or from a small little town, remember to be grateful that you had a place that you called home and cherish the memories that were created whi6le you were there.

Selective Inventory

There are many things that make my heart happy.  When I was contemplating the things that make me smile, I could not categorize or put a specific number of what those are.  Yesterday afternoon I was outside watering my plants when I heard the laughter of children from the neighbors house and that in itself made me smile.  Then they were playing a game of red light green light, which quickly took me back to my elementary school days.  I stopped there for a moment and recalled the days of my youth when a simple game like the one these children were playing was simply joyful.  We all have many memories stored inside of us where we have a created a full library of items, that we can all check in and check out at any given time.  Because we grow older our library always is filling up with brand new memories that were not there before, yet the feelings that these memories have provide us with similar emotions that are similar to other periods in our life.  As I thought about my life's library of moments that are etched enough that I can recall them in a snap, I find that many are thankfully filled with happy emotions.  Not to say that there were not those others that were more challenging and less upbeat, I just choose to be selective and have no desire to check those particular volumes out.   If your life could use a bit more cheerfulness, then I suggest that you work on eliminating the dispirited memories that do not bring you joy or a smile to your face.  Clean out and spruce up your memories, so that your library holds only those pages or volumes of the things that fulfill you with true happiness.  Life is tough enough at times that one can easily begin filling their inventories with  cheerless instances, that will not necessarily bear the kind of fruit you wish to have in your life.  As you experience new things, think about how you will memorialize those instances within your happy or joyful inventory.  Save those that make you smile and wonder for the not so happy times, when you can use a good dose of something that can make you feel good in an instant.