Soaring With A Grateful Heart

While I was at the swimming pool doing some laps before the summer heat arrived, I took a break to catch my breath at one end and paused to look up.  The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and a beautiful yellow butterfly danced in the air as it gracefully hovered over the water, as if to greet me on this particular morning.  Although for a moment I felt like this could be a scene from a Disney movie when the animals talk back to you and they break out in song, I smiled and simply enjoyed the wonderful scene that was displayed around me.  In the moment, I was in a complete state of gratitude and was simply absorbing all of this beauty, while I felt so appreciative of what I was receiving.  Interestingly, I always think about those instances when I am faced with this sense of abundant gratitude, while I contemplate how did I ever get to this facet of my life?  I can tell you that prior to getting here there were many instances of selfish thinking when I needed things to change because I was in an uncomfortable situation or simply that I wanted things my way at my time.  It has taken me many years to learn to appreciate from those periods in my life when things were not going right and still have a grateful attitude in the end.  I remember many prayers where I began asking for God's will to occur, yet in the end, I found myself suggesting that perhaps he could do something that I needed in the process.  I laugh to myself now when I think about how silly I must have sounded to someone that already knew the final answers to what I was requesting, while having to listen to my suggested plan for Him.  I am really thankful for the growth that I have experienced over the many years of my life, because it is so easy now to laugh out loud at my younger self versus where I am today.  I also feel compelled to share these experiences, as I believe that we all have a purpose in giving back to those that are in need, including those that are deficient in amounts of wisdom.  While we cannot save all young people from making the same mistakes that we did when we were younger, we can certainly empathize with their trials and offer some suggested advice that we hope will land in the ears of those that need to receive the message.  What I have also learned over the course of the years is that if you want family members to accept your advice, that also is a tall order.  What tends to happen is that a relative close to you will be more accepting of advice from a stranger or an acquaintance, than they will be from you, just because of the fact that you are related to them.  Hence, do your best to help others that cross your path and as a result, someone else will more than likely help your loved ones as well.  So the next time you are out and about in nature as you experience a moment where you feel grateful, don't miss the opportunity to appreciate all of that as you say thank you for the place you happen to be soaring over on that day.

Whispers From God

There are many times when we have a feeling or an intuition deep inside of us, that it is hard to define or label exactly what that is, however, people have called it all sorts of things from intuition to your inner voice.  Because the world is so vast and the universe is even bigger with many questions that are hard to answer, I like to call these occurrences whispers from God.  As a person of faith, I believe that these instances occur so that I can acknowledge that I am quite small and finite like a drop of water, floating along in God's great deep ocean.  It is that strong connection that as drops of water we all have to this great entity, which can call upon us or redirect our path from time to time that keeps us in sync.   In my experience it has also been true that the whispers that come to us in the late evening or perhaps as we wake up in the still and quiet of the early morning, can have a very specific message for us.  I have also learned that if it is not what we want to hear it can become a nuisance, as we believe that we are still waiting for the message that better suits our own preferences.  When we receive a particular notice that may not be what we wanted, we often convince ourselves that it must have been something else and it certainly was not God.  Our ability to discern what we want to hear as opposed to what we need to hear, can sometimes be an illuminating experience.  The difficulty that comes from hearing what is needed, is that it may not be pleasant or it means that we have to work that much harder in a different manner, in order to move in the right direction.  What experience has also taught me, is that if you decide that you don't want to listen to a message that is needed, God also has a way of re-sending it through another mechanism that will manifest itself in your life in a different way.  The bottom line is that it is still the same message and we just have to stop fighting back as we ultimately need to accept what He wants us to do next.  So you see, whispers can sometimes turn into loud voices that even a person who is hard of hearing, will be able to recognize.  In my own life, the whispers that tell us what we should do often provide the most ultimate peace of mind in the long run.  There is something to be said about accepting and receiving something that will ultimately be for our own good.  So the next time before you go to sleep or as you open your eyes, pause for a moment and listen not only with your ears but also with your heart.  Ultimately, it is those whispers that come to us at those periods of time that often prove to be the answers that we were waiting for.

The Long Ride Home

I attended a celebration of life service for a staff member whose life ended far too soon.  This individual was a person who had God and faith in his daily life along with expecting nothing but goodness from those that were around him.  During his eulogy one of his close friends stated that he had labeled himself a perpetual optimist and everyone in the church smiled and nodded as they came to full agreement when this was stated without speaking any words.  I personally thought that because he was such a fighter and lived a healthy lifestyle, that he was going to beat the illness that stopped him from working several months ago.  One of his passions was to get on his long distance bicycle and pedal his way through many miles of terrain as he took cycling adventures up and down the Pacific Coast.  I can recall for his last birthday that he bicycled from Orange County all the way to San Diego and then took the train back home.  When I first heard about this, I thought to myself how that didn’t sound like your typical birthday ritual, yet he enjoyed this so much that it was one of the gifts that he gave himself every year.  By the end of the service I realized that he had lived a full and beautiful life that was filled with many wonderful adventures, as he celebrated the beauty of nature around him through the many miles that he traveled on his bicycle.  As I drove home that afternoon, I thought to myself when my time comes to leave this amazing earth I too want to have no regrets about anything and I hope that I added value to the place I called home for a number of years.  It is always a somber experience to go through this periodically when someone's life ends and our respect for them is demonstrated through honoring them at a service, that brings family and friends together one last time to pay tribute to that individual.  I personally like the term a celebration of life more so than funeral, as that is what it should ultimately be.  The only thing that is certain about living is that we are all going to the same place in the end and I am always hopeful that the rejoining of our own loved ones will be one of the ultimate joys that we can all look forward to.  Until then, we will continue to honor, pay tribute and celebrate the lives of those that left an imprint in our lives, while we remain here.  As for the person that left us to bike his way to Heaven, Alan Sheldon, may your journey home be magical along with uplifting as you were on this earth and thank you for your dedicated service to our country.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” -Albert Einstein

High Standards

Today I am sharing a column that will be published next month. 

Inventing Your Life

“High Standards”

By

Rob Claudio

As I watched an old rerun on television last week, it had a sketch comedy bit about how lowering your standards could make you feel happier. First I laughed out loud to myself about the silliness related to that message, as it portrayed the achievement of happiness and contentment by getting rid of what you hold in high regard.  As I continued to chuckle through the rest of the performance, I began to think about how our lives could change if we were to actually live by this philosophy.  It was not until a few hours after it was over that I really thought about it more deeply, in the dilemma of giving up something in order to settle for less.  I am sure you can come up with your own list of items where you made a decision based upon cost, time or other inherent reason and perhaps adjusted your standards in the process.  When I think about the days in my younger more frivolous youth, I was also reminded about the silly phase that I went through in buying bottled water that was a French brand because it sounded exclusive and all the cool young crowd had a bottle of it in their hands where ever you went.  This bottle also came with a deeper price tag than the standard brands and interestingly for me, I ultimately felt the other brands tasted better.  Yet, in my crazy thinking I made sense of spending the additional money and back then I had very little discretionary funds to spare, only because it appeared to be the “in” thing to do.  I can also recall the department stores that I used to shop at were of a particular caliber, as I wanted the latest brand of hip clothes that some of my peers were wearing.  It is funny now to think that when I had the least amount of extra money to spend, I ended up spending a lot more.  Sadly, many of those items had only a limited shelf life to them, as much of it was a passing fad.  What I now realize is that I placed value on what others perceived of me, as opposed to what I could afford.  Now as I think about all of those things in my distant memory I simply say “thank you”, for the lesson that it eventually taught me.  Holding yourself accountable to your own standards is something that you can keep your head up high about, as it provides you with peace of mind as you lull yourself to sleep at night.  Knowing that you did not have to lower anything about your personal benchmarks of what you believe and value, will continue to provide a great return of your personal investment.  Always remember that your personal standards ultimately is part of who you are and speaks your truth to others.  If you are presented with an easy way out of something, think twice about the consequence of that simple fix.  Many times we have all learned that doing the right thing and for the right reason, should be your only true compass point.  Ultimately, remember to keep your standards high and don’t settle for anything that is not worthy of who you are.      

“You have competition every day because you set such high standards for yourself that you have to go out every day and live up to that.”   -Michael Jordan

Moments and Memories

I was in a store several weeks ago when I inadvertently went up the wrong aisle looking for something I needed at my house.  You can say it was by accident, however, I know there is always a purpose behind those, when I was faced with a box of Cracker Jack staring at me as I came to a complete halt.  I instantly smiled as I noticed the writing on the outside of the box prominently displayed that there was a prize awaiting you inside the box.  In a snap,  I was taken back to when I was a child and remembered going grocery shopping with my grandmother and seeing the same boxes at the store.  This was one of the few products that she actually would spend extra money on when I was with her, as it was a treat that was not chocolate or some other confection she had little knowledge of.  In my vague memories I can still remember the prize inside one of those boxes, which had a package of lick and stamp tattoos.   I recall putting them on my arm and more than once, as the second tattoo was much blurrier than the first.  Who knew they were on to something well ahead of their time.  I remembered how this little package of happiness, came with not only popcorn, but caramel covered peanuts, which to me was the extra bonus in buying this product.  All of these wonderful memories shot back at me, right there in the middle of aisle four as I now reached for the package of three small boxes (which is how they are packaged now) and put them in my cart.  How could I pass up such a good deal and most importantly, how could I not honor my wonderful memories that came with this particular box of happiness?  What I found so enlightening about the experience was that it also reminded me about how we have these trigger items that are etched in our lives that will instantly make us take that joyful journey backwards to when we created a wonderful memory.  I love that it can be almost anything for anybody, such as a favorite song, movie or perhaps the smell of your ultimate delightful comfort food.  The list can be quite lengthy and the best thing is that most people have many favorite things to ponder.  When I thought about how this is one of my favorite things, I also thought about the song of a similar name in the film The Sound of Music, which is also one of those instant heartening classics for me.  I am so appreciative of all of these things that bring me wonderful recollections of cheer, for they continue to inspire and fulfill me in so many different ways.  In my view, I believe that the key to having fond memories such as these is to relive them as often as you can.  We all get tied up with living such busy lives, that we tend to forget about the truly joyous moments that can wake us up from a slumber and give us that much needed energy boost, which does not come from a can or a food item that was doctored up to produce the reaction.  The moments and memories that fill our lives are wonderful carvings that mark the places we have been and the feelings that are sometimes filled with jubilant elation, enabling us to walk through the more difficult days that are sometimes part of our journey.  Remember that you have the power to change your perspective, your attitude and your life, it all depends on whether you truly want to do so.  Also, keep those happy and beautiful memories alive so that you can enjoy more of life, as it was meant to be.

The Right Thing

Today I am sharing a column that will be published soon.  

“The Right Thing”

By

Rob Claudio

A few days ago, I was reflecting on a sign I had read which reminded me that doing the right thing is not always easy.  Although I have seen many different versions of this in various formats, I always appreciate it when I see the message.   I am also in complete agreement with its meaning, as there have been far too numerous examples in my own life when I was taught a lesson or two as part of this reality.  I also thought about how I always had a hard time contending with how easy it has been for some people to continue to do the wrong thing, as they appear to get an easy pass at times, while others find it much harder and struggle with staying on the right path.  I then recalled how the arrival at a higher level of achievement takes hard work along with sweat and tears for some.  Yet, it is the hard work and feeling that you get afterwards of reaching a great milestone, which validates how what you did is worth celebrating because it was not particularly simple.  This made me think about the students who study their brains out to achieve near perfect grades to obtain acceptance to a prestigious college or university.  For these young adults, it was not easy to say no to going out with friends or using their discretionary time differently, instead of deciding to stay home and study further for their next exams.  These individuals did so with the intent that they would be rewarded for their extra effort and diligence.  Interestingly one may have heard stories from time to time about how a wealthy family was able to get their child into a top college, simply because of their status and influence.  I always think about how these particular young individuals will grow up in a world where they were not seeking the highest standard of achievement, and as a result do not have the same appreciation for the discipline needed to reach a lofty goal.  That is why the satisfaction of attainment of one's personal goals are also relished even more for those that had the more difficult journey.  When I hear about a person who overcame significant barriers, such as extreme poverty or a lack of family support and were able to obtain acceptance to a prestigious university, I smile because of the potential of that individual to not only make a significant difference in the world, but also how they will inspire others of similar circumstances.  I know that we have all faced many days when we think about how we would have appreciated an easier path, rather than having to face the uncomfortable or more difficult walks that we have come to know.  If you find yourself in this particular situation, I believe that your challenge can lead to a greater victory that can ultimately change your life in a positive way.  You just have to be mindful that sometimes the outcomes that we expect do not exactly arrive at the time that they are needed and even more interestingly they may not look exactly how you had envisioned they would be.  Trusting that all things will work out for your good in the end is having ultimate faith, that can bring you greater inner peace if you work more towards having this at the center of your life.  Remember that worrying more about your outcome usually does not solve your issue either.  For the time being no matter where you find yourself in life, you must learn to trust your path and put on your best attitude wherever you happen to be.  Also, do the work and put in the hours of practice, effort or other investment needed that will eventually yield the results that you long for.  Remember that the path that you are walking on may not be the easiest at times, however, if you are making the right choices it will lead you to the place that you are meant to be.

“Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular.”
― Roy T. Bennett

The Slow Down

I have been contending with a personal knee injury for over two months now and while I await my impending surgery date, I have been forced to slow down quite a bit.  It certainly has been another eye opening period of time, when one is subjected to the fact that our body parts are wearing out and some tune ups or patch ups are needed to keep us going.  I figure since our cars and trucks need these maintenance periods, then we are no different in that form of reference.  I can tell you what I miss most is just the simple pleasure of a walk outside, with my music playing on my MP3 device, as I head up a hill that is filled with lots of natures beauty.  As I drive by it these days, I simply wave to it and whisper that I will be back soon.  In my mind, I already picture that as I look at the trees that may now be bigger or sprouting different leaves.  The different flowers that bloom during the winter rainy and cold weather, are also awaiting for me to stop by and admire them in their state of being.  My saving grace with my connection to plants and nature are my own set of flowers and plants that are on my patio.  I have been able to go outside and sit next to them, as I admire all of the new growth along with the flourishing greenery that is loving the season of rain that has come upon us in Southern California.  My thoughts have also been with the nearby mountains and deserts who as a result of some of this seasonal wet weather, will soon be teeming with lots of lush green colors, while the flowers that bloom in the more arid areas are percolating with an explosion of beauty that is just imminent.  When you slow down, you realize that the things you take for granted at times is what one can miss the most.  What has come out of this experience is another sense of deep gratitude for the many other things that I do have as part of my health and although this may be a hiccup for now, I always remember that others are struggling with illnesses that are far more worse than mine.  It does not take long to take inventory of those items that one can be appreciative of.  I also see that with technology, the window to the world is simply waiting on a screen of a myriad of devices that can instantly take you to those places that you miss or wish you were at.  On a daily basis I make the time for pause reflection and prayer, as they are part of my life and in this existing state, I find that there are just many more opportunities to revel in them.  What has transpired is a period of quiet peace that some people have to make time for, while I can carve out many periods of them through out the day.  While I can't wait to get back to my hill and the beauty of its surrounding nature, I will patiently anticipate that day when I can greet it with a smile that is reminiscent of a reunion with an old friend.