The Way I See It . . .

Times are very interesting right now. For starts, like it or not, history was made this week. My sense is that HOPE is in the air. Not just in North America, but a feeling of global HOPE. Something that I do not remember experiencing in my life time. My thoughts - is this not a positive? Is it not true that HOPE sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible? Yet, I am somewhat bewildered . . . I am having a hard time comprehending the intense reactions of many. Reactions based on what?? Media? Hearsay? Gossip? Learned Behaviour?

We all have buttons, buttons that when triggered, can and do evoke novel responses - often not the most enlightened of responses. I find this to be very curious. In fact, it has been renting a fair bit of space in my being. Now, don't get me wrong, I am the first to admit that my own responses can be just as puzzling as the next persons. This has led me to ponder where these reactions come from . . . I understand that all behaviour is learned and that much of our learning happens very early in our lives - childhood. Can you really teach older 'dogs' new tricks?

"People need to see that far from being an obstacle, the world's diversity of languages, religions & traditions is a great treasure affording us precious opportunities to recognize ourselves in others."

Youssou N'Dour

Musician

(Borrowed from my recent Chai Latte)

What precious opportunities are you missing out on because you've allowed yourself to get in your own way . . . How often are you blinded by your own reactions?

The Rippling . . .

How often do you make the conscious decison to spread good will, light, laughter and joy? Do you do this daily? Weekly? Monthly? Or, do you go about your day, your life, not really giving much thought to the energy, the vibration you are sending out to the rest of the world?

What if the next time you passed someone on the sidewalk, you actually made eye contact with them, greeted them and wished them a nice day? How do you think they might feel? How do you think you might feel?

What ever happened to treating others as you would like to be treated? I don't know about you, however, I know that I can get myself caught up in my own little world and forget to share the joy in my heart with those I meet throughout my day . . . in the line at the grocery store, the person who let me in, in traffic, the garbage man - whoever. Imagine what a smile, a nod or a wave might say. Imagine the rippling it might create.

If we look around us, listen to the media, read the newspaper, watch the stock market, we could allow ourselves to be inundated with doom and gloom, negative. However, if we all decided to attempt to brighten one other persons world each day - with a smile, with a card, with a telephone call, with a Thank You - something simple, yet genuinely from the heart, imagine the wave we might create . . .

What we see in front of us, is what we have created for ourselves. What would you like to see in front of you?

Life is too short for drama & petty things, so kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly.

I would like to support you in spreading the joy, the rippling . . . if you would like to send a free greeting card to someone please go to: http://www.cardsatwork.ca/ my gift to you!

HOPE

Hope sees the invisible,

feels the intangible

&

achieves the impossible.

Unknown

What is your life filled with?

Become a Better You

As human beings, for whatever reasons, a natural instinct is to want to complicate the simple things . . . When really, underneath it all, life is pretty simple and the more simply we live our lives, the happier we often are.

So, we get to make choices - We can choose to eat, live, breathe and fear the doom and gloom presented to us each day by the many facets of the media, or we can choose to get on with our lives, wherever they may be.

What if each and everyday, you went out into the world, focusing on what people can be, instead of focusing on where people are at? What if you saw the potential on the inside of those who cross your path, instead of what might be facing you on the outside? Could you find a way to challenge a loved one to rise higher by sharing what you see on the inside, their potential?

Do you think your life might be different if you made a conscious choice to be a 'Builder of People' everywhere you go?

I want to challenge you, along with myself - let's spend the next 30 days consciously choosing to Build People Up. Let's make positive deposits in others worlds. Let's find some way to be a blessing to someone else each day. Let's help others get what they want. Let's show people, all people that we care, that we Believe in People!

Bring Out the Best by Love!

Inspired by Joel Osteen

Who Stirs Your Pot?

What is the purpose of 'stirring the pot?'

Does misery love company?

Life is interesting, especially when we choose to view it from a place of curiousity . . .

I am truly curious, what is the purpose of 'stirring the pot?' I wonder how many of us walk through life unaware of how our behaviour affects ourselves and others?

Lately, along my path, I seem to be encountering many 'pot stirrers'. I find it very curious that this has been my observation . . . not really clear as to what it is all about . . . what is my contribution to this?

So, when someone you haven't seen for a while or even a complete stranger walks into a room or a conversation and dumps their verbal diahherra, what is the purpose? How do you respond or react? Is it easier to allow yourself to be drawn into the crap that has just been dumped, knowingly or unknowingly? Often the energy level from where this happens, is very high, engaging, animated and full of drama - almost spellbinding and you are in 'it' without even consciously realizing where you have just gone. And, when they leave, as they usually do, they are feeling much lighter and you are now left holding the bag, so to speak -feeling much heavier.

I believe that we are all students and teachers of life, never quite knowing what role we are playing for another at any given time. If we all became a little more curious about our own behaviour and others, and we chose to view behaviour as interesting, especially when it feels like it is pushing our buttons, what effect do you think it might have upon your world?

"Our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not on our circumstances"

Martha Washington

Scripting Your Future

So, what's your story?

What is the story you tell yourself? What is the story you tell the world?

Do you believe your story? Does your story match your life?

We all tell a story, each and everyday, through our words, through our actions - a story about who we are, what we do, where we are going, where we have been . . . a story about us. Interestingly enough though, along the way, our story, the details, the history often gets distorted. Why is it that our memory can be selective?

Did you know, that how you interrupt your story directly reflects the quality of your life? For those who choose to recount or relive the details, the events over and over again, in the first person tend to be less satisfied, less happy with their lives. Those who choose to relive the experiences from a more detached, objective perspective, are known to be able to move on with life more easily and quickly and often lead far happier lives.

S _ _t happens all of us. Do you get stuck in the muck or do you find a way through it? Reliving the details, recanting the story over and over, can be harmful to your health, wealth and well-being. It can literally shorten your lifespan. Why not try telling the story form the 'he said', 'she said' perspective and see what happens?

We all employ a little author's/writer's discretion from time to time do we not? Do we not fudge a few facts from the past and not necessarily consciously? After all, are we not just trying to put forth our identity?

Sometimes looking backwards, can help us to see how far forward we truly have come. We can see the old version, the outdated version.

What does your future look like? Have you written your script?

Envisioning life 5 minutes from now, 5 weeks from now, 5 months from now and 5 years from now . . . thinking about the possibilities . . . what harm can it bring? What if you 'pretended' to be you, you 5 years from now? What if you became that person or that person became you?

What you think about, you bring about . . . Why not create your story and try sticking to it?

. . . are the possibilities not truly endless?

Happiness is not a matter of events, it depends upon the tides of the mind ~ Alice Meynell

Success

Success . . . What is success?

We spend so much of our lives striving for success. There are many, many books written about success . . . magazines, movies, songs - you name it, it is available. It is like there is an endless supply of resources pertaining to success. Is this because it is presumed that there are more of us seeking success than there are those who have found success?

How do you know you haven't already reached success?

What does success look like? What does it taste like? How does it feel?

Does success not come in all different sizes and shapes? Is success not about exploring your potential? Ought we not be defining success in our own terms?

. . . so, if you are not a failure, then what are you? Do you know what success means to you? Have you ever taken the time to stop and define success for yourself? Chances are, that many of us have never really stopped and looked inward to define success for ourselves.

If you've never defined success for yourself, how can you know when you have reached success? It is sort of like the person that fails to plan, then, do they not plan to fail?

The tragedy in life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. ~ Benjamin Mays

What would it be worth to you to sit down and look at what success looks like for you?

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. ~ Thomas Edison

Success is yours if you set out to find it