Archive | May, 2016

Ivory Towers

6 May

This life is filled with all kinds of interpretations, expressions, ideals and doctrines. Everyone is different and we are entitled to adopt whatever reasoning or rationales we choose. Sometimes we’ll agree with others, sometimes we won’t but we may choose whatever path we like going forward. Unfortunately, because of our differences, there may be some who choose to isolate themselves in order to stay away from others. They may believe their thoughts are superior or so different from those around them they should be set apart. If we choose to do that and construct a virtual ivory tower around us, keeping others at a distance, it may become impossible to understand the world and those in it. It will certainly be harder to relate to those around us if we exclude ourselves from interacting with them. If we stay separate we might find ourselves misunderstood and alone much of the time. This life is all about interacting with those around us. If we’re alone there is no chance to do that or to grow from those experiences. It’s better to set our personal standards and still continue to be a part of the group. Joining in doesn’t mean we have to completely assimilate. It just means we can participate which will bring us great blessings and continued growth.

The world and our societies continue to evolve as time passes. Perhaps we feel we’d be more comfortable with the way things were in the past, and maybe today’s norm doesn’t feel right for us. No matter what is going on with others or what is considered commonplace, we can always choose to live our lives our own way. We don’t have to match everyone else and we don’t have to do things that make us uncomfortable. We can hold fast to the methods and patterns that work for us and take the best of what’s around us and make it our own. There is no one perfect way to live a life. We all get to choose our own way and we can do it effectively without completely avoiding anything new.

Learning to work with those around us and interact with them in positive ways is easy for some, and more difficult for others. If we’re innately social it may be easier for us to manage differences and get along while keeping our own standards. If we’re uncomfortable in social settings it may be harder to understand others and find our voices. But either way, we can be part of the group and if we’re patient and embracing of differences, we can learn from them. We never need to isolate ourselves or hide away to find our way through. We are capable of sharing our lives and letting others share their lives with us. Everyone has gifts to offer. If we let them in we can learn new things, experience new understanding, and become richer and more integrated. We’re all in this together. Sharing the experience and being a part of it will bring us the most in return.

Today if you’ve been setting yourself apart and hanging back, step up. You have a lot to share and we all want to know you. Talk to those around you and get to know them. Open your heart and let others follow. Your life will be richer as you make new friends and companions to share the journey.

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Hidden Treasure

4 May

It’s exciting to think about going on a treasure hunt.  If we have a map where “X” marks the spot we could find it and start digging. Or maybe we could go out on the ocean on a big boat and find a sunken ship filled with treasure. Or we could go on a geological expedition and find a diamond in fields of rocks. It’s fun to ponder doing these things but treasures can be hard to find and may take a lot of time and resources. That doesn’t mean they aren’t out there and we can go searching for them.  But there is hidden treasure that’s easier to find. We each have some special treasures deep inside us we keep safe and secure. Sometimes it’s a dream we want to pursue, sometimes it’s a gift we only share with others once in a while, and sometimes it’s something we want to become that we’ve held onto but never begun. There are treasures in all of us and when we’re ready we can bring them out and manifest them in our lives. Until then, they will stay buried, tucked away, and hidden from the world.

As we’re living our lives, we have choices to make. Sometimes we get caught up in a situation, a career, or a pattern we didn’t plan on. If we don’t control where we’re headed, our lives will go wherever circumstances lead us. Even if we want to be in control, sometimes the roads we want to travel aren’t available to us yet. But everything changes as time goes by and opportunities present themselves that enable us to re-evaluate where we are and where we want to go. If we’ve been in the same situation for a long time, even if it’s not what we really want, we may be tempted to continue because we know the road so well. We know what to expect and where we’re headed. But if it’s not the path we want the most, staying the course for convenience won’t bring us true and lasting happiness. We always have the option to change and what we do, and where we go, is up to us.

Our lives are our responsibility. We can live them any way we want to. If we aren’t happy, and if we aren’t fulfilled and we want a change, we can have it. It’s rarely easy to make big changes in our lives, and sometimes it takes a lot of effort to turn our ship, but if we’re correcting our course to where we most want to go, any effort will be worth the cost. If we’re unhappy in our relationships, we can change them. If we don’t like our jobs, we can change those too. If we want to live somewhere new, we can move. And if we want to change something about our personalities, we can. There is nothing out of reach. We all have treasures to offer the world. We don’t have to dig for them. We know exactly what they are and how to reach them.  We don’t have to live lives that prevent us from opening them.  This life is a gift. Living it the way that makes us happiest is the gift we give ourselves.

Today if you want to change your life, if you’re ready to embrace your dreams and bring your treasure out, you can do it. There isn’t anything you can’t do. You can live your life any way you like, go anywhere you want to go, and do anything you want to do. Open the door and take the first step to your perfect life. You deserve everything. And you can have it.

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Sharing It

3 May

When we are young, most of us are taught to share. We’re encouraged to share our crayons and our toys, sometimes our food or treats, and in doing so we learn how to give. As we get older sometimes we lose focus of the blessings that come from sharing. We’re busy taking care of ourselves and making sure our needs are met. We manage our time and our possessions and may hold them tightly in order to control them. Although it’s important to control our lives effectively, we can still include others in them as well. There is a lot of need in the world. Some of it’s financial and we may certainly give to a limitless number of programs or projects, but some of the need is personal. Not all needs are material in nature. We all need compassion, kindness and consideration. And our capacity to share those things is virtually endless. Unlike our checkbooks, there is no limit to what we can share emotionally. If we’re having a good day we can boost those around us. We can choose to be kind and engaged instead of rude and aloof. We can be polite and helpful and when we are, we share our very best.

The world is a big, complicated place with all kinds of problems and issues. Because we have so much access to what’s going on everywhere we can see suffering and trouble every moment of every day. Unfortunately, those who produce our news stories focus on all the negative things that are happening all the time. And there is no end to trouble. But with all that duress and strife, there are people doing well. There are people helping each other, caring for one another, easing each others’ burdens, and sharing what they can to make things better. We rarely hear about those stories but the people sharing their lives in service to others are the ones really changing the world. Sometime it’s not the big events that make the lasting changes. Sometimes it’s the small gift of personal charity that turns everything around.

We don’t have to do huge, impressive acts of kindness to make a change in the world. The smallest thing – helping someone who’s fallen get back up – can turn things around for others. We can be kind and share goodness with those around us and make a big impact on the world. Of course we can share our money and our food and our possessions and those are all helpful. But when we share ourselves by being kind and considerate, when we reach higher to be more present and available to others, and when we do a little more to serve those around us, the world becomes a better place. Lives are lifted and we impact everything for good. We have an unlimited ability to be loving and caring. If we focus on sharing those attributes with others, everything will be better. Our lives will be more fulfilled and those around us will feel happier. We have so much to offer. If we remember to share it, we can change the world.

Today remember to offer your kindness to those around you. Be polite and caring in all your dealings and your impact on the world will be great. You have nobility inside you. Show it to others. Be the change we all want to experience. You have so much to offer. Share it with those around you today. And you will change the world.

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Fairy Dust

2 May

Facing our lives as they really are is necessary for success.  We have to see everything clearly in order to move forward.  However, sometimes we might decide to look away from reality and prefer a fantasy view of where we are and what we’re going through.  Maybe it’s because we’re facing difficult times that are overwhelming and don’t think we can manage them.  But refusing to see things as they are and choosing make believe doesn’t help us go forward.  The truth of our situations is what is real.  There is no magical fairy dust to make things right.  If we gloss over our problems or pretend they don’t exist it will hurt us in the end.  We are courageous and smart enough to face and overcome anything that comes to us.  Looking away only postpones what we need to do to move forward and holds us in place.

There is nothing wrong with having an active imagination. We can dream about things we want to do, and imagine what our lives would be like if things were different.  Sometimes our time spent dreaming fuels ideas that enable us to create better situations and move toward the goals we’re dreaming about.  We are creative by nature and if we imagine how things could be and really define them, it can motivate us to do what is needed to make them a reality.  There isn’t anything we can’t do and no destination is too far away.  Dreaming of making our goals a reality is fine but dreaming and imagining won’t make them come true.  If we want to change, we must face our lives as they are and then do what is needed to take us where we want to go.

Sometimes we all go through difficult trials and sometimes we suffer as we try to navigate them.  Some things are painful, and can stop us completely as we try to understand and move through them.  Checking out and pretending they don’t exist may bring momentary relief from the situation but it will never help us move through it.  Putting a shine on a problem may make it look better, but it won’t solve it.  If we want to get past something difficult the best thing to do is to march right through it.  We are strong enough to face whatever comes to us and brave enough to deal with any complication.  We can find our way if we look at everything clearly and openly.  We have everything we need to solve any problem.  There is nothing that will conquer us.  We can do whatever we must to move forward.

Today if you feel like hiding out or looking away because a situation you’re facing feels too hard to go through, remember how strong you are.  There isn’t anything that will defeat you.  You can manage anything that comes to you and you will find your way.  You are stronger than you realize.  Look at what’s real and be confident.  You can do anything.

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