What Lies Within

15 Dec

As we go through our lives we experience many things. Some are good, some are joyful, some are sad, and some may be destructive. We are an accumulation of all the experiences we have, good or bad, and they color our behavior and perspectives going forward. Emerson said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” This is a true statement. Although the experiences we’ve already had certainly affect who we are, and the experiences yet to come will impact us in some way, they are never more powerful than who we are inside. We have everything we need to comprehend and process any experience that comes to us, and we have the courage to overcome any obstacle. We have more strength and nobility inside ourselves than we comprehend and they come forward as we need them. What we carry inside us, the courage and honor we hold, is stronger and more powerful than anything that happens to us. What lies within is us can carry us through anything.

When we have bad experiences, when we are hurt, betrayed, or in any way distressed or offended, although we overcome them in time, we carry the scars with us going forward. Sometimes those scars affect our ability to be happy for a time, or prevent us from trusting others. Sometimes they teach us valuable lessons we can draw on later, and sometimes if they are strong enough, they can be crippling. How we handle them determines how we grow as we continue on. If we forget how strong we are inside, if we believe we cannot handle the disappointment and it will never heal, we could get stuck in misery. It’s important to understand there is nothing we will face that we cannot manage. There is nothing that will overcome us if we trust ourselves and draw on the immense reserves of strength we have inside. We can do anything. We can conquer whatever has happened, no matter how trying or difficult it may be.

Nobody knows what our futures will bring. We all hope for the best and plan for success but sometimes things go awry and we crash and burn. But crashing and burning just means we get to start over on a new road. The old path is gone, the old goal is over, and we can begin again to go forward in a new direction. We never reach the end until death arrives. Until then, we have endless opportunities for success every single day. We have everything we need already there inside us to figure things out. What comes to us is small compared to what we can do. We are powerful and strong, and we are invincible. If we remember that, no matter what we face, we will prevail.

Today remember that what lies within you is great. You are capable, noble, and strong. You have everything you need to go forward with joy and success. There isn’t anything you can’t do. You have more courage and strength inside you than you need. You can do anything. Be brave. You will succeed and you will be happy.

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Tickling Joy

14 Dec

Today as I was returning to my car at the supermarket after shopping, there was an elderly gentleman pushing a cart in front of me. As soon as we got across the walkway, he gave his cart a big push and hopped onto the back to ride it to his car. It was delightful and enchanting to see him with a big smile on his face, riding his cart as though he were a young boy enjoying himself. I was so amused I laughed out loud and wondered when the last time was that I enjoyed myself so thoroughly. Sure I have fun with my friends, and I do things I enjoy, but I could not remember the last time I really tickled my joy in such a free and uninhibited way. Just like everyone else, I have responsibilities to take care of, and they have a way of taking over. Seeing that man riding the grocery cart made me want more joy in my life. I want more feelings of pure enjoyment – just like he had. Our lives flash by in an instant. The years go round so fast, and before we know it they are gone. If we don’t grab hold and create the joyful moments when we can, the chance flies by. But if we are aware, we can find those moments and make the most of them.

Tickling joy takes a little thought. There are countless opportunities for us to open up and see things from a different perspective. When it’s raining outside we can bemoan the slow traffic, and the mud on our shoes, or we can watch it fall on the leaves feeding the trees, and imagine the flowers drinking it in greedily. We can smile remembering when we used to play in the rain, and how much fun it was to splash in the puddles. When we have a lot to get done and feel pressed for time we can get stressed and worry that we won’t finish, or we could make it a contest to see how much we can get done and promise ourselves a special treat if we accomplish half of the things on our list. And then when we get half of them done, we can take a little break to enjoy that treat. We can turn a chore into fun just by thinking about it a little differently. It’s all a matter of perspective. If we open our thoughts up to different ways of seeing things, we can bring more joy into our lives.

Sharing joy with others is a precious gift. Many of us are overwhelmed and feel unappreciated. If we took just a moment to smile at someone else, and share something we enjoy with them, their spirits could be lifted and they may feel more joy. We can be the gift that turns someone else’s day around. We can be the one bright spot that tickles them. All we have to do is share ourselves and some happy thought. It doesn’t take much but it can mean a great deal to those receiving it. We all impact those around us every day. It’s up to us to make sure the impact we make is positive, joyful, and happy. Of course, we’ll have down days when things go wrong, and we don’t feel our best, but even in those times, we can share a smile. Tickling joy and making it shine is a small thing but the rewards are great.

Today remember there is joy all around you. You can create it in any situation you face. Make the best of your day and bring light into it at every turn. Share that light with those around you. You have so much to give. It’s fun to laugh, it’s wonderful to feel happy, and no matter what happens today, you can find joy. When you find it, share it with those around you. Be the one who brings the light. You already have it inside you. You really are amazing.

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Finding Fault

12 Dec

We all make judgments in our lives. We decide what we think is right and wrong, and what is true or false. We base our judgments on our personal paradigms and values, and what we perceive as facts. We make judgments about situations and decisions, but we also include people in those judgments even when we don’t have all the facts. And we never have all the facts when others are involved. Unless we are the ones in the situation we’re judging, chances are good our speculation will be erroneous in some way. Judging and comparing are natural human responses to life. We evaluate each situation before we go forward. But loving one another and having compassion for each other doesn’t involve judging. When we love and care we can do it unconditionally. We can love each another even if we’re very different, even if we don’t understand decisions that have been made, and even if we are annoyed. Love and compassion are the highest emotions we can express, and take precedence over everything else. We can forget that when someone does something hurtful, or stupid, or whatever else we think applies. Love and compassion are higher, and they need to be honored as such.

People make mistakes. Some of us make more than others, and sometimes we falter in a huge way. We impact others with our decisions, and sometimes we hurt them badly. Nobody is perfect, and even if we’re trying hard to do what’s right, we may stumble. Having the unconditional support and love of others around us when we fall is priceless. We already know we’ve screwed up, we already know we were wrong, and we really don’t need someone else pointing it out and reminding us. But everyone does that, we all criticize sometimes when things go wrong, and all it really accomplishes is to make those involved feel worse. If we were more compassionate, if we treated others the way we would like them to treat us in the same situation, it would go a long way toward finding resolution. We could talk about it, listen openly, express our feelings, and then let it go.

What if someone makes a very bad decision that really damages us? What if we’re so angry we feel like we want to crush them? Those situations happen and when they do it’s very difficult to think before we act. But we need to stop and consider what we’ll gain afterward. If we make them feel as bad as they made us feel, where will that take us? Will it make things better or worse? If we take a moment to think about the big picture and where we want to be, if we ponder where we want the relationship to go before we act, we have a better chance of making things better. Some decisions are so egregious they destroy relationships completely. When that happens, anger and outrage will do nothing to help. But if there is a bad decision that isn’t so far reaching and we want to preserve our relationship, we can remember our love and compassion for the other person is higher than our anger and disappointment. We don’t have to condone bad behavior, but adding ours to it won’t solve anything. We can reach higher, and go forward with confidence.

Today if you’ve been judging those around you and making decisions about their behavior, try to see things from a wider perspective. If you love and accept them as they are, your relationships will be stronger and more fulfilling. Show them your heart, share your concern for them and they will draw closer to you. Having close, strong relationships makes our lives better. Enhance yours by building them today.

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Clean Living

11 Dec

When we’ve been working outside, gardening or cleaning up, we usually get dirty, and sometimes get completely covered with sweat and grime. As we work hard it accumulates layer by layer until we feel completely filthy. When we’re finished, it feels great to step into a hot shower and wash it all away. Scrubbing off all the effort, and getting back down to our skin feels wonderful, and when we step back out we feel refreshed and rejuvenated. The days of our lives can be like that too. As we go through our various tasks, the jobs we need to get done, the errands we need to accomplish and all the things that keep us busy, we accumulate a layer of this and a layer of that. It’s not always dirt. Sometimes it’s attitude, sometimes it’s regret, and sometimes it’s happiness and contentment. But whatever we’re doing and wherever we’re going sticks to us in some way. At the end of the day, all our experiences, for good or bad, are part of us. The goal then should be to live our lives in ways that the good ones outnumber the bad. There is no psychological shower we can take to wash off bad experiences. There isn’t any magic soap that will take away regret or disappointment, and we carry it all with us from that point forward. But we can learn to live a clean life and gain as many positive experiences as possible.

Living a clean life means making good choices. We can choose to be moral, faithful, and law abiding. We can decide to be kind, helpful, charitable, and forgiving. Every time we choose something noble, we also choose to be happier going forward. If we choose to be faithful, we feel the support of knowing we’re doing what’s right. If we’re law abiding, we don’t have to worry about getting into trouble. If our demeanor and behavior is one of kindness, charity and forgiveness, we will feel peace. For every good choice, there is usually a good result. Conversely, for every bad choice there is often an equally bad result. If we choose badly we might not reap the result immediately, but it will inevitably come. We can determine what we accumulate each day by the choices we make.

Living a clean life means being true to ourselves and what we want most to become. It means choosing the paths that will take us where we want to go. It takes effort to think before we choose. If we jump before we think and make snap decisions, some of them will work out, and some won’t. But thinking for just a moment before we act will help us make the best decisions and when we do we’ll be happier. We can all live a clean life, we just have to decide. We have it in our power. What do we want to be wearing at the end of the day? We can be covered with disappointment, regret, and anger, or we can wear contentment, happiness, and peace.

Today if you’ve been unhappy with the decisions you’ve been making, and feel heavy carrying them around, you can change things. Think about how you want your life to be and how you want to feel. Then make decisions that will bring every blessing to you. You have more power than you think you do. Use it to design your life and at the end of the day, you’ll feel light and happy knowing you’re exactly where you want to be.

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Glory

10 Dec

Sometimes when we think about ourselves we may underrate our true value because of something we don’t feel we measure up to.  Perhaps we don’t look like super models or that guy on the fitness commercials, maybe we aren’t influential speakers, or perhaps we don’t think we’re smart enough.  Sometimes we demean ourselves because we haven’t yet achieved the level of success we aspire to, or don’t make the money we think we should.  There are limitless things we can measure ourselves against, and often when we do, we feel we aren’t good enough.  But that’s a dangerous and detrimental game to play.  The truth is, we are all exactly who we need to be at this point in time.  We can’t be anything other right now than what we are.  We can make changes if we want to, and if they’re important to us.  However, right now we are enough just as we are.

Personal glory is an attribute we all share.  Glory is defined as magnificence, renown or honor.  We all have things we do well, traits that are exemplary, and distinctive and unique features to our personalities that are beneficial and valuable.  All of those are magnificent and honorable.  And every day we have the chance to share them with the world.  Even the most meek and timid among us has a lot to offer.  We don’t have to be millionaires or kings to have an impact.  We need only be who we are, and share ourselves with those around us.  When we do our very best, or when we choose what is right and noble and true, we express our personal glory.  If we let it shine every day, those around us will be magnified and embellished, and will treasure their interactions with us.

We can express our glory in many ways.  When we extend our friendship and our hands to help, when we forgive, and when we offer a little more and have compassion, we glorify those around us.  When we make noble choices, when we honor others, and when we praise them for their good works, we share glory with them.  It’s something we all have, but we don’t always acknowledge it.  If we really shared how much we have to offer every single day, we would change the world.  We can be excellent examples, we can choose to make wise choices, and we can enrich our experiences by recognizing and expressing our personal glory every day.  It’s a valuable blessing, and sharing it is our privilege and choice.

Today, remember your personal glory.  Open up and share your gifts with those around you.  Show them your valiance, your commitment, and your care.  We need each other and we need you.  You are exactly how you should be today.  You don’t need to be anything more right now.  Be confident.  You have so much to share, and the world is better because you’re here.

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