Tag Archives: Vacation

Crushed

24 Sep

Everyone wants an easy life filled with happiness and good fortune. Nobody wants to go through hard times or suffer. We all want the roads ahead to be paved, and easy to traverse. It’s natural to want things to go well, and many times they will, but this is real life and not fantasy land. There will be few times when everything goes exactly the way we want it to, and we are blissfully happy. We will have wonderful moments filled with joy that bring us great fulfillment and satisfaction, but we’ll also likely have difficult times where we may struggle and feel serious pain. The betrayal of a friend or loved one, the loss of a relationship, the death of someone dear – all carry with them grief and suffering. When we feel crushed by the weight of sorrow or disappointment, we may feel we’ll never get through and believe there is no way we’ll ever survive. Serious pain and loss are very hard to bear. We may have to sit down and stay in place for a while as we cope and try to recover. Grief takes as long as it takes. There is no need to rush, and we can stand still for as long as we need to. Although we may be certain this is the end, and we are finished, that will never be true. No matter what has happened, no matter how bad the situation is, no matter how defeated we feel, the sun will rise again tomorrow. All the answers we need will be there for us. When we’re ready, we can take one step forward, and start again. We are stronger and more powerful than we think we are. Hard times may push us down, but nothing is powerful enough to stop us forever. Time will heal the pain, and clarity will return. Every blessing is there for us, and success is just ahead. By trusting ourselves, and taking our time, we will find the road forward.

When we’re on a road trip, if we get a flat tire, we aren’t doomed to remain by the side of the road forever. The trip does not end because something went wrong. We can do what is necessary to fix the problem and then continue on. If something dreadful happens that upends our lives and stops us cold, it doesn’t mean it’s the end. We aren’t endlessly frozen in time. Every problem has a solution. No matter how bad things seem or how dark it gets, the road ahead will still be there for us.

When something happens that rocks us deeply, we may feel broken and lost. Our whole world may turn upside down and everything we thought we could count on may disappear. That doesn’t mean our lives are over. By stepping back and looking at everything openly and objectively, we will find the way forward. There is great success waiting, and nothing can keep us from reaching it.

Today if something has knocked you down, and you feel crushed and broken, take the time you need to see everything clearly. This is just a passage, and cannot last forever. You are powerful and strong, and have everything you need to get through. Trust yourself and look ahead. All your dreams are still possible, and you will make them yours.

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Perfect Timing

16 Sep

Our lives are complicated and busy, and we often have many things we want to accomplish. Everyone has their own personal goals waiting to be achieved, and although we may think about them often, because of other commitments, they may get pushed aside. We may think we’ll wait until things settle down, and we have more time to address them. After all, we have a lot to do and we’ll get to them eventually. Responsibilities tend to be constant, and there will always be something else to attend to. Waiting for the perfect time, and watching for a window when everything is settled and our time is wide open to do the things we want the most, is a fool’s game. The chances of ever reaching a complete pause are close to zero. Everything is constantly changing and until we pro-actively set time aside to address our own personal goals, we will likely never reach them. There will always be something that needs to be done, but our lives are important and we deserve complete happiness. By valuing the destinations we most want to reach and then setting time aside to move toward them, we will find great satisfaction and happiness. We own our lives but we must take control of them. If we don’t, time will pass and we may find years have gone by and we’re still standing in the same place. We deserve complete happiness, and by carefully planning and making our dreams a priority, we will have it. Nothing is beyond our grasp and with clarity and confidence, we can achieve anything.

It’s good to be helpful and serve others. We can serve in our communities, at work, within our personal circle of friends and family, and countless other ways. Helping others is noble and worthwhile, but we can be helpful and still make time for our own desires. It isn’t selfish to think of ourselves and push toward the destinations we want to achieve. Our desires are important and we can find ways to be helpful and still move toward our own dreams.

When we’re busy and overwhelmed it’s hard to think about our own wants and needs. If we’re stressed and it seems everyone wants a piece of us, it’s difficult to consider our own desires. There are lots of people around us and many may want our time and attention, but we are in control of our lives. We decide how much we can give, and can handle whatever we must and still take time for ourselves. We are important and our dreams are important. We can have the lives we want the most by managing our time in ways that allow us to move closer to our dreams.

Today, remember that you are the most important person in your life. Nobody will make your dreams come true but you. Plan your time in ways that lets you accomplish what you must and still move toward your personal goals. Every single dream is there, waiting. Step forward, and be confident. You are wise and capable. Nothing is out of reach, and you can claim the life you want the most.

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The Beach

30 Apr

Everyone wants an easy life where things go right and we’re not in pain or inconvenienced. It would be great if we didn’t have to deal with problems and complications, and could just move forward exactly the way we want going exactly where we want to go. Nobody really wants to face a tangled mess holding us in place, or figure out how to get through a convoluted, complex and painful situation. But we’ll all face them from time to time, and what we do in those moments will often determine what comes next. If we ignore the situation, and just look the other way, it will remain until we address it. Or it may worsen, at which point we may wish we had done something sooner. There will be times when our lives will go just the way we want them to, and everything will be easy, but those times are fleeting. Life has lessons for us to learn and every problem we solve teaches us something new about ourselves and the world around us. We gain new skills that help us moving forward, and become more confident every time we overcome adversity. We become stronger, more capable, and wiser with each experience. The successes bring us increased fortitude, and the failures help us become more teachable and humble. Everything we go through has a blessing to offer and there is something good we can take away from each experience. Even in our darkest hours, there is light to be found. Learning as much as we can as we move forward will help us find our way, and ensure success. We are strong and capable, and nothing is powerful enough to hold us down. Every success is possible and with determination we can make all our dreams come true.

Vacations are wonderful and we all need and deserve them. It’s a wonderful thing to lean back in a lounge chair and tarry on a beach with nothing to do. When we step away from our responsibilities and take a break, we find refreshment and renewal, and gain the strength we need to continue forward. There is much we want to accomplish and we can return to our lives rested and ready, and push ahead toward success. Everything is possible and we are intelligent and competent enough to achieve anything we desire.

When we’re going through very difficult and complicated issues, when it seems the trouble is endless and we’re struggling to find our way through, it may feel like we’ll never win. There is just too much stress, too much conflict, and too much to worry about. But if we stand firm and take everything apart one step at a time, we’ll find the answers we need and resolve the issue. There isn’t anything too hard or complex for us to figure out. We can be confident we’ll prevail and push forward until we reach success.

Today if you’re overwhelmed with an issue that is consuming your life and feel like there is no way out, remember how strong and powerful you are. You’ve resolved many difficult issues already and have everything you need to succeed. Nothing is beyond your reach. Be confident and walk forward. Success is just ahead and you will reach it.

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Same and Different

19 Aug

When we’re headed out to a vacation we’re excited about, everything feels good.  No matter how we’re traveling to get there, we’re content because the destination is something we’re looking forward to.  The cramped seat on the plane is fine, and the long road trip seems to fly by.  We’re happy anticipating the great time we’re going to have, and no matter what we go through to get there, we handle it with patience.  We’re smiling and happy.  Nothing can dampen our spirits, and when we arrive we’re excited.  Vacations are great for renewing our spirits, and recharging our batteries.  It’s fun to look forward to them, and a blast when we’re in them.

After our vacation time ends, and it’s time to head back home we sometimes have a different experience on the return trip.  Even though the distance coming back is exactly the same as the distance we traveled to get to our vacation, it seems longer.  The seat on the plane feels uncomfortable, the flight seems to last forever, and we may be tired and cranky.  If we’re in a car and have a long drive ahead of us, we may dread the interminable miles, the gas station stops, and the boredom of the road.  The trip home is merely the reverse of the trip out.  The distance is no longer and no farther away, but instead of being happy and excited as the miles fly by, we may just be grinding through it.

The two trips – going and coming back – are basically the same.  But our perception is completely different, and that difference changes how we react.  It’s the same with our experiences in life.  When we’re involved with something new we want to do, we feel energized and happy.  But when we’re in the same routine day after day, we may feel uninspired or bored.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  Every single day has within it opportunities to learn new things, meet new people, and do different activities.  It’s always rewarding to break away from the norm and do different things, and we can do that every day if we decide to.  It doesn’t have to be a formal vacation to make us excited and happy, although those are great.  We can be excited and happy in our daily lives as well.  It’s all about our perspective.  If we see each day as a beginning and a time to try something new, we can make our lives fun and exciting.  We can be excited every day at the prospect of opening new challenges, going through new doors, and experiencing new ideas.

Today, if you’re feeling like your life has become too predictable and you yearn for more fun and excitement, change things up.  Do something new.  Try something you’ve been thinking about, and plan a little vacation from your routine.  Break away from the norm.  You’ll feel more energized, and you’ll have more fun if you do.  There are countless opportunities available to you.  Find the fun and excitement of trying them.  Today is your gift to yourself.  Explore, reach out, expand, and have a blast.  There’s no time like the present to start having fun.

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And so it goes.

8 Apr

Sometimes things don’t always go the way we plan. There is a saying, “If you want to hear God laugh, make plans.” We’ve all experienced times in our lives when we’ve made what we thought were good, tight plans, only to see them go horribly awry. Sometimes things just don’t work out. Everything in life is fluid and that is constant, which seems to be an oxymoron – fluidity is constant. But it’s true. We can’t predict what other people will do, we can’t predict what will happen, we can’t even predict the weather with any real surety. So we plan, and we hope that those plans will go the way we want them to.

I just returned from vacation. Vacation, as I’m sure you know, is a time when you’re supposed to relax, have fun, change locations, spend time with people you love, laugh a lot, recharge…those sorts of things. Yeah, well my vacation didn’t exactly work out that way. I planned this vacation because my job was very stressful and I really needed a break. I was tired and overworked, overwhelmed with all my responsibilities, and I really, really needed and wanted a week to kick back, and have fun.

I did change locations, and went to a beach to spend some time on the shore listening to the waves, watch the dolphins cavort in the surf, walk in the sand, feel the ocean breeze – all wonderful ways to spend the days. But the camaraderie of friends was sadly missing. Oh I went with friends and a relative, and had high hopes for lots of fun. But instead of fun there was tension, instead of relaxation, there was stress. Unfortunately, one person in our group was unhappy in her life, and you know that old saying that misery loves company? Well, she evidently made it her mantra for the entire trip. I tried to keep things light, because in a situation like that it doesn’t help to confront, and escalate the problem. I listened with patience to the complaints, accepted the criticisms with grace, and made my way through the week. It wasn’t all bad, and there were moments of peace, but it just wasn’t the fun I had hoped for. It wasn’t the break I wanted, and it certainly wasn’t the respite I needed. At the end of the week I was relieved to finally say goodbye and go home. When I got home I was exhausted, and wished I had never gone on “vacation.”

So, sometimes things don’t go the way we plan. Sometimes they don’t go well. Sometimes they go horribly wrong. But no matter what life gives us, we can choose to get bogged down in the mess we find ourselves facing, or we can take a breath, wait a moment, and choose to look up and be the light. My trip was not fun, but I’m happy that I chose to be the light while there. It wasn’t easy, but I knew if I let myself fall into the mire of the discontent of others, it would be worse. At least if I chose to be kind, to be supportive, I could feel good about myself. So with each rude comment I smiled and said something pleasant. With each complaint I listened with patience and offered a positive suggestion. I tried to be an example, and I tried to show acceptance and love.

We all have the choice every day to be the one to make things better. We don’t always have to defend ourselves, we don’t always have to point out where someone is wrong. Sometimes, we can let it go, and just set a higher example. This life is a gift. Every single day is a gift. It is best to rejoice more than complain, to comfort more than confront, to love more than to judge. Today when things go wrong, when you hear complaints, when you find disappointment, try to keep it in perspective. It’s not the end of the world as we know it, it probably won’t matter in a few days, and everything will be different tomorrow. Fluidity is constant. Look up. You got this.

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