Life’s Learning

Impressions! First or Last, They Count!

March 28, 2017 / / Life and Living, Life's Impressions

The longer I live…the more I seem to learn….or, is it the more I remember?  This is a good question!

I have been thinking a lot lately.  I’m facing a milestone birthday of the chronological length of time I have been on this planet [this go-around, anyway]; I have been reflecting more on a lot of different things.  Putting pieces into better place in my Life Puzzle, and also sifting through some of my CONSISTENT GRATITUDES that have lingered with me throughout my life,  because they are HUGE sighs of relief (relief that I ‘made it through’ some of the not-so-good experiences I chose to have)!

Let’s take people who have come into, stayed, and then left during my life.  There are memories that spring into action as I muse the first time I met them, and the last time I saw them or spoke with them.  Most represent a long span of time, and my first impressions are definitely not my last impressions!  No sadness, nor resentment…more, my feelings are, again, gratitude that they came and stayed, then disappeared,  by both of our choices.  People change.

There are others, however,  although newer relationships, that now linger with a sweetness of heart – a kind of love, if you will – that reached me at yet another depth, and grabbed those strings that play the fervent melodies.  Passionate Life Chords that I know play more of a fulfillment of my Being.  (Hard to explain, but I’m trying.)   It must be that I can identify and treasure these feelings because I am ‘ready’ by virtue of my own maturity and increasing spiritual understanding.  It is I who pursue this side of my life now – it is I who have the fervor within me and I want everything I can garner in this lifetime toward my joy, happiness, and peaceful fulfillment.

How many times I have said,  I ENJOY THE PRIVILEGE OF LIVING MY LIFE!  This statement means more every time I utter the words.

IMPRESSIONS!  Whatever makes an impression of any kind, COUNTS! I welcome my pensive feelings as I write my message this day.  I love that I have come in touch with mySelf in this way today.

I AM ALIVE!   

 

If I’m Gonna’ Kick…I’m Gonna’ Kick HIGH!

January 12, 2017 / / Life and Living

Some days are definitely more electric to me than others, and when I feel that difference, my entire insight and ‘outsight’ are totally different.

Right away, my mind goes to the Reset button…the Action button…the I’m-Alive button…the World-here-I-am button!

Some words definitely invite movement, like thrust, excitement, exhilaration, scream…. the life in life!    Other words like moan, rest, drag, broken, slow, boring, mundane, monotone, same….let our mind go toward stagnancy if we so much as read them, think them, hear them or say them .

Like the gears of a car…..I can drive easy, and if I need more energy I can demand it and accelerate…. that’s what my mind does to my body every morning.   I’m careful not to ask myself, “What kind of a day is it today?” Said another way, I present to myself, “Today I’m going to ………”!  and then, I’m on my own demand,  springing into my own action that I have decided.  I’m pretty sure I don’t even give myself the chance to say something like, “I don’t think I feel like……..” .    And, unless I actually know I’m ‘under the weather’ I’m luring myself into my world toward my own happiness the best way I know how, and that’s always “checking in” and testing the waters, so to speak.  If I come up with lukewarm, I’m most likely planning to enjoy a marathon of my favorite western movies!

I’m a 75% introvert, 25% extrovert personality (by my own definition), and sometimes I know I have to go outside to a friend who ‘fills me’.    Our conversations ’round me up to the highest number’.

Years ago, another dear friend explained to me how to make sure that I’m going to the right source for what I need.  “If you want milk, go to the fridge.  If you want water, go to the tap.”  I know to figure out first the perfect person(s) to  approach in order to get exactly what I need….nurturing, support, a listener, whatever at the time my heart and soul need for peace.

I’m the only one who can set the bar(s)… on my Forever Path.  Whatever requires my focus at any given time is a personal bar.    I place my Life Bar at a steady incline, albeit I take a back-step, a misstep, or a leap forward in my process.   When a new enlightenment appears, I instinctively set another bar.   Imagine a line graph.  The Life Bar is a solid, wider line.  Personal bars are dotted, and different colors…and as knowledge and achievements are reached, they disappear and actually become part of the Life Bar.  The Enlightenment Bar(s) are solid and different colors.  These ultimately blend into the Life Bar as well.

Come to think, with the exception of my Life Bar, I guess I can think of the others as colorful balls that I keep kicking higher and higher.

What a grand Soccer Game I play every day!  Blessed Be to All.

I Got To Thinking…..AGAIN!

December 13, 2016 / / Life and Living

I get up in the morning, and the first thing I think is something like, “What am I going to do today?”  Simple enough – I live alone, so if the fire gets started, I’m the one to light it, right?

“Thoughts”…..I’m poking  deeper  now.  Does the Universe put thoughts in my head first?  Or, do I start that ball rolling?  Chicken?  Egg?   I’m going to pick ME!  I’m thinking my day is literally up for grabs.  I hear the news on  TV- no staying power so far. While sitting at my computer,  my eyes make a cursory  turn of the room.  I’m perking –  two cups of coffee helps!  Well, now, I’m feeling happy, enthusiastic for my day – whether I’ve planned anything so far or not.  I’m a very early riser, and it’s still pitch dark outside.  So?  Nothin’ yet!

Let’s change format.  What do I want to do today?  Ah, now, this puts some ‘snap’ into it!

I wonder how children begin to learn how to motivate themselves? Parents spend a lot of time and money planning activities for them. Schools offer countless choices of sports to join.  After hours, parents fill  ‘spare’ time and weekends with movies, bowling, theme parks, shopping…and the list goes on.   Shuttling kids between activities must be exhausting…the more kids, the more exhaustive for everyone?     When does anyone get a break?

Back to me!  I have just given precious thought-power/energy to a subject that doesn’t affect me in the slightest way!   LOOKING OUTSIDE MYSELF….Apparently,  because I am not successful in planning my day thus far,  I have allowed my thoughts a life of their own!

Thought-power.  I just spent precious time and energy exerting  power of my mind and in so doing, I actually delayed structuring  my day!    How much time do I waste in senseless or wistful thoughts looking outside myself?   There are minimum 16 hours every day that I am privileged to spend using my creative brain toward constructive, joy-producing thoughts for myself or others around me.

Albeit a self-chiding lesson,   MY BRAIN HAS ALL IT CAN DO TO CONCENTRATE ON ME AND MY OWN BUSINESS OF LIVING AND BEING AND DOING THE BEST THAT I CAN FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS AROUND ME. 

Conclusion:  I have nothing to do with kids’ self-motivation,  their activities nor how their day is structured or how frazzled parents may become in doing it!  I  have everything to do with  keeping my thoughts out of others’ affairs!

The shoe fits!  Twinge of Truth.  Blessed Be.

It’s Funny How This “Honesty Thing” Works!

October 1, 2015 / / Life and Living

I have found out that the more I share  my life’s experience, the more others can relate to me.  We all have the same feelings, only the circumstances causing these feelings may be different.  I’ll call this “striking life’s chords” – and this kind of music that plays can bring me closer together with my fellow man.  It’s the ‘similarity’ not the ‘difference’ that’s meaningful.

I have a story:  When I was in my early twenties, I am ashamed to say I had very little respect for  fellow human beings!  I guess I was in high survivorship mode, and  I don’t claim any awards for my temperament nor the sarcasm that came out of my mouth.

By the Grace of God my lawyer, who was also my mentor in those years,  recognized my disparity and  extended his hand in friendship and faith in me, and made a simple request:  For a week, spend at least 5 minutes with whomever I spoke   –   an elevator operator (yes, this was way back when) , a cashier at the check-out,  someone standing on the corner waiting for the bus or street car,  a fellow passenger, and especially the file clerk in my office whom he had heard about more than enough!  He assured me after this experience, I would report each conversation had been interesting to me,   would come away with valuable  knowledge about each person with whom I spoke, and I would thoroughly have enjoyed  the time spent.  HE WAS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!   After this life changing exercise,  I slowly began seeing, hearing, respecting, learning from and VALUING others.  This was not an overnight success!   I had lived twenty-some years in a selfish and ignorant darkness. It has taken me many years  – experiencing ups and downs, failures and successes –  to begin to define the life pathway I am carefully and intentionally choosing for myself today.

As I have shared this story with you, I am again  extremely grateful for the help I received because it started me on the upward  path of straightening my life out while I learned, always by experience.  I try to have no place for guilt or shame.  I do acknowledge that as I am absolutely honest with myself – and  continuously trying to become my authentic self –  emotional freedom is my reward.   I am always working to ‘get there’… never to  ‘arrive’.   I know,  if I ever think I’ve finally “got it”, the Universe will promptly give me an adequate nudge to show me otherwise!  I’m beginning to think living my life is a process of repetition, acknowledging new information, accepting ongoing change, and working through challenges as they appear….always being grateful for everything I have and am privileged to experience.   Summarily, in this process  I know my best effort is good enough.

There is  incalculable joy and self-worth that inflates me with each truth I acknowledge to myself…..and if  any experience of mine can be eye-opening to another I’m happy to share it.

HALLOWEEN NEARS  AND YET ANOTHER MASK REMOVED!

BOO!!

BOO!!   It’s not that scary!