...

Once in a While

From bad luck, I'm walkin' away
I'm not gettin' stuck, I'm not gonna stay
To good things, I'm movin' ahead
I'm tired of dyin' an' I'm livin' instead

Once in a while I'll wake up
Wonderin' why we gave up
But once in a while
Comes and it fades away

The sun's up and lightin' the sky
I never could see it, it just passed me by
Good things keep movin' along
I'm not lookin' backward for something that's gone

Once in a while I'll wake up
Wonderin' why we gave up?
But once in a while
Comes and fades away

I don't know what love is? It's weird and it's hazy
And when I get scared, I can act like I'm crazy
When I think of your kisses, I'm still gonna smile
I'm still gonna miss you once in a while

Once in a while I'll wake up
Wonderin' why we gave up?
But once in a while
Comes and it fades away

Good things keep movin' ahead
I'm tired of dyin', I'm livin' instead

Am I a Fish?

"The fish in the water is never thirsty..."

So why do humans hunger for Love? We are surrounded by it, and it's even inside of us. I guess we just have to realize it. In order to see what we are, we must first see what we are not. :)

What a beautiful day it's turned out to be, and an even better evening coming up! :)

Raincoat

Lyrics By: Kelly Sweet

Raindrops bang like rocks
On my windowpane
I thought they'd never stop
Never see the sun again

And I've been sleeping in
For way too long
Wake up, enough's enough
Yeah, those days are gone

I'm gonna throw out my raincoat
I hope it's all right
Gonna go find me a rainbow
And hang it up in the sky
Blues pass me by

You left me a wreck
Just like a rusty trombone
But some things, they just sting
Enough to move you along

I'm gonna throw out my raincoat
I hope it's all right
Gonna go find me a rainbow
And hang it up in the sky
Blues pass me by

I'm not gonna wait around
I'm throwin' this old thing out
Blues, blues, blues pass me by
I don't need those blues hanging around

Let Go and Let Flow

Taking a Leap of Faith

Many people, in heeding the guidance of their souls, find themselves contemplating goals that seem outrageous or unattainable. In the mind’s eye, these individuals stand at the edge of a precipice and look out over the abyss at the fruit of their ambition. Some resist the urge to jump, paralyzed by the gap between their current circumstances and the life of their dreams. Others make a leap of faith into the unknown, unsure of what they will encounter but certain that they will gain more in their attempts than they would bowing to self-protective instincts. This leap can be exceedingly difficult for individuals with control issues because the act of embracing uncertainty requires them to trust that surrender will net them the rewards they seek. Yet when you make a leap of faith, believing without a doubt that you will land safely on the other side, you can accomplish almost anything you set out to do.

There have no doubt been times in your life when you chose to go where the universal flow took you. Yet you may encounter instances in which your objectives require you to step outside of the boundaries of your established comfort zone so that you may freely and actively jettison yourself into a new phase of your life. While you may fear what seems to be the inevitable fall, consider that in all likelihood you will find yourself flying. A successful leap of faith requires your attention, as it is the quiet and often indistinct voice of your inner self that will point you toward your ultimate destination. Understand that the leap across the chasm of ambiguity may challenge you in unforeseen ways but you will make it across if you trust yourself.

Though you may anticipate that fear will be your guide on your journey across the abyss, you will likely discover that exhilaration is your constant companion.

Pondering Sex...

Sex is really easy.
There is sex everywhere.
Watching others, wanting others, getting others, doing others...
Though, it doesn't really mean too much.

Now love, love is the difficult thing to find.
Even if you are looking for it, which not too many people are.
And, even if you found it, which not too many people do.
Even if it was right there in front of you...

No; how could you possibly see it with all the sex in the way?
It really takes some guts to want love, find love and keep love!

Priceless Gifts

That Don't Cost A Cent

THE GIFT OF LISTENING But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

THE GIFT OF AFFECTION Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you".

THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT A simple and sincere, "You look great in red", "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.

THE GIFT OF A FAVOR Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You.

Before you say anything to anyone, ask yourself 3 things:
Is it true?
Is it kind?
Is it necessary?

Make promises sparingly and keep them faithfully.

Never miss the opportunity to compliment or say something encouraging to someone.

Refuse to talk negatively about others; don't gossip and don't listen to gossip.

Have a forgiving view of people. Believe that most people are doing the best they can.

Keep an open mind; discuss, but don't argue. (It is possible to disagree without being disagreeable.)

Forget about counting to 10. Count to 1,000 before doing or saying anything that could make matters worse.

Let your virtues speak for themselves.

If someone criticizes you, see if there is any TRUTH to what the person is saying; if so, make changes. If there is no truth to the criticism, ignore it and live so that no one will believe the negative remark.

Cultivate your sense of humor; laughter is the shortest distance between two people.

Do not seek so much to be consoled, as to console; do not seek so much to be understood, as to understand; do not seek so much to be loved as to love.

Reflections Of...

The Way Things Used To Be...

I've spent a great deal of my life focusing on my fears, worries, and frustrations, guided more by my ideas of my limitations rather than my potential. As more things went "wrong" for me, I grew in this tendency and focused even less and less on my hopes and dreams. After all, other people's hopes and dreams came true, but definitely not mine. This was really silly.

I know now that my focus on my fears was what caused most of my fears to become reality. When I met someone I was interested in, for example, I feared that the relationship would never last--and guess what? I spent my time focused on that fear and did my best to force things to happen that would make it last, and that was a strategy that was doomed to failure from the beginning.

Now I know that my failures are simply learning experiences, and I usually don't allow them to determine how I act in new situations. I say "usually" because I find that such a dramatic change is something that works gradually. I tend now to focus on my potential to make my hopes and dreams come true, on the possibilities in my life rather than on the limitations. If I want to do something now, I focus on finding ways of doing it rather than on things that I think will go wrong to prevent me from doing it.
And it's that focus that allows things to happen. That focus is the energy that we create, the energy of possibility and potential--and that energy is positive energy that helps us to create the things we want and need, to make things happen that we wish to have happen. If I believe it can happen and act that way, then it can happen. It's that simple. I wish I had known this years ago. . . .

To be ambitious for wealth, and yet always expecting to be poor, to be always doubting your ability to get what you long for, is like trying to reach east by traveling west. . . . No matter how hard you work for success, if your thought is saturated with the fear of failure, it will kill your efforts, neutralize your endeavors, and make success impossible.

Here's a big CHEERS to the brand new groundbreaking project that's going to change the world. ME!
I Love ME!

Finding Joy in Life's Surprises

Releasing Our Expectations

As we endeavor to find personal fulfillment and realize our individual ideals, we naturally form emotional attachments to those outcomes we hope will come to pass. These expectations can serve as a source of stability, allowing us to draft plans based on our visions of the future, but they can also limit our potential for happiness by blinding us to equally satisfying yet unexpected outcomes. Instead of taking pleasure in the surprising circumstances unfolding around us, we mourn for the anticipation left unfulfilled. When we think of letting go of our expectations, we may find ourselves at the mercy of a small inner voice that admonishes us to strive for specific goals, even if they continually elude us. However, the opposite of expectation is not pessimism. We can retain our optimism and free ourselves from the need to focus on specific probabilities by opening our hearts and minds to a wide variety of possible outcomes.

When we expect a situation, event, or confrontation to unfold in a certain way, it becomes more difficult to enjoy the surprises that have the potential to become profound blessings. Likewise, we may feel that we failed to meet our inner objectives because we were unable to bring about the desired results through our choices and actions. Consider, though, that we are all at the mercy of the universal flow, and our best intentions are often thwarted by fate. As we grow increasingly open to unforeseen outcomes, we will be more apt to look for and recognize the positive elements of our new circumstances. This receptivity to the unexpected can serve us well when we are called upon to compromise with others, our life plans seem to go awry, or the world moves forward in an unanticipated manner by granting us the flexibility to see the positive aspects of almost any outcome.

The further we distance ourselfves from our expectations, the more exhilarating our lives will become. Though a situation in which you find yourself may not correspond to our initial wants, needs, or goals, ask yourself how you can make the most of it and then do your best to adapt. Your life’s journey will likely take many unpredicted and astonishing twists because you are willing to release your expectations.

Spreading Your Light

How You Affect Others Daily

As the pace and fullness of modern life serve to isolate us from one another, the contact we do share becomes vastly more significant. We unconsciously absorb each other’s energy, adopting the temperament of those with whom we share close quarters, and find ourselves changed after the briefest encounters. Everything we do or say has the potential to affect not only the individuals we live, work, and play with but also those we’ve just met. Though we may never know the impact we have had or the scope of our influence, accepting and understanding that our attitudes and choices will affect others can help us remember to conduct ourselves with grace at all times. When we seek always to be friendly, helpful, and responsive, we effortlessly create an atmosphere around ourselves that is both uplifting and inspiring.

Most people rarely give thought to the effect they have had or will have on others. When we take a few moments to contemplate how our individual modes of being affect the people we spend time with each day, we come one step closer to seeing ourselves through the eyes of others. By asking ourselves whether those we encounter walk away feeling appreciated, respected, and liked, we can heighten our awareness of the effect we ultimately have. Something as simple as a smile given freely can temporarily brighten a person’s entire world. Our value-driven conduct may inspire others to consider whether their own lives are reflective of their values. A word of advice can help others see life in an entirely new fashion. And small gestures of kindness can even prove to those embittered by the world that goodness still exists. By simply being ourselves, we influence other’s lives in both subtle and life-altering ways.

To ensure that the effect we have is positive, we must strive to stay true to ourselves while realizing that it is the demeanor we project and not the quality of our wondrous inner landscapes that people see. Thus, as we interact with others, how we behave can be as important as who we are. If we project our passion for life, our warmth, and our tolerance in our facial features, voice, and choice of words, every person who enters our circle of influence will leave our presence feeling at peace with themselves and with us. You never know whose life you are affecting, big or small.

Making Life Yours

Perception

There is no secret recipe for happiness and contentment. The individuals who move through life joyously have not necessarily been blessed with lives of abundance, love, success, and prosperity. Such people have, however, been blessed with the ability to take the circumstances they’ve been handed and make them into something great. Our individual realities are colored by perception—delight and despair come from within rather than without. Situations we regard as fortuitous please us while situations we judge inauspicious cause us no end of grief. Yet if we can look at all we have accomplished without dwelling on our perceived misfortune and make each new circumstance our own, the world as a whole becomes a brighter place. A simple shift in attitude can help us recognize and unearth the hidden potential for personal and outer world fulfillment in every event, every relationship, every duty, and every setback.

The universe is often an unpredictable and chaotic place, and the human tendency is to focus on the negative and assume the positive will care for itself. But life can be no more or no less than what you make of it. If you are working in a job you dislike, you can concentrate on the positive aspects of the position and approach your work with gusto. What can you do with this job that can turn it around so you do love it. When faced with the prospect of undertaking a task you fear, you can view it as an opportunity to discover what you are truly capable of doing. Similarly, unexpected events, when viewed as surprises, can add flavor to your existence. By choosing to love life no matter what crosses your path, you can create an atmosphere of jubilance that is wonderfully infectious. A change in perspective is all it takes to change your world, but you must be willing to adopt an optimistic, hopeful mind-set.

To make a conscious decision to be happy is not enough. You must learn to observe life’s complexities through the eyes of a child seeing everything for the first time. You must furthermore divest yourself of preconceived notions of what is good and what is bad so that you can appreciate the rich insights concealed in each stage of your life’s journey. And you must strive to discover the dual joys of wanting what you have. As you gradually shift your perspective, your existence will be imbued with happiness and contentment that will remain with you forever.

Open and Listening...

For better or worse, much of the world we experience is dominated and controlled by human beings. We spend our days in houses, cars, and buildings, and inside these structures, we are in control. We assert our wills and manipulate our environment. Within the context of the human world, this is natural. However, we often carry this attitude with us into the world of nature. We forget as we enter the forest, or sit on the edge of a pond, that we are moving into another realm, one that asks us to drop our baggage and surrender to a different sense of order and meaning.

When we move from our everyday world into the world of nature, we may not even notice at first. We might continue talking loudly into our cell phone or to a friend that is with us. We might walk quickly as if we are on a busy city street, our eyes downcast, our thoughts hectic and hurried. In the best case, if we are sensitive to our environment, we will soon notice that it has changed. We may hear ducks calling, or wind moving through the leaves on a tree. If we notice the shift, we will naturally shift as well. If we don’t, we may get all the way through a beautiful park without having lowered our voices. Next time you find yourself in the presence of wildlife—even if it’s just a duck pond in the midst of urban hustle—try to move into a receptive state of openness and listening, no matter how much or how little time you have. Allow yourself to be captivated and calmed by the energy of the wildlife that covers this earth. Teaching our children to be respectful of nature and and to stop and observe is a gift they can always cherish

We preserve pockets of nature in our urban centers and large expanses of nature in our national parks because of the magic we feel in its presence. It reminds us of our smallness and calls us back to a deeper, quieter part of ourselves. When we honor nature by being respectful in its presence, we honor the mystery and wild beauty of our origin.