What does it mean to relax? I think the definition is different for different people. For some people, to relax means to do absolutely nothing, while for others, it means doing what you want to do, when and how you want to do it. Vacation is usually supposed to be a time of relaxing, but some of us have a hard time with that, because we are not so good at gearing down.

At it’s most simple level, I believe relaxation is “Letting go of frustration, so that peace may grab hold of us.” This requires us to do our part, so that we might experience the good that is already around us. Letting go is hard, until you realize that control is actually only an illusion anyway. We are never really in control. We feel like we are in control and when we feel this way, everything is just wonderful. But the greatest control is learning to let go of the need for control, since we never really truly possess it anyway.

To let go of control, we have to step away, look within and learn to listen to the silence. It is hard to step away, but that is what “vacation” is about. Stepping away from business as usual. And the beautiful thing, is that we can do this without even having to leave the room. Learning to look within and focus on what is going on inside of us, while not being distracted by all that is whizzing by outside of us requires practice and discipline, but once we begin to get it, we are on our way to a much better place and way of living. Silence is scary for most folks. Most people have to have noise of some sort blaring all the time, but silence is a beautiful ting that teaching us a new way of hearing and learning to listen to your silence opens up a whole new world of experiences.

Viktor E. Frankl, in his classic book: “Man’s Search For Meaning “ says “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” You have been given the amazing gift of being able to choose your attitude. I want to challenge you to choose to let go of the illusion of control. I want to challenge you to choose to STEP AWAY from doing life and treating every moment as business as usual. I want to challenge you to learn to LOOK WITHIN and discover all of the amazing blessings that flow from the inside-out. I want to challenge you to LISTEN TO THE SILENCE and truly begin to hear the tings that will change your life and living for the better and more amazing blessing.

Real relaxation is an amazing gift and a vacation is something you can have more than just one time in the summer. Relaxation and vacation is something that you can live, grow and thrive in everyday of your human experience, so live blessed, laugh loud, learn everyday and love always…

It is always nice to get away for a little vacation and one of the really great benefits of getting away is being able to open up your mind, so you can be reminded of what is really important. This morning, I headed down to the beach to watch the sun rise, but I did not get to see it, because of the thick cloud cover. That was okay, because even though I could not see it rise, knew that it was and without any doubts. That got me to thinking about other things that I am sure of and here are a few that remind me of how blessed I really am.

Faith, Family and Friends. I want to take them in reverse order:

Friends: If you have people that you get to do life with, then you are very blessed. We are here at the beach visiting with friends and last night as we sat around the table enjoying our dinner, we laughed and laughed. It is so great to have people that you can totally be yourself with and not have to worry about judgement. It’s nice to have people that you know have your back no matter what. And it is nice to have people that you have no desire to judge and that you get to be there for. A real friend is someone who loves you with no expectation of anything in return and if you are blessed to have one and be one, then you are truly blessed.

Family: Someone said you don’t get to choose your family and in some instances that is kinda true, but you do get to choose your reaction and interaction with your family. And even in the most challenged of families, we are blessed to always be able to find someone who supports and loves us not matter what. My family helped to shape who I am today and they continue to shape me by supporting me and encouraging me as I continue to grow into the man that I was created to be. You may not get to choose your family, but you can choose to live your life in such a way that you are a blessing to them and the beautiful thing is that as you bless them, it usually comes back to you triple fold.

Faith: Having something to believe in makes all the difference in this world, You have a Creator that believes in you! No matter who you are, where you’ve come from, what you have done or haven’t done, your Creator loves you and has an amazing purpose for your life. Your Creator wants to bless you and allow you to walk through this human experience with favor. Belief is a very powerful thing and this is why it is so important to make sure that our belief is focused in the right direction. Believe in the One Who created you and Believe that you were created on purpose and for a purpose and then go for it, like you believe it!

If you have faith, family and friends, then you are a very blessed person! I am a very blessed person! Thank you for being my friend! Thank you for being a part of my family! Thank you for having faith! I am not only blessed, I am also grateful…

So it has been quiet a while since I have sat down to record some thoughts and ideas on the pages of this blog, but they say there is a time and place for everything, so, I guess I’m back! Actually my daughter has recently started to blog and she motivated me to get back to it. You can check out her most excellent writing and profound thinking at https://infragilisweb.wordpress.com/2018/03/19/5-ways-to-relieve-stress/.

I’ve come to realize in my almost 50 years of living that if we are not careful and intentional, then our days just become a big blur of nothing, stacking up on top of one another before we have had adequate time to appreciate and enjoy them for the precious gift that they are. I am learning that if I want to truly get the most out of my days, then I have to plan for it. I have to be on purpose and intentional. I have also found that a very big help is starting my day off right by setting myself up for success and blessing. To do any less is to be threatened with the feelings of frustration, anxiousness, stress and dissatisfaction.

I mean let’s be honest, how many of us wake up every morning fighting with the alarm by slapping the snooze button again and again and again, until finally we drag ourselves out of bed and through a rushed and dreary routine of getting ready, only to feel rushed, defeated and frustrated before we ever even get out of the door of our home?

Some of us get side tracked by the latest depressing news or caught up in checking our social media only to realize that we are not near as popular as we were hoping to be. Now we find ourselves on our way to work feeling rushed, defeated, insecure and unappreciated. Add to all of this, any wrong encounters we have along the way with family, friends, co-workers or strangers and we are a walking glutton for punishment.

What happened? Where did I go wrong? I thought I was supposed to wake up refreshed, reenergized and ready to face a new day filled with blessing and opportunity. I should be motivated, inspired, encouraged and excited. I should be walking in peace, faith and an overwhelming personal strength, but instead, I begin my work day already stressed out, anxious about “I don’t even know what” and just wanting the day to hurry up and end, so I can take a nap.

Start wrong and there is a very good possibility that your day is probably going to end wrong. Start strong and right and there is a very good possibility that your day is going to end strong and right! What I am saying is this: Most people that are stacking bad days on top of bad days, are people who are missing out from the very beginning. People who are allowing life to pass them by, without any real joy and fulfillment have invited that reality into their life by not taking charge of their day from the very beginning.

How do I know this? Because I am guilty! Ive been there, done that and got a drawer full of t-shirts. We need a morning plan, a morning ritual that helps us from the very beginning of our day to make sure that our day is headed in the right direction.

Mornings are one of the most beautiful times of the day. In fact, my two favorite times of the day is when the sun is coming up and when the sun is going down, When I learn to begin and end my day intentionally with the rising and setting of the sun, it almost seems if something magical happens.

Your Mornings Matter!

It’s time to get intentional about getting the most out of the precious beginning of our day. We need to develop a routine that works for us that will help us to get the most out of our morning and set us up to enjoy the blessings that are going to flow into and through our life during the magnificent and amazing day that is in front of us.

A Few Suggestions For Your Miracle Morning Routine:

1. Wake Up Earlier Than You Need To!

You need to give yourself time to not have to rush through your morning, so you can focus yourself spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically for the day that you are being blessed with.

2. Make Your Bed!

There is something empowering about making up your bed in the morning. If you don’t accomplish anything else, at least you made up your bed and your Mom would be so proud! Accomplishment breeds accomplishment! I have found that once I begin working on and completing task that I am even more motivated to get things done.

3. Meditate!

Take at least five to ten minutes to allow yourself to become mindful of the fact that you have a Creator and you were created on purpose and for a purpose and the fulfillment of that purpose is what brings your true joy. Use this time to relax and focus your breathing, to pray and even meditate on some scripture inspiration.

4. Practice Personal Care!

Don’t just get ready. Take care of yourself. Enjoy your shower or bath. Appreciate your hygiene routine and all that it does to make your life better. Put on your clothes and take time to feel good about how you look and how you feel.

5. Write In Your Journal!

Take a few minutes to write in your journal. I like to record a verse from the scriptures at the top of my page every day. And then throughout the day as I get thoughts, ideas or inspiration, I like to add them to my page. This is also a handy place for my daily “to do” list of things that I want to try and make sure that I accomplish.

6. Practice Gratitude!

I like to record at least three things that I am thankful for everyday in my journal by actually taking the time to write them down. I actually write out the words: “Thank your for…”. The practice of gratitude is good anytime that you feel yourself needing an attitude adjustment. Just stop and take a few moments to think about what you have to be thankful for. Everybody has something!

7. Go For A Walk!

It does not have to be long. It may to be to the end of your driveway and back, but take a moment to go outside and for just a few moments, soak in a little bit of the amazing nature that your are surrounded by. We take so much for granted! My daily walks are some of my best therapy!

Now go out and enjoy this amazing day. Today is your Creator’s gift to you and what you do with this day is your gift to your Creator!