Tag Archives: life

Blogroll, faith, Gratitude, Growing, life, mindfulness, self help, spiritual enlightenment

Life Is Yours For The Taking!

“If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be truly fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” -Lao Tzu

That sounds like an amazing way to live life, doesn’t it. How incredible it is that there is nothing lacking and the whole world does belong to us, once we come to that realization. The question is: How do we get to that place of realization? Realization being, not just that it sounds good, but that we believe it and live it.

I believe we get there through GRATITUDE. When we here the word gratitude, we think about being thankful and that is a part of it, but it is much more than just being thankful. Gratitude is the realization that I already have everything I need. There is nothing that needs to be added and nothing that needs to be taken away. The recipe for our blessing, growth and success is complete.

This does not mean that life does not come without challenges. Life is tough, but it’s not impossible. The truth is that the tough challenges are part of the process that moves us from where we are to where we need to be so we can become. The best way to get there is by focusing on what is right over what is wrong, this is when the real magic happens.

I’ve lived life long enough to notice something truly remarkable: Happy people are grateful and grateful people are happy. I’ve notice that happy people come in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. I’ve also noticed that happy people still have challenges, struggles and difficulties. So why are they happy? Because, somewhere along the way they learned to be grateful, regardless of the circumstances.

You see, this whole human experience, the good, the bad and the ugly serves a greater purpose than most of us realize. This whole human experience is offering our Spirit the opportunity to grow our soul. This is just one of the many amazing gifts that our Creator gives us that allows us to follow in His footsteps.

My challenge is to practice gratitude everyday of my life and in as many moments as possible, because it is the practice of gratitude that helps me to take advantage of the room for improvement that I have in my life and offers me the opportunity to experience the magic of the Spirit at work on me, in me and through me.

Stop focusing on what you don’t have or what’s not working the way you want it to and instead practice being grateful for what you do have and what is working. You will be amazed at the difference it makes in your life and living…

Blogroll, faith, Growing, life, mindfulness, peace

Enjoy The Game!

If life were a football game, then I would guess I am some where between half-time and third quarter. It’s hard to believe that the first half of my life is over with, gone and cannot be relived, but it is and I have to say: I have learned much and realize more clearly than ever before that there is still so much left for me to learn.

There is a lot that we can understand about life, but then there is also a lot that is a mystery. There are some things we are supposed to figure out and learn from and other things that we just need to allow to unfold at their own pace and pleasure.

I like the idea of just allowing things to unfold, because it takes a lot of self imposed pressure off. I don’t have to try so hard to make things work, I just need to get out of the way, enjoy the journey, watch and learn as life does it’s thing.

Not everything is about toil and hard work, sometimes it’s about working smarter, not harder. Who says we have to understand everything? Why do we feel like we have to explain everything away? Why can’t we just be content with saying: “I don’t know???”

Live life long enough and your expectations will be shattered and you will discover that it everything is still going to be okay, because our expectations are often very unreal anyway. We would do well to practice the art of “ALLOWING”. Allow life to be what life is going to be. Stop trying to manipulate, calculate and subjugate life into what you think it should be and simply learn to enjoy allowing life to be whatever it is going to be.

Learn the joy of sitting back and observing life and it’s beauty as it unfolds like a flower revealing the secrets it has hidden away some where deep inside of itself. Shut up, judge less and listen, really listen and you will be amazed at how your mind will open up and allow your heart to be touched by the mystery of life and living…

Blogroll, emotions, faith, Family, Gratitude, Growing

If I Won The Lottery???

This is one of those things that I doubt would ever happen, because I don’t play the lottery, but it is still fun to think about. It’s kinda fun watching folks happen upon unexpected riches and then watch what they do and how they live, but I am not so sure that a bunch of money would change that much for me.

If I won the lottery, I would choose to live right where I am living today. The place we live is not just our house, it is our home. My Bride’s PaPa and MaMa built the house and there are reminders of them all around the place, inside and outside too. It’s not a big house, but it is big enough for us. My Bride always said that her dream house would be brick ranch style house with a circle driveway in front and that is exactly what we have. It’s very comfortable and there is land to work a garden right beside it. We might would upgrade a few things, like the barn and flower beds, but we are happy with our home, it’s comforts and the joy it brings our family.

If I won the lottery, I would continue to work and minister. I don’t really do either of those things for the money, because there are a lot of ways that I could make a lot more money. I do these things, because it’s what I am called and gifted to do and because this is where my joy comes from. I enjoy getting up early and going to bed tired. I love the opportunity to serve others. We live a pretty blessed life and have learned to be happy with what God has blessed us with.

If I won the lottery, I probably would buy a more reliable and comfortable vehicle. I mean if I had the money to splurge??? What would I buy? I really don’t have any idea, but it would be kinda fun trying to figure it out.

I’ve never had a lot of money and I don’t think a lot of money could buy me a life as happy and blessed as the life I am living. I don’t think money is a bad thing, in fact, I like having some to do with as I please, but my happiness if not dependent on it.

Life has a way of teaching you what really matters. A family and friends that you love and that love you back, a roof over your head, food to eat and a way to get from “a to b” and you are pretty much set for an amazing life, at least that’s what I think.

P.S. One more thing I thought about! If I won the lottery and had more money than I knew what to do with, then I would buy a place at Fripp Island, because it is one of my favorite escapes. I would want a place big enough that I could always bring family and friends to share it with, because I just can’t keep the good stuff to myself, the real joy and pleasure comes from sharing!!! 😎