Laughter

A hearty laugh can warm a cold room and make our spirits soar. But many are afraid to laugh, especially when we make mistakes. We think we're supposed to be perfect, and we don't allow ourselves to make mistakes. However, we're not a mold punched out by a machine. We're human beings, with all our wonderful flaws. It is those flaws that make our lives interesting and surprising. Who knows when we might accidentally bump into a chair or catch our sweater on a doorknob? We needn't feel self-conscious, it happens to many of us.

Today, I allow myself the pleasure of laughter, even if it is at myself.

Perception and Life Challenges

According to the Law of Polarity, what may at first appear to be a challenge in our life, must also contain a  beneficial circumstance. When we find ourselves in a perplexing situation, or challenge, our minds typically are not focused on solutions or benefits. However, it usually takes the perspective of hindsight to see both sides of the event or circumstance. Personally, I have learned over the years that some of my most powerful lessons were the fruit of a painful experience. With understanding of Universal Laws, it is refreshing to know that every challenge or painful event has a silver lining.

Who we have become is a direct result of how we have moved through these accumulated experiences - we are the sum total of them. We can either reflect on them, learn and grow, or.....become stuck in them, stagnate and parish.

Today, I look for the opportunity for growth in every challenge I face.

A Man, a Boy, and a Donkey

A man and his son headed to market with their donkey. A man on a horse passed them and asked, "Why aren't you riding your donkey?"

The man placed his son on the donkey, and they continued on their way. They passed by a family working in their fields. A young girl said. "Look at that lazy boy riding while his father is walking."

The man told his son to get off the donkey, and he climbed on. They passed a group of women and one said, "What a selfish man, making his son walk while he rides."

The man asked his son to climb up on the donkey with him. They passed a traveler on the road, who said, "That poor donkey is carrying too much weight."

Not knowing what to do, the man and his son began to carry the donkey. But the donkey kicked so violently they released their hold and the donkey ran away.   Aesop

The Moral of the story: In striving to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.

When we attempt to please every one, our efforts go to waste. When we strive for excellence in our own life and affairs, the world around us changes and becomes a better place.

Today, I will work to be a better person and leave the rest to the Universe.

Passing On

Last evening, I stood by with my wife and in laws and watched the last fleeting breath leave the earthly body of Pappa Stafford. Grandpa was a man I knew little of, though he left his 'mark' on me quite profoundly.

I recall his passion for cultivating roses so the neighborhood birds would come visit.
I remember his never-ending unconditional love for his family.
He had an unwavering faith in God and Heaven which was the foundation of his life.
At the age of 90, his handshake was one of a true man, a father, a grandfather, a friend, a husband and a pillar in society.

Ernie now lives in the place he held in his heart through two world wars, the early passing of a daughter, and the health battles he conquered over the last 18 months.

He will be sorrowly missed, though we know Ernie is now back from whence he came - with God.

Ebb and Flow of Life

In life, every minute of every day is not perfect and filled with happiness. There are times when my feelings and emotions wander into a 'dark and miserable' place. There are times when I am simply in a bad mood, and want to spend time alone to reflect and allow these emotions to surface.

Life is about experiencing emotions of all kinds - this is how we know what energetic vibration we are in. Being aware of these negative emotions is what allows us to move through them into a positive vibration. It coincides with the Law of Polarity, or Law of Opposites. This is how we learn to become our true selves.  These feelings are all part of personal awareness and growth.
 
Today, I am aware of how I feel, and use these feelings to guide me into a more blissful state of mind.

What Others Think of Me

  What others may think of me is none of my business - they are their thoughts, not mine. My business is to experience myself and my life in this Spiritual Universe. How can I connect with my spirit if I am worried about how others feel about me? When I get caught up in worrying about what others think, I spend all my energy on something I have no control over - others. I lose contact with my own experience and expend my energy trying to create or avoid an imagined experience, a frightful experience or a wished for experience. The opinions of others will rule my experience if I allow them in. Being consumed by them will rob me of my life.

Today, I'll keep my thoughts on my own experience, and give no heed to what others may or may not think or feel about me.