Daily Inspiration 1-31-16

"Real generosity is 

generosity of the spirit." 

-- Alan Cohen 

Alan Cohen in his latest book, A Course in Miracles Made Easy, shares some thoughts about generosity and gifts. He mentions that in his life coaching work, he coaches people who want to help others but who feel that their lack of money is holding them back. He tells them that there are any number of ways to give without any money at all. Some of them include giving "time, talent, attention, listening, compassion, service, space, wisdom, or skill."

Then he compares gifts of the world with the gifts of God. He says, "You can distinguish between the gifts of the world and gifts of God by one simple test: When you give a gift of the world, you have less and someone else has more. When you give a gift of God, both giver and receiver gain. The gifts of the world are physical commodities. The gifts of God are energetic experiences." 

He goes on to say, "When you give love, kindness, patience, or forgiveness, you gain the experience of the gift you are giving, in the moment you give it, so you are as blessed as the receiver." 

I love that line, "The gifts of God are energetic experiences." And, I especially love the method of telling if a gift is of the world or of God or of our Spirit, or our Source: "When you give a gift of the world, you have less and someone else has more." This is particularly true of money. "When you give a gift of God, both giver and receiver gain." What a blessing it is to see that difference now so clearly from his brief explanation.


The Gift Of Energetic Experience. . . 

Spread Some Joy Today--Joy is not a result. It is a choice.

Daily Inspiration 1-30-16

"I fully trust 

that others do know 

what is best for them."

-- Essence of the Tao Te Ching, 17th Verse
by Wayne Dyer 

Excepting the concept of raising young children (and maybe that isn't really the exception we may imagine it is), how many times in your life have you been around people that you think need your help. Maybe they seem to get it wrong a lot, or maybe they keep tripping over the same switch, or they say they want this and do that instead. And what about all those civil servants, teachers, and other so-called authorities that have their heads in the dark places? Maybe it even seems like the whole world is off the mark, and you wish you could get them back on track. They need to listen to you. And, if they did, they would do better. It's so simple, right?

I have to admit to having had many of these kinds of thoughts over the years. Not many wanted to listen, or maybe I didn't go bold and tell them, or maybe I did, but it didn't do any good. They just weren't ready I guess. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink, and all that.

Then again, maybe people are trying to lead you and you don't want to hear it. Who do they think they are trying to tell me what to do, how to do it? They should go mind their own business, because they could use some help of their own.

I'm finally learning about people. Some are awake and some are not, but deep down inside, we are all made from the same materials from the same factory so to speak. We're all wise inside. It's this flabby, soft, bony thing that we walk around in that is making us look and seem different. And we all have different stimuli, desires, and ideas too. But, inside we are the basically the same in that we come from the same Source. We are all wise when we connect with that Source within us. We know what to do when we are aligned in that way. We know what we want when we focus there.

When we allow others to be what and who they are, and accept that they are perfect how ever they are, and though we may be willing to help should they desire that, we eventually learn to trust that they know best for themselves, we are in alignment with our Source because our Source is pure unconditional love.

We don't have to agree with other people's choices, and our judgment of those choices or those actions is the only thing that keeps us apart from them. We simply need to allow them to choose as they will, while we choose as we desire. If we focus on our own alignment, that will be sufficient, and in the end as a result of that example, we may love others in a way that is desired by all, honoring and aligning with the Source within us. For that is, after all, the Source of unconditional love--that is how Source sees us all.

So it is a good reminder to read this 17th verse of the all wise Tao Te Ching from time to time so that we can remember that our place is to allow, to love, to serve, to enjoy, and to be an example of our best self. The more we follow these thoughts on interactions with others, the better our own lives become.


Trust That They Know What Is Best For Them While We Allow All Of That To Be As It Is As We Make Our Own Choices For Our Own Fulfillment. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by focusing on what you want for yourself.

Daily Inspiration 1-29-16

"All the world's a stage, 

and all the men and women merely players: 

they have their exits and their entrances; 

and one man in his time plays many parts, 

his acts being seven ages." 

-- William Shakespeare 

I call attention to the word 'merely' in the quote and suggest we jettison it. As no life is merely, I think.

In high school, I had a dislike for history classes. They were boring and all too focused on memorizing dates and the theme that went with them. But, I have come to love history when it is told in a way that I can relate to the people involved in history and how they related to the events, many of which are significant enough to stand apart.

I'm in the finishing stage of my latest audiobook. I've owned it for several years, but put off 'reading' it because it is a huge volume of work. The audiobook is over 36 hours long, but once I started, I have been enjoying it immensely. The book is, The Bully Pulpit, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It is narrated by the late Edward Herrmann, to whom I could listen to forever. I'm in love with this story, and I now see why it is long, yet considering the history it contains is very compact for that date space in time.

What I've learned about history at this later stage in my life is how utterly complex it is. Looking back and seeing how one thing affected another and how if this thing had not happened, things would have turned out so differently. Indeed, everyone played a part, yet they may not have realized it in that way. Not all parts are grandiose as is Teddy Roosevelt, from which the Teddy Bear was christened, along with the Panama Canal, millions of acres of protected natural areas, and a very long list of other beneficial accomplishments. In any play there are supporting actors. In any play there are stagehands, and a long list of other participants, that most are unaware of. Yet all are significant in the production of the play. I was delighted to meet some of them in this book and learn of their important parts.

As with this wonderful, engaging, and enlightening book, history is told in much greater detail than in history books from school. In fact, so much in this book never made it to history books that I've seen. As we zoom into to specific people and events, and then zoom out seeing how they and many others come together to create and live their lives, all affecting one another directly and indirectly, one can see the complexity in action. It is then seen as an organism instead of a linear time frame.

Which brings me to my point today: Everyone is important--no less important than the one or the few who seem to stand out for whatever reason. We each have our entrances and exits. We each have our interactions, and place holdings. We each have our beliefs and convictions. We each have our idiosyncrasies. We are all a part of the organism as a wave is part of the ocean. We are all important, although we may not get the accolades. If we were not, the hole created would affect the whole of the play.

Sometimes with all that goes on around us, we may think that we don't matter so much, but we would be wrong in that thinking. We all matter. We are all important, and we all play a significant part. Some people are stars in the play--the leading actors, but it is the many supporting players and stagehands that allow that to occur. They only seem to stand apart. They are playing their part, yet all parts are equally significant and valuable. Just as the wave gets the attention, it would be unknown and unseen without the body of the ocean, and supporting players like the moon.


Rejoice In Yourself Today. You Are Significant. You Matter. You ROCK. You Are A Loved And Needed Part Of The Whole; Of All-That-Is. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by zooming out and seeing the whole of the thing.

Daily Inspiration 1-28-16

"Generosity is not giving me 

that which I need more than you do, 

but is giving me that which 

you need more than I do." 

-- Khalil Gibran 

I loved this quote the moment I read it. I've always considered myself a generous person, and in many ways, I do think that I am. I know that others have made that same comment about me too. Yet, Khalil's mention of generosity here is so much more. See if it touches you in a similar way.


Happy Thursday! Happy Today! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by allowing your joy to abound. The easiest way is to let go of that which is not joy--even if for a few minutes. . .

Daily Inspiration 1-27-16

"It doesn't take a lot of strength to hang on. 

It takes a lot of strength to let go." 

-- J. C. Watts 

On Sunday January 24th, I wrote about forgiveness using a quote from Matthew in the Bible where Peter asks as if he's looking for a reminder of a lesson, if a brother sinned against him should he forgive him up to seven times, and the Lord saying that he didn't say that to Peter, but that he should forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven. A friend reading this post offered some questions, and I said that I would answer them in today's Daily Inspiration.

The questions were, Does the process of forgiveness require a request to be forgiven, or can one forgive the issues of the past without risking being hurt 70 x 7 +1 times? Can one forgive a transgression without the desire to open one up to continued transgressions? Can forgiveness be a one way street?

I've looked at forgiveness pretty well, and I will give you what I have come to know on the subject that should answer these questions and many others too.

According to the Course in Miracles, there are only two states, love and fear. It also indicates to get rid of the duality associated with almost everything in our world, that fear is an illusion, and that the only real thing is love. It is also said that God IS Love, and I believe that to be true also. Some say that God created everything so then God created all the other stuff too, yet I think a simple answer to that is that He gave us the authority in that area, and He gave us an ego too.

The ego was meant to serve us in time of need, and yet so many of us have let it rule our lives instead, and the ego is all about fear. So, in our world of duality, we have the ability to choose love or to choose fear at any time in all ways. When we are listening to or being guided by our ego, whether consciously or unconsciously, being aware or being unaware, choices will always be fear-based.

God also gave us the constant connection to Him or All-That-Is or the Universe, depending on the words you like best, and that we can choose that connection, to align with that connection any time we choose. That connection is always, or in All Ways Love. It's always there. We don't need to be in a particular place or learn anything special. It is always, and in All Ways there.

In our world here in the physical, as we are dealing with fear-based agendas and thoughts, it is a given to build resentments as our ego rules our lives. Our ego is all about being the best, staying alive, while at the same time pointing to our every mistaken choices, real and imagined. Forgiveness is a tool, or an idea that allows us to return to the connection we so desire deep within by letting go of those thoughts.

The quote above says that though we think strength, being tough and resilient, totally in charge, is all about holding on to fear (hurts, grievances, pain, illness, hatred, worry, doubt, blame, revenge, anger, jealousy, guilt, unworthiness, insecurity, depression, powerlessness, discouragement, disappointment, to name a few), but that is an illusion as all fear is. Our real strength, and the only thing that is really real is Love, and we make that choice by letting go--letting go of fear.

What is absolutely true on this earth as we experience this physical life, is that what we focus on expands. We attract more of what we think about, talk about, act about. As we give energy to those hurts, disappointments, transgressions, etc., we attract more of that into our lives. We focus on fear, we attract more fear. It doesn't matter how hard we work on it. The more energy we give it, the more of that we get back. It's really easy to see this in other people, and that is one of the huge benefits of having others around us, so we can see ourselves. The only solution is to let it go, and that is called forgiveness. We give it up. We let it go. We turn and focus on that all knowing connection that is our Source, and is Love.

The person we need forgiveness for is ourselves, because all of those fear-based, ego-driven thoughts and actions and imaginings are purely our own. People say these things are real, but they are only pretending to be real. We always get to choose between fear and love. We have no need to ask or beg forgiveness from another, we need only let it go and turn toward love, focus on love, and as we are loving, we are healed.

Fear of being hurt again, having transgressions upon us again is fear. All of that stuff is fear. Is forgiveness a one way street? Absolutely. We must forgive ourselves. We do that by letting go of fear and turning to love. What I have forgiven no longer exists. It is done. I am healed. I am whole. I am love.


Choose Fear Or Choose Love. It Is Always, In All Ways, Our Own Choice. Love IS Letting Go Of Fear. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Love is joy. Joy is love. What a great thing to spread around today. It takes no effort. Simply be that true self you know you are deep within.

Daily Inspiration 1-26-16

"No matter how many mistakes you make 

or how slow you progress, 

you're still way ahead of everyone 

who isn't trying." 

-- Tony Robbins 

As Yoda said so perfectly, "Do or do not. There is no try," whatever gets done, gets done by doing. And, what does it matter how long it takes. It's not a race unless that is the way you choose to imagine it. It is simply a journey--a journey of our own choosing, to a destination that is of our own creation, and our pace is not an issue unless we choose to make it so. Truly, it isn't even the destination either. It is simply the decision to do and the doing that matters in the end.

Even if we stop anywhere along that journey, choose something else and focus on it, the previous doing becomes a stepping stone on the much grander journey that we call life. There is no place or time that we need to be, only choices from desires of what we think we want. And, because that is in a constant state of flux, enjoying our life is tantamount to enjoying the doing. We call that living. 

Sometimes we get so hung up on where we think we should be, and the only reason we may think this is in comparison to another or others. Comparing ourselves to others is a waste of time and energy, and has a tendency to depersonalize the journey. Focusing on what we want is in our best interest. That is our journey and by that focus, it is the best it can be. As to the others, we thrive by blessing them where they are, inviting some to come along should they have a similar desire, and turn our remaining focus to enjoying the trip.

It's all good. Enjoy your journey. Enjoy your doing. Enjoy yourself. Enjoy your life.


Don't Forget To Breathe Deeply. You Might Put That On A Sticky Note As A Reminder. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by loving your life as it is on your way to wherever you may be going.

Daily Inspiration 1-25-16

"Truth is beautiful, 

without a doubt; 

but so are lies." 

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Just as I've learned that there is no way, but there is your way, my way, and their way, the same philosophy applies to truth and lies. One person's truth is another person's lies, and so on. It is purely personal judgment that thinks one is better than the other. With many billions of us on the planet, that idea is even more valid.

I love how Abraham, Esther Hicks makes such sense of this idea:

"There is a big mix out there, and there's lots of different things going on, and there is not one way that was intended to be the right way. Just like there's not one color or one flower or one vegetable or one fingerprint. There is not one that is to be the right one over all others. The variety is what fosters the creativity. And so you say, "Okay, I accept that there's lots of variety, but I don't like to eat cucumbers." Don't eat cucumbers. But don't ask them to be eliminated and don't condemn those who eat them. Don't stand on corners waving signs trying to outlaw the things that you don't like. Don't ruin your life by pushing against. Instead, say, "I choose this instead. This does please me." 

Allowing the entire mix of things and ideas and choices to be and relax in our own ability to choose what is important and pleasing to us is to live a very healthy life I think. Pushing against unwanted only increases unwanted. What we resist persists. But we always have the personal power of choice. What we choose could be easily seen as our only responsibility.


To Each His or Her Own. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by realizing as Eckhart Tolle said so succinctly: "All problems are illusions of the mind." That means that we can choose not that, but joy instead.

Daily Inspiration 1-24-16

"Then Peter came and said to Him, 

"Lord, how often 

shall my brother sin against me 

and I forgive him? 

Up to seven times?" 

Jesus said to him, 

"I do not say to you, 

up to seven times, 

but up to seventy times seven."" 

-- The Bible, Matthew 18:21,22, NAS 

Seventy times seven would be 490 times, but I think the point here is not a number, but always.

From the first time I read or heard that passage, I've taken it to heart. That doesn't mean that I haven't been in Peter's position, but that I haven't forgotten the lesson that this wonderful passage contains. 

Whether it is a debt or some other grievance that has caused conflict with another, how many times should we forgive them? Seventy times seven.

There is often confusion about forgiveness. The word indicates that we are releasing the other and giving them relief from the debt or the transgression. That would be like Peter saying, "I hate this that happened by the poor dealing of another to me, and I don't want to forgive them, but you teach forgiveness, Lord, and I want to learn. I am willing to forgive them. How many times do I have to forgive such things? Did you say up to seven?"

Then, it is like the Lord saying, "No Peter. Not seven times. This isn't about them. It is about you. Forgiveness isn't letting them go free, it is about letting yourself free from the burden of carrying that weight with you affecting everything that you think and do. That's why I say, not seven, but seventy times seven. When you pay attention to your own feelings, you will know what feels right and what feels wrong. You will notice the tension and the resistance, and the joy. I want you to have joy. That is the purpose of forgiveness. It is to release you to experience more joy and to lighten any burdens that you have accumulated. Let go of it. Love your brothers. Love your so-called enemies. Love is the most powerful force in the heavens, and when you love yourself enough to let go of the hurt, you then can let go of the blame of the other, and allow love to fill all that space."


Love Is Forgiveness. Love Is Kind. Love Is. . . 

Spread Some Joy Today--by releasing any of those accumulated hurts and so-called failings. Drop the rope. Just let go of it. Feel the relief in that. That is the path to joy.

Daily Inspiration 1-23-16

"There are no blocks. 

Just distractions."

-- Alan Cohen 

Have you ever felt stuck? Or maybe stuck is too strong a word. How about being in a rut? Feeling a bit listless? Have you ever been confused about what you want, feeling like you can't put your finger on the pulse of that right now? As Alan Cohen says, those are all just distractions.

Another word I borrowed from Abraham, Esther Hicks that I like to use now is contrast. It's just contrast. And, contrast is there to help us determine what's next for us. It might feel like being stuck, listless, confused, blocked, and many more ways of expressing our feelings, and all of it would be considered contrast.

Abraham has a great way to describe this: "Have you heard the expression, "We're either growing or we're dying?" Well, what they're saying is, "You can't stand still." We are either giving our attention to where we're going or we're giving attention to where we've been or we're giving our attention to where we are, but in any case, wherever we're giving our attention is our vibration, and the Universe is matching it." 

Recently I was feeling some of these things, and my thoughts were going round and round and round and seemed to be in a loop of repetition. I finally got the courage to express them to a friend and there was something special about saying those thoughts out loud. I could hear them myself, and feel the vibration in my body. And though I didn't want to burden my friend, I was so thankful (and said so) for that opportunity because within a couple of hours, I felt back on track. I can't even explain exactly how that happened, but I wasn't stuck anymore. I knew what I wanted, when before I was confused. 

There is something very special about knowing what you want and making a decision to travel toward that. Contrast is of great benefit to help us realize that we are wanting not that, but we want something else. We may not know what that is right away, but it will come. I think expressing it other than just thinking about it ourselves is helpful. Whether we say it aloud to someone else, or write it down, or say it aloud as if we're talking to the Universe or God in the privacy of our own room, anything that helps us come to the realization and conclusion of what we really want is helpful.


Once Back On Track, The Relief Is Incredible. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by looking for better feeling thoughts throughout the day.

Daily Inspiration 1-22-16

"No matter how much fault 

you find with another, 

it will not change you." 

-- Wayne Dyer 

In my life's past, I spent a stupid amount of time finding fault in others. It might have been people at work, slowpokes in front of me when I was in a hurry, things breaking or going wrong. It didn't much matter who or what, but something or someone had to be to blame for it. Even if I did a silly thing, I would find ways to justify my actions and choices to exonerate me from blame. I never got the quote above and its truth until the last ten years, and even then it has been a journey of personal change. 

What I finally learned was that none of those people, what they did or didn't do, said or failed to say, or the situations where things were not to my liking, were the real culprit; the reason for my ill feelings. It was me.

As I look back with clarity now, I see that it was 100% me. Essentially, I created it all because all of the hurt feelings, unhappiness, and poor situations were thoughts in my head. And, my ego, who loves to mix it up and always win was having a field day with all of it, stirring it up and swooshing it around, keeping it alive.

There were many factors that came into play to help guide me out of that morass. One book opened the door and began the slow change by encouraging in a very simple and easy way, a fresh point of view for me. This book was published in the 1970's and is still a strong seller today: Love is Letting Go of Fear by Gerald Jampolsky. I've given several hundred copies away and always have many copies in my office for that purpose when the opportunity arises. It is such an easy read, and can be read in about an hour, but is full of power and wisdom.

I think it is important to celebrate the people, or books, or whatever came onto your path that causes a significant change in thinking that helps lead you to a better life. They might be a protagonist or even an antagonist. Sometimes it is a strong negative situation that causes strong desire to move toward a more positive situation. Quite often it is a decision that is made, and then from that decision the Law of Attraction lines up other things, people and situations that cause even more growth and desired change. It may even be difficult to pinpoint who and when, as there many be a host of people or things that are guiding us.

So, I was thinking this morning that, for me at least, and I encourage you just for the joy in it, to take a bit of time today to think of the people and situations that have been significant in a guiding role in your life. They may have been someone who pissed you off to the extent that you finally said, no more! Or it might be someone who just brought such unconditional love to you that you could not resist its benefit.

Whatever, whomever, and how many ever there were, only you know them and how they helped you move on, move forward, or get over. Let us celebrate them today. Write some things down, tell the story, let it roll around in your head and heart for a while today. That joy will so brighten your day, and through the ether, those who helped, currently dead or alive will feel you expressing your delight, and it will be of benefit all around. 


Today Is Change Celebration Friday! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by your celebration of your helpers.

Daily Inspiration 1-21-16

"We've been taught 

that anything pleasurable is suspect. . . 

The thought of simply enjoying ourselves, 

savoring sensual experiences, 

makes us look over our shoulders 

for the pleasure police." 

-- Christiane Northrup, M.D. 

Since the beginning of these Daily Inspirations, I've shared so many of the books I was reading and some of the insights I've gleaned from them, many of which have enhanced my philosophy or my physical life. Many have thanked me for that and read some of them as well. So, today, I want to share another: Goddesses Never Age - The Secret Prescription for Radiance, Vitality, and Well-Being by Christiane Northrup, M.D. Yes, I'm a guy and this book is aimed at women, but I see it more as it is addressed to a human being of which I qualify completely.

I'm listening to the audiobook version and I also have the hardcover copy. Christiane narrates the unabridged audio herself, and I love that because you can so clearly hear the inflections and subtle pauses and emphasis that only the author could supply so perfectly.

It is a wonderful book and I am very much enjoying it. I have to say, that in my opinion, if you bought the book only to read chapter two, Goddesses Know the Power of Pleasure, it would be worth the cost and effort. I delighted in this chapter because in our society we follow so much the dictates of others in our schedules, methods, dress, and outlook. We fit in. We compartmentalize our activities by saving them for the weekend, vacation, and more. This chapter opens a floodgate of ideas of how to add pleasure, not only to every single day but many times throughout our busy days. It also makes a case for the health benefits--mental and physical--of putting more of our focus on pleasure.

Christiane says, "My prescription for general health is to experience more pleasure every day. . . big ones as well as small ones. . . opening the door on a particularly clear morning and smelling the air. Relishing the first moment when you step into a warm bath. Acknowledging that you've hit a new level of fitness and feel completely in tune with your body. How can you have these experiences more often? How can you make boring, everyday activities you do mindlessly into succulent pleasures?"

The predominant theme of this book is about aging--more specifically, aging with vitality, and yet I think it is good for any age because so much of it applies universally to living well and well-being. She says, "Agelessness is all about vitality, the creative force that gives birth to new life."

Regardless of your age or gender, I think there is much in this book that will be of benefit. But, even if you simply take this idea of finding more pleasure in your everyday experiences, including while being at work, I'm sure that will add much to your life and your spirit.


Life Is Meant To Be Injoyed By Being In Joy! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by allowing yourself many delightful little pleasures without guilt or concern of others.

Daily Inspiration 1-20-16

You're not given your resume 

with your birth certificate. 

You create your life 

and you can recreate it." 

-- Ken Robinson 

This last weekend, I reread via audiobook, The Element by Ken Robinson. I love his voice and first met him on his 2006 YouTube viral TED video. Then yesterday, I read the sequel to The Element, titled, Finding Your Element. Both books were read by Ken Robinson, and I have to say that they are both fascinating about how people find what they do best by finding that personal something that causes them to be in their 'element.' There are such great stories of how people found that special thing that they were meant to do, so to speak. Some found it early in life, and others nearer the end, and yet each was like an epiphany when found.

Early in the book, Finding Your Element, Ken talks about there being Three Elemental Principles. One is that each of our lives is unique. Number two is that we create our own lives. This is where the above quote came from, and he added this: "As the psychologist George Kelly says, "No one needs to be a victim of their own biography." Or, as Carl Jung puts it, "I am not what has happened to me, I am what I choose to become."

Principle #3 is that life is not linear, it is organic. He says, "My life, like yours is a constant process of improvisation between my interests and personality on the one hand and the circumstances and opportunities on the other. The one affects the other. Many of the opportunities you have in your life are generated by the energy you create around you." (Had to bold that line. It is fascinating!)

I love how he goes on to say, "Of course, the whole process can seem very different when you come to write your resume. You then impose a linear narrative on your life, to make it look as if it was all planned and deliberate. You organize your story around key dates and achievements with headings in bold and italic, to give the impression that your life has been unfolding according to a sensible, premeditated scheme. You do this to encourage yourself and to avoid giving the prospective employers the impression that your life has been the uncertain process of tacking and weaving that most lives really are."


It's All Good. How Would You Know Until You Tried?

Spread Some Joy Today--by releasing the seriousness of it all.

Daily Inspiration 1-19-16

"Be gentle with yourself. 

You are a child of the universe 

no less than the trees and the stars; 

you have a right to be here." 

-- Max Ehrmann 

Many times when we are trying to change something and continually failing to follow through, we may beat up on ourselves for failing one more time, renewing our vow to break through tomorrow. Until tomorrow arrives. In that new present, our current passion, habitual thought, or habitual activity seems so much more comfortable and enticing. Then, we get mad at ourselves again, reiterate our vow to change, and that process may go on for years. I should know, as I have much personal experience in this.

I realized something recently that puts a different spin on all of that. It is this: stop beating myself up and start loving myself unconditionally. Beating myself up just reinforces a low self-image, imagining that I'm so weak that I cannot do as I want to do, and I do what is habitual instead. We are, after all, very habitual creatures. Habit is a benefit in our lives and it also can be a detriment. Nonetheless, beating myself is the worst thing I can do. It is not helpful, and it is not loving at all. 

You can see this in the world where you're out and about and you hear a parent berating their child, yelling impatiently at them, telling them what they are doing wrong. You can hear it on the sidelines at ball games with angry coaches thinking that their loud angry voice is of benefit to the players. You can even find it in the workplace with angry bosses or supervisors yelling at their workers, and finally we can hear it at home with our spouses from time to time. None of it helps.

No, none of it helps because it is reinforcing the pattern that is supposedly desiring of change. In other words, rather than leading us away from the thing we say we no longer want to do, or the behavior that is somehow "wrong," the verbal abuse simply makes that stand out more. It is the exact same thing within ourselves. Beating ourselves up only reinforces the so-called failing.

Imagine you're God and that you are a loving God. You invented unconditional love. You promote it. Now imagine looking at the failing you. You've failed to follow through or change one more time. As a loving God, are you going to lay on some guilt and anger, or will you lavish total peace with your unconditional love? What would that unconditional love feel like? It would feel pretty dang good, don't you think? You might even begin feeling good about yourself, feeling your value, loving your life, blessing your actions as okay.

Now, if you really wanted to change, as opposed to thinking you need to change, you have a far better chance at fulfillment with the love than with the chiding. Wouldn't you agree?

Next time you want to change something, whether it is to begin something and move in a new direction, or to let loose of something no longer desired, feel the love. You can do the pretending I'm God thing if you need a little more authority, but I am certain that a loving God taught us how to love ourselves. It's part of our DNA. We simply forget from time to time. Be gentle and loving with yourself. You're the only you that exists. You're special. A loving God created you. Take joy in that.


More Love In The World Begins With You Loving Yourself. 

Spread Some Joy Today--let it be.

Daily Inspiration 1-18-16

"We must be our own 

before we can be another's."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

There are a lot of ways so many give their power away. One that is so predominant in our world has to do with the conditional loving of romantic relationships. Who hasn't heard the very famous line from the movie, Jerry Maguire: "You complete me." And songs. . . wow, thousands of songs about this subject, like the classic, All Out of Love by Air Supply. You know, "I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you. . . I'm all out of love, what am I without you?" Even in songs at contemporary Christian churches it is easy to hear these kind of lyrics and messages, except referring to us and God or Jesus instead of two people.

The idea of being lonely or feeling lonely comes from this place of imagined incompleteness. This whole idea of thinking that "I'm nothing without you, or lost without you" makes me want to bust out laughing, yet I used to plug into that concept just like so many do today.

I began to see myself as whole instead of trying to find my missing part, and now I have my own power back. When we think that we are incomplete and we require someone else to complete us, we are powerless until that happens, yet within a certain amount of variable time after we find that special someone, something is likely to cause us to feel incomplete again, even with the one who supposedly completes us. It is simply because we aren't loving ourselves and realizing that we are whole and complete already.

I think that a healthy vow would be, "I don't need you to complete me. I want you to be with me because I enjoy being around you. I feel good when I'm around you. I love your laugh. You're smart and you are great to talk with. I love myself just the way I am, as I love you just the way you are. For how ever long coming together will enhance and benefit us both, I'm in for that, and when it's not, I'm okay with that too. Thank you for being my friend and lover. I so enjoy being with you. I look forward to enjoying being with you in the days to come. I love you without any conditions attached as we come together freely seeking to enhance our joy."

This is true when it comes to careers, jobs, other kinds of relationships, and more. We keep our power within ourselves when we don't need those people or situations outside of ourselves to know our value. Our value within is a gift from our Creator, and She will never take that away, and as long as we choose to be full and not give it away ourselves, we are complete within. A relationship based on need is weak. A relationship based on desire from a place of fullness is always strong.


Let Us Come Together As Equal Whole People, Whether In Business, Or In Our Relationships. That Place Is Limitless. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Whatever the weather wherever you are, there is joy in the air. Grab some.

Daily Inspiration 1-17-16

"If someone offers you a gift, 

and you do not accept that gift, 

to whom does the gift belong?" 

-- Buddha 

From the Wayne Dyer book, There's A Spiritual Answer To Every Problem: "There is a story concerning the Buddha, who is in the company of a fellow traveler who tests this great teacher with derogatory, insulting, disparaging, and bitter responses to anything the Buddha says. Every day, for three days when the Buddha spoke, the traveler responded by calling him a fool, and ridiculing the Buddha in some arrogant fashion. Finally, at the end of the third day, the traveler could stand it no more. He asked, "How is it that you are able to be so loving and kind when all I've done for the past three days is dishonor and offend you? Each time I am disobliging to you, you respond in a loving manner. How is this possible?"

The Buddha responded with a question of his own for the traveler. "If someone offers you a gift, and you do not accept that gift, to whom does the gift belong?" His question provided the traveler with a new insight.

When someone offers you a gift of their insults, and you refuse to accept them, they obviously still belong to the original giver."


Not Accepting Unwanted Gifts Is Your Gift To Yourself. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by only accepting joy. Let the rest be on its way.

Daily Inspiration 1-16-16

"Men are disturbed 

 not by things that happen, 

but by their opinions 

of the things that happen." 

-- Epictetus 

I'm rereading some Wayne Dyer books, and right now it is, There Is A Spiritual Solution For Every Problem. I found a note that I wrote in the margin on page 105 from my first reading and I thought I would share it here. But first, let me give you what he was writing about that inspired my comment. 

He was referring to how energy vibrates in higher and lower frequencies, and that this energy is inherent in the physical features of a place, or even in people and things. He gave many examples of this, and I will take just one portion of a paragraph.

"My visits to Dachau near Munich, Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, Alcatraz in San Francisco elicited similar feelings of low energy atmospheres of suffering. Similarly, entering the energy field of the Great Pyramids, the sacred hills of Sedona, Arizona, and the ancient holy shrines on Bali evoked feelings of being in a higher and faster energy field. The important thing here is not to give you an endless list of examples but to encourage you to awaken to the fact that energy is something radiated outward that impacts for eons of time everyone who enters that space. You have the choice of making your energy field environment blissful by sending out this kind of consciousness, or you can impact your environment in nonblissful ways."

Here is my margin note: "If he didn't know of the history and there were no historical markers, etc., would he have still felt the same energy?" In other words, how much of the vibrations that he felt had he brought with him?

I wonder. This isn't scientific, but I wonder if our opinions--our own energy at work, might have more to do with how we feel the vibrations of the things and people in our world. It sure seems that way to me. How we feel is so connected to our thoughts that it seem inevitable to have our own vibrations interpreting other vibrations.

Jean Paul expressed it this way: "Whoever believes in the good in people draws forth the good in people." We get to choose how we vibrate simply because we get to choose our thoughts, and consequently how we feel about ourselves and about others, as well, about places and things.


Isn't That The Ultimate Power? Of Course, Only When We Take Charge Of It. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by finding and being around the things and people that help raise your vibration to one of joy.

Daily Inspiration 1-15-16

"If you can just appreciate each thing, 

one by one, then you will have pure gratitude. 

Even though you observe just one flower, 

the one flower includes everything." 

-- Shunryu Suzuki Roshi 

How can we live in the same world and yet live within each our own world? How can things that we don't like be going on and we not pay attention to them? Aren't we supposed to pay attention to them? It's so hard not to be upset, and to complain. I wish it was different. I wish the world was different, more loving, less violent. I wish it was the way I would like it to be. . .

The answer to these kind of thoughts and many more like them is to begin appreciating which will cause us to stop complaining. Gratitude rules by appreciation. To become truly grateful, we learn to appreciate--regardless of what is going on in that world around us. We find things and people to appreciate and we change our world, while allowing the "other" world to do as it wishes to do.

Here's a little from Abraham, Esther Hicks that says it so well and to me it is exactly like this:

"When you feel gratitude, often you are looking at a difficulty that you have overcome, but there is still some of that "struggle" vibration present. The state of appreciation is seeing whatever you are looking at through the eyes of Source. . . You could walk down a crowded street with all kinds of things that a lot of other people would find reason to criticize or worry about, and you would not have access to them because your vibration of appreciation is picking out for you things of a different vibrational nature." 

Here's another good way I have found: I change my gaze. So, I'm driving across town and the traffic is heavy at this time, so I don't complain about traffic or how much longer it is taking, I change my gaze from the traffic to something pleasing. I might look at a specific car or truck and find appreciation for that, or the sky, or the clouds in the sky, or people standing on the corner waiting to cross. There are any number of things that I can focus on instead of the thing that would cause me to complain.

The antidote for complaining is appreciation. The antidote for unhappiness is appreciation. The antidote for anything negative or bad feeling is appreciation. In fact, I would have to say that it is a universal antidote for a better life.


I Change My Gaze To A View Of Something I Can Appreciate. 

Spread Some Joy Today--love and joy are united. Go spread some love and you will be spreading joy.

Daily Inspiration 1-14-16

"Anxiety is the same energy as excitement, 

with judgment placed upon it." 

-- Bashar, Darryl Anka 

Bashar continues: "Anxiety and excitement are the same energy. If you understand that, and start acting like you believe it, then you will feel the energy as excitement and not anxiety. It is not that you will get rid of the energy; it is not that you will not continue to feel the energy. It is that you will feel it in a way that is indicative of how you look at it. That is all. 

Do what excites you the most in the way it excites you the most to do it, with integrity, and you will always be being of service. 

Relax the judgment, and you will let go of the anxiety. It will turn into excitement and laughter, and you will giggle your way through life." 

I like how Abraham, Esther Hicks simplifies it even more so that anyone can get it:

"Life is supposed to be fun--it is supposed to feel good! You are powerful creators, and you are right on schedule. . . Savor more; fix less. Laugh more; cry less. Anticipate positively more; anticipate negatively less. . . . Nothing is more important than that you feel good--just practice that and watch what happens." 


Feel The Energy. Release The Judgment. Find The Joy. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by relaxing. Chill. Get down. Kick back. Get in the zone. Get your Zen on. Love yourself. Like yourself. Feel the inner you without the body attached. How does that feel? Feels like joy, right? Float in it. Ride the thermal of it like a big bird going higher and higher. Soak in it. Enjoy yourself.

Daily Inspiration 1-13-16

"To be yourself in a world that is 

constantly trying to make you something else 

is the greatest accomplishment." 

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Rob Liano says it this way: "Self respect, self worth and self love, all start with self. Stop looking outside of yourself for your value."

I've heard it said that it is impossible to not be yourself for that is what you are and you can be nothing else. That would be said by someone who doesn't really understand what Ralph Waldo Emerson is saying so aptly.

Taylor Swift says it this way: "Happiness and confidence are the prettiest things you can wear." 

Ralph Waldo Emerson in another way says this: "The sower may mistake and sow his peas crookedly: The peas make no mistake, but come up and show his line." Of course, we can see this has also to do with cause and effect, but I think it has more to do with being okay at being yourself.

Then Alan Cohen cools it off by saying, "Does it really have to be a problem?" And, the answer is, of course, no it doesn't, but it also is and has been to many.

It came to me this morning what being myself is all about. It is about trust, trusting myself, trusting in myself, trusting my value, trusting my worthiness, trusting that God created me with a distinct purpose and that my path was ordained in that way, knowing that I get to choose on my own to trust or not to trust.

I think this idea of trust is very powerful. When we allow ourselves to trust in our value and our worthiness, we immediately have confidence. At the same time, applying something I talked about a few days ago by seeing others with God's eyes as much as we can, where we see ourselves as no better or worse than any other, although we are different from one another, and that difference is our uniqueness and our uniqueness is ourselves--the real self.

Our real value has nothing at all to do with external circumstances, whether our row is straight, whether we are considered successful or unsuccessful by others. In fact, it has nothing whatsoever to do with what any other thinks of us. It has only to do with what God thinks of us and what we think of ourselves. If you believe in a loving God, then that part is a given, the rest is up to us.


Rejoice In Yourself. You Rock. Believe It. Trust. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting that real you further out into the light of day, and the light of joy.

Daily Inspiration 1-12-16

"Stay close to anything 

that makes you glad you are alive." 

-- Hafez 

"Start Seeing Everything As God, But Keep It A Secret." -- Hafez 

Spread Some Joy Today--and watch what happens.

Daily Inspiration 1-11-16

"Begin to see yourself 

as a soul with a body 

rather than a body with a soul." 

-- Wayne Dyer 

One of the best ways to think of unconditional love is that everyone is loved the same.

I was thinking today about how we revere certain people and how we despise others. That brought me to this thought development:

No man or woman is greater than any other. 

At the same time, no man or woman is less than any other. 

Although, every man and woman is different than all others. 

So consider all those revered in history or current affairs, such as, world leaders, inventors, movie stars, rock 'n roll idols, financial tycoons, and so much more. Consider that though they are important and valued, they are no better than you or me or the bum on the street, or the poorest of the poor in some country. It's hard to consider because we are so used to judgment. We were taught it at an early age and have used it constantly throughout our lives.

Wayne Dyer says it nicely when he said, "When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself." 

Now consider all those who are reviled in history, along with current affairs, such as despots, terrorists, dictators, murderers, traitors, and so much more. Consider that though they are not important and not valued, they are truly no less than you or me, or the best of the best receiving the highest awards. It's so hard to seriously consider this because of how we have come to make judgments that define how we see people.

However, if we can suspend judgment just for a little while, we might be able to find a way to accept both opposites by using an alternative method. That method is seeing that they are different than us, and then accepting them by using our magic wand called unconditional love.

We cannot help being different. We would not be individuals if we were not different from one another, so accepting this fact is not too hard. Suspending judgment is. Yet until we can suspend judgment of those being better than or less than us, we are not making use of unconditional love. 

What if we are all here on a journey we chose before we came here? What if our Source, or God really does love each of us and all things unconditionally? I believe that this is true and from that place of unconditional love, there are not good and bad, better or worse, there only is, and all are loved the same. I also believe that love, and especially unconditional love is the single most powerful force in the entire Universe.


We All Have The Same Potential To Love Unconditionally. Because We Are Different, Some Choose Yes, And Some Choose No. I Celebrate The Differential Act Of Choice. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by considering what brings you joy, then hooking up.

Daily Inspiration 1-10-16

"People do not seem to realize 

that their opinion of the world 

is also a confession 

of their character." 

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

We may often think that our opinion of the world around us, the community we live in, the sphere that we work and dwell in and around is based on facts, or circumstantial evidence, but it is not that at all. It is our own character, which is simply what we think, what we feel, and how we behave, that drives our opinion of that which is outside of us. In other words, it is that within us, that which we have become, that shows the outside world to us. We could even say that we see what we are.

There is grand value in knowing and understanding this concept that our opinion of that which is without comes from the character within. I think the highest value is that we can choose to change how we see the outside world by tinkering with what we think, and consequently how we feel, and consequently how we act. When we do, our opinion of the world is guaranteed to change. Changing circumstances is pretty much an impossible task in comparison to what we can change within us.

This applies to worldly events and even relationships that touch our lives deeply. Below is a wonderful offering from Abraham, Esther Hicks from 2002:

"You don't have to worry about what their vibration is if your vibration is one of connection. Because if your vibration is one of connection - you're going to dominate the vibration. This is the way you learn your relationships. 

The thing that most people do not understand, is that you get to control the way you feel, because you get to choose the thoughts you think. 

Most people think that they only have the option of responding to the circumstances that surround them. And that's what makes them attempt the impossible, which is to control the circumstances around them, which only feeds their feeling of frustration and vulnerability because it doesn't take very much life experience to discover you can't control all of those circumstances. 

But you can control your vibration. And when you control your vibration, you've controlled everything that has anything to do with you." 

This was originally a paragraph that I broke apart only to make the beautifully stated points more powerful, and make more sense too. And, it is, in my opinion, certainly worth considering in some depth, particularly the first line about connection to our Source within.


What You See Is Who You Are. What You See Is What You Get. We Choose It All. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by a willingness to look within ourselves at how we view the outside world. Joy is simply a natural result of a certain train of thought or thoughts.

Daily Inspiration 1-9-16

"Now you can breathe. 

At every moment you can breathe. 

Don't wait for opportunities to breathe. 

Take them always." 

-- Alan Cohen 

Consider this from Abraham, Esther Hicks, and see for yourself if it is beneficial to you or not. I'm betting that it is.

"It is natural for your body to be well. And so, your goal is to be as comfortable as possible, and to breathe as deeply as you can while still remaining comfortable. There is nothing for you to do other than to relax and breathe. You will very likely begin to feel soft, gentle sensations in your body. Smile, and acknowledge that this is Source Energy specifically answering your cellular request. You are now feeling the healing process. Do nothing to try to help it or intensify it. Just relax and breathe--and allow it." 


Who Says It Has To Be Difficult? Peace Is Simply The Absence Of Tension. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by allowing your joy to flow naturally.

Daily Inspiration 1-8-16

"This is a wonderful day. 

I've never seen this one before." 

-- Maya Angelou 

Yes, today is Friday. It's another Friday. But it's not like any other Friday, because this day is completely new. We have never experienced this Friday before, nor will we ever experience it again fully. We may remember parts of Friday's past, but that is sort of like looking at a photograph that may trigger a thought, but the experience is not static as the photograph is. Today is brand new.

Kent Nerburn said it this way: "Something precious is lost if we rush headlong into the details of life without pausing for a moment to pay homage to the mystery of life and the gift of another day." A day of the same name is not the same day. Each is new. Finding ways to appreciate the newness and specialness of this new day means to enjoy it more fully.

I hope you enjoy your brand new Friday. Thank God It's Friday.


Thank God I'm Paying Attention To The Blessing! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by simply allowing yourself to do that. It doesn't come from effort, but ease.

Daily Inspiration 1-7-16

"Decrease your willingness 

to endure discomfort." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

Abraham continues the above comment at a different time with this bit of wisdom:

"No matter what the issue is, don't try to justify why you don't feel good. And don't try to justify why you should feel differently. Don't try to blame whatever it is you think the reason is that's keeping you from feeling good. All of that is wasted effort. Just try to feel better right now." 

If we pay attention to what we are saying when we are not feeling good, whatever the reason, we will find all manner of justification, much argument as to the rightness of our point of view, along with much wrongness of the other, whoever they may be at the time; e.g., the government, the terrorists, the boss, the spouse, the neighbor, the taggers, and the list is endless. We can argue why we should feel bad about this and that with wonderful alacrity. But, it must be noted that we are arguing for why we are feeling bad, angry, down, depressed, unhappy. We argue for our limitations.

What we really want, however, is to feel good, to feel better, to get back to enthusiasm for life, and joy. Yet, no matter how intelligent our argument for why we are feeling bad, feeling good is not on that path. We must stop traveling down that path as soon as possible. By stopping in our tracks, at the minimum, we have slowed the momentum of our negative feelings, and by turning toward things that we are certain feel better, we lead our lives where we want to go on purpose. No more does our negative feelings, justifications, arguments rule our lives, but we rule by our awareness of what is really going on here. 

Rather than run from the negative feelings, by becoming aware and excited about what they are telling us--that we are feeling bad--we can take that information for the real value that it demonstrates and make changes toward feeling good again.

Sometimes it might seem hard to move away from the negative feelings. An escape can help in these cases. Sleep is a good way. Take a nap. It's amazing what fifteen or twenty minutes of zoning out can do to help us get our control back.

As Abraham stated, "No matter what the issue is, don't try to justify why you don't feel good, just try to feel better right now." Even a little at a time, but in the direction of feeling better and better. As we practice (remember that saying, practice makes perfect?), we will find it easier and faster to pivot and get back to feeling good again.


Isn't That What We All REALLY Want--To Feel Good? 

Spread Some Joy Today--We can't do it from feeling powerless, depressed, or even angry, but we can find joy in the fact that we now know that we want joy and begin again to move toward it.

Daily Inspiration 1-6-16

"I am entitled to miracles." 

-- A Course in Miracles, 

Workbook, Lesson 77 

About a month ago, I was taking a six-unit course online with Mike Dooley. At one point something he was saying jumped out at me and I had to stop, rewind, and write it down. I thought it was special and also thought you might enjoy my sharing of it.

"The trick to understanding miracles, 

 is to realize that you're already performing them. 

Start saying things you want to be true as if they were true. 

I love my life. 

My life is easy. 

I have total clarity. 

I always say the right things to the right person at the right time. 

I'm always in the right place at the right time. 

I'm surrounded by abundance. 

Everything I touch turns to gold, and, 

I cannot take a bad picture." 

Doesn't it feel good just to read that?


Just Imagine What It Feels Like To Say It Often Enough Until You Believe It. . . 

Spread Some Joy Today--by having a grand day today. You deserve a grand day.

Daily Inspiration 1-5-16

"When I look at the rainbow, 

I find myself the center of its arch, 

but so are you, 

and so is the man who sees it 

a mile from both of us. 

So also, the globe is round, 

and every man therefore 

stands on the top, 

King George 

and the chimney sweep 

no less." 

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Though our ego often says differently, we are not better or more worthy, nor is any in the world better or more worthy when it comes to how God, or the Universe, or All-That-Is sees us. Though we may have different education levels (while on this planet, at least), different skills, and different ways, that only shows that each of us is unique. It also shows that each one of us is special and valued. Take to your heart your specialness. Delight in your unique offerings, views, and ideas.


There Isn't Anyone On This Planet That Is Better At Being You, Than You. You Are Worthy Of Anything You Can Imagine. You Are Lovable And Equally Loved By God. 

Spread Some Joy Today--What joy lies in the discovery of your own value.

Daily Inspiration 1-4-16

"Men have looked away from themselves 

and at things so long 

that they have come to esteem 

the religious, learned and civil institutions 

as guards of property, 

and they deprecate assaults on these, 

because they feel them to be assaults on property. 

They measure their esteem of each other 

by what each has, and not by what each is." 

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

As we deal with things virtually every day of our lives, and we have a tendency to place judgment on people and where they are in the scale of what they own or lack of what they own, how much money they have, or the lack of money they have, and so many other comparisons, it would be beneficial to make the effort to see the person inside beyond that facade as if it were true that we are all on the same journey of living a life in a body, yet we are all connected in spirit.

We don't have to change our whole world of things because things are such a part of our world, but it is beneficial to see beyond this limited view as often as we can to keep our loving perspective. 

Whether we are being given our cup of coffee, or talking to a prospect for our services or product, passing someone in the hallway, seeing someone on the news that seems to hate our ideals, if we can take even a second or two to acknowledge that we are all related, and yet unique, we open ourselves to a joy of living and better enjoyment of our own journey.


Who Is That Person, Really? It Is Me On A Different Journey. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by loving each other.

Daily Inspiration 1-3-16

"By respect for life we become religious 

in a way that is elementary, profound and alive." 

-- Albert Schweitzer 

Yesterday I was thinking about how in the doing of something, it becomes easy to appreciate those that have done that thing, including those who may do it much better. As an author, I very easily now appreciate other authors and what they do to produce a work. Having gone through my own process to produce a work, I have at least a fundamental understanding of it, that leads me to appreciate even much more complex processes the other authors were required to do to create their works. Some even take years of research before writing a sentence.

Lately I've thought about songwriters in the same way. Having written a number of songs, I understand better. Some come fast and very easy, but that is pretty rare. The rest you wrestle to the ground, but the biggest appreciation I have for other songwriters is their commitment to staying with it and growing in that.

A long time ago, I was a journeyman level auto mechanic. If nothing else came of my efforts in this area, one thing is very clear: I so appreciate a good mechanic, and especially a good diagnostic mechanic.

For the biggest portion of time in my life, I was a sales manager. In studying that field and performing in that, I can truly appreciate a good sales manager, and as well a good salesperson.

I've studied cooking to a certain degree and even considered being a chef in the early days, but the best thing I got out of cooking was appreciating a really good cook.

Reading has opened up a vast world of appreciation for me especially for people in many areas of life that I have read of from presidents to inventors to business tycoons to sailing ship captains, and much more. To know where they started and where they traveled was to be amazed. Conrad Hilton, Henry Ford, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Carnegie, and the list goes on and on. Each opened a whole new world of appreciation.

It is also the simple things that we do like vacuuming, cleaning, washing clothes, folding clothes, gardening, shrub and tree trimming to name a few that I have done and do not care for or attain a skill level of, and yet I can appreciate someone who does those things well, and especially someone who enjoys doing them well.

We've all done so many things in our lives and I expect that you too find appreciation in those who have done those things too. You may also, as I do, appreciate those who excel at things we've done, yet whether they excel or do a thing poorly, we have a better understanding of how that happens too. We can relate. We can appreciate. And, we can do those things without actually experiencing doing a thing.

We can appreciate anything we look on when we allow ourselves to do that. If I were teaching a child at the earliest age, or anyone at any age, I would need only say this: Learn to appreciate. Developing that will lead to a very happy journey and a delightful life.


I Also Appreciate My Own Readers. Some Of You Have Been Reading These For Many Years. I Appreciate Your Tenacity! Thank you! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by finding appreciation. It's the same vibration as joy.