.. Everyday Joys

Find everyday joy

in the simple things in life...
The smell of hot coffee and pancakes in the morning,

Fireflies flickering in the clear night air,
The cool morning fog as the sun comes up

and warms the day;

The colors of a beautiful and peaceful sunset,

A bee buzzing in a patch of spring flowers,
The kindness in the smile of a stranger;
The warm feeling of a hug

from someone who loves you,

The quiet sound of the ocean on the shore,

The twinkling of the stars in the sky...
The reassuring thoughtfulness from

someone who calls you friend.

And, then relax, and be thankful...

for your everyday joys.

~Author Unknown

... Happy Halloween ...

... Don't Look Back ...

As you travel through life there are always those times

When decisions just have to be made,

When the choices are hard, and solutions seem scarce,

And the rain seems to soak your parade.
There are some situations where all you can do

Is simply let go and move on,

Gather your courage and choose a direction

That carries you toward a new dawn.
So pack up your troubles and take a step forward —

The process of change can be tough,

But think about all the excitement ahead

If YOU can be stalwart enough!
There might be adventures you never imagined

Just waiting around the next bend,

And wishes and dreams just about to come true

In ways you can't yet comprehend!
Perhaps you'll find friendships that spring from new things

As you challenge your status quo,

And learn there are so many options in life,

And so many ways you can grow!
Perhaps you'll go places you never expected

And see things that you've never seen,

Or travel to fabulous, faraway worlds

And wonderful spots in between!
Perhaps you'll find warmth and affection and caring

And somebody special who's there

To help you stay centered and listen with interest

To stories and feelings you share.
Perhaps you'll find comfort in knowing your friends

Are supportive of all that you do,

And believe that whatever decisions you make,

They'll be the right choices for you.
So keep putting one foot in front of the other,

And taking your life day by day ...

There's a brighter tomorrow that's just down the road —

Don't look back! You're not going that way!

~© Mary Engelbreit

It's In the Valleys I Grow

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It's then I have to remember
That it's in the valleys I grow.

If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate Goodness
And would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn,
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it's in the valleys I grow.

Please forgive me for complaining
When I'm feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it's in the valleys I grow.

I give thanks for those valleys,
For there's one thing that I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it's in the valleys I grow!

~ Jane Eggleston ~

Friends Make A Difference ... For My Friend Ginger

Some people come into our lives and quickly go;
Some people move our souls to dance; they awaken us to new understanding
With the passing whisper of their wisdom;
Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon.

Friends share simple, ordinary times in our lives,
Moments that become memories that stay in our hearts forever
... And we will never, ever be the same.

Friendship is a strange thing ...
It is by chance we met, by choice we became friends;
We find ourselves telling each other the deepest details of our lives,
things we don't even share with our families who raised us.

But what is a friend? A confidant? A lover? A fellow email junkie?
A shoulder to cry on? An ear to listen? A heart to feel?
A friend is ALL of these things and more;
No matter where we met, I call you "friend":
A word so small ... yet so large in feeling ... a word filled with emotion.

Once the package of friendship has been opened,
It can never be completely closed;
It is a constant book always waiting to be read ... and enjoyed.

We may have disagreements,
We may argue, we may concern one another ...
Friendship is a unique bond that lasts through it all.

A part of me is put into my friends: some is my humor, some is my listening ear,
Some is real life experience, some is my romanticism, but with all, it is FRIENDSHIP ...
Thanks for making a difference in my life!


~ Author Unknown ~

Life

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

Mother Teresa

Procrastination

..life never calms down long enough for us to wait until tomorrow to start living the lives we deserve. Live is always movement, always change, always unforeseen circumstances. There will always be something to grab your attention...Let's just acknowledge that as far as real life is concerned, we are only one step away from dealing with dysfunction....Procrastination has robbed us of too many opportunities.
Author: Sarah Ban Breathnach

How to want what you have.

This is the precious present, regardless of what yesterday was like, regardless of what tomorrow may bring. When your inner eyes open, you can find immense beauty hidden within the inconsequential details of daily life. When your inner ears open, you can hear the subtle, lovely music of the universe everywhere you go. When the heart of your heart opens, you can take deep pleasure in the company of the people around you--family, friends, acquaintances, or strangers--including those whose characters are less than perfect, just as your character is less than perfect. When you are open to the beauty, mystery, and grandeur of ordinary existence, you "get it" that it always has been beautiful, mysterious, and grand and always will be.This is the precious present.
Author: Timothy Ray Miller

Wednesday

"I live by this credo: Have a little laugh at life and look around you for happiness instead of sadness. Laughter has always brought me out of unhappy situations. Even in your darkest moment, you usually can find something to laugh about if you try hard enough."

- Red Skelton

... Fear ...

I have not ceased being fearful, but I have ceased to let fear control me. I have accepted fear as a part of life — specifically the fear of change, the fear of the unknown; and I have gone ahead despite the pounding in my heart that says: turn back, turn back, you'll die if you venture too far.

— Erica Jong

... The Turtle ...

Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.

— James Bryant Conant

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in this life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from."

- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

"The Sea"

"The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. To dig for treasures shows not only impatience and greed, but lack of faith. Patience, patience, patience is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach-waiting for a gift from the sea."

Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "Gift from the Sea"

Living in a state of overwhelm.....

Living in a state of overwhelm has grave costs. If you're too busy . . .

~*~ You're not seeing your life as clearly as you could (you know this is happening when you get to the end of the day and wonder where the time went).

~*~ You're not making choices from a place of power (you can't see all the options or, if you do, you don't have time to consider them).

~*~ You're out of touch with what really matters (hint: look for a relationship that's suffering).

~*~ You're tolerating something -- a boring job, a draining relationship,a messy home, etc.~*~ You're settling for good, or worse, okay, rather than requiring great(just think about the last major decision you made).

~*~ You're out of touch with how you *feel* -- the very faculty you needto truly live a meaningful life (when we recall a favorite memory, it'show we "feel" that makes it special, not what we did).

As you consider the points above, I encourage you to take advantage of alittle retreat wisdom this week. Make it a priority to complete the TakeAction Challenge below. As a matter of fact, I'd schedule a "LifeAssessment" date on your calendar every three months for the next year. That way you're sure to keep your eyes open, too!

~*~ Take Action Challenge ~*~
Take an hour or two this week and with journal or notebook in hand, answerthe following questions:

1. What am I tolerating?

2. What's working in my life? (It's important to build on what works!)

3. What's not working?

4. What keeps driving me crazy?

5. Is there an important relationship that's suffering?

6. What's the first step I need to take to improve things?

With clarity comes the power to change your life. Once you identify one small thing that needs to change, take action immediately. The relief and energy you feel as a result will fuel your next step.

DayDreams ...

DAYDREAMS

If thoughts could paint pictures that words dare not speak,
And daydreams built castles of that which we seek,

Then artists and architects all would we be,
Our hearts would be open, our minds would be free.

I'd build a castle as daydreams unfold,
Revealing the feelings I secretly hold.

I'd paint a picture of words left unsaid,
And feelings of closeness to which they have led.

But pictures are thoughts that so rarely are told,
For fear of appearing too forward and bold.

And castles are built in the daydreamer's heart,
A lifetime of wishes still lifetimes apart.

And yet we are richer for all that we feel,
No matter how abstract, no matter how real.

For joy is a picture we paint in our minds,
And love is the castle our hearts hope to find.

~Author Unknown~

Live ...