I'm looking out the window right now. Really dreary day. Light rain, freezing rain, overcast, cold, I've had earbuds inserted into my ears for the last half hour and can't decide on what to listen to. If anything it's blocking out the silence that is present with or without these buds in.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life...
Yesterday seems so close...all of those memories...the people...thousands of people...I'm smiling now...I have met so many people, interesting people, inspiring people, and some I'm thankful I'll never again see.
And then there are those who I wish to see more of, really good people, and for some reason, life mostly, it doesn't and hasn't happened. Life is crazy that way. We can want something all we want that doesn't mean it's going to happen.
Shift: shift is something I do mentally. When I find myself ruminating on one subject too long I mentally 'shift', moving away from those images, thoughts, and proceed to something else.
I just shifted. Thinking about life now, success in particular. What is success? What is it to you? Success is subjective, yes? To each of us it will mean something totally different.
In todays world we measure success in material goods. Me? I am indeed extremally successful. That measurement is not taking into account material goods, but in all that is loved and coveted by me and reciprocated to me from others. To me...that is the true measure of wealth and success, loving what you have and appreciating everything in your life for what it is, even the bad.
Are you successful? Successful in my description of what success is? I'm just curious. I hope you are.
What I have can't be bought, it can't be sold, it can't be held or locked away.
How do you lock away enthusiasm, love, empathy, kindness, appreciation, mindfulness, gratitude?
Helen Keller has a quote which reads; The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart. That is an incredible statement.
Have you ever read the Diary of Anne Frank? You want to appreciate your life and everything in it, all the things we take for granted, our freedom, our life, you can start there, with that book.
Sure we will have moments when our lives are kind of stuck in the mud, it happens to the best of us, but when you find yourself at that place, this place, stop and look around you, take a hard look, then look at yourself and what you have, who you are, and don't be too harsh.
If there is something you don't like about yourself, ask yourself if you can change it, or your attitude towards it.
Are you comparing yourself to others too much? Stop!
You are unique.
There is only one you.
You are God made which makes you one of a kind and loved deeply.
This is another one of those things I do when I feel like I am in a funk, think of others who have things worse off than ourselves.
There is always someone worse off than you, and you will see that if you take the time to look hard enough.
We are dealt hands of cards to play in life. We sometimes have to make the best of what we have. You may be sad it isn't a royal flush, a straight flush, four of a kind, or whatever.
The most important thing about those cards in your hand is...you do indeed have cards in your hand...you are in the game of life...more cards have yet to be dealt...you never know what you are going to get...just appreciate the now...appreciate the little things...do what you can to better your chances be it self-improvement, and in the end, you'll look back and understand you did all you could have possibly done to improve your life, and in that I pray you find solace.
Me? I'm currently holding a pair of Jacks, a six, a seven, and an eight of clubs...
Who knows what'll be dealt in the next hand.
Tony
These folks right here in this pic...some of the kindest and nicest people I have ever met in the world, my favorite Scottish folks, Hugh, Kelly, and David. These are just some of the folks I'd really like to spend more time with someday, just really good genuine people...fellow Celtic FC fans as well.
