caught up in the moment

It is all to easy to get caught up in the moment of everyday life circumstance and think about what is not going well in your life. These people are living with a negative mindset. I bet that everyone reading this knows someone that is quick to blame others or get angry.  This is because placing blame rather than accepting what is real has become commonplace.  All too many people just go through the motions of living and do not actively participate in life. These people are living in a way that their past pain and circumstances influence the current life situation.

When people take responsibility for their own happiness and quality of life they accept their life circumstances, realize they cant control what others do but can control what they do, and how they feel. This is called living in the present moment and it provides a level of clarity which allows them to live in peace.  These people tend to think about what is going well in their life and have a positive mindset. When problems arise they work through them, and move on.  They do not dwell on the negative nor do they harbor animosity towards others.

I am not suggesting that people who have a positive attitude wont face challenges. Every human being alive has problems, issues, painful memories, expectations that were not met, e.t.c.  What I am saying is that a person with a positive mindset does not let these life circumstances make them hostile or angry.  They do not blame others but accept what is going on, then move on to resolve the situation.

So how does one get from living in the past and blaming others for things that occur in daily life to one who is living in the present and accepts what is going on now. The answers lie inside you.

What has worked for many people is to start meditating on a daily basis.  This helps clear the mind and heart.  Investing time to look inside and clean house enables you to remove negative emotions & painful memories. Accepting what has happened, and forgiving yourself and all those concerned is crucial to the process.   This acts as a giant eraser and removes all that stored negativity.  In that space you can now put in love and positive energy.

This sounds like a daunting exercise but once you start you will find that your feelings, attitudes, and behavior changes and before you no it you have transported yourself from past pain to living with love and peace in the present.

I went through this process in 2012, and it the result is a happier me. If I can do it.  Everybody can do it. So if your reading this and realize you have a negative mindset and want to change go for it.  You have nothing to lose but negativity and past pain.

It all starts with you

 

The ebb and flow of tide

What you believe in your heart affects how you act and feel about yourself.  If you have faith in yourself and believe that you can achieve your goals your conscious and subconscious mind will respond. You will take action and work towards getting what you envision. That does not mean you won’t have set backs, and challenges you will, but you will overcome them and ultimately achieve what you set out to do.   This  applies to relationships just as much as it does for you career.  Keep the faith!

 

Take the time to enjoy the moment.

enjoy the moment

Believe it or not these people are enjoying freshly made Smores Hawaiian style.  The marshmallows were not your average run of the mill treat.  These were made special for this night and were flavored with Coconut and lilikoi (passion fruit).   I had the chance to taste one as I created a few portraits to capture the event. WOW, the flavors were fantastic. It was so good it motivated me to write this post.

This time of year people are busy with careers, personal life, holiday shopping, and they are under a lot of stress.  Recreation, fun, and enjoying the moment can really help to maintain a proper perspective on things.

So schedule a picnic, make a special dinner, see a movie, go hiking, fishing, diving,  read a book, play with your kids, or enjoy a sunset with friends and family.  The point is – ENJOY!

New year new beginning….

As the new year is upon us it makes sense to take some time to think about our goals, dreams, and what were grateful for.  It is also the perfect time to look within and release negative emotions, memories, and pain.  To do this acknowledge that these negative emotions exist, and identify who or what caused them then from your heart let it go and forgive them.  You can also forgive yourself.

Once able to adopt an attitude of forgiveness and acceptance your attitudes and reactions to life circumstance change. You will find yourself happy, and other people will notice.  Little things will no longer cause stress and anxiety because you will accept what is and then take the necessary actions. This is called living in the moment.

As you begin this year keep in mind you can right or you can be happy.  Which do you choose.

welcoming the new year

2013 was the most challenging year of my life. It was also a very good year in that I learned a lot about myself. As 2013, is about to end, I want to say how grateful I am for all the support I have received from friends and family.  This year I learned about forgiveness, acceptance, awareness, and how important it is to live each day and not dwell on the past or fear the future.   I live in the present, plan for the future, and forgive the past.

I begin 2014 as a divorced father of two, and look forward to working with my ex in order to raise our girls with love. I am so fortunate that we ended our marriage in a fair and friendly manner, which will serve us both well as we move forward in our lives.  I wish every success in her career and happiness in her life.

I plan to continue writing this blog with the desire to be of service to other people and to share my insight, stories, and thoughts about life, love, and living in peace.

Happy new year everyone!

Wishing everyone a year full of love and peace

 

Prepare for the new year by cleaning house

Today spend some time cleaning your room and house.  Get rid of things that don’t use or need anymore.  Lighten your load.  Give old clothes and household items to the less fortunate people in your community. There are people out there with less than you, and they will appreciate your kindness and generosity. Remember giving without expectation of return is true charity.

Do the same thing with yourself.  Take some time to look inside your heart.  Throw away the memories and pain that does not serve you. Why take the past into the coming year. Just let it go.  Acknowledge those feelings and then discard them.  There is no reason to store them anymore.

In this way you can start the new year fresh, and with a new perspective and outlook. You are now in a positive mindset and living with love and peace

I know this works because I have done it. As a result I am much happier, and grateful for all that I have.  I and all those around me notice the difference in my outlook, attitude, and behavior.  If I can do this I know everyone can do it too.  So if your house is a mess – clean it up!  You will be glad you did.

Are you living Life, hiding from it, reacting to it, or waiting for it?

Ending a relationship is not like going to the dentist where you typically get a shot to cover the pain, and an hour later walk out smiling. Its not like doing the end of year tax returns where you night be inclined to drink a shot to cover the pain. It is the dark night that precedes the dawn.  All humor aside what I want to share is that it is better to accept that what you had is over than it is to live an unhappy life.

I have heard several reasons why people stay in relationships that are not working; because they Know what to expect, the devil they know is better than the one they don’t, they are afraid of being alone, and they don’t feel comfortable entering the dating scene.  Seems to me these people are surviving not really living.   To be alive is to feel vital, to be a part of something, to have passion, to feel wanted, and to welcome the coming of another day.

So how to deal with ending a relationship.  This is what I did.  I accepted it.  I accepted responsibility for my part, forgave myself for the mistakes I made, the things I did wrong, and the things I did not do.  I also forgave my partner for any and all pain caused. I realized that the past is over, and all that really matters is now.  So I decided to clean out my heart.  Turns out it is a lot like cleaning a closet.  There were some things I had to get rid of as well as others I needed to brush off and put back on the shelf. In the end all the things that were no longer useful to my life were removed. As it happened this created space to let light, love, peace, and tranquility enter and I am much better for it.

My advice for others having turmoil in their relationship is to face it, deal with it, pass through it, and rediscover your vitality and enthusiasm for life. Who knows you might save the relationship in the process.  If not, your certainly saving yourself from a life of just going through the motions.  Either way your better off.

What your mind conceives becomes your reality, however patience, belief, and faith are required

What you think about will become your reality.  This is true when it comes to finding or not finding a parking space, or when it comes to health.   If you think your getting sick, guess what you will get sick.  If you think traffic is bad and your going to be late.  Guess what it will be bad and you will be late.  But, what if your thinking positive.   For example, next time you go shopping say to yourself and visualize that as you arrive someone will be backing out of the best parking spot and you will be able to simply pull in.

I recently had a meeting with a owner of a shopping center.  I came up with an out of the box idea, that would benefit both the land owner and myself.   There are a myriad of reasons why this idea would not work, but I am not going there.  Instead I am thinking, and visualizing that the land owner and I make an agreement, and a new income source is developed for both of us.  I should find out the news this week if the land owners and his partners agree.

I acknowledge there is a huge difference between getting a good parking place and opening a new business, but the process of positive thought verses negative thought is the same. And so until such time as the idea is rejected, I am thinking and visualizing it is accepted and by mid November I will open a new art gallery featuring island scenic and nature photography.  I will certainly write a post to let people know how things pan out.

inside out – A little food for thought.

Sometimes what we think and feel about other people are a reflection of feelings we have inside.  Do you love yourself.  Do you forgive yourself. Do you love other people?  Are you in a happy relationship?  Are you a good listener?  Everything starts inside, and grows outward.  Think about this the next time you say you hate someone.

 

Mornings inspiration

Moisture from the night’s rain collected on the leaf of the flower. I noticed it as I was letting the dog out to do his business.  The water drops sticking to the leaf in such a random pattern captured my attention and I thought each drop of water was unique and special.  Some are big and others small, but what they have in common is that they exist for the moment, but soon will disappear.

Then it struck me that, people too are all unique and special.  Some are big and small are small.  What we have in common is that we exist here in the now.  The past and future do not matter.  All that is important is this moment.

Have a great day!