Today, I got up before the chickens and went to the North Shore to watch the sunrise. There is something special about greeting the day, and seeing the light start to shine. This morning I sat quietly waiting for the first beams of light to illuminate the horizon. I emptied my mind and just let go. I wanted to still the busy goings on of my mind and just be.
In so doing I felt peaceful and so grateful to be alive, to be able to see the beginning of a new day.
Morning light
Still waters run deep
Most of us know that salmon live for the day they return to where they originated. To do that they must swim against the current, encounter trials and tribulations. Those that make it back, procreate then die. I don’t know about you but part of that scenario does not sound that great to me. Of course there is a big difference between being a fish and a human, but the idea of going through life struggling and going against the flow of the universe seems futile. Perhaps this is one of lives big lessons.
Think about your life for a moment. Have there been times when you pushed to hard in relationships, business, or matters of the heart. What happened. Did things turn out the way you wanted? And, have there been in times in your life when you did not resist what life was giving you and just accepted it. What was the result? Did you experience stress, anxiety, rejection, feelings of abandonment, not being worthy, or did you achieve your goal, solve a problem, communicate effectively, or be there for a friend?
Life has a way of teaching us that what we resist persists. Accepting a life circumstance or situation allows you to deal with it in the now, and not add it to the emotional baggage of your past or future. When we do this are going with the flow of life and living with love and peace.
Some people seem to always have a drama going on. They go from one crisis to another and do not seem happy unless they are dealing with problems. Other people have realized that they could be right or they could be happy. These folks make the choice not to let the little things bother them. They have learned that being happy and not caring around ego and negative emotion allows them to stay in a positive and grateful mindset. This is where living with love and peace becomes a way of life. This image was created by Douglas Hoffman
This whale was having fun and happy to be alive. This is a good life lesson. Once the season is over in Hawaii this whale will head back to Alaska to feed. Hopefully her baby will make the journey as there are many perils ahead. The same is true for people. Life circumstance will change during our journey and there will be challenging times. The trick is to accept what is happening and stay positive. Don’t live in the past, live in the moment. Its ok to plan for the future as when your doing it your doing it in the present moment. Don’t live for the future as it has not happened yet, and may not.
So be happy jump for joy, celebrate life with all the good and not so good. Remember regardless of your circumstances, there is always someone who is much worse off than you.
Sometimes life circumstance creates stress, pressure, and self doubt. When this happens take a self inventory. Write down all that is good in your life. All that you are grateful for and what qualities you have that you like. Then write down all that is wrong. Then compare the list. Once done you will likely find out there is more good than bad. You will also see the areas you need to concentrate on. This will help you get moving forward.
Have a great day everyone!
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!
It is a new day and new year and with it comes new energy. There has never been a better time than now. The past is over and the future has not yet arrived. All there really is – is now. So now is the time to look around and take stock of your blessings.
Do not give time to what is lacking, or how you failed in your life. That kind of thinking will only bring you more of the same. That is because what you think about tends to show up. Its one of those seldom known universal laws. That said, the more you maintain a positive mindset the more good things will show up in your life circumstance.
Happy new year everyone!
I thought this blog post was excellent. This time of year there are many people who have no family to celebrate the holidays with. Some have shut themselves in and interact with the outside world (people) as little as possible. The numbness they know is better than getting rejected or opening their their hearts as they are afraid of more pain. To these people I say this…… ” The past is over and need not be relived. The present is what we have now, so take a chance and live. Take a risk and do something new. Donate your time for a worthy cause or charity, take dance lessons, join a local group like social media, Mac or PC users, photography club, sierra club. Put yourself out their and little by little you will make new friends and extend your comfort zone. You might even have fun or meet someone special. One thing is for sure you will never know until you try.
“The most difficult step is to acknowledge that you do not know the way. Every human ego contains pride, which often shuts you off from the flow of love, so you have to let go of your pride. This is what you do when you connect with the wounded and vulnerable child within yourself, and that is a deeply spiritual thing to do.
By recognizing the core of your vulnerability, you are actually coming closer to other people. By becoming aware of your own wounded child within, you are also seeing it in the eyes of other people. Truly embracing your own darkness, your own vulnerability, builds a bridge between you and other people. It naturally creates compassion and understanding in your heart.
When you are inside the ego, you tend to judge and criticize other people. You need to do this to maintain your identity. But when you look…
View original post 338 more words
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.
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.
livingwithloveandpeace 