Good to be back

Mornin'

Sorry, I have been tending to other issues and have neglected my blogging. My life continues to improve, a far cry from many years ago. I just wanted to let those of you who feel hopeless know there is hope no matter what situation you find yourself. There are lessons in everything we experience and, if you continue searching for solutions for the issues that plague you and thwart your recovery, you shall discover them. You may have to move out of you comfort zone and try things that may be intimidating and scary. I guarantee that you will improve your relations with yourself and others if you listen to what the voice within tells you. I am here to tell you that the voice I speak of is never, ever wrong because it is innate and crafted by the loving hands of the Great Spirit. I don't typically talk about God stuff since many folks struggle with the issue. However, there are instances such as trying to explain this voice that I simply cannot avoid the issue. Some folks call it their conscience while others place more depth and meaning on the phenomenon. Regardless, when you tap into this resource within yourself and a relationship with the Great Spirit ensues, your life will take on a whole new meaning.

Peace

Another Day of Opportunity

Mornin'

I hope everybody is in good spirits this morning. I don't see why all of us shouldn't be. If you are restless, irritable, and generally discontent, I can assure you that, if you access the recesses of your mind, you can find something to be grateful for. Whether it is good health or having someone special in your life, there is something there. I hope that all of you find something for which to be grateful for today. If you cannot, be patient. Gratitude can sometimes be elusive and it may take practice to find become proficient at it. May you have all the opportunity to experience the fullness of life today. Have a great day.

Peace

Are your relationships healthy?

Mornin'

Well, this depends on how you define healthy. Do you consider wealth and prosperity the cornerstones of relationships? They are indeed important and certainly can accentuate relationships. How do you define these two components? People can be wealthy and prosperous in material things or they can be wealthy and prosperous in all things spiritual and emotional. Sometimes (and this is where most of us prefer to be) all three of these intersect at a point where they are balanced. This is typically not the case for most humans.What vantage point are you coming from?

It seems most humans are constantly trying to find balance in all areas of life. There are the haves and have nots. Some have blessings in some areas and while others have blessings in others. Healthy relationships seem to consist of several components. The ones on the top of the list are honesty, good listening skills, assertiveness, forgiveness, and commitment. In implementing all of these, the plethora of other relationship components are attainable.

It is nice to have the fancy cars, big houses, money, and many other toys to accentuate our lives with. What good are all of these if we are wandering aimlessly through life with a spiritual void? Sure, people can fill their schedules in such a way to avoid thinking about spiritual relationships with a higher power, wife, husband, and others. They can travel the world and buy anything their heart desires? What really does their heart desire?

In every case of discontent, there seems to be a spiritual malady. There is something lost or misplaced within the realm of the heart and soul that desperately needs attention in order for the person to regain or obtain balance, peace, and serenity. Many people may have never had spirituality to begin with and only in desperation seek something that they can reference to help them walk sanely through life. Mark my word, when you take some time to get quiet and alone and allow you heart and soul to speak to you, you will know whether or not the spiritual connection is present. Finally, I think what this all boils down to is where you focus is at and what is important to you. Remember, we are not taking anything with us when we die. Just a though.

Peace

Death and Dying

 

Mornin'
Inevitable? Yes. Easy to deal with? A resounding NO! Death and dying are perhaps the most misunderstood phenomenon known to man. I think, perhaps, that we struggle with our mortality because we simply do not want this life as we know it to end.

Sure, there are many folks who struggle with various illnesses that implant the thoughts of dying a premature life in their minds. But do these people really want to die or are they simply confused as to their purpose in this world?

Then there are those who die a senseless death in many other ways. We can understand how people die from drug or alcohol related illnesses; it seems like they meet their end because of the choices they make. There are countless others who died by the fickle powerof choice.

Then there are other deaths that we expect. This would mainly include old age and death from wars and various other means.

What I can't seem to wrap my mind around are the deaths occurring everyday from disease and other issues like starvation and abuse. When children pay the price it is particularly more difficult for me to understand. When children die a senseless death as a direct result of the sins of their parents or any other adult, this particularly troubles me.

I have recently been faced with deaths from both ends of the spectrum. I lost my nephew - age 25 - last week to a car accident in which the driver was drunk. My friend also lost her mother yesterday to basically old age and I have a cousin in his sixth year of stage 4 lung cancer, a cancer that should have killed him in the first six months. This is a broad spectrum of death and dying.

My take on this whole situation is probably not as unique as I sometimes think. I believe that God's plan is just as confusing to us and our plan and actions are to God. I am certain we will never understand God's will and I don't think He wants us to to worry ourselves with spending too much time chasing our tail. What I do think is that we should ask for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry it out. Knowing what God's will is for our personal lives does not equate to know how He works in the grand scheme of things.We can certainly learn what his will is for ourselves but knowing his will for the rest of the world is simply unattainable. I believe we can always gain a better understanding of how the world operates but should not expect ourselves to 'arrive' at a definitive destination. Just sayin'.

Peace

Mucho snow...hopeful it's the last!

Okay, let's move from here...

To here already!

Mornin'

Well, I hope all is well with you. Whether you are looking outside at another snowstorm or basking in the sun, I hope all of you are doing well. I realize I always say my entries will be quick. My passion for blogging forces me to spend as much time as possible communicating to my audience. I hope you get as much out of reading Surfing the Pipelines of Life as I get out of making my entries.

This delay in Spring here in the mid-Atlantic region forces me to contemplate not only who is really in charge of our environment, but also my impatience dealing with the situations I find myself in on a daily basis.

There is a time for everything and progress might not be on my time table. Just when I think I can no longer wait for outcomes in situations, I somehow muster the strength to be patient even if it is for just another moment.

It is in those moments when I want to force a process that my homeostasis gets out of whack. I may intuitively know that what I am about to do will place me in such a pickle but I do it anyway. I believe living a wise, peaceful live entails drawing from these experiences and rethinking how I handle each situation as it comes along.

Mother Nature is also a powerful example of this philosophy. She rules the environment and we are powerless over what she does. She does, however, give us the strength and wisdom to cope with what she delivers. When we fight, we become unhappy and struggle. My advice to myself here in the snow and those in sunny, warm locations is to immerse yourself in the processes of life and gain wisdom from every experience. Things may not always go our way but plenty does go our way. You will be amazed how much goes your way when you accept the certainty that things will sometimes go other people's way.

Peace

Gratitude

Mornin'

This is so true and it seems that, when this philosophy becomes clouded or I lose site of it, I almost always struggle to maintain happiness and peace of mind. It is imperative that I always be able to think of things I can and should be grateful for. They include - but are limited to - my health, family, friends, the good mind my higher power has given me, my sense of humor, the ability to feel compassion and understanding toward others, and the ability to reason and know right from wrong. This is just the beginning of a huge list of things I can be grateful for. I usually tap into these choices and, as a result, I remain grateful and content most of the time. Try it, I think you will like it.

Peace

Parts of the Whole

Mornin' (good people)

I wanted to address this issue today in hopes of exposing the fallacy that many problems and challengers are just too hard or complex for us to handle. This does not seem to be the case when we break down the sometimes monstrous challenges into bite size, more manageable pieces. All issues or tasks in life can all be broken down into smaller, more manageable 'chunks' if you will. These chunks can be solved more easily and assembled together to create a finished product. It is easier to educate ourselves on the smaller components of a challenge because they typically are not as complex and baffling as the 'big picture'.

When you come face to face with a challenge or anything else you either choose or have to do, think of it as comprised of smaller, more manageable parts. Intimidation and fear will slip away so you can get down to the task at hand. You will certainly find you are more adept at solving and doing more things you had previously avoided.

Peace