Put a Bird on Life

“You live and learn. At any rate, you live.” ― Douglas Adams

It was a fine late spring morning that my grandson played upon the backyard deck as I watched him meander from one spot to the next. It was 6:00 AM in the morning and he was taking in all that a near 18-month old can absorb.

As the sun began to peak above the horizon, a chorus of male birds began the familiar chatter of letting each other know they were alive and well. It is in the chirping that they communicate to let other birds know they are still here; protecting their territory, stating their existence.

A brand new day was beginning.

My grandson began to stop and listen to the cacaphony, seemingly trying to figure out what the noise was. In an odd sense he appeared to be learning the language of the morning symphony. He then began a conversation with the birds, declaring his space and that he too was alive and well this morning.

A loud squeal would come from him and the birds would lower their declarations. A pause and they would return to the loud chorus and again my grandson would shout out a morning call of his own. Back and and forth this went for one or two minutes until he looked at me, smiled and giggled a bit.

The birds were finished and so was my grandson.

The toys on the porch now occupied my grandson and the birds went about their business of worms and nest repair. The morning had begun and life was back in full swing as the sun came over the tree line. It will be a glorious day once again today and every day.

Make each of your own days a declaration of life. Make each day a spectacular example of all that is good. In other words, put a bird on it!

Stay inspired my friends!

Passion In Life

It can be a busy time trying to get back into the swing of things after being on the road. Coming back to speed with the pace of your home life and the flow of every day living. This period is what I call "becoming normal again."

But even with all of my travels and issues that come with it, I can't get enough of it. The passion that drives me isn't so much the travel as it is the relationships and interaction with other people along the way.

The same thing holds true for you in your daily life. What is the passion that moves you to enjoy and take hold of every day? An article in Prevention Magazine by Ardath Rodale talks about what feeds this passion.

Read the article by her to put in into context, but I've included some of her statements here. Just find what your passion is and feed it as often as you can. In turn, your passion will spill over into other people's lives.

Enthusiasm: Genuine enthusiasm can only be sustained if you are truly passionate about something. Find that passion, embrace it, and take action.

"Dreams are the soul pantry. Keep it well stocked, and your soul will never hunger."
--Shirley Feeney from the TV show Laverne & Shirley.

Perseverance: Don't let others set limits for you. If people say it can't be done, it usually means that it can't be done by their rules.

Intuition is essential: Shakti Gawain says that as you learn to live from your intuition, you give up making decisions with your head and act moment by moment on what you feel, allowing things to unfold as you go.

Explore new horizons: Open your eyes to the wonder of the great outdoors and eagerly seek solutions to all challenges that come your way.

Affirmation: See yourself already being a winner. The power of positive thinking fuels success.

Stillness stokes the fire of a passionate life: It rejuvenates our minds and bodies and surrounds us with peace. We need quiet moments of beauty, contemplation, and thankfulness for new growth and expanding vision.