Diary of a Memory

"Memory...is the diary that we all carry about with us." ~Oscar Wilde

Years ago, a film came out called Mary Poppins. It became another Disney classic based upon the books by P. L. Travers. It remains to this day a favorite of mine.

As I walk the streets of London this week during a business trip, the memories of past visits come to mind. I walk past St. Pauls Cathedral and it reminds me of a song from that movie. The song was sung by Mary Poppins and is referred to as the tuppence a bag song. It was of the old woman sitting on the steps of St. Pauls Cathedral selling bags of bread crumbs to feed the birds.

I am also reminded of the cathedral's triumphant survival of the air raids on London during World War II. Truly remarkable that it survived.

And then I remember back to only a few years ago that my wife visited London with me. I see the places we walked and shared with each other and great memories flood back in my mind. She could not be with me this time, but the memories are here with me today as if she were as well.

One day again, we will share the streets of London with each other. New memories will be formed into the diary of my mind. Find your own memories and replay them as if reading the diary of your life. Live life well and create new memories with the ones you love.

One Day Like This

Just wonderful lyrics from Guy Garvey of the British band Elbow. This particular song is called "One Day Like This" and if you click on the link you can hear the entire song on YouTube.

It is a song that tells me that I have many wonderful things in my life. I have my wonderful wife Laura, beautiful children and grand children. There are my friends and co-workers as well as a decent job. There are many other large and small things that I realize make life so wonderful.

What made me behave that way?
Using words I never say
I can only think it must be love
Oh, anyway, it's looking like a beautiful day

Someone tell me how I feel
It's silly wrong but vivid right
Oh, kiss me like the final meal
Yeah, kiss me like we die tonight

Cause holy cow, I love your eyes
And only now I see the light
Yeah, lying with me half-awake
Oh, anyway, it's looking like a beautiful day

It is truly a love song. It is a love song for living life. All that I have I am thankful for and each of those things in my life make it a beautiful day. The things in your life make it a beautiful day as well. Even the smallest of things make it a great day for you.

So throw those curtains wide!
One day like this a year'd see me right!

Many of us get to have a thousand days like this. And each of us will have at least one of these days. Do not despair and hide in the darkness. Be thankful of the things you have in your life. Love life and "throw those curtains wide" and have a beautiful day.

Journey Home

Phil Richards - Long Journey Home

"When we are sure that we are on the right road there is no need to plan our journey too far ahead. No need to burden ourselves with doubts and fears as to the obstacles that may bar our progress. We cannot take more than one step at a time." ~Orison Swett Marden

When we start out on a path towards something new and exciting in our life, it appears a thousand miles long. We even wonder if we are on the right path at all. The questions cloud our mind and cause us to second guess our ability to even proceed.

It is a cruel trick we play on ourselves that is called self doubt. Self doubt is the "ball and chain" attached to our life that prevents us from proceeding with the journey. It slows us and attempts to hold us in one place, never to find what is at our journey's end.

You can rid yourself of this self doubt and continue your travel. But the path may create indecision when a crossroads appears before you. Now you have to make a decision to go left or go right. Do I take the well worn path or the road less taken? Indecision will try to stall you and keep you from moving forward. But you can overcome it by simply choosing and taking on your decision with excitement of the unknown.

We all learn eventually that our journey of life is pretty much an unknown. It is how we choose to travel along the path that will dictate if it is an enjoyable or miserable one. And our paths are so different from each other, we have to love our own path and not covet the other.

When we finally settle into our journey of life, the excitement of where it will end up is replaced by excitement of the journey itself. At that point, we come to realize that the journey is really a journey home. Whether 999 miles remain to be traveled or only a single mile, enjoy every step along the way. Know full well that home awaits you.

Begin to enjoy the travel, step by step, mile by mile to the journey's end.

C3 Journey Leaders - July 2010

"Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life." ~Pythagoras

While on the journey of life, it is best traveled with friends, with brothers and with sisters. Each of them will stand to your left and to your right. Each of them will cover behind you and keep an eye out on the road ahead of you.

Yes, life can be traveled alone. But life traveled with others is a much happier, much more meaningful life.