Christmas Rush

“I’m in no hurry: the sun and the moon aren’t, either. Nobody goes faster than the legs they have. If where I want to go is far away, I’m not there in an instant.”
― Alberto Caeiro

The author Leigh Hershkovich has written “In the rush of life, it is quite easy to forget what’s important. As cliche as this is, it’s easy to take life for granted when you don’t have time to focus properly. It is only when life diverts from the ‘plan’ that we suddenly take time to see what is really important.”

A poignant and true statement of how easily we get wrapped up in trying to create a life instead of living our lives.

Not only do we speed about our day during the holiday Christmas rush, but most every day of the year we are pressing along faster and faster. No one is a stranger to this way of life. Multi-tasking with a cup of coffee in one hand, the other feverishly working the computer mouse; a day's worth of tasks to complete.

We rush through the grocery store shopping for the next holiday meal, all the while a cell phone is planted to our ear discussing even more plans. All of this having to occur before we pick up the kids, the dry cleaning or a day planner calendar.

A glance at the wall clock and wonder where the time went.

Have we forgotten how live life and are simply rushing around creating life instead? Do you ever slow down and enjoy longer moments or are those moments only fleeting? Can you slow down the rush of Christmas, of the month, the day or the hour and live what is important?

The maddening speed of Christmas is increasing even more as we near the actual day. Stop for a few minutes in your gift buying, in your perfect meal planning, in your party participation and reflect on the wonders of your life. Reflect upon the important things that will carry you to the end.

There is no need to reach the end in an instant. Enjoy this time, every day and the great and grand things in and about your life.

Stay inspired my friends.

Christmas Vibrations

"Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity."
~ Edwin H. Chapin

A cool way to explain what a vibration is in terms of human understanding is, "A note is a vibration that our eardrums pick up and sends to the brain. The brain perceives this vibration as a sound, which we label as a note."

The article above goes on to explain that depending upon the thickness of a string and how tight the string is will determine how fast it vibrates. Faster vibrations, higher notes; slower vibrations, lower notes.

Pretty simple music theory for sure but it illustrates what comes from the vibrations of a string, which are musical notes. But vibrations result in many different ways. There are physical movements you make, gestures and even the words coming from within you.

In its worst case;

- striking another abusively time and again vibrates for a very long time.
- never smiling at your children or chiding their lives with negative words.

These types of negative vibrations have a lasting impact. I call these vibrations the screeching, unpleasant musical notes in our life.

You can also create wonderful musical notes in your life. You can create great and wonderful vibrations every day;

- holding your partner's hand softly and walking quietly together.
- words of encouragement expressed your child.
- smiling when someone enters the room.

Vibrations that create a lasting impact, these will vibrate in beautiful composition throughout your life and well on in the memories of those you have touched. Put down your fist and anger. Remove the sarcasm and criticism from your speech.

It can begin now, during the holiday season. It can begin at anytime, it simply needs to begin. Create a wondrous vibration in your life. Create wondrous music which is your life.

Stay inspired my friends.

Christmas Cheer

"Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart." - Washington Irving

The air fills with joy the closer we approach Christmas Day. It is an ever increasing sense of something greater. You see it in the faces of those at home and work. It radiates upon the faces of people you meet on the street or as you shop at the store. It is a developing glow of excitement.

Yes, Christmas cheer spreads like a dry summer wildfire, capturing the hearts of everyone.

In the famed Dickens story of Mr. Scrooge, his heart becomes filled with the spirit of Christmas. His heart gave out a cheer and covered everyone he met with it. In this time of giving both gifts and money, it is also a time of giving good cheer.

As Mr. Magoo sang in his adaptation of A Christmas Carol, "Ringle, ringle, coins when they jingle, make such a lovely sound. Give them away and nobody can rob you." Not only is Mr. Magoo speaking of money given to charity and those in need, but of heart and good will.

We each have so much inside us we can give to others which will brighten their day. We can not be robbed of these things, we can only give them away, freely, generously. By simply 'being in the season' and 'being of good cheer' becomes a gift that puts a smile on someones face.

It is a gift that you can give at any time of the year. We just happen to be more aware of if during this holiday season.

Spread cheer to those you encounter.

Spread cheer to brighten the day of others.

Spread cheer to warm your heart in this season of celebration.

And stay inspired my friends.

No Shoes

"I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet." ~ Ancient Persian Saying

How easy it is to feel sorry for ourselves. The thought that anyone could have it any worse then ourself. The drive home with miserable traffic and you really don't want to talk about what happened at work. It might be a headache you are nursing or not having enough money for a trip to the beach.

There are many things we might catch ourselves in complaint about.

We get ourselves into looking for signs that it will be a bad day. From the list below, there are plenty of us who have viewed one of these on one or more occasions as our "bad sign."

~ You watch the evening news and see they are showing emergency routes out of the city.
~ Your 4-year-old tells you it is almost impossible to flush a grapefruit down the toilet.
~ You have to sit down to brush your teeth in the morning.
~ The bird singing outside your window is a vulture.
~ Your kids begin treating you the same way you treated your parents.
~ Everyone is laughing but you.

Could it possibly be anyone is having a worse day than you?

Probably yes.

Look around you in the areas you generally don't look. The sections of town you conveniently bypass or ignore as you drive by. There he is, the disheveled man pushing a cart filled with his life. The car broken down along the side of a road with the single mom and two kids inside.

Yes, there are things much worse in life that could be happening to us.

When you think about it, life is pretty darn good if we simply take time to appreciate what we do have. I'm not here to say it can't get worse, nor am I here to say things couldn't be better. I am saying there are those that do have things a lot worse than you.

Knowing that to be the case, when you think your life is going bad, try helping someone else. No questions asked, asking nothing in return. See if that can turn your attitude about your own life around.

See if you can turn your life around by turning someone else's life around.

Stay inspired my friends!