Daily Awareness

The goal of life is to live in such a way that ....

As with virtually anything in life, our focus and interests are based on our immediate experiences. At this point, taking a deeper look at my own life purpose has come to the forefront due to my father’s recent transition from this life.

As I have explored various authors’ works I find it most amazing the many philosophies and beliefs regarding what is most important to live a fulfilled life.

Out of the dozens of books and articles I have read, the following statement deeply resonates with me; “The goal of life is to live in such a way that our lives will prove worth dying for,” writes Reverend Forrest Church.

One of the recommendations from Reverend Church is to want what you have, appreciate each and every moment we are alive and live without the regret of, “if only”. If only I would have ….. If only I didn’t …. In only….

He goes on to say that often we realize only after something is taken from us how valuable it is; whether it be our health, a loved one or a job.

Reverend Church speaks not only from the over three decades as a minister whose main message is love and death, but also from the perspective of a man who was diagnosed with incurable cancer being given only months to live. It was in the diagnosis he was able to understand fully if all he professed to be true really was.

In reading his book, Love and Death, My Journey –Through the Valley of the Shadow, Reverend Church shares a level of wisdom so intensely simple, yet immensely profound.

The further I delved into the wisdom in this short and very easy to read book, the more I fully recognize the greatest gift we can give to ourselves and others is to live with such a deep level of congruency with what we claim to be true, what we speak of as truth and what we know to be true.

It is one thing to say we believe something to be true and something else to live in such a way that our life is an example of this truth. As you look at your own beliefs, philosophies and faith do your words match your thoughts and your actions? If not, is now not the most important moment to begin to live your truth recognizing today may in fact be the only day left to do so?

Great loss can bring transformational change

There are experiences in life which are inevitable. Experiences that outwardly equate to loss; such as the death of a loved one. Although on the surface the appearance may be of loss; a deeper look shows there is much that has been gained.

It is the very core of our beliefs and faith that will reveal the inner strength to accept that life can be very painful, but it is in the pain we are truly alive.

Sadly, there are those who believe their pain is the only pain. They are not able to see that others too experience a deep level of pain by virtue of the fact that life can be tough.

The longer we experience this thing called life, the more we understand that things can change at any moment, forever transforming the course of our life.

We are free to either accept this change; or resist. It is in the acceptance we are more able to understand these shifts are what makes up the very essence of who we are and who we are to become.

When life offers second chances....take them

Life sometimes offers us a second chance to right our wrongs. Those second chances often come disguised as tragedy waiting to be recognized as a miracle.

Such was the case 20 years ago. Life was great and I didn’t think anything could change it, until I received a call late one night about a month into my new job from my brother-in-law saying that if I wanted to see my father alive, I had better come quickly. He had suffered a major heart attack and was in a coma. The doctors didn’t think he would make it through the night.

I thought of nothing but getting to my dad’s bedside. In that moment much of what I had believed to be important became insignificant, including the new broadcast job I had recently landed.

I drove two hours in a fog of tears and regret. The tears were for the thought of never seeing my dad alive again, and the regret was for the many times I didn’t take the opportunity to tell him the important things in life like, “I love you.” As I drove through the night I vowed that if I was given another chance, I would never miss the opportunity again.

A tribute to my father - a gentle, kind and loving man

Spirit, intuition, gut feeling, sense....all words that define the guidance we receive on a daily basis. If we are willing to “listen” we will be guided with right action moment by moment.

 

Recently, I had one of the most profound experiences of my life that was enhanced by following my guidance. Fortunately, I listened to what I was meant to do to be fully present for this incredible experience.

 

Over the weekend I attended a book marketing conference I had anticipated being a part of for months. As an exhibitor I joined my colleagues, Christine Kloser and Lynne Klippel of Love Your Life Publishing, for a weekend of networking, connecting, fun and learning.

 

With every intention of staying until Monday, my plans quickly changed when I felt called to head to my parent’s home on Sunday.

 

Three weeks prior my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. With a strong “feeling” that his time of transition was near, I booked a one way flight from San Diego to Sacramento. The flight was scheduled to leave only hours from when I got this incredibly strong sense to be with my father and mother.

 

From the moment I made this decision everything opened for me to get home to my mother and father’s side.

 

I am so very grateful I followed my heart, leaving when I did. Upon arriving at my father’s bedside in the early afternoon on Sunday, I knew I made the correct decision. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind of this truth.

Are you a sleepwalker?

Life is in major fluctuation and transition.  There are many who are questioning what is happening and wondering where to turn while others have few, if any, questions. They are in resolve and acceptance of what we are experiencing.

There are those who seem fully “awake” to what life is offering and those who are in a state of confusion. Many are doing what my friend, Richard Blackstone, calls sleepwalking. 

Out of more of a need than desire, countless individuals are becoming open to viewing things in a different way. They are seeking answers to questions that until now they were either unwilling or unable to ask.

Whether it is through their religious teachings or alternative teachings, many are finding comfort in something that goes beyond what we can see or touch.

Some of the teachings are easy to understand while others can be so confusing one is left to wonder what it all means.  

In answer to Richard’s personal and spiritual calling and awakening from his years of being a sleepwalker through life he wrote the book called, Nuts and Bolts Spirituality; Waking up the Sleepwalkers.

Richard is fond of saying that his entire life changed the day he read the following passage from "Conversations with God, Book One", page twenty. "The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek, therefore, not to find out Who You Are, seek to determine Who You Want To Be."

Richard has been consciously creating his life ever since. What serves us in life? That question can only be answered by each individual as they travel through life.

Richard’s mission is to wake up the sleepwalkers so they can see for themselves whether being separate serves them or whether the concept of oneness is something that might serve them better. It is a choice. Being awake allows you to make that choice with more light.

To read more about Nuts and Bolts Spirituality go to http://www.NutsandBoltsSpirituality.com/amazon.htm

When in doubt...pray

Most of us have been through situations that are difficult at best. Sometimes our experiences are downright traumatic.

When in the middle of a difficult time we may believe we are the only one going through a tough time and forget that difficulty is a part of the human experience.

It could be the loss of a job, an unexpected separation of a relationship we thought would last forever, major illness or death.  

Unfortunately, when we are put in the middle of difficult experiences we may do and say things we really don’t mean. In the moment we may feel justified in our anger, fear and harsh words.

Yet, if we step back and acknowledge others may also be going through tough times, even in our darkest hour we can find light.

The fact is, we were not given the manual of life that explains how to deal with these situations when they hit.

Yet, it is through the love and care of others we are often able to find comfort in even the most difficult situations.

There will be occasions when life changes so quickly we are required to drop everything and be with the experience. Our world turns upside down.

We may find our life is changed forever in ways we never imagined. We may also discover we are being called to put our own emotions aside in order to be there for another who is also going through a tough time.

The fact is, love can transform even the toughest situations from one of frustration, uncertainty and fear into one in which we are guided as to what we are being called to be.

In virtually every religion and spiritual belief the answer to the most difficult experiences is love. When we don’t feel we are in a loving space the answer is closer than we may realize. The answer is prayer.

It is through prayer we are able to gain comfort, serenity, clarity and may even get a sense of our calling.

In this calling there are things we may asked to do that are foreign and uncomfortable.  We may try to resist and hold back. As has been said, “That which we resist, will persist.”

When your world is turned upside down step back, sit quietly, and pray for right actions. Sit with the answers and know you are being guided.