Saturday, October 17, 2009

We Need A Little Christmas ...

Celebrate Every Day

Life has suddenly become so stress-filled for so many of us.

We find ourselves wondering, each day, how we will survive financially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Challenges, that we may once have invited as avenues to make us stronger, suddenly invite anger, depression, escapism, and spiritual death.

In order to maintain a balance of our love and appreciation of life, we need to celebrate each day and invite happiness to prevail over our trials.

We all know someone who keeps plastic covers on his or her sofa in order to protect it.

The irony here is that many of these people may live their lives without ever having actually made contact with their own furniture! This is a poignant and somewhat humorous example of the human tendency to try to save things for special occasions, as if everyday life weren't special enough to warrant the use of nice things.

Many of us have had the experience of never wearing a particular piece of clothing in order to keep it nice, only to have it go out of style or outgrow it in the meanwhile.

I remember when we purchased our good silver. It was beyond our financial means 20 years ago, but we wanted to establish some sort of a heritage. Interestingly, once we chose a pattern and committed ourselves to the purchase, the sales associate immediately began to sell us items in which to store away our accomplishment to keep it safe from the effects of sunlight and oxygen.

Why?

I have a friend who uses her silver and crystal daily. Meanwhile, our silver is packed up and too tarnished to be bothered with.

It's interesting to think of what it would mean to us if we let ourselves wear our nicest clothes and eat off the good china with our silver and crystal on a daily basis. We might be sending ourselves the message that every day we are alive is a special day and a cause for celebration, and that we are worth it.

There is something uplifting about treating ourselves to the finest of what we have. It is as if we rise to the occasion when we wear our best clothes and set the table beautifully, as if for a very special guest.

We are more mindful of where we place things, what we are eating, and who is with us. Using the good china, taking a meal at the Dining Room table, and taking the plastic off the sofa might just be an invitation for us be more conscious of the beauty and grace which is inherent in our everyday lives.

If there are things we've stashed away for a special occasion --a bottle of special wine, a new pair of shoes, an antique lace tablecloth -- we need to consider taking them out of their hiding places and putting them to use today or tonight ... just because we are alive now to enjoy them.

What better cause is there for celebration?

So ... dress in your finest, behave at your giddiest, break out the finest of all, invite your loved owns over for a spontaneous party.

In the words of Auntie Mame; "We need a little Christmas, right this very minute ..."

With love & light,

Rob

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Life Can Be Scary

I have always loved a challenge.

Or ... so I think.

Life can take us on a roller coaster ride full of highs and lows and twists and turns.

Even for those of us who enjoy unexpected thrills, it is frightening to suddenly find ourselves heading for a deep plunge. However, it happens to all of us.

It is at these moments when it is important to remember that we are not alone in our experiences. No matter how brave, how strong, or how levelheaded we are, at some times we all become scared or afraid.

Our fears may evolve around our physical safety, particularly if we are not feeling well, living under difficult circumstances, or doing work that exposes us to hazardous conditions.

Perhaps we may be experiencing financial woes that cause us to be fearful about making ends meet, afraid that we may lose the very home in which we've lived and loved. Or, we may fear losing investments that we have worked hard for in hopes of procuring financial security in retirement.

We may also fear the loss of a loved one who is sick, or we may never have been with someone and may be afraid of never finding someone special to spend our life with.

We may be scared to start at a new school, or be afraid of being denied admittance to one.

We may be afraid of beginning a different job, or be scared of losing a job we have.

We may be scared of moving to a new town, and afraid of losing the friends we've known ... the life we've enjoyed.

Whatever our fears are, they are valid, and we do not need to feel ashamed or embarrassed that we are, at times, frightened, afraid, and scared.

It may be comforting to know that everyone becomes each of these, and that is okay.

Sometimes just acknowledging our fears is enough to make us feel better.

Also, while it sometimes takes a lot more to ease our mind, we can console ourselves with the knowledge that life can be scary at times and that we are not the only ones who are afraid.

When we allow ourselves the permission to be scared or afraid, we allow ourselves to move forward through our fears so we can let them go and we can grow within ourselves through faith.

That growth, through faith, also makes us able to share our fears with others - therefore allowing the grace of God to work within us and through us, using our own difficulties, fears, and challenges as a channel in which we can guide others through the waters of life, and nurture faith in others.

Much like the ship that enters the unknown harbor, awaiting the pilot boat to navigate the waters ahead, sharing our apprehensions with others allow even our own fears to be realized as far less overwhelming as we invite the assistance and guidance of others to work as lighthouses against our own reefs.

When we share our own fears, we lighten our burden because we no longer carrying our worries all by ourselves.

We accept the gift of friends to bear the burden of our own Cross.

When we ask someone to be mindful, in meditation or in prayer, we invoke a power that is greater that any nation.

We invoke a power of love, spirit, togetherness, and faith.

With love, we can overcome any obstacle.

With spirit, we can reach far beyond our dreams.

With togetherness, we can outshine any darkness.

With faith, we do live eternally.

So, what we learn, is that we can lose many things which are afraid of losing, and we can encounter many situations which we are scared to step in to.

However, we can never lose our love, our spirit, our togetherness, our faith.

Remember ... we are never alone.

With love, light & faith,

Rob