New Year and a New Decade!

What an exciting time to enter into a new year and a new decade! A new year is a time for yearly resolutions and feeling that inspiration that comes along this time of year! But a new decade is a wonderful time to reflect on the past decade's accomplishments and how things have changed. In the year 2000, I wouldn't have imagined all the things that happened in my life! I am thoroughly excited about the next decade and all the wonderful things in store! Is it all going to perfect and rosy? No, but there will be memorable experiences and lessons to be learned that I'm looking forward to deal with. My main decade resolution is to be retired by the year 2020! We shall see if this indeeds occurs. And of course, be always appreciative of my family, friends, job and all the new people that come into my life.

Thanksgiving

I especially love this time of year and feel very appreciative of all the things I have in my life. Around thanksgiving, my gratitude is heightened and my heart feels even more open. So, what am I thankful for? I am thankful for my wonderful family. I could not have asked for a better family! I lucked out for sure! I am thankful for all my friends and all the people I know or used to know that touched my life. I am especially thankful for my best friend! Again, I lucked out and have the best friend that anybody could ever have. I am thankful for my job. It was a bit of a bumpy ride when I was laid off, but I lucked out and landed a job that is perfect for me and close to my home! I am thankful for my health for sure. I have never had any major illnesses and still feel very healthy and strong at the ripe old age of 41! Of course I am thankful for all my material items, my home makes me happy, my vintage car brings a smile to my face and my yard with all my hummingbirds makes me happy.

I am looking forward this year to letting people know how truly appreciative I am for their friendship or impact they have had on my life. I have many wonderful people to be thankful for and feel truly blessed.

Some many interesting people

What is wonderful about the world is that there are some different and interesting people that reside in this small little planet. We all have lessons to learn from these people and each one of them has a very personal story to tell. We look at some and are truly inspired and others we look at and realize how truly fortunate we are. But no matter how we look at an individual, we always open our heart with an abundance of love and leave judgement at the door. There are folks who live with very limited chaos and others who flourish in such an environment and is the only way they know. There is no wrong or right way to live, just whatever feels right for each individual. One thing is for sure, EACH PERSON controls their own destiny and how they are going to live, but we all do not know this. Some of us blame others for our circumstance, but the beauty of it all is that each person has such control and nobody else! How empowering is that! We own our destiny, our feelings and our lives!

Dealt the bag of lemons

When you are given the gift of a bag of lemons, one's first reaction is to feel so weighted down by this heavy bag of lemons and there is a bit of time for disbelief or shock or confusion. But after the dust settles, this is when we dig deep to see what we are all about. Are we about fear, worry and trepidation? Or are we about pulling ourselves back up from the ground, accepting our gift and turning it into a positive? Even the most positive thinker gets stumped on some things. Especially those things which the desired outcome is supposed to be positive and your wonderful plan backfires in your face! The lessons usually to learn are to keep the vision clear of what you want and take that big ole bag of lemons and start making some lemonade! Everything works out, it always does. But this takes discipline, trust and surrender. Having a knowing that it will work and just leaving it at that and accepting the guidance that comes our way is not an easy task! And yet it is so easy.....trust, surrender and listen and the answers come....

Appreciation

Appreciation can come in many forms. It can come in just looking around at our every day lives and seeing the beauty in nature or everyday surrounding. It can come in being appreciative of our wonderful family and friends. And it can also come in a life lesson that has been given us. At first, we may not see the gift we have been given, but after we process our thoughts and start to see things differently, we say thank you for this gift you have brought to me so we can make positive changes. And that is how we learn everyday.....without life's lessons, life would be a bit boring and we have reached our pinnacles.....but there are lessons to be learned all the time! I am very appreciative of so many things in life and the wonderful people who are currently in my life and those who I have met and perhaps are not a part right now but definitely remembered. We are so fortunate to be able to feel emotions whether it's good or bad and to take a bad and make it into a good! That is appreciation as well for me....

It's the fourth of July!

The 4th of July brings out what this blog is all about....lots of positive energy! All you see are families at parades or big celebrations at their homes, the kids are having a great time, the BBQs are being sparked up and everyone is having a good time! A great day to celebrate and appreciate being an American and enjoying the simple things in life! Even some friends across the pond sent a Happy Independence day wish! When the fireworks go off, to me, it brings out so many patriotic feelings and though our country is not perfect, it is a wonderful place to live with wonderful people. Each country has their specials days of patriotism and being proud of their country and today is America's day to celebrate and be proud!

What is really important

As we get a bit older and yes, a bit wiser, it starts to become glaring obvious of what is truly important in life. It's not where you live, what you do, how much money you make or how many toys you own....it's all about how important family and friends are. It's about the relationships, the experiences we share and the support that is given and offered that what makes us feel alive and have our purpose. I write this as I just talked to two very good friends....all of us have gone through experiences and tough times, and it seemed like there was such an appreciation that I could feel for our friendships over the years. It was a bit of warm fuzzy feeling that brought a smile to my face and a knowing that these are two friends that I will have for life. Not that I really doubted it, but it just reaffirmed it. It doesn't matter if we don't talk regularly, but when we do talk, we have a connection and just pick up where we left off. And I know they would be there for me and I would always be there for them. I was also with my family yesterday and today as well and I feel sooooo fortunate to have such a happy and caring family. I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life....