Tag: Change

Posted on in Emotions

A Hellish Train Ride to a Desolate Place

Imagine you are on a train. The train is moving along smoothly, at a comfortable speed. The the motion is relaxing. Outside the windows there are beautifully unfolding landscapes; mountains, woods and rivers, an immaculate sky in the background. It is a peaceful, pleasant ride.

You are on the edge of your seat. Sweat is beading down your forehead and your whole body aches with tension. Your stomach is tight and you feel as though you might get sick. You are missing the beautiful landscape and the relaxing atmosphere of the ride. Instead, your neck is cranked so that you can see out the window and straight ahead. Every hill or shadow in front of the train makes you clench your fists tight to the seat cushion. Your anxiety is in full throttle.

Your greatest fear is experiencing a train crash. So instead of being present in the moment to enjoy a blissful ride, you are thinking about the “what ifs” and potential tragedy. It doesn’t matter that you are in a safe place with a near non-existent chance of actual danger. As soon as your brain recognized that just being on a train that is moving left a minute chance and opportunity for disaster, you locked onto that thought. You are actively watching for danger, of which you have no control to do anything about anyway.

Anxiety is a thief. Fear robs us of pleasure and enjoyment. You could be taking in the moment and noticing all the pleasant things about your experience. Instead, you are trapped way up high in your head, in a place that doesn’t actually exist – the land of hasn’t-happened.

What if you could be present on the train? What if you could see the sunset over the hills and notice how wonderful it really is? What if the dangers and disasters in your mind don’t have to take up space there anymore? You can choose presence and peace. I can help.

Posted on in personal development

Growing and Going

I love plants and life. We can learn so much from all levels of life, including our life-giving green friends. Let me be honest; I wish I were more of a gardener. I’ve had moments in life where I’ve had my hand in growing things and making beautiful life bloom. More often though, I fail at keeping little chlorophyll darlings alive. It’s really hit-or-miss for me. In the wild, where only God gets the credit for what grows and thrives, I love being a mindful observer.

In some ways we are a lot like plants. God gives as a start, roots, and nurtures us to grow. We need Sonlight and the flowing water of the Holy Spirit. We must be pruned in order to produce good fruit. And if God chooses to uproot us and transfer us somewhere else, it is in our best interest to not resist but to trust him, take root, and grow through the changes.

Sometimes we need to just be where we are planted and grow. In fact, much of life is a matter of growing as we go through both times of downpour and drought. In my life, I have many moments of feeling stuck in a certain place where growth was hard and painful. I also have many moments where growth was a freeing as wildflowers, and maybe just as beautiful. The parts of my story where there was uprooting, transplanting, and going somewhere different; in every case it made me stronger and more able to see the Father’s love for me.

Does this resonate with you?

Posted on in mindset, Success

Mindset Power

You will find what you’re looking for.

What if I tell you that you have the power to create your reality? Would you believe it? What would you do with that power?

There is a reality absent of thoughts or feelings. It is made of facts and laws. It is a fact that it is 73 degrees Fahrenheit in Ohio today. It is natural law that as the acorns are released from the tree they will fall to the ground and not float suspended in the air.

There are also many versions of reality which exist in the minds of those who perceive the natural world. Your perception is your reality. That is affected by facts and truth as well as input from others that we accept. We have great influence and power to change how we see things.

Perception is about focus. What I focus on will shape my perspective. In simplest form; perspective can either be positive or negative. Attributing “good” and “bad” can be a learned behavior. It is a way that boundaries are modeled and manipulated. For example; children are told what is bad and taught to avoid such. We also can choose what is positive or negative personally by what aligns with the truth that we accept.

If your focus is on negatives, limitations, and obstacles, that is what you will see in front of you. You will find what you’re looking for. Focus on what is positive, opportunities, and possibilities, if you want to shift your reality.

Posted on in personal development, Success

Life is a Verb

It is the first week of January. A new month, a new year, a new decade is upon us. This time is symbolic of hope, aspirations and resolutions. The common joke is that it will all be discarded in the upcoming weeks as reality comes crashing down around us. Life goes on as it always does.

All the good intentions of the recent resolutions made come from a true place of desire. A desire to change, to prosper, and to get more out of life. It doesn’t have to be a January thing. Change can be an active way to live. The alternative is a passive existence.

How often do we settle for a passive existence? The television that sits on it’s throne which we all gather around speaks to this chosen lifestyle of passivity. We give up hours watching someone else live! We buy into fairy tales scripted to feed our desires for something more. Those hours turn into days, into weeks, and before we know it we have lost time and so much more.

We don’t have to lose that time. I disconnected the cable long ago and am so much happier without it. I can barely find spare time to fit in all of what I want to do and I wonder how I ever found time to sit idly in front of that screen. The television itself isn’t an evil. An occasional family movie night can be a great way to connect and share a laugh. All technology is useful and has the potential for good. Is it a tool you are using or is it using you?

I would love to talk to more people who are connected to others and their passions. So many people answer the question “How do you relax?” with the familiar “I watch TV.” I don’t believe that drama and media provide much if any relaxation. However, a cup of tea at a cafe with a friend, completing that art project, taking a walk outside, or doing something with your hands and mind might just do something good for you.

Whether you have a long list of resolutions or you haven’t even tried to make up one; consider taking an inventory of how you spend your time and see if maybe there is a connection or passion that could better serve you as you start this new year.