Tag: loving life

FALL IN LOVE WITH LIFE BY LAURA

This post could have easily been credited to my mother, or of course Lao Tzu as they both advocate this message. It was my coworker and friend Laura who gave me the answer most recently. When I asked her what she thinks is the key to falling in love with life, her eyes lit up as she recalled a conversation she had with her son recently. As her son watched her become upset and anxious, he informed her that she needed to stop worrying so greatly about the future and focus more on being present. How many of us could use that advice?

It is easy to tell someone not to worry about the future, but how can we do that? If we study the quote above, it makes things crystal clear. Focusing our energy in the past, which cannot be changed, is a waste of our precious energy. Worry about the future, which has not happened and may never happen, is a good deal of wasted energy as well. The more we are worried about the future, the more that should drive us to be present. Why? The only thing we have that can affect the future is the actions we take in the present. If those actions amount to nothing other than sitting on our hands and worrying, we will not have much of an impact at all.

Lowering stress and increasing drive are two great reasons to be present. They are also two ways to love life more. The picture above highlights what I think is the greatest reason to focus on the present. If you are too worried about the past of the future, you often miss both the beauty and the opportunity in the present. Look at the dog fully immersed in what is happening. He is probably enjoying the woods, the man’s company and surely a squirrel or two. The man may not even realize he is in the woods or that the dog is next to him. The closer we come to a calm mind, the better we are positioned to take advantage of all life is offering us in the present. Whether that is a job opportunity or just a squirrel.

Laura, my mother and Lao Tzu are all right. Being present is one great way to fall back in love with your life. There are so many miracles that we miss every day. Simply being alive and able to breathe is a miracle in itself. By transferring our concerns about the future into motivation for the present and insuring we remain fully engaged in that present are two great ways to fall in love with life. How would you answer the question, “What would you tell someone to do if that wanted to fall in love with life?”

FALL IN LOVE WITH LIFE BY JONATHAN

My next book will be filled with tools and strategies to fall in love with your life. It is with this in mind I have been asking others that very question, “What would you say is the key to falling in love with life?” Today, we are going to look at the answer given me by my coworker Jonathan. It has some great points and it just may help you fall in love with your life a little bit more. Come join me in exploring Jonathan’s answer.

To start, this is a two-part answer. The first thing that Jonathan mentioned was that people need to take care of their necessities. When I pressed him as to why he thought this was so important, he told me that unless your food, shelter and clothing are taken care of, it is hard to focus on what gives you joy. Your mind will always be in survival mode. It is true that if you lost your job or your home, meditation would not be the first thing on your mind. We must make sure our basic needs are met.

The second half of his answer was even more profound. He said it was important to spend time and energy on what makes you happy despite what others may think. He used the example of collecting comic books. If people tell you that hobby is “stupid” or “nerdy”, do it anyway. If what you enjoy brings joy to your soul and does not harm anyone else, pursue it. Sacrificing what we really enjoy to impress others, or even to not offend them, leads to resentment and anger. These feelings are not only projected at others, but at ourselves for denying our joy at the judgement of others.

Do what Jonathan advocates. Take actions to make sure the necessities of life are under control. After that do what sparks joy in your heart and do not worry about the opinions of others.

WISE WORDS FROM BOB 🇯🇲

I think this is one of the great secrets to happiness. Today, let us all look for what we can love in our life. A good portion of people constantly lament many things about their lives. They have to go to work every day. They have aches and pains in their bodies. Their car is acting up again.

If we took a step back and changed our perspective, life may feel a lot different. What if we lost that job? We were unable to find work? Suddenly, that job we dread going to would be a dream come true. Those aches and pains are the wishes of someone who has become paralyzed. What if we did not have a car and had to take transportation everywhere?

I see this a lot with some couples. They constantly complain about each other. I think of all the people I know who have lost their spouse and would give anything to be able to have them back, even for a day.

Gratitude and appreciation can allow us to love the life we live. Next time you are tempted to complain about something or someone, ask yourself what you have to be grateful for. It might take imagining what life would be without that person or thing. We have so much in our life to love  if only we chose to look at our life that way.

LET GO 🚶‍♂️ BUT HANG ON!

Here is one of those lessons in life that seem contrary, but they are not. As you read this, I will be on a beach in sunny Jamaica 🇯🇲. Sounds like a pretty fun time does it not? I am assuming it will be. We were, however, supposed to be in the Bahamas. Due to a better deal, and more convenient departure, we chose Jamaica.

If we were to focus on how much we wish we were in one tropical paradise, we would be unable to enjoy the one we are currently in. What a great problem to have, but people do this regularly. There are so many beautiful and amazing things in life, if we are always focused on what we lack, we will miss those things. Conversely, if we keep our focus on what we have to enjoy, we will go through life from one beautiful experience to another!

The same is true for waiting to arrive at our destination. My love and I are going to enjoy the process of getting there. We are going to create memories on the way to the resort as well as the time we are there. I’ve said this many times, we spend most of our lives on the journey of life. That is what we need to find a way to enjoy.

Even in hard times, look for what you can enjoy. This is not always the easiest thing to do, but it is possible. It is a lot easier if you have the habit of doing so in the good times. Maybe the good thing is just having someone to stand beside you while you are going through whatever it is that is trying your soul? There is always some beauty to be found if we look hard enough.