Happy New Year-2014



New Year, New Life, New Day!

So its 2014 and I don't know about you, but its been a crazy 2013 for me.  I have been doing alot of inward searching this last year as you all know.  I haven't felt super inspired to write but I got inspired tonight.  I don't think its a coincidence, but more like a reminder.  

Yesterday I was writing or transcribing a piece from Mark Nepo.  I have found his Book of Awakening to be a fascinating guide book for me and has really helped me through some of the toughest times in my life.  My focus for this blog is going to be appreciation/gratefulness and never giving up. 

In writing yesterday, I realized that the book was talking about (for this particular day), the preciousness of the human condition.  Im paraphrasing but I think you will get the idea. There is a Buddhist idea that says we should be very aware of our condition (being human) on the earth, and that we have a really amazing view of life and that we have this amazing vessel that allows for consciousness, breath, drinking water and many other things.

It seems to me that we get stuck somewhere thinking that we need to have stuff or be working towards something, when in actuality, the journey is just about being and the magnificence of being.  Then out of the blue, I came across this amazing site called 365grateful.  I would highly reccommend watching the video on it if you have not. After watching it, I decided that in 2014 I was going to be grateful 365 days, not just 10, or 125, or 250.  I am on a mission to find something to be grateful for every day.

I feel that it is imperative to give thanks for all the amazing stuff we really have (friends, family, food, shelter) rather than focusing on the what nots. This mindset really forces us to dig for what we are grateful for every day. It may even help you change the direction of your day.  Think about it, we find it so easy to worry about the bills, or the job, or that "thing" you forgot to do, but what if you changed that and began your day with appreciation.  Appreciation for just one thing or a series of things and you took a photo of it, or wrote a sticky note about it, or started a scrap book about it.  You see being grateful takes you from a state of worry, dread and fear to a place of love...complete and utter love.  If you are truly present and truly grateful, you are love.

So move forward to today and I happened to watch a very powerful video by Diana Nyad.  If you don't know her, she is amazing.  You see I sit her at 42 years of age and often doubt myself and my ability.  I think I am too old for this thing, or to old to try that thing, but I realized after watching Diana's video, that construct I built in my head, that story that I have told, that lie that I have retold in my head...is bullshit.  And so starting this year, I am vowing to become more grateful for my haves, and not my have nots. I am going to appreciate my friends more and make new ones along the way.  I am going to put my cell phone on mute or turn it off when I am out with  friends and truly be in the moment.  I am going to introduce great people to other great people to help make this planet more amazing.  And I am going to stop hanging around people with drama that aren't grateful and have small minds.  Eleanor Rosevelt said it the best "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."

I hope you have a brilliant 2014 and appreciate this journey you are on and become more grateful for what you have around you.  Surround yourself with great people and become great.


Until next time..

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