Finding the Missing Peace?

Whenever I am faced with a situation, a decision, a predicament, an issue, a moment, an incident I do my very best and I take a moment and I ask myself one simple question ...
''what would love do?''
The answer usually, and I would like to emphasize usually, guides me in a direction that provides me a certain stability and calmness.

Why We Occupy

You may have heard, in the past 30 years the top 1%’s income has doubled along with the economy itself. Middle class income during that same time has barely increased due to inflation. That increase in income has given the top 1% – 40% of the nations wealth and that has given them a wealth of political power. Power for which they have used to get the amount of taxes that they pay, lowered. Because of this, tax revenues for the federal government is down to less that 15%, the lowest it has been in the last 50 years. These lower tax revenues results in huge government deficits and because of these deficits we have over crowded schools, hospitals, unemployment lines. All of this leads to an increasingly fearful and depleting middle class. People are down right scared. We all feel as we are competing for the very few jobs/$’s. All of this fear leads to unions fighting with the non-union, public employee vs. non-public. We become fearful and close our borders and judge all by difference.
Fewer middle class jobs not only depletes tax revenues further but having few and few jobs also limits the ability for the middle class to borrow. It has been the ability of the middle class to borrow that has always lifted us out of economic crisis. The loss of middle class will essentially rob us all of a healthy and prosperous economy.

Way Too Tight?

I have this really bad habit, I have had it my entire life, well as far back as I can remember, of hanging on too tightly to things in my life, everything, from people, ideas, things, experiences, the works. I am pretty sure I hang on tight because that way things will stay the way I think they should be and by staying the same everything will make me feel the security I require. I even go so far as allowing my grip to fool me into believing that by hanging on I can recreate the past in the future. I have come to realize that my grip is what restricts me from experiencing the “NOW”. What is going on right now requires no grip at all. It’s impossible for things to be as they are if you are too busy squeezing them to the way you think they should be.

Miraculously when you let go and experience the flow of the present moment your life has a way of becoming exactly what you want it to be, that is until you grab on too tightly again. When you remove all expectations all disappointments disappear as well. Go ahead and try it, take of a situation in your life that you are trying to force or completely resistant to.  Just let it be and go with the moment and see what happens. You will immediately feel lighter. Not only will you be pleasantly surprised but you will stop drawing negative energy to yourself and the doors to compassion and acceptance will open.

It's Up To YOU.

Everything is up to us, and sometimes being straddled with that power makes things difficult.

We are faced with thousands of choices every day.  From the smallest of decisions like ‘’will I wear the blue T-shirt or the green turtleneck?'' To some of the biggest decisions…’’where and what and how I work and when and where and who I interact with and what I chose to learn from all of this…?

What would be worse? Believing that you have no choice but to be what, who, and how you are. That would be a serious error.

Making decisions, as difficult as they are, is better than not choosing at all. If you will not choose then someone or something will choose for you and why would you want to give up the power of choice.

So just keep in mind that it’s up to you.

Difficult, yes, but empowering.

Control is a MY Freak

Do you see yourself as a control freak?

I ask this question because, of late, whenever I find myself, without exception, become frustrated with my photography it is because I am a control freak. Whenever I feel the need to hang onto the control within it becomes a damn to my creative juices, causing me great frustration. The control blurs my vision and I wander endlessly freaking out because I can't ''see'' anything.

Whenever I let go and just let it happen, this is when I take my best pictures.

Come to think of it whenever I let go in life I find myself the happiest as well.

Note to self ~ Let go of your control ways and just let it be.

Trust The Change

When we get stuck in a particular situation or having to make a major decision we should go with ‘’what we know?’’

I know that my decisions are never right or wrong and that they can always be corrected. I know that opportunities are put in front of me because I am ready for what they bring to my life. I know that nothing is permanent, except maybe a Sharpie marker, haha, and that my mind can change at any time. I know that all decisions result in change and that change is good. I know that things always work out, regardless of what happens, the universe is funny like that.

So why do we often hesitate when faced with change.

Is it all the ‘’wrong’’ decisions we have made in the past? Or maybe, that some of our decisions have caused us pain, embarrassment, or misfortune? Could it be that we are so afraid of judgment, from self and others? Are we just so afraid of the unknown?

Is it a lack of trust, in ourselves?

Every moment presents a new opportunity and this is a good thing. We have to learn to trust ourselves.

What better time to start, than now? But how do we learn to trust ourselves? The same way you learn to trust anyone in your life, by paying attention to what they say and do and if they are true to their word. Try doing this with yourself. Build the kind of trust in yourself that you would want in a good friend.

Make a decision, stick to it. See what happens. It will become easier as you become more consistent. Trusting ourselves allows for us to ‘’go for it!’’

Trust in our truth and our worth, all in one.

Bob Marley definitely had it right when he sang the words ''don’t worry about a thing, cause everythings gonna be alright.''

50 things learned over 50 years.

1.     There is nothing wrong with being afraid.

2.     Don’t take serious stuff too seriously.

3.     Honesty solves most problems.

4.     Love more.

5.     Don’t allow anyone to take your personal power away, ever.

6.     Encourage kids.

7.     Go for a walk.

8.     Get a dog, they can teach you so much about love.

9.     Listen, when it’s time to listen.

10. Show up – on time.

11. Fight for things that are important to you.

12. Paint a picture.

13. Spend lots of time in the kitchen.

14. Shame, guilt, and jealousy are a waste of time.

15. You can only judge if you are paying for it.

16. Be grateful for what you have.

17. It always works itself out.

18. Listen to your kids.

19. Keep your promises.

20. Have dinner with family and friends often.

21. When you do a favour expect nothing in return.

22. Tattoos are no big deal.

23. Meditate – it takes many forms.

24. Never think you know what others are thinking.

25. When you say sorry, mean it.

26. It’s OK to say ‘’No’’.

27. Be polite.

28. Everyone feels inadequate, it’s not just you.

29. Keep a journal.

30. Music can make a difference.

31. Read ‘’To Kill A Mockingbird’’, ‘’Catcher In the Rye’’, and ‘’Fifth Business’’.

32. Always mean what you say.

33. The truth is so simple.

34. Keep an open mind.

35. There is always another way to look at things, keep an open mind.

36. It’s as important to go in, as it is to go out.

37. Wisdom has nothing to do with age.

38. Change is good.

39. Learn to listen to your gut.

40. Go to the movies.

41. When in doubt ask yourself ‘‘what would LOVE do?’’

42. Do what you want.

43. Crying is just as important as laughing.

44. Being different is ‘’normal’’.

45. New shoes and haircuts just feel good.

46. Be kind.

47. Passion is more important than wealth.

48. When you say ‘Cheers’’ look people in the eye.

49. Don’t be shy, it’s good to put yourself out there.

50. Try as many things as possible, at least once.