1) Finally got the piano tuned again. Sounds much better now.
2) Feeling so organized. Got my menus planned for two weeks in advance.
3) Going to a movie with my husband later. Something to look forward to all day.
Remember as a kid the police officers that would often come to school to teach safety lessons? We learned about stranger danger, wearing bicycle helmets (even though no one actually ever wore them back then), and were instructed on how to safely cross a street. We were never to just run out into the road. They told us to "Stop, Look, and Listen" before crossing. This catch phrase has stayed in my mind all of these years and I have used it in teaching my own children. Stop and at the curb, look both ways and listen for the sounds of cars to make sure you stay safe and your pathway ahead is clear. Then you may proceed with confidence. If you fail to do this than you might get hit by a car and be badly hurt or even killed, so this principle is drilled into us on numerous occasions. And it seems to have worked so far. For 41 years now I have successfully managed to avoid being struck by oncoming traffic at intersections. Yeah for me!!!
"Stop, Look and Listen" can also come in handy in avoiding crashes of another variety. The emotional kind that come with names like anxiety, depression, anger and apathy. States of being that can cause us to feel almost as beat up on the inside as a car wreck makes us feel on the outside. I am becoming more convinced with every passing day that gratitude is the secret to a light carefree spirit and a happy heart. "Stop, Look and Listen" can help us greatly increase our gratitude quotient. Think about it. It can apply in so many ways. Just right now in flash from my desk chair I can use this. Stop writing for a moment. Just breathe deeply and look around me. What do I see? To the left I have a view of a lovely tree all decked out in fall splendor. A few colored leaves are falling gently in the breeze. Light is streaming in the window. Directly in front of me I see my blog which is helping me learn so much about myself and the telephone reminding me of my long conversation with my best friend in Italy this morning. It was so fun to chat with her and catch up on news and share thoughts and ideas with each other. I miss her a lot but love when we have a chance to talk like that. I see a package of photos taken on my cruise while snorkling. My daughter and I had so much fun on that trip and were fascinated by the exotic sea life we saw. There's a paper from the school with information about my son's graduation in June. I am so proud of him and the responsible, hard working young man he is. My daughter's school photos are right here too. What a beauty she is. More so the older she gets. It takes my breath away to see her growing up so fast. There is the pineapple lotion bought on my recent trip to Hawaii. Now those are great memories of fun in the sun. To my right my cute little boys are playing quietly (this is rare...the quietly part...so I am enjoying it immensely) They are being such sweet little buddies (this also could end at any minute and turn into a screaming match so I am soaking it in with a smile and loving it). I also notice that someone has colored on the wall but I will skim over that for right now. :-) Behind me are two pots of pretty yellow flowers that I bought for an object lesson the other day. They are such cheerful little plants. Brings me joy to have them blooming there. Through the sliding glass door I see my two big dogs running and playing and I see my hammock swaying, beckoning me for a future nap. If I listen closely what do I hear? My little ones giggling and chattering together. My puppy snoring peacefully nearby. The dishwasher humming, accomplishing that arduous task for me. Some birds singing outside rejoicing in this beautiful day we are sharing. It does my heart good to just pause now and then and drink in the moment. Count my blessings. Release the stress and embrace the positive energy of what is happening right this minute. I am suddenly filled with gratitude for all of the wonderful things in my life. In spite of whatever worries might be nagging at me I have so many things to be happy about. We all do. Taking time to notice and acknowledge them is the important thing. Let's kick negative thoughts off of center stage and give the spotlight to joy and wonder. And thankfulness. It's so easy to do - even from my desk chair in just a minute or two. But what if we really make this a priority? How powerful could that be? What if we started to more deliberately "Stop, Look and Listen" in our relationships? To pay more careful attention to the people we love. We could discover new things about them we did not know. Perhaps a talent they possess or a struggle we did not understand. We could spend more time talking to them and enjoy their wit and humor. We might learn of their needs and how we can better help them learn and grow. We might become aware of mistakes we are making in the relationship and how we can improve. We would less frequently miss opportunities to show love and share laughter. How about if we applied "Stop, Look and Listen" to spiritual things? Maybe to our relationship with God or to communing with nature...to whatever helps us personally find our spiritual center. Seems to follow that we would flourish more in that area as well and find comfort and peace for our souls. You could apply this to almost anything really and in most cases I think the reward would be greater understanding, connection, contentment and gratitude. Filled with those positive attributes and energies we are then able to cross with confidence safely to whatever new challenges lie ahead on the other side. "Stop, Look and Listen"...good advice to follow. Helps protect us from getting hurt and clears our paths forward. And it's really fun too so enjoy!!!
Beautifully said!
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