Life's Purpose, hmmm..............

We have all asked the big questions of life at some point or another. I know I have. It feels like sometimes I ask those questions way too often. Well, it could be that I have a lot to figure out still. How about you? Have you ever wondered why you are here? What is the purpose of your life? What is that one thing that you are meant to do or born to do? Hmmm, I think about my purpose and what I am supposed to be and do all the time. I am not sure if I have figured it out yet. I figured out some of the things I am supposed to do but I know I have a lot yet to discover and know when it comes to my purpose in life.

As a Christian, I have some guidelines as far as what I am and how I should conduct my life morally. However, it still does not really tell me my distinctive purpose in life. That is something I have to discover for myself. When I was in college, I picked my major based on what family and society dictated was profitable or appropriate at the time. But I wonder if that was really my true path, my passion, my purpose in life. Like most things, education is a tool that we use to reach various goals, earning a living being the most obvious one. If we are lucky, we will also study something that will equip us for the life we are meant to live.

In a world where conforming is the way of life with our school systems encouraging us to be and think in the same way, to just be yourself is not always that simple or acceptable. So we look around to what is in and fashionable and we dress and act accordingly. We live our lives like most others do, in way that is expected and accepted by society. In a culture where ‘celebrities’ are literally worshiped you wonder why so many young people today have issues with their self image and a lot of people feel lost thinking they can never measure up. It took me a long time to know that I am okay just the way I am. There are still times I see someone and think gosh I wish I was as motivated or disciplined or as talented or accomplished as someone else. And then I remember, this is my journey and that is theirs. I can never compare myself or my life with others in such superficial ways because that is not what life is about.

I truly believe we are here for a unique purpose. Each of us formed so perfectly for the life God has dreamed for us. We are not accidents or mistakes. We are meant to be just the way we are. I believe that God created every person with unique abilities and interests so they can live a life that is uniquely their own. When we are authentic to who we really are then we can be the best at being ourselves. When we try to be like someone else, we will never be the best that we can be and what a loss that is to us and to the world at large. I find that the more I am just myself the more I am at peace with myself and with my life. I am still searching for my purpose in life. I do not want to just make a living but to live a full life that honors my creator, is fulfilling to me and a blessing to others.

Our life is a precious gift and we should treat it is as such. Time is fleeting so we should make it count by living our life to the fullest.

 

What about Time

They say today is the start of a new day. A lot of times though, it feels like a day is just a day. Well, it is how we keep time or how we relate to the passing of time. There is a second and 60 of those make a minute and 60 minutes make an hour. Then 24 hours make up a day and 30 days on average marks the completion of a month and twelve months is a year. The passage of time, in this dimension where we are confined within space and time, is a big deal.

Time is such an essential part of our existence. It is how we organize our life and our daily activities. We all have 24 hours in a day. Some of us have to do a lot more within that timeframe than others. Some of you out there could be a fulltime time mom like myself. And others juggle work, children and even school all in a day. My hat is off to the super moms who are doing it all. It is by far the most challenging as you have to stretch your time to accomplish so much everyday.

There is time and then the perception of time. The perception of time can be tricky. When we are having a good time, time feels like it is flying by but when we are bored, it feels like time is painfully slow. I have read personal accounts of people who have been through a life threatening experience and they say as they encounter such an episode time seems to slow down like playing a movie in a slow motion. And then there are those who have had a 'Near Death Experience' (NDE) as most call it and some say they experience a lifetime in just a matter of moments.  Hmmm, so what slows down or speeds up our perception of time? It could be what we experience within that time frame or rather what we perceive we are experiencing during a given time period that in turn seems to impact our perception of time.

Time is the true currency of life. Many people think money is the currency of life but it really is not. Think about it......money buys you things and convenience but regardless of how much money you have, if you don't have time it means nothing. Our time is the greatest asset we have in life and like most assets it is not unlimited. Time well spent will bring joy and blessings and time wasted brings disappointments and even heartbreak in some cases. Time is how we experience life. But at the end of the day, what truly matters is what you do with the time you have been given in this life. It is not how many years you have in your life but rather how much life you have in your years that matters.

After a Long Silence............Glad to be Back!!!

My last post was well over three years ago. So why the long silence? Well, I was going through a lot of changes in my personal life; some wonderful and some challenging ones. In all this time, I have thought about blogging numerous times but it seemed like there was always something in the way. So what changed now? Not much really except I did. It downed on me there is no such thing as a perfect time to do anything. I knew in my heart it is important for me to write and there is no better time than now. So here I am! I hope I have something meaningful to say.

Let me be a little more personal for a moment here. The biggest adjustment in my life and the one amazing journey that I have been on for the last three years is motherhood. I am now a mother of two sweet little angels that completely disarm me with their charm. I have always wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember. When I was young and folks asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up; I always knew I wanted to be a mom and be a writer. Like anything in life, motherhood has its own ups and downs but the ups are so much more rewarding that the downs seem somewhat insignificant. I have been a stay-at-home mom which has been a blessing as I get to spend quality time with my little ones and get to take care of them. But staying at home after being a career woman for most of my adult life was challenging to say the least. It actually took me by surprise because I thought I would enjoy it more than anything. But to my amazement, it was a big adjustment. Now I am happy to report that I am in a good place enjoying this season of my life in a spirit of mindful gratitude.

I love to write and I am excited to be back. I hope you will read my blog and give me feedback.

 

Life is a Choice

Every day brings its own unique challenges. Even the best of times bring the challenge of gratitude for all the good in our lives. As winds blow, they sometimes blow cool refreshing air and sometimes they blow dust. Other times, the winds are so tumultuous that they cause so much damage and devastation. And so it is with our lives. Life brings us wonderful and affirming moments and other times it brings us trials and tribulations. There is little we could do to control what happens in life even though we would like to think we do. It is like the wind; the wind blows where it pleases and brings with it what it may.

But the one thing that I have learned from my own personal life is these two simple things:

1.       I cannot control the things that happen to me; BUT

2.       I have complete control of the choices I make

Hmm, that is something to think about. Whatever our lives circumstances, we always have a choice. Even if our situation makes us feel like we don’t have much choice in the matter; we still have a choice. The beauty of life is not what happens to you but what you can do with what happens to you. Let’s say a working class man who has been struggling to make ends meet for most of his adult life gets a windfall of money and this could be through an inheritance or even winning a lottery ticket. Well, you would think his life will be greatly enhanced and improved because he no longer has to worry about money. We tend to think this way because money is believed by many to be the currency of life. In my humble opinion, money is certainly not the true currency of life. What money does is it makes a comfortable life possible. Well, let’s get back to the man who came into a lot of money.  Now regardless of popular opinion that his life will be vastly improved, that greatly depends on what he does with the money and the choices he makes. If he makes wise choices, it could certainly be a wonderful blessing that could add to his happiness in life. But if he lets the money ruin his life, he could lose the most important things in life such as his true friends and his family behind the money. And even worse, he could lose himself, his very soul. So the money is not what will make the man’s life wonderful but it is the wise choices he makes once he comes into money that will make his life wonderful. This goes with anything. Some use their good fortune in life to not only add to their own experience but to the life experiences of others while others do the exact opposite.

I am amazed at human resiliency. You see some courageous people that turn the great misfortunes in their lives to produce so much good in the lives of many. I was watching the story of an amazing woman, Carmen, who suffered an extensive chemical burn at the hands of her ex-husband. She lost her face and a lot of her physical abilities, but the most amazing thing is watching how she made a choice to live a quality life in spite of her loss and she chose to forgive the man who has done such unimaginable thing to her. As I watched her story, I cried not out of pity but moved by her courage. And the one thing she said on the interview that resonated with me was that ‘life is a choice’. You see, even in the worst of your circumstance you can choose a positive life. Courage is not the absence of fear but our daring to face the very thing that we fear. Her story is featured under the title ‘The Face of Courage’. You can click on this link to find it http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/show_page/D4027. I promise you will be inspired!

I don’t know where you are and what you are experiencing on your life’s path. But whatever your life’s circumstance, you have a choice in the matter. You might feel like you are between a rock and a hard place but you still have a choice. So today, I encourage you to choose a life of gratitude! I encourage you to allow yourself to forgive. I encourage you to abandon your fear and embrace love. I encourage you to choose peace. I encourage you to be a positive force in the lives of all that are around you. I encourage you to make the most of your life because you can!

Life's Peaks & Valleys

The peaks and valleys of life is what make life exhilarating. But more often than not, we humans are more excited by life’s peaks than valleys. It is natural to enjoy the good things in life and cringe at the difficult issues of life. Life’s seeming imperfections; I find are the very perfections of life. The very things we dread as we experience them are the very things that shape our lives into a richer existence. I have to say that the valleys of life are usually a downer because we are creatures who love our comfort and anything that disturbs our comfortable life is usually an unwelcome disruption.

As a fellow human experiencing this wondrous journey unfolding, I am learning to welcome the valleys along with the peaks of my life. I am learning to bravely embrace my life in its entirety. Life is not what we plan for, life is what happens. The ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ happen to us as we journey through life. The key I find is not in the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ but rather in our ability to embrace our experience for what it is. When we watch the news and hear about the natural disasters or some crime or accident that has happened, mostly we are moved by others experience but it is not us – it is others; it is not happening here, it is happening out there.

For those who live in the east coast of the US, lately we have been getting some rough weather ranging from unexpected earthquake to the devastating effects of hurricanes. I had a personal encounter with hurricane Irene as a forty plus oak tree fell on my house with an 8 foot branch coming through the bedroom ceiling. To say that it was stunning and freighting will be an understatement. The lesson I learned from the whole experience is how life is fragile and how it can change in an instant. Of course, I was very grateful that it was not any worse than what it was but I also was amazed by God’s protection. When nothing happens, we don’t often think about what can potentially happen to us and our families. When we get a glimpse of how close we came to danger and how our lives have been spared then of course we are grateful for God’s protection over our lives.

Experiencing a natural disaster at a smaller scale in my own backyard made me realize just how many lives are affected by such incidents. It made it real and I could relate to others who have been through similar ordeals. Valleys, not particularly exciting but if we learn to embrace them we find a gem in our experience. In hindsight, we realize we are better for our many valleys. Valleys humble us and keep us grounded. Valleys make us more humane. Valleys build character in us, making us better people. Looking back at my many valley experiences, I realize I would not change any of them as they have been the greatest teachers of my life.

The good things of life are of course the blessings we hold dear. We cherish them and we enjoy them as we should. They enrich our lives and bring balance to our sometimes challenging journey. But most of us do take a lot for granted and we forget to take stock of our blessings overwhelmed by the daily challenges of life. Nothing, absolutely nothing is to be taken for granted. From the fact that we are here experiencing life in this dimension to everything single thing in our life can change in a split second. So as I coach myself often, I encourage you to take time to notice your loved ones and tell them how much they mean to you. And express your gratitude to God for his many blessings. If you are reading this and thinking I don’t have much to be grateful for, then I challenge to write at least seven things that you can think of that are good in your life. It can be small or big, just find things to be thankful for.

If you are going through a difficult time today, I encourage you to look around and find things to be grateful for.  There is no one single human life that is not layered with blessings. In some instances, we have to be diligent in looking for the blessings in the face of the obvious challenges of life. I would say gratitude is often the missing ingredient in our 21^st century high tech existence.  Be grateful for everyday things such as clean drinking water and food on your table. The more you practice the path of gratitude, you realize you have more to be grateful for after all and that allows you to embrace your life more joyfully!

P.S. I realize it has been months since I last blogged. Life happens and sometimes we get so caught up with the everyday stuff that we forget to prioritize. I know I did. Friends that read my blog have been encouraging me to get back to blogging. I am grateful for your words of encouragement, especially to my dear friend Rahel.

Got The Butterfly Award

A fellow blogger from Dublin, Marie, gave me an award last week. Thank you, Marie, for your encouragement and thoughtfulness.

Here are the rules of this award:

• Share something about yourself
• To pass it on to other bloggers

Hmmm, about myself........I love words and their ability to express......love arranging them poetically. I am amazed at how writing and expressing what you feel in your heart can bring so much healing and freedom and even wisdom at times. I love the quite space in my heart and soul when I am writing....it is when I feel the freest and the most vibrant and the most everything. Simply put, I love to write.

There are a lot of excellent bloggers out there who encourage, challenge and bring light to many hearts all around the world. I would love to acknowledge a few and pass this award to:

• BlessedAssurance
• A Meaning of an Optimist
• Cuz You Got to Have Faith
• A Single Mom's Advice on Making Life Easier
• Girl Talk
• To Make A Rhyme

Note: I love butterflies.....love what they represent and their beautiful presence.........I'm actually wearing a pretty silver butterfly pendant as I am typing this (smile).

God bless you all!

How Big Is Your God?

How big is your God? Can he do the impossible? Can he perform miracles? Can he bring the dead back to life? Can he help you pay your bills? Can he heal your broken heart? Can he answer your prayers? Can he give you joy inspite of all your troubles? Today my question to myself and everyone out there is - 'how big is your God?'

Hmmm........my God is real. He is personal. He is interested in what happens in my world. He loves and comforts me. He provides for all my everyday needs. I have been through the deepest valley and some mountain tops in my life but through it all, my God has been my reason for my being. He has sustained me in everything. My God has not only sustained me but his grace was sufficient for me to thrive not just survive. So you see, my testimony is surely my God is awesome! My God is bigger than life itself.

My God is definitely big! He is bigger than all my troubles - past and present. My God is bigger than whatever I face in life. My God is the reason I am filled with joy and I wake up every morning without a dread in my heart. In spite of what has been and is - my God gives me a reason to hope, a reason to sing, a reason to be joyful, a reason to be resilient, a reason to persevere, a reason to have faith, a reason press on - regardless of my present reality.

So again I ask you, how big is your God? Is he big enough and real enough to put your hopes in and to stand on and believe in? Is he just part of your religious practices or is he alive in your heart? Who is your God and what does he mean to you? How real is he and how big is he in your life? Just something to ponder on..........

The God of the bible is still alive and well. He still performs miracles. He still does the 'impossible'. He still parts the 'red sea' and he still raises 'the dead' back to life. God is real. God is awesome. There is nothing impossible, there is nothing too hard that he cannot do. Words do not have the capacity to express all that he is in all his awesomeness, wonder and glorious splendor but to say that he is indeed a 'big' God is understatement of who he is.

So the question remains, how big is your God? Do you know how big he is and how awesome he is? Is your faith in the true God of the bible who is more than able to perform miracles? Do you know the one who gives ife and sustains it?

My testimony today is simply - my God is big!He is bigger than life itself!