YOUR LIFE A-Z: JOIN

JOINING EACH OTHER ENHANCES OUR VITALITY

JOIN

Join something! Quit sitting on the sidelines of life and get out and JOIN something.  Preferably JOIN something you are passionate about,  but if passion is lacking JOIN a group to learn something new or to stretch you outside of your comfort zone.  Belonging to a community is a great mental health booster and very necessary for a well-rounded life.  JOINING a cause, a group, a class, or even a gym gives you a sense of purpose and you need to experience a sense of purpose to feel good about who you are.  If you are reading this and are totally lost as to what or how to JOIN something new, go to www.meetup.com and enter your zip code.  You will be surprised how many activities of a variety of areas are out there just waiting for you to JOIN.  (Disclaimer: There are always scenarios that one can find that are not healthy or good for you, but for the most part if you are not looking for deviance, you won’t find it on meetup.com) Meetup.com can help you find book clubs, hiking groups, four-wheeling, and cooking groups or anything else that interest you.  The point is for you to stop being a “lurker” in your own life and be a participant.  Get out and JOIN something new to alleviate the rut you have dug yourself into.  If after three or four times in your newly JOINED group, it is not working for you.  Stop and JOIN something different.  The old adage of try and try again is true on this important word, JOIN. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z:CULTIVATE

CULTIVATION HAPPENS IN MANY FORMS

CULTIVATE

To CULTIVATE something is to prepare it by working with it in a mindful and careful way that provides the best flourishing environment. CULTIVATING soil for gardening is something most of us can relate too.  A healthy garden comes from healthy soil.  The soil is CULTIVATED with rich mulch and compost and the soil is turned over many times to help the soil breath and the nutrients from the compost to be equally mixed.  CULTIVATING your life requires the same sort of positive attention and energy.  Imagine your life as a beautiful and rich garden full of colorful vegetables and a large variety of colorful flowers.  Think about all of the diversity you want in your garden to create a year round growing season. CULTIVATE inner and outer diversity.  What is missing in your life that you want to plant?  Do you need to add theater or music to CULTIVATE entertainment in your life?  Are you bored with your workout routine and need to CULTIVATE something different by changing to yoga, Pilates, or running?  Is life uninteresting to you?  If so what do you need to CULTIVATE to make it interesting again.  Perhaps it is time for a new hobby, a new wardrobe, or maybe it is time to take a class and learn something new. There are many ways to CULTIVATE rich life and a fertile soul.  What is happening with your spirituality?  Maybe a divine connection needs to be CULTIVATED to bring a sense of purpose to your daily existence?   CULTIVATE so that your days can be rich and colorful.

YOUR LIFE A-Z:ACHIEVE

AN ACHIEVEMENT DURING LIFE'S JOURNEY

ACHIEVE

ACHIEVE is the perfect word to follow yesterday’s zealous.  What does this emotionally loaded word ACHIEVE mean to you?  Does the word ACHIEVE make you feel energized and create that sense of “just do it,” inside of your being?  Or does the word ACHIEVE come with a mother-load of guilt that chides you with messages of,  “you should have had this accomplished by now?”  Either way, it is time to neutralize the emotional impact of this word and get to work ACHIEVING your dreams.  List three major things you want to ACHIEVE.   Ask yourself by what date and time do you want them ACHIEVED?  Then create a plan of action with specific steps as to how you are going to ACHIEVE the stated goals. Do not try to ACHIEVE these three goals at the same time.  Make one of these goals a priority and get to work on it immediately in order to build a sense of accomplishment.  Examine the why of this goal.  What will it mean to you once it is ACHIEVED?  How will your life be different as a result of ACHIEVING this goal?  Is the difference this goal is going to make enough of a reward for you?  To ACHIEVE your goals takes a zealous energy that speaks deep in your heart, not allowing for obstacles to interrupt you.  There are always obstacles along the path to ACHIEVEMENT.  Obstacles create opportunities to make your ACHIEVEMENT more meaningful.  To ACHIEVE is to thrive and to thrive is be filled with an inner sense of personal ACHIEVEMENT. Go for it.

YOUR LFIE A-Z:JOURNEY

ENJOY THE STEPS ALONG THE WAY

JOURNEY

I am sure you have heard of the saying life is a JOURNEY, not a destination.  If you approach life as a Journey what is your gain?   Perhaps, the first positive gain is that you slow down. If you slowed down, maybe you would take the time to plant an herb in your kitchen window and nurture it toward wholeness?  If you treated life like a JOURNEY then there would be time to watch plants grow.  By treating life as a JOURNEY there would be time to write in your journal and you could record the blessings of today.  Perhaps a trip to the botanical gardens in your city where you would enjoy the beauty of life all around you would be a joyful thing to do on your JOURNEY.

 If you are on a JOURNEY such as a hero’s JOURNEY, then there is a reason to JOURNEY, a purpose.  The purpose of the hero’s JOURNEY is to get the golden ring or the blessed challis of life.   The hero’s JOURNEY requires you to overcome some obstacles along the way in order for you to appreciate your gain at the end.  However, the hero’s JOURNEY does not end with the challis or the ring, the hero returns from his/her JOURNEY with something for the people.  Any way you look at it life is difficult from time to time, how you view that difficulty will make the difference as to whether you are a hero or a victim.  JOURNEY for the sake of the JOURNEY.  JORNEY for pleasure. JOURNEY to enjoy all that is around you.

YOUR LIFE A-Z:SEEK

ALWAYS SEEK AND EXPLORE

SEEK

Don’t settle for the ordinary.  SEEK after the answer to your heart’s burning questions.  SEEK meaning, purpose, quality, and compassion in your day-to- day routine.  SEEK to love those around you; don’t just SEEK to be loved. SEEK within to bring light to your own dark shadows that keep you trapped in negative behavior and feelings.  Jesus reportedly says in two separate accounts, SEEK the Kingdom of God within you and SEEK the truth, and it will set you free.  As the hero/shero of your own destiny you will have arduous tasks and obstacles to overcome and bring the best out of yourself.  The question remains, how do you sabotage yourself in ways that keep you repeating old exhausting patterns of remaining the victim of your own passivity?  Get in the game of life and SEEK to experience the joy of your existence, the joy of breathing (yoga and meditation will help with that), the joy of being able to be alive one more day.  Make the most of it.  It is hard to confront our darkness.  It is hard to see the shattered mirror of our pretend self and SEEK the truth of our indiscretions, personal pain, and our own shortcomings.  We all have them.  We all pretend that we don’t.  In AA it is important to do a personal inventory of how we have hurt others.  List your own inventory and SEEK forgiveness and light to heal your darkness.  SEEK until your Quest is finished and then there will be a new quest.  We are born to SEEK. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z: ORGANIZE

ORGANIZE AND PLAN AHEAD TO ENJOY THE BEAUTY

ORGANIZE

I don’t know how this important O word did not show up until now.  However, when it comes to Neat, List, and Next, it seems like synchronicity is bringing it around at just the right time moment. ORGANIZE your life.  ORGANIZE every part of it and use your important List and Next to help you.  It is a well-researched fact that the more ORGANIZED our life, home, finances, plans, and activities are the happier and less stressed we tend to be.  Don’t worry about getting obsessive.  That is just an excuse to keep you from being your best self. 
ORGANIZE one drawer today and notice how it makes you feel.  Make a List of what else needs to be ORGANIZED in your home.  Next, ORGANIZE your finances.  Create and stick to a budget.  A healthy budget takes three months to create.  It takes a month to List every expense.  The next month you ORGANIZE priorities on that List and do your budget cuts.  On the third month you have a budget to live by for the next six months and then ORGANIZE it again.  ORGANIZE the places in your life that are creating chaos.  Use your List to ORGANIZE and prioritize your time so that you can make the most out of your day.  Remember you are the CEO of your life and you have the power to fix what is not working and add what you would like to the management of daily life.  ORGANIZE it in ways that make sense and that are useful to you. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z:LIBERTY

LIBERTY

Do you have an inner Statute of Liberty?  Do you allow yourself the freedom to choose what you believe is best for you?  Are there decisions in your life that do not fit for you but you made them to keep someone else happy or because you felt you were not strong enough to stand on your own?  At the feet of the Statute are broken shackles representing her freedom from tyranny and oppression.  

Two days ago, I wrote about Justice.  Sit with that part of you that you let out of prison two days ago and reflect on how you are learning to make choices in your best interest.  What personal freedom or freedoms do you deny yourself just because your feet are still in shackles of shame?  Stand up straight.  Raise your hand to the sky and declare you own freedom to make choices.  List three things you want to be free to do, but either someone else’s opinion, fear of failure, or lack of confidence hold you back.  

Now, that you have three things on your list, circle one and go for it.  You are free to choose.  You have individual rights that say you have a right to your opinion, free speech, and pursuit of happiness. It is all yours for the taking.  Step into your life and move forward toward the goals, aspirations, and personal desires.  It is yours.  Claim it today.

 Photo talked from Statute of Liberty's National Park site.