Doing Things That Will Change Your Life | Tracks In The Dust

Archive for the category “Doing Things That Will Change Your Life”

11 Feb 2013

Cleaning Out Junk In Your Life

DO you think it may be time to clean up the “junk” in your life? Over time it seems to pile up and get in your way. It can obstruct your vision. Make you see things that aren’t there, make you stay where you are at when you really should be moving forward.

The stuff that becomes more like “junk” gets so high that it seems insurmountable Old memories, old books and music, old letters and remembrances from another time. They hide in the attics, under things in drawers. They could be hanging in your closets, or even just electronically as part of your email contacts and messages.

They are not meaningless. They make up every bit of who you are. They may be significant in the course of time in your life, but they are behind you. You may think that at sometime holding on to them will be valuable, they will be worthy of a return somehow. They could be beneficial in some way in the future because they are going to assist you in moving even farther forward. That can be sometimes true, but more often they can be equally weighing down the opportunity for real progress.

They can be valuable. Okay. By now some may even be collectibles (cant say antiques -gulp) or something. Maybe you have a thought that you could share them with your children. Show them some of those things that mean so much in your timeline of life. But actually they will nod, say that they understand (although they can’t imagine you being younger than when they were alive). Only they nearly won’t ever cherish them the way you do. In fact when you ask them what they remember about their childhood, it is those things that aren’t often part of the “stuff” you’ve saved. It is more about the moments and places where they enjoyed being a family.

So now its time to hold up the junk to the microscope of today. What will it mean in another 10 years? What will it mean to you? To others around you then? Like cleaning up the clutter, cleaning up the stuff- the junk that memories are made of can be so hard to do. It is like taking pieces of what you once cherished and putting it on the curb. But it can be refreshing and feel like some weight has lifted.

Find what is really important. Search for what it really is.

Like the picture above. Clutter and junk pile up till you are hard-pressed to find the important things in your life…. Can you find the black and white cat in the picture?

The Last Words You Say

These days I am so much more aware of what I say to everyone every day. Time and time again I think about how those things I say and how I say them could be the last words I ever say to them. ….Oh, I know that this sounds like this is so filled with dread, like the world is so fatal. But it’s really not that.

If you have a choice with your loved ones on what you would say on the last day you are alive, before you leave this earth for a better place ahead. What would you say? ….. then ask yourself why you are waiting? Say it now.

There aren’t very many reasons to consider waiting, and your life is a gift that allows you look inward and provide love and care to others while you are here on this planet. We all are looking for a greater meaning of the whole thing called life, but the simple things can and should be at the center of it. It is the reward here.

So think about the next time your son or daughter or spouse is leaving out the door for the day. Consider the next time you see your family and friends. Are you telling them what you would tell them if it were the last words you would say? Are those bitter feelings, or small worries worth spending that valuable time? Or would you rather make sure that your precious time together always be cherished?

Don’t take your time for granted. Make it count. Be sure to reach out and say what you mean. Whether it is in-person or on the phone, whether it is an email response or just a random meeting in a store. Never let it go without being sure that you appreciate their love, or the part they play in your life, focus on the reason they mean what they do to you… It doesn’t take a million words. It doesn’t have to be a deep speech or long drawn out oratory… just tell them you care…

Thank you for visiting tracksinthedust. It’s always nice to know how much humankind really needs the same things in life. Blessings to you!

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged cherish, choices, Compassion, Faith, Grace, Kindness, life is precious, People, Postive Thinking, Sprituality, Truth

19 Nov 2012

3 Comments

The Deserted Island Answers And…

Last week I had asked the questions below: Got a lot of great answers and none of them wrong of course. After all if is personal choice. Just thought-provoking. Love to see more … what are yours.

Here’s my answers . THEN I have a follow-up question (too much time sipping beer at the bar with my chums).

1) What are the 5 musical artists (complete works) you would want while stranded on a deserted island?

The Beatles_

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (can I cheat and get all of their stuff together and apart) yes my question so my answer 🙂

Copeland – this is a group lead by a guy named Aaron Marsh. They are pretty recent, but even for an old-timer like me… great stuff

Todd Rundgren (big fan – has had music in my life since high school and he has some profound lyrics)

Jason Mraz ( love him thanks to my daughter for that)

2) What are the 5 books you would want to while stranded on a deserted island?

The NIV Holy Bible

The Lathe of Heaven – Urlsa LeGuin

The Stand- Stephen King

The Hunger Games Trilogy ( probably just a “now’ thing)

Cutting for Stone- Abraham Verghese (currently trending to be one of my fave)

This is a question that can change alot (except for the first one) depending on my mood

3) What are the 5 movies you would want to have to watch while stranded on a deserted island? (Yes you would have a way to watch them too)

The Philadelphia Story (Stewart/Grant/Hepburn)

Dial M for Murder (or any Hitchcock movie really)

Les Misarables 25th Anniversary Show ( love musicals so instead of picking a real one- this will do just fine)

Shawshank Redemption– the story is timeless

Robin Hood (the one with Errol Flynn)

I could have cheated again and said something like The Star Wars Trilogy (you know which one) OR the LOTR Trilogy… could have- but thought that was extreme. 🙂

_______________________________________________________________

So my friend asked me:

a) What is your TV show theme song if your life was a TV show drama?

b) What is your TV show theme song if your life was a TV show comedy?

c) What is your move theme song if your life was an action movie? –

We had some funny answers- what’s yours?

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Aaron Marsh, Errol Flynn, Philadelphia Story, Robin Hood, Shawshank Redemption, Star Wars, Television program, Todd Rundgren, Top 5 Books, Top 5 Movies, Top Five Musical Artists

05 Nov 2012

5 Comments

The Deserted Island Question

So here’s the challenge that a few my friends and I started around the bar stools the other day.

These are pretty common questions, but there is always interesting answers.

1) What are the 5 musical artists (complete works) you would want while stranded on a deserted island? ( Yes you would have some way to listen to them)

2) What are the 5 books you would want to while stranded on a deserted island?

3) What are the 5 movies you would want to have to watch while stranded on a deserted island? (Yes you would have a way to watch them too)

And yes you have all the other key stuff to survive. No you don’t have any idea when or if you would be rescued so these have to last for potentially the rest of your life.

I know it is standard issue kind of question. But waiting for your answers, then I can share mine too I guess. Just wondering what others would say.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life, Life's Sound Track (Music) and tagged choices, Favorite Books, Favorite Movies, Favorite Music, Music, Reality Check, Self-Awareness, Stranded Deserted Island, Who Are You

05 Oct 2012

2 Comments

No One Gets Out of Here Alive

We all know it. We don’t often talk about it except when someone passes on in our lives or we know someone who has lost someone. That time is unpredictable, for some more than others. For a lot of us we all hope we can live to a ripe old age, be aware of life and all it has to offer right to the end of it all.

So we know it. It will be a day some day in our lives. We need to live till we die. And along the way we have our mission to share what brings us purpose. Many people seem lost and angry these days, so many unsure of the meaning of it, while yet others ignore their lives meaning altogether, and live with no purpose at all.

In the last couple of weeks I have known two wonderfully God-centered people who have experienced a loss in their lives. One a father and another a husband. They are mourning like those of us left here on Earth are supposed to do. They are also comfortable with the fact that there is a place afterward that their loved ones will be. Happy in the place that believers will be for eternity after this life. This grace continues to be profound in my life. Something I cannot ignore. That is something that is in the heart of a Christian.

So the reality of it is – no one gets out of here alive. ( Thanks Jim Morrison) No one lives forever in this life on Earth. While we are here, we touch other lives and make a difference in a million ways through our timeline (it’s not just a Facebook thing).

We can choose to be part of that movement in our life.

The lost choices lead to hopelessness, confusion, being unsure about the future or the present or eternity. Sadly there are so many out there that will spend that life until the end without purpose. How empty that must be. The found choices can be to make life what it is- a journey, an adventure, the opportunity to give back to those around us the grace that God has give us. Until the next eternal life. And since each moment could be our last, we need to cherish them and make them count.