Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

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

28 Feb 2014

Controlling Happiness

It would seem we are always in the pursuit of it.

The sign at the front door of my home

Yet,It often seems so elusive, and still I have come to realize that each of us are in control of it. Happiness wisps away like a soap-bubble in the wind. Flying from here to there and hitting people. For some of my friends I think they believe it lands on them – like luck or good fortune. Being happy is definitely a blessing. It is desirable. Not always attainable.

In the pursuit… people seem to do unnatural things don’t they? I mean they will do everything to avoid the inevitable fact that there will be sadness in their lives. Ignoring it, dismissing it as not allowed wont change that. Other people seem to think they can buy happiness, Add more things in their lives and it will be a happier one. Add more things, which will attract more people (who may seem to be your friends). they want to insulate themselves from ever being unhappy by filling their lives with time-filling stuff and people. We know how that turns out. Yet we would struggle to not accept the idea that we could try to see if that would work.

So if it is not money, and it is not avoiding sadness. If indeed it is not elusive at all, then what brings you happiness?

For me? Being confident that the people I love are there for me, and I am there for them. Being sure that I know where my spiritual center is. Understanding that I have the control over my happiness and other emotions. Not that I am going to be happy all the time. We are all human, subject to feelings of melancholy and remorse, anger and sadness, frustration and loneliness. You cannot always choose happiness, bad/sad things happen. Personally as someone fighting cancer I think it is how you deal with it that counts.

But we have the ability to grasp the positive things in our lives. Those things that will make the yin to the yang. Trusting in God. Living a life that is not centered on negative things. Making the best of the situations as they come. Understanding that not everything is going to be “just fine” all the time. It will take the effort.

You have heard the term “control your anger”. Perhaps we can also “control our happiness”?

Happiness Runs- Donovan

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, Compassion, Faith, Grace, Happiness, Joy, Kindness, Postive Thinking, Sadness, searching for happiness, Self-Awareness, Songs About Happiness, Sprituality, Who Are You

21 Feb 2014

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It Goes Without Saying

I have often heard the term “it goes without saying”. Unfortunately it seems these days not all people take that advice.

There are times when it is good to be silent. It is good to be quiet. What would be said would be of no use, other than to effect someone in a negative way for no gain (other than spite I guess). Speaking just to be heard. To me it seems like that happens a lot these days. On the news, the Internet, even in social conversations. If it can be said- someone more often than not finds a way to always say it.

Shock value? A reason to feel superior, or make a point to get ahead personally? Not sure. I have posted before, the world is full of noise. And with all that noise comes the desire to be heard. \

Even if what is being said is nothing at all. Often we want to hear what famous people are saying, or politicians because we want to know that they are saying something we would say… but then they spout off nonsense (often, not always) and we go ahead and repeat it.

Really- “it goes without saying”! But we say it any way. The very old adage that “Silence is Golden” is wasted in the millennial soup that comes from hundreds of channels on TV, thousands of URL’s on the Internet, millions of social net-worker’s who want nothing more than to share their words. Opinions presented as facts, facts distorted as truths, truths masked by agendas, agendas built around being heard as often as one can.

Okay – so maybe what I am saying- goes without saying. Maybe I shouldn’t be spouting off about how people say things just to be heard, after all I am on this blog right now – doing the same.

Here I am, saying people may want to consider silence, be “quiet” instead of always saying things. NOT saying things can be just as effective, and sometimes even more so than rattling on.

So I am done. I have nothing more to say on this matter.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, Being quiet, being remembered, Being Thoughtful, choices, Making A Difference, mental-health, Opinions, Reality Check, Sharing Opinions, Silence is Golden, Too Much Talk

20 Feb 2014

Two Year Anniversary for “Tracks In the Dust”

Okay so now I am 2 years on with my blog Tracks In The Dust. My 2nd anniversary. Hundreds of posts, multiple hundreds of followers and thousands of visits later, I think I am still doing what I intended to do.

√ Wanted to make sure to record my thoughts for my children. Perhaps later they can “remember what dad said” and take some of it to heart. Maybe someday there will be another generation of my family that can also hear a few words from their grandparents. They don’t seem to have listened as well when they were younger, perhaps as they grow older they will grab on to something ( not holding my breath).

√ Keep things in perspective: that music, art, words, are all expressions of life. Enjoy them.

√ And along the way I get to share out these things on the “Internet” of the world-wide web. And maybe it just sticks for someone, or we agree (or disagree) on some things. Maybe it confirms that all people all around the world actually see things very much the same. Perhaps human-kind isn’t that hopeless anyway. Or at least part of it.

I have had the pleasure of following several great bloggers. I have exchanged comments and ideas with people on the other side of the hemisphere from my world. I have seen pictures of wonder. Laughed at the situations we all seem to get in. Cry in sadness for those who struggle with cancer (like I do) and other illnesses. Struggle with personal injustice and fear.

In the end we are all out there. Living our lives the best way we can on this journey. On this mission of life while we are here on earth… forging “tracks in the dust.” Eventually that dust will blow away and our tracks will be gone. But we can make it more permanent. Sharing grace in everything we do. Making something worthwhile from the smallest things could change a life – yours or someone else’s forever.

We all pass through life “kind of fast” (as the theme song says)- considering the span of time in the world. We must make of it what we can, while we can. Thanks for dropping by!

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged being remembered, Hope, Messages on WordPress, Milestones, Postive Thinking, Thank You for Reading, tracks in the dust, Who Are You, Wordpress Anniversary

30 Jan 2014

Every “Little Thing”

I have blogged about this before- but it constantly amazes me how intricate God has made our lives. The connections between us are endless.

Awwwww Yeah Flowers!

I know the movies and jokes about degree’s between people (hello Kevin Bacon), but it really is much more than that. A passing kindness for someone you don’t even know. A comment made that leaves a lasting impression on someone. The experience of sharing a moment of adversity or happiness can leave you with so much more of a sense of being.

As you reflect back on your life (so far) who has influenced you?

Who has made an impression that has changed your thinking, or made you change direction? Family or friends, perhaps a teacher, a manager at work or someone at church.

Can you imagine who in your life may have been influenced by you that you don’t know? Just simple things that may have happened? Every little thing can make a difference. You may not even know it. You don’t necessarily go out each day looking for the opportunity to change someone’s thinking ( but you could).

Perhaps that’s the place to start? Each day focused on just being aware that you may be doing something for someone else. Not even working at it, you will find it. That is the grace-bomb that has the potential to be an explosion of positive reactions, leading to greater things all around.

I am not as naive to believe that its going to be a revolution or a revelation. Just that we remain aware of the possibilities, pay attention to the opportunities just a little bit each day.

Every connection you make can change the direction of another persons life or perhaps yours. Isn’t that exciting that “just a little thing”- maybe something huge.

Posted in Before and After Things Change, Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Attitude Change, Compassion, Grace, grace-bomb, Happiness, Joy, life is precious, Little Things, Possibilities, Postive Thinking, Reality Check, Self-Awareness, Sprituality, tracks in the dust

29 Jan 2014

Facing Your Fear Through Faith

Faith.

It’s easy to give-in to the pressure of the people and things that are happening around you. We have a tendency to reach for our own personal courage and convictions to help defend ourselves from those things that seem to attack our sensibilities.

Defending the purpose of our day and the reason for our existence ends up being something that takes a lot of effort and seems to be an unending lifelong job.

It’s a wonder we don’t just give-in to those things that create personal fears and doubts. But we have something that is much stronger than our personal resolve, something that is the shield that helps to make each day what God intended it to be. We can stand firm in our faith and not let personal fear and doubts chip away what God has asked of us.

There will be numerous attacks on our faith. There will be numerous reasons put into our path to convince us to step aside from the strength God provides. Often we can forget what makes us strong, and try to overcome things ourselves.

We tend to believe our strength is ours alone, and then when things aren’t going the way we plan- we give into the fear that waits inside us and we ignore the place of real strength. As a personal cancer warrior I battle that every day of my life.

So there is one answer. Put it all in your faith in Him. Make sure you are consciously aware of the strength it provides;be sure to use your faith and confidence your faith to make yourself stronger each day of your life.

Count on that faith to make the decisions you need to make. Count on the courage that it provides when things aren’t going the way you think it should – because trusting in Him will make the difference. Looking at your life through God will allow you to “be on your guard”.

I had posted this on another blog of mine, but it seems to ring true every day of my life. How about your life?

It’s something to work on daily. It is practice in our faith that will make us strong. Standing firm on what that will provide the courage we need to face our fears and doubts.