Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

05 Nov 2013

A Simple Grain Of Sand

I have learned, never take a day for granted. My dad used to say “the world is your oyster”. There are plenty of pearls I suppose out there. But it all starts with a grain of sand.

Microscopic view of sand on the beach

Our lives have to mean something while we are here on earth. The one grain of truth can be shared to make a beautiful thing or can ignite hate and fear. One simple thought can generate the grace of the spirit or it could be something that contributes to the darkness of wasted time and an energy that leads nowhere.

So we have a choice, to make the best of each day whether it starts with the smallest things or is full of events that make up your life. Staying at home behind your doors and drowning in the circumstance of life can waste away the gift of the time we have and wear away at the spirit of our being.

So whatever life we have left ( a minute, a day, a year, many years?) is ours to do with what we want. Choose grace. Choose to let each grain of sand become a pearl that will last much longer than you will be allowed. It is what matters most I think. Of course that depends on your perspective.

31 Oct 2013

2 Comments

All That I’m Allowed

I get so sad sometimes. Just watching people wasting their lives away.

They consume so much of their time feeling that they are victims, or looking at the dark side of their life and being angry at everyone and every thing around them.

Sometimes I want to shake them and tell them to stop it! Quit sinking in the quicksand that is wrapping itself around them and slowing them down. It is tough to say how to help them. They don’t want to listen, they believe that “others” are creating their circumstances and that there is no way out. They are looking for more.

There is a look of hopelessness in their eyes. I cannot tell them the hopelessness I have experienced fighting a disease in my body that is not curable. It will always be there and my wife and I had to make a choice. Let it consume our lives or do something about it. We turned to our faith in God. We also turned to each other to help understand that His love is stronger than anything when it comes to life. We know that life is not eternal here on earth. We know that there is an ending to our timeline here, and that it is eternity that will matter most.

What we have learned: Have faith in each other, have faith in Him. Look at life as something to embrace no matter what the future holds. It has to be part of the equation. I feel bad for those with no hope, with no feeling of what “comes next”. They need to take another look at make something better out of the time we are allowed.

Standing Firm in Faith while in the Midst of Uncertainty (leslieannvarela.com)
Cancer survivor finds healing in faith (times-news.com)

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life, Life's Sound Track (Music) and tagged Elton John, Faith, Grace, Happiness, Hope, Hopelessness, Joy, life is precious, Music, Postive Thinking, Religion and Spirituality

27 Oct 2013

The Influence of Lou Reed

Lou Reed. Rest In Peace.

I know that I was not the kind of fanatic follower of Lou Reed. I mean I knew instantly that I heard Velvet Underground that he along with his compatriots were on to a sound that “needed” to happen at that time of rock history. I always thought the way that he made songs were those songs that spoke to the people who needed the opposite things from the pop-revolution that was flooding the airwaves back then. ( there are always those pioneers who change where music is going aren’t there?)

When a friend of mine brought “Transformer” over to my house and put it in the turn-table, we already had a love affair with the stuff that was called “glam-rock” at the time. Spiders from Mars, Mick Ronson, Mott the Hoople. Bowie was just changing things so much. But Lou Reeds Transformer album was just wildly different. Sure there was the Wild Side song… yeah we got that. But there was so much more magic in every song. I actually wore out my copy and finally gave it to someone to listen to and never got it back.

When I was in a band in high school, we used to play “Sweet Jane” – somehow reaching back to our roots. And we played the “live” version (from Rock N Roll Animal) with the Intro that was just a great instrumental piece on its own. It was our favorite song even when we were playing so many other more classic pop songs back then. There was a night that we played it in a big auditorium and our guitar player must have had it turned up to 11. The crowd loved it, even those kids that we knew didn’t really know who Lou Reed was. There was an edge to his music, to the subject matter he wrote about.

So my hat’s off to the late great Lou Reed, passing today at 71 years old. His passing really made me reflect on things: He was more of an influence in what I listened to then and what I listen to now that I guess I realized.

In Memoriam | Lou Reed Dead At 71 | 1942 – 2013 (jambase.com)

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged being remembered, David Bowie, Glam Rock, life is precious, Lou Reed, Lou Reeds Transformer, Memories, Mick Ronson, moments, Music, Rock music, Rolling Stone, Sweet Jane, Transformer, Velvet Underground, Wild Side

27 Oct 2013

Sleeping

I used to think that sleep was great. I could “sleep in” on a Saturday till noon.

I don’t remember any more what that feels like. I was a young buck when that happened last I think.

I went through my period of thought that “sleep was under-rated” – the old adage that I will “sleep when I am dead.”

But really sleep is obviously something we need to have to recharge. I need to recharge more some days than others. But I have those days. You probably do to. Your mind won’t shut off at the end of the day. You are tired but you can’t sleep. The alarm-clock will not give extra time back. So there you are… Or worse when you finally get to sleep and the alarm goes off and now you are dead tired! Even though you weren’t hours before.

I have my days where the early bed time sounds great, but my head is just going too fast to shut off.

Maybe it’s because I am getting older. Thinking about a million things that I really can’t change, things that could definitely wait till morning. Reviewing what happened, thinking about what could happen tomorrow.

Deep breaths, getting in the zone to drift “miles away” , making warm milk or something. Seems like sleep would be nice.

Have to work on that… how about you?

Your snooze button is probably why you feel cruddy all day (theweek.com)

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Acceptance, Change, Faith, insomnia, Lack of Sleep, Restless Feeling, Self-Awareness, Sleep

25 Oct 2013

Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt

Fear, uncertainty and doubt. The FUD factor.

It is really the basis for a lot of decisions in our life. It plays on us – chips away at the confidence of a decision. It can influence the paths we take, the things we say, the attempts we make on the important things we do and the trivial things.

Recognizing it is part of the challenge. Some times our brave selves, our fearless selves get in the way and can let us go ahead with a bad idea as well. It is a great equalizer.

Even those people who you know who seem fearless, who tread ahead without regard for the outcome. They have their own fears and doubts. Even they are uncertain at times. Quietly they may approach some things that others are amazed. But there are deep-seated fears there.

Fear, uncertainty and doubt. It can rule you or you can adjust. You can have trust where you didn’t before, You can look at things in a different way, you can step out of your comfort zone and prove something to yourself. If there are failures, looking at them as short-term set backs may be right. Taking another whack at things isn’t out of the question many times. You can convince yourself there is no 2nd chance. But that is possibly FUD happening again.

So let’s face it 🙂 there are many obstacles in your way. Creating more isn’t a good idea. I am working on over coming my FUD factors – it is something that is going to take constant reminding – starting from ME. Remembering that HE is there for me always. Taking the time to make the time to be ready.

Now how about you? It starts with you.