Tracks In The Dust

16 May 2013

Finding Your Happier Life

Finding a happier life seems somehow elusive, but we have to admit there are barriers that we create.

You know about those things that get in your way of finding the path to improving your daily life, in a spiritual way and in a contextual way. Enjoying the passage of time is a simple foundation of life. But you cannot let barriers get in your way.

A recent article I read reminded me of something a very wise man had taught me years ago. It’s not about money or possessions that make for an enjoyable life. It is more the self-realization that you cannot allow these “Five D’s” to stop you from your journey.

Discouragement. You convince yourself that no matter what you do, your life is never going to get any better . That life is always going to be a painful hurdle, things will never change and you might as well not try.
Doubt. You start to think that you are not worthy of a better life or happiness in your life. Chipping away at the hope you have in yourself and those around you. You 2nd guess your decisions.
Delay. You have worked so hard to make things better in your life, you focus on the positive and don’t like doubt or discouragement get you down. But nothing changes, things still seem to be the same… frustrations, the same as before, and if it hasn’t happened with your effort, it isn’t likely to happen now.
Difficulty. Things are way too hard when they appear that they shouldn’t be. You look around it and “looks” like life is easier for others around you. But not for you. Everything seems difficult. Even the littlest things seem big and hard work.
Depression. So the other 4 “D”s have been wrapped around you like a cloak. You are letting them. You are finding ways to let them and you finally give-in and decide that you don’t even feel like making the effort to change anything in your life. It may even feel like things are “better” if you just don’t do anything and wallow in the sadness and the hopelessness.

They are a barriers between you and your spiritual welfare. Your faith in God. Your ability to enjoy the time here on Earth and share your life with others, as well as center your own well-being.

The first step to a better life is to recognize these barriers. Don’t let them consume you. If you think that is hard, it is probably one of the five D’s applied… and the cycle will continue.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, choices, Depression, DIscouragement, Doubt, Faith, Fear, God, Happiness, Hope, mental-health, Postive Thinking, Religion and Spirituality, Self-esteem

09 May 2013

Behind Every Door

Behind every door is a story. And every one of them is personal.

Recently in Cleveland Ohio USA, three women emerged from the horror of being secretly locked up and tortured and raped for ten years, while the rest of the world moved by the house and the doors and windows where so much pain and anger was hidden. It is one that was discovered, but you can’t help thinking there are so many equally terrifying stories. People living in the private walls of their lives in a way that most may not understand, while yet others may recognize as their own…

So we pass by doors of people’s lives every day, some real, some just figuratively. We may often ignore the idea of what is behind those doors.There stories for every door, so many stories. Stories of loneliness, pain, anger, sadness, hopelessness, guilt and so many more of the agonies that we humans have been dealt. We try to reflect ourselves on those doors. In our heads and lives we see those doors as similar or identical to ours, of we find ourselves threatened by the idea that there are things much worse.

Behind those doors there is certainly good and bad, because everyone has their own demons and challenges. I know someone who is living the pain and challenges of a brain tumor. His family is dealing with all that emotion, all that goes with the disease and the stark mortality that is a constant part of their lives. It is the struggle behind a door that many will pass every day. Most will never know.

Seems like in this world of high-speed connections, Internet friendships and text messaging – the opportunity to have those relationships we need- those connections behind those doors have been damaged. It is lost behind the locks of the doors that divide us. That contain so many stories that deserve compassion, deserve to be discovered. Need to understand there is hope.

Posted in Before and After Things Change and tagged Acceptance, choices, Compassion, Emotion, Faith, Fear, Happiness, Hopelessness, isolation, Reality Check, Salvation, society, Who Are You

01 May 2013

The Trust May Be Gone, But Keep the Faith

Recalling a “time of trust” in our world, things have seemed to change.

In the old days we would believe sales people at our local stores, we would rely on news from the network TV newscaster to see a window to the world from a trusted person we let into our living room. Even more so , in the days gone by we would believe our politicians.

Were we naive in the old days? Very likely we were not worldly enough because our perspective was contained inside a smaller circle – local stores, one newspaper, 3 TV stations to choose from. Perhaps we were stronger by faith itself.

It seems like that has changed. Have we just learned our lessons over time and got smarter? Or likely we have gotten just more jaded?

We have lost faith in our politicians – ( in the US that really happened in the early 70’s with the Watergate scandal I think) I know many of us couldn’t imagine some of our past US Presidents being under the scrutiny they are today and coming out as unscathed as they had in the past. These days the news media, the social media has started with the premise of dis-trust. And in a matter of seconds the trust (or lack of it) shoots into the ether-web and becomes someone else’s truth.

Today I couldn’t imagine taking an order to buy a high tech device or an appliance simply on the recommendation of the 20 yr old in the big-box store. That itself as led to the demise of so many of the retailers this past decade.

Today I couldn’t imagine just believing everything you read just because it was in-print or accept the news – like back in the days when the US landed on the moon… Walter Cronkite said “that’s the way it is”. Yet it seems in some ways people still do believe way too much of what they read on Internet- listening to extremes from so many talking heads who have no perspective on facts or truth- then they even write books about it.

Then roll all of this up this with our society’s ever decreasing attention span, and layer in the endless amount of choices we are exposed to – and throw that into the sea of anonymity. For many… top it off with the lack of spiritual faith- in-something- bigger leaves so many with no trust, faith or foundation in the Truth. It has left way too many people as distrusting skeptics; with each other, with our leaders, with the information we are presented every day we seem to view the world as hopeless. It is truly not, we need to keep the faith!

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, Belief, Change, choices, Definitions, Faith, Fear, God, Media, Opinion, Reality Check, Sprituality, Trust

19 Apr 2013

1 Comment

Being Rich with the Grace of Living

The rich get richer. Least I always saw it that way most of my life.

I guess if you stop to consider the definition of rich, there is a way you could change that meaning. After all the richness of life has nothing to do with the money and items we possess. It is about much much more than that. Sure it can sound like the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” or something where you can accumulate your friends and family around you and greatly appreciate that they are there for you.

That is a richness of life that many wish they could have, and in these times when tragedies of life seem to be more part of our daily lives, I think it gives us pause to reflect on what is really important.

When the Boston Marathon explosions occurred, people were reaching out to people to do what ever they could. Mobile phones and social websites lit up with people wanting to know that their friends and family were safe. They provided condolences and well wished sentiment of prayers to all effected. It has happened again and again in the face of adversity ( like the Connecticut school massacre, the recent fertilizer plan explosion in Texas and so many before that). It snaps everyone to attention about how delicate life is- how precious and quick it can change forever.

But deeper than that we all looked around at our loved ones – closest to us and asked the important questions. How we measure the value of our lives is important, and the richness of it is not accumulated by the things around us, but the people around us and the people we connect with each day – even for the slight moments we pass by people on the street or at work. It would seem that it is the richness of this grace in living that we need to embrace to help us all make sense of the changing world surrounding us all. Least that’s the way I see it.

Posted in Before and After Things Change and tagged Acceptance, Compassion, Fear, Grace, life is precious, Love, Postive Thinking, Reality Check, Sadness, Sprituality

12 Apr 2013

2 Comments

Expecting Less

There are so many times when “expecting less” in your life’s daily process would be best. Yet in these days and times it seems like that statement makes some people cringe.

I see so many people who are constantly focused on what they can accumulate in their lives. Whether it is possessions or friends or money or love or attention, they are constantly measuring their lives to see where they are. A great example of that comes to mind when looking at the social networking sites (even this one) that millions of people are members: get “more” followers, get “more likes” – add more friends to the list.

For others I see them measuring their lives in how much they have, or how good something compares to what others may have. The better car, the better home, the better job. That is such a fragile thing, especially these days when economies are floundering, prices are raising and the idea of “better” keeps notching up. It ends up with stress in life that can come back to haunt you. Perhaps then you have to worry about getting the “better” doctor perhaps, because you are going to need it. 🙂

So it feels like there should be caution when making the statement that “expecting less” is something well worth declaring. Many times it sounds weak or like someone is resigning to not have high expectations for oneself. Perhaps for some… their constant drive for more could be defined in the end by the measure of what I think it ultimately provides: “expect less happiness”. For we all know somewhere in our hearts- that more worldly things won’t define happiness – not in the width or breadth of it.

It could be that “expecting less” feels like “accepting failure” – in some cases there is an element of truth. Yet, it can lead to fear of failure;but that can drive another motivation entirely can’t it? I don’t think that it means you should expect to fail, you but you have to understand where the lines are in your life.

So in the end- “give more” is the counter-balance. Spiritually it is the reason for our daily struggles- as many have decided to reverse things and say “expect more“. What a simple change that will allow us all to be surprised by the spiritual power that we have been provided…and give more.

So expect less/give more. Not sure if you agree with that or not. Be rewarded with what will be blessings and grace in your life. I believe although it is very hard to do, it provides an abundance of happiness when applied.