Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

Archive for the tag “choices”

10 Jun 2013

All Things Must Pass

More frequently these days I recall how precious life is. It is very fragile. We have our chance to look at life from many ways. But in the end it all will pass. That’s why I share this song from the late George Harrison. It has always been one of those songs that captures the spirituality of the passing of time.

Sunrise doesn’t last all morning
A cloudburst doesn’t last all day
Seems my love is up and has left you with no warning
Its not always going to be this grey

All things must pass
All things must pass away

Sunset doesn’t last all evening
A mind can blow those clouds away
After all this, my love is up and must be leaving
Its not always going to be this grey

All things must pass
All things must pass away
All things must pass
None of lifes strings can last
So, I must be on my way
And face another day

Now the darkness only stays the night-time
In the morning it will fade away
Daylight is good at arriving at the right time
Its not always going to be this grey

All things must pass
All things must pass away
All things must pass
All things must pass away

A VIDEO FROM VH1 – George Harrison’s last live performance before his death.

Posted in Life's Sound Track (Music) and tagged Acceptance, All Things Must Pass, being remembered, Cancer, choices, George Harrison, Grace, Joy, Life, life is precious, Music, Rock music, Sprituality, tracks in the dust

09 Jun 2013

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The Meaning of Love

Before I was in love with my wife, I had an idea of what love was. A deep feeling of passion and remembrance. A way to feel that was part of songs and poetry.

Time had captured a high-school romantic way to know about desperate love and the pain when it was over. Everyone has a different definition, but the verb “to love” I have learned has a meaning depending on where you started and how you got there.

After I fell in love with my wife, I realized how easy it was to be fooled into believing you were “in love.” It is so much more once you know that love means more. It’s really unfair, because until you know that kind of love- you can’t understand it.

And once you do know that love, you cannot explain it to anyone quite exactly the way it is. But people will tell you they know, that they are aware of it. Perhaps they do- but only you and her will know for sure.

And then they we to capture it by making a “day” out of it. On this day my wife and I celebrate an “anniversary”- another milestone in which to track the movement of life. It has been decades of love with my wife. We have experienced pain, elation of children in our lives, the passing of parents and the loss of one of our children to something we could not for-see. We have moved to many cities, experienced many lessons over time. We are here to tell each other it will all be fine– we are together in God’s love. We understand much about love. Not everything mind you, but much of love and the life we have led together.

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged cherish, choices, God's love, life is precious, Love, Marriage, moments, Online Writing, relationships, Romance

03 Jun 2013

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Changing Lives One Day At A Time

Time seems to stand still once in a while. There is nothing special happening, nothing monumental. Yet all around you are people who are experiencing quite the opposite. They may be having a life event, a special moment perhaps. They may have run into the depths of failure, or the heights of success.

But there you are. Living in one of those nondescript days where at the end of it, you have to ask yourself how it got so late at night and it is “time for bed”. It seems like a throw-away day. Just moving through the day like the sun overhead. Moving from east to west and finally being done warming the day.

Sometimes it makes me feel sad. It’s a day you can never get back, no chance to have a “re-do”. Could there have been opportunities to make a difference in someone else’s life, to strike a conversation, help someone you may not even have known by offering an act of kindness? Could you have spent a moment to call a friend, make someone laugh or just tell someone you haven’t seen in a while that you were thinking of them?

All of those things seem so simple and somewhat insignificant I guess. But they are not, are they? They are reasons for the chance to live the day. To provide forgiveness, to show kindness, to create a new timeline of events for someone else perhaps, a possible very small thing for you- that sends someone off in an entirely new direction in their lives.

Then you can still say it “seemed like an uneventful day”. But not… it seems for everyone. I will work to make that day happen. How about you?

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged being remembered, Boring days, Changing Lives, choices, Compassion, Forgiveness, Grace, Kindness, Making A Difference, Reality Check, relationships, Sprituality

29 May 2013

Looking for the Big Finish

You know those movies where there is the big “reveal” – the ultimate secret that no one in the movie knew?

Lately I have been having those kind of dreams. Like some long story with a lot of mystery and conflict. Then it comes time for the answer and bam! … I wake up.

Answers like that seem to become elusive. I am sure some dream analysis person could tell me all about why I dream that way, or why I wake up before someone reveals the “big finish” to the dream.

But then for many of us life can also seem that way. Always waiting in anticipation for the revealing secret that is going to make everything fit together so well. That “ah-ha” moment. It is going to provide that release for the tension and un-sureness that life brings and let us ride off into the sunset with our heads held high.

From my perspective I guess, seems like that will be an elusive thing for all our lives if we let our subconscious keep gnawing away at our fears, chipping away at our confidence and providing fuel for the worry of not knowing where the plot will end things.

However, there seem to be chapters in life where things will come to a place where there are moments of clarity. Loss of loved ones, gaining new friends or lovers, celebrating the personal and emotional milestones …. things like that will jar things loose for a bit. They can make the story of living so clear as something that has purpose or doesn’t have… but as the page turns the new plot begins and its time to continue life’s story.

To me there is only one way to settle this. It is to trust in your spiritual being. To give to Him. To make adjustments that allow you to have faith in something bigger than you. It can put a lot in perspective and allow for a different look at how the “final” end to the story will look. It can be the ultimate “ah-ha” moment. The big finish will be the last day of your life, when all is certain ( as that day is certain to come) – you will be able to enjoy the ultimate secret.

That will be when the life/movie credits roll and the screen will show thanks to all who contributed, “The End” – or will it be the beginning? It’s all on how you live it now I guess.

Posted in Before and After Things Change and tagged Acceptance, anticipation, Cencer, Change, choices, Dream interpretation, Dying, Eternity, Faith, Interpretation, Life, moments of clarity, Postive Thinking, Reality Check, Sprituality, subconscious

16 May 2013

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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.