Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

Archive for the tag “Postive Thinking”

18 Nov 2013

Embrace the Journey

When I was a child I remember fondly the idea that my family was going on a “vacation” – a road trip.

There was an excitement about the “journey” and all that came with it. Sure there was the superhighway, but there was also roadside stops. Places along the way to stop. The restaurants strategically placed, the car-parks to stop, attractions worthwhile to get out of the car. There was “time” actually… at least it seemed to be more of it.

We may be weren’t as much in a hurry back then it seems. We had interest in what was going by the windows as we drove by. “Getting there” was still important, but taking a planned detour… heading down a rural route, was just as important.

Which is why I sometimes ponder what makes me in such a “hurry”. Perhaps it is because everything is instant these days. In my life seems like most inventions have all designed to be moving things along quicker. Faster cars, faster cooking, faster Internet with faster search engines, faster travel, faster answers.

Even the movies we watch are faster. Watching an “old” mystery movie the other nite with my daughter from 1995 (gasp) it was amazing how slow the plot moved, how slow the dialog moved. We both noticed. My daughter was wondering if people were just slower back in ’95. We both were thinking that we hit the FF button we could get to the mysterious conclusion.

Guess its time to work on slowing things down a bit. Cherish the journey. I have been so busy thinking about being in a hurry at work, that I have even ignored the most important person in my life, the love of my life, and hurt her more than I can imagine. Just thinking about how to get the job done at work I have missed what is around me. What’s with that?

How many things have you let pass by because you were so focused on the destination?

How often have you missed the most interesting things in your life as you drove ahead to reach where you thought you needed to be?

Embrace the journey. Bring your loved ones with you. Take life’s trip, but take some time to stop along the way and enjoy the ride.

Detour. (jcolbear03.wordpress.com)

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged cherish, choices, Embrace the Journey, Faith, life is precious, moments, Moving too fast, Postive Thinking, Self-Awareness, Slow Down, tracks in the dust

15 Nov 2013

2 Comments

Wearing A Disguise

I think there is always something to be considered about how people see each other, but how we see ourselves may be even more of a challenge.

We can see the outer people in our lives. We see what people want us to see. But it could be that we are practicing what we are in the process. Perhaps we want to conjure up an image of what we think other people want us to be.

But in the end that it seems to be really hard to keep doing. We can take life as “what it is” – and be what we are without wearing a disguise. Our potential to be someone significant may be at risk, getting approval from all of those around us. But maybe we could have more time to just be something important to ourselves. What other people think is going to have to suffice to just “be”.

Maybe they won’t like us, or maybe they aren’t going to care. What a shock that would be, but then perhaps we should ask the question: do we like ourselves.

Be true to yourself – be sure you know who and what you are. Seems so darned easy, and yet often we can work hard to try to be what others think we should be. And then we convince ourselves that we are that person.

Related Tracks Posts

Who Are You?

What it is to be Authentic

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life, Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Acceptance, being remembered, Being Yourself, choices, Faith, Personality, Postive Thinking, Self-Awareness, tracks in the dust, Who Are You

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

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.

Overcoming Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (vincefrese.wordpress.com)

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, attitude, choices, Doing new things, Doubt, Fear, FUD factor, Life, moments, Postive Thinking, Preparation, uncertainty and doubt

07 Oct 2013

Contradiction

We all get them… There are a lot of mixed messages in today’s’ world.

A lot of it is the fact that we live in the “information age” I think. It happens all around us. No matter what we see or hear, there seems to be a question of reality. We read news, we track social networks, we watch media provide up to the minute real-time events in our living room.

What we see can sometime contradict what we believe is true, and still we may tend to deny what our eyes are seeing.There are other times we see or read something, that won’t validate what we want to believe so we will dismiss it. It contradicts our beliefs and then we are not going to accept the evidence.

There are a lot of people who outwardly say sincerely that they care about people and causes. But their actions contradict that. They follow their religious or personal philosophies, but only when it fits in their lives. Like the message of LOVE and the practice of HATE. They may be saying that people “in need” should be helped, but shouldn’t help them in any way even if they are provided many opportunities. I guess almost all of us need to work harder all the time to focus on people in-need.

It is easy to say and do things that don’t make sense to everything else in our lives. It can be the principle of the moment and long-term it doesn’t play out. But there are many times I think I need to stop and review what is “in-coming” in my life and make sure I am convicted to the “outcome” – and not contradict myself. Does that happen in your life, too?