Postive Thinking | Tracks In The Dust

Archive for the tag “Postive Thinking”

11 Feb 2013

Cleaning Out Junk In Your Life

DO you think it may be time to clean up the “junk” in your life? Over time it seems to pile up and get in your way. It can obstruct your vision. Make you see things that aren’t there, make you stay where you are at when you really should be moving forward.

The stuff that becomes more like “junk” gets so high that it seems insurmountable Old memories, old books and music, old letters and remembrances from another time. They hide in the attics, under things in drawers. They could be hanging in your closets, or even just electronically as part of your email contacts and messages.

They are not meaningless. They make up every bit of who you are. They may be significant in the course of time in your life, but they are behind you. You may think that at sometime holding on to them will be valuable, they will be worthy of a return somehow. They could be beneficial in some way in the future because they are going to assist you in moving even farther forward. That can be sometimes true, but more often they can be equally weighing down the opportunity for real progress.

They can be valuable. Okay. By now some may even be collectibles (cant say antiques -gulp) or something. Maybe you have a thought that you could share them with your children. Show them some of those things that mean so much in your timeline of life. But actually they will nod, say that they understand (although they can’t imagine you being younger than when they were alive). Only they nearly won’t ever cherish them the way you do. In fact when you ask them what they remember about their childhood, it is those things that aren’t often part of the “stuff” you’ve saved. It is more about the moments and places where they enjoyed being a family.

So now its time to hold up the junk to the microscope of today. What will it mean in another 10 years? What will it mean to you? To others around you then? Like cleaning up the clutter, cleaning up the stuff- the junk that memories are made of can be so hard to do. It is like taking pieces of what you once cherished and putting it on the curb. But it can be refreshing and feel like some weight has lifted.

Find what is really important. Search for what it really is.

Like the picture above. Clutter and junk pile up till you are hard-pressed to find the important things in your life…. Can you find the black and white cat in the picture?

The Lost Art of Listening

In my daily life at work and at home I have noticed a trend about “listening” .

It seems like a lot of people today have lost the art of listening.

Yes, we all listen to things. The TV, the movies, the music we listen to… we listen to our teachers.mentors, bosses, or spiritual guides and take note of their wisdom (many times to our own chagrin as we find it necessary to help pass the course). But listening and hearing things can often be different I think.

The lost art of listening, as I see it, is the motion of listening to what someone says and understanding it. Making sure to understand the meaning and the context in which they say it, and better yet understand their personal reason and viewpoint for saying it in the first place.

These days it seems like we don’t take the time. Perhaps it is because we are in so much of a hurry. We move so quickly through our digital lives to meet the goal of accomplishing it – that we often miss what people are really trying to say… in fact we are so busy trying to think about what we should say next, that we take a sound byte from something to start to respond without really “hearing” what was said. Without acknowledging it.

Perhaps the reason that “texting” has become more of a popular way to communicate. After its a 2 way communication that requires that each actually reads the statement made in the text message. No need to call and have two way communication that may certainly require listening.

Sure, maybe the texts aren’t spelled correctly, perhaps they are sound-bytes themselves, but at least they come over just as planned. Indeed texting doesn’t require actually listening at all. But there is still something lost in the transfer. The persons inflection and the world of meaning that comes with the tone of it. Of course there is time to consider the response, immediate responses come from the volley of discussion. None needed in texting.

Listening has evolved in so many other ways. In this “surround sound” world we are looking for the thrills and impact of the movies we watch. Instead of dialog, we are looking for stunning sound and special effects. Driving the beat instead of the message is nothing new, but so often today the music gets lost as we are looking for. It gets lost in the next pop-star to come along. Those artist & musicians that have survived had something more to say… and for those music greats it is about the “listening”.

So maybe for me, its time to stop and take a listen. To appreciate what people are trying to say with their words. The meaning of it. To take the time to listen to the sounds around me, that surround me in such a much more simple way. How about you?

Posted in Before and After Things Change and tagged Art, being remembered, Communication, Hearing, Listening, Music, Postive Thinking, Slow Down, Text messaging

17 Jan 2013

1 Comment

The Last Words You Say

These days I am so much more aware of what I say to everyone every day. Time and time again I think about how those things I say and how I say them could be the last words I ever say to them. ….Oh, I know that this sounds like this is so filled with dread, like the world is so fatal. But it’s really not that.

If you have a choice with your loved ones on what you would say on the last day you are alive, before you leave this earth for a better place ahead. What would you say? ….. then ask yourself why you are waiting? Say it now.

There aren’t very many reasons to consider waiting, and your life is a gift that allows you look inward and provide love and care to others while you are here on this planet. We all are looking for a greater meaning of the whole thing called life, but the simple things can and should be at the center of it. It is the reward here.

So think about the next time your son or daughter or spouse is leaving out the door for the day. Consider the next time you see your family and friends. Are you telling them what you would tell them if it were the last words you would say? Are those bitter feelings, or small worries worth spending that valuable time? Or would you rather make sure that your precious time together always be cherished?

Don’t take your time for granted. Make it count. Be sure to reach out and say what you mean. Whether it is in-person or on the phone, whether it is an email response or just a random meeting in a store. Never let it go without being sure that you appreciate their love, or the part they play in your life, focus on the reason they mean what they do to you… It doesn’t take a million words. It doesn’t have to be a deep speech or long drawn out oratory… just tell them you care…

Thank you for visiting tracksinthedust. It’s always nice to know how much humankind really needs the same things in life. Blessings to you!

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged cherish, choices, Compassion, Faith, Grace, Kindness, life is precious, People, Postive Thinking, Sprituality, Truth

18 Dec 2012

Soundtrack of Your Life

Hey- I got stuck on this the other day. So many of my friends (both bloggy and non-bloggy) talk about how music is such a part of their lives.

I think music draws a lot into the motions of life, surrounding you with feelings and memories that are indelible.

Liberally borrowing from a recent Entertainment Weekly magazine I challenge each of you (if music is part of your life at all like it is for me ) to answer the following & post it back on comments or on your site and “share”.

What are the songs that make up the Soundtrack of Your Life?

The first song I was ever obsessed with:
The first album I ever bought with my own money:
The song that reminds me of my first love:
The first song I ever sang in front of people:
The artist people don’t know I am a fan of:
My go-to karaoke jam:
The album that reminds me of home:
The album that I will never get tired of, no matter how often I hear it:
The song(s) I listen to to get pumped up:
The song that I wish I had written (and would have been famous for):
The album I want played at my funeral:
My #1 favorite holiday song:

You can explain yourself if you want to as to why you chose it. Just play along! Their are NO wrong answers.

Go ahead. But be sure to share on your site or in the comments for others to see… and provide a LINK.

Posted in Life's Sound Track (Music) and tagged Christmas music, holiday song, Memories, moments, Music, Opinion, Postive Thinking, Rock music, Self-Awareness, Who Are You

03 Dec 2012

2 Comments

“Happy” Holidays

Every time about this time of year I kind of think about what’s left for the year before it’s over.

There is so much to be thankful for, and so much to reflect on. There are 2 holidays here in the US before it is all done, and it is such a great time to catch up with friends and family and celebrate life together. A time to be “happy”

No matter what you think you did this year, you can always do more. But no matter what you have you can always be thankful – Be thankful for the opportunity to be here on this Earth, reading things on the Internet, with food and water and sharing your love with your family, friends.

This time of year also means people have high expectations of what the holiday’s should bring. The idea Thanksgiving ( in the US can be a house full of food, family and football) and the picture perfect Merry Christmas. Often that ends up putting people in the most depressed sorts- when the simplest reasons to be HAPPY are just those things that “are” simple… Sometimes alone feeling abandoned, sometimes without much or anything to eat. It takes time to remember what happiness really is. It’s not about “things” or possessions, it is about something much simpler than that. It’s about being recognized for being a human-being on this Earth who, just like everyone else, is trying to make the best of the world as it has been dealt.

So as we are spending time looking for things to be thankful for… as we wander by and wish people a “happy” holiday season. Looks like we should be aware that for some it may be hard to see it, hard to feel it, or know where happiness is. They need to know your wish is sincere, you need to know you mean it.

Happy Holiday all!