Be Aware of the Beauty All Around You

I have been temporarily displaced in a portion of the country that is totally foreign to me. The culture is different, the environment and scenery are different, and the weather is different. At first, it was okay, because it was different.

But slowly day by day, week by week, depression started to sink in. I missed trees and green grass. I had the misfortune of leaving my previous home just as spring started. Three or four purple tulips had popped up in my front yard. Lily of the valley was blooming everywhere. The dogwoods were an umbrella of white. The azalea bushes were starting to bloom the morning that I left.

I missed looking out my windows and watching the colorful jaybirds, robins, and cardinals returning to their home, my home, for the summer. I missed listening to them singing every morning from my kitchen window. I missed hearing the wind chimes jingling gently in the breeze. I missed watching all of the squirrels playing in the evening in my back yard. I won't get to see the roses in bloom or smell the honeysuckle or the wisteria this summer. And I'm actually crying as I write this just thinking about it.

Yes, my previous home was a beautiful place to be. And most places aren't as pretty by comparison, I admit that. But the change of scenery has been so drastic. Now I'm in a tiny apartment. When I look out the (only) front window, I see a brick wall and a parking lot. Dust blows everywhere, not a blade of grass in sight. There are these ugly, prickly, cacti about ten feet tall in the parking lot. They look like huge sticker bushes to me.

So the depression has gradually gotten deeper and deeper. I've been trying to change my mindset. I know that's most of the battle. To say it has been difficult would be an understatement.

Guess what happened a few days ago? On a particularly bad day, I had gotten into the truck for a quick trip to the grocery store. I hate the grocery store, so my mood was even more foul. As I sat at the stop sign just one block from the apartment, I looked up. I was staring at a magnificent mountain in the distance. It was beautiful. It made me smile. I made the left turn toward the store, and there was another majestic mountain! On the way back, right before turning into the parking lot by my front door, yet another beautiful view was off in the distance. All I have to do is open my front door, walk a few feet, look past the giant sticker bushes, and there it is- anytime I want to look at it. Yes, it's still dusty, there is still no grass or trees or flowers. But I have my own magnificent mountain sitting right outside my front door.

Don't dwell on the negative. There is beauty all around you, no matter where you live. And I'm going to buy wind chimes that I can hear gently jingling in the wind.

Another 'Impossible' Dream Realized

Imagine life bound to a wheelchair since your mid-20s. You are almost completely paralyzed. The only muscles you are capable of moving are a few tiny muscles around your cheekbones, eyebrows, mouth, and eyes. You communicate using a machine with a synthesized voice. What's more, you are a genius stuck inside this broken body. Then one day, you are able to literally float in the air, freed from the limitations of your body and this earth.

That is what happened to Stephen Hawking recently. Stephen is a world-renowned astrophysicist who has always dreamed of going into outer space. He is author of the best-selling book, "A Brief History of Time", which explains quantum physics in a way that is entertaining and understandable to anyone. Hawkings suffers from ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He is one of the greatest geniuses of our time.

Hawkings went on a zero-gravity flight from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One of his lifetime ambitions is to fly into space, which he may soon be able to do. The company that sponsored his zero-gravity flight plans to offer sub-orbital space tourism flights by the end of the decade. Hawkings has already been offered a free ride.

The look on Hawkings' face when he landed said everything. Although tired, he was all smiles.

This is my second inspirational story I had promised earlier to post.
Read the entire story here

New Inspirational True Stories

I've got some more inspirational stories to prove that it's never too late to accomplish your goals and that virtually anything is possible.

First up is the story of an aspiring student that attends Fort Hays State University in Kansas. Nola Ochs graduates next month with a general studies degree specializing in history. What makes Nola different from all of the other students graduating next month?

Well, a few things make her unique. First, she started acquiring her degree in 1972, after her husband died. Second, she is 95 years old. This makes her the oldest college student in the world to graduate. Last, she is graduating with her 21-year-old granddaughter.

If that doesn't define persistence, spunk, patience, and determination, I don't know what does. Read the entire story here

I will post my second story later. Until then, keep your head up.

A Perfect Example of My Philosophy and Plan

Many people dream of sailing around the world. Very few actually get to, however. Both money and time constraints prevent it. Mostly money. I read a news headline the other day where a man in his 50s and his 20-something girlfriend are going to sail not once, not twice, but three times around the world. The trip will last for 1000 days and they don't intend to stop at any ports or set foot on land for the entire trip. The sailing trip will break a record.

Well, good for them, I thought. (In a sarcastic tone- something else I need to work on.) The guy is probably loaded. That would explain his young girlfriend. (Did I mention that I'm cynical?) So I read the rest of the story. The man is an artist and accomplished sailor. Well, being an artist doesn't give away much about his finances. He can be filthy rich or dirt poor. Maybe he got an inheritance? After reading the entire article, I found out that the cost of the trip is being financed by corporate donations, donations by individuals, as well as donations of food. So whether the chap has money is irrelevant. Either he was able to keep his dough in his pockets or he had none and got others to cough it up.

The point is, money wasn't a roadblock to his dream. This guy and his girlfriend are going to be able to use other people's money to literally sail around the world for three years. If you set your mind to it, if you can see it within your mind's eye, anything is possible.

Here's the link if you would like to read the entire story-
Longest Sailing Trip

Day 5 - Update

First, I believe I need to clarify myself somewhat. As mentioned in my first post, the last year or so has been rough. Lots of complications and stress, deaths of loved ones, with the grand finale being forced to send an additional approximate $12,000 to the tax man. That was really the final straw. Life simply couldn't continue to go on in the same direction or I was simply going to quit living it. On April 20, I decided to make an all around change.

I am going to consciously change my life. Even areas of my life for which I seem to have no control are going to receive my full focus. I'm working on relationships (with my husband, my children, with myself). I'm striving to take better care of myself by eating healthier foods, exercising, losing weight, and taking natural supplements. I'm going to take more pride in my appearance by dressing in something other than t-shirts, getting regular haircuts, wearing makeup and jewelry at least occasionally- you get the idea. I'm focusing on the here and now of each day- living in the moment. Unless of course, the moment is one in which I would like to skip. In that case, I consiously choose to change the moment and my reaction to it. I'm also aggressively looking for ways to create consistent income so that I have to rely on no one else and don't have to worry about my future or my ability to help my children with their own futures.

I guess this sounds like anyone else's diary entry on December 31st. But this is different for me. By publicly posting this, I am forcing myself to stick to these new habits. What's more, this isn't just a list of to-dos. I have lots of ideas for ways to implement these dreams and make them real. Just follow along and see how I progress. You may be surprised and maybe even inspired to try a few ideas for yourself.

Baby Steps

Day 1 isn't going smoothly, but I'm giving it a try. I'm trying to block out negative thoughts and emotions. It's harder to do than a person thinks. I caught my mind churning negativity. I didn't even realize that I was eating an apple at the time. I consciously turned off the negative thoughts and instead concentrated on my apple. It was so good! I proceeded to savor every bite of that apple and didn't think of anything else. It was the best apple I've had in a long time. Baby steps...

Day 1 of Blogging a New Start

Friday, April 20, 2007. This is a day that will live forever in my heart and mind. Today is a new beginning, in every possible way.

Let me start off by saying that this has been a grueling past couple of years. There have been lots of complications, confrontations, stresses, and a couple of dear people have died. We filed an extension on our taxes, but still had to come up with almost $11,000 as a close estimate of how much we owe. An account reserved for retirement covered that painful bill. I only hope that our estimate was close enough to avoid even more taxes, interest, and penalties. This, actually, is a personal pet peeve of mine. Go to this site to find out ways to avoid that April 15th dread each year- Abolish the IRS.

Anyway, don't feel sorry for me. This is a moment to celebrate. Make a toast to me in my honor. It can only get better from here. I plan on being painfully honest as I embark on this new start. If you would like to come along for the journey, you are more than welcome.