The Fear Poem

This is one of my favorite poems on FEAR, and it has helped me heal my life in many ways.  I am sharing the CD version with you in the hope that it will have as great an impact on your life as it has on mine.

Here is Joy Harjo performing her "Fear Poem"

Fear is a part of our human existence, but it is how we interact with that fear that either makes it debilitating or empowering.  It is not a simple process and should not be used as chastisement because you're still learning to see fear for what it is.  It is a lifelong process of awareness and consciousness, not something to hit ourselves over the head with in our healing.

All too often we act as if we should not have fear, but the fear is there for a reason.  If we allow it to show us what that reason is, we will gain so much in our life and in our healing.

For more, take a look at another blog post I wrote called "Don't Run From Your Fears".

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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A Culture Of Learning Tedx Talk

Andre Vermeulen gave a Tedx talk in Johannesburg, South Africa.  It is a very good video about his subject of learning, but also meanders through some excellent mind body concepts. I'll discuss a couple of these, but to get the full affect, check out the video link below.  It is important information.

As Andre discusses, learning is about gaining information, then applying it so that there are behavioral changes.  Information without applying it means nothing.  We have to do something with it and that means applying it to our life.

In the speaker's view, to remain competitive, we have to develop competence to out think, out learn, and our create our competition.  For me, I think for us to grow as an individual, we need to out think, out learn, and out create our former self.  If we don't, we aren't growing as a human.

Most Powerful Form Of Learning...

The most powerful learning form is through the example shown to us.  The power of our parents and family and society upon the learning by an infant or a child is unmatched by any university or program available.  Those mirror neurons help us learn what we need to learn, but they can also hold us back by locking us into a way of thinking, rather than continuous learning.

He stated in the video that learning is a biochemical process.  The brain works electro-chemically.  It produces 20 to 25 watts of electricity from the food we eat, the water we consume and the oxygen we breathe.  There are many other things that impact the electricity we produce from our brain and body. 


Our brain and body generates and conducts electricity also known as energy.  People feel your energy without you saying a word.  They can tell your energy by the presence that comes before you as you walk into a room.  Some of us individuals sense this far more than others, but most likely you can tell an angry person verses a happy person as they walk into the room without them saying a word.

We all impact the world every day...

Our energy influences other people.  What we put out into the world, impacts everyone around us and everyone around them.  We are all connected whether we want to accept that or not.  If you're tearing others down, you're not only tearing the entire world down, but yourself in the process.

We are all impacting the world around us, but if you really want to help the world, becoming aware of what you put out is a good start.  It isn't the other people out there that have the problems that impact you.  It is what you put into the world.

We can impact the world by radiating positivity, constructiveness, love, acceptance, goodness and kindness.  Our energy field influences every other person's energy field.  The energy we choose to radiate at this moment is what we should be concerned with in our life.  It is what does the most harm or good in the world.


Check out the video of the Tedx talk because it is a very good one to hear.

Note:  I have shared some of the thoughts I heard in this video with my own thoughts.  I do not represent this speaker and he does not represent me.  Please just listen to his video with an open mind and challenge yourself.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Learning From Brexit Ignorance

I've been thinking so much about this vote ever since it happened.  No, I'm not from Europe or the UK.  I actually live in the United States.  To be very honest, I was not following Brexit until the last moment.

It seemed or at least gave the appearance that it was racially motivated in many ways.  Maybe that's a harsh assessment, but I'm sure in the days, months, and years to follow, we will come to understand why this happened and what exactly made it unfold in the way that it did. Most likely if it is racially motivated, most will not even see the log in their own eye, but they will see the stick in the eye of another person.

Looking back on Brexit at this moment, I can see how many regretted what they voted for and would like to reverse course.  There were several that celebrated their victory, while seeming to ignore the consequences of their actions.  There were political leaders that thought it was a win while other people realized just how much of a financial cost it was to them.  Ignorance of what everyone voted for was at an all time high.

Impacted the entire world...

It was not just a Europe and UK vote.  It impacted the entire world in many ways and I'm sure it will significantly strain the global and individual economy of the world population. We no longer live in an isolated world because the internet has connected people from one part of the planet to the other.  We are all connected, even without the internet.

I don't understand the ignorance of how people could vote for something and not be fully informed.  We live in a day and age where we swallow what is fed to us on TV and in the news.  We tweet, like, and share the banter of the day through social media.  It is as if it becomes the gospel truth.  Yet, we don't stop to really think through our actions and decisions.  We just keep the rhetoric going day in and day out.  We are not learning from our actions, but perpetuating fear and ignorance.


Right now, I can only think of the slogan, "a mind is a terrible thing to waste" and yet, that seems to be what happened in the UK.  It is also happening in the US with our political system where everyone gets up and screams, rants, and raves all day long, but no one really engages the brain while listening.  Listening has long been forgotten in our normal communication between humans.

We really need to learn to respect one another.  We've gotten so good at hating one another, that it seems as if love is almost irrelevant.  We abhor those that don't think the way we do.  We despise those that look different than us.  We make sure the world knows how right we think we are, while condemning everyone that thinks differently.

A family of intolerance...

I grew up in a family where you had to walk the narrow line of what the family believed.  If it was in regards to church, you didn't deviate from what you were expected to believe.  If it was other people, they were always wrong in spite of you being right or wrong.  If it was some group or organization or company, they were the ones that just didn't understand.  We cowered in our corners with people who thought like we did so we could feel confident in our narrowly focused views.  It was a family of intolerance.

I've just dealt with the experience of the Orlando Massacre and I'm really getting tired of seeing hate and ignorance on display.  I've seen some glorious moments of beauty as people came together in Orlando and all over the world, but I've also seen and heard the bigotry and hateful rhetoric being spewed as if somehow they have the moral superiority.

When will we begin using our hearts and our minds, rather than fear to determine our course of action?  When will we begin seeing each other as human, rather than someone we automatically hate and despise and want to destroy.  I feel for the ones that are despised because I know how that feels.  The fear you live in robs our planet and civilizations of so much.

Maybe we can learn...

Maybe we can learn from Brexit and discover greater truths within ourselves or obstacles that hold us back in life.  Maybe learning from Brexit will help ease some of the fear and stress that everyone is experiencing.  I hope things reverse course and stability comes back into the world, but right now, its anyone's guess what will happen next.  Ignorance is having a hay-day. 

It seems like we don't always learn from our past.  It seems like we continue carrying the same ignorance from one generation to the next.  May we learn something different.  May we shed all that we think is right and test it to truly see if it is.  We can no longer continue to cower in the corner with only those that agree with us.  This is a recipe of disaster in the making.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Your Key To Life Is Learning New Things

I think I have done this from a little kid until now.  I always keep learning.  I read a tremendous amount of material online and often I have a book I'm reading.  There is so much out there to take in and sometimes it is overwhelming, but I do love to learn.

When I was traveling all the time for a job, I would save things to read for when I was sitting in airports or on an airplane.  Now that I'm not traveling, I'm not reading as much as I once did.  I still do read, but it is more online as I see it come up.

Learning is so vital to our experience as humans.  It is an important key to life.  It helps us explore worlds and create new words we have never traveled to.  There is nothing like the creation of some new exciting place from reading a book.  There is nothing like some new exciting thought that you create from being motivated by a book.

What truth have they discovered?

It isn't just reading that I use to learn.  I learn from other people.  When I find people who have a particular area of interest figured out, I try to see what it is that they know, that I don't.  What morsel of truth have they discovered?  What are they attempting to understand that maybe can spark something in my own mind.

Its easy to sit back and just be content with the status quo but I've never been one of those people.  I remember as a kid wanting to learn everything about every part of life.  Sometimes I was stomped on and not allowed to learn from all different sources, but it never quenched my desire.

Either use my mind or lose it...

For me, its either use my mind or lose it and at one point in my life I nearly lost access to my mind.  Maybe it is one of the reasons that keeps propelling me forward and learning more.  If we don't exercise learning new things, I think it tends to die off.

I think that learning is a wonderful part of being human.  It gives us so much more possibility and potential than we might know exists today.  It gives us a way to reach for the stars without the constraints of what others tell us is true or not true.  It gives us a personal connection from one moment to the next.

Learning gives us potential...

The more we learn, the more we discover.  The more we discover, the more we learn.  As we give into our desires to keep learning, it is then that we find more potential within our mind and body then we realized existed.

No matter what happens in life, keep learning.  Don't stop because you're getting in one of life's ruts.  Go out and push yourself into something you know nothing about and experience the wonder and high of learning something new.

Sometimes it is our fears that hold us back just as I wrote in a blog post, Believing Your Fears.

(click image to read) 

Don't let anything hold you back.  You can learn just about anything from any situation you are in.  Go for it with gusto.  Grab it with all the energy and power you hold within you.  Let it become your driving force forward in life and see where it takes you.

Your key to life is learning new things for when we stop, its when life loses its excitement.

Question Of The Day

What things are you learning in life that help you?  Please leave a comment below with your thoughts and answers.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Uncomfortable Places

They are numerous in life.  I've gone through many in my own life.  Uncomfortable places can be challenging, frightening, scary, disaster zones, horror, and nightmares.  At the same time, they can be life changing events.

All too often and especially when we are going through moments that seem beyond our capability to endure, we look for things we recognize.  We look for the familiar.  We want things that help us feel like we have stability and life isn't going to evaporate before our eyes.  It is human to be this way and normal, in my view.

When I was paralyzed and was watching my body slowly slip away from me, there was nothing I could count on.  When you lose complete control of your body and any connection to it, you've lost one of the most important parts of feeling connected and in control.  It is a frightening feeling.

Sometimes it was too overwhelming...

Through that experience and many others, I have learned that I had to walk into those uncomfortable places of life.  Now, it didn't mean I did it all at once.  Sometimes I took baby steps and I inched into it.  Sometimes it meant dipping my toe in the water and pulling back out of it.  Sometimes it meant it was just too overwhelming at that moment.

However, in order to heal and become more than we are in this current moment, at some point you have to face those uncomfortable places.  Some people will push through.  Some will retreat.  Some will say, never again while others don't stop until they've found the other side.

The more power I reclaim...

I've learned through some healing work I have been through that the more I go in and learn how to deal with the uncomfortable places, the more power I reclaim for my life.  The more I feel like I have discovered who I am to a greater degree.  The more I feel like I have risen to a different view point of what I can now see, rather than what I thought I could see.

Yes, there were fears.  Yes, it was difficult.  Just for me learning how to sit up in bed and walk again, imagine if I would have said, "I'm not going into that uncomfortable place."  It was through the struggle that I learned how to reclaim my body and walk again.  It was through the struggle that I learned I was strong enough to face the things that later would show up on my path.

A never-ending path of learning...

Life is a never-ending path of learning.  Life presents us with choices and possibilities and moments where we become more than we are.  Life is about walking through those uncomfortable places to find so much more than we know exists in this moment.  I know it isn't easy, but neither is stopping at the water's edge of uncomfortable places.

I am including a blog post from 2012 for further reading, Allow The Process To Unfold.

Question Of The Day

What are some of your uncomfortable places that you've been in and how did you find your way out or are you still looking for the way out?

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Living In A Human Body

I remember an instructor talking about this when I was going through massage school and I think it is still relevant today.  We are humans living in a human body.  While this may sound like a simple thought, it is how we apply it to our daily life that makes it anything but simple.

Living in a human body can be difficult in the best of times and challenging in the worst of the times.  We didn't come with an owners manual telling us how to operate in every situation that we face throughout our lifetimes.  I'm not talking in a religious sense either as some might immediately generalize.

In many ways, it is a good thing that one size doesn't fit all and being human is something we hopefully search for and grow in each day of our life.  Imagine if each of us all had to be alike and for every situation that came up, we were already preprogrammed to respond in the same way.  It would make for a very boring experience in day to day life. 

Living in a human body means...

Living in a human body means that we all have challenges and pains.  We all have physical and mental difficulties that we face.  We all have situations that baffle us and empower us, enlighten us or connect us with ignorance.  Our life and what we experience varies so much from person to person and even though we are the same species, we definitely are not like anyone else.

Being human is a growth response I think to the challenges we face.  It is about learning and discovering and becoming more aware and conscious.  It is about learning how to interact with one another to survive in a brutal and harsh world, rather than limiting ourselves to our own inner circle.  The inner circle of thought and action that aligns with our views and opinions and beliefs.

It is about challenging ourselves...

Living in a human body is about dealing with the nightmares we face or the situations that feel so overwhelming.  It is also about growing and challenging ourselves to not stay in the situation we are in, but overcome it.  It is about challenging ourselves to become more, not succumb to the agony and despair we have endured.

Is it easy to live in a human body?  No, it is not always easy to do this.  Ask anyone and they will tell you what their life experiences have been.  In fact, you might even have your own story to share.  I know I do.

Living in a human body is not about a road map that others have followed, but discovery of everything that makes us who we are and leads us to all we can be.  It is about defying the odds of what everyone thinks should happen so that you can truly find what is possible.  It is about learning to deal with life in this moment as you find your own steps forward into a realm you most likely cannot see in this moment.

One of our greatest experiences...

While living in a human body can be challenging, it can be one of the greatest things we ever experience.  The true choice of that is how we respond and what we allow to happen in our life, even if it feels like we have no say in the choice.  May we all rise to discover and understand more each day what it means to live in a human body.

Here is a blog post from 2015 where I struggled to be living in my own human body called "Can You Mask Exhaustion And Stress".

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Learning Lessons From Pool Repairs

I often seen lessons in different things in life. I wonder if it is just me that sees that or others do to.  Regardless, if you look, the little things will show up that become a teacher for the day. Today, the pool was my teacher.

You see, a tiny little resistor on the circuit board of our salt cell generator had burnt out (or whatever the proper name for it is).  As you'll quickly tell, I'm not electronics repair person, but I've stayed in a holiday inn once.  Sorry, I can't miss an opportunity to have a laugh in here.

After searching on Google, I found that others had gone through the same exact symptoms.  I could tell that the salt cell was showing a "no flow" light, but there was no power light and no generating light which should be expected.  Of course, the pool was starting to turn green too, so I could tell there was no chlorination being generated.

Realizing that it was the resistor on the circuit board and everyone said it was easy to repair, I ordered the part.  Keep in mind, I've never replaced anything on a circuit board and I've hardly ever soldered anything in my life.  I've watched it done, but this was a first.

Protect Your Boundaries

Many years ago, I struggled so much with this concept.  I didn't even think boundaries were something I remotely understood.  When they get violated repeatedly and violently early on in life, learning to protect your boundaries is essential for growth.

I can see more and more just how some of those lessons were preparing me for my current life and that is to come in the future.  Without some of what I have learned, I'd be crumbling for sure now.

Boundaries are essential to life.  It doesn't mean you keep everyone out or you let everyone in.  You learn to discern which people at which times of your life can cross through into the inner circle of your life.  Some people are fine most of the time, but there are times when you need to pull back.

Getting Straight A's

While this story may be a little bit of a deviation from my regular blog postings, I felt it was important to share.  In many ways, I think it may help others and so in that reference frame, this blog post is keeping in the tradition of a purpose of helping others.  It is a personal struggle that I went through many years ago and as I begin to consider graduate school in my future, this subject came up with a friend of mine who teaches at a university.

Growing up, I did struggle with math and I found ways to compensate or overcome those obstacles.  Yet, math was never easy for me.  I took the required classes I had to in this subject and then moved on to other things that I enjoyed more.  Throughout high school, I did fairly well, graduating tenth in my class.  In many respects, I could have done better, but since high school was not a challenge to me, I just got by in my classes.  Unfortunately as a result, I never learned how to properly and efficiently study and learn from classwork.

Stop And Find The Answers Within You

We all have our go-to people that we listen to in life.  In fact, many are out seeking and asking for others to help answer questions they struggle with each day.  While each person may not realize just how much they are looking for answers, it is happening right before our eyes.

I constantly see on Facebook and Twitter, the sharing and spreading of feel good posts.  While there is nothing wrong with that, it often seems or appears fake in many ways.  It seems overdone and run into the ground.  In many ways, it is like this is all that matters - that we just want to see pretty little pictures and happy thoughts spread from one person to another.

Now don't get me wrong because seeing these things can be uplifting in our day help us to pull ourselves up through the difficult moments we face.  The problem I have with it is that instead of going within and seeking the answers from our higher self, we begin looking to everyone else to fulfill that need.  We lose site of becoming more aware in our life and more conscious, in lieu of seeking advice and answers from everyone else out there.

Are Humans One Dimensional?

Manatees at Blue Springs Park
Are Humans One Dimensional?

The more I read news stories each day, the more I wonder about the species of humans on this planet.  It seems that we really limit ourselves in this world by focusing on singular thoughts and consciousness.  It is almost like we as humans are one dimensional. I find that to be a sad testament to the biology of humans.

We see this at play every day of our life.  The most benign conversation has politics interjected into it as if that is the only dimension that can exist.  If someone said the sun was shining, someone else would come along and say it was because of this politician or that politician.  The entire conversation would be one dimensional because in this case and many others like it, politics has nothing to do with the subject at hand.

You see this in medicine because even though there is so much we can do to heal our own body and keep it healthy, the majority of humans in this country think in one dimension.  If it is not about getting medical tests done, taking some prescribed medication, getting a medical procedure or finding some over the counter remedy, humans fail to see beyond this one dimension that it could be a potential healing remedy.  In all reality, most of these things do very little to cure or heal us, but yet we chase them as if they are the only answer to life's problems.  We don't venture into other dimensions of consciousness because we are one dimensional.

Name Your Biggest Mistake

Everglades, South Florida

Sorry to disappoint you but I'm not going to name my biggest mistake here in a public setting.  Not that I don't trust my readers, but this is the internet and I don't really want some of these things readily available for searches.  I'm much more cautious these days on the internet.

Regardless, I'm sure that each one of us could name a big mistake we made in life.  In fact, I just saw the Dilbert Comic Strip highlight this one today.  Someone applying for a job was being asked by the boss in a fictitious interview, to name their biggest mistake.  The end result was that the interviewee said, "I learned I should never tell that story."  While it is funny, it makes one stop and think a little.

Yes, I believe we all have moments in life where we feel we screwed up and made a mistake.  At these particular moments, it often looks worse than it does ten or twenty years later.  For once we move beyond the initial moments of difficulty, we begin to see the situation much differently.  Even though we feel we make a big mistake, it does not always mean that we actually did do this.

Smiles For Those Comments

Last week, I saw some comments come through to the blog. Most of the time, the comments are full of integrity, character and add value. Occasionally, there are some that just make you scratch your head and wonder about the person writing the comment.

While not everyone has to agree with me on every thing that I write, I do enjoy hearing how my blog posts touch other people. Like many that do comment, I appreciate the respectfulness of people when they are sharing their views and opinions. Often I am warmed by the words they share and what is shared becomes very special to me.

Last week, there was someone that read one of my blog posts and either it triggered something deep within them or they were just having a bad day. They made sure they stated to me that this was a pity blog. Of course, it was quite clear that the individual did not fully read the blog post or really check out the rest of the blog.

I try to write from my experiences and share what I have learned. Much of my subject matter comes from my own struggles through life as I try to open myself up to the world in hopes that someone else will find it helpful or challenge their own views. Often times by me writing what I do on this blog, I learn so much about myself and through what others share with me, that learning is compounded many times over.

The last thing I want this blog to be is a pity blog and hopefully it is not that! Yes, sharing the deep stories about my own journey could likely be seen that way, but only if the rest of the blog post is not read where the learning can be gleaned from the words.

I do realize that no matter how much we write or the way in which we write things, not everyone is going to accept what is said. There are times that I approach subjects on here that are volatile but my hope is that it will help bring about a positive direction in how all of us look at things. I think we can all learn so much from each other if we allow ourselves the opportunity.



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Blog Post & Images (c) 6/11/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

If any part of this post is used or shared, a link back to this site is required.
http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/
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Plants Are A Model To Us

One of the things that I enjoy doing is growing vegetables in my earthboxes. While this looks like just something that is a hobby, it is more than that to me. No matter what is going on in my day, week or year, I can always count on my plants to be there, doing what they do best - growing.

So here are some pictures of my plants (just click on the links below). A few facts for the gardeners out there. These were all planted on Feb 19 and the growing zone is in Central Florida near the Atlantic coast. I have six earthboxes, 3 of which are planted with tomatoes, 1 with sweet corn, 1 with peas and 1 with cantaloupe.

EarthBox - Tomatoes Picture

EarthBox - Sweet Corn Picture

EarthBox - Cantaloupe Picture

EarthBox - Peas Picture


Growing vegetables and plants not only gives me a feeling of being connected to mother earth, but it helps center me when the storms of life hit the hardest. Just being out there around these plants gives me a feeling like no other can give. It is like nothing else matters in that moment. When the plants have finished their growth cycle, I find that sadness fills me as I see the end of their lives appear.

Just like plants, we too grow in cycles with our lives. We emerge and discover through the rocks, soil and weather conditions of the environment surrounding us. Hopefully we grow strong roots that can carry us through these various cycles. As we emerge, we head towards the light, learning and yearning for all that there is. Plants are a model to us and they are beacons of hope, living in that they encounter.

More information on the earthboxes can be found at www.earthbox.com . They are unique growing systems designed to maximize resources and provide an abundance of produce. They last for years and are very efficient systems. I have been growing garden vegetables with the earthbox for almost 4 years now.



Blog Post & Images (c) 4/12/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Highlights Of Our Life

Have you ever sat down and listed the highlights of your life? If you have not done this, it may be an exercise that you wish to do. In many ways, doing this helps you really see things that you might easily forget or minimize. Especially if you are going through a difficult time in your life, this can help even up the balance scale.

You don't have to make the exercise elaborate. Just find a quiet place and begin listing on a piece of paper, the highlights of your life. While there may be some very negative moments, try to focus on the positive outcome of those times. Give yourself something to show that you really gained and learned from the experience.

When you get done, look back over your list and notice what you have recorded? Does it show much more than you thought it would? Is it different than what you often see your current life? Was this exercise difficult or were there very few things you could write down? Be honest with yourself in answering these questions and allow this exercise to help expand the awareness of your life.

If you want to see what I wrote, I'll share my life on here. I did this on the day of my birthday to mark that day in my life. Please note that I have included some links to various resources that help to mark each of these moments. The highlighted link on each specific word should be visible in the list.

1. Played the piano
2. Raised animals with love
3. Tried to be honest in everything I do
4. Been there for others
5. Created relaxing music from the heart
6. Painted mindful paintings
7. Faced the odds in life
8. Learned so much
9. Evolved in awareness
10. Came back from paralysis
11. Enjoyed the sunsets
12. Taken chances & risks
13. Came back from nothing
14. Writing for a blog
15. Writing for a newsletter
16. Learned to cook creatively
17. Changed and adapted
18. Learned new computer skills
19. Learned massage & became licensed
20. Awakened to my true calling
21. Appreciated nature
22. Learned to love someone
23. Learned to accept myself
24. Dealing with anger
25. Rid the daily headaches, migraines
26. No more nervous stomachs
27. Found my memory again
28. Went through anxiety
29. Went through depression
30. Survived suicide
31. I am a highly sensitive person
32. Connecting with angels
33. Church no longer rules me
34. Conquered many fears
35. Loved some cats
36. Held my life out as a light for others
37. Came back from losing it all
38. Sponsored two children (Children Intl)
39. Made some wonderful friends
40. See more possibility than despair
41. Recognize my short comings
42. Allow myself to make mistakes
43. Recognizing my strengths
44. Faced my courage inside
45. Trusted my instincts
46. Lived in a big city
47. Allowed myself to love who I want
48. Learned I can do more than I realize
49. Changed so much in life
50. I can make it without family
51. I’m compassionate
52. I see through the lies
53. I’ve learned to love life
54. Learned to enjoy life
55. Writing a book
56. Pulse rate dropped from 99
57. Healed from itching

As you can see from my list, there are many different aspects of my life. Many of these things were difficult to go through when they took place, but looking back now, I get to see an entirely different perspective. Sometimes we do need to focus on the negative in our lives because that is where we are at. Sometimes we need to kick and scream and yell because that is the power that moves us forward. It is in these times, that we truly find ourselves. With these allowing ourselves to kick and scream, we would miss an important part of our healing.

May you discover something new about yourself as you list the highlights of your own life. If this exercise gives you one glimpse of something you have not seen, than it was worth the time and effort. Let it be a window into your soul and a door to your future!

*Read other articles on Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Learning Lessons

I am amazed at how events in our daily schedule can bring out connections to things we experienced so long ago. Current and past events may be completely different in the details, but they do impact each other. It is our unique opportunity to be given the chance of learning from them. We do have the option of ignoring what lesson is being given to us or we have the opportunity to see what we can learn from it.