Finding That Sense Of Calmness

It isn't easy these days in a world full of turmoil and screaming.  Finding that sense of calmness and peace within us feels as difficult right now as hearing the winds of a category 3 hurricane slam the house walls.  You hope and you pray that your walls stand strong, but even doubts enter your mind.

I consider myself a person that can find that place of peace and calmness, but these days and in the past several months, my own life has been hit with so much.  It has become hard for me to find that place and know that I am all that I am.

It isn't easy to travel through the days and months, seeing what you once believe in or felt or who you once knew, ditch you and ignore you or run from you.  When you stand up at the moment of truth and you see everything disappear, it is difficult to find that sense of calmness.

Don't stop walking...

I'm not saying you can't find the sense of calmness.  I'm just saying, it is not always easy.  Should we give up trying - NO!  Should we hunker down - MAYBE!  Most of all, don't stop walking, even if you are only taking steps are almost too impossible to see.

Finding that sense of calmness is not about what others tell you it should be.  It is not what social media or the rest of the world says it should be.  That calmness is your inner sense of being and what you know to be true for yourself in that moment.  All else, does not matter.

I look forward to calmer days and I try to be an optimist thinking that they still exist.  Yet, there are moments when I cannot get myself to believe this is still true.  I must remind myself daily to keep looking forward so that I will be once again reunited with a sense of calmness.

These days and times are tough, but stay true to yourself.  Learn to really be true to yourself in all things, and not just those things you currently know.  Often times, what we think is true today, is not true tomorrow because we don't see today what we can see tomorrow.

#Calmness

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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Trudging And Soaring In Life

Sometimes, there are times in life that I feel I'm soaring through the sky in beauty, awe and above every problem the world has presented.

There are times in life that I feel like I'm trudging through the mud holes of a swamp, embroiled in quicksand as I attempt to pick my foot up and place it in front of me.

Of course, there are also times in life where I feel like a ping pong ball bouncing from the great times to the not so great times.

It is easy in life to question what our moment is all about when we are facing the more difficult times and sometimes just as easy to forget this when we are soaring through the sky. Yet, life is a mixture of these parts.

Life is about soaring and trudging because together we are able to grow and rest. We rest so that we can grow and we grow so that we see the difference in our life.

Too often, we think of the tough times as being something awful, but the funny thing is that when we go through those times in life, we emerge a different person on the other side. We all of the sudden have those ah ha moments where we see things differently.

Once we see things differently, than we realize that there is much more to our life and our path. We understand more clearly that life is a combination of all things, not a sentence of difficulties.

When we embrace that which we struggle with, it is then that we have become aware of that which we know deep inside of our mind, body and soul.


Further Reading:
1) It's Ok If They Struggle (blog post 8/24/10)
2) Your Choice To Awareness (blog post 3/12/10)



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Tough Times In Life

Sometimes no matter how you look at a situation, there seems to be no end in sight. It seems like there are no options for resolution. It feels as if this situation will go on forever and ever. No matter what one does or wishes for, the outcome seems to be the same.

Confusion leads its way to tiredness as the struggle takes over. In one's mind, it seems hopeless. In fact, you wonder if things will ever change or improve. After all, you've fought the good fight but no matter what, that does not appear to be enough.

In fact, you begin to wonder if there is ever enough for you to give in life to make things better. You question if there is even a way forward. Your mind fixates on gloom and doom because that is what is familiar. Yet, you long for the winds of change. You long for something out there that is different than what you regularly experience.

Of course, you realize if you look back that you've been up against some very large and thick walls before. They are those tough times in life that you've been through all too often it seems. You know that there has been some deep challenging moments in life that tested you beyond your limits. In these times, it always seemed the darkest before the dawn. It was when you felt hardest hit that somehow and in some way you found a door through the brick wall.

What seemed like a solid wall had a door in it the entire time. Until you ran your fingers over the entire wall did you find it. Looking at the brick wall, the door blended in. So even though it felt impossible at the time to find the passageway through the wall, you managed to do that. It wasn't easy and it was not quick but eventually you did it.

In the end, you had changed and evolved for the better. Of course this was difficult to see in that moment. As time went by, it became a clear, beautiful and detailed portrait. You were able to see that in reality, the brick wall was not as big or as sturdy as you thought it to be in those tough times of life. You just were not at a vantage point where you could see this.

It was only when you allowed your fingers to find the door that your vantage point showed up. You gave yourself the permission to do this and then allowed yourself the option of walking through the door.

No matter how dark, difficult or tough the times in life get, let us never forget the many doors we've already walked through. It was in those tough times that sparks were ignited to produce some of the most spectacular fireworks for our days ahead. It was in those moments that our confusion, our fears and hopelessness were morphed into a new and unfolding path.

So when it appears hopeless or there is no door to be found, let us reach out until we find it. Keep our minds remembering that we have traveled through these times before. In each time, there was a passage way. In each time, we found the door. Let the rest of the moment unfold just as clouds drift along the horizon. All of these things will work out if we allow it to. And soon, we will be rejoicing that the tough times in life yielded some momentous growth for us.


(Above Picture taken by Don Shetterly: Fireworks, New Years - Miami, FL - (c) 01/01/02)




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Getting Through Those Trying Times

Sometimes in our lives, we endure some very difficult times. Things that we had planned for, hoped for and expected don't go as we thought they would. During those times, it can seem like one of the most darkest hours in life but when we frame these moments with perspective, it is then that we see, the road continues ahead. While the road may not be illuminated very far ahead of us, just knowing that it continues can bring a renewed sense of determination to our step. It gives us strength, energy and resolve to continue taking each one of our steps no matter how difficult they may be.

Of course once we get through these difficult moments that we may encounter in our lives, we are able to look back and see a beautiful sunset behind us instead of the dark stormy clouds that were hovering over us. Our minds may have momentary difficulty understanding why a place in our journey looked so dark and now it is filled with beautiful sunlight but as we progress down our journey, so to will we understand with a greater depth what blocked the sunlight from our view.

As we find ourselves under the dark stormy clouds on our path, let us not forget what all we have brought along in our journey for there is much that we carry with us. From the strength of the good times, to the courage of facing our fears we hold tight to the friendships, the love, and the never ending hope that no matter what comes our way, we will go on. So take all of the good times and the bad times that you carry with you and allow them to help illuminate your path ahead. For they are part of you just as you are part of them.

Take a moment to pause and reflect on all that is in your current path. While it may seem difficult and unending, know too that there is something that is trying to bring a greater awareness and knowledge into your life. It is an opportunity to grow and to prepare you for future steps along your path. It really is not the end of the world but most likely a beginning of another world for you. It can be an exciting time filled with intrigue, mystery and amazement. Be the observer and do not miss a single moment of all that surrounds you for there may be great discovery in just viewing it through the eye of the beholder.