What Have You Learned Today?

We go through our days and do we stop to account for them?  Do we ever stop to think, what have I learned today?  Its almost like we just go from one day to the next, doing this task and that task without stopping to notice what we have learned.

The days do get busy.  I will grant you that.  Sometimes it is hard to find time to stop and reflect.  The kids need this ready for the next day.  The boss is emailing us late at night with a question that he needs answered.  We've got household chores to do, bills to pay, groceries to get, and many other things to finish.

Yet, if we don't stop and take notice of our day, we're missing out on so much.  We are giving up a big part of our life's experience that we will never get back.  When that day is done, there is no way to go back and redo it once again.  You either grab it while you have it, or you can just cross it off of your day calendar.

Opportunity...

Stopping to focus on what you have learned today gives you the opportunity to gain so much more out of your day.  It allows you to be a participant, rather than an observer going from one moment to the next.  It gives you a chance to embrace tomorrow with more knowledge than you have today.

Possibility...

Stopping to focus on what you learned today helps you to see the possibilities that lie ahead.  It helps you find the answers you seek to moments and experiences and situations in your day.  Without stopping to reflect, you miss those moments and they could end up becoming a key piece of your life's puzzle.

My question to you today is "what have you learned"?  Please leave a comment below and share your reflections of what you have learned today.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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Forcing Life

When we face those moments in life where it seems like what we are doing is not working, then maybe it is time for us to take a step back and see things differently.  Here is a thought I recently wrote about that helped shed some life on such a situation a few years ago I was struggling through to find work.

I remember being in a similar situation to this and I was trying to force life to give me what I thought I needed. An opportunity came along and I didn't even see it was an opportunity until a month or so later. It became a great job full of learning and growth over the past three years until it grew toxic.

The point I was trying to share is that if I would have continued to fight against what was showing up, I would have never found this. I'm carefully treading similar ground, but I'm trying to keep reminding myself to focus on my purpose and that which I love to do, hoping that the rest takes cares of itself.

A Different Walk Through Our Life Today

What if today, we took a different walk through our life? By that I mean, everything that we hold to be the gospel truth and the only way we view things, could be dropped for one day. What if we just took all of those things and put it in a very special lock box where we could pick them up at the end of the day.

In replacement of those views and truths we hold dear in our life, we would allow ourselves to ponder everything that we have held at an arms length from our life. We would be curious about alternatives and other ways of viewing that which we are usually against. We would take a moment and listen to view areas that seem completely opposed to every fiber and cell of our life.

Of course, I'm not advocating that you give up all your long held beliefs and truths and wisdom for your life. I am just offering the possibility that for a day, you allow yourself to see things from a different perspective. You give yourself the option of understanding another view point or thought or belief system.

Just think of all that this may do for you and others around you. All to often, we get so caught up in what we have been taught to believe or what news pundits and politicians on TV tell us to believe that we miss the greater point of being a human in this world. We spend way too much time opposing viewpoints that others in this world have rather than opening ourselves up with a listening heart.

No matter who we are, we have these parts of us that are locked in the beliefs system of our lives. Our belief system is essential for us to define who we are but if it becomes who we are, than we have failed to define ourselves. A belief system is something that is constantly evolving because as you discover new worlds, the shoreline of where you traveled from looks amazingly different.

Give yourself the opportunity to travel from your current shoreline to a place you have never seen and be curious about it in a way that allows you to see a new perspective. At the end of the day, you will of course be free to open your lock box and pull out all your treasured beliefs, thoughts and views. However, there is a chance that some of these things will look different than they did when you put them in there.



Blog Post & Images (c) 1/25/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Unexpected Opportunity

In today's blog post, a guest writer, Trish Kalhagen, writes about an unexpected opportunity and how it has broader implications to our interactions as humans with one another.

There was an opportunity for me to sit upon a committee for a period of two days for a private organization. I would need to unplug so to speak from my regular life and family. My meals and overnight lodging would be provided. Due to confidentiality issues, I cannot give specifics but I can share a few of my thoughts here.

I met a wonderful group of people on the committee and in the organization who were gifted at communicating in a kind, gentle, peaceful, supportive, and healthy manner. This group of people really stood out in my mind and in my heart. This is my heartfelt desire and prayer for our world.

To be able to communicate with each other in this way. They have the tools in place to work toward continuing to listen to each other, understand each other and support one another along the way. It is really a beautiful gift.

No one is perfect, yet the enthusiasm and dedication that was presented to me over the last two days is truly admirable. I know that there are personality “color” tests that one can take to determine what personality type you are. This can give us some insight as to who I am and what personality type those people are that you are in regular contact with.

I believe that if many people could create the time to take a simple test like this, we could begin to change the world, one person at a time. I know because I have seen it in action over the last 48 hours. There could be much more peaceful conflict resolution and supportive listening.

This tool can be key in beginning to understand why you and the people around you respond to the world as they do. It is a great opportunity to clear up or prevent many misunderstandings and areas of conflict. It was beautiful music for my soul.

This is my goal when I sit with my family (which is not easy) and my clients when I am given the opportunity to listen to their personal story and for me to support their journey of traveling through life. I was given a beautiful gift during this time away and I am very grateful.

About Trish Kalhagen
Trish is certified in Spiritual Direction from Spirations Institute in Iowa, and certified as Reiki Master from Healing Partners in Iowa and Koru Ceremony in Wisconsin. She has facilitated workshops, support groups, and women’s sacred circles. Trish has supported adults in Hospice Care and Gilda’s Club.

To contact Trish or learn more about her work, visit Sacred Moments.


Blog Post & Images (c) 12/15/10 Trish Kalhagen - use by permission only