Each of us has a GIFT. Some us seem to be born knowing what our gift is and others struggle to find it. Ultimately I think that for those who are struggling deep down we know what our gift is but we have avoided or forgotten our true Gift. We knew as a child though. But we grew and we pushed it aside seeking approval or love or fulfilling the expectations of other as time went on. We lost our Gift.

A friend reminded me tonight about one of my Gifts and pointed out that it’s actually being almost selfish to not share your Gift with the world. Why would a person privately work on their Gift but then hide it away never to be seen.

I suppose that I had not really thought of the points that she made before and perhaps there was a part of me that was doing it out of enjoyment, but not expecting that it would be good enough that others would enjoy it let alone buy it.

But funny how it goes sometimes in that you meet someone who believes in you and encourages you so that you feel inspired. And you end up believing in yourself saying, Hey she’s right.

Each of us has a GIFT. Do you know yours?

Every man is free to rise as far as he’s willing and able, but the degree to which he thinks determines the degree to which he’ll rise.

~ Ayn Rand

Mama told me when I was young

Come sit beside me my only son

And listen closely to what I say

And if you do this it’ll help you

Some sunny day oh yeah

Oh take your time don’t live too fast

Troubles will come they will pass

Go find a woman yeah and you’ll find love

And don’t forget son there is someone up above

And be a simple kind of man

Oh be something you love and understand

Baby be a simple kind of man

Oh won’t you do this for me son if you can

Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold

All that you nee is in your soul

And you can do this oh babe if you try

All that I want for you my sone is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man

Oh be something you love and understand

Baby be a simple kind of man

Oh won’t you do this for me son if you can

Oh yes will

Oh don’t you worry you’ll find yourself

Follow your heart and nothing else

And you can tho this oh babe if you try

All that I want for you my son is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man

Oh be something you love and understand

Baby be a simple kind of man

Oh won’t you do this for me son if you can

And baby be a simple real simple man

Oh be something you love and understand

Baby be a simple kind of man

~ Lynryd Skynyrd

Sundown in the Paris of the prairies

Wheat kings have all treasures buried

And all you hear are the rusty breezes

Pushing around the weathervane Jesus

His Zippo lighter, he sees the killer’s face

Maybe it’s someone standing in a killer’s place

Twenty years for nothing, well, that’s nothing new

Besides, no one’s interested in something you didn’t do

Wheat kings and pretty things

Let’s just see what the morning brings

There’s a dream he dreams where the high school’s dead and stark

It’s a museum and we’re all locked up in it after dark

The walls are lined all yellow, grey and sinister

Hung with pictures of our parents’ prime ministers

Wheat kings and pretty things

Wait and see what tomorrow brings

Late breaking story on the CBC

A nations whispers, “We always knew that he’d go free”

They add, “You can’t be fond of living in the past

‘Cause if you are, then there’s no way that you’re gonna last”

Wheat kings and pretty things

Let’s just see what tomorrow brings

Wheat kings and pretty things

Oh, that’s what tomorrow brings

~ Tragically Hip

Music is and has always been very powerful for me. I feel a connection to music deep in my soul. I’m sure when you think of a few songs that resonate with you, you get it too.

Music can invoke emotional responses. Some of this may be attached to a memory, some may make us feel energized or fired up. And yet some can make us feel happy or sad. It’s interesting if you are able, to see how these responses correlate with your physiology.

There are constant changes to our physiology and we are often so disconnected from ourselves that we miss or flat out ignore these signs. While we can sometimes see certain behavioural signs like being agitated or impatient what about the ones that are more difficult to see, because they are felt.

Think of it like this….have you ever noticed that when life seems to be going smoothly and you feel good, you feel GOOD. Your whole body seems to be moving and functioning well. In fact you don’t even really think about it. On the flip side can you think of a time that was very stressful and challenging? Maybe there was some trauma or heartbreak to deal with. Issues with kids, coworkers, friends, a spouse and now physically what is going on? Headaches, tight shoulders, poor sleep, poor digestion, your back pain starts acting up, hips are tight, you get a cold….one time during a stressful period in a job I hated I woke up one morning and my upper back and arms were covered in what I suppose was hives. Obviously I blamed the laundry detergent at first…what else could it be?

The last almost two years I have spent more time learning about how to reconnect to my physiology and be better at reading my signs. This is definitely a work in progress and especially being able to detect things in real time. Over the last week or so music has really been on my mind because I have not just used it in terms of listening to it, but truly felt the effects of how I feel. The breathe is the first and biggest signal for me.

The question for you is…can you start to notice where music triggers you? What music do you choose for a drive home from work? What music do you choose to exercise or cook to? When you see something social media how does the message or content play a part with the music? Now what are your physiological signs that corresponded with this?

If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.

~ Unknown

“It is not the critic who counts. Not the man who lints out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself a a worthy cause. Who at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

~ Theodore Roosevelt

A reminder for oneself to take a look in the mirror. Take the log out of your own eye before you take the speck out of someone else’s eye. If you really aren’t willing to get dirty or put skin in the game your opinion doesn’t count. Your opinion doesn’t matter because ultimately it’s equally as useless as asking someone for directions when they themselves don’t know how to get there.

Dear God,

Please untie the knots

that are in my mind,

my heart and my life.

Remove the have nots,

the can nots and the do nots

that I have in my mind.

Erase the will nots,

may nots,

might nots that may find

a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots,

would nots and

should nots that obstruct my life.

And most of all,

Dear God,

I ask that you remove from my mind,

my heart and my life all of the ‘am nots’

that I have allowed to hold me back,

especially the the thought that I am not good enough.

Amen

Two things can be true at the same time. Think about that statement. Sit with it even if you feel resistance to this idea….repeat the words again, two things can be true at the same time.

The first time I heard this I admit I felt some annoyance. But I quickly realized that my annoyance had nothing to do with the statement itself but rather it forced me to look within or challenge my own ideas, thoughts and opinions.

This is a very difficult thing to do. Most of us want to think we are right and therefore we believe we are. The interesting concept here though, if you can find the patience to observe it is that if two things can be true at the same time then it’s possible that two opposing viewpoints can both be right. Or wrong. It reinforces then the idea that we can each have an idea or opinion about something and both could be true or valid. However instead of conceding that another option is possible the EGO steps in and assures us that WE are right and the the other person can only be the other obvious option, which is wrong.

But is that really true?

When we are in the middle of an experience or situation we might say that we are in the thick of things. When we are IN the current situation we are most likely viewing everything on a micro level. We definitely cannot see all things clearly through the mud.

Of course when viewed in hindsight we sometimes can see things in more of an expanded or macro view because now we might be further removed from the situation. This is easier to do when emotions are not running high. Imagine though, if we could recognize our own behaviour pattern and catch ourselves in real time and try to take that macro view.

How would our reactions in the current situation change? If our reactions were able to change would it also change the response we receive? What impact would that have over everything or the end result?

The trick is to come back to the idea that two things can be true at the same time and as you expand your viewpoint you will also expand your growth mindset process.

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to it’s old dimensions

~ Oliver Wendall Holmes Jr

Take a good look in the mirror. Do you like what you see? I don’t mean do you like your haircut or the colour of your hair. I don’t mean your physical body and if you think something is too small or too big. Do you like YOU?

I have, many times over the years chosen to say the unpopular truth or make the uncomfortable decision. This always comes at a cost. There are always consequences. Sometimes you know damn well what’s coming and yet other times you really have no idea what will come of a decision and how it creates a ripple effect.

Perhaps one of the things that is most difficult for me is being a person that does not budge very easily. Or at all. Sometimes my Dad calls me Sable Island. It has become our private joke and he uses it when necessary to make a point. It always makes me smile, then laugh and pause regarding whatever we are doing or discussing.

Oh?…are you not be familiar with Sable Island? It is situated 300km southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia and about 175km southeast of the closest point of mainland Nova Scotia in the North Atlantic Ocean. So basically the middle of nowhere. It is isolated and remote. It is well known for its population of wild horses. The point then of my Dad’s joke is that he’s calling me a wild horse that can’t be broken.

The reason I say there’s difficulty in being a person that doesn’t budge is because…well really because I KNOW that I will always make the hard decision regardless of how uncomfortable it is. This in turn actually makes other people uncomfortable. And its this very point that I find interesting. Ultimately most people will choose comfort or the path that seems the most safe. The irony of this though is that they THINK they don’t want to choose something that causes discomfort. They choose short term comfort yet in the end suffer from long term discomfort because they were not true to themselves.

Over the past two years there has been a global issue that has touched everyone. I have once again chosen the uncomfortable path. I realized a few months ago that my issue really is not about my decisions. I have not surprisingly NOT budged or changed my stance on anything. But what became eye opening for me this time was that I really didn’t like the consequences that I now had to feel, for the decision that I still will not budge on. See how that goes? It’s not that I am being stubborn for the sake of it. I am holding firm to my values and beliefs.

Today I witnessed an event which brought tears to my eyes because it was very powerful. And in that moment I can see how all the discomfort of the past melted, prepared me and it felt like I have waited for this day. I stepped back into my power.

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional ~ Haruki Murakami

Yesterday’s story is one that I love because it hits home. It really is a wonderful reminder that things are not good nor bad. It is just a perception or story that we create when we attach a label to it. Finding some neutrality or not attaching yourself to the outcome of a situation is often difficult. We easily jump into judging and creating a story by saying things that are opposite ends of the spectrum. It was either the worst or most terrible day, bad news or bad luck. Or it was the best day ever, it was exciting news and we are on a lucky streak.

What actually seems funny about this when you are able to pull away and take a macro view of things, doesn’t it seem silly to constantly have such extreme and contrasting emotions all the time. We are continuously riding waves, up and down. That’s exhausting.

Being on an emotional roller coaster doesn’t really allow us to feel each emotion for what it truly is. There certainly is going to be sad, devastating and traumatic times in our lives. And its important to feel these experiences for what they are. On the flip side there will be truly wonderful moments and happy exciting times and they also need to be felt.

So I guess what I am questioning then, is if you are constantly labeling things as good or bad do we truly know how to appreciate and navigate the BIG moments in life? Because if we’re always up and down, having good luck or bad luck, how can we really determine our true emotions?

Ultimately using energy like this is expensive. There’s nothing wrong with being genuinely happy when something wonderful happens. Just as there is nothing wrong with being sad, say when someone passes away. But when you reflect on the story from yesterday perhaps we can start to catch ourselves in real time and practice the same mindset…Maybe, maybe not. Instead of compulsively reacting and continuing in the emotional loop or pattern that we have ingrained for ourselves.

Longterm this practice creates a far better opportunity for us to grow and further navigate ourselves through the ups and downs of this thing we call life.

Sometimes in the wave of change we find our true direction ~ Unknown

There is a story that I read this week. It’s not the first time that I have come across this story and each time it brings new light or awareness to my own life. Here is the story….

A farmer and his son had a beloved horse who helped the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away and their neighbours exclaimed, “Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”

A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild horses back to the farm as well. The neighbours shouted out, “Your horse had returned, and brought several horses home with him. What great luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”

Later that week, the farmer’s son was trying to break one of the horses and she threw him to the ground, breaking his leg. The neighbours cried, “Your son broke his leg, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”

A few weeks later, soldiers from the national army marched through town, recruiting all boys for the army. They did not take the farmer’s son, because he had a broken leg. The neighbours shouted, “Your boy is spared, what tremendous luck!” To which the farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”

It is really impossible to tell whether anything that happens is good or bad. You never know what the consequences of misfortune or good fortune will be, as only time will tell. Things may look great at the start, but over time it things may not turn out to be what they seemed. In contrast you could have bad or negative feelings about something and it ends up being one of the best things that happens to you.

Everything is constantly changing. The universe is ever changing.

Trust that the universe is unfolding as it should ~ Max Ehrman