Do You Still Believe in Hope?

Do you still believe in Hope? I hope so, because I do. Many of us in today's upside down, crazy, scary world are living on hope alone. We strive to make our slice of the world better every day with just one step at a time, not only for ourselves but for the ones we love as well. Are you one of those people?

Many of you are in a circle or holding pattern in life right now, due to work situations, money, the economy, family issues, etc. You can't see an end because you continue to go around in circles, ending up back in the same spot you are currently in. Taking steps, even very small ones, can help change that and get you back on the correct path. By following a few key steps, and keeping them clearly defined, you can reach your goal and change how you live your life.

Here is a very loose guideline that I try and use for myself. I hope you can adjust it to your own life.

1. Think large and outside the box!

Ok, I know this might be cliché, but it is true! If you set a large goal that is reachable in real life, not something absolutely impossible, and take the steps, even small ones to reach it, you can achieve it! Thinking slightly differently or outside the box, but not in a completely radicle way, can greatly improve or change your path in life also.


2. Put aside petty issues, negative thoughts, and negative people!

Don't sweat the small stuff. Keep your thoughts OFF those things and people that you can not change. You are wasting valuable brain power and time on negative thoughts. If you always stay in the negative, you can not go foward and will never be on that positive path to a better life. Negativity from many sources around us, including people and places, impact our daily lives much more than we usually realize. Take the time to clean up the negative and replace with positive.


3. Positive Attitude!

A big portion of changing ones life and creating a path you really want to be on, is about attitude. Keep only a positive attitude from this point forward! Never give up or give in. This is a lot harder than it sounds. I know from experience! I am usually a very positive person but I do have my moments in which negative thoughts try to pull me into that dark void. Keep as many negative people out of your lives as possible. If you can't ignore or cut loose the negative people, then make an effort to be even more positive around them. Maybe your positiveness will rub off on them!


4. Keep your clearly defined goal in your mind at all times.

This can be very hard. I know because it is for me. But, once you have it in there, don't let anyone or anything persuade you from reaching it. It may, and most likely will, take time and A LOT of hard work, but it is still your goal. No matter what it is, go for it! Make everything you do everyday, in some way, related to reaching your goal, your dream. Train your thoughts to be something like: That first cup of coffee helps you wake up so you can begin your day and start getting closer to your ultimate goal. That morning shower helps you get ready to face the day and be your best for whatever tasks you set out to accomplish that day. Relating little everyday things can help you focus your mind on your goal.


5. Rely on a special loved one that will and can help you reach your dreams and goals.

I am extremely lucky because I am blessed with a fantastically positive, outgoing, smart, very loving and supportive person in my life that encourages me, helps me, and gives me the confidence to reach for the stars. He has inspired me to do many things that I never thought I would ever be able to do for one reason or another. He is my rock and my safe haven. He guides me when I ask, advices me when needed, and lets me fly free when I want to. If you have someone that you can rely on to be your rock, grab on to them and share every dream you have. That one person might make the difference in your own life and how and if you attain your dreams.

Don't let the nay sayers around you influence you. If that had happened, Apple would not be what it is today. I'm not saying that you will be the next best inventor in the world, but who knows? It could happen.


Keep your mind clear and positive! And above all, dare to Hope!

Really Living Life - Not Just Existing

You all know I have Epilepsy and have been pretty open with the sometimes daily struggles that I deal with because of it. Well, this past week has been, for lack of better terminology, a bitch! I have suffered from many different side affects of my Epilepsy and have not been able to perform many of my normal functions. That's one reason the blog posts have not been as frequent as they were in the beginning.

I will be doing well, then boom! My speech gets slurred, my arm starts jerking and off I go into another attack! Now, of course, I get frustrated and annoyed, but what can I do? Not a darn thing. I just have to wait it out. Padrone tells me to don't worry, clear my mind and to not get frustrated. He held me for a long time until my seizure subsided and I fell asleep. Now, this is not a cure, but it helps tremendously. Obviously, there is no cure currently for Epilepsy and the weird type I have doesn't respond to any medicines currently on the market.

While I do hate having Epilepsy and dealing with attacks and side affects, it has given me a different perspective and appreciation for life. I know the value of family and true friendships. I love to be held and feel protected and not judged by Padrone. I know the value of seeing the sun rise again and the moon set. I appreciate the nature I see around me and the seasons of change that I keep experiencing. I love the sound of birds chirping in the morning, dogs playing, and children laughing. I love seeing elderly people walking and talking in the park or seeing families having breakfast together at a coffee bar. I simply appreciate Life and all it has to offer.

Now you might be thinking I sound like some kind of New Age Hippie or just a weirdo. I am neither. I am just a simple person that has experienced many things in my life that has shaped who I am and changed my beliefs over time. I know most of you are telling yourselves that you appreciate life and things around you also. That you already like the simple things in your own lives. But have you really slowed down to appreciate it? When was the last time you stopped to watch the sun set or rise? When was the last time you stepped outside to stare at the moon and gaze at the stars? When was the last time you stopped whatever you were doing, even if just for a few minutes, on a warm, windy day just to feel the wind brush against your skin and clothes? When was the last time you were out and came across flowers that were so beautiful and colorful that you had to stop and sniff or snap a picture with your cell phone? When was the last time you just took a couple of hours for yourself or yourself and loved ones to sit in a park and appreciate the nature around you or watch the people and animals teaming with life? This is what I mean when I say appreciate the simpler things life has to offer.

Most of us are to busy trying to keep up with our neighbors, buy the newest gadget, make deadlines for work or school, keep up with family projects and chores, and so many other things that are too many to name. We are too busy to realize that we have complicated our lives so much, with living them daily and running to keep up with the rat race that we don't slow down to appreciate what is around us, the very basis of life, the simple things. We let life run us and then before you know it, a week, month and perhaps a year has passed right before our eyes. All while we have been so busy with 'living' but not really living.

How can we say we are living our lives to the fullest if we are not grateful for every sunrise and sunset? How are we able to say that we appreciate life if we don't stop every now and then to just be; to just sit still, take a break from the fast paced, daily grind of life and just think nothing? I know it's hard to find time because we all have many things we do, almost 24 hours a day. We all have commitments, work, families, friends, school, etc etc etc.... Do you see a pattern to this yet? If you don't force yourself to take even 5 minutes a day, out of your crazy busy schedule, how can you say you really appreciate what life has to offer you because you are too busy living it?

So, I encourage and challenge each one of you to slow down once during the day and just sit for 5 minutes gazing out of the window. Take a walk through the park at lunch. If its rainy, cold, icky, or you just don't like outdoors, go to a mall or cafeteria and people watch. Enjoy the laughter around you. Just try to enjoy life and not to just live it. There is so much more to life than that.

Always remember to love deeply and truly, live fully and take risks. You never know what path your life could take.