Often, I do not do the little things I can do right now.  Instead, I put  off the little things until I am able to do the bigger things later on.  In doing so, I pass up opportunities to “Pay it Forward.”

As I watched the video,  I realized that I had made snap judgments about the  homeless man in the film . I thought I “knew” all about him.  Actually, I was totally wrong.  Yes, he was homeless, perhaps did not have much education or a job, but beyond that, he lived his life doing random acts of kindness with the little he had.  His small acts had such a big effect on the lives of others and  himself.

Instead of living a life of scarcity and focusing on what was missing, this homeless man lived a life of abundance.  For years, I have been working on my need to clutch tightly holding firmly to what is “mine,” rather than sharing my resources with others.  I want to move my thoughts to trust and to the belief that I will always be taken care of.

I have changed over the years. I have not changed totally, but I am learning to be more grateful. As I become more aware of all the abundant gifts in my life.  I am more capable of “letting go.”    Rather than being diminished, I have found that gain.

Each day, I receive the opportunity to make a change in myself and in the people with whom I come  into contact – the grocer, mailman, toll booth collector, cleaning lady etc.  Perhaps the difference I can make is by offering a hello, a smile, encouragement etc.  It doesn’t really matter what I do, but rather that I do it . . . small changes make big differences!

What a wonderful place this world could be if we each practiced small acts of kindness daily. . . You don’t have to wait .  You  are in a position to do something little to make a big difference in the lives of others now!

Yikes, how is it possible that this is only the second week of new year, and I already have let go of some of the intentions I committed to?

I know I am doing well on working towards some of my goals, but others have already begun to fade.

I am going to take the time to stop, look and listen before it is too late.

STOP!
I am going to pause and make time to get back on track right away. If not, the year will end without reaching my destination! I don’t want this to happen.

LOOK!
I need to look, again, at where I am now and where it is I want to reach at the end of 2012? My thought is to create a daily rating system so I can easily see how I am actually doing every day.

Setting up an accountability system for myself will increase my awareness and honesty and give me a better shot at keeping me heading in the right direction throughout the year.

LISTEN!
I know that beyond stopping and looking, I need to listen.

I get caught up in the noise of the world. I need to quiet down in order to hear the wisdom in the whisperings of my soul and the wisdom of others around me. Listening deeply is a real challenge for me, but I have the choice to develop my skills in this area. I know the benefits would be great.

Recently, my kids told me a story about Joshua Bell, a violinist who is paid $1,000 a minute when he performs on stage. Audiences are captivated by his genius and are willing pay for high priced tickets to hear him play.

An experiment was conducted in which Joshua Bell was acting as a street musician playing in a station. However, since no one knew who he was, only 7 people stopped to listen.

I want to be like one of those 7 people. I want to listen and hear the music available to me, for free, each day.

What about you?
Do you need to stop, look and listen?
Can you hear the whisperings of your soul?
What would happen in your life if you paid attention and followed your inner wisdom?
Joshua Bell experiment in the DC subway – Will you stop to listen?

“This process of the good life is not, I am convinced, a life for the faint-hearted. It involves the stretching and growing of becoming more and more of one’s potentialities. It involves the courage to be. It means launching oneself fully into the stream of life” - Carl Rogers

Life has not turned out as I planned or expected! My path has not been straight nor predictable. Yet, in hindsight, despite the twists and turns and sometimes being very challenging, I would not change my life’s experiences.   What I perceive to be good and bad, calls to me to grow into myself and my potential.

When I was younger, I had “expectations” of the type of  life I would lead.  Plan A did not work out for me.  Working on a Plan B,  was essential.

Instead of “expectations,” I now work on waiting to see what is “next” for me.  Although, “next” is  often not something desire,  I have found that if I can let go and trust, life flows in in so many unexpected ways.  I am on an adventure!

I have to admit that my prayer is often one expressing my lack of understanding, “God, I know you have a plan but it is hard to decipher”!

As each new day is born, I feel I have another chance to make the choice to continue on my journey and accept the reality of my life.  I have learned that often what is difficult and unwanted, calls to me offering an opportunity to stretch!

How about you?                                                                                                                                                                                                                   What is your experience?                                                                                                                                                                                               Are you able to discover the “amazing view” of your unique glorious life with all its twists and turns?

My wish to you and to myself is . . .

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.  May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.”–Edward Abbey

Frank Sinatra sung well about life. . .

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Several years ago, I was determined the to go to the movies by myself. It sounds ridiculous that this was a big event for me, but it took me lots of courage to be out in public alone. I was sure I would see people I knew. Would they think I had no friends? How embarrassing that would be?

Nevertheless, I was committed to “trying to go it alone,” just this one time. The theatre I chose was 30 miles away from home which greatly reduced my chances to run into anyone I knew. I bought my ticket, bulked up on candy and popcorn and took a seat in the darkest part of the theatre. I not only survived being alone that first time, but I surprised myself, I loved it. I was free at last!

No longer would I have to wait for others to accompany me. If someone wanted to join me, great, but I was now able to explore by myself. My world expanded since that first “solo trip.” Since that time, I have done lots of things by alone. I have dined, attended concerts and lectures, traveled and explored unfamiliar places alone and even moved to places where I knew no one.

In addition to enjoying these events, I discovered that it was easy to meet people who I never would have encountered if I were with friends.

Now I have a choice to fly solo or in formation. Both scenarios are fun and exciting. I no longer limit my possibilities. I am free to be myself, alone or with others!

What about you?
Have you limited yourself in any way?
What would be the advantage to you if you expanded your experiences?Is there something you would like to try, but have not yet found the courage to do so?

I am including a wonderful short video about ways to be alone which I found wonderful. Enjoy!

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars.”
Anomyous