Category: Points to ponder

Riding the waves of life.

Life is like an ocean.

Sometimes calm and peaceful, but more often than not coming at us like waves crashing up against the sea wall – wild and unpredictable, a magical pool of wonder with a mind and mood of it’s own. If we are not careful, we can get pulled into the current, tirelessly fighting to catch our breath and find some way to swim safely back to shore.

Oh, how we fight the currents, exhausting ourselves by swimming against the tide when we should be surfing the waves – allowing ourselves to ebb and flow, rise and fall. When we get sucked under, finding the will and confidence to paddle to the top, mentally letting go while physically persevering.

Letting go – it’s something most of us aren’t good at, even if we think we are. Call it delusional, or denial. Call it what you will, but we all fight the currents, swim against the tide, and find ourselves drowning in this thing called life.

We want balance. We want happiness. We want consistency. We want – well, maybe we don’t always know what we want. Maybe, we have a mind and mood of our own – just like the ocean.

What is the moral of this post, you may ask?

Keep swimming. Know when to front crawl, know when to float. Know when to dive in, know when to do laps. The key to success is in continuity – in not giving up yet recognizing when to modify or adapt.

The sea speaks to the soul and if you listen carefully, it can speak to you, as well. There will be storms. There will be shipwrecks. There will be sailing on the bright and clear blue water.

Welcome it all. Your heart will go on.

It’s a Winter Wonderland

As the snow falls outside the window, I can’t help but be reminded that winter will soon be behind us. The clocks sprung ahead last Sunday morning while we slept, and the days have grown longer. Birds chirp as dawn breaks and the geese that fly overhead in the evening have clocked in an hour later than usual. Spring is in the air.

Winter is one of my favorite seasons, second only to autumn and some days bumps to the front of the line. Those days are days just like this, when the world seems to stop and most people are nestled inside of their warm homes, working, playing, reading, cooking, baking, or doing nothing at all.

For those in the New England area, even if you are not a lover of the cold or snow, I encourage you to take a few minutes today and marvel in its the majestic force that is Mother Nature. Watch the snowflakes fall, each one unique in its own way – just like us. Take in the beauty, if just for a moment, rather than anger at the burden of shoveling and inconvenience. There’ll be plenty of time for that.

Then close your eyes and let gratitude fill you. Gratitude that you are reading this from a warm place with a roof over your head. Gratitude that we live in a locale where the seasons change and offer us something new and exciting four times each year. Gratitude for simply waking up this morning.

And join me in thanking all of those who keep us safe, protect us, and serve our communities – those who brave any weather, work the nights and holidays, and who don’t have the luxury of taking snow days: DPW workers, police, fire, paramedics, EMTs, nurses, doctors, and more; as well as those who have no place to place to call home.

What to seek out when you’re overwhelmed.

Life moves fast, super fast, and too often we forget that we can opt for cruise control.

There are tight deadlines, endless responsibilities, and schedules that we allow to own us.

What we may lose sight of, or not even realize, is that we often place unnecessary pressure on ourselves. We overbook, stress, and make important what may be quite insignificant – if it even counts at all – in the larger scheme of things.

Continue reading “What to seek out when you’re overwhelmed.”

Unsubscribe. It’s not necessarily personal.

As a marketing professional, I’m a subject matter expert on algorithms, metrics, and analytics.

Check out something on social media and you’re automatically placed in a funnel that will market to you anything and everything pertaining to whatever you searched.

Emails are measured, to learn how many people opened and clicked through.

If you made it that far, metrics will analyze how you came in to the site – was it the email? Or was it Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter?

Corporations place enormous emphasis on such data, and I get why. The metrics equal engagement, interest, and future sales. Maybe.

But I’m on the flip side. I kind of remain the social media anti-Christ. I’m also the outlier, the exception to most rules, and the one who proves the norms wrong. Not a life ambition, yet one I seem to achieve time and time again.

Tonight, I scrolled through my emails and embarked on the daunting task of unsubscribing. It’s not that their content isn’t interesting. It’s not that I don’t want to purchase their goods, or follow their blog, or pursue any other call to action that they thoughtfully, painfully, and wholeheartedly planned.

I simply get too many emails that I label as ‘junk’ and long to filter the solicitations from the messages with actual intent – family, friends, and personal business.

Don’t take it personally. Sometimes we unsubscribe simply to cut through the noise. Doesn’t mean we don’t like you, or want to buy in the future – we will find you when we are ready.

Signs.

Today is the anniversary of my grandfather’s passing, 01/13/2012 – also a Friday the 13th. I miss him even more today than I did the day he left us – yes, that is possible.

As I sat at my desk, preparing to work, and flipped the page on my daily calendar, this faced me.

It’s a sign. It’s a reminder of what’s important in life. And I’m forever grateful that we were able to be with my grandfather as he transitioned on from this earthly life to his eternal resting place, surrounding him with love and care in his own bed, in his own home.

Tell your loved ones how you feel. think twice before sweating the small stuff or growing irritated by things that truly don’t matter when we look at the big picture. Be the person they need, and be tolerant of differences. Kindness and understanding are not to be underestimated.

Even the universe is remembering my grandfather on this solemn anniversary. What a gift he was, and how blessed I am. I feel his presence, and he is with me every day – in my heart, on my mind, through my choices and actions. We will forever ‘sing in the sunshine.’

Are you complacent? Not busting out of your comfort zone so you can grow?

This definitely applies to me in some ways, despite my propensity for change and growth. There are certain things that are familiar, most in a good way, but others that aren’t necessarily serving me well or helping me to be my best self.

This year’s daily calendar choice was excellent. In past years, there were a number of daily mantras not worth the words on the page – yet I’m sure they spoke to someone who needed to read them, no offense intended and quite selfish an opinion.

If you don’t have a daily thoughts calendar, I highly recommend considering the purchase of one then starting your day with words of wisdom that you can carry in your heart and reflect upon throughout the day.

Don’t let yourself dwell too long in complacency.

Buddha, my BFF.

I’ll admit to not knowing what BFF stood for until recent years past, yet my tinybuddha(r) daily calendar is proving to be one of the best – and Buddha is one of my BFFs.

Who needs to read these words of wisdom today? Tania Yardley’s message is a powerful one. May we be reminded every day.

Here’s to enjoying and exploring what it means to be human – then love and experience as much as we can!

Every word of this.

When did my life become joyous, despite any challenges that come my way? When I buried perfectionism and danced on its grave! We can do so much more when we just move forward and fight off the naysayers that haunt our psyche. Yes, it can all go wrong and yes, people may talk about us. That’s a chance to learn from our mistakes and stop fearing failure – and expose who is in, and out, of our tribe.

A new year fraught with challenges.

There are times in our lives when things go well, so well that we sit on top of the world and can’t fathom loss or disappointment.

Then there are times in our lives when nothing goes right, from health challenges to financial burdens, and death – one loss after another.

Continue reading “A new year fraught with challenges.”