Purpose

He was born with a purpose - he just didn't know what it was. Yet every moment of his life was special. He was told that his life was precious and that his birth was a very special one. He was made to feel loved.  It is a very special gift that has been bestowed on us, and we must not waste it. He was also told that the obstacles on his path were just a simple reminder of once again of who he was and what his purpose was. He remembered these words as he moved on through the various life stages.  But he never actively sought out finding out his true purpose. He was of the understanding that it would come to him simply - he didn't have to actively find it. So He grew up, he went to college, he got a job, he had a girlfriend -perhaps several -and eventually got married. He kept moving, he was working, and kept moving in a forward direction. His was a simple life -he didn't ask for much. He didn't have many needs. But he traveled. He made time to see the world. See a new country opened up his eyes, made him richer, made him bolder, and taught him how to appreciate diversity. He saw the beauty in the mundane. He went deeper into the world of books. Books took him to a faraway land.  He would get lost for hours in them. Books were his escape. They gave him a new world when he couldn't travel. To him life was moving in the right direction.

Then one day he watched the sunset from his porch. The sun was setting, the sky was a deep purple with shades of pink. Something he had never seen before. He kept staring at it, just mesmerized. He couldn't speak. Tears streamed down his cheeks, it was almost as if the sky was calling out to him. He felt the tears and didn't understand what was triggering that -yet there was a pull. A pull towards the deep deep expansive sky.  It was vast, never ending, infinite. He couldn't fathom how he was such a minute part of this vastness. Who was he? He began to ask himself, and then he remembered his mother's message to him - "never forget you are born with a purpose - you are not just an ordinary person, you are special".  He thought to himself - this is special - this moment watching the  sunset is special. My everyday life is special. This now is special.
The question he wondered -am I living in accordance with my true purpose? And the answer was "yes." His purpose was not defined by his job or his status. His true purpose was identified by who he was as a person - his actions, his passions and what made him live.  It was a gentle reminder again to not get entangled in the drama or complexities of life. We have a choice to make it complicated or simple, sad or happy, relaxed or anxious - and we must use the guide of our purpose when making these choices.

Journal Prompt: What choices are you making for your self? Are they aligned with who you truly are? Make an inventory of who you are and do a check in....

Happy Journaling!

Hope

I watched The Amazing Spider Man yesterday with my son. Last year he couldnt watch it because it was too scary. Yesterday I was surprised he wanted to watch it with me. I paused for a moment, and acknowledged that to him - " you've grown, do you see that/'  He looks at me and says "yes." I'm not a big super hero person but for some reason yesterday I was drawn into the plot. Good Vs. Evil, truth vs. untruth, and following your purpose-passion. The quote from the movie that struck me was a speech at the end of the movie, " No matter how [bad] it gets or how lost you feel, you must promise me that you will hold on to hope." Hope -it gives us so much to look forward too - for without it we live in darkness. Yes we must hold onto hope because it makes the present moment less difficult to bare. Hope brings back energy because with hope we can begin dreaming. I can't imagine life without hope - i would be crushed. And perhaps that quote at the end of the movie struck me because it brought me back to when things are bad - we have a choice -to look upward or downward - we need to go through the feelings, but we must not get stuck in our darkness - our darkness will lead us into an abyss that will have us drowning. So in every circumstance we must choose hope. We must never forget that. We must always remember!

Journal Prompt:  What is your favorite HOPE quote? If you don't have one, look for one. Keep that with you -keep it at work, write it down in your journal, memorize it. So that when you are down, and there are dark days, you can go back to it and remember - that Hope is Alive!

Happy Journaling!
 

End of Summer....

The summer has officially ended. I say "officially"  because today my son has gone back to school -and although it is 90 degrees outside, going back to school signals the beginning of fall and back to routine and scheduling.  This is how i define my summer ending.  It is based on the school calendar.  And just like a child who loves to be off from an academic break for the summer, as a parent, it was absolutely delicious to be able to take a break from the craziness of school and academic demands. Summer was about fun - letting him have a break of pure camp fun and days of sometimes doing nothing, and lots of ice cream! And as a parent i am somewhat grieving the end of summer. Although i had a regular working schedule and i wasn't off from work, it was nice to be able to come home and not worry about tomorrow's homework, or any school related matters or projects and enjoy the evening - whether it was our weekly night of watching Master Chef together, or playing some sort of card game together or even just enjoying the evening together and not rushing because of the big word "school."  Perhaps the sadness comes from the together time we shared and that i just played too and now part of me has to go back to a routine - not only for my sake but for his sake especially as we get back to a school calendar. There is something about summer that creates so much joy in us - and as we approach the end of it, I can't help but acknowledge the loss I am feeling.  It is like saying goodbye to a friend that we won't see for a very long time, and even though we know we will see them again, it just won't be the same without them. And that's exactly how i feel today.  Just like with everything else, feelings are like clouds floating - they too shall pass. Just like seasons change and with every new season there is beauty, i know that with fall coming and with school beginning i will begin to appreciate the uniqueness of each season -but for now, i must say summer I will miss thee! and as Dr. Seuss said, " Don't cry, because it is over, SMILE, because it happened." and yes it did happen and i'm glad for it. Thank you Summer I enjoyed you!

Journal Prompt: What do you love most about summer?